* Atea * Alexandra King * Mara *
* Hilary Thacker * Other Instructors *
* Veena & Neena * Dolphina *
* East Indian Dance *

* Veena & Neena * Dolphina * Rania *
* Other Instructors * Pilates *
* Other Dance Workouts *

* Middle Eastern Dance Performance *
* Other Dance Forms *

* Culture *

* History *

* Makeup *

* Costuming *

* Cooking *

* Cleopatra * Ali Baba and the 40 Thieves *
* Kismet * The Sheik * Thief of Bagdad *
* Arabian Nights * Salome * Biblical Dramas *
* Other Films *

With its esoteric sounds and exotic melodies, Arabic music remains a mystery to much of the Western world. A gem of a documentary, Umm Kulthum: A Voice Like Egypt begins to unravel the music and intertwines the life of this tremendous Middle Eastern singer with the history and politics of Egypt, giving a fuller look at a tumultuous time in the changing country.

The Romany Trail Pt 2 Gypsy Music into Europe

This magical, enticing film offers a musical and choreographic vision of the Gypsies' trek from their original home in India, through the Middle East, to Eastern and Central Europe. Filmmaker Tony Gatlif -- who himself has Gypsy blood -- captures his people's ever-changing culture. In each new country where the Gypsies settled, their songs, dances and costume absorbed elements of local traditions; thus, there are Indian drums, Oriental belly-dancing, Hungarian violins and Spanish guitars. Yet throughout the centuries, certain things remained, including the rich, rough sound of Gypsy singing and a clear passion for complex rhythms. Though "Latcho Drom" ("have a safe journey" in Romany) has no narration, song lyrics speak poignantly of the Gypsies' tragic history of oppression and violence -- including their victimization by the Nazis during World War II.

Gabrielle Roth narrates this tour through modern Egypt, subtitled "a trance journey to the heart and soul of the Egyptian people." This program examines the melding of ancient cultures in Egypt and the contemporary importance of ritual.