Exploring the the element WATER - sensuality, emotion and flow in the arts, dance and music, in El Gouna
The third Sphinx Festival was a 5 day event held in El Gouna on the Red Sea. It featured workshops on Egyptian dance and culture with Mahmoud Reda (modern dance theatre), Farida Fahmy (Modern Muwashahat), Liza Laziza (Emotion in Motion), Essam Said (modern dance) plus fun cooking classes, boating trips and swimming with dolphins. The aim of the event was to enjoy being surrounded by water to experience and explore fluidity and flow in dance.
Farida Fahmy spent the entire 5 days with us, and got to know all the dancers on the festival tour personally. We shared many wonderful moments, dancing, laughing, swimming, doing yoga and being entertained by Liza and her fabulous dancing and teaching.
One of the highlights was our snorkelling trip with the ten dolphins and goant sea turtle swimming by out boat. The Saiidi musicians, Bedouin Oasis night with Liza's dancing and the Gala dinnere event highlighted some of the lovely dance acts at the event. Essam Said's troupe performed modern Egyptian dance at the Gala and many festival participants performed. Our photoshoot at the beach with camels and saiidi musicians, and Farida's special coking class were a treat.
Festival Retrospective
The WATER theme allowed for flowing and sensual dance, with Liza, farida and Mahmoud REda - wonderful teachers. Festival participants from around the world shared ideas, dance and friendship, with many new styles being showcased from around the world at the Beach Pool Party night. We had a fun time, in a relaxed resort town, enjoyng the element of WATER.
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Exploring the spectrum of Egypt's Folkloric Arts and Ethnology
The second Sphinx Festival was a rare 5 day event held in Cairo at the Swiss club villa, set amongst lush gardens in the heart of the city. It featured top speakers and artists delivering world-class seminars on Egyptian folkloric dance arts, ethnic costume, music, culture and philosophy. Guests included Mahmoud Reda (dance theatre), Farida Fahmy (folkloric dance and costume), Dr Randa Baligh (Egyptian Art Histrory), Shahira Mehrez (ethnic costume preservation) and several other Egyptian artists and resrearchers who work in collaboration with them. Topics explored the historic evolution of provincial folk arts in Egypt - from source to stage - as an historic archive of the Reda Troupe work in the area of folkloric artistic development.
Mahmoud and Farida are pioneering professionals and academics in their field, sharing information not often available in written form. The event was kept at a small scale (limited to 60 participants) to create an intimate environment for sharing. It was the first time the REda troupe images were used as complete data shows with Farida's costume drawings and Mahmoud's field studies. Every evening, there was a special cultural event plus a grand finale Gala Dinner Cruise on the Nile.
Festival creator and organiser, Keti Sharif aimed to present a high quality learning experience with great opportunities for cross-cultural interaction between participants and speakers. The festival served to empower participants who may represent the Egyptian arts internationally, so that they may deliver their art with respect, knowledge and awareness. The festival offered a scholarship to Egyptian dance student Heba hamdi, living and studying modern dance in Egypt - as part of an incentive to encourage the preservation of dance in Egypt by local dancers, under the mentorship of Farida and Mahmoud themselves.
Exploring the deeper levels of the Egyptian arts, dance and music
The first Sphinx Festival was a 5 day event held in Cairo beside the Pyramids, featuring seminars on Egyptian art, dance, music, culture and philosophy. Guests included Mahmoud Reda (dance theatre), Farida Fahmy (folkloric dance and costume), Moustafa Gadalla (Author/Egyptology), Dr Randa Baligh (Egyptian museum curator) and many more artists, authors and resrearchers. Topics explored the historic evolution of art and culture in Egypt, from Egyptology to ethnology. The aim of the event was to explore deeper levels of the arts of Egypt and beyond. The festival also celebrated the 50 year anniversary of Mahmoud Reda and Farida Fahmy, with a Gala featuring performances by the Reda Troupe.
Thanks to Moustafa Gadalla, Farida Fahmy, Mahmoud Reda, Jennifer Carmen, Julie-Anne Odell, Diana Flame, Lesie Zehr, Loai Omran, Dr Randa Baligh, Paola Blanton, Essam and Nessrin, Moustafa Saad, Reda Troupe, Hassan Folk Troupe, Tanoura, Moulid dancers, Outi, Ahmed Mahgraby, Mazaher ensemble, Barry Khaled, Sherif Moneer, Heba Hamdi, Omar Kamel, Ibrahim, Bishou, Ahmed Said, Sayed el Bakhary, Abdel Magid and many musicians.
Festival creator and organiser, Keti Sharif produced the first Sphinx Festival in Egypt to intergrate the esoteric wisdom of Egypt with today's evolving Egyptian arts, music and dance styles. The aim was to present a new learning experience with great opportunities for cross-cultural interaction between participants and speakers, and to form a concept that inspires participants to explore the links between ancient and modern concepts in the arts, that are ultimately universal.
Sphinx Festival 2009 festival review - Nafoura Magazine. Omar Kamel's photos of the event can be seen on FaceBook.
Sphinx Festival 2009 festival review Almanac Magazine Egypt and Bellydance Oasis Magazine
For inquiries Contact Festival Organizer, Keti Sharif: Email keti@sphinxfestival.com..... .......Return to Home Page..... ........Go to DVDs..
