* Kashmir Dance Company *

Utah's Premier Tribal Belly Dance Company since 1996

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* 2008 *

Upcoming Performances, Workshops & Shows! AKA The Kashmir Kalendar 2008 It is currently a work in progress with new events being added! Please check back often!!

Kashmir Dance Company is performing at the following Shows! Click on the links for more information!

SUMMER BREAK 2008

Please check back soon for fall schedule

and

Halloween show details!

February 9, 2008 - Kashmir's Student Troupes - (Sorella Luna & Desert Star Gypsies) will perform at meeting of the tribes

• March 1, 2008 - Spring Fest - Kashmir Dance Company, The B;ack Pearls, Desert Star Gypsies and Sorella Luna Tribal Fusion perform at Thia's 6th annual Spring Fest!!
• April 26, 2008 - Kashmir's Student Troupes - (Sorella Luna & Desert Star Gypsies) will perform at meeting of the tribes
• MAY 10, 2008 - Speak Through Dance" A benefit show for Autism Awareness | AUTISM BENEFIT SHOW Presented by Sultra!

Sultra and Tigris Belly Dance Studios Presents: "Speak Through Dance" a benefit show for Autism Awareness and Research Saturday May 10th 7:30 pm At the Post Theater 254 S. BLDG 636 UofU Campus SLC UT. This will be a charity benefit show with proceeds going to Autism Speaks. We will raffle off Gift Baskets donated by studios,businesses and dancers. Raffle tickets are $ 5.00 and will be onsale at the show. If you,  your business,studio, or troupe would like to donate a baskets email Sultra sultrashimmy@aol.com

• MAY 11, 2008 - the indigo workshops!

Kashmir Dance Company is UBER excited to be able to present The Indigo in a Mother's Day triple Scoop Sundae!

• JUNE 6, 2008 - PURPLE DREAMS - Presented by Thia - Westminster Courage Theater 1840 South 1300 East - SLC, UT.

SUMMER BREAK 2008

Please check back soon for fall schedule

and

Halloween show details!

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* Join the TRIBE....If Ye Dare! *

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KASHMIR DANCE COMPANY PAST WORKSHOP AND SHOW PRODUCTIONS, PERFORMANCES AND INFORMATION:

• Kashmir performance USUMED's 6th annual Shazadi Soiree, December 2007.
• Students of Kashmir perform at "Meeting of the Tribes". December, 2007.
• Dance for Darfur... November 17, 2007 - WE DANCE FOR HOPE
• October 27th, 2007 - Kashmir's 2nd annual Halloween Pirate Gothla - Starring LaRa Zorn!
• September - Cap'n Corrie throws down some ATS in Poky (that would be Pocatello, ID) Sunday, September 23, 2007.
• August: Utah's 27th annual Belly Dance Festival.
• Whole Lotta Tribal: Tribal Pura - May 12 - 13 2007!
• March 3, 2007 - Spring Fest! Kashmir Performs at 8:00 pm.~See Spring Fest Photos by Matt Hepworth (all photos owned by Matt Hepworth) - As always, if you'd like to place an order for prints, just get a hold of him via email, or at (801) 554-1925.  If you're going to use them on your own web sites, all I ask is a photo credit to Matthew Loel T. Hepworth.
• February 10, 2007 - Kashmir is thrilled to perform at YWCA's annual Chocolate Carnival! What an Honor!This is An unforgettable night of delectable chocolate awaiting you!
• Dead Men Tell No Tales ~ starring RACHEL BRICE - October 28, 2006. Photos of this super fun event can be seen here. These photos were graciously taken by, and are the property of Matthew Loel T. Hepworth and will be loaded into our regular photo pages ASAP! ENJOY! As always, if you'd like to place an order for prints, just get a hold of me via email, or at (801) 554-1925.  If you're going to use them on your own web sites, please give photo credit to Matthew Loel T. Hepworth.
• Tempest and the Durga Tour -with an evening GOTHLA! - September 16, 2006 .
• August 18, 19 & 20, 2006 ~ Utah's 26th Annual Bellydance Festival - Always a favorite weekend!
• Trouble with Tribal 2: A LIDDLE TRIBAL ~ July 1 & 2, 2006 ~ Kami Liddle Kashmir Dance Company Celebrates 10 years of Tribal Starring Kami Liddle in work shop & Performance.
• June 10 & 11, 2006 ~ Kashmir performers at the Fire & Ice Show Starring Jim Boz, presented by Belly dancing by Thia!
• May 18, 19, 20 & 21, 2006 ~ Kashmir is excited to be Performing at Tribal Fest '06! Links to Tribal Fest Pictures: Chris Laudermilk - Taboo Media - Susie Poulelis
• April 28, 29 & 30, 2006 ~ Kashmir performs at the Alexandra King show presented by Desert Orchid.

