Founded in 2002, Raqs Caravan East is Sahara Dance’s long-standing and most advanced student company. Raqs Caravan East is the flagship and highest level student performance company for the studio, embodying the signature style of Sahara Dance Egyptian-inspired raqs sharqi. Company members master two dances each session to perform at the end of semester Sahara Dance productions, and often represent the studio in community events. Members are expected to exemplify the highest standards within the studio for team camaraderie, peer leadership, technical mastery, dance practice ethics, choreography execution and emotional expression.
Prerequisites:
1) Previous completion of Advanced 3 technique class (or equivalent as assessed by directors)
2) Simultaneous enrollment in preceding Sahara Dance Advanced 3 Technique class with minimum 80% live attendance required
3) Invitation Only by Company Directors with minimum 80% live attendance required.
Please note: for dancers interested in preparing to be part of Raqs Caravan East a minimum of 80% live attendance in the preceding Sahara Dance Advanced 3 Technique class for 1 or more semesters is required before being considered for invitation. The best ways for dancers to receive placement recommendations are consulting with current dance technique teacher(s) and receiving personalized feedback through Technique Assessment(s).
Permission of the Company Director is required to enroll. Please email the Company Director at east@saharadance.com for confirmation prior to registration.
SOLD OUT
SKU: Spring26:SDC: Raqs Caravan East, Tuesdays 8:00-8:55 pmCategory: Spring26Tag: Florencia
Limited Availability for In-Person (In-Person) Classes: In-person class spots are first come, first serve, with limited space available.
Dancers will perform at the 21st annual Sahara Dance Under a Desert Moon on Saturday, April 25th at American university’s Harold and Sylvia Greenberg Theater in Washington DC (plan for a full day of technical rehearsal starting in the morning).
Your In-Person performance class registration secures your physical spot in the studio for all classes within the semester. You may attend the class live, in person, or virtually, live-streaming.
Miss a class? Registered students have access to video recordings of each class for the duration of the semester.
75% live attendance (in-person) is required to perform; extended absences need approval from the teacher to be included in the performance. Please communicate absences to the teacher in advance, when possible.
Curious about the curriculum? All registered students receive a password to access to the Sahara Dance curriculum for each level, including class choreography sheets.
Classes are held at our Sahara Dance studio in Tenley: 4433 Wisconsin Ave, NW, Washington DC.
Performance Classes will culminate in a performance that is open to the public, at a local venue to be announced at the beginning of each class series. (Venue locations change throughout the year). Save the entire day for tech rehearsal and performance(s). It is possible there will be two shows.
The DC-MD-VA local region has many festivals and there will likely be additional performance opportunities for company members, including the Fiesta Asia Street Fair in the summer and Tenleytown Art All Night in the fall.
Concurrent enrollment in a technique or specialty class is required for all performance students.
In-person attendance will be required in select classes to set blocking. Required in-person class attendance dates will be set by the teacher during the first two weeks of class, after polling enrolled students to accommodate schedules as best as possible.
Costumes for performance classes are selected by the teacher, in consultation with company members. Costumes are individually purchased and owned. Performance companies almost always reuse costumes for multiple semesters. Sometimes costumes may be borrowed, or purchase used, from previous dancers. Efforts are made in coordination with the company members to keep costume costs reasonable and styles flattering for all bodies.
Registration confirmation and Zoom link will be sent approximately one hour prior to class. The class Zoom link will remain the same each week. Registration will remain open up until 30 minutes prior to the class start time, or as spaces remain available. The live-streaming access to classes are offered through Zoom and are Eastern Standard Time zone.
