MEDSOK home page » 2008 Karim Nagi workshop » 2008 Workshop Information

2008 Workshop Weekend Info

Here is some information which you may not yet have which will help make your weekend go smoothly.

All Participants

Performers

Vendors

Information for All Participants

• DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME kicks in on Sunday morning. That means - EST people set our clocks BACK, which gives us an extra hour of sleep before coming to Sunday workshop!
• Doors open for workshops on both days at 9 am. Classes start at 10 am.
• Doors open for Saturday concert at 7 pm. Concert starts at 8 pm and will run to about 10 pm.
• The Saturday class is in the Reception Hall. The Sunday class is in the Community Room. The concert is in the Theatre. The Clifton Center should have helpful signs up.
• There is always a lot of confusion over ticket prices. Performers pay nothing, MEDSOK members pay $5 for their OWN ticket, and non-members pay $10 for their ticket EVEN if a member buys it for them!
• Parking: The Clifton Center has lots of parking but when mass is being held in the adjoining St. Francis of Rome church, the church-goers have first dibs on the parking in two lots and nuns patrol the perimeters :). On Saturday between 5 and 7 pm and on Sunday, the parking lot for us is Lot A as shown on this map on the Clifton Center site. Not shown on the map is an unpaved lot across from Lot A which is also available. Plus, there is usually lots of street parking, especially along Payne Street.
• Eating:
  1. You are on your own for Saturday lunch. There are a LOT of restaurants and cafes along Frankfort Avenue: here's a list from the Center website. Frankfort Ave is pedestrian-friendly, safe, and fun.
  2. If you are looking for Mid-Eastern fare, try the Grape Leaf or Shiraz, both within walking distance.
  3. Caffe Classico, located on the corner of Frankfort and Clifton, is one of the few local establishments who consistently hire MED musicians and dancers to perform at their establishment - and their food and drink quality is excellent! George Wakim, a Lebanese oud and violin player, will be performing at the Caffe on Friday night at 10 pm. The Caffe and George moved their date so it would not conflict with our concert, which is appreciated.
  4. There is no food or drink allowed in the beautiful Theatre, for obvious reasons.
  5. Please clean up after yourself when class is done.
  6. We need to bring the trash from the event to the Center's dumpster after the workshops; help with that would be appreciated. They want us to move the garbage containers to the exits and then remove the bags in order to prevent any leaks from ending up on the floor.
• The first workshop on Saturday is a stick dance - therefore, you need sticks. If you pre-registered, you will find 2 dowels of the type recommended by Karim for learning his dances waiting for you. If you register at the door, you can buy a pair for $7.
• The workshop on Sunday is a zill class. There will be some zills for sale. Don't be afraid of this class even if you are a beginner or someone who dislikes zills. If anyone can teach you, Karim can. And experienced zill players are going to enjoy his ambidextrous approach and his mastery!
• Our Hospitality committee is working on a post-workshop get-together on Sunday afternoon. We will keep you informed when/if the plan gels.
• If you want to bring a flyer for an event close to your heart, feel free. We'll save a table at the Sat workshops for them.

Information for Performers

Teachers and soloists: please verify your performance details with Maura on Saturday morning before lunch break.

We had a very wide variety of dances last year and the audience really enjoyed it. Folk dance, tribal, goth, flamenco, comedy, cabaret... our audience really enjoyed the variety. So relax and enjoy!

• The Center is allowing us to start setting up the dressing rooms in the Theatre at 5 pm. If you want to move your costumes into the dressing rooms at that time, then do so. Then go get something to eat and return.
• There is no food or drink allowed in the beautiful Theatre, for obvious reasons. Food and closed water containers are allowed in the dressing rooms. Due to the nature of dressing rooms, avoid snacks that are greasy or easy to spill.
• The plan right now is to have the performers ready for their first performance by 7:45 pm. Dancers who are in the first half will be in the front row of the Theatre and will come up onto the stage to perform, then down and back to their seat when done. There will be a 20-30 minute intermission, during which dancers who are performing a second time can change, if necessary. Then all performers who are in the second half sit in the front row, come up onto stage, etc. This plan may change. We will keep you informed:)
• For the program: Soloists and troupe leaders, please send the following info about EACH dance to MEDSOK@att.net  ASAP:
  1. Your stage name. We will use your first name if we don't have a stage name for you.
  2. The length of the piece. Four minutes is a good maximum length for solo pieces and for inexperienced troupes, 7 minutes is a good maximum length for experienced troupes. However, everything is negotiable!
  3. The genre ((Egyptian, Tribal, Flamenco, etc)
  4. Dance type (cane, karshilama, drum solo, whatever)
  5. Tempo (Fast, Slow, Starts slow and ends fast etc)
  6. Mood (upbeat, somber, etc)
  7. Props, if any
  8. Choreographer
  9. Music (Name and Artist)
  10. Music starts BEFORE you are onstage or after?
  11. Any special requirements
  12. A short description for the program. This will be edited as necessary to fit the program. Feel free to include contact information, website URL, etc, if you desire. If you are a troupe, then consider including everyone's stage name or first name in the description. Here is a sample from last year:
      JO HADLEY: Jo founded the Crescent Moon Dance Company in 1990. Company repertoire includes folk dances from Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Persia, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, & China, classical dances from Persia & Central Asia, and Egyptian-style Belly Dance. Tonight, Jo performs an Azeri folk dance choreographed by Vida Papozaday. jo@jodances.com
• Bring your music on a CD and give it to Maura at the start of the Saturday workshop. Have ONLY the music for that one performance on the CD. Test it and bring a backup. Mark the CDs with your name and the dance number, which we will send you after we finish arranging the program.

Information for Vendors

Nashwa and Donna, you will be able to get into the Center at 8am to set up. There will be tables there for you. Nashwa, we will have a rack for you, but you must bring hangers if necessary. All must be cleared away by 5 pm, when we move out of the Reception Hall. Thanks!

The Center says the table tops are rough and that you will probably want a table cloth.