  April 21 & 22, 2006 ~ Kashmir Workshop and performance in Logan, Utah ~Presented by USUMED! Kashmir will instruct an ATS workshop!
• March 4, 2006 ~Spring Fest - One of our Favorites of the year and the start of the season! Photos of all local events by our favorite! Mr Breeze .
• Kashmir Work Shop in Moab Utah sponsored by WTF! 12/10/05.
• Kashmir Performs at Ansuya Show 12/03/05 - Sponsored by USUMED.
• August 2005 - Performance at Utah's Annual Belly Dance Festival.
• March 2005 - Performance at Spring Fest!
• Kashmir Dance Company presents Trouble with Tribal starring Rachel Brice 12/4/04. Utah's first all Tribal show!

Other performances are too numerous to mention, but include many events including Mirage In Winter presented by Midnight Mirage, repeat performances at the Riverton Art Festival, The Amira show presented by the Aziz school of Oriental dance, with Mutaytor, Issam and Sonia in workshop and performance, local Ren faires, The International Dance Gala, & Meeting of the Tribes. We have performed at Spring Fest for the past 6 years and Utah's annual belly dance festival for more than 12 years.

Kashmir News and Articles!

• SLUG Magazine Article on Cap'n Corrie - April 2008
• SLUG Magazine Article on Miraj - November 2007
• Article: Elizabeth Patterson Fine Art & Kashmir Dance Company - A match made in Heaven!
• SLUG Magazine Article on Rebecca - June 2006
• SLUG Magazine Article on Amina - 12/01/2005.
• SLUG Magazine Article on Ana Kitka za Sofia - 11/04/04.

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SLUG Bellyography April: Cap'n Corrie
by Astara
April 2008

With American Tribal Style, Urban Tribal, and Tribal Fusion, belly dancing is literally sweeping the entire world today. I want to pay tribute and acknowledge a true visionary in our dance community. Corrie Walker attended her first Utah Belly Dance Festival in 1995, and it was there that she first saw and was mesmerized by Carolena Nerricio and Fat Chance Belly Dance. Corrie may have been sequins and bugle beads before that day, but it was turbans and full skirts forever afterwards.

Corrie: "After I saw Fat Chance, that was it for me. I never looked back. I hounded Carolena, took lessons from her, and watched every video on American Tribal Style. I was hooked. Everyone told me that ATS wasn’t considered belly dancing, and it wasn’t a true form. But I never gave up and look what is happening today! It is huge! This dance style is so heartfelt. The world tribal explosion validates me and, especially, validates Carolena."

A Salt Lake native, Corrie has her roots in music and percussion. She plays the guitar and drums, and she has sung with several local bands. But as co-founder and director of Utah’s premier ATS troupe, Kashmir Dance Company, she has discovered a deeper, more intrinsic element involved in the dance. What has developed for Kashmir is a bond of sisterhood and a sense of community. A cooperative spirit has taken over this particular troupe of ladies, and it is the profound key to their continued success. It is their shared love and caring that translates to joyous energy for their audiences. And Utah audiences love the Kashmir dancers!

Corrie: "We, ladies of Kashmir, are a true sisterhood. We are deeply connected. There is an element of trust, chemistry, and camaraderie that is palpable. It is knowing that the girls have your back and are always there for you, on and off stage. We are a family. Kashmir is comprised of mothers and their daughters, sisters, and friends. Dancing in Kashmir is a rich, colorful, dynamic and, best of all, fun experience."

Kashmir Dance Company was originally created by Corrie and her sister, Joy in 1996. Joy moved out of Utah, and Corrie became the impetus behind the dance troupe. Today, she teaches three classes, is the director/choreographer for two student performing troupes, Desert Star Gypsies and Sorella Luna, and also is the director/choreographer for Kashmir Dance Company and their spin off fusion troupe, Black Pearls. All this besides working full-time and also being the full-time single parent of that rising dance star, Maren Skywalker. Corrie and several members of Kashmir were also ATS certified recently and authorized to teach Carolena’s specific style of dance.

