MEET THE ARTISTS OF GOLIVE!
GOLIVE! 2027 INSTRUCTORS & MUSICIANS
Â
GOLIVE! 2027 BRINGS TOGETHER AN EXCEPTIONAL LINEUP OF MIDDLE EASTERN DANCE INSTRUCTORS, RAQS SHARQI TEACHERS, AND ARABIC MUSICIANS FOR AN IMMERSIVE CELEBRATION OF DANCE AND LIVE MUSIC.
HOSTED BY KARAVAN STUDIO, GOLIVE! IS BUILT AROUND THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN DANCER AND MUSICIAN. THIS ISN’T SIMPLY A WEEKEND OF DANCE CLASSES WITH RECORDED MUSIC PLAYING IN THE BACKGROUND.
IT’S AN OPPORTUNITY TO STUDY WITH ACCOMPLISHED ARTISTS, HEAR EXCEPTIONAL LIVE ARABIC MUSIC, AND EXPERIENCE WHAT HAPPENS WHEN DANCERS LEARN TO TRULY LISTEN, RESPOND, INTERPRET, AND PERFORM.
MEET THE INSTRUCTORS AND MUSICIANS JOINING US FOR GOLIVE! 2027.
GOLIVE! 2027 INSTRUCTORS
SHAHRZAD
SHAHRZAD IS A PROFESSIONAL DANCE INSTRUCTOR AND PERFORMER SPECIALIZING IN EGYPTIAN RAQS SHARQI AND TRADITIONAL AND SOCIAL DANCE STYLES FROM NORTH AFRICA AND THE MIDDLE EAST.
SHE BEGAN HER DANCE TRAINING AT AGE 11 AND STARTED HER PROFESSIONAL CAREER IN HER LATE TEENS AS A TEACHER AND PERFORMER ON THE EAST COAST OF THE UNITED STATES. AFTER SEVERAL OF HER PERFORMANCE VIDEOS GAINED INTERNATIONAL ATTENTION, SHE BEGAN RECEIVING BOOKINGS AROUND THE WORLD AND WAS HIRED TO FILM A SERIES OF INSTRUCTIONAL DVDS FOR AN INTERNATIONAL COMPANY.
IN 2015, SHAHRZAD MOVED TO EGYPT TO LIVE AND WORK FULL TIME. SINCE THEN, SHE HAS BUILT A SUCCESSFUL CAREER AS A PERFORMER, APPEARING IN LEADING PERFORMANCE VENUES AS WELL AS FILM AND MEDIA.
WITH MORE THAN 20 YEARS OF DANCE TRAINING, SHAHRZAD HAS ALSO PURSUED EXTENSIVE STUDY OF MOVEMENT AND FITNESS, INCLUDING BECOMING A PMA-CERTIFIED PILATES INSTRUCTOR IN 2013.
DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC, SHE FOUNDED SHAHRZAD STUDIOS, WHICH INCLUDES AN ONLINE DANCE SCHOOL, PRIVATE DANCE AND MUSIC PROGRAMS IN CAIRO, AND TOURS OF EGYPT.
TODAY, SHAHRZAD DIVIDES HER TIME BETWEEN TEACHING MIDDLE EASTERN DANCE WORKSHOPS AROUND THE WORLD, RUNNING HER BUSINESS FROM HER HOME IN CAIRO, AND PERFORMING AND TEACHING AT SPECIAL EVENTS THROUGHOUT EGYPT.
AT GOLIVE! 2027, SHE BRINGS THE PERSPECTIVE OF A DANCER AND TEACHER DEEPLY IMMERSED IN EGYPTIAN DANCE, MUSIC, CULTURE, AND PROFESSIONAL PERFORMANCE.
CASSANDRA SHORE
INTERNATIONALLY RENOWNED DANCER, CHOREOGRAPHER, AND TEACHER CASSANDRA SHORE HAS STUDIED AND PERFORMED MIDDLE EASTERN DANCE AND EGYPTIAN RAQS SHARQI SINCE 1974.
