Jawaahir Dance Company

Dear Friends, 

It’s hard to believe another year has flown by! 2024 has been a pivotal year for growth and development for Jawaahir Dance Company.

The Company has continued to grow its relationships in the local dance community by producing inclusive well-received events. My hope is that we’ll be able to make each of these into annual events and bring the joy of dance to you for many years to come! 

Please make a tax-deductible gift during Give to the Max to help us build upon and continue everything we accomplished in 2024.

This year, the Company produced our inaugural Summer Soiree. An eclectic and diverse mix of dance companies and artists from the Twin Cities area and beyond included Colombia Live, The Flying Foot Forum, Ray Terrill Dance Group, Baratok, Blue Lotus Bellydance, Sehraya, and Jawaahir, as well as solo artists Nilay from California (traditional Turkish dance), Emalee, Sonja, and me. I was thrilled to establish relationships with these wonderful and talented artists.

Summer Soiree was held at The Elision Playhouse, a wonderful theater that accommodated our needs and those of our patrons. We really appreciated their help! 

SAVE THE DATE! The show received such positive feedback that we have already scheduled our next one for August 14, 2025. We look forward to seeing you!

We also hosted three seasonal events including Spring into Spring and Fall into Fall. Company members taught each of these workshop series which featured affordable open-level dance workshops in a variety of topics and styles. I also led the Summer Intensive which took place inIn conjunction with Summer Soiree. The well-attended series of four workshops confirmed the dance community’s continued interest in professional development. They were all a hit! We’re very excited to continue providing these in 2025.

In addition to our very busy summer season, the Company had the pleasure of performing at the Dances At The Lakes Festival: a free festival that takes place in the beautiful Lyndale Park Rose Garden in Minneapolis. Your support throughout the year makes it possible for us to share the beauty of Middle Eastern dance in the community.

The annual Henna Party returned in 2024 featuring performances, food, and of course henna! Autumn saw the return of our Company Class, a weekly drop-in technique class taught by JDC members. We’re happy to welcome dance students, teachers, community members, and the general public to learn and get to know the Company and its members a little better.

Not only has the Company continued to grow and develop under my leadership as Artistic Director, I am committed to learn, grow, and develop as an artist. It is imperative that dance educators teach and take workshops to expand their knowledge, insight, and inspiration. 

I was fortunate to attend a live music intensive featuring Georges Lammam Ensemble, Michael Ibrahim and the National Arab American Orchestra, and other wonderful musicians. 

Jawaahir Dance Company founder Cassandra taught at the intensive, and it was a pleasure to attend her workshops and see her captivating performances.

My artistic professional development also included an Iraqi dance intensive (Mohanned Hawaz) and an Egyptian dance intensive (Faten Salama), an amazing event with a special guest from Argentina (Esmeralda Colabone). As I reflect on everything I’ve studied this year, I am looking forward to incorporating elements into Jawaahir in 2025. I am also delighted that in the upcoming year, I will return to Egypt to do more extensive research and cultural analysis for Jawaahir.

I’m excited for what the future holds, and I’m thrilled to be able to be a part of this amazing community of artists.

Thank you all so much for your support! We rely on the community and the generosity of our friends and patrons to keep the legacy of Jawaahir Dance Company alive!

Let’s keep it going! 

With appreciation for your time and support,

 Vanessa of Cairo, Artistic Director

 Jawaahir Dance Company