Yasmina Ramzy
Described by the media as a visionary, a pioneer, and a disrupter, Yasmina Ramzy has created 300 innovative choreographies for international ensembles and soloists, taught authentic Raqs Sharqi artistry in over 70 cities on five continents, performed in four Middle Eastern countries for royalty and heads of states, produced ten dance festivals, presented 1,700 ensemble and solo dance artists, hosted 24 MENAHT dance teachers, directed 12 theatrical presentations, authored 26 dance magazine articles, and created four films.
Biography: Yasmina Ramzy
Yasmina Ramzy's prolific and highly sought after choreography is best known for its originality, elaborate staging and full range of emotional expression. She has created over 200 ensemble choreographies for 25 dance companies in USA and Canada including Arabesque Dance Company & Orchestra, Earthshaker Dance Company, Dream Company, Cirque du Soleil, Myles Copeland’s Bellydance Superstars and Yasmina Ramzy Arts. The choreography of her personal dance company Arabesque/YRA has over 3,000,000 views on YouTube.
Yasmina’s passion to represent authentic Raqs Sharqi (Middle Eastern dance) compelled her to create 7 large international dance festivals featuring discussion and debate while staging as many as 150 artists in each festival and presenting over 50 master teachers such as Dina Talaat, Mahmoud Reda, Mohamed Khalil and Aida Nour. Yasmina also produced 3 large multi-cultural music & dance festivals and a monthly stage presenting all forms of movement for five years called Dancenet.
Since 1983, she has taught in more than 70 cities around the world. Yasmina has performed extensively in the Middle East, primarily with the master Muwashahaat trained musicians of Aleppo, Syria. Her full-length six-day theatrical productions have been presented ten times with as many as 45 dancers and musicians at a time. Some of her productions have toured in USA, Greece, Lebanon, Jordan, Syria and across Canada. Since 2020, she has directed three films and is currently creating immersive film.
Yasmina is the longest standing member on the Board of Directors for Dance Ontario since 1999 and in 2020, she founded and is chairperson for the Justice, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Committee. She has been awarded several arts grants from all three levels of government for her ground breaking and authentic choreography as well receiving awards from Arab communities for helping to nurture and uplift Arab dance and live music. To date Yasmina has written countless articles for magazines and blogs.
My Personal Artistic Life Journey - super condensed...
Since the age of seven, I was rounding up groups of girls on my street and setting choreography on them to perform for neighbourhood audiences. At the age of fourteen, I was fascinated in ancient Egyptian mysticism and consumed many a book on the subject for the next seven years.
In 1980, I walked into an Arab Night Club and was instantly transfixed by colours, sounds and smells that covered me in goosebumps and froze my step. The unfamiliar sounds of live Arab music on traditional acoustic instruments consumed my heart combined with the strong smell of garlic, lemon and charred meats.
I barely blinked the whole evening taking in all the joyful ruckus around me including a sensual dancer who breathed the music through every pore in her agile body. Finally, at the end of the night, the singer seemed to be wailing with passion. Beautiful women were swooning and large burly men held their hands high with huge smiles while tears ran down their faces.
And I thought ... whatever drug they are on, I want to be on it too.
The next 40 years were dedicated to offering live audiences around the world this emotional ecstacy and passion, sometimes through the medium of 45 dancers and musicians on a stage weaving together a tapestry. Until now.
Through the accidental making of the film "Al Qamar", I have found a perfect medium to express emotional ecstacy with movement, music, mysticism and the Arab world's rich cultures both modern and ancient all combined.
My goal is and has always been to open the hearts of all to the wonders of what lies within and all around us.
Testimonials
“Yasmina is one of a kind. A warm, loving, supportive and creative human and artist. She reaches people in ways that most cannot with her humility and grace. This serves her students, colleagues and audience in a way that escapes words. A brilliant creator with cultured artistry and honourable intentions.”
—Jeff Dimitriou, Toronto, ON. Choreographer, JDX Entertainment, Dimitriou Dance Co.
“Oh wow! Yasmina! It was a great pleasure to work with her! When she choreographed ‘Keef Trouhi’ by Issa Ghandour, I was so impressed with the richness and texture she created with all the layers of movements. It was beautifully interpreted music using a body of 8 dancers. She made intelligent and innovative use of the stage while creating a hypnotizing flow of patterns. I am so honored to have been a part of her inspirational work of art as it was presented by Miles Copelands Bellydance Superstars world touring company!”
—Sonia Ochoa, USA. Dance Artist
“Yasmina is an artist who sets herself apart particularly in her brilliant and moving choreography. Her attention to detail encompasses movement’ adds colour, texture, evokes feelings and educates. In Oriental Dance, she is one of today’s most experienced and creative choreographers.”
—Bozenka, Crete/USA. Dance Artist