Afghanistan Repertoire

Afghan Cab
Afghanistan Repertoire
Afghanistan Repertoir

Current Repertoire:

  • Attan, Afghan National Dance
  • Loghari, Herati, Tajiki and Pashto dances

Dance of Afghanistan

August 2000, in response to our growing concerns over the circumstances of women in Afghanistan, Ballet Afsaneh began a project to present a suite of Afghan women’s dances. As we watched the world-changing events of the next two years unfold, women in the company, prominent Afghan-American activists and artists combined their creative forces, responding to the needs of the community. It became increasingly important to reach out and share the beauty and pride of the Afghan culture, and engage in the preservation of dance and related arts. Although dance is rarely performed in a theatrical context in present day Afghanistan, music and dance are a vital part of the Afghan culture and an important part of every happy occasion. At the present time the San Francisco Bay Area is home to the largest Afghan community living outside of the capitol city of Kabul, Afghanistan.

The stigma associated with public performance by women has been accentuated by twenty-three years of turmoil and devastation in Afghanistan. For many reasons it is still unusual for Afghan women to appear onstage. Since 2001 Ballet Afsaneh has performed Afghan folklore dance for events across the USA. In April of 2003 Ballet Afsaneh performed Attan, the Afghan national dance at the War Memorial Opera House in San Francisco for the first time in history, accompanied by honored artist Mr. Aziz Herawi and his music ensemble. Ballet Afsaneh is proud to play a part in supporting the Afghan expressive arts during this turning point in history.