Corrie: "Utah’s belly dance community offers so many diverse workshops and performing opportunities. I love to see what everyone else is doing and incorporate it into my own dancing. I consider myself to always be a student. I am always learning."

Information on Kashmir Dance Company events and performances are listed on their website, www.kashmirdancecompany.com.

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SLUG Bellyography November - Mary (Miraj)

In all pantheons, there is usually a representation of the nurturing, caring mother figure that oversees the well-being of the community. Perhaps it is her name, Mary, but this, in a nutshell, is the essence of the beautiful woman that dances with Kashmir Dance Company. I have long admired her as a person and wanted to know her a bit better. "I am literally the white girl with no rhythm," Mary told me. " I sat on the sidelines for years watching my daughter, Becky, before I had the nerve to join in."

Born and raised in Salt Lake City, Mary is the daughter of a father who wanted sons and was raised on football, baseball and boy stuff. She married her high school sweetheart, has two children, a boy and a girl, and has had a successful career in the male dominated world of construction.

In Mary's own words, "I have no girly training. I mean, I work in construction! I have no dance background at all. One day, Corrie Walker, director of Kashmir, told me to ‘get off my butt, get on a skirt and come dance.' Up until then, I had been the mother hen, doing makeup, taking photos, and fixing costumes."

Dancing with Kashmir for five years, Mary explains, "I love the tribal atmosphere. We are all sisters. Our sisterhood is so amazing. We are all deeply connected, and it is a joy to dance with my daughter, Becky. I owe my dance career to her."

When I asked Mary about her dance training she told me, "I studied with Raffa's entry level performing group for a few years. He is a marvelous human being, and he is the one who taught me to walk like a girl. Raffa and Aziz have been very influential in my dancing and in how to live my life. Because of Kashmir, I have had opportunities to learn from fabulous teachers, such as Carolena of Fat Chance, Corrie Walker, Amina, and Rachel Brice. Today I am certified in American Tribal Style dance, and all because of Corrie and Kashmir. I have been so lucky."

I am quite sure that Mary has no idea how truly lovely she is. I have watched her dancing and stage presence transform and progress over the years. She is an outstanding member of Kashmir Dance Company and just a wonderful person. In all my conversations with her, I have never heard her say an unkind word about anyone. She dances from her heart and soul, and, as always, that translates easily to an audience. It is impossible to hide the truth of your soul when you are dancing because it is the language of the spirit.

If you want to see Mary perform, Kashmir Dance Company will be performing in the fundraising event, Dancing for Darfur on November 17 and on Dec.,1, 2007 at the Shazadi Soiree in Logan. For more information go to:

www.wedanceforhope.com or www.kashmirdancecompany.com .

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Elizabeth Patterson Fine Art & Kashmir Dance Company - A match made in Heaven!

LOCOMOTON (Rebecca) by Elizabeth Patterson

After Festival in 2004 - I was contacted by Elizabeth Patterson, who told me she had taken some pictures of Kashmir Dance Company during our performance and could she use them in her art work. I said absolutely - and please send me copies of the pictures and I'd like to see the finished piece.

She did send me the beautiful pictures and life went on - she contacted me to update me on her progress now and then, sending me pictures of the work in progress and about 2 years went by.

She contacted me this past spring and told me it was done - She said she'd be in town (lucky for us, coinciding with the 2006 Festival). We made arrangements for her to come to dress rehearsal. Again she sent me a picture of the finished piece, and it was breathtaking - just the photograph of it. BREATHTAKING.

It was of our lovely Rebecca - who was just 14 at the time the original picture was taken. She told me she had a reproduction of the piece for me. A giclée print.

I was so excited! I knew that I would get some fine artwork that would make good memories for our dancers, but I had absolutely no idea how remarkable the finished product would be or the emotions it would stir. the technical beauty of the art was incomparable, but Elizabeth had captured not only the spirit and essence of the dance, our art, but the spirit and essence of the dancer who was portrayed.

We were spellbound when the picture was unveiled. We were speechless - there were tears... tears of joy and we melded into a warm circle to admire her work, her gift to us.

It was hard to say who was moved the most, the mother of the dancer, the “2nd mother of the dancer” or the sisterhood of the dancer that was comprised of all of us.

