Rakkasah Net Schedule - Richmond, CA
(Total event runs 3/9/97 - 3/16/97)

[2/13/97] - Joci (the dancer formerly known as Cleopatra) has the actual Rakkasah Flier info online, including class schedules.
[2/21/97] - List originally was sifted from net dancer postings to med-dance, but now includes ALL dancers scheduled as of 2/15/97 as compiled by Rebekah, and thank you to Joci for forwarding the info!

Here's a hyperlinked outline of this page...
Friday (3/14/97) 7pm-11:04pm (Evening)
Saturday (3/15/97) 11am-11pm (Morning, Afternoon, Evening)
Sunday (3/16/97) 11am-8pm (Morning, Afternoon, Evening)
Other people vending and attending (where to meet).
Some comments from med-dance about "What is Rakkasah?"

FRIDAY (3/14/97)

Evening:

SATURDAY (3/15/97)

Morning:

Afternoon:

Evening:

SUNDAY (3/16/97)

Morning:

Afternoon:

Evening:

Others (vending & attending):


Some comments from med-dance on "What is Rakkasah?"

Someone asked "what is Rakkasah?" and whether or not one could get in to "just see the performances and shop." YES! You certainly can. You can also take just one class, or any number of classes, including a weeklong special package deal. (I don't know how you would remember ALL the info contained in ALL the classes, but I have been known to suffer from info overload and others don't neccessarily!)(Who did I learn that movement from? Is this scarf technique Tunisian from Constantine or was that one from Berber from Morocco? -(the country!) etc.)

So if you don't have your Rakkasah brochure with all the details, write Shukriya and request one. This is the BIGGEST middle eastern/oriental/bellydance festival in the entire WORLD- folks come from far outside the US to learn and teach- you may never have opportunities to study w/ some of these folks anywhere else (unless you can go to France or Egypt or likewise far away places!)

Shukriya's address is:
RAKKASAH- SHUKRIYA
1564- 'A' FITZGERALD DR. STE. 124
PINOLE, CA 94564

- Kajira (per med-dance 970110.1125)

Yes, one may attend the Dance Festival at Rakassah only and not the classes.
The dance festival hours are:

7-11pm Fri March 14
11am-10:30pm Sat March 15
11am-8pm Sun March 16

Tickets: Fri $8, Sat $10, Sun $10 or weekend pass $23.
Weekend pass must be purchased before March 1st. Your admission ticket let's you see dancers, listen to music and SHOP TIL YOU DROP!!! (Stop by and say HI!)

For festival information contact Shukriya at

[Rakkasah - Shukriya]
1564 A Fitzgerald Dr, Suite 124
Pinole, Ca 94564
Phone 510 724-0214
FAX 724-4367

- Scheherezade (per med-dance 970108.2201)

[A tip from Julie for next year, re how hard it is to call in for a dance time:]

If you sign up for the weeklong workshops before the call-in date, you're guaranteed a solo performance slot (if your troupe has 2 or more members attending the weeklong workshop who are willing to forego the privilege of having their own solo slot, then your troupe can have a troupe slot). Although on the surface it looks like preferential treatment for a few, I can certainly respect the logic of letting someone who pays $435 three months in advance for a week of workshops have some level of priority treatment over someone who has made no such commitment.

Only now I have to make a decision of whether to use the solo slot I got and NOT dance with my troupe, or forfeit my solo slot and dance with my troupe. (Shukriya has a rule that anyone who gets a solo slot is NOT allowed to also dance with any troupe. But a dancer who is a member of multiple troupes may dance with as many troupes as she wishes as long as she doesn't also take a solo slot).

- Julie (per med-dance 970110.1918)

[Julie on local live music and dancing during workshop week:]

Your suggestion isn't silly at all. In fact, in previous years there was a dinner event planned for one of the evenings of the workshop week at an East Bay restaurant. It had live musicians, and any of the people enrolled in the full week of workshops who wanted to could dance. Local people could also attend the dinner if they wished, although only the workshop enrollees would dance (there are usually about 50 workshop enrollees, and usually about 10-12 would dance). I don't remember seeing anything on the flyer about a similar party this year, so I don't know whether one is planned.

The workshops end about 10:00 pm every night, and for a lot of people, that's bedtime. But I have seen informal parties organized by workshop-goers, held in the classroom, in which musicians who came to town for Rakkasah voluntarily provided music and we all just kicked up our heels. Since those tended to be impromptu, there wasn't much attendance except by people who signed up for the workshop that evening and heard about it word of mouth.

- Julie (per med-dance 970110.1934)

Rakassah is, to the best of my knowledge, the largest med festival in the world. It's every March in Richmond, near San Francisco. Imagine a large (very large) auditorium, big enough for a major concert. Fill the floor with vendors, fill the halls with vendors, add one evening and two full days of non-stop performances by dancers of every possible style. Imagine this place packed to the rafters with dancers greeting old friends, shopping, making new ones, browsing, trying on costumes, shopping, snacking on goodies, shopping, taking pictures, making new friends, and shopping. And that's only the weekend! For the entire week prior, and during the weekend itself, there are nonstop workshops with renowned dancers and musicians, parties and excursions.

Workshop prices vary on whether you're taking some or all. Moderately priced hotels are usually available. And if you just want to attend the weekend, the entry is usually under $15 a day.

It's a marketplace par excellence, so don't forget all liquid assets when you come!

- Baraka (per med-dance 970109.0007)

This page last updated February 21, 1997, by Stefan (dduncan@efn.org).
[PS: All I know about Rakkasah is posted above- contact Shukriya with any questions
not answered here (no known email address). This page is not affiliated with Rakkasah.]