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See Kosmos in action! Check out Music and Video from previous camps!
June 5-8, 2008 - Camp Cazadero, CA

Kosmos immerses campers in music and dance. Our beautiful Northern California facility hosts world-class workshop instructors, along with ample spaces to jam and perform with others who share their dedication.
Just posted!!! The 2008 Kosmos Camp preliminary Class Schedule... Check 'it out.

Kosmos Camp is proud to offer some of the very best world music and dance instructors from all over the globe.

Listed below are just a few of the teachers and performers we currently have lined up for this year's camp. We are currently hiring additional staff for this year's camp, so if you are interested or have an instructor you'd like to see at camp, please contact Matthew Furey.

Dance Instructors
click to see Music Instructors
NEW! Zoe Jakes Belly Dance Burlesque
Zoe has her own unique take on Tribal bellydance and has been dancing non-stop since seeing her first festival. Starting as a dancer at the Southern California Rennaissance Faire, she was a part of the esteemed Bay area Troupe Aywah!, whose founding teacher and director was Katarina Burda, one of the original members of Bal Anat. Among the many dances she practices, Zoe studied Classical indian Kathak at the esteemed school of Chitresh Das. She has performed with Jill Parker and Ultra Gypsy, Aziza, Liz Strong, and was a member of the Suhaila Dance Company. She has toured nationally and internationally with the Extra-Action Marching Band, the Yard Dogs Road Show, The Bellydance Superstars and the Indigo.
Naby Bangoura West African Dance
A native of Guinea, West Africa, Naby grew up dancing. He travelled and performed with Les Ballets Merveilles for many years before coming to America. In New York, he taught at the Djoniba School, as well as at the Abized School. He has also taught at the Jewish Community Center of Houston, Texas and the Dance Gallery in Santa Cruz, California. Currently he teaches West African Guinean dance at San Francisco's prestigious ODC studio. Naby's dynamic skill and soaring spirit have quickly established him and his high-energy class as a Kosmos Camp favorite.
Vicki Virk Indian Bhangra Dance
Vicki was born and raised in Punjab, India. Though she has been in the United States since the age of 12, she is still very connected to her Indian culture and has been dancing Bhangra all of her life. Vicki's passion to dance inspired her on a creative path that led her to form Dholrhythms, a dance company out of the San Francisco Bay Area, where she is the leading instructor, choreographer, and creative director for all Dholrhythms classes, workshops, performances, and events. She lit up the camp with her infectious energy last year and Kosmos is delighted to welcome her back.
NEW! Aubre Belly Dance
Aubre's dance background includes classical ballet, jazz, hiphop, tap, and her main passion, Middle Eastern bellydance. Studying with such esteemed talents as Suhaila and Jamila Salimpour, Samara, Tamra-henna, Zahra Zuhair, Sahira, and many others, Aubre has developed her own elegant style. She is now the Artistic Director of the Lumina Bellydance Company. Aubre performed with the Bellydance Superstars as well as served as Assistant Director while touring extensively through Europe and North America and can be seen on the "Bellydance Superstars: Live at the Folies Bergere" DVD. She has also shared stages with Cirque du Soleil and the Blue Man Group. Aubre is on faculty at California State University, Los Angeles teaching accredited bellydance and pilates classes and teaches a full bellydance program at The Center of Worldance.
NEW! Corey Action Hip Hop
Action's technical training began at Skyline High in Oakland, CA, where he studied jazz dance, modern dance, and stage production. Action has choreographed for diverse artists, including Korean super star Lee Seung Chul, Hip Hop Youngster Mac Mall, Latin dance diva Angelina and Filipino pop sensation Jocelyn Enriquez. He has traveled the globe--including Brazil, Japan, Italy, Canada and the Philippines--working as a producer, costume designer, casting agent, make-up consultant, choreographer and dancer. Action is the director of Newstyle Motherlode, a hip hop collective based out of Oakland, CA. Corey's first year on the Kosmos Camp staff is much anticipated by all.
