Esraa Warda Confirmed for 2019!
Meet Esraa Warda
“Havana Habibi Festival last year was life-changing for me. It bridged the cultures that I have been centering my cultural work around because I truly think there is a deep connection between the Caribbean and North Africa. HH was a meeting of strong women, powerful dancers, and game changers - and we can all agree that those few days really gave birth to a network that we will never forget. The festival is really a dream come true and I feel really personally invested in it.”
Esraa Warda is best known by the powerhouse vibration of her hips -- a pure representation of North African traditional movement meeting New York fervor. Of Algerian origin, Warda is a community-taught dancer with "street cred" from women elders in the artistic community both in Morocco and Algeria.
As an educator, she prioritizes the preservation and transmission of traditional North African movement knowledge amongst women. As an artist, Warda is a rebellious spirit who challenges traditional norms and stigmas that limit women's public expression and movement. She is a driving force in bringing Moroccan/Algerian dance out of the margins and is influencing the global culture scene in recognizing North African dance as a distinguished artistic expression.
Warda has been featured on Al Jazeera Francais , NBC Asian America, Wada7, and Hespress - and has taught all over the world from the Old Town School of Folk Music in Chicago all the way to the National Algerian Centre and Kings College in London. Warda collaborates with world music artists such as Bnat Houwariyat, Morocco's premier all women percussion ensemble based in Marrakech, and has performed at places such as NYC'S Museum of Modern Art PS1, Cuba's Havana Habibi Festival, and Marrakech's Festival Ghiwane. (esraawarda.com)
