The Society of Folk Dance Historians (SFDH)

The Society of Folk Dance Historians (SFDH)

Anthony Shay

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BACKGROUND

Information: Dr. Anthony V. "Tony" Shay, teacher, choreographer, and ensemble director.

Dr. Shay is a dancer and choreographer with over fifty years of performing and creative experience in staging and choreographing dances and music from Eastern Europe, the Middle East, North Africa, and Asia. After years of study in Iran, Dr. Shay created the Village Dancers. Along with Leona Wood (1922-2008), a painter, teacher, and expert in Middle Eastern dance, he created the famed AMAN Folk Ensemble (aka, AMAN International Music and Dance Company) of Los Angeles, California in 1963 and served as artistic director until 1977.

With Master's Degrees in Anthropology, Folklore and Mythology, and Library Sciences, he is able to bring the expreriences of travel and training to his work. In addition to being a full-time librarian, a part-time researcher for the Smithsonian Institution, a choreographer for a number of ethnic-oriented dance companies, a concert flutist, teacher and translator for the Department of Immigration, he directed AMAN. Somehow, in his spare time, he has become a better-than-average bridge player, designed and planted a rose garden in his back yard, and conducted lecture and dance courses for UCLA Extension.

During his first years in college, he learned Persian on a dare and became so accomplished in the language the he was able to fool even natives. Invited by the Iranian ambassador to visit Iran, he spent one year there eventually singing in Persian on a regular radio program.

He was choreographer and artistic director of the AVAZ International Dance Theatre, a group he founded in 1977. In this period he has choreographed over 150 works for both his own company and on commission to other groups.

He is an assistant professor of dance and cultural studies at Pomona College in Claremont, California.

Dr. Shay earned a Ph.D. in Dance History and Theory at the University of California, Riverside in 1997. He currently holds the position of associate in dance at the same institution, where he teaches dances of the Iranian cultures sphere.

Dr. Shay is a five-time recipient of the National Education Association (NEA) choreographic fellowship and was an NEA resident artist in La Napoule, France. In 1990, he was a seminar participant in "Latin American Music in a historical and social perspective" at the University of Texas, Austin. In 1995, Dr. Shay was again awarded a summer scholar position in the seminar "Re-imagining Societies: The Middle East and Central Asia" at Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire. On November 18, 1995, Dr. Shay received commendations from President Bill Clinton and the entire City Council of Los Angles for excellence of his choreographies, honoring his fortieth year as a choreographic artist. The Kaleidiscope Festival designated him as Distinguished California Artist in 1997. He was awarded a James Irvine Fellowship in Dance for 1998 as one of eight of the top choreographers in the State of California. The award is accompanied by a $30,000.00 fellowship for research focused around a core focus on Iranian art, which enabled Dr. Shay to visit important art collections and libraries in a number of different countries. This fellowship is the most coveted dance award in the United States.

REFLECTIONS

Tony's 10 Commandments

Thou shalt not shuffle.
Thou shalt have no other directors before me.
Honor thy left foot and thy right and keep thy buttocks tight.
Thou shalt not commit atonality.
Thou shalt drop no costume pieces before me.
Obey the Sunday and Thursday and keep them holy.
Thou shalt not become pregnant.
Thou shalt not kvetch.
Thou shalt not miss rehearsals; be the reason lice, vermin or pestilence.
Thou shall take every final bow...and bow...and bow.

AMAN Psalm 23

Tony is our shepherd; we shall not forget it. He maketh us to dance on wretched stages; he leadeth us beside short people. He restarted our soles. He leadeth us in the paths of folklore for AMAN's sake. Yea, though we walk through the valley of the shadow of Berendo, we shall fear no purse snatchers; for thine art is with us. Thy shrieks and thy stomps; they comfort us. Thou preparest suites before us in the presence of all. Thou annointest our heads with false braids; our caps runneth over...and over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow us dummies all the days of our lives and we shall dwell in the house of AMAN forever.

PUBLICATIONS

Balkan Dance: Essays on Characteristics, Performance and Teaching. By Anthony Shay, 2007.
Belly Dance: Orientalism, Transnationalism, and Harem Fantasy. Bibliotheca Iranica, Performing Arts Series. By Anthony Shay and Barbara Sellers-Young, 2005.
Boys' Night Out in Leadville.
Choreographing Identities: Folk Dance, Ethnicity and Festival in the United States and Canada. By Anthony Shay, 2005, 2006.
Choreophobia. Mazda Publishers, 1999.
Choreophobia: Solo Improvised Dance in the Iranian World. Mazda Publishers, 2000.
Choreographic Politics: State Folk Dance Ensembles, Representation and Power. Wesleyan University Press, 2002.
Dancing Across Borders: The American Fascination with Exotic Dance Forms. By Anthony Shay, 2008.
When Men Dance: Choreographing Masculinities Across Borders. By Jennifer Fisher and Anthony Shay, 2009.

