Tips from the culture desk: From dabke to slow food via new classical music

This week, catch the last couple of days of Hassan Khan’s Alexandria marathon, go see Randa Shaath's quietly beautiful photographs at Cairo's Gypsum Gallery, or follow the final stops of Mahatat's Dance in Transit tour in Mansoura or Cairo (find details for all these in last week's tips). But also check our four new tips for events all week, below.

Dabke Open Day at Janaklees for Visual Arts – Sunday

Janaklees for Visual Arts in Alexandria is hosting Pianolaa’s day of dabke,

 a celebratory circular line dance originating from Palestine, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria and Iraq. As part of an ongoing research project on forms of dance from diverse cultures, Pianolaa is bringing Palestinian dancer Samaa Abdelhady (a former member of Ramallah’s folk arts and debke oud troup) to lead a dabke in Alexandria. Those interested to attend are asked to fill out an application form.

3 pm, February 28, Janaklees for Visual Arts, 10 Hussein Hassab Street, Janaklees, Alexandria. Free entry. Facebook event here.

Apply for the CIC portfolio review – by Wednesday

March 2 is the deadline to apply for the Contemporary Image Collective’s annual portfolio review/table exhibition, which takes place on March 12. The reviewers are a good mix: artist and professor Ronnie Close, artist Heba Khalifa, writer Ismail Fayed and artist and professor Shady Elnoshkaty. Interested photographers, videographers, artists, journalists and designers working with photographic images should apply via email with the subject "Portfolio Review," attaching minimum of three work samples (maximum file size 2 MB) and the filled-in application form, to: [email protected].

Negmayat – Thursday  

For Negmeyat, inspired by the works of the late Egyptian poet Ahmed Fouad Negm, the European-Egyptian Contemporary Music Society and its founder-manager Sherif El Razzaz have commissioned new short musical compositions from six Egyptian male composers: Amr Okba, Ahmed Madkour, Sherif Mohie El-Din, Mohamed Saad Basha, Hassan Khan and Rageh Daoud. These six pieces will premier at Manial’s incredible Nile-side Manesterly Palace, conducted by Peter Tilling.

Khan, who's also an artist and writer, will give a talk (in Arabic) about ignorance and improvisation on Tuesday, March 1 at 5 pm in relation to his commission, which is titled No to Nostalgia! No to Icons! No to Symbols! Or the Search for a New Political Language.

8 pm, March 3, Manesterly Palace, 1 Al-Malek al-Saleh, Rhoda Island, Manial, Cairo. Tel: 27357001 or email: cdf@cdf-eg.org for tickets. Facebook event here.

Slow Downtown: Farm to Fork Menu & Market – Friday

Downtown Cairo’s spacious and friendly Eish & Malh cafe host the second edition of their slow food event in collaboration with Slow Food Cairo and Nawaya, and henceforth Slow Downtown: Farm to Fork Menu & Market will happen on the first Friday of every month.

To support local farmers and celebrate local, seasonal foods, Eish & Malh serves special dishes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner using fresh, carefully sourced ingredients. It also hosts a market of local producers, including Minnie's Dried Fruits & Vegetables, Ma7ali Grocery & Deli, Habiba Organic Farm (HOF), Nawaya farmers, Reefy Honey, Fayoum Producers, Black Lotus Health & Beauty Products and Baladini.

March 4. Market hours: 11am - 6pm, menu hours: 8am - 10pm. 20 Adly Street, downtown Cairo. For reservations, call 01098744014. Facebook event here.