Pedro Bonatto is an internationally acclaimed photographer and drummer. Born in Brazil and based in Canada, Pedro works in fine art and fashion photography, with works published in Elle Arabia, Fashion Canada and a number of magazines and books. As a drummer, Pedro focuses on Middle Eastern music and its relationship to cultures from aroundd the world. He is also the creator of the world music and dance group The Blue Dot Ensemble.

In this episode you will learn about:

• Differences between Arabic and Turkish style of drumming

• Clay drum with natural skin vs modern darbuka with plastic cover

• Why the idea of drum solo improvisation is so scary for many dancers

• What is the best way to approach a live improvisation performance

• Performing at the competition settings

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Jackie Barzvi is a Raqs Sharqi (belly dance) instructor and performer originally from Queens, NY, now based in North Carolina. She has been dancing all her life and focuses on folkloric dances from Egypt, North Africa, Iraq, and the Persian Gulf. She recently created the first ever Mizrahi Dance Archive to highlight specific Jewish dances from MENA regions. She has been teaching Middle Eastern dance since 2011 and is passionate about creating environments where people can dance, connect, and build community.

The Mizrahi Dance Archive's mission is to collect and organize the information we have of specific Jewish dances from MENA regions and to also bring these dances to life in fun and relevant ways to share with communities all over the world. The Mizrahi Dance Archive is an educational tool to showcase the diversity of the Jewish people and the deep connections between art, dance, and Judaism.

In this episode you will learn about:

• Following your heart and passion to dance

• Belly dance activities in Israel

• Jewish music for dancing

• Understanding the differences between Mizrahi and Sephardic communities

• The influence of Jewish culture on dances in Morocco, Jemen, Tunisia, Uzbekistan and Egypt

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