CHOREOGRAPHIES

Because most of Dr. Shay's works were intended for repertory companies, they received and still receive multiple performances, sometimes over one hundred or more times. For example, Up with People has five casts of one hundred performers and annually performs Dr. Shay's works several hundred times in one year collectively. Im Anush Daviq, an Armenian choreography he composed in 1979, has been a permanent part of the AVAZ repertoire for more than 15 years and has received at least 200 performances during that time period.

NAME	AREA	PERFORMED BY	YEAR
Raqs-e shadi	Iran	AVAZ	1997
Raqs-e ghuri	Tajikistan	AVAZ	1996
Raqs-e Ayineh	Iran	AVAZ	1997
Ferghanin usuli	Uzbekistan	AVAZ	1995
Ciftetelli Suite	Ottoman Turkey	AVAZ	1995
Mouashshahat	Lebanon	AVAZ	1995
Dabka Suite	Jordan	AVAZ	1995
Usul-e Samarqandi	Uzbekistan	AVAZ	1994
Tak-Navazi	Iran	AVAZ	1994
Vrlicko Kolo III	Croatia	Komeinka	1995
Ghawazi Dance	Egypt	AVAZ	1994
Răčhenitsa from Thrace	Bulgaria	Up With People	1995
Gagara	India (Gujerat)	Up With People	1995
Šop Suite	Bulgaria	AMAN, AVAZ	1963
Podravina Wedding	Croatia	AMAN, Duquesne U.	1974
Vrlič'ko Kolo I	Croatia	AMAN, Duquesne U.	1968
Linđo	Croatia	AMAN, AVAZ, Duquesne U.	1969
Dances of Bukhara	Uzbekistan	AMAN, AVAZ	1967
Dances of Bojnurd	Iran	AVAZ	1993
Raqs-e Chupi	Iran	AVAZ	1978
Kurdish Suite	Iran/Iraq	AVAZ	1986
Katta Uyin	Uzbekistan	AVAZ	1978
Persian Gulf Suite	Iran	AVAZ	1979
Dances of the Ghawazi	Egypt	AVAZ	1994
Dances of Eastern Serbia	Serbia	AMAN, AVAZ	1964
Dances of Prizren	Serbia	Village Dancers	1962
Bunjevačko Momačko I	No. Serbia	AMAN	1966
Bunjevačko Momačko II	No. Serbia	AMAN, AVAZ	1966
Bunjevačko Momačko III	No. Serbia	Duquesne U.	1969
Azerbaijan Suite	Azerbaijan	Village Dancers	1960
Azerbaijan Suite II	Azerbaijan	Komeinka	1989
Azerbaijan Suite III	Azerbaijan	AVAZ	1990
Azerbaijan Suite IV	Azerbaijan	Duquesne U.	1975
Im Anush Daviq	Armenia	AVAZ	1978
Dances of Zelina	Croatia	Duquesne U.	1974
Balun I	Croatia	AMAN	1970
Balun II	Croatia	AVAZ	1983
Stara Bosna	Bosnia	AMAN, AVAZ	1971
Kraljice	Croatia	AMAN, AVAZ	1972
Cake Walk	USA	Up With People	1980
Carnival	Brazil	Up With People	1981
Dajčovo Horo I	Bulgaria	Village Dancers	1961
Dajčovo Horo II	Bulgaria	AMAN, AVAZ	1963
Dajčovo Horo III	Bulgaria	Up With People	1982
Thracian Suite	Bulgaria	AMAN, AVAZ	1968
Dances of Šumadija I	Serbia	Village Dancers	1960
Dances of Šumadija II	Serbia	AMAN	1970
Dances of Šumadija III	Serbia	Duquesne U.	1975
Dances of Šumadija IV	Serbia	AVAZ	1984
Dances of Baranja	Croatia	AMAN	1976
Nevestinsko Oro	Madeconia	AMAN	1967
Macedonian Suite	Macedonia	AMAN	1965
Kalajdžisko Horo I	Macedonia	Village Dancers	1961
Kalajdžisko Horo II	Macedonia	AMAN	1964
Banat Suite	Serbia	Village Dancers
Lancer Quadrilles	USA	Village Dancers	1962
Dances of Vera Cruz	Mexico	AMAN	1974
