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Ziba Tabrizi is an accomplished solo performer of Oriental and
Persian dance based in Cambridge, UK.
She has danced professionally since 1997, and is one of only a handful
of performers of Persian dance in the country.
She is almost entirely self-taught.
Ziba is highly skilled at improvisation, a key element of Persian dance,
and none of her performances involve choreography.
The term Persian
dance is used here to denote solo improvised dance which has developed in a
primarily urban setting, rather than traditional folk dance of Iran. It is a somewhat unusual dance form in that
it is not codified, and so within certain parameters of movement the scope for
innovation and idiosyncrasy is almost indefinite. Similar dance styles are found throughout Central Asia. Persian dance is a singularly graceful and
fluid dance form in which movement is centred on the upper body, arms, hands
and head.
Through her performances of this beautiful but
relatively obscure variety of dance, Ziba aspires to increase public awareness
of Persian dance.
Her style is
authentically Iranian and is based on Tehrani and majlesi dance forms,
with some Azeri and Tadjik elements. Her repertoire includes jaheli, raqs-e
bazak (makeup mime dance), bandari and Kurdish styles. The jaheli
style is her speciality. A variety of props can be included in the dances,
such as a flat frame drum, fans and tea glasses.
Oriental dance, also
referred to as belly dance and raqs sharqi, is found all across the Arab
world and Turkey, and in recent decades has achieved great popularity in the
West. Ziba is equally proficient in
modern Lebanese, Egyptian and Turkish styles, and incorporates various props
into the dance, such as veil, finger cymbals, cane and sword.
© Eaden Lilley Photography
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