For Dance Students: Soheir Zaki

In class this week we looked at a movement, (sharp hip drops on the balls of the feet) I associate with Soheir Zaki.  As we discussed, the more natural movement is to put weight onto a hip lift rather than the hip drop.

There are innumerable clips on YouTube of this Egyptian dancer who remains an icon decades after the height of her career.  What I love in her dancing is her joy in the movement visible on her face, her musicality, control, and her tendency not to cover too much floor space.  This more settled tendency makes her dance more classical and less trendy.  

NYU Fall Class Notes and Dance Videos (Practice!)

Photo of Samia Gamal from Wikipedia

I've mentioned several dancers in class that I've posted here, so here are quick links to see them!

Fifi Abdo, an Egyptian dancer, made this hip circle a standard in modern belly dance.  Though others certainly did it before Abdo, her characteristic mix of folkloric and cabaret styles made her version become an association with her name.  I highlighted this post in which she is wearing a white gallabiyya.  You'll find many more on YouTube.

Fifi Abdo does amazing hip circle.

Randa Kamal is a contemporary dancer who tours internationally and offers many workshops in Egypt.  She is energetic and athletic.  What I like about this particular video is the costume and the angle of the video, which for learning purposes,  highlights how she uses her legs in the Egyptian-style shimmy we've been working on in the beginning class.  She is also just fun to watch:

Randa Kamal and the Egyptian shimmy.

For "classic" Egyptian belly dance, here are two names you should know with links:

Samia Gamal, a film actress and dance artist who worked extensively with composer Farid Al-Altrache.  Here is more about Samia Gamal on Wikipedia.

Tahia Carioca, also a film actress from the same era who Edward Said reminisces about watching during his youth in Cairo in this short memoir.  Here is more about Tahia Carioca on Wikipedia.

Practice!  Practice!  Have fun watching these videos.....

Djam Performance on June 13 with Kaeshi and Djinn Revival

I'm performing with Kaeshi Chai and Carmine & Friends on Wednesday, June 13 after my weekend with Maureen Fleming (see post below).  Part of the Djinn will reconvene to provide music (Carmine, Brad, Pete, and maybe others).  Please come! For full event info. visit the Bellyqueen  page.

Djam at the place formerly known as JeBon...with the band formerly known as Djinn

Wednesday, June 13: 8 p.m. (doors); 8:30 (band); 9 p.m. Dancing!
Saint Mark's Place
$10 cover

Occupied! May 1st

Alia Thabit teaches belly dance

Elena Lentini this Weekend (and the Athenian Corner)

I'm so excited to return to my old Boston area and dance at the Elena Lentini workshop organized by Amy Smith and others!  I'm also dancing at the Athenian Corner in Lowell on Friday, an old haunt.....for information on the workshop which takes place on Saturday and Sunday:
http://www.facebook.com/events/113947918718831/
The Athenian Corner is in Lowell at 207 Market Street.
http://www.atheniancorner.com.  Come by on Friday night.....

Belly Dancers: Are We Getting in the Way of Progress?

Isis and Nefertari image from www.shira.net

Today's post in ALIT, "From Whence 'Authentic' Egyptian Literary Culture," presents questions Egyptian writers have about incorporating Pharaonic history into modern texts.  In this post, writer Tamim Al-Barghouti states:  "Pharaonic history, as it is currently understood, is not an organic part of Egyptian identity, but is rather an extension of colonialism."  This post ends with a section from Ahmed Al Aiedy's novel "Being Abbas el-Abd":  "You want us to progress?? So burn your history books and forget your precious dead civilizations.  Stop trying to squeeze juice from the past. . . No more trafficking in the dead."

How does this relate to belly dance? In some ways, directly.  While many western dancers have become less comfortable with labeling themselves "authentic" or presenting "authentic" material, some still do.  "Pharaonic dance" still captivates many dancers and lovers of dance with all of its blatant colonialist trappings.  I took a Pharaonic dance workshop in Egypt in 2007, taught by an Egyptian teachers (as with most dance classes in Egypt, attendees were only foreigners) and loved it.  I am taking a workshop with Pharaonic stylings as a focus in Boston in a couple of weeks.  Many instructors and performers draw on preserved drawings from historic sites in Egypt and admit that the dances themselves are "stylings" and essentially made up.  It's fun, after all.  

But what is the cumulative effect of all this fun?  Is admitting that belly dance is not "authentic" enough?  What is the effect of promoting a false image, even if it is a ten minute set in the back of a bar in the outskirts of, say, Wichita?  The call of Al Aiedy's narrator to other Egyptians, "You want us to progress?"  haunts me, I admit.  In  tiny ways, are we getting in the way or not? (The image comes from article "What is Pharaonic Dance?" on www.shira.net.)