NEW! Phoebe "La Fibi" Vernier Flamenco Dance
One of the Bay Area's premier flamenco dancers, “La Fibi” has studyied, performed, and taught flamenco for 25 years. She has performed extensively in the Bay Area as a featured soloist. She has danced in the companies of Rosa Montoya’s Bailes Flamencos, La Tania Music and Dance, Theatre Flamenco of San Francisco, and has toured nationally with The Boston Flamenco Ballet, The Company of Rinaldo Rincon, the renowned Maria Benitez Spanish Dance Company, and the Madrid based “Compania Noche Flamenca” at the Hollywood Bowl. She currently teaches extensively in Petaluma, CA. and is the director of La Fibi Flamenco Dance Company. Kosmos is proud to have her on staff.
NEW! Ramon Ramos Cuban Modern and Salsa
Ramon Ramos Alayo is known and respected throughout the Bay Area as a dancer, teacher, choreographer, and as the artistic director of the Alayo Dance Company. He began dancing at age eleven in Santiago de Cuba, and went on to receive his master's degree in contemporary and folkloric dance and dance education from the National School of the Arts in Havana. In 1997 Ramon moved to the U.S. and began his professional career. In 2003 he founded CubaCaribe, an organization which promotes Cuban cultural and artistic programs and produces Cuba Camp, an annual summer dance camp. His Alayo Dance Company is known for its unique fusion of Afro-Cuban modern, folkloric, and popular dance presented theatrically.
Mira Betz Middle Eastern Dance
A life-long dancer, Mira began her training in Middle Eastern dance at the age of 13. As a founding member, choreographer, and solo performer of Aywah Ethnic Dance Company for 10 years, she developed a solid foundation of contemporary, traditional, as well as ritualistic dance forms. Mira began performing at the Renaissance Pleasure Faire in 1994 and continued to be featured there each summer until 2002. In 1998 Mira went abroad to live and study in Morocco. She has studied with renowned teachers in the United States and North Africa, and has taught on the east and west coast for over ten years. Mira tours nationally with renown drummer Tobias Roberson and the multi-talented Gari Hegedous, as the trio Fringe. She is artistic director of the ECHOS Project, a collaboration of emerging choreographers in the Bay Area. Her dance background also includes training in Salsa, Modern, Jazz, and Flamenco. Click here for more info.

NEW! Sani Rifati Rom Line Dancing
Sani is a Rom from Kosovo, in the former Yugoslavia, and the president of Voice of Roma, a nonprofit organization dedicated to educating the general public and raising awareness concerning the plight of the Roma, particularly those in and from Kosovo. Sani has been a strong advocate for preserving the traditional folk music, songs, and dances of his native culture. He is a strong believer in creating community through his people's spirit of sharing music, dance, oral histories, food and drink. Kosmos is very excited to add his rich knowledge and energy to the mix this year!
Elizabeth Strong Turkish Gypsy Rom Dance
Elizabeth grew up inspired by the music and dancing of the Middle East. Elizabeth has taught at the Sierra Music and Art Institute, Alice Arts Center in Oakland, and at Lark in the Morning Camp in Mendocino as well as private lessons. Teaching workshops include Turkish Gypsy style dance and bellydance. Elizabeth, a native San Franciscan, has traveled extensively and lived for months at a time in Istanbul and Tunisia. Learning original techniques from the Middle Eastern masters combined with Western studies in Middle Eastern Dance gives her a unique dance education allowing her to perform and teach to both cultures. She currently teaches out of the San Francisco Bay Area. Click here for more info.
Georgios & Antonea Leftheriotis Greek Violin / Line Dancing
Georgios Leftheriotis was born and raised in Kalamata, Greece. He has sang and played violin from a very early age. Georgios has since travelled all over Greece, learning from some of the country's greatest musicians and subsequently moving to the United States in 1987. His wife, Antonea Leftheriotis, will be at Kosmos Camp this year as well, teaching the engaging Greek Line Dancing techniques and routines she learned at an early age from her father and other relatives at Greek weddings and house parties. Very generous and warm-hearted, Antonea is a naturally talented teacher and everyone enjoys her festive classes.
