Suhaila Dance Company Will Perform "Enta Omri" At The Southside Theater, Fort Mason Center

Online, July 7, 2014 (Newswire.com) - A milestone in the art of belly dance. Choreographed by Suhaila Salimpour and performed by the Suhaila Dance Company, this full-length production presents the modern evolution of belly dance with vibrant choreography, rich Arabic music, and the passion of highly skilled dancers.

Enta Omri translates to "You are my life." The beautiful poetry of the Arabic world and themes of love and lost converge in this creative vision. Suhaila Dance Company takes the audience on a journey down a woman's road to wisdom earned through her experiences in love. Sometimes mischievous, playful, and tender, other times brutal, lonely and lost, the dancers navigate this emotional landscape with the highest level of technical virtuosity and artistic sensitivity.

This work features a soundtrack that is a collaboration between musical producers Suhaila Salimpour and renowned tabla master Ziad Islambouli and was recorded by the top musicians in Lebanon. The particular pieces in this performance were carefully selected for their significance to Arabic culture, music, and dance.

The story's powerful music combined with elegant costumes designed by Costume Designer Julianna Aberle-Mcclellan and Suhaila Salimpour, and breathtaking lighting by Lighting Designer Patty-Ann Farrell, creates a sensual atmosphere with in which the all female cast sculpted into exquisite gestures and energetic expressions capture the essence of Mrs. Salimpour's renowned choreographic mastery.

About Suhaila Salimpour:
Suhaila Salimpour is a master choreographer, performer, and teacher. Suhaila's mother, Pioneer Dancer and Instructor Jamila Salimpour began teaching her unique method with detailed breakdowns and standard terminology for movement in 1949.

Jamila's original phrases and names for dance movements such as Turkish Drop, Maya, and Basic Egyptian were the beginning of a long process to add structure and definition to the art. For her contribution to the art of dance Jamila received the prestigious Isadora Duncan Award as a Sustained Achievement Honoree in 2013.

Suhaila began her dance training at the young age of 2 and teaching at 14. In addition to training with her mother, Suhaila studied ballet, jazz, and tap from an early age, and soon added modern and hip-hop to her repertoire. Through her years of being professional performer and master instructor, Suhaila realized the necessity to create an organized system for teaching and training in belly dance. Rather than trying to integrate Middle Eastern Dance with Ballet or Jazz, Suhaila used the training methodology she experienced in her classical dance studies to preserve the quality and longevity of belly dance as an art form.

About Suhaila Dance Company:
The Suhaila Dance Company has been bringing artistically vibrant work to audiences since 1996. The Suhaila Dance Company was created out of a need for an organized presentation of classic Middle Eastern dance. The Company's repertoire has grown to include folkloric, fusion, and classic belly dance pieces presented with the highest level of training. All company members are also part of Bal Anat, a folkloric belly dance group originally formed in 1968 by Jamila Salimpour and directed by Suhaila Salimpour since 1999.

About Ziad Islambouli:
Ziad Islambouli is a drummer, instructor, producer, and composer of Middle Eastern music and rhythms. Born in Beirut, Lebanon, Ziad became fascinated with drumming as a very young child. By the age of five, he was displaying an amazing rhythmic talent. By the age of twelve, Ziad was performing for thousands, suitably becoming known as the miracle drummer. Backed by his growing popularity and newly formed band, he became sought after by famous singers and dancers such as Wadih Elsafi and Nadia Gamal. In the United States, Ziad is the most requested Middle Eastern drummer by top singers, musicians and dancers. Ziad has produced numerous Middle Eastern music albums in collaboration with Suhaila Salimpour.

About Patty-Ann Farrell:
Patty Ann Farrell is a seasoned craftswoman in the field of stage lighting. With nearly forty years of experience, she is affectionately known in the San Francisco Bay Area as the "Mother of Lighting". She has designed for a myriad of theatrical stages, concerts, artistic projects, and alternative venues. She has created for the San Francisco Ethnic Dance Festival, Black Choreographers Festival, San Francisco Hip Hop Festival, and numerous others. Her work has been recognized by prestigious awards including four Isadora Duncan Awards for Lighting Design.

Calendar Editors Please Note:
Suhaila Dance Company presents Enta Omri

Where:
Southside Theater, Fort Mason Center:
Marina Blvd & Buchanan Street
San Francisco, CA 94123

When:
Saturday, August 9,, 8pm
Sunday, August 10, 3pm

Tickets:
$20.00

Tickets are available now at http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/640859 or call (510) 527-2400.