Choreographer Miriam Peretz says the news media too often only shows the the bad, the ugly and the evil of Afghanistan, a country that has been engaged in conflict and war, on and off since the 1970s. The dance troupe, Ballet Afsaneh is working to change those perceptions through the arts.
Afsaneh means, mythic story. Their story began when they formed in 1986, but their big push came after the Taliban took power and began to put limits on art and culture.
Based in the San Francisco Bay Area, Ballet Afsaneh travels to venues and festivals around the world, performing dances of Central Asia.
One of those dance forms is the Attan, the traditional Afghan dance. Attan has long been performed at weddings or other celebrations throughout Afghan history. Many consider it the national dance of Afghanistan, but it’s a part of Afghan culture that many in the West rarely see. Now, these women are taking it upon themselves to break down stereotypes and to keep ancient traditions alive.
Ballet Afsaneh consists of people of all ethnic backgrounds and is not just limited to people of Afghan decent.
Here is a peek at the world premiere of the Attan: Parwaz - Fly Free from this year's San Francisco Ethnic Dance Festival. The dancers are accompanied by world class masters of Afghan music, Homayun Sakhi and Salar Nade.
DaGreenLantern
Excellent story. Thanks for sharing. Much different perspective than the usual stories on Afghanistan.
September 21, 2010
Darren G.
I think Noite's comments above are absolutely correct. To me, it is so refreshing to see these images and stories instead of the usual "war-torn society" stories that are so prevalent.
Thank you, Mr. Anser. Good work.
September 16, 2010
Suzie N.
This is gorgeous and so enlightening and empowering. Thank you, Anser, for showing the world how dazzling Afghan women can be and what a rich culture they come from. I am sharing the link with friends and family. Cheers!
September 16, 2010
Arlyce Currie
What a great media piece! The colors, music and movement are such a stark contrast to the news stories we see every day about Afghanistan. We need to be reminded of the humanity and culture inside those borders. Thank you.
September 13, 2010
noite
It is great to see a different representation of Afghani women and their own cultural expression versus the images that have been so seared into the American imagination and psyche via Time and National Geographic magazines.
As Ralph Lopez, the founder of Jobs for Afghans notes in his Huffington Post article of 8/14/10, "There has been much discussion ... of the Time magazine [7/29/10] cover photo of the Afghan woman who had her nose cut off by the Taliban. The purported object lesson is clear: If we leave Afghanistan now, this is what will happen ... The reality is even more disturbing: The repressive and misogynistic forces the picture depicts are the very ones now being bolstered by U.S. policy."
While Afghani women have suffered persecution, the disservice done to them is added to by the uni-dimensional representation that most media affords them in providing limited analysis. Self-expression as in the kind of artistic production highlighted in this video, even if by Afghani American practitioners of traditional dance, allows a different and much broader perspective of a culture that is so much more than we have been given to (mis)understand.
September 11, 2010
Lane
This is a great piece. Aside from the overall story, the editing of the dance and music was exceptional. Very well done.
September 10, 2010
Darwin
nice!
September 10, 2010
pathfinder74
This story rocks! Anser, you have done ANOTHER great job for ILLUME. I looked up Ballet Afsaneh and they have some local Bay Area performances which I am definately going to attend. I encourage you all to do the same. I am going to take some friends so they can be exposed to these art forms from that part of the world. I wish I knew about Ballet Afsaneh before. What a great group to have locally for us! another reason why the Bay Area is amazing.
September 10, 2010
Shawna Scizak
What a fantastic story. It's so uplifting to see artistic expression shared in such a powerful way. Without this report, I would never have been exposed to the rich and joyful traditions that are a part of the Afghan heritage. Thank you for expanding my view.
September 8, 2010
Jamaaluddin al-Haidar
Thanks for sharing this beautiful story of traditional Afghan culture. This is the Afghanistan that the world needs to see.... Muslim women happy, free, beautiful but still modest. Kudos to Illume Magazine...great quality as always.
September 8, 2010
Mahvish Bari
Beautiful. Artistic. Nice to see some of the "positive" aspects of the culture being kept alive and presented so beautifully. Great piece, Anser! Cheers, Mahvish
September 8, 2010
Maryam K.
WOW! I'm Afghan and I just watched this story. This was awesome! So well done and it's a story that I don't see on CNN or other news outlets. Thanks for showing that all Afghan women don't wear the burqa and stay locked up at home! This may be one of the best stories I've seen on the showing Afghan and Muslim women in a positive light! Wonderful - i really can't say enough. I will saher with my friends and family. I know they will appreciate it as well.
September 8, 2010
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