Caravan to Cairo is a unique arts-in-education assembly program from Mosaic Dance Theater Company (MDTC), presenting a travelogue of original folkloric dances from the lands of North Africa and the Middle East. Choreographed by Samara Adell, an acknowledged master of Middle Eastern dance, this 45-60 minute dance journey through the Near East offers a diversity of engaging styles and rhythms, lavish, colorful costumes, and features a charming re-telling of an Arabic folktale, presented in MDTC"s signature style of dance/story theater. Each dance piece has been authentically choreographed and costumed, is performed to pre-recorded traditional music, and is preceded by a brief pre-recorded introduction so the students can identify what they will be seeing. A short, interactive dance lesson, with selected students on stage (and the rest of the students in their seats) learning some of the movements and dance steps of Middle Eastern dance, adds to the fun. Following the performance, students will have the opportunity to meet the cast during the Q&A. This critically acclaimed program, touring since 2001, is designed to bring cultural awareness of the dances and the music of North Africa and Middle East to school audiences, and also to instill in them an acceptance and a tolerance of other cultures. There is no difference in the program across the grade levels.