Music Instructors
Faisal Zedan Arabic Dumbek Drumming
Born in Syria, Faisal Ghazi Zedan grew up obsessed with the derbakki hand drum. After coming to California in 1992, he met noted UCLA ethnomusicology professor Dr. Ali Jihad Racy, as well as renowned Arabic percussionist Souhail Kaspar. In 1993, Faisal helped found the Kan Zaman, specializing in the Al Andelus style of Mowashahat, the North African Arab-influenced music of Spain from the eighth to fifteenth centuries. Kan Zaman has performed up and down the West Coast. He has also performed with Julian Weiss of the Al Kindi Ensemble of Syria and Qanun player George Sawa. Faisal is also a founding member of the Los Angeles-based Youm It Talaata percussion group. A veteran of both Middle-East Camp and Kosmos, he will be teaching both beginning and advanced classes, as well as playing for dance classes.
Louie Romero Latin Ensemble
Born and raised in New York City, Louie Romero is a gem of the San Francisco music scene. Performing and recording as a lead percussionist with such salsa greats as Celia Cruz, Ruben Blades, Hector Lavoe, and Willie Colon, he is no stranger to heavy-hitting musicians and will be a great new addition to Kosmos. Band leader of Mazacote, a well-known Bay Area salsa band, Louie creates a powerful foundation of rhythm and his easy going and positive nature helps make him a great teacher. His class will be an ensemble of latin/salsa songs and will be open for musicians of all instruments.
Karamba Dioubate West African Drumming
Griot and master musician Karamba Dioubate is originally from Boke, West Africa and has played with such renowned acts as Fish de Rice and Famouro Kouyate¹s group Keke in Guinea, before touring Europe and the US with Fatala, a traditional drum and dance troupe formed by master percussionist Yacouba Camara. He has been living in the US since 1992, teaching drumming in the New York and Oakland communities and workshops nationwide. He performed at last year's Kosmos Camp, where his positive vibe was infectious.
Daniel Fries Flamenco Guitar
Daniel Fries, one of the Bay Area's premier flamenco guitarists, studied in Spain with masters such as Manolo Sanlucar, Paco Peña, and Jose Luis Rodriguez and has performed with such world-class artists as La Tania, Andrés Marín, Cristo Cortés, and Manuel Gutierrez, as well as many local artists and companies. While his style remains grounded in traditional Spanish flamenco, he also explores new directions by blending various musical traditions, including Indian, Middle Eastern, Latin American, and African. Dan has Music degree from UC Berkeley and has studied Indian Classical music under Ustad Ali Akbar Khan and Ghanain drumming with C.K. Ladezkpo. Dan served as musical director for Carolina Lugo's Brisas de España and for Zambra Bailar, a company mixing flamenco with Middle Eastern music and belly dance. He has performed in venues in China, Italy and India.
David Brown Jazz Ensemble
David Brown joined the New Orleans Musicians' Union in 1977 and began playing with groups such as The Lloyd Alexander Orchestra, The Original Crescent City Jazz Band and many others, backing up such names as Bob Hope and Neil Sedaka. Many of these performances were at the finest hotels and ballrooms in New Orleans, and often were on board the Steamer President, the Natchez, Cotton Blossom, and other riverboats. In addition to jazz and other styles of music commonly played in New Orleans, David has been involved in ethnic and world music since the 1970s. He's been living in Mendocino, CA since the 1980s.
Kim Atkinson Samba Percussion Ensemble
Wine Country percussionist Kim has been an energetic presence on the Bay Area music scene since the 1970s. His initial studies in Nigerian, Ghanaian and Congolese drumming lead him to Brazilian shamanism, Caribbean music, American jazz, folk and popular music. He has performed with master musicians and dancers since the 80s and is respected as a gifted teacher and inspiring player. Kim recently performed with Planet Drum, holding the groove for over 4000 other drummers at the annual Earthdance event. He directs the Carnaval Spirit Parade Group, his rhythm fusion band " Samba Lumina" and performs with other groups in many styles. Visit Kim on the web at www.pulsewave.com.