HER STUDIES BEGAN IN SAN FRANCISCO WITH THE LEGENDARY JAMILA SALIMPOUR. SINCE 1980, SHE HAS MADE REGULAR RESEARCH TRIPS TO THE MIDDLE EAST, CONTINUING TO DEEPEN HER UNDERSTANDING OF EGYPTIAN DANCE, MIDDLE EASTERN FOLKLORIC DANCE, MUSIC, AND CULTURE.
CASSANDRA’S BACKGROUND IN MODERN DANCE, JAZZ, FLAMENCO, AND TAI CHI CHUAN LED HER TO EXPLORE WAYS OF MOVING MIDDLE EASTERN DANCE BEYOND A “MUSEUM” FORM AND PRESENTING IT AS A VIBRANT, LIVING ART.
IN 1989, SHE FOUNDED JAWAAHIR DANCE COMPANY, DEDICATED TO CULTURAL AUTHENTICITY, ARTISTIC EXCELLENCE, AND A SPIRIT OF EXPLORATION THAT BLENDS TRADITIONAL AND CONTEMPORARY MIDDLE EASTERN DANCE.
HER PRODUCTIONS HAVE INCLUDED COLLABORATIONS WITH INTERNATIONALLY RECOGNIZED MIDDLE EASTERN ARTISTS INCLUDING PALESTINIAN OUD VIRTUOSO AND COMPOSER SIMON SHAHEEN AND THE GEORGES LAMMAM ENSEMBLE.
CASSANDRA SERVED AS JAWAAHIR’S ARTISTIC DIRECTOR AND CHOREOGRAPHER UNTIL 2021. SHE CONTINUES TO TEACH MIDDLE EASTERN DANCE CLASSES, WORKSHOPS, AND OASIS DANCE CAMPS.
SHE IS A PAST RECIPIENT OF THE MINNESOTA DANCE ALLIANCE/MCKNIGHT FOUNDATION RESIDENT CHOREOGRAPHER’S AWARD, AS WELL AS MDA/JEROME FOUNDATION SPONSOR POOL AND DANCER POOL AWARDS.
AMINA GOODYEAR
AMINA GOODYEAR HAS BEEN A CORNERSTONE OF ARABIC DANCE AND MUSIC IN THE BAY AREA FOR MORE THAN 50 YEARS AS A DANCER, TEACHER, MUSICIAN, AND PRODUCER.
SHE BEGAN HER PERFORMANCE CAREER IN THE MID-1960S AT THE BAGDAD CABARET IN SAN FRANCISCO’S NORTH BEACH DURING THE GOLDEN ERA OF MIDDLE EASTERN DANCE AND ARABIC NIGHTCLUBS.
IN 1975, SHE FOUNDED THE ASWAN DANCERS, WHICH WENT ON TO PERFORM CONTINUOUSLY FOR MORE THAN 45 YEARS AT PARTIES, FESTIVALS, WEDDINGS, AND EDUCATIONAL VENUES.
AMINA TEACHES LIVE AND ONLINE CLASSES, PRIVATE LESSONS, AND WORKSHOPS, WITH A PARTICULAR FOCUS ON THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN DANCE, ARABIC MUSIC, AND LYRICS. HER TEACHING EMPHASIZES CULTURAL ACCURACY AND A DEEP UNDERSTANDING OF THE MUSIC BEHIND THE MOVEMENT.
IN 1991, SHE FOUNDED THE GIZA CLUB, A CULTURAL ORGANIZATION DEDICATED TO INCREASING UNDERSTANDING OF THE MUSIC AND DANCE OF THE ARAB WORLD THROUGH LECTURES, PANEL DISCUSSIONS, FILMS, PERFORMANCES, AND VISITING ARTISTS.
