Dancing with Hafez

Starting with the poetry of Hafez, one of the most famous Iranian poets of the 14th century, choreographer Parya Saberi considers “every word as a jewel.” During the pandemic, with her mother stranded here in the United States, Saberi and her mother read Hafez’s poetry daily to begin each morning together during shelter-in-place. Each section of her latest project is named after a section of a poem by famous Iranian poets, and thematic inspirations come from the words. “The verses have so much movement and dance within them,” notes Saberi. A concise version of Dancing with Hafez will premiere on July 28th, 2024 at the Sausalito Center for the Arts.

Parya Saberi has worked with Bay Area artist Suhaila Salimpour for years, so this collaboration is a natural extension of their work. Their mutual admiration, commitment, and cultural connections shine through within the process. “Dancing with Hafez tells the stories of Iranian women’s lives. At the forefront of the project is Parya’s experiences in Iran. She is an immigrant, a person who had to leave her family in pursuit of a better life. We want to honor those who cannot. It is really important to understand her why,” offers Salimpour. Salimpour herself is a first-generation immigrant. Her family is Kurdish and fled from Iran to the United States.

The movement vocabulary in Dancing with Hafez is based on Parya’s lived-body experience as an Iranian woman and the Salimpour School vocabulary. Special attention is given to the upper body and the head-hand connection. Saberi describes it as “contemporary Iranian dance.”

Dancing with Hafez is a vital and timely work to express Iranian culture and the voices of Iranian women. While dance is illegal in Iran, Saberi and Salimpour on U.S. grounds feel empowered and called to share their stories and speak on behalf of Iranian women. Saberi emphasizes, “We want to honor and represent the anti-patriarchal revolution in Iran and all of the brave women and men who have fought and continue to fight for the Woman Life Freedom movement.”

Join us on July 28th, 2024 to see, feel, and hear a multi-layered expression of contemporary Iranian art. Salimpour shares, “This is for all of the Iranian women and men imprisoned. It was not for nothing. When the rallies and the hashtags stop, there has to be another level of hope, with work like this.”

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Sausalito Center For The Arts, 750 Bridgeway, Sausalito, United States