At last … here are a few highlights from my performance at Rakkasah East 2018.
The Rakkasah festivals, held on both the West and East coasts of the United States, are some of the first large Middle Eastern Dance festivals that folks were able to go to.
These large festivals enabled Middle Eastern Dance enthusiasts and professional Belly Dancers to come together, take workshops from master teachers, share ideas, buy costumes from vendors that came from far away, see each other perform, and–most importantly–visit and schmooze! It’s difficult to describe the level of excitement generated by taking several days of inspiring workshops with great teachers and then performing on a giant stage in front of a knowledgeable audience at such a high-profile event. The musicians here are Scott Wilson, Avram Pengas, Umut Yasmut, Casey Bond, and guest percussionist Rex Benincasa.