Palaver Strings' 'Dancing Home'

Dancing Home explores themes of heritage, belonging, displacement, and resilience through the lens of dance. At the heart of this program is Kareem Roustom’s ḥawwāsh, commissioned by Palaver in 2024.

Inspired by the ḥawwāsh, or lead dancer of a traditional dabke dance, this piece features fluid rotating leadership and virtuosic solos for every instrument. This program also features Argentinian tango, Syrian folk melodies, Croatian round dances, and custom arrangements by Palaver musicians Maya French and Lysander Jaffe. Dancing Home celebrates social dance as a meeting place for tradition and innovation, and a vehicle for building resilience, joy, and trust.

REPERTOIRE:

moth (commissioned by Palaver Strings, 2024) - Maya French (b 1993)/Jamie Oshima (b. 1997)

Deriva (c. 2022) - Pétalo Selser (b. 1988)

Three Balkan Folk Songs (commissioned by Palaver, 2023) - trad. arr. Lysander Jaffe (b. 1991)

Romanian Folk Dances (1915) - Béla Bartók (1881-1945) arr. Alexander Goodin and Lysander Jaffe

Syrian Dances (commissioned by Palaver Strings, 2023) - Kinan Azmeh (b. 1976)

Syrian Folk Songs for String Orchestra, Book 1 - Kareem Roustom (b. 1971)

• I. Oh, the tawny beauty
• II. As she leaves her father’s home
• III. Blessed are your wedding garments
• IV. Under my parent’s watchful eyes

Ḥawwāsh (commissioned by Palaver Strings, 2024) - Kareem Roustom (b. 1971)

Photo by Titilayo Ayangade

Thursday, April 16 at 7:00 PM (doors 6:30 PM), approximately 90 minutes. Tickets are $15 for MH members, $20 for general admission, and $25 for reserved seating. There is a $5 surcharge on the day of the event.

ABOUT PALAVER STRINGS

Palaver Strings is a Grammy-nominated, musician-led string ensemble and nonprofit organization based in Portland, ME. Their mission is to strengthen and inspire community through music. In their musician-led model, Palaver’s musicians share artistic and administrative leadership, guided by a passion for engaging new audiences, addressing social justice issues, and amplifying underrepresented voices. Equally committed to performance and education, Palaver presents a full season of live concerts and serves hundreds of students yearly at the Palaver Music Center in Portland.

PARKING & TRANSPORTATION

The Greater Portland Metro’s Congress & Casco Street Stop is directly in front of our building, served by routes 1, 7, 8, and 9B.

ACCESSIBILITY

To enter our building, patrons will need to navigate a single step or use a modular ramp. There is a wheelchair-accessible elevator.

If you have a wheelchair or need accessibility accommodations/questions, please contact us at [email protected] or 207-773-8396.

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