Workshops at
Al Wadi
In addition to our weekly class offerings, we regularly have workshops!
Sawa Live Music Immersion Weekend
"Sawa" means "together" in Arabic, and we believe that dance and music are best experienced in community. These arts have always been intertwined, and we hope to continue to foster this tradition. This will be an intimate weekend at the beautiful Studio Datura.
Join Heather, Ella, and our musical friends for a weekend of dance and live music immersed under one roof. Jim Grippo & Faisal Zedan join us from the Bay Area to root us in the melody and rhythms of Middle Eastern music. Each evening, Saturday and Sunday, we'll come together for a live show, with very limited spots available for dancers who'd like to perform.
The weekend is offered as two tracks, running side by side in separate studios: a Dance Track, guided by Heather and Ella alongside our visiting musicians, and a Music Track, where musicians can study Arabic percussion with Faisal Zedan and/or build full ensemble pieces with Jim Grippo. Full weekend pass holders are welcome to move between both, since many of our dancers are musicians too. On Sunday afternoon, everyone comes together for Sawa Together, where the ensemble musicians play what they've built and dancers move freely to it.
Dance Track:
Two full days of dance, rooted in live music. Melody, taqsim, rhythms, listening lab, and drum solo.
DANCE TRACK SCHEDULE:
FRI Sept. 25
7pm Meet & Greet
SAT Sept. 26
10am - 12pm: Taqsim with Heather, Jim Grippo, & Daniel Moltke
1pm - 3pm: Rhythms & Combos with Ella & Jason Ramirez
6pm - 9pm Show with Jim Grippo, Faisal Zedan, Pacific NW guest musicians & Sawa dance participants
SUN Sept. 27
10am - 12pm: Listening Lab with Heather, Jim Grippo, Daniel Moltke, & Jason Ramirez
1pm - 3pm: Drum Solo with Ella & Faisal Zedan
3:30 - 4:30pm: Sawa Together
6pm - 9pm Show with Ritim Egzotik & Sawa dance participants
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A taqsim is improvised solo by a single instrument. Learn the structure of a taqsim as well as how to open your ears and follow (and influence) its path. Jim, Daniel and Heather are your guides.
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Train your body and ear to respond intuitively to the rhythms. Ella and Jason break down the core beats of Middle Eastern music and build them into movable, danceable combinations.
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Great dancing starts with great listening. This session trains your ear to hear the shifts, accents, and phrasing of the music so that your dancing emerges with interest and ease.
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Learn the structure of improvised drum solos and how to collaborate with a drummer in real time. Faisal and Ella are your guides.
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All together now! The Ensemble track gets to play the pieces they've learned with Jim Grippo — live, for the room — while dancers are free to move to it, no choreography required. Musicians play, dancers dance, and everyone gets to feel firsthand what "Sawa" (together) really means.
Dancers taking the full weekend also have the option to perform in the Saturday or Sunday evening show. Please select that option in the drop down menu below. Registration includes one ticket to each show.
*please note that registration is not refundable but you are able to transfer/sell your spot independently. Thank you for your understanding.
Early bird pricing ends August 1st.
“Sawa” means “together” in Arabic, and we believe that dance and music are best experienced in community. These arts have always been intertwined, and we hope to continue to foster this tradition. This will be an intimate weekend, limited to 30 dancers at the beautiful Studio Datura.
Join Heather, Ella, and our musical friends for a weekend of dance and live music immersed under one roof. Jim Grippo & Faisal Zedan join us from the Bay Area to root us in the melody and rhythms of Middle Eastern music. Together we’ll guide you through exercises, exploration, and discussion to feel the music move more freely through you.
SCHEDULE:
FRI Sept. 25
7pm Meet & Greet
SAT Sept. 26
10am - 12pm: Rhythms & Combos with Ella & Jason Ramirez
1pm - 3pm: Taqsim with Heather, Jim Grippo, & Daniel Moltke
6pm - 9pm Show featuring Sawa participants
SUN Sept. 27
10am - 12pm: Listening Lab with Heather, Jim Grippo, & Faisal Zedan
1pm - 3pm: Drum Solo with Ella & Faisal Zedan
6pm - 9pm Show featuring Sawa participants
There are 20 performance spots for full weekend participants. This will be determined on a first come, first served basis. If you are wanting to perform, please select that option in the drop-down of this product.
*please note that registration is not refundable but you are able to transfer/sell your spot independently. Thank you for your understanding.
Enjoy early bird pricing through August 1.
MUSIC TRACK SCHEDULE:
FRI Sept. 25
7pm Meet & Greet
SAT Sept. 26
10am - 12pm: Percussion with Faisal Zedan
1pm - 3pm: Ensemble with Jim Grippo & Faisal Zedan
6pm - 9pm Show with Jim Grippo, Faisal Zedan, Pacific NW guest musicians & Sawa dance participants
SUN Sept. 27
10am - 12pm: Percussion with Faisal Zedan
1pm - 3pm: Ensemble with Jim Grippo & Jason Ramirez
3:30 - 4:30pm: Sawa Together
6pm - 9pm Show with Ritim Egzotik & Sawa dance participants
Two full days immersed in rhythm and repertoire. Learn Arabic percussion, build ensemble pieces, or both.
