At its core, Aftab Dance Group is a vehicle by which we can share our passion for Iranian culture with our community and bring an audience together by way of dance. Persian dance has many different styles and over the years we have challenged ourselves to take on as many as we can and keep the performances entertaining. The group is run by students and young professionals in the Boston area and has been performing at various cultural events in the Greater Boston and New England area for over 15 years. Aftab hopes audiences can experience the beauty of Iran’s diverse and rich culture through a medley of traditional and modern Iranian dance.The name “Aftab” is a Farsi term that means Sun. Our name was spontaneously created before the group’s first performance when we were asked about the name of the group. One of the original members looked up at the sun which was emerging through the rain and clouds, felt it was very applicable to us, and subsequently named the group on the spot.Over the years, the group has grown in size and so has the amount of show requests we receive. We have been able to travel the US and perform for different cultural audiences and have been leveraging the power of social media to promote our dances. Each year we try to elevate our dances to the next level by thinking of different styles to integrate and using a mix of classic traditional songs along with fan favorites. Being part of a strong network of Iranians in the community has been wonderful to get involved in different events and meet others around the world.Every dancer has a different background, some technically trained, and some with an innate love for dance, and each of us has a different strength. Together we form a group of strong women who work hard to put on an unforgettable performance. We are most proud of our brand and how it has grown each year with each performance. What sets us apart is our ability to raise the bar every year and keep thinking of ways to elevate our shows to provide a quality dance every time.
