Time

Duration

Performance

Bio/Brief

5:00

Reception

5:00

30 min

DJ Alieza
Music and clips from Iran

Alireza has been working with Payvand since 1995 and has participated in all Payvand events. He is a sound engineer.
Power points and DVD and pictures from Iran.

6:00

5 min

Welcome & Introduction
Mansour Taeed

Graduating in Physics from UC Berkeley and San Francisco State University, and almost earning a Ph.D. from Columbia before realizing he wanted a career in theater, he went on to become an actor and a director.Twenty seven years past his first theater work, he is a brilliant actor, an excellent director, and a wonderful citizen of our community. An inspiring community leader and activist, Mansour Taeed has given Iranian youth in Berkeley a place to shine and grow. As the director of the Javane Theater Company, Mansour oversees the operations of this ambitious art venture working with children ranging in ages from 8-20.

6:05

15 min
+
First song

“Ey Iran”
Farideh Louie, Mr. Mohamad Ebrahimi, Mehran Ebrahimi

Music
Vocal, Persian Folklore
Farideh Louie. (vocalist)
Nurse Practitioner. She studied nursing and midwifery in Iran and immigrated to US in 1980.
She had the opportunity to serve and meet the need of a wide range of women from teen to mid life, and from all racial, ethnic and financial backgrounds.
Her hobby is music, and she is interested in traditional Persian music. She has studied and practiced Persian music, under several prominent Iranian music teachers.

Mohammad Ebrahimi began his musical journey during high school from 1968-1974 in pre-revolution Iran where he began the rigorous apprenticeship in traditional or classical Persian music.
After several years of training under some of the best masters of Persian music, he took the tests for becoming an actual instructor, coming in first and second place in several categories of instruction.
Shortly after this accomplishment, he was recruited by Iran’s ministry of art and culture under the department of folklore, chartered to promote Persian classical music across Iran. As a result he traveled to many interesting places inside Iran and learned even more from the local ethnic and cultural musical styles specific to each region.
Mohammad came to the US in 1984, and with the partnership of his younger brother Mehran, began to perform at traditional Persian functions, bringing smiles and heart warming memories to all in attendance.
Today the Ebrahimi brothers are often sought for traditional Persian events, as well as performing in international folk music events. They also provide expert instruction for those interested in learning to play the traditional Persian instruments of Santur, Tonbak, Flute, Daf, Sorna, and Dohol.

6:20

45 min

DJ Alireza
Arya restaurant

Dinner Break –  Music

7:15

10 min

Ballet Afsaneh
http://www.dancesilkroad.org

Qashqai folkloredance with Dahol-Sorna Mr. Ebrahimi

Sharlyn Sawyer - cultural arts specialist - community activist
Sharlyn Sawyer, Director AACS
Artistic Director, Ballet Afsaneh
A director, producer and dancer/choreographer for her own dance companies since the age of eighteen, Sharlyn Sawyer founded Ballet Afsaneh in 1986. The organization assumed nonprofit status in 1991. Ms. Sawyer has served as the executive director of the 501(c)3 since 1997; while simultaneously continuing her role as artistic director of Ballet Afsaneh and her ongoing work as a practicing artist. With over thirty years of experience as a producer and director for numerous presentations, she is also an accomplished videographer and graphic designer.

A prolific artist, Ms. Sawyer has choreographed dozens of new works and expanded traditional Central Asian art forms for contemporary theatrical venues. She is considered to be a pioneer of Central Asian performing arts in Northern California. Ballet Afsaneh is actually listed in the Wikipedia as the “most notable ensemble of Persian dance.” Her decades of field research and study with master teachers in the US and Central Asia encompass a wide spectrum of diverse dance genre. This knowledge base and creative passion have enabled her to make a significant contribution at a critical time in history, both directly and through the ongoing legacy of her many students.

Ms. Sawyer has received achievement awards from many Iranian-American and Afghan cultural organizations.

7:25

15 min

Niosha Dance Academy

Niosha Dance Academy’s aim is to create a platform for aspiring talent, young and the young at heart to receive structured dance training in various styles of traditional and modern Persian dance as well as belly dancing.

Since 1991 Niosha Dance Academy has been dedicated to providing a fun, and healthy learning environment for performing arts, dance, and choreography. Our aim is to make each student achieve their goal an be the best dancer they can be.

Niosha Dance Academy performs throughout the US at cultural arts festivals, local community events, as well as producing their own annual performance in the San Francisco Bay Area, and strives to maintain and enhance the awareness of Persian dance and culture.
Contact us today to find out more.

7:40

20 minutes

Shahrzad Dance
Academy
http://dancepersian.org/

Dances performed by:

Shahrzad Khorsandi
Rebekah Fessenden
Kristen Sague
Alison Weir
Tara Taeed
Nina Orellana
Negar Esfandiari

Shahrzad Dance Academy
Born in Iran, Shahrzad immigrated to the U.S. in 1980.  She has been involved in Persian dance since childhood, studied Dance at California Institute of the Arts, and has a BA in Dance, and an MA in Creative Arts from SFSU.
She founded Shahrzad Dance Academy (SDA) in 1996, creating an environment where students learn the art of performing through academy recitals and cultural events. SDA also consists of a professional group of dancers who are dedicated to exploring the depth of classical and contemporary Persian dance, and the fusion of Persian and other dance styles.  SDA performs at various cultural events, lecture-demos, and concerts nationally and internationally.

8:00

10  min

Ballet Afsaneh

Persian Classical Dances

8:10

10  min

Farideh Louie
Mr. Mohamad Ebrahimi
Mehran Ebrahimi
Persian folklore

8:20

10 min

Niosha Dance Academy

Niosha Dance Company

8:30

10 min

Ballet Afsaneh

Tajiki dance w/doireh by Salokhiddin Fakhriev

8:40

5 min

Mohamad Ebrahimi, Mahran Ebrahimi

Music with Traditional Instruments