“A Legacy of Dance”
Insights from Six Decades in the Middle Eastern Dance World
with Amina Goodyear
Sunday, June 1st 12 PM PDT / 3 PM EDT
Join us on a captivating journey through the past six decades of Middle Eastern dance in the United States with a true pioneer in our field, Amina Goodyear. In this online talk you will have a unique opportunity to learn from a woman who has dedicated her life to performing, teaching, and producing bellydance events in the United States. She will be sharing her insights into the evolution of the dance scene, the shifting landscape of the bellydance business, and the impact of global events on the bellydance scene.
Through personal anecdotes and keen observations, Amina will shed light on the significant transformations she has witnessed, from the 1960’s to today. Discover how cultural exchange, conflict, and migration have subtly yet powerfully reshaped the US bellydance community.
This is an essential lecture for dancers interested in a deeper understanding of the bellydance as both a community and as a business.
You Will Learn:
- A firsthand account of the evolution of the Middle Eastern dance scene in the United States and Egypt over the past 60 years.
- Insights into the changing business aspects of bellydance performance, teaching, and event production.
- Understanding how major world events, such as conflict and migration, have influenced the US bellydance community.
- Reflections on the key figures and trends that have shaped the modern bellydance landscape.
- A historical perspective on the different styles and interpretations of Middle Eastern dance in the US across generations.
- An appreciation for the resilience and adaptability of the dance form in the face of societal shifts.
- Inspiring stories and wisdom gleaned from a lifetime dedicated to Middle Eastern dance.
Purchase the live lecture and 30 days streaming access to the recording for $30
About Our Presenter….
Amina Goodyear is best known as an Egyptian dancer, dance/percussion teacher, percussionist and founder of many bands.
She began her performance career in the mid-60’s at the Bagdad Cabaret dancing nightly in San Francisco’s North Beach district during that city’s golden era of Middle Eastern dance and worked non-stop 6 nights a week until the Arabic clubs closed in that area in the mid 1980’s. She continued working in other clubs in San Francisco as well as nearby cities as the Arab population moved to the suburbs.
She founded her dance company, the Aswan Dancers in 1975 and celebrates over 40 years of continuous performance dedicated to entertaining and educating the public about Middle Eastern, Arabic and Egyptian culture through music and dance.
Since the 1980’s she has formed many musical groups such as the Cairo Cats, a percussion ensemble led by her daughter Susu Pampanin. Since then she has been a founding member or formed many bands that still perform today. The Arabian Knights, Aswat Arab Music Ensemble (20+ years), AWE (Aswat Women’s Ensemble)(15+ years), Pasha Band (10+ years), Caravan Band, Dulabina, Beit el Tarab, SF Sahra Band, Tafatifi and Halawa Band are just some of them. She is also a member of and tours throughout the U.S with the Georges Lammam Ensemble (15+ years).
Amina founded The Giza Club in 1990 with the purpose of promoting and informing people to know more of the cultural background behind the music and dance. Before the internet and theYouTube explosion of dance and music videos, The Giza Club hosted the Giza Awards. (1990-2000) with the intent of drawing attention to the importance of documenting our dance and music.
When she’s not performing, managing bands and their gigs, conducting weekly dance/music rehearsals and teaching daily classes, she is grateful for the experience she has had doing hands-on DVD and CD producing as it helps her when she communicates with Egyptian based composers. She is excited about all the new music she is working on, commissioning and accumulating.