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Princess Farhana's Blog - "Back To The Future: Honoring Our Past To Preserve Our Dance

Sun, 16 Aug 2009 09:29:00 -0400

This is Princess Farhana's blog entry from July 30, 2009. She very articularly expands on the sentiments that I expressed last month. Please take the time to read it...Shaia

Like the rest of the world, the belly dance community is changing rapidly. Modern technology, globalization, forward thinking, trends and the inclination towards Westernization in the countries of the Middle East and North Africa are all contributing to these swift changes. And, of course, the fact that Oriental Dance-in all it’smyriad forms- has been booming into a worldwide fad doesn’t hurt,either!

It’s probably not an exaggeration to state that bellydancing itself, it’s practice, application, and traditions have changedmore in the past decade than it had in the hundred years that precededthe New Millennium, if not many centuries previous to that.

Whilethe evolution of new styles and fusions within Oriental Dance areexciting, revitalizing, and amazing to watch and be a part of, we are still running the risk of seeing many elements of our beloved dancefade into obscurity, and perhaps become lost forever.

Personally,I am a huge advocate of individuals bringing creativity and innovationinto the dance; I love to experiment and mix and match dance genresmyself, and have become well known as both a traditionally based danceras well as a fusion performer. When I first started dancing, nearly twenty years ago, I learned as much as I could about all facets of Oriental dance, from cultural context to genre-specific signaturemovements, from differences in costuming to the traditions that surrounded certain rituals. I did this because it was fascinating tome, and I was obsessively hungry for knowledge about where our dancecame from. I spent hours doing research in libraries, because there wasno Internet; I took classes and workshops like a maniac and becamefamiliar with- and in many cases, well versed- in the nuances of manystyles of folkloric, classical and cabaret dances from Egypt, Turkey,Lebanon, Morocco, Tunisia, Uzbekistan, Persia, and many othercountries- like flamenco, Romany dances, and the like. I was interestedprimarily in Egyptian raqs sharki, but also learned to balancescimitars and perform raqs shamadan. I played with many props asidefrom those as well, incuding trays, canes, Isis Wings, fans of allsizes, etc.

After a while, I wanted to add a personal stamp towhat I was doing, and began imbedding my own ideas, concepts and flights of fancy into my performances, at the same time many other dancers from all over the world were doing the exact thin, or something similar to it..

Recently, I had an experience that was kind oflike one of those Oprah Winfrey “A-ha! Moments”. I was dancing at aparty, and there was a woman- obviously a belly dancer- sitting in the audience who was happily wriggling in her seat. Excited to see a“sister”, I called her up to dance with me. The music playing wasclassical Egyptian, “Ganal Hawa” to be exact. She got up and begandancing-quite beautifully, I might add- but as we moved together, Ibegan to feel like we were trying to converse in two completelydifferent languages without a common ground for understanding. Thoughshe was dancing on the beat, and looked lovely, we were not in sync atall. I mirrored her movements, but she couldn’t mirror mine. She haddance training- it was apparent- but her movement vocabulary didn’tinclude the typical fluidity or layers I was used to seeing.

After my show, I spoke with her, and she was indeed a belly dancer,with four years of training. Though she liked my music, she didn’t knowwhat it was; she also told me she was a teacher, but preferred “themodern style”, she was a Tribal Fusion dancer. The thing about herthough, was that for all her wonderful movement, her hips were prettymuch NOT involved, what she was doing was basically a string of arm andhand movements and gestures, with some foot work and upper-bodyisolations. I didn’t get a chance to ask where she had studied, or withwhom, or if she was self-trained.

This experience stayed with me for days, causing me to think and reflect.

I adore Tribal Fusion…. or any kind of Fusion. I also love“traditional” ATS –or ITS, as it’s now sometimes called, as well as Flamenco Arabic Fusion, Samba-belly, Raks Gothique, Asian-Influenced,…. You get the idea. But it wasn’t just that the dancer was performing something “modern”… it just didn’t look at all like oriental dance to me.

I stared wondering: what happened to just plain old belly dance?

Two decades ago, if two dancers from opposite backgrounds- say Egyptian and Turkish- got together to dance, even just for fun, there would be ashared movement vocabulary. There would be stylistic differences ofcourse, but essentially, they would be dancing in the same “language”.One decade ago, if a tribal dancer and a cabaret dancer got together, there would still be similarities in the movement vocabulary… hiparticulations, foot work, hand and arm gestures, and of course, fingercymbals would be included! Nowadays, it’s different.

Thinkingabout the incident with the dancer, I wondered if I was mildly upsetand uneasy about this for personal (as opposed to professional)reasons. I wondered if the disconnection I felt was because I was being stubborn, an “old lady”, a belly dance Luddite or just a big ole stickin the mud…then I realized that while no one can call me a staunch traditionalist, I believe in keeping tradition alive!

Ibecame conscious of the fact that though I sometimes choose to takecreative liberties within my own dancing, I know enough about theculture, history and tradition of oriental dancing to make theseartistic choices from a well-informed, educated view-point. Since we are practicing an art form whose very origins are rather mysterious,and whose historical documentation has been spotty at best, it is our responsibility as dancers to respect and preserve our past, even as we lean towards the future!

There are many ways each individual dancer can do this, no matter what sortof style of dance you prefer to perform or teach, whether you performcabaret or fusion, whether you are a baby dancer, a pro, a student oran old hand! Here are some ideas I have used in my own studies that mayhelp you to connect- or reconnect- to the rich customs and rituals that make our dance so unique.

