This year’s Fall Festival will feature workshops and performances by the amazing Lebanese Simon!  Join us at WhirledPies Downtown on Saturday, October 12, 2019 for all-day dance performances, live music hour, Gala Evening Show, vendors and workshops.

Featuring Lebanese Simon

Lebanese Simon was born and raised in northern Lebanon. With a natural passion for cultural arts, he found himself drawn closer to dance. Simon has traveled internationally to teach, perform and learn, and has had the privilege to study with the legendary Amani of Lebanon, Yousry Sharif, Lubna Emam and Inspiring Caracalla Folklore Dance Teachers Sammy Khoury and Francois Rahme.

His style of Lebanese Folk Dabke is described as strong, captivating, and deeply heartfelt. Through oriental dance, Simon reveals his personal creative approach, drilling combinations with a focus on technique and rhythms. Most importantly, he focuses on executing the moves yet staying emotionally connected to the melody and the story line. His versatility in dance has brought him very close to the heart of a wide range of audience and followers around the world.

Since 2010, Simon has served artistic director and manager for the Al Awtar Zaffa Group based in Houston, Texas. He is also the Executive Producer and Artistic Advisor of the yearly Gulf Coast Raks (formerly the Houston Oriental Dance) Festival. Settled in Houston, Texas, Simon is a Structural Engineer and enjoys horseback riding and great long walks in nature.

Saturday Workshop • October 12, 2019

All workshops held at Staver DanceSport, 141 East 6th Ave., Eugene, Oregon.

  • 10am-12pm • The Dabke – Middle Eastern Folklore – Technique and Combinations

    This class begins with an introduction to Lebanese dabke: the basic 6 count line dance with three combinations of different levels of complexity, and the different rhythm and lyric dialect variations used.  The class continues with dance combinations covering some of the Lebanese folk combinations vs. Palestinian folk combinations and other regions. We will cover Read More

    Order The Dabke – Middle Eastern Folklore – Technique and Combinations

*Or join the guild! Membership is only $20/year.

Sunday Workshops • October 13, 2019

  • 11am-1pm • Lebanese Pop Combos – Short Choreography

    Hot, energizing, sexy, pop-modern choreography to music by Lebanon’s greatest stars. Lebanese Simon will be bringing his personal style and most intricate and juicy combinations to the class! Workshop held Sunday, October 13, 11am-1pm, Staver DanceSport, 141 East 6th Ave., Eugene, OR  97401 Early bird pricing until  August 1: MEDGE members:  $45/workshop or $120/combo of Read More

    Order Lebanese Pop Combos – Short Choreography

  • 2:30-4:30pm • The Arabesque

    A timeless movement that prevailed with the evolution of art and among the dancers of the golden era (Tahia Karioka, Samia Gamal, and Nadia Gamal to name a few) to today’s biggest names of oriental dance. A minimum of 16 stylistic arabesque movements are explained with emphasis on correct execution and historical reference, leading into Read More

    Order The Arabesque

*Or join the guild! Membership is only $20/year.

Take All Three Workshops!

  • Take all three workshops at discounted rate!
    Order Workshop Trio

Festival Information

Admission

  • Daytime OR Gala Show, $10.00
  • Daytime AND Gala Show, $15.00 – BEST DEAL!

Festival Schedule

  • 1pm- doors open
  • All-day Vendors 
  • 2pm-6pm Festival Dancing
  • 6:30pm-8pm Festival Dancing with Live Music 
  • 8:30pm Gala Evening Show with featured dancer Lebanese Simon and more!

Performer and Volunteer Signup

Fall Festival is made great by dancers and volunteers! Please use the links below If you’re interested in signing up for a daytime Festival Dancing spot or volunteering to help us run the festival.

Performer Signup Forms (click on the time you wish to perform in ):

Volunteer Signup Forms (Door, Stage Manager, MC)