One
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Since September 2003, Movement One has organized The Queens International Poetry
festival as a celebration of inter-cultural work, understanding and harmony. Because the
first festival was such a success, the organizers decided to organize a second festival-
which took place on September 18, 2004.
The festival is a project that seeks to engage both well-known and younger poets,
musicians, dancers and performance artists. The festival is designed to not only
celebrate our diversity and talent but also illustrate to the public that the truth and beauty
that poetry represents is important. Past participants in the festivals have included
Daniela Gioseffi, Bina Sharif, John Watusi Branch, Sridhar Shanmugam and many other
brilliant artists.
The Third Queens International Poetry Festival was held at LaGuardia Community
College's Performing Arts Center December 10, 2005.
PERSIAN CULTURAL EVENT IN JACKSON HEIGHTS MAY 27
On May 27, 2005 at the St. Mark’s Church (33-50 82nd Street) in Jackson Heights,
Movement One: Creative Coalition presented Shabe Sha'er Night of the Poets: An
Evening of Persian Poetry and Song featuring Iraj Anvar and Richard Jeffrey Newman and
their respective translations of the great Sufi Persian poets Rumi and Saadi.
Besides the poetry readings, there was a performance of live music by Iraj Anvar and the
New York Ava Ensemble featuring two ancient Persian instruments, daf and tanbour.
Iraj Anvar is the translator and editor of the acclaimed, Divani- I Shams- I Tabriz: Forty
Eight Ghazals of Rumi. A leading member of the theater community in Iran until his
departure in 1978, Iraj Anvar was a Professor at NYU for many years. As a musician and
actor, he has performed classical Persian texts throughout the world.
Richard Jeffrey Newman’s translations of Sheikh Saadi’s The Gulistan were published
earlier this year by Global Scholarly Publications. An Associate Professor at Nassau
Community College for many years, Richard Jeffrey Newman is an accomplished poet
whose first book of collected poetry will be published in 2006.
Led by Iraj Anvar, the New York Ava Ensemble has performed throughout the United
States. The Ensemble is dedicated to promoting traditional Persian music utilizing
ancient instruments, as well as performing classical Persian poetry, much of which was
originally intended to be sung.
This program was free and open to the public.
Shabe Sha’er Night of the Poets: An Evening of Persian Poetry and Song was co-
sponsored by The International Society for Iranian Culture. The program was funded in
part by Poets and Writers.
East/West Festival of Near Eastern Culture
On September 4, 2004 The Queens Council on the Arts presented East/West, an evening
of Near eastern poetry, music, dance and cuisine. The Council commissioned
Movemenet One to curate the event. What resulted was an important manifestation of
Middle Eastern culture in Queens, NY. The evening's program began at Laziza Sweets on
Steinway Street in Astoria, Queens with a demonstration of Palestinian sweets making
by Master Chef Husama.
Afterwards, people walked across the street to the Eastern Nights Restaurant and were
treated to an extravaganza of culture. There was a poetry reading featuring four renowned
New York poets of Near Eastern ancestry: Fuad Attal, Paul Catafago, N.M. Danish and
Bina Sharif. After the poetry, the audience was treated to a feast of traditional Middle
Eastern cuisine such as hummos, babaganoush, tabbouleh, and baked chicken. After
the feast, Gamal Shafik and his ensemble (featuring world acclaimed flutist, Tony Hajjar,
oud player Gorge Ziadeh, violinist Zafir Tawil and keyboardist Nabil Mansour) played
classical Middle Eastern music.
The children in the audience had a great time when an Egyptian dance troupe donned a
horse costume and danced while the ensemble played. After showing off their classical
skills, the musicians played faster music and the audience responded by spontaneously
getting up and dancing. The audience was filled with people from may different cultural
and age backgrounds. The event was a success because it illustrated the best of Middle
Eastern culture in a time when there is a lot of confusion and fear.