Music Track:
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Bring your tabla, riq, or frame drum to this class with master percussionist Faisal Zedan.
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Bring your instruments to this class and learn a few classic tunes over the weekend. Jim Grippo will guide you through the music with Faisal assisting on percussion.
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Bring your tabla, riq, or frame drum for Day 2 of this class with master percussionist Faisal Zedan.
-
Bring your instruments to this class and learn a few classic tunes over the weekend. Jim Grippo will guide you through the music with Jason Ramirez assisting on percussion.
-
All together now! The Ensemble track gets to play the pieces they've learned with Jim Grippo — live, for the room — while dancers are free to move to it, no choreography required. Musicians play, dancers dance, and everyone gets to feel firsthand what "Sawa" (together) really means.
Open to all musicians — whether you're on a single music track (Percussion, Ensemble, or Full Music) or a full weekend pass — and to dancers on a full weekend pass.
Musicians taking the full weekend also receive a ticket to each show.
*please note that registration is not refundable but you are able to transfer/sell your spot independently. Thank you for your understanding.
Early bird pricing ends August 1st.
“Sawa” means “together” in Arabic, and we believe that dance and music are best experienced in community. These arts have always been intertwined, and we hope to continue to foster this tradition. This will be an intimate weekend, limited to 30 dancers at the beautiful Studio Datura.
Join Heather, Ella, and our musical friends for a weekend of dance and live music immersed under one roof. Jim Grippo & Faisal Zedan join us from the Bay Area to root us in the melody and rhythms of Middle Eastern music. Together we’ll guide you through exercises, exploration, and discussion to feel the music move more freely through you.
SCHEDULE:
FRI Sept. 25
7pm Meet & Greet
SAT Sept 26 - Music classes in the Tea Room
10am - 12pm: Arabic percussion with Faisal Zedan
1pm - 3pm: Ensemble with Jim Grippo
SAT Sept 26 - Showcase with Jim Grippo, Faisal Zedan, Pacific NW guest musicians with dance performances by Sawa participants
6pm - 9pm Show featuring featuring Jim Grippo, Faisal Zedan, Daniel Moltke, Jason Ramirez, and Pacific NW guest musicians. Dance performances by Sawa participants.
SUN Sept. 27 - Music classes in the Tea Room
10am - 12pm: Arabic percussion with Faisal Zedan
1pm - 3pm: Ensemble with Jim Grippo
3:30 - 4:30pm: Sawa Together
SUN Sept 27 - Show with Ritim Egzotik with dance performances by Sawa participants
6pm - 9pm
*please note that registration is not refundable but you are able to transfer/sell your spot independently. Thank you for your understanding.
Enjoy early bird pricing through August 1.
Our Guest Instructors
Jim Grippo has been performing Middle Eastern music on the qanun and oud for over 30 years in the UCSB Middle East Ensemble and other professional groups. He performs regularly all over the country, performing with some of the most renowned musicians and ensembles in the US: Souren Baronian, Georges Lammam, Naser Musa, the National Arab Orchestra, the Yuval Ron Ensemble and the Los Angeles Arab Orchestra.
He is the founder and director of Kallisti, a Greek music collective featuring musicians from all over California.
Jim is also a sought-after recording artist, featured on film, television, and studio albums such as Gorillaz The Fall, the FX series Tyrant, and Arabia 3D on IMAX.
Jim is a graduate in ethnomusicology from UCSB, focused on Egyptian popular music, media globalization. He has several publications based on his research with Egyptian sha‘bi music culture, and has performed with sha‘bi wedding bands all over Cairo. He is currently faculty at UCSB (oud teacher) and at the Mendocino Middle East Music & Dance Camp (qanun teacher).
Born in Lebanon and raised in Syria, Faisal Zedan is an accomplished Arabic percussionist dedicated to preserving and teaching the rich traditions of Arabic music and drumming. With over three decades of experience, he has been actively involved in teaching and performing Arabic and Middle Eastern music since 1996.
Faisal's repertoire spans various Arabic music genres, including classical, regional Arabic, and belly dance music. Additionally, he is skilled in performing Greek, Balkan, and Eastern European music genres, showcasing his versatility as a percussionist.
In his role as an educator, Faisal offers private lessons, workshops, seminars, and teaches at music camps both in the United States and abroad. His commitment to sharing his knowledge and passion for Arabic music has inspired countless students to delve deeper into this vibrant musical tradition.
Faisal has had the privilege of collaborating with numerous local and international artists, enriching his musical journey and contributing to the global exchange of cultural expressions. Whether performing on stage or teaching aspiring musicians, Faisal continues to be a dedicated ambassador for Arabic music, leaving a lasting impact on audiences worldwide.