Georgios & Antonea Leftheriotis Greek Violin / Line Dancing
Georgios Leftheriotis was born and raised in Kalamata, Greece. He has sang and played violin from a very early age. Georgios has since travelled all over Greece, learning from some of the country's greatest musicians and subsequently moving to the United States in 1987. His wife, Antonea Leftheriotis, will be at Kosmos Camp this year as well, teaching the engaging Greek Line Dancing techniques and routines she learned at an early age from her father and other relatives at Greek weddings and house parties. Very generous and warm-hearted, Antonea is a naturally talented teacher and everyone enjoys her festive classes.
Rumen Shopov Balkan Music Ensemble
Born in a Turkish/Muslim Romani neighborhood in Bulgaria, Rumen's family loved to sing all night and Rumen learned many traditional songs by ear. In 1978, Rumen was invited to join the “Nevrokopski Ensemble for Folk Songs and Dances” (Bulgaria's first state ensemble, est. 1946). There, Rumen earned the role of soloist and then of concertmaster while still a teenager. He collaborated with the ensemble’s music director, Petar Avramov, and its artistic director, respected composer Zapryu Ikonomov, on arrangements for the orchestra and on ethnomusicological research. Rumen toured Western and Eastern Europe as well as Canada with the ensemble, rare during the Cold War. In 2002, Rumen began to play and teach in the United States. He has served on the faculty of the East European Folklife Center’s Balkan Music and Dance Workshops,World Camp, Arcata Folk Festival, and Stockton Folkdance Camp. He currently performs regularly with KITKA, Edessa, Anoush, Ziyia, and his own newly-formed band Orkestar Sali.
Fattah Abbou Moroccan Ensemble
Fattah was born and raised in a small Moroccan village before moving to the city of Marrakech. He has played Tamazight and other traditional Moroccan music for over 23 years. He is proficient in many stringed instruments (banjo, oud, lotar, bouzouki, sentir, gimbri, mandolin, violin, and guitar), and an array of Moroccan percussion instruments. Fattah's passionate vocals help deliver the impact of AZA's powerful vocal section. Fattah's infectious poolside jam sessions were a highlight of last year's camp, for both musicians and their audience.
Robert Wallace Total Rhythm Workout
Bobby is an internationally-trained percussionist, dancer, and educator with 13 years professional experience. As a percussionist, he has performed and/or recorded with world music artists Bonnie Raitt, Airto Moreira, David Rudder, Mike Marshall, Calypso Rose and the Starlift Steel Orchestra. His dance background includes study of Afro-Brazilian dance with Roseangela Silvestre in Bahia, Brazil, and Afro-Cuban dance with Los Munequitos de Matanzas in Havana, Cuba. Robert's unique Total Rhythm Classes combine drumming and dance for a complete body-and-soul workout. Perfect for dancers who want a deeper, more personal relationship with rhythm and for musicians who want to improve their sense of movement and time. Students work with rhythms from Africa, America, and Brazil.
Deb Rubin Yoga for Dancers
Deb (MA, CMT, RYT) fuses 10 years experience in holistic health with 25 years of performance experience to create a yoga class geared specifically for dancers. Trained in Eastern and Western healing arts, and a life-long dancer proficient in many styles, she has facilitated at healing conferences all over the world and regularly teaches in the Bay area. Until last year, Deb was a core member of Ultra Gypsy Dance Theater for over 5 years and a regular sub for Jill Parker's classes. Most recently, she assisted Rachel Brice at her 6-day Tribal Massive intensive, performed with Heather Stants and Urban Tribal at Tribal Fest, and is producing the SF Mecca Immersion. Deb's Kosmos classes will focus on core integration, spinal articulation, and building the foundational strength and flexibility to directly support your dancing technique and prevent injuries. She will also be available on Sunday for bodywork or yoga therapy sessions.
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