teaching approach

Body Watani Dance teaches across different spaces, schools and universities in the Twin Cities, Lebanon, Palestine, and virtually. The nature of the work depends on the context, participants, and duration of the engagement. A normal class will often guide participants through collective, reflective prompts that invoke somatic and improvisational responses for the participants to follow. We propose investigations on relationships to place, ideas, concepts, or each other through different improvisation prompts or games. Once warm and present in the space, we shift to Arab-rooted dance techniques that we shape into contemporary and experimental phrasework or choreographies for students to learn and embody the techniques we are utilizing in our work.

We are available to offer workshops for: professional dancers, interdisciplinary artists, students at Universities, people with little-to-no formal dance training, Arab / SWANA communities, theater-focussed spaces, and kids/youth.

Workshops or collaborations will engage with the cultural and political influences of our artistic work, while also focussed on inviting physical explorations of the nonverbal stories of those present in the room. 

previous teaching & workshops

Minnesota

TU Dance | St. Paul, MN | Open classes (2021-2023) | Workshops (2022) | Summer Intensive (2021, 2022)

PANGEA World Theater | Minneapolis, MN | Movement Collaboration (2023)

Walker Art Center | Minneapolis, MN | Kids movement workshop for Free Saturdays (2023)

ARENA Dance | Minneapolis, MN | One month of open class (2023)

ACCESS: Move Conference | Detroit, MI | Workshop (2023)

Columbia University | Chicago, IL | Workshop (2023)

Uprising Theater Collaboration | Chicago IL | Interdisciplinary Workshop (2023)

Dance Barn Festival | Battlelake, MN | Workshops (2022)

Alternative Motion Project | Choreographic Commission

Threads: Dance Nexus Space | Minneapolis, MN | Workshops (2021, 2022)

Ananya Dance Theater: Shawngram Institute | St. Paul, MN | Open classes (2019, 2021-2022)

SPCPA | St. Paul, MN | Guest teacher & Choreographer (2021-2022)

Lebanon

Beirut Physical Lab | Beirut, Lebanon | Workshops (2021-2023)

Theater of the Women of the Camp | Borj el Barajneh, Beirut Lebanon | Movement Collaborator & Choreographer, Dance Training (2019-2023) | Kids classes (2019-2023)

ALBA University | Beirut, Lebanon | Guest Artist (2021)

Ashkal Alwan | Beirut, Lebanon | Workshop

Palestine

Diyar at Dar al Kalima University | Bethlehem, Palestine | Guest Artist (2018, 2023)

Virtual

RAWI Arab Literature Festival | Workshop

Images by Yasmin Yassin, courtesy of Walker Art Center (top) and Isabel Fajardo (bottom)