AMINA IS ALSO A LIFELONG STUDENT AND PERFORMER OF ARABIC MUSIC. SHE HAS PLAYED PERCUSSION ALONGSIDE MANY OF SAN FRANCISCO’S BEST-KNOWN ARABIC MUSICIANS AND SINGERS AND HAS FOUNDED OR CO-FOUNDED NUMEROUS ENSEMBLES, INCLUDING THE CAIRO CATS, ARABIAN KNIGHTS, CARAVAN BAND, LAYALLI AL-SHARQ, AND PASHA BAND.
SHE WAS A FOUNDING MEMBER OF ASWAT, THE BAY AREA’S ARABIC CHOIR, AND HAS BEEN A REGULAR MEMBER OF THE GEORGES LAMMAM ENSEMBLE FOR MANY YEARS.
AT GOLIVE! 2027, AMINA BRINGS DECADES OF EXPERIENCE CONNECTING MIDDLE EASTERN DANCE, LIVE ARABIC MUSIC, RHYTHM, LYRICS, AND CULTURAL CONTEXT.
FIND HER ONLINE AT WWW.ASWANDANCERS.ORG
DEBBIE SMITH
DEBBIE SMITH IS A DANCER SPECIALIZING IN EGYPTIAN-STYLE RAQS SHARQI, WITH MORE THAN 30 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE AS A PERFORMER, WRITER, AND TEACHER.
HER APPROACH TO MIDDLE EASTERN DANCE IS GROUNDED IN CULTURAL CONTEXT. FOR DEBBIE, UNDERSTANDING THE DANCE MEANS UNDERSTANDING MORE THAN STEPS AND TECHNIQUE—IT MEANS ENGAGING WITH MUSIC, LANGUAGE, HISTORY, POLITICS, RELIGION, AND THE CULTURE IN WHICH THE DANCE EXISTS.
HER PERSPECTIVE COMES FROM DECADES OF STUDY, PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE, AND EXTENDED PERIODS LIVING AND WORKING IN EGYPT. SHE IS DEEPLY INSPIRED BY THE GREAT EGYPTIAN DANCERS AND BY THE CLOSE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MOVEMENT AND MUSIC.
AS A PERFORMER, DEBBIE BELIEVES IN THE POWER OF SUBTLETY AND THE PRINCIPLE THAT SOMETIMES, LESS IS MORE.
IN ADDITION TO PERFORMING, SHE TEACHES DANCE WORKSHOPS AND CLASSES AND GIVES TALKS EXPLORING MIDDLE EASTERN DANCE AND CULTURE FROM A NUANCED AND INFORMED PERSPECTIVE. SHE HOLDS A BA IN MIDDLE EASTERN STUDIES FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN.
DEBBIE ALSO HAS MORE THAN TWO DECADES OF PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE AS AN ARTS ADMINISTRATOR IN THE UNITED STATES AND EGYPT, WORKING IN PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT, FUNDRAISING, PRODUCTION, EVENT MANAGEMENT, AND ORGANIZATIONAL STRATEGY.
SHE AND HER HUSBAND, YASSER, DIVIDE THEIR TIME BETWEEN CAIRO, EGYPT, AND BALD KNOB, ARKANSAS.
FIND OUT MORE ABOUT DEBBIE AT WWW.HATTAYABATTA.COM
KAREN BARBEE
KAREN BARBEE ADKISSON BEGAN STUDYING BELLY DANCE AT AGE 10.
IN THE 1970S, WHEN FORMAL MIDDLE EASTERN DANCE INSTRUCTION WAS OFTEN UNCLEAR OR LOOSELY STRUCTURED, SHE DEVELOPED HER OWN SYSTEM OF UNDERSTANDING—ONE THAT COMBINED ANALYTICAL THINKING WITH ARTISTIC INSTINCT.
WITH DEGREES IN ACCOUNTING AND COMPUTER SCIENCE, KAREN BROUGHT STRUCTURE, CURRICULUM DESIGN, AND SYSTEMS THINKING INTO AN ART FORM THAT WAS OFTEN TAUGHT INFORMALLY.