Fandango	California	AMAN	1976
Jota Aragonesa	Spain	AMAN	1973
Banat Suite I	Serbia	Village Dancers	1961
Banat Suite II	Serbia	AMAN	1964
Banat Suite III	Serbia	AVAZ	1978
Čoček	Serbia	AVAZ	1980
Ḱuperlika (Ćuperlika)	Macedonia	AMAN	1966
Ottoman Suite	Turkey	AMAN	1964
Hoedown	USA	Up With People	1978
Dances of Posavina I	Croatia	AMAN	1970
Dances of Posavina II	Croatia	AMAN	1972
Dances of Posavina III	Croatia	Duquesne U.	1974
Dances of Posavina IV	Croatia	AVAZ	1979
Dances of Posavina V	Croatia	AVAZ	1991
Dances of Split	Croatia	AVAZ	1992
Tanac from the Isle of Krk	Croatia	AMAN	1967
Dance from Pag	Croatia	AMAN	1967
Ballos from Sifnos	Greece	AVAZ	1980
Ballos from Chios	Greece	AMAN	1969
Taverna I	Greece, USA	AMAN	1972
Taverna II	Greece, USA	Duquesne U.	1976
Taverna III	Greece	AVAZ	1993
Zeybek	Turkey	Village Dancers	1961
Turkish Suite	Turkey	Village Dancers	1960
Dances of Slavonija I	Croatia	Village Dancers	1961
Dances of Slavonija II	Croatia	AMAN	1963
Dances of Slavonija III	Croatia	AMAN, AVAZ	1968
Ladarke I	Croatia	AMAN	1965
Ladarke II	Croatia	AMAN	1970
Dances of Prigorje	Croatia	AMAN	1969
Dances of Prigorje II	Croatia	Duquesne U.	1969
Dances of Pokuplje	Croatia	AVAZ	1987
zang bozi	Tajikistan	Village Dancers	1961
raqs-e mojassameh	Iran	AVAZ	1993
Running Sets I	USA	AVAZ	1983
Running Sets II	USA	AVAZ	1986
Caluşari	Romania	AVAZ	1986
Šopsko Horo	Bulgaria	AMAN	1965
Rice Harvest Dance, Gilan	Iran	Village Dancers	1960
Bazi-ha-ye namayeshi	Iran	AVAZ	1992
The Dancing Out	Hungary	AVAZ	1985
Verbunkos	Hungary	AMAN	1970
Dances of Torbat Jam	Iran	AVAZ	1980
Dances of Baluchistan	Iran	AVAZ	1982
Motreban	Iran	AVAZ	1980
Dance of Qajar Court	Iran	AVAZ	1984
Shateri I	Iran	AVAZ	1979
Qazaqi I	Azerbaijan	Village Dancers	1961
Qazaqi II	Azerbaijan	AMAN	1965
Qazaqi III	Azerbaijan	AVAZ	1979
Dasmali	Azerbaijan	AVAZ	1981
Tarantella	Italy	Up With People	1980
Hopak (Gopak)	Ukraine	Up With People	1982
Horovod	Russia	Up With People	1992
Katanka	Serbia	AMAN, AVAZ	1965
Shota	Albania	Village Dancers	1962
Kartuli	Georgia	AVAZ	1993
Dance of Qaraqanah	Tunisia	AVAZ	1985
Rugovo	Albania	AMAN	1969
Kochari	Armenia	AVAZ	1983
Dances of Vranje	Serbia	Village Dancers	1963
Kheliji	Saudi Arabia	Komeinka (New Orleans)	1997
Bandari (Persian Gulf)	Iran	AVAZ	1977
Bandari II	Iran	Komeinka	1996
Bandari III	Iran	Pomona College	1997
Armenian Suite	Armenia	AVAZ	1996
Silent Dances	Bosnia	Pomona College	1998
Monajat	Uzbekistan	Scripps College	1998

DOCUMENTS

Armenian Dancing, an article.
Boy's Night Out, an article.
Central Music and Dance, an article.
Dance Music Nationalism and Ethnicity, an article.
Hungarian Dances, an article.
Iranian Dance, an article.
Survival or Extinction, an article
What is Authenticity in Folk Dance, an article.

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