Dance Workshop
$15 per class or $40 for a package of 4 classes
Join The Africa Center for an exhilarating Moroccan dance workshop every Monday evening in February
This workshop will explore the movements of Chaâbi – the “peoples” music of Morocco. Chaâbi is an African dance style that reflects the voice and energy of community – it is high energy, celebratory, and pushes one to release without inhibitions. Commonly associated with the symbolism of “horses” in its movement, Chaâbi also connects people to dance with strength, discipline, and force.
Come dressed comfortably. No shoes required. Barefoot dancing is highly recommended. Bring regular fashion scarf to tie around your waist. No prior experience required! Accompanied with the sounds of live percussionists, students will familiarize themselves with the fundamentals of Moroccan rhythms and movements and will be on the path to becoming musically holistic dancers.
The class will be led by performing and teaching artist, Esraa Warda.
Warda transmits traditional Moroccan and Algerian dance forms through workshops and performances. A young talent of Algerian origin, she is a community-taught dancer under the mentorship of women elders in her family and artists from Morocco and Algeria. Warda is a firm believer in the power of intergenerational transmission. She honors her women ancestors by humbling herself to the value, power, dignity of these distinguished artistic expressions.
Warda has been featured in Vogue Arabia, Al Jazeera, NBC Asian America, Wada7, and Hespress. She has taught all over the world from the Old Town School of Folk Music in Chicago all the way to the National Algerian Centre in London. Warda collaborates with world musicians such as Bnat Houwariyat, Morocco’s premier all-women percussion ensemble based in Marrakech, and has performed at places such as Hassan Hajjaj’s Mi Casa es Su Casa Exhibition, NYC’S Museum of Modern Art PS1, Cuba’s Havana Habibi Festival, and Marrakech’s Festival Ghiwane.