Dance
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Interview with the Egyptian choreographer Adham Hafez
The disappearance of the kiss
One of the highlights of Berlin's recent Return to Sender theatre festival was a performance of the futuristic piece "2065 BC" by the internationally renowned Egyptian choreographer Adham Hafez. Astrid Kaminski spoke to him about national identities and the arts scene in Cairo
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Interview with the Egyptian theatre director Ahmed el-Attar
"Art changes thought in the long term"
Ahmed el-Attar founded the Studio Emad Eddin Foundation (SEE) in 2005. He is also the artistic director of D-Caf, the director of the Falaki Theatre, a producer, theatre director and playwright. In an interview with Barbara Kaufmann, he talks about the importance of having spaces where the arts can be freely explored and practised, about free theatre and about the appeal of contemporary dance in Egypt
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Film review: "Desert Dancer"
Dancing around clichés
The film "Desert Dancer" tells the story of an Iranian dancer in a land where dancing is not permitted. Audiences are once again presented with a biased picture of a complex country. Marian Brehmer watched the film and questions the tendency of filmmakers to portray Iran in an exclusively negative light
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Interview with Vladimir Ivanoff of Ensemble Sarband
Creating a community of mindfulness and acceptance
Vladimir Ivanoff is the head of Ensemble Sarband. In this interview with Adelheid Feilcke, Ivanoff explains the motivation behind the ensemble's musical project "Passio – Compassio", which could be summed up as a call to each individual to try and overcome East–West differences and make relations between the two more bearable
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Interview with the composer Marc Sinan
A modern-day Bartók of Turkic music
Dede Korkut, the best-known of the epic stories of the Oghuz Turks, and the music that goes with it form the basis of Marc Sinan's new docu-fictional musical theatre production, "Dede Korkut – The Story of Tepegoz". Astrid Kaminski spoke to the composer
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Book review: "Contemporary Artists – Arab World"
Perceptions of reality
The book "Contemporary Artists – Arab World" shows how different Arab artists have reacted to the upheaval in their countries. By Kersten Knipp
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Interview with Choreographer Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui
"I Don't Mix Cultures, I Translate"
In his work, the Belgian-Moroccan choreographer Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui combines elements from different cultures, religions and styles. In this interview with Ceyda Nurtsch, he explains how his Moroccan roots influence his perception of aesthetics and speaks about the role of art in the Arab Spring
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The ''On Marche'' Festival in Marrakesh
The Ethic of Dance Is a Shock for Many
The eighth contemporary dance festival "On Marche" is taking place in Marrakesh this year. In spite of the fact that there is still considerable resistance to the idea of dance, the festival still manages to turn public places into open stages which are enthusiastically received by the public. By Astrid Kaminski
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"Mahatat" Dance Project in Cairo
Stop and Dance!
Spontaneous flash mob art amid social upheaval and political turmoil – "Stop and Dance" is an ambitions intercultural dance project, which aims to promote mobile street art in Egypt. Amira El Ahl reports from Cairo