Cassandra
Oasis and Cassandra go hand in hand. Cassandra is the reason that Oasis Dance Camp was started. She is the reason that so many return year after year to continue their dance training. Regardless of your level of dance experience, you come away from her classes a better dancer. As a teacher, she is superb; patient, inspiring but not intimidating. Her technique classes challenge the most competent dancers while bringing newer students up to new levels of achievement. As a performer, Cassandra has that unique power to make the music visible with her movement. She draws you in and makes you a part of the music.
Find out more about Cassandra.
Dancers Talk about Cassandra
Cassandra is a true master of Middle Eastern Dance. She has an incredible understanding of this art form as an anthropologist, a musician, and a dancer.
Cassandra is unsurpassed at creating dance that fully embraces the music to which it is performed. I have seen her be amazingly complex and intricate, as when performing to a classical oriental song, and then wonderfully relaxed and playful for a folkloric piece. Her musicality is incredible: Cassandra understands Arabic music as a musician and it is clear that it moves her soul. She uses her wide Middle Eastern dance repertoire to pull out many layers and subtle nuances in the music. She is spellbinding to watch.
Her performances not only awe with her incredible talent as a dancer, but also demonstrate that she is a master at staging. When she puts her technique, musicality, and staging together with her passion and soul, Cassandra's performances transcend into the world of true artistry.
Cassandra is an inspiring teacher. Though Cassandra is down-to-earth and patient, her teaching style is very demanding. I highly recommend studying with her whenever possible.
Audrey LaRue (professional dancer from Seattle) , 9-30-2008
Can't wait until January when I have four days
with Cassandra and Habiba at Oasis Dance Camp South. She is so inspiring and I could watch
her all day. I studied with her at Dance Camp two years ago and was
so in awe of her.
Souzan, 10-30-2008
She blew us away at the Arab Dance Seminar last weekend.
Her performance was. just. amazing. Absolutely everything she did
was the exact perfect thing: exactly what it took to help you hear
the music through her ears and feel exactly what she was feeling,
without the slightest bit of "extra" to distract you from
it.
I think her taqsim was one of the simplest I've ever seen, in the most
wonderful way. It was like a Japanese flower arrangement: what she
could do with just a few movements was more eloquent than what another
dancer could do with many.
There was no hint of "look at me!" or "be impressed
by all the things I'm layering!" in her performance. What she
did took incredible precision and control, but you didn't realize it
until afterward. While you were watching, all that you really noticed
was how *exquisite* every moment was and how privileged you felt to
just watch her raise her arms.
Nadira Jamal, 10- 2008
Cassandra is the only dancer I have ever seen, so far, who made me
forget to breathe. She is incredible.
My teacher had a massive artistic crush too, and she used to show us footage
of Cassandra whenever possible. I could always see that she had flawless technique,
but it wasn't till I saw her live that I realized what an extraordinary performer
she is, too. She makes it all look so, so easy, and there's never an awkward
angle. I've never seen a bad still shot of her in performance, and I have seen
a lot of candids!
What I really like about her, apart from being, you know, flawless, is the droll
sense of humour she can pull out mid-performance when she wants to.
zummarad
(Bhuz.com) 10-29-2008
About the Cassandra School
I was literally HOOKED after my very first class.
I would try to get to class early so I could stand right behind her so I could follow what she did - sometimes this worked well, others...mmmm, not always so well ;-) but I never felt discouraged, only more inspired and determined to learn. The dance just felt natural and right to me. I loved everything about it, Cassandra's teaching of course (she has a wicked sense of humor), the music, the way it makes you feel - everything.
It's amazing how one small decision can really impact your life. Now, many years later, I make my living solely from teaching and performing Middle Eastern Dance, I've been to Egypt to study twice, I travel the country studying, performing and teaching - I wouldn't be doing or have done any of that if Cassandra had not started the Cassandra School!!!! I can never say or express how fortunate we are to have her here in the Twin Cities. We would not have the community we have here if it weren't for her and her vision of this amazing art form.
Aliyah Sahar (Leslie)