Al-Bahira Dance Theater

Al-Bahira Dance Theater is dedicated to high-quality presentation, preservation, and education about the dances and music of the Middle East and surrounding regions, and celebrating these ever-evolving art forms, as relevant today in the U.S. as in their historical lands of origin. Employing creative storytelling and theatrical dance elements, Al-Bahira’s unique approach is contemporary yet deeply respectful of the rich traditions and cultural context of the original forms.

Artistic director Mirah Ammal’s fascination with the central role dance, music, and oral tradition occupy in the culture and day-to-day lives of the Middle Eastern peoples guides the group toward creative theatrical works with an organic, story-based tone. The stories, humor, drama and beautiful dances are enjoyed by fans of all ages.

Al-Bahira’s performance troupe includes approximately 15 company members, corps members, and apprentices. In addition to performing for cultural events, the troupe produces theatrical shows, an annual autumn variety show, a dance festival, and quarterly “haflas” for student, avocational and professional dancers and musicians. Al-Bahira also offers weekly classes and special workshops in belly dance, Middle Eastern folkloric dance, and percussion through the Aalim School of Dance,

Al-Bahira Dance Theater’s work infuses authentic, traditional Middle Eastern dance with contemporary, cross-cultural and theatrical elements to create exciting dance works that are well-researched and respectful of the traditional forms. The organization’s mission is to:

• Present and preserve the art through high-quality, artistic works rooted in the authentic dance, music, and storytelling arts of the Middle East, North Africa, Turkey, Iran and surrounding regions.
• Provide education about Middle Eastern dance, music and cultures for our students and the general public, to foster respect, understanding and appreciation of the cultures of origin.
• Create fully accessible works that present the form as a relevant, living, and ever-evolving art and a part of the daily lives and cultural stories of the people.
• Use the dance to empower women and girls of all ages, body types, abilities, socio-economic statuses and cultural backgrounds, fostering cross-cultural community and appreciation of female strength, art and form.

2011-2012 Season Fundraising Project Goal: “Ifrita Helwa”

Al-Bahira Dance Theater presents "Ifrita Helwa", an original dance-play based in traditional Egyptian and American stories and inspired by the 1949 Egyptian film, “Afrita Hanem” June 21-24 at the Southern Theater in Minneapolis. The production will feature contemporary and theatrical dances derived from traditional dance and classical music of Egypt, Lebanon, Palestine, and Iran (Persia), and will involve collaboration between Al-Bahira artists, choreographer Mirah Ammal, guest artist Derek Phillips, and guest choreographer Laurel Victoria Gray.

Ifrita Helwa is the story of Wahid, a kind, passionate, but poor theater operator in Cairo. Shaken by financial problems and the loss of his star performer (and unrequited love), Amira, Wahid encounters the Ifrita, a mischievous but well-intentioned djinneye who helps him realize that, often, what we think we want and what we really needs may not necessarily be the same.

Ifrita Helwa is made possible in part by a grant from the Metropolitan Regional Arts Council and through the support of individuals like you! Donations to Al-Bahira through our fiscal sponsor, Springboard for the Arts are tax deductible.

To learn more about Al-Bahira Dance Theater and our educational entity, Aalim School of Dance, please visit http://www.albahira.org