From "Gilded Serpent": Facing the Truth about Working in Cairo

I love Egypt and Cairo. Like a good Orientalist, I'm always trying to figure out how I can get back.  Still, this article, "Facing the Truth," by Leila of Cairo in  Gilded Serpent Magazine  is an interesting read.  She takes aim at our belly dance communities' romanticized (aka Orientalist) view of working as a dancer in Egypt.  Clearly embittered but dedicated to her career, Leila reports on the system of paying "impressarios" to get work, politics, sexual advances by night club managers, and the many dancers vying for few jobs.  Some of these challenges exist in any city, of course.  My biggest qualm is in regards to her complaint about policies that limit the number of foreign dancers in Cairo.  I can understand why such policies exist but don't know enough about how they are enforced or controlled.  When I was in Cairo in 2010, I got into a discussion with a very liberal minded Egyptian (Cairoenne)  Egyptologist from AUC who was all for limiting the amount of work foreign archeologists and Egyptologists could do in Egypt.  I tend to agree.  But, as with all "policies," I'm certain enforcement turns ugly.  Anyway, this article about dancing in Cairo before and after the January 2011 is an interesting inside view of one dancer's experience.  Please read:
http://www.gildedserpent.com/cms/2012/01/19/leila-farid-facing-truth-working-dancer-egypt/#axzz1kd793DHb

Writers on Belly Dance: Simone de Beauvoir (3)

In the previous post, a Spanish dancer performs for Francoise (Simone de Beauvoir character), Pierre (Sarte), and Xaviere, a younger woman mired in angst:
"Francoise could not help taking a surreptitious glance at Xaviere: she gave a start of amazement.  Xaviere was no longer watching, her head was lowered.  in her right hand, she held a half-smoked cigarette, which she was slowly moving toward her left hand.  Francoise barely suppressed a scream.  The girl was pressing the lighted end against her skin, a bitter smile curling her lips.  It was an intimate, solitary smile, like that of a half-wit; the voluptuous, tortured smile of a woman possessed of some secret pleasure.  The sight of it was almost unbearable, it concealed something horrible.

"The dancer had finished her repertoire and was bowing amid applause.  Paula had turned toward the table, and now gazed speechlessly with questioning eyes.  Pierre had noticed Xaviere's performance some time before.  Since no one thought fit to speak, Francoise held her tongue; an yet what was going on was intolerable.  With her lips rounded coquettishly, Xaviere was gently blowing on the burnt skin which covered her wound.  When she had blown away this little protective layer, she once more pressed the glowing end of her cigarette against the open wound.  Francoise flinched. It was not only her flesh that rose up in revolt, but she felt herself attacked in a more profound and irreparable way, and to the very center of her being.  Behind that maniacal grin, was a danger more positive than any she had ever imagined.  Something was there that hungrily hugged itself, that unquestionably existed for its own sake."

From Chapter 4 of "She Came to Stay."

Dancing unveils the self.  In the previous post, the dancer enacts the anguish of relationships and self pity, which overcomes Xaviere in this scene.  The body, beauty, and the ephemeral qualities of dance and theater all conflict Francoise and Pierre, who are anxious and overwhelmed by the smallness of their art in the face of war.  Enough of the soapbox.  I loved reading these descriptions of dancers that had such consideration for the larger ideas the individual body can represent.

Alia and Thalia at D'Jam Under Je'Bon

Alia Thabit, Earth Goddess of Vermont

I'll be dancing on Wednesday, February 1 with two of my students and the lovely Alia Thabit of Vermont!  Alia is a dance friend and writer who I always happy to see at classical Arab music events and dancemeditation classes with Dunya.  I'm thrilled to share the stage with her and Carmine and Casey and other live musicians....the whole event is hosted by Kaeshi of Bellyqueen (of course!)  Also performing..... two students from NYU!  Aakriti, who knocked everyone out at the Lafayette Grill last fall and Shely (live music debut!).  Please join us:

Full info:  http://bellyqueen.com/events/2012-02-01/ 

February 1, 8:30-10:30 p.m.

Je'Bon Noodle House

15 St. Mark's Place

New York, NY

$10 cover/$5 table minimum

Randa Kamal: Egyptian Style Dance

I love this video for many reasons.  I've seen Randa every time I've been in Egypt and her graceful athleticism has always impressed me.  She has a style that's strong and as "no nonesense" as I've seen.  Additionally, in this video, you can really see her legs and the posture that is often called "Egyptian style" in the States.  By this, I mean the straighter, long-legged posture that gives the shimmies and hip-lifts the relaxed flavor of an afterthought that in my view is inherent to modern "Egyptian style" belly dance.

And....Randa always looks like she's having a great time time!  

"The Best of Habibi" Goes Online



Covers from the earlier years.

