Arts Learning

Two leading Arab dance specialists will each conduct a 4-day residency (two separate residencies) with Jawaahir's professional 20-member dance company, teaching new (to Jawaahir) dance in their respective areas of expertise (bringing Lebanese traditional dance forward into modern interpretation, and North African Maghreb dance), and building Jawaahir's capacity to teach these new forms to their own 150+ students through the Cassandra School. Each residency will include a final public performance/artist talk, at which 35 audience (each) will experience the work and gain deeper understanding of Arab dance forms through a QandA with the teachers and dancers. We will verbally survey Jawaahir dancers to assess their satisfaction with the residency process, using this information to develop future residencies with expert Arab artists, and as a basis for developing new company repertoire that emerges from this learning. We will survey audience satisfaction through short written surveys and through conversation and anecdote at the public showings, evaluating interest in continuing learning about Arab dance and culture, and evaluating enjoyment of participating in these small public arts gatherings as a way to develop community around work that is central to our mission.