vitae

Selected Vitæ:

1958: Began dance studies with Jerry Salkin

1962 - 1968: Studied ballet with Mary Claire Sale

1971 - 1972: Studied ballet with Leslie Ruchala (former demi-soloist with N.Y. City Ballet). Began formal vocal training.

1973 - 1975: Studied Balkan and Persian instrumental technique at the Institute of Ethnomusicology at UCLA, while working towards a BA in Persian language.

1974: Joined the AMAN Folk Ensemble, founded and directed by Anthony Shay and Leona Wood. Commenced studies of choreography and costuming with Miss Wood.

1975: Conducted field studies in traditional dance and music in Bulgaria, Turkey, and Iran.

1975 - 1977: Studied Bharata Natyam at UCLA, and with Balasaraswati and Laxmi Shanmukham.

1976 - 1977: Toured as a professional dancer and dance teacher. Started teaching work-shops in Iranian dance at several colleges and universities (an activity which continues to the present time).

1978: Studied Bojnurd dance (north-east Iran) with a native of the area.

1980: Began studies of classical Persian singing with Mr. Morteza Varzi, a recognized master of Persian music living in the United States.

Commenced studies of Khathak (North Indian) dance with Chitresh Das.

1981: Conducted field research in Bulgaria on language, music, and dance.

1982: Created a choreography of traditional Iranian tribal dances, for children in the Los Angeles public schools' performing arts program, based on material gathered during her 1975 field research.

Created choreographies and costumes for a children's theater production of a tale from "The 1,000 Nights and a Night".

1983: Created a choreography of Qajar (19th century classical Persian) dances for the AMAN Folk Ensemble, which was premiered to rave reviews at the Beverly Theater in Beverly Hills, California.

Conducted field research, and performed as a solo singer and solo dancer in Turkey.

1984: Performed as part of the Olympic Arts Festival at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium, both as a solo singer and a solo dancer. The performance included the 1983 Qajar dance suite.

Started teaching annual workshops in Iranian dance (and performing) at a college in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. Did this for three years.

1985: Joined the board of directors of the non-profit Institute of Persian Performing Arts, to promote the performing arts of Iran and surrounding areas, including Turkey and Central Asia.

Awarded an Apprenticeship Grant from the National Endowment for the Arts to study Persian classical singing.

1986: Conducted field research and performed as a solo singer in Turkey.

Presented papers on Persian music at the annual meetings of the Middle East Studies Association.

1987: Co-produced performances of Iranian music and dance for the first Los Angeles CityRoots Festival. Published articles on Iranian music and dance in the Iranian community in Los Angeles.

1988: Published articles in a book of papers on Persian music.

1989: Created a choreography of traditional Qashqai (tribal dances from southwest Iran) for the AMAN Folk Ensemble, based on material gathered during her 1975 field research.

Performed at an international conference commemorating the 1,000th anniversary of the completion of Ferdowsi's Shahname in Vancouver, British Columbia.

Began vocal training with Virginia Sayre, using the Henderson technique of vocal culture (continuing to 1997).

1990: Toured in Europe, giving concerts of traditional music and dance of the Near East. Performed as a percussionist, solo singer and solo dancer.

Attended a workshop of Uzbek dance offered in San Francisco by the Uzbekistan Folklore Ensemble, under the direction of Kadir Muminov.

Produced a public concert of Sufi music (in co-operation with The Institute of Persian Performing Arts, the Los Angeles Cultural Affairs Commission, and the AMAN Folk Ensemble); appeared as a solo singer in that concert.

Began training in Pilates technique of body conditioning.

1991: Invited by the Craft and Folk Art Museum of Los Angeles to serve on the advisory board for the International Festival of Masks, an annual event sponsored by the Museum and the City of Los Angeles. Arranged for performances and lectures relating to Iran and Bulgaria.

Performed Persian classical music and dance in solo concerts in Miami, Seattle, Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, and other cities.

Performed Turkish Sufi songs in an inter-faith event honoring the Dalai Lama (sponsored by the Tibet Center) at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York City. Also appearing on the program were Richard Gere, Laurie Anderson, Philip Glass, and Barbara Walters.

1992: Toured in Germany, giving concerts of traditional music and dance of the Near East. Performed as a percussionist, solo singer and solo dancer, and taught workshops in traditional dance of Iran.

Choreographed Iranian folk dances and modern dances based on Iran folk motifs for the Rainbow Troop, an Iranian community theater group in Long Beach, California. Was invited by the City of Long Beach to create additional Iranian-based choreographies for a city-sponsored cultural event.

Choreographed a suite of Azerbaijani dances for the Duquesne University Tamburitzans.

Began teaching a one-week workshop and seminar in traditional dance of Iran, and in classical Persian singing, at the annual Middle-Eastern Music and Dance Camp. Have continued to teach at this annual event to the present.

1993: Trained and certified in Blom method of Pilates-based dance conditioning.

Performed two concerts as a part of “L.A. Festival”, at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, with Morteza Varzi, Siamak Pouian, and Neil Siegel.

Taught a Master Workshop on Persian classical dance, at Orange Coast College.

Performed Persian classical music and dance in solo concerts in Minneapolis and other cities.