Legendary Egyptian Dancer And founder of the Reda Troupe coming to San Francisco

His only stop in the Western USA

 

Hala Dance Company & Sequoia Adult School are proud to present the legendary Mahmoud Reda of Cairo, Egypt in a two days seminar and All-Star Show in Redwood City, CA on July 27th & 28th 2002

 

Location:  Sequoia High School, 1201 Brewster Ave, Redwood City, CA 94062

Schedule: 9:00 - 9:30 am Registration & Shopping

                   9:30 - Noon Class with Mahmoud Reda

                   Noon - 1:00 PM Lunch break

                   1:00 - 3:00 PM Class with Mahmoud Reda

 

Party and Show on Sat July 27th 2002 in Redwood City

Admission: Workshop: $70/day in advance, $80/day at the door (if space available).  Sat evening show: $15 in advance, $20 at the door.

Advance registration has to be received by July 24th 2002

No refunds.  Non-transferable.  No video cameras.

 

To register, please fill out the form below, mail it with your check (payable to Hala Dance) to: 1478 Calabazas Blvd, Santa Clara, CA 95051.            Tel: 408-246-1129

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Name: ____________________________ Dance Name (if different): ____________________

Address: _____________________________________________________________________

Telephone number: ______________________ Email: _______________________________

Saturday Workshop (number of people): ____                    Amount: ______

Saturday Evening show (number of people): ____   Amount: ______

Sunday Workshop (number of people): _____                     Amount: ______

Total amount enclosed: ______

How did you hear about this event? ______________________________________________

Special requirements or comments: ______________________________________________

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Mahmoud Reda has developed a special method of teaching Egyptian Folk and Oriental dance (Raks Sharki) for the purpose of training the first theatrical folk dance troupe in Egypt which he formed in 1959, "The Reda Troupe". His technique is based on the original folk dance movements that he researched, analyzed and studied from different regions of Egypt.  These basics were developed, modified and enriched to suit theatrical production.

 

As a soloist, choreographer and director, Mahmoud Reda made four world tours to 58 countries with his troupe. He performed on the world's most prestigious stages such as Carnegie Hall (NY, USA), Albert Hall (London, UK), Congress Hall (Berlin, Germany), Stanislavsky & Gorky Theaters (Moscow, USSR), Olympia (Paris, France) and the United Nations (NY & Geneva). The Reda Troupe has performed for many world leaders and Heads of states. Mr. Reda received Egypt's Order of Arts and Science in 1967, The Star of Jordan in 1965 and the Order of Tunisia in 1973.

 

In addition to hundreds of troupe productions, Mr. Reda has choreographed for Egyptian TV specials, plays and operettas and authored "In the Temple of Dance".  He was also principal actor, dancer and choreographer for three popular Egyptian films with Farida Fahmy, co-founder & star soloist of the Reda Troupe and a UCLA MA graduate.

 

Mahmoud's work has shaped and influenced what is known today as Oriental Dance (Raks Sharki). Many of his troupe members became master teachers themselves teaching in Egypt, Europe and USA e.g. Rakia Hassan, Momo Kadous, Mo Geddawi and Yosry Sherif. Mr. Reda served as the Artistic Advisor to the ministry of Culture in Egypt. He continues to teach through tours where he instructs in the famous "Reda" technique.

 

Some of the topics of his instruction will be: Mastering the basic steps and movements, using these movements in different combinations and routines, introduction to basic choreography as well as body and mind exercises for the healthy dancer.

 

 

  If you are interested in vending, master classes with Mahmoud Reda or volunteering, please email Hala at hala@haladance.com

 

   

 



For a little background on this unusual opportunity, see video clips here: http://www.egyptiancastle.com/cafe/reda/reda01.htm

 

From a review in the Hindustan Times (New Delhi, India, April 2001):

[The troupe] was founded in 1959 by the Reda brothers-- Ali and Mahmoud--to popularize dance forms from the diverse regions of Egypt.  After a gap of 37 years, the troupe again showcases dances of the countryside, the coasts, upper Egypt and the Bedouins. [They] have some dazzling dances like the El Haggala, performed by the Bedouins in the desert sands on a moonlit night. The dancers are university graduates who have performed all over the globe.

 

From an article in the Cairo Times (Cairo, Egypt, February 2002):

 

The original rush of enthusiasm for Mahmoud Reda's innovative work with folkloric music and dance in the 1960s, and its endorsement by the government, has seen the growth of hundreds of troupes around the country [Egypt] over the past decades, as well as regular television coverage.

Perhaps one of the problems of folkloric dance as modern entertainment lies in its intrinsic nature: the role of folklore is to preserve tradition and therefore it cannot easily be developed and kept fresh with new ideas. And although the dances presented in this theatrical setting are by Reda's own definition "not authentic folk art (which by its nature belongs only to social gatherings such as weddings and other celebrations) but an artistic rendering of those traditions," the troupe continue to use the same repertoire handed down to them by Reda during his 40 years of work.

 

Right here in our own backyard…