NEW ROCHELLE, NY — Music and dance of the Middle East will be performed at the New Rochelle Public Library on Tuesday, July 25th, at 7:00 pm, as part of the library’s 30th annual International Music and Dance series. The program is geared for families and individuals of all ages. Admission is free and limited to the capacity of the Ossie Davis Theater, on a first-come, first-served basis beginning at 6:45 pm.
Aszmara, an internationally-renowned oriental dancer and local belly dance instructor, will present a number of traditional dances with origins in the Middle East. Armenian musicians Robert Boghosian on the oud, Souren Baronain on G-clarinet, and Mal Stein on dumbek, will perform the music for the fully costumed dances, as well as selections of Armenian, Turkish and Arabic traditional and folkloric music.
Aszmara is considered one of New York’s best interpreters of the ethnic dance. With an expressive and electrifying stage presence, she interprets the music with her own blend of modern and ethnic Arab and Turkish dance. Throughout her over three decade career, her performances have ranged from cabaret entertainment to full concert stage creating themed concert events, folkloric and innovative dances. As one of the leading figures in the field of the Oriental Dance, Aszmara is one of the founders and principal dancers of the AMMED Award Winning Middle Eastern Dance Company, Oriental Images as well as co-founder/co-director with Roberta Koch of SaZ Dance Theatre, a multi-cultural woman’s dance company. She has led workshops around the world and her instructional DVD, Belly Dance… The Secret Desire won high praise from Habibi magazine.