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Amel Tafsout, meaning 'Hope of Spring', is among the most charismatic and acclaimed International
Choreographer, performer and master dance instructor of North African Maghreb Dance of our
time. She has mesmerized audiences in the Middle East and North Africa as well as in Europe, the
U.S.A and New Zealand with her expressive and stunning stage presence.
With an M.A. degree in sociolinguistics (she speaks fluently 4 languages), and a research in dance anthropology Tafsout is always aware of
the impact that culture has in art and how that can be expressed in the dance. She has been distinguished by the International Dance
Council CID as one of the leading dance professionals from around the world.
Brought up in Algeria, Tafsout was fascinated by dance and music since childhood and grew up among the finest traditional dancers and musicians
of her native country. She also studied European Folk dance in Algeria, dances of her neighbor Maghreb countries and the Middle East,
African Dance in Europe and Afro-Cuban dance in Cuba. She is currently using her expertise to lead highly successful master classes in
dance, drumming and singing for students from various countries, with different backgrounds, such as professional dancers, actors, music
and dance students, women, elderly people, children and disabled children. She has developed a new experience in teaching, which combines Dance,
Singing and Drumming. This creativity has enhanced the spontaneous fusion of Dance and Music - Sound and Vision.
Her research focuses on ritual dances of the Maghreb (reflecting the dual Amazigh-Berber-Arabic identity of Algeria), the Middle East, West
Africa and Cuba. She looks at the ways in which spirituality is part of a daily life and sees the dance as a search for harmony between
Body, Mind and Spirit.
Amel will seem to you like a voyager between countries, cultures and languages (…).her teaching technique focuses
on sharing the spiritual energies (…). Each of Amel's movements come from inside and is charged with pure energies. While Amel, the
Berber woman, moves closer to the souls of the women, they in turn become more aware of their own strength and are able to recover their
spiritual balance through dance. The word 'healing' is not mentioned but what happens here is nothing less than that.' Gizella Hartmann,
in 'Orient Magazine', Germany nr.1,2002
In her early twenties Tafsout moved to Germany where she founded the Pan Arabic dance company 'Banat As Sahra'
(Daughters of the Sahara Desert), a company which was instrumental in dismissing Western prejudices about Arab women as well as working
to bring Arabic dance culture to the West.
In the late 80s Tafsout moved to London, U.K. where she taught and performed at various dance and music festivals. She also founded her
second dance company 'The Tafsoutettes'. With her company she aims to perform the dances of the Maghreb and other Arabic countries
with skill and sincerity as well as to educate audiences about North African culture most notably women's traditions and evolutions
through dance, story telling but still retaining a sense of wit and sharing the spirit of celebration.
She has been featured in "the Late Show (BBC2), and other TV programs in the UK, Germany and the U.S.A.
Tafsout was an active member of the Latin-Jazz band: Chakchouka, the North African contemporary Orchesta Mambo Duniya,
the Arab-Turkish music band Noor Shimaal as well as the Saladin's Orchestra.
She performed with Die Dissidenten, 3 Mustapha 3, Hassan Erraji, Maurice El Medioni, Georges lammam Ensemble, Cheb I Sabbah,
Rachid Halihal and Karim Nagui as well as the Algerian Andalusian singer Nassima.
Always graceful, she nevertheless reflected the enormous energy and excitement of the strongly percussive music to add an
extra dimension to a truly remarkable evening.' P.Rush, 'The Stage', Nov.1997, London, U.K.
Amel Tafsout accompanied on drums by Salah-Dawson Miller, provided with a thirst contrast in dance styles, the earthy
rhythms of the drums and Amel's mesmeric hips and arms made you feel as though you were in a Berber tent.' Afra Al Kahira, 1999, U.K.
Tafsout has lectured, danced, taught, sung and conducted anthropological research in many countries; in the U.K. and Spain, she has
performed at international festivals such as W.O.M.A.D. in Dusseldorf, Germany , at the 'Orientale' for 10 years and she is still
invited at this festival every year; In the U.S.A. in Fort Lauderdale, FL at the "Spirit of the Tribes'; in Portland, OR at the
first 'Tribal Quest North-West, and she has been invited for the same festival in August 2007; in Miami at the 'Orientalia 2004',
and other festivals such as the first 'Arab Dance Festival', in 2006 in Minneapolis, the Arab Dance Seminar that is an ongoing
event in various U.S. States. July 2006 she performed at the Cheb I SabbaH show in Central Park, NYC.
2007 She was invited to share her dance and cultural knowledge at the Arab dance Seminar in the U.S.,
in New York City she performed with the well known respected Algerian Andalusian singer Nassima at Institute of World Music in NYC.
She has worked and performed in New Zealand as well as Mexico.
2008 Amel Tafsout is invited to work in Moscow.
Tafsout also published many articles related to dance and Maghreb women in academic and popular magazines. Her
latest article,"The Passage of Times" has been published at the online Dance magazine called "The Gilded Serpent" in Sept.2007.
She translated songs for the recording company 'World Circuit' and did some interpreting work for West African
singers such as Jali Mussa Jawara and Ali Farkha Toure (may his soul rest in peace) the Moroccan
Gnawa singer Mustapha Bakbou and the Algerian Rai super stars such as Cheikha Rimitti
(may her sould rest in peace), Bellemou as well as Khaled. She contributed to the first
'Rough Guide of Belly Dance music compilation'
2006 she was invited by the BBC radio 3 to accompany Andy Kershaw to Algeria in order to do a program on Algerian music.