Elizabeth , understanding our dilemma, ended up presenting us with 2 pieces. One for me; because it was Rebecca, and because it was Kashmir , both very precious to me.

And one for Mary, Rebecca mom, because it was Rebecca, and it because was Kashmir , both very precious to her.

As a surprise, we asked the dancer herself, who knew nothing of these machinations, to cover her eyes, as we had something special for her to see. Rebecca isn't timid, but was a bit skeptical about what we had in mind for her. She covered her eyes and was led across the room to where the picture was displayed under the lights .

We told her to uncover her eyes, which got very wide and she simply said “Holy Shit”, and she stared – we all stared.

And the best part of the gift was the part of Elizabeth that she gave to us… out of her love for her art. The original piece is called "Loco Motion".

We spent a good part of the weekend with Elizabeth – again with her camera in hand. While we were rehearsing, getting ready and performing she was there.

Yesterday I got a package in the mail from Elizabeth . It contained a slide show she had done of us during her visit… It was gorgeous – set to music.

It was set to Our Music. It was us… While we were rehearsing, getting ready and performing. She captured the very essence of Kashmir Dance Company . She took the time – to do that. Again. For us.

Today, I ran across an article about Elizabeth and, with tears in my eyes, learned about a terrible injury she suffered that threatened to take away the artist part of her forever, and to know the obstacles she had to overcome to be able to create artwork again and the story of the love behind it made the treasure even more priceless and made our love for Elizabeth (and "her Suzanne") even deeper. They had truly touched our hearts and our souls and now we knew the reasons why. We had felt it before we knew and now we understood.

Bibliography for "Drawing on love: after her hand was crushed, Elizabeth Patterson thought she'd never draw again. Then she fell for a special woman"

http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1589/is_2005_June_21/ai_n15679281

Elizabeth Patterson Bio

Originally from Pennsylvania , Elizabeth Patterson earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree at Minneapolis College of Art and Design and relocated to the Los Angeles area in 1979. Since early childhood, she has worked in numerous mediums with a strong proclivity for graphite and color pencil rendering.

In 1986, Ms. Patterson traveled to Hawaii where she discovered the magnificence of the undersea world and its resident creatures. The visual impressions of that experience sparked an on-going fascination of sea life that, in time, inspired the artist to resurrect her art career after a thirteen-year hibernation. Ms. Patterson continues to expand her subject matter and demonstrate an admirable mastery of her chosen medium of color pencil. Her widely collected work has won critical acclaim and numerous awards including the prestigious honor of signature status in the Color Pencil Society of America.

Please take a moment to visit Elizabeth 's web site.

She is very special to us.

http://eapfineart.utopa.com/

Thank you Elizabeth .

Love, Kashmir Dance Company

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Ansuya Show - December 3, 2005:

Photos: Above by Corrie. Below by Amanda

Kashmir Dance Company and ESPECIALLY Miss Maren Kay are proud to perform at: The 4th Annual Shazadi's Soiree featuring Belly Dance Superstar ANSUYA

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Anyone can dance the dance. But if there is no emotion attached, all the artist does is move.

Although Amina is trained in the many forms of Middle Eastern dance, I most admire and love her interpretation of the belly dancing style that came to America in the 1970s, which I call the “old style.” The zills, the swords, the full and colorful costuming with scarves and head wraps epitomizes belly dancing for many of us in America. Amina's dancing is passionate, true, and mature with an earthy quality, and an essence of the mystery of the Middle East. Perhaps because she is half Armenian, Amina did not have to find her way to Middle Eastern dance. As a child she was immersed in the rhythms and movement of belly dancing, and she was known to break into a dance on the sidewalks of her neighborhood and perform for all the neighbors.
My family always danced at reunions, weddings, and birthdays. Everyone danced. We were always dancing.

Wanting a larger stage than her sidewalk, Amina became one of Zahira's students 12 years ago, and has been a member of the Desert Orchid Dance Company, under Zahira's direction, for the past four years.

Zahira is my mentor and my teacher. After twelve years, I am still learning new information from her about the dance. We perform the more traditional and authentic forms of Middle Eastern dance. The dances we do are the purest choreographies that we can present in the United States. We try to stay true to that.

Loving all forms of Dance Orientale, she has studied with many other teachers. Her favorites include Nourhan Sharif, Nadia Fouad, and Momo Kadous, because she appreciates the movement that they execute, the passion they embody, and how they move their audiences.

