VASHT AWAKENS THE SENSES THROUGH THE MOVEMENT OF DANCE
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asht is the art of movement through dance. And through the art of dance, the fundamental concept that all humankind is equal, regardless of race and ethnicity, is expressed. Ney Naameh is the introduction of Masnavi. This, of course, is the masterpiece of the famous Iranian poet and spiritual maestro, Rumi. Rumi has long enchanted readers with his timeless and profound understanding of life, love and the reason behind existence. Now, we see Rumi’s knowledge come alive through ancient movements of the Iranian plateau on a stage. On a micro level, Vasht and Ney Naameh are promoting the 7,000 year old art, culture, and literature of the Iranian Plateau. However, on a macro level, it covers the humanity of the community at-large. Soha Sharif is the talented founder and CEO of Vasht. Her passion for dance and history led her to conduct in-depth academic research on ancient movements of the Iranian Plateau, as well as a more than 20 year study on Molavi and the spirituality of Persian literature. Such a unique combination of knowledge and action has led to the creation of Vasht. Vasht is the language of common practice and the art of movement. In fact, it is documented that the 16 • HOLLYWOOD MONTHLY
term ‘Vasht’ has been used in Iran as far back as 2,500 years ago. Ney Naameh story includes two parts: the first part talks about a story of coming to the earth, and the second is about a human after coming to the earth and how he/she mixes between the truth along with the abstract. Ney Naameh’s production of Vasht focuses on a human’s story of coming to earth. This project is a multimedia production of performing arts that is based on the history, literature, art, culture, and spirituality of the Iranian experience expressed through holistic movement. At Vasht, they believe humans have been created in an equal state of affairs. Hence, all the priceless values in the culture and spirituality of Iranian plateau history that was discovered over 7,000 years ago are applicable for all human nature. They believe everyone, regardless of race or religion, will find meaning and value in our Vasht production. “The powerful message from VASHT is so productive and profound that the audience has no choice but to grasp the concept behind the scenes and hopefully comprehend the beauty of the lighted universe,” Sharif said. So what exactly is Vasht dance? It’s multi-layered and hypnotics. Indeed, the most primitive form of human communication has been the use of bodily gestures and signs, through which human beings convey their thoughts, intentions, and meanings. These signs were expressed
Soha Sharif Founder and CEO of Vasht
