Performed by cellist Bryan Hayslett and recorded at Futura Productions in Roslindale, MA
[vimeo]https://vimeo.com/101254827[/vimeo]
There is an Arabic saying أول الرقص حنجلة (Awal al-raqs hanjale) which translates to “The dance begins with a prance.” Like most such folk sayings, there are often multiple meanings attributed to them. Generally, this saying can be understood to mean something that begins with a small gesture turns into something much larger. This of course can allude to positive and negative outcomes. This work, a challenging and rewarding work for solo mandolin, explores this concept by using small Arabic music influenced gestures to let the dance unfold as it will.