Sonja Hinz, performer-scholar of Central Asian dance


La Vida Dance Studio

Sonja owns and operates a small dance studio in Bellingham, WA.  In addition to her ongoing classes in Persian and Tajik dance, La Vida Dance Studio is host to a variety of eclectic classes.  For more information on La Vida, please navigate to
www.lavidadancestudio.com


Ensembles

Over the past decade, Sonja has co-founded three different dance ensembles, Banat Sahar in 1997, Shourangeez in 2001, and Delshodeh in 2007:
 

Delshodeh Dance Ensemble                 Bellingham & Seattle, WA                   2007 to current
Dance of Iran and Central Asia
www.delshodeh.org

Sonja Hinz and Heather Rastovac: Co-founders and Artistic Directors
-Performance at Turkfest, The Seattle Center, October 2007
-Performance at the Seattle Folklife Festival, May 25, 2008
-Performance at the Iranian Festival, The Seattle Center, June 28, 2008
-Performance at the Firehouse, Bellingham, WA August 8, 2008
-Performance at Turkfest, The Seattle Center, October 19, 2008
-Performance at Town Hall, Seattle, for Nooruz
(Spring Equinox) March 21, 2009
-Performance at the Seattle Folklife Festival, May 25, 2009
-Performance at the Iranian Festival, June 20, 2009
-Upcoming performance at the Firehouse, Bellingham, WA November 7, 2009


Shourangeez                      Seattle, WA                                       2001 to 2003
Live music, song, and dance of Iran

Sonja Hinz and Heather Rastovac: Co-founders and Artistic Directors
-Annual performances at the Northwest Folklife Festival
-Performances at over a dozen Washington state elementary schools via
      participation in “Folklife in the Schools”
-Performances at cultural events, Iranian holiday parties, community colleges, and
      universities throughout Washington State  


Banat Sahar                        Bellingham, WA                               1997 to 2004
Live music, song and dance of North Africa, the Middle East, and Central Asia

Sonja Hinz, Sarah Holmes, Amanda Rietz, and Kolby LaBree: Co-Founders and Artistic Directors
-Annual participation in the Northwest Folklife Festival
-Biennial participation in the Arab Center of Washington’s Arab Festival at the
      Seattle Center
-Performances at Whatcom Community College, Western Washington University,
      and miscellaneous venues from Seattle, WA to Vancouver, BC, Canada