Banafsheh

The award-winning work of Iranian-born Banafsheh communicates the universal messages of Mysticism in a passionate yet fluid, meditative way, an interplay between trance and directed movement. Her explosive movement is sensual and ritualistic, an organic trance of impeccable technique gone wild, yet holding a serene, grounded core. 

Banafsheh's mesmerizing offering of the timeless Sacred Feminine inside a contemporary gypsy dervish beckons all to engage, impart, and exalt. The versatile, Iranian-born Banafsheh is also one of the few bearers of authentic Persian dance form in the world, the pioneer of Contemporary Persian dance, the founder of Dance of Oneness® and NAMAH Dance Company, and an acupuncturist.

“As an embodied mystic of the divine feminine, Banafsheh’s presentations are not performances but transmission which transform your vision of dance foreverDancer and dance become one initiatory flame of grace” - Andrew Harvey

Banafsheh draws from her extensive background in Persian dance and ritual, Tai Chi and Flamenco to present a new form, rooted in tradition yet universal, "fusing ancient forms with a postmodern punch" (Los Angeles Times).  Her movement is comprised in part by the Persian alphabet she has translated into gestures and movement, which when put together one dances out words and poetic stanzas, often taken from the works of the great mystic poet, Rumi, whom she has studied extensively, resonating with his fierce yet gentle essence that beckons each and everyone to break through conformity and limitation to find their own individual glory.

Internationally known for her innovative movement vocabulary and high artistic and educational standards, Banafsheh’s form is what “for the first time one could call contemporary or modern Persian Dance– a dance with its own artistic language, neither Eastern like Arabic and Indian nor Western as in Flamenco, or Modern European. The dance form created by Banafsheh Sayyad can only be called the Banafsheh Dance, representative of Persian culture much like how Flamenco is particular to Spanish culture...” (prominent Iranian critic, Shokooh Mirzadegi).

The daughter of the legendary Iranian filmmaker, theater director and actor, Parviz Sayyad, Banafsheh is a recipient of the prestigious James Irvine Foundation grant in Dance. She holds an MFA in Dance from UCLA where she taught Persian dance. She has studied with some of the great masters in dance and choreography including Antonia Rojos, Victoria Marks, David Rousseve and Donna Uchizono. Also an acupuncturist, Banafsheh draws from the Taoist view of the internal functioning of the body to discover movement that is at once healing, self-illuminating and connected to spirit. Banafsheh's work has been presented extensively in festivals and by presenters in North America, Europe and Australia where she has gained tremendous audience and critical acclaim.

Banafsheh has designed a program called Dance of Oneness® which she teaches across North America, Europe and Turkey including Esalen Institute in California and Kripalu Center in Massachusetts, where she teaches with the well-known mystic and scholar, Andrew Harvey. In addition to workshops in Mystical dance, Choreography, the works of Rumi, and internal Chakra work, Dance of Oneness includes a workshop with live music called TrancenDance & Drum Ritual. This workshop works very well in conjunction with her performances. Banafsheh also gives talks and lecture/demonstrations on Persian Dance and Mysticism.

Banafsheh is available for solo performances with recorded or live music of 1 - 5 musicians. Her music partners are ZARBANG and Tony Khalife. Banafsheh currently performs solo dances and she is available for performances of up to 1.5 hrs with live or recorded music. She also performs with noted Rumi scholar, writer, and mystic Andrew Harvey.

Banafsheh is also available as guest  dancer with dance companies and music ensembles; and for choreography commissions.

“Part whirling dervish, part flamenco femme fatale, sensuous and audacious, Banafsheh’s dance is a mesmerizing foray into the body as trance mechanism; a DNA strand, supple, fluid and noble, come to life.”
Los Angeles Times

“Banafsheh’s body moved in trance, exuding a supernatural power as the vortex which seemed to take the submitting body higher and higher became really perceptible. At the end in a spectacular finale she improvised on a flamenco-rhythm, and dance movements from the Middle East merged together with Iberian gestures.”
Badische Zeitung, Germany

“In watching Banafsheh dance, I knew I was witnessing a master performer in action.”
Caroline Myss

Watch Banafsheh now on our Video Gallery!

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