Explore the rich, urban roots of Egypt’s Cane Dance tradition in this high‑energy performance project set to Hakim’s Ayeshni Wi Ayesh. Though often associated with the Said, the Cane Dance appears across all regions of Egypt in both rural and urban communities. This class highlights its contemporary, city‑inspired expression.
Structure
• Phase 1: Starts April 18 — five weekly classes focused on cane‑manipulation technique and the full choreography. Practice videos and a choreography sheet will be provided.
• Phase 2: Begins the week after the summer recital (week of July 18) — four weeks of rehearsals leading to the debut performance at Bellyqueen’s Arabic Night at The Secret Room in August.
What to bring: A straight (not hooked) wooden cane, roughly hip height with some weight. We’ll organize a group trip during Week 2 to Home Depot on 23rd Street to purchase and customize wooden dowels for performance use. Limited amount of canes can also be provided on request.
WHEN:
5 Wk Course: Saturdays 1-2pm, April 18-May 16
WHERE:
Course: Bellyqueen School @Playwrights
440 Lafayette St, 4th Floor, Studio 4D, New York, NY 10003
Press "Playwrights" on the intercom to be let into the building and to activate the elevator
INVESTMENT:
$100, $90 unlimited pass holders
Tarik Sultan is one of the world’s best-known pioneers of male Oriental Dance (Belly Dancing). He began his formal training in 1985. In addition to classes, he spent countless hours in the Dance Research Library at Lincoln Center, striving to learn as much as he could about the dance, its history, and the culture from which it originated. In 1988, he traveled to Egypt for the first time, observing the dance in its native homeland. This experience allowed him to distinguish the truth about the dance from the many popular myths created by the media.
Inspired by his travels, Tarik began teaching his first class in the early '90s, eager to share all he had learned and observed. Over the years, his talent and dedication to the art have earned him a reputation as a dynamic performer and a gifted, inspiring teacher and choreographer. He has taught many successful seminars across the nation as well as internationally in the UK, Japan, Australia, Trinidad, and Argentina. Some of Tarik’s international performance credits include the Jerusalem Festival, the Dar America Association in Marrakech, Morocco, and Alexandria, Egypt. In 2003, he became one of the first male dancers to perform at the Ahlan Wa Sahlan Festival in Cairo, Egypt. Other credits include performances at the United Nations, Lincoln Center, and The Museum of Natural History.
Tarik holds the distinction of being the only male dancer to be featured in the top venues in New York City, such as Casbah Rouge, Mehenata Bulgarian Bar, Babylon, Horus, The Habibi Lounge, and Feluca and 1001 Nights in Brooklyn, NY. From 2003 to 2014, he was the premier dancer at Le Souk in NYC. Until recently, he taught regular weekly classes in NYC, The Bronx, and Jersey City. He is available for private lessons, Zoom classes, private parties, and workshops upon request.