OVER DECADES OF PROFESSIONAL PERFORMANCE AND INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL THROUGHOUT THE UNITED STATES, EUROPE, CENTRAL AND SOUTH AMERICA, ASIA, EGYPT, AND LEBANON, SHE DEVELOPED A METHODOLOGY GROUNDED IN CLARITY, MUSICAL DEPTH, AND CULTURAL RESPECT.
KAREN FOUNDED KARAVAN STUDIO IN 1988. SINCE THEN, SHE HAS DIRECTED STAGED PRODUCTIONS, TRAINED GENERATIONS OF DANCERS, AND COLLABORATED EXTENSIVELY WITH ACCLAIMED ARAB MUSICIANS TO GIVE DANCERS THE OPPORTUNITY TO EXPERIENCE ARABIC MUSIC AS A LIVING FORCE—NOT SIMPLY AS BACKGROUND SOUND.
SHE IS ALSO A PIONEER IN ONLINE MIDDLE EASTERN DANCE INSTRUCTION, CREATING A COMPREHENSIVE DIGITAL TRAINING LIBRARY THAT BRINGS TOGETHER TECHNIQUE, COMBINATIONS, CHOREOGRAPHY, IMPROVISATION, AND MUSIC STUDIES.
SINCE 2013, HER DEFINING PASSION PROJECT HAS BEEN PROJECT BAND, A LIVE ARABIC MUSIC TRAINING CURRICULUM DEVELOPED FROM DECADES OF PERFORMING WITH PROFESSIONAL MUSICIANS.
PROJECT BAND TEACHES DANCERS HOW TO INTERPRET LIVE MUSIC IN REAL TIME, DEVELOPING CONFIDENCE, MUSICALITY, RESPONSIVENESS, AND ARTISTIC MATURITY IN WAYS THAT STUDIO-ONLY TRAINING CANNOT REPLICATE.
THAT SAME RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN DANCER AND MUSICIAN IS AT THE HEART OF GOLIVE!
GOLIVE! 2027 LIVE MUSIC
MICHAEL IBRAHIM & THE NATIONAL ARAB ORCHESTRA TAKHT ENSEMBLE
MICHAEL IBRAHIM IS A CONDUCTOR, COMPOSER, EDUCATOR, AND ONE OF THE LEADING FIGURES IN THE CONTEMPORARY ARAB MUSIC SCENE.
HIS MUSICAL EDUCATION INCLUDES STUDIES WITH ARTISTS AND EDUCATORS INCLUDING SIMON SHAHEEN, JOHNNY SARWEH, NADEEM DLAIKAN, DOUGLAS BIANCHI, ANTHONY IANNACCONE, DR. DAVID PIERCE, ROBERT WILLIAMS, AND VICTORIA KING.
HE EARNED A BACHELOR OF MUSIC FROM EASTERN MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY AND A MASTER OF MUSIC IN CONDUCTING FROM WAYNE STATE UNIVERSITY.
AS A PERFORMER AND CONDUCTOR, MICHAEL HAS APPEARED IN CONCERT HALLS AND VENUES AROUND THE WORLD, COLLABORATING WITH INFLUENTIAL ARTISTS ACROSS BOTH WESTERN AND ARAB MUSICAL TRADITIONS. HIS WORK IN COMPOSITION AND IMPROVISATION HAS ALSO LED TO APPEARANCES ON RECORDINGS AND FILM SCORES.
MICHAEL’S MUSICAL BACKGROUND SPANS BOTH ARAB AND WESTERN TRADITIONS, AND HIS WORK FREQUENTLY EXPLORES THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THEM.
AS AN EDUCATOR, HE HAS TAUGHT INSTRUMENTAL AND ENSEMBLE INSTRUCTION AS WELL AS LECTURES AND DEMONSTRATIONS ON ARAB MUSIC AT UNIVERSITY AND GRADE-SCHOOL LEVELS.
HIS WORK AS A PERFORMER AND EDUCATOR LED HIM TO ESTABLISH THE ENSEMBLES OF THE MICHIGAN ARAB ORCHESTRA, NOW KNOWN AS THE NATIONAL ARAB ORCHESTRA.
