Amel Tafsout in Providence!

“Amel's teaching technique “focuses on sharing the spiritual energies” and her “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

'Watching a performance by Amel Tafsout' Strong woman, passionate, formidable cultural ambassador, internationally acclaimed, spiritual, Medicine woman, patient, gentle, academic, linguist, powerful ambience surrounding her' - All true. But there is the rest: the humor!' -Marian Watson

'Watching Amel dance, 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.

Amel Tafsout will seem to you like a voyager between countries, culture and languages. Having worked and lived all over the world, unsurprisingly, migration has been a constant theme in Tafsout's work. Her name means 'Hope of Spring', and she is among the most charismatic and acclaimed professional world performers and master dance instructors of North African traditional and contemporary Maghreb Dance of our time. With an M.A degree in Sociolinguistics and research in dance anthropology, Tafsout is keenly aware of the impact culture has in the art of dance. Raised in Algeria among the finest traditional dancers and musicians. Tafsout was fascinated by dance and music as a small child.

While traveling the globe as an adult, she studied dances of her neighboring countries as well as Middle Eastern, European folk, African and Afro-Cuban dances. In her early twenties Tafsout moved to Germany where she founded the Pan Arabic dance company 'Banat As Sahra'. In the late 80s Tafsout moved to London, U.K. where she taught and performed at various dance and music festivals and founded 'The Tafsoutettes' Dance company.

While currently performing and teaching worldwide Amel is living in the U.S.A. Tafsout has lectured, danced, taught, sung and conducted anthropological research in many countries. She also published many articles related to dance and Maghreb women in academic and popular magazines. Her research focuses on the Ritual in Maghreb dances as well as looking at dance as a healing form.

She uses her expertise to teach master classes in dance, drumming and singing for students from various countries and backgrounds. Her progressive style of teaching, enhances the spontaneous fusion between dance and music, sound and vision.