'And yet, when you meet her, Tafsout is also tremendous fun, and infects everyone who she meets with a huge
enthusiasm of North African dance.' Mira Katbamna, 2003
'Strong woman, passionate, formidable cultural embassador, internationally acclaimed, spiritual, Medicine woman, patient, gentle, accademic,
linguist, powerful ambience surrounding her' - All true. But there is the rest: the humour!' Marian Watson, in Mosaic, Winter 2001/2
'Watching a performance by Amel Tafsout is a cathartic experience. (…) She dances from the very core of herself. sensuality is expressed as power and generosity. She has a direct stare, a presence that can only come from the true knowledge of herself and her art. She is a unique performer and there is no
one else who dances like her.' Beatrice Parvin, in Habibi magazine, Vol.18. No 1. 1999, Santa Barbara, U.S.A.
Having worked and lived all over the world, unsurprisingly, migration has been a constant theme in Tafsout's work.
Amel Tafsout is living in the U.S.A, still performing and teaching in the U.S. and worldwide.
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Amel Tafsout:Transcending Traditions of Maghreb Dance
Beatrice Parvin
Amel’s hands have a character all of their own. When she moves she uses them deftly, as if creating a moving portrait surrounded by an ornate and scalloped frame. Her hands are in constant motion. They roam unceasingly around and above, magnifying her emotions portrayed by her hips, torso and face. Her feet stay rooted, and yet they contain tremendous grace; slightly brushing the ground before she rests.
She moves her arms around her chest in the shape of a heart, her hands curling then uncurling. At times her fingers open as if coyly playing with a fan, or they curve as the cards of a gambler who hides her secrets. Her hand is ingeniously played. It is as unpredictable as the cards dealt in quick sharp succession by the nimble fingers of the croupier. At times she strokes each wrist in turn as if she is applying the purest of perfumes and then she will flick her palms out to the audience and then towards herself - a gesture of giving and receiving energy.
Watching a performance by Amel Tafsout is a cathartic experience. Contrary to common stereotypes there are no mincing, shallow flirtations to be seen in her dance. She dances from the very core of herself. Sensuality is expressed as power and generosity. She has a direct stare, a presence that can come only from a true knowledge of herself and her art. She is a unique performer and there is no one else who dances like her.
When I arrive to see her perform at a Queensgate mansion, a blonde jet-setter climbs the steps with me, “Coming to Aniko’s birthday party” she drawls with a flick of the hair.
Aniko, who wears a multi-coloured glass-studied tiara on her black hair, has a warm open smile and she ushers me into the grand front room. The windows are bedecked with saris in drifting shades and on the walls North African textiles are hung. I sit down on a voluptuous sofa and observe the Euro darlings that swan gregariously into the room. Aniko ushers people away from the centre of the room and announces the beginning of the entertainment. The musicians, a derbouka player; Salah-Dawson Miller, an electric guitarist; Justin Adams, and on the bass guitar and gimbri; Simon Edwards, take their place. After playing a short introduction the dancer enters.
With her deep stare she reaches out to the merrymakers. She plays a frame drum, a large shallow ring covered in skin, that creates a rasping echoing sound. She paces the room with the drum, coming close to the circle of onlookers. Once the audience is engaged she discards it and begins to dance. It is then that the costume that is Amel comes to life: her black, yellow, purple, green and blue polka dot skirt is swathed at the hips with first a fringed black shawl and on top of this is a gold layered belt, smothered with coins. From the elbows of her tight black top, emerge layers of floating canary yellow frills. Scarves fly from her cap, flowing veils in purple and yellow. Her face emerges from this farrago of flamenco patterns and arabesque imagery; it too is adorned, painted with black dotted tattoos.
Underneath her headscarves flow her many long black plaits that twist and swirl and flicker with the swishing silks and metal finery on her hips and around her neck. She moves freely with the many layers of material and various trinkets hanging from her body which is wrapped over and over again. The costume is so skillfully put together that her movements can be clearly seen and felt by the audience. It is as if the fragments of silk and satin strewn carelessly together in a wicker basket at a market stall begin to weave and float into the air. From the many colours and textures a strange peering face, its eyes
staring, its head sliding from side to side, begins to evolve. It then begins to dance and the incredible happens. The face smiles and the figure of a woman slowly forms from the abundant amorphous material. The eddying fabric has become a beautiful dancer.
“I want you to remember that you are the most beautiful women in the world”.
Today, teaching at the Oval House, Amel resembles a Spanish shawl that has come to life. Her thin black plaits fall onto the fine tassels of an antique scarf tied loosely around her shoulders. Around her waist another shawl with longer tassels reaches to the feet. Her fine curved fingers occasionally pick a strand from the long fringes of the lower shawl, which her hand guides so as to frame her movements. She is like a weeping willow as she sways - the leaves and branches swinging gently with her to the accompanying rhythms.
Amel begins always, when teaching a beginner, with the circle. This is a journey around the latitudes of the body. You push the hips around your middle as if you are drawing a circle with a compass around yourself. This circle defines your personal boundaries. This can grow from a tiny almost internal circle to a wide expansive declaration of the self.
If the body is your world, then the circles in Maghreb dance define the territories of that world. The hips are your equator, guarding the most important female part of you, the source of your creativity. You can move as a spiral journeying through the different latitudes of the body, beginning with your head and ending with your knees.
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