When I was dancing in Boston in the early 90s, I remember crowding around my friends to read Shareen El-Safy's invaluable magazine, Habibi: A Journal for Lovers of Middle Eastern Dance and Arts Journal Dancrs at my teacher's, Lorraine Lafata's, house.  This was in the days when the magazine was carefully curated and had classy black and white covers.  El Safy edited the magazine from 1992-2002.  We miss that Habibi and the even older Arabesque!  I just got the announcement that Ms. El-Safy is putting the magazine online.  A great resource for dancers and students.  Sign up on her website, The Best of Habibi, for email updates!Thank you, Shareen!

Summer II Classes at NYU

Registration for Summer II classes at NYU is underway. We have a Level 1/2 course from 6:30-7:25 pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays, July 12-Aug. 4. (Four weeks)

In person Registration: July 5-6, noon-8 pm at Coles Gym

Online Registration: now through July 6: http://www.gonyuathletics.com/recreation

Join us this summer!

Leila Tayeb Teaches at NYU

While I'm in Montreal, NYU dance students will get the opportunity to study with the beautiful Leila Tayeb, a performance studies graduate student who specializes in Middle Eastern dance. Students will benefit from Leila's extensive and very recent travels and field research in the Middle East and North Africa. I'll return to teach at the end of June.

NYU Summer Dance Classes

We're beginning registration for the first five week summer session of dance classes at Coles Gym. In advanced classes, we'll work on drum solo technique and then there will five classes taught by the fabulous Leila Tayeb who has traveled extensively and lived in Morocco and other parts of the Middle East! I'll return for the last week of classes to finish up the drum solo. (Leila is subbing for me because I won a writing fellowship to Concordia University in Montreal where I'll be studying from June 12-25.)

Here is the info. on the dance classes:

Beginning Level
(CLS 230.1)Tuesdays and Thursdays: 6:30-7:25 p.m. at Coles Gym

Intermediate Level
(CLS 231.1) Tuesdays and Thursdays: 5:30-6:25 at Coles Gym

IN-PERSON REGISTRATION AT COLES GYM: May 23-24, noon-8 p.m.
ONLINE REGISTRATION: May 24, 8 a.m through midnight May 26

http://www.gonyuathletics.com/recreation

Come dance with us!

Kaeshi and Djinn at Je'Bon

It's always hard to follow Kaeshi at Je'Bon! Here are two pictures from her shows on Wednesday at Je'Bon:

Sisters of Bast at Je'Bon, May 4

We had a great time at Je'Bon dancing with D'Jam hostess Kaeshi Chai and the music of Djinn. We danced to two songs: the introduction to Alf Layla wa Layla, the classical version, and to the pop song, Mayagoreshk.
These photos came from my Ipod and contain mostly pre-show jitter shots. If others have some to share, particularly of the dance, please send them in!

Thalia and the Sisters of Bast at J'Bon on May 4

D'jam at Je'Bon
Je'Bon Noodle Shop
15 St. Mark's Place
NYC, NY
Reservations: 212-388-1313
Cover: $10; table minimum: $5.

With Kaeshi Chai and live music by Djinn.

Thanks to lovely Kaeshi Chai, we'll dance once more this semester at Je'Bon before classes end! Kaeshi will dance as well. Please come and dance or watch or both..... (Photo: Peter Turco)

NYC Event: Hafla Honoring Ibrahim Farrah

This weekend's show and workshop promises one of the most unique events of the season. Though these dancers from NYC are gathering to honor their late mentor, Ibrahim Farrah, they are legends on their own: Elena, Samara, Phaedra, Leila Gamal (who was my very first teacher in the late 1980s), and the list of dancers goes on. Eddie "the Sheik" Kochak is also scheduled to make an appearance. Anyone with interest in the this field should come to honor this history. And, of course, to have a great time. For more information: http://www.samaradance.com/

Winter Belly Dance Classes at NYU: Level 2

Level 2 dancers just started a new routine using the introductory music from the legendary composition for Oum Kalthoum, "Alf Leila wa Leila." This is an Egyptian classic, drawing from a time when Egyptian politics and music and artistic expression were deeply intertwined. L up: "Alf Leila wa Leila" and try to get the original recording.

Suggested reading:
Voice of Egypt: Umm Kulthum, Arabic Song, and Egyptian Society by Virginia Danielson and Selim Nassib's
I Loved You for Your Voice.

Winter Belly Dance Classes at NYU: Level 1

Welcome new students to belly dance....revious posts you might find useful are links to practice music and links to books and media and a few clips of dancers posted through the years including Fifi Abdo, and Turkish dancer Didem. There is an overwhelming amount of material out there! Also, check out Gilded Serpent for events and articles and Nourhan Sharif's dancewear. Also, I'm currently working on an article synthesizing recent academic treatments of belly dance and colonialism.

Keep dancing everyone...