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Sashar Zarif

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Sashar Zarif
E-mail: sashar1234@gmail.com

Sashar Zarif is an internationally renowned multi-disciplinary performing artist, educator and researcher whose artistic practice invites a convergence of creative and cultural perspectives. His interests are identity, globalization and cross-cultural collaborations. His practice is steeped in the artistry and history of traditional, ritualistic and contemporary dance and music of the Near Eastern and Central Asian regions. Focusing on Sufi and Shamanic dance and music rituals of these regions, he has developed a dance form he calls Dance of Mugham, a mature expression of his artistic investigation and practice. Sashar’s creative approach is called Moving Memories; a signifier for the in-depth study of memory that is a foundation of his practice. He has toured in over 40 countries across the Americas, Europe, North Africa, Middle East and across Asia, promoting cultural dialogue through intensive fieldworks, residencies, performances and creative collaborations. He taught at York University’s Dance Department between 2004 and 2017 as a contract faculty. In 2011, he received the honourary titles of Master of Dance from Uzbekistan State Institute of Choreography in Tashkent as well as Honorary Faculty Member at this institute for his work and contribution to dance in Uzbekistan. In 2012, Sashar Zarif was awarded a Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal. His latest publication is a chapter called “Carrying My Grandmother's Drum: Dancing the Home Within” in a book edited by Judith Rudakoff, which was published by the Intellect Books Ltd. This Chapter was nominated for Canadian Theatre Research Award in 2018.

Keywords: Identity; globalization; cross-cultural collaborations; dance; music; Near East and Central Asia

Upcoming Events

May
24
Tue
11:00 am Fifth Bernard H.K Luk Memorial L... @ Livestreamed and in-person
Fifth Bernard H.K Luk Memorial L... @ Livestreamed and in-person
May 24 @ 11:00 am – 1:00 pm
Fifth Bernard H.K Luk Memorial Lecture in Hong Kong Studies @ Livestreamed and in-person
Envisioning Global Hong Kong Studies: Possibilities, Politics and Praxis 2022 Bernard H.K. Luk Memorial Lecture in Hong Kong Studies with Ching Kwan Lee (UCLA) The [...]
2:00 pm Negotiating Hakka Identities in ...
Negotiating Hakka Identities in ...
May 24 @ 2:00 pm – 3:30 pm
Negotiating Hakka Identities in Multicultural Mauritius
From seeking (temporary) refuge in a European colony in the Indian Ocean after 1860 to becoming an integral part of a post-independent ‘rainbow nation’, the [...]
Jun
10
Fri
6:00 pm Inventories of Dispossession | T... @ Centre for Social Innovation (Annex)
Inventories of Dispossession | T... @ Centre for Social Innovation (Annex)
Jun 10 @ 6:00 pm – Jun 11 @ 8:00 pm
Inventories of Dispossession | Tamil Studies Symposium 2022 @ Centre for Social Innovation (Annex)
Opening Reception and Readings Friday, 10 June 2022 from 18:00 to 21:00 EDT Register at: bit.ly/tssopeningnight22 Symposium Saturday, 11 June 2022 from 10:00 to 20:00 [...]
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