Guests of the Dance Meridian festival
Sashar Zarif
Sashar received his formal academic training in performing arts at Azerbaijan Conservatory of Music and Dance – awarded the honorary title of „Artist for People of Azerbaijan“. He continues his Fine Arts studies at York University in Toronto where he is currently a course director for a third year. Sashar is founder of Canadian Academy of Azerbaijani Dance, Sashar Zarif Dance Theatre and International Festival of Dancers for Peace.
Sashar Zarif is known as charismatic teacher and tallented choreographer all over Canada, Europe and Central Asia.
Read the interview "About dance with Sashar Zarif" from Rumi Alive festival.
Karim Zayyani
Pir of Nematollahi Sufi Khaneqe in Toronto and Montreal.
Karim Zayyani is one of the famous Iranian-Canadian experts on Molana´s works. Based in Toronto he has been for decades writting and translating book and articles on Iranian literature, in particular Molana (Jalalludin Rumi).
Karim Zayyani loves poetry and also love to create poetry himself.
Read his english translation of mystic sufi story "The journey"- english - persian translation.
Rena Milgrom
professional dancer, teacher, choreographer and event director. Based on her modern dance background and years of research on traditional dances and rituals from India to Central Asia she has synthesized a dance style drawing from contemporary and oriental dance.
Rena has been teaching dance extensively throughout the Czech Republic and Slovakia, and occasionally in different European countries and the USA. She has made research on Romani dances, music and culture and regularly cooperates with Slovakian Rom artists. Her artistic projects have always included dance with live music. She collaborates regularly with master percussionist Hearn Gadbois and many other artists from different cultures.
Rena is the co- founder of Zambra dance studio in Prague, and a director of Open field NGO.
Read interview "About dance with Rena Milgrom" from Rumi Alive festival
Hearn Gadbois
Hearn Gadbois is a percussionist who has devoted most of his life to the study and playing of the hand drums and rhythms of various African diasporic cultures (Latin American. Rhythm and Blues, Jazz) in addition to various traditions in the Islamic world (Persian, North African, Indian). His style of music-making is uniquely personal and incorporates elements from many different rhythmic streams while sounding somewhat "Oriental".
He has made many collaborations with with well-known artists (Yoko Ono, Meredith Monk), as well as many wonderful but lesser-known artists (Carter Burwell, Robert Een, Vladimir Vaclavek) and performs regularly with his partner Rena Milgrom.
Read the interview "About music and poetry with Hearn Gadbois" from Rumi Alive festival
Thomas Steinbach
Thomas studies Persian Calligraphy since 1992. He was initiated by a two term lecture by Dr. Sayyed Hashmutallah Hossaini at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin. He specializes mainly in style Nastaliq, in other styles: Shikasta, Tawaqi and its own creations. During his university studies (History, History of Religions and Central Asia studies) he focused on sufi lyrics and the phenomenon of „shamanic Islam“ in Cenral Asia.
Thomas is co-founder of Tschiltan, a Berlin-based ensemble for Central Asian music and dance. Thomas Steinbach is brilliant and patient teacher leading his students to create their own piece of art.
Read the interview "About persian calligraphy with Thomas Steinbach" from Rumi Alive festival.
Erfané
je taneční soubor vedený choreografkou Renou Milgrom. Repertoár souboru tvoří tance inspirované střední Asií (Afghánistán, Tádžikistán, Írán) a severní Afrikou. Choreografie propojují taneční tradice zmíněných oblastí, současný tanec a divadlo. Tvorba vychází z perské mystické poezie Rúmího, Háfeze, Attára, Chajjáma a z tahů a pohybů kaligrafie.
Více info o Erfané
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