FOR GOLIVE! 2027, MICHAEL JOINS US WITH THE NATIONAL ARAB ORCHESTRA TAKHT ENSEMBLE.
THE GEORGES LAMMAM ENSEMBLE
GEORGES LAMMAM IS A PALESTINIAN-AMERICAN VIOLINIST OF LEBANESE BIRTH WHOSE WORK EXEMPLIFIES THE ARABIC TRADITION OF INSTRUMENTAL IMPROVISATION.
BORN IN BEIRUT, LEBANON, GEORGES HAS TOURED INTERNATIONALLY AS A FEATURED ARTIST, PERFORMING ACROSS THE UNITED STATES, EUROPE, LATIN AMERICA, AND THE MIDDLE EAST.
HIS WORK HAS INCLUDED COLLABORATIONS WITH INTERNATIONALLY RECOGNIZED ARTISTS AND PARTICIPATION IN CULTURAL AND HUMANITARIAN PROJECTS SUPPORTING DISPLACED COMMUNITIES.
HIS COMPOSITIONS AND PERFORMANCES HAVE ALSO BEEN FEATURED IN FILM, INCLUDING THE AWARD-WINNING DOCUMENTARIES OCCUPATION 101 AND TEA ON THE AXIS OF EVIL. HE ALSO RECORDED A FOLKLORIC DEBKE FOR THE FEATURE FILM WRESTLING JERUSALEM.
THE GEORGES LAMMAM ENSEMBLE BRINGS A DEEPLY ROOTED ARABIC MUSICAL TRADITION TO GOLIVE! 2027, GIVING DANCERS THE OPPORTUNITY TO EXPERIENCE THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MOVEMENT AND LIVE ARABIC MUSIC FIRSTHAND.
MEMBERS : GEORGES LAMMAM, KHADER KEILEH, AMINA GOODYEAR, SUSU PAMPANIN, MIKE OWENSÂ
THE GHAFOUR BROTHERS BAND
THE GHAFOUR BROTHERS BAND JOINS THE GOLIVE! 2027 MUSICAL LINEUP, ADDING ANOTHER DISTINCTIVE LIVE MUSICAL VOICE TO THE WEEKEND.
AT GOLIVE!, LIVE MUSIC IS NOT SIMPLY ACCOMPANIMENT FOR DANCE.
THE MUSICIANS ARE PART OF THE CONVERSATION.
THEIR RHYTHMS, PHRASING, INSTRUMENTATION, INTERPRETATION, AND MUSICAL CHOICES GIVE DANCERS THE OPPORTUNITY TO LISTEN DIFFERENTLY, RESPOND IN REAL TIME, AND EXPERIENCE MIDDLE EASTERN DANCE AS A LIVING ART FORM.
NOT READY TO COMMIT? THAT'S COOL. BUT DON'T MISS YOUR SHOT.
SUBSCRIBE FOR ARTIST UPDATES, SNEAK PEEKS, AND DISCOUNT CODES.
GOLIVE! 2027 BRINGS TOGETHER FIVE ACCOMPLISHED MIDDLE EASTERN DANCE INSTRUCTORS ANDÂ LIVE MUSICIAS FOR AN IMMERSIVE WEEKEND OF DANCE, MUSIC, LEARNING, AND PERFORMANCE.
WHETHER YOUR BACKGROUND IS IN EGYPTIAN RAQS SHARQI, BELLY DANCE, MIDDLE EASTERN FOLKLORIC DANCE, IMPROVISATION, OR LIVE MUSICAL INTERPRETATION, GOLIVE! OFFERS A RARE OPPORTUNITY TO STUDY DIRECTLY WITH RESPECTED ARTISTS WHILE EXPERIENCING THE MUSIC LIVE.
Â
REGISTRATION OPENS JANUARY 1, 2027. COME FOR THE CLASSES. STAY FOR THE MUSIC. AND LEARN WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE TWO FINALLY BECOME ONE.