ORIENTAL DANCERS

Through the ages of time there has always been dance.
 Dance expresses the self, the being, the passion 
and is the truest artform of expression 
needing nothing but the self
celebrating in  total abandonment!

We introduce you to our beautiful, professional and talented dancers :

Ajsa Samia & the Palace of the Winds

In Johannesburg from 13 - 16  June 2008

for workshops and performance

Ajsa Samia  (Marina Rehbein)  

International Oriental/ Belly/ and Gypsy dancer, teacher, choreographer.

Growing up in the Eastern Yugoslavian town of Pirot, Ajsa Samia was immersed in oriental, folk and Gypsy music and dance. She lived, taught and performed in Germany   for 13 years. In September 2004 she moved to Cape Town with her family. Ajsa Samia is the creator, founder, administrator, instructor, fund-raiser, dressmaker and star performer of the Oriental Dance Theatre Palace of the Winds and the band Gypsy Magic.

Ajsa Samia, has belly dancing schools in Cape Town, Durban and Johannesburg, providing instruction from beginner to professional level in Classical Oriental Belly Dancing, Folk and Gypsy Dancing from various Oriental and Balkan countries, Modern Oriental Dance, Arabic-Flamenco, Sword Dance and Shamadan - a dance with 13 candles carried on the head.

Given her background, medical nursing, she also uses belly dancing in a therapeutic manner helping people to regain balance, litheness and movement after illness, injury or surgery as well to help abused women deal with the physical trauma of their abuse and find a safe way of working through the pain of their experiences.

 


Ajsa performing the Shamadan

Ajsa Samia initiated and organized the First International Oriental Dance Festival in South Africa in Oct 2006 and the Second Festival in November 2007. The Third Festival will be held on 24, 25 and 26 October 2008 at the Baxter Theatre, Cape Town.

Ajsa Samia was the proud dancer at Ambasador‘s Night in Johannesburg -   9 June 2007 (danced for VICE President of SA), charity for Township children!!!!

The band Gypsy Magic is totally unique in SA, performing a heady blend of music from the Balkans, Middle East, Greek, Russian,  Spain as well as Jewish and Gypsy music  from various  countries. They are available to accompany Ajsa Samia and Palace of the Winds dancers.

Click here to see:  Article on Healing Power of Dance which appeared in the Weekend Argus Life - May 26 2007

   

 

Palace of the Winds dancers with the band, Gypsy Magic in the background.

The following are some of their previous public performances since July 2005 in which they have participated :

Dance Festival Baxter Theatre 2005
Eoan Group Community Dance Festival 2005
Balkan Folk Concert 2005
K.I.D.S 2005 Cultural Day for Street Children
Obz Café 2005
Balkonology I & II 2006
NSRI Charity Dance 2006 Clifton
SA Belly Dance Festival 2006
Hemanus Whale Festivel 2006
Inter Tribal Festival 2006
Balkonology III April 2007
Grassy Park Carnival April 2007
SA Belly Dance Festival April 2007
Fashion Show at Hotel and Restaurant school of Cape Town May 2007
Ambasador‘s Night in Johannesburg 9 June 2007 (dance for VICE President of SA), charity for Township children - Ajsa Samia Hafler, Durban - 23 June 2007 –   Ajsa Samia
Luxurama Theatre in Wynberg with Emo Adams 29 & 30 June 2007
EOAN Group Community festival – 30 June charity 2007 International evening  of Song & Dance with Fuad Sawyer, Matthew Overmeyer, Jo-Nette Lekay - August 2007
Fashion Show Week Convention Centre Cape Town for Designer Malick - 8 August 2007
SABC3 Free Spirit 9 Sept 2007
SABC3 Free Spirit 21 Oct 2007
Baxter Dance Festival in Cape Town – Sept 2007
Cultur Extravaganza Good Hope Centre Cape Town Sept 2007
Middle Eastern Fair Cape Town Nov 2007
Mitchells Plain Community Festival 8 February 2008
Gypsy Beat in My Feet –Barnyard Theatre Mosselbay 15 February 2008
Gypsy Beat in My Feet –Barnyard Theatre Plettenberg Bay 16 February 2008
Community Chest Carnival Wynberg - 28 Feb 2008
Cape Town Festival - 21 March 2008

And the events below were organised by Ajsa Samia  :

Artscape Theatre July 2005 in aid of Saartjie Baartman Centre for Woman and Children
Masque Theatre 2005
Barnyard Thearte Mosselbay 2006 Whole Night Show
Wild Gypsy Night 2006
Charity for Old Age Pensioners Noordhoek
National Theatre, Windhoek Namibia 2006 Two Night Show
Art Apart Muizenberg- February 2007
Zula Bar –  February2007
Manenberg Jazz Café – March 2007
Baxter Theatre 2006 – Organizer of the first Internationl Oriental Dance Festival in South Africa in aid of Saartjie Baartman Centre for Women and Children  Constantia Fair, February 2007
Belly Power at City Hall March 2007
Amphitheatre Waterfront April 2007
“Road of the Gypsies” at Joseph Stone Auditorium in Athlone, 1 June 2007
Hugo Lambrechts Auditorium in Parow 18.July – was filmed by SABC3 2007
2nd International Oriental Dance Festival  Nov 2007 in aid of Saartjie Baartman Centre for Women and Children 
Serbian New Year’s Eve at Mixa’s Schwarma, Kloof St, Cape Town  

 

Ajsa Samia, the Palace of the Winds and Gypsy Magic are all based in Cape Town, but are available to perform nationally and internationally. All three groups can perform together or separately!!

They are able to stage their performances in venues of different sizes, both nationally and internationally. The duration of their performance is anything from 20 min - 2hours or longer, depending on your requirements.

They certainly give people a high level of entertainment, whilst at the same time introducing foreign cultures to South Africa, with its already diverse cultural background, through the wonderful medium of art, by playing, singing and dancing!!.  Their show promises not only great entertainment value, but an element of social and cultural diversity.

Their shows are an unforgettable experience - an explosion of the gypsy joy of living, through sensational music and dancing.