Jawaahir is the only professional Middle Eastern dance company in the Midwest. Since its founding in 1989 by Artistic Director Cassandra Shore, Jawaahir has grown to 17 members and has performed throughout the Midwest (including Minnesota, Wisconsin, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Michigan) as well as in California. The Company has established a seasonal concert series at The Southern Theater in Minneapolis, presented hundreds of formal and community concerts, including free performances at area schools, retirement homes, city parks, and cultural festivals. Jawaahir has hosted more than 85 guest artists, including distinguished dancers, choreographers, composers, and musicians from the Middle East, and has collaborated and/or performed with over 30 regional performing arts groups.
The Cassandra School, the teaching arm of Jawaahir, offers year-round classes in Middle Eastern dance for levels ranging from beginning to professional. These classes (22 per week) incorporate all relevant aspects of the dance, music, and culture. The regular classes serve the seven-county metro area and are sought by students from across the United States who have relocated expressly to study with Cassandra and the school. In response to student demand, Jawaahir opened a St. Paul branch of the Cassandra School in 1998.