My passion is the sword dance, which is called Raks al sayef. This dance is a show of strength—feminine strength. To perform this dance, you must have an honest regard for the sword as a weapon and honor it in the movement of the dance.

Amina is presently taking a sabbatical from Desert Orchid and will be dancing with Kashmir Dance Company, learning the American Tribal style of dance.

Utah is so wonderful because you can network with other dancers and there are opportunities to learn new things. Twelve years ago, we had a few dancers performing a limited variety of Dance Orientale. Today, we have many dancers sharing a wealth of knowledge and a large variety of styles. Very few people even knew Salt Lake had a belly dance community. Today, people like Ansuya are asking to come here and teach. The Wasatch Front has become a hub for Middle Eastern dance in all its forms, styles, and varieties.

Amina will be performing with Kashmir in Logan on December 3, at the Ansuya show, and with friends for First Night, December 31. She is hosting a double veil workshop with, Shahravar, December 18th, Taylorsville Recreation Center. For more information on events and classes visit http://aminaslc.tripod.com .

SLUG Magazine (Salt Lake UnderGround) is a regional monthly magazine focusing on alternative arts and entertainment along the Wasatch Front. See the original article online here.

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SLUG Magazine
November, 2004
Belly dancing: Ana Kitka za Sofia
by Astara

If you have attended the International Dance Gala, Mirage in Winter, Spring Fest and several other belly dance events, you have heard the mellifluous voice of Ana Kitka za Sofia announcing the dancers. I call her "The Voice of Belly Dance," but did you know that she has been dancing in Utah for 22 years? I thought we should all get to know something about the dancer behind the voice.

Ana Kitka za Sofia—whose name means "bouquet from Sofia," which is a city in Bulgaria—began her dance career with Virginia Tanner at age four. She has also studied ballet, folk dancing, musical theatre and opera. She became mesmerized with belly dancing while watching the dancers at the old Athenian. "I just knew that I had to do that," she says. The year was 1973, and belly dancing in Utah was in its infancy.

Interviewing Ana Kitka za Sofia about her dance career and experiences is a delightful history lesson about belly dancing across the Wasatch Front. Smitten by the dance, she quickly sought out the fabulous Aziz, the man who brought belly dancing to Salt Lake City, and he became her first teacher. She then studied with Noushaba at the University of Utah, a talented and lovely local dancer, and trained and danced with Kismet. When she moved to Ogden several years later, she started training with the wonderful Mashara Rabia and danced in her troupe for many years. She has also studied with Zahira, Midnight Mirage and Corrie Walker.

"The dancers here are as good or better than anywhere else!" she says. "I never felt I had to go out of town for training and good technique."

Several years ago and six operations on her knees later, Ana Kitka za Sofia turned to announcing to keep in touch with the art she loves so much. The rest is history. She truly has become "The Voice of Belly Dance," and her knowledge of the dance and our dancers is considerable.

Today, Ana Kitka za Sofia dances in the Kashmir Dance Company under the direction of Corrie Walker. This American tribal dance troupe is colorful, wildly entertaining, and brings audiences to their feet every time they perform.

"I have totally embraced American tribal. It is so much fun!" says Ana Kitka za Sofia. "Corrie has really put her own stamp on what we do on stage. The challenge with tribal is the technique. You follow a leader with subtle signs of arm, head or body posturing to let the rest of the troupe know what the next movement will be. This dance is full of intense muscular movements and isolations. It is a fun time dancing with your girlfriends! Not just performing with your girlfriends, but the joy of dancing with them!"

She adds, "Of course, the costuming is delicious. There is no such thing as too much."

Ana Kitka za Sofia will be performing with Kashmir Dance Company and announcing at Shazadi’s Soiree Nov. 6, the Rachel Brice Show in December, and at Spring Fest this coming March.

SLUG Magazine (Salt Lake UnderGround) is a regional monthly magazine focusing on alternative arts and entertainment along the Wasatch Front.

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Kashmir Dance Company

American Tribal Style / Tribal Fusion Belly Dance

Phone: 801-824-1545

Mailing address:

PO Box 216

Copperton , Utah 84006

Our EMailing List:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/kashmirdancecompany/

"Join the Tribe" -live chat at http://kashmir.tribe.net/

Web site: http://www.kashmirdancecompany.com/

My Space:

http://www.myspace.com/kashmirdance/