Oasis...
... is the longest running residential Oriental dance retreat in North America. Beginning in 1985 and now offering retreats worldwide, Oasis is dedicated to educating dancers in the art of Oriental Dance and its related folkloric forms from throughout the Arab world. We create a uniquely fun and supportive environment, often copied but never duplicated! Since the beginning, our leader and resident instructor has been Cassandra Shore, internationally acclaimed dance artist and artistic director of Jawaahir Dance Company. She's been joined over the years by many special guest artists, including Kay Campbell, Habiba, Amel Tafsout, Denise Enan, Sahra Saeeda, Zahra Zuhair and many others who have shared focused expertise in a kaleidoscope of folk and regional dance styles.
Joining Oasis teaching staff Cassandra Shore and Nicole LeCorgne, we are pleased to welcome Amani Jabril as our guest instructor for 2013.
Cassandra, the force that keeps dancers returning to Oasis year after year, will help us improve our technique and hone our dance skills. She will teach a choreography highlighting what we have learned in her technique classes and will offer a pre-camp Master Class at Oasis Dance Camp North and the Oasis South Retreat.
Returning to Oasis in 2013 after a short absence, Oasis’ own percussionist, Nicole LeCorgne, takes up her duties accompanying Cassandra in technique class, teaching percussion classes and leading the ever popular Oasis Pick Up Band.
The multi-faceted Amani will focus on modern Iraqi style of dance. Familiar in some ways but subtly new and different, “Kawleeya” originates with Roma (or Gypsy) groups in Iraq and the Persian/Arabic Gulf region. The dance movements include sharp quick shoulder shimmies, poly-rhythmic clapping, and dynamic footwork.