Artisitc Statement

Just thought I would post the artistic statement for Arabesque Dance Company:

From an early age, Yasmina Ramzy enjoyed attending the ballet, the symphony, theatre, opera, art galleries and museums regularly with her family who believed in a strong arts education. At age 20, after a seven year deep, personal journey into the study and practice of Tibetan Buddhism and ancient Egyptian mysticism, Yasmina was introduced to the world of Middle Eastern dance and music. While being mesmerized by the beauty, spirituality and profound emotion of Arab art, she could not comprehend why it wasn’t sharing the stage with ballet and the symphony.

For 27 years, it has been foremost in her mind to recreate for Western audiences, the joy and inspiration she found in Middle Eastern dance. The mandate of director Yasmina Ramzy and the Arabesque Dance Company is to promote awareness of and further the artistry of Middle Eastern dance. One of the main goals of the company is to dispel the common misconceptions and stereotypes associated with Middle Eastern culture and in particular its dance forms so that audiences are open to appreciate this profound Arab art.

Because of the meaningful and in-depth quality of work Arabesque has created in the past with such productions as Descent of Ishtar, In Search of the Almeh, Isis and most recently, Asala, the company has gained a large international following. Through word of mouth and worldwide DVD sales, Arabesque is highly regarded as one of the most prominent forces for taking this ancient art form to another level. Yasmina believes that by presenting Middle Eastern dance in a venue and format that Western audiences can relate to, the door is then open for these audiences to experience the joy of Arab music and dance.

Yasmina and the members of Arabesque feel strongly that this highly emotional dance form which inspired Ruth St. Denis and Isadora Duncan offers an important message of a powerful, feminine and ancient archetype to the modern world. Yasmina finds Middle Eastern dance to be the perfect celebration of the feminine, sometimes sensual, and always spiritual side of human nature. She seeks to inspire women and men everywhere with this message which is often lost in today’s world.

Although some believe it is the oldest dance form, it has had to confront almost constant persecution for the last 2,000 years which still lingers today. By steering away from stereotypes and commercialism, Arabesque has done much and will continue to do more to lift this stigma. Arabesque's professionalism and high artistic integrity has offered other Middle Eastern dance artists and teachers a platform of pride to stand on.

Yasmina also hopes to offer Western audiences a more intimate understanding of Middle Eastern culture which is much needed in today’s political climate. Director Yasmina Ramzy and the Arabesque team are always exploring new ways to reach out with these uplifting messages.