Gender+ Justice Initiative
Gender+ Justice Initiative
The image is teal and green with white and yellow text describing all details of the event s with title, date, time, location... Right of image: Headshot of artist, brown woman wearing a black and gold dress and a gold belt; with purple/brown curly mid-length hair. Bottom of the page lists logos of sponsors.
G+JI Events
Lectures
Past Events

Algerian Raï Dance Workshop with Esraa Warda

Monday, April 8, 2024

4:00 – 6:00 PM EST – In-Person Event

Healey Family Student Center, Dance Studio B, Georgetown University Main Campus

Co-sponsored by Georgetown Gender+ Justice Initiative, Center for Contemporary Arab Studies, Women’s Center, Arabic and Islamic Studies Dept., Culture & Politics, African Studies, and Women’s & Gender Studies.

Join Esraa Warda, an Algerian-American dance teaching artist, for a dance workshop on Raï, Algeria’s “rebel blues.” Discover the origins and evolution of this music genre, emblematic of subversiveness in Algeria and the diaspora. Exploring themes of exile, love, and loss, Raï sheds light on the dilemmas and personal expressions of marginalized North Africans. Participants will learn fundamental movements, rhythms, and the unique “groove” of Raï dance.

OPEN LEVEL – ALL LEVELS WELCOME

Note: Wear comfortable clothes you can dance in and wear light dance shoes or barefoot. Bring a scarf that you can tie around your waist.

The workshop serves as a practical extension of the themes explored in a lecture given by Esraa Warda entitled “Gender and Sexuality in Algerian Rai Music” in Fall 2022. By offering participants the opportunity to engage directly with Raï dance, the workshop brings a hands-on understanding of the cultural and artistic expressions discussed in the earlier lecture. It is available to watch to Georgetown affiliates.

Slide 1 of 10

Warda and Iklil pose for a picture. They are smiling and holding each other.
Some of our favorites posing for a photo.
Melyssa Haffaf, the executive director is address the room full of dancers in concluding remarks.
Melyssa Haffaf, the Executive Director, addresses the dancers for concluding remarks.
Eleven dancers pose for a photo in a dance studio. A roll up banner stands between the dancers. Four to the left of the banner and seven to the right. The dancers are of different races, ethnicities, and genders. Warda is the third one on the right.
Dance participants pose for a photo.
Warda, in a blue shirt, hoops, bold lipstick and lime green shawl over her shoulders, is addressing a dance studio full of eager participants.
Warda addresses the dancers before commencing the dance practice.
Four women of various ethnicities stand side by side as they strut.
Dancers enjoying moving their bodies.
The dancers of various ethnicities and genders are in formation behind Warda, following her lead and instructions.
Warda leads the Rai dance.
Warda and a dance participant dance together in joy.
Warda and dance participant share in a dance.
The dancers of various ethnicities and genders are in formation behind Warda, following her lead and instructions.
The dance commences with Warda leading.
The dancers of various ethnicities and genders are in formation behind Warda, following her lead and instructions.
Warda leads the Rai dance.
Several of the dancers of various ethnicities are stretching.
The dancers are stretching.

About the artist:

Esraa Warda is a New York-based Algerian dancer and teaching artist specializing in traditional North African dance forms. One of her life purposes is to revive the presence of Raï dancers and women-led traditions in performance, an ode to the way Cheikha Rimitti always had dancers by her side. Her collaboration with Cheikha Rabia is one of her many projects to honor women and sheikhat of traditional music in hopes of challenging patriarchy. Featured in New York Times, BBC, Vogue Arabia, Al Jazeera FR, The Metric, and soon on a special episode on PBS’S “Bare Feet with Mickela Malozzi”, Warda is one of USA’s emerging influential North African dancers. Warda was selected as part of BBC 100 inspiring and influential women from around the world for 2022. Follow IG: @wardadance

Accommodation requests can be made at genderjustice@georgetown.edu

This event is free and open to all.