CulturalFest Countdown: Meet Karoun Dance Ensemble
Three more weeks to go until the CulturalFest Performance Showcase, featuring eleven performing artists who will share cultures from around the world on the Meany Hall stage. This year we're excited to welcome Karoun Dance Ensemble to the lineup, who last performed at CulturalFest in 2013. Read on to learn more about them - and be sure to get your CulturalFest tickets online or in the FIUTS office!
How did your group begin? Tell a little bit of your story.
Performing Badakshani dance from the Pamir Mountains of Tajikistan
We are former members of Delshodeh Dance Ensemble (www.delshodeh.org), founded in 2007 by Heather Rastovac and Sonja Hinz. With their permission, we decided to keep the company's repertoire in circulation under the name of "Karoun," which means "ever-flowing" and is the name of Iran's longest river. We have a variety of dance backgrounds, but share a love of the traditional dances from Persian language-speaking countries for their unique and subtle beauty of music and movement. We specialize in dance from the various ethnic groups and styles from the countries of Iran, Afghanistan, and Tajikistan but may expand our repertoire to include our own dance research of other neighboring countries in the future. Our ensemble is currently a group of American and Iranian-American dancers. See photos and more here.
What do you hope audiences will take away from your performances? What do you hope they will learn about the cultures that your performances represent?
As dancers, we are perpetually captivated by the range of expressive power of Tajikistan's traditional arts. Tajik dance can be at once social, spiritual, and transformational. Because we were introduced to Tajik culture through our exposure to its traditional dance, we hope that the audience will also be inspired to learn more about Central Asia. It is a part of the world we often ignore, yet it is full of incredible treasures. And of course, we are always looking for more Iranian and Central Asian friends from whom we can learn more.
Is there anything else you would like people to know about your group/your performance?
Although these dance styles are rooted in very old traditions, the group choreographies we will be performing are the somewhat recent work of Sonja Hinz and Heather Rastovac. These two dance scholars created well-researched choreographies for Delshodeh Dance Ensemble following their research in Tajikistan in the last decade. We at Karoun Dance Ensemble are proud to share this work with the CulturalFest audiences.
The two dances we will perform come from two different regions of Tajikistan: Badakshan (in the Pamir Mountains) and Kulob (in the lowland area near Northern Afghanistan). Although these dances differ from one another, which hints at the diversity of the area, the music and dances share similar themes and motifs. In fact, art traditions from all over Central Asia and beyond share a great deal in common even though there are many different ethnic groups and language systems in Central Asia. It is a fascinating part of the world to learn about.
One of the more peculiar elements of the Central Asian dance traditions we present are the long braid extensions that female dancers of the region wear for performances. We have painstakingly created our own braid extensions that we weave into our hair for or presentations of these dances.
It is also worth noting that although these traditional dance styles are very old identity markers for both of their respective ethnic groups, they continue to be celebrated in Tajikistan today, as seen in modern music videos and films.
CulturalFest Ticket Information:
General admission tickets are on sale now for $15 online. Discounted student ticketswill be available for $10 in advance at the FIUTS office (HUB 206) or at Wednesday Lunch. Tickets will also be available at the door for $15.
Click here to buy your tickets today! And don't forget that CulturalFest is much more than just the Performance Showcase. Join us for free cultural activities and more at theInternational Expo on Thursday, February 26, and support FIUTS programs at the Reception and Silent Auction before the performances.
Can't come to CulturalFest, but still want to support FIUTS? Consider making a donation to our cross-cultural and educational programs serving students and community members in Seattle and around the world.