At BroadStage on June 29, 2023, Intuitv Artship founders Tara Ghassemieh and Vitor Luiz, and Sanaz K. Soltani presented the extraordinarily beautiful, powerful, and informative The White Feather: A Persian Ballet Tale set to a gorgeous original score by Maestro Shahrdad Rohani. It also marked the launching of the Dance for Freedom Tour across America in support of the current revolution and fight for “Women, Life, Freedom” in Iran. Via dance, spoken word and film, The White Feather took the audience on a journey from when the new regime shut down Iran’s National Ballet to the women’s revolution today.
The 1979 revolution in Iran led to the replacement of the Imperial State of Iran by the present-day Islamic Republic of Iran. At that time Iran’s National Ballet was in rehearsal for a production of Swan Lake when soldiers entered the theater, stopped the rehearsal, took away all the costumes and forced the women to put on the hijab. As the press release stated, the dancers were never given a chance to have their final bow, and it was the beginning of a decades long suppression of women’s rights.
Ayla Natalia Mohtashami and company members in “The White Feather” – Photo by Sam Zauscher
Before the performance began, a welcoming speech was given by Sanaz K. Soltani, one of the authors of The White Feather, who also informed the audience that the story was inspired by her own history. Soltani’s father was part of the resistance in the 1979 revolution and he lost his life standing up to the new regime. Soltani was followed by the performance of Iranian master sacred dancer Banafsheh Sayyad whose green, white, and red costume represents the Iranian national flag. The dance was a tribute to the mothers whose children were murdered by the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Tara Ghassemieh and Vitor Luiz in a scene from “The White Feather” – Photo by Sam Zauscher
The White Feather was a tale as seen through the eyes of a young girl named Tahereh who aspires to be a ballet dancer. The role was performed with surprising maturity by 11 year old Ayla Natalia Mohtashami, whose talents include both dance and acting. The story also referenced Julius Reisinger’s choreography and the music of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake. Here, however, the evil magician Baron Von Rothbart is replaced by “Iranian Dictator,” performed powerfully by Chad Michael Hall and the prince is “Tahereh’s father and general” performed with great sensitivity and strength by co-choreographer Vitor Luiz. The grown up Tahereh was performed with moments of brilliance by co-choreographer, co-author, and principal ballerina Tara Ghassemieh, and the role of her mother was beautifully portrayed by Sharon Savoy.
Tara Ghassemieh (center) and dancers in “The White Feather” – Photo by Bahareh Ritter
Ballets that utilize multimedia are rare, but in The White Feather the spoken word, projections of black smoke and the historical films of 1970s Iran aid greatly to the story of the Iranian people’s struggle for equal rights and freedom of expression – such as the ability to simply dance in public. This was masterfully demonstrated during the scene representing the current women’s revolution in Iran. One wonderful moment was when the newly liberated women took their hijabs and brushed them over the heads of the guards, instantly freeing the men from their decades long prejudices against women.
Chad Michael Hall as the Dictator and Tara Ghassemieh as Tahereh in “The White Feather” – Photo by Sam Zauscher
Ghassemieh, Luiz, and Soltani’s The White Feather is both a beautiful ballet with great performances by talented dancers and a powerful ambassador of “Women, Life, Freedom” to be seen by all.
Tara Ghassemieh (in white) with company members in “The White Feather” – Photo by Sam Zauscher
The Director of the Iranian National Ballet was performed by Eduard Sargsyan. The amazing cast of women who perform sections of Swan Lake as well as Iranian women in the fight for freedom scene were Nissa Elise Bouranis, Chasen Greenwood, Rachel Hutsell, Tara Mohtashami, Victoria Jenkins, Silken Kelly, Amy McMaster, Natalie Palmgren, Chantelle Pianetta, and Megan Wilcox. The men who danced the roles of the guards included Laurence Gonzalez, and Lester Gonzalez.
For more information about Intuitv Artship and to donate to their cause, please visit their website.
To learn more about BroadStage, please visit their website.
Written by Jeff Slayton for LA Dance Chronicle.
Featured image: Tara Ghassemieh in The White Feather – Photo by Sam Zauscher