Study The Dance In Its Cultural Context

Do some homework- learn what you can about the many cultures thatinfluenced belly dancing, and how the dance grew and changed in it’scountries of origin. This can be as simple as opening a book or surfingthe Internet, or as time-consuming and costly as “making a pilgrimage”to North Africa or the Middle East. If you are a serious student orworking dancer and you can afford to plan for a dance-study trip, andhaven’t been to any of the belly dance “motherlands” before, it woulddefinitely behoove you to travel with a group, lead by a knowledgeableteacher. Many are available every year, many offer payments on time.Numerous “big names”, or dance legends such as Morocco, Hadia, EvaCernik, Angelika Nemeth, Fahtiem, Delilah, Cassandra and many othersoffer educational tours on a regular basis. If, in these horrideconomic times, taking a trip is not an option, then try to study thesame thing closer to home. Sahra Saeeda, one of the most well-educatedfigures in dance ethnology, not only offers educational dance tours,but has a workshop series, tailored to locals around the world, called“Journey Through Egypt”, which is an intensive and ultra-comprehensivestudy of Egyptian dance traditions and culture, region by region.

Familiarize Yourself With Traditional Music, Movements, And Costuming

As a dancer, you owe it to yourself, and as a teacher, you owe it toyour students- no matter what style you perform or prefer- to be ableto identify at least the most commonly used Arabic rhythms, as well asthe movements that compliment them. You should also be familiar withArabic musical structure, and know the titles of well-loved songs, andhave a working knowledge of famous composers and singers. Do someresearch on line and have a look at costuming: traditional or folkloricas opposed to modern; Turkish vs. Egyptian, etc.

Study this onyour own or seek out instructors who specialize in these fields, take afew classes or privates- or study via DVD’s, both instructionalprograms and dance documentaries. There are also many CD’s on themarket offering tracks featuring Arabic drum rhythms to help youidentify them.

Learn To Play Finger Cymbals

Unfortunately,what used to be a requisite for belly dancers of all stripes is quicklybecoming a lost art. Keep this art alive by challenging yourself, andlearning to play them if you don’t already! No matter what you callthem: zills, sagat- finger cymbals, especially to “the general public”they are representational of belly dancing. No, they’re not always easyto learn, but you will be so glad you did!

Early on in my dancejourney, like many students, playing cymbals daunted me. I declared tomy primary teacher, Zahra Zuhair that I was only going to danceEgyptian style- and not play zills- just like she did!

She arched a well-groomed brow at me and said, sweetly but firmly,

“That’s fine- it’s your decision…. but the difference between us is that I can play them if I want to!”

Well…that kinda drove the point home to me, and even though Ipractically bit through every layer of my lip in the frustrating process of mastering them, I learned them well, play them often, andrequire my students to learn to play them, too. Again, if you don’thave time in a busy schedule for classes, there are many DVD’s on themarket, which will allow you to drill your cymbal technique at home.

Get Lost In The Past For A Little While

Thanksto www.youtube.com, we all have access to a wealth of videos featuring legendary dancers- take advantage of this! Spend some time looking atcool movie clips from Egypt’s “Golden Age”, and watch Samia Gamal,Naima Akef, and Tahia Carioca in action. Have a look at Sixties andSeventies dancers like Suad Hosny, Soheir Zaki, Nagwa Fouad, or theTurkish star Nesrine Topkapi. While you’re at it, look up some NorthAfrican or Lebanese folkloric stuff, traditional Rom dances,traditional dances of Yemen, Syria, Israel, Persian Classical pieces,Bollywood, Bhangara, Uzbek dance, Egypian balady… the possibilities areendless, and it’s all there for you to see and become inspired by.

Remember… it’s up to every one of us to help keep our dance alive, and by honoring and preserving our belly dance past, you can assure its future!

You can go directly to Princess Farhana's blog by clicking on this link:

http://princessraqs.blogspot.com/2009/07/back-to-future-honoring-our-past-to.html

Fusion and Confusion

Mon, 20 Jul 2009 11:44:00 -0400

In recent years it has come to my attention that many new belly dancers are drawn to fusion, and practice this dance form without ever learning the roots of the dance -- folkloric, Raks Beledi, Raks Sharqi. Today I read this statement from esteemed instructor and performer Nourhan Sharif:

" For years I was fearful of the future of organic Egyptian Dance as there is so much fusion around and confusion abound... while fusion is fun it is indeed departure...we need to know what we are departing from!"

I could not agree more with Ms. Sharif. Learn your basics! Study the history of the dance! One great source is Shira (www.shira.net). Take workshops that focus on Egyptian style. Watch youtube vidoes of everyday Egyptian people dancing at weddings and parties.

Abstract artists learn realism before they move into abstraction. If you are more interested in fusion than pure Egyptian dance, familiarize yourself with what you are trying to fuse. In the process, you may find yourself drawn to the subtle complexities of true Egyptian dance!

~ Shaia

Belly Dance? Raks Sharki? Raks Beledi? What's It All Mean?

Mon, 25 May 2009 20:06:00 -0400

Sensuous Bellydance

Sat, 02 May 2009 16:46:00 -0400

What is belly dance not? An overtly-sexual dance. No clothing is removed, no intimate body parts entirely revealed by costuming, no crudeness in the movements.

What is belly dance? A sensuous dance which uses muscle control and muscle isolations to create layering of movements, ripples, belly flutters and rolls, undulations of the stomach, hands, arms, torso. Hips swaying, small hip circles, big hip circles, omi's or vertical circles that involve the abdomen and pelvis. The subtlety of the movements creating the distinction between sexual and sensual. The music, mysterious, minor key, slow and snakey or with entrancing drum rhythms that compel the listener to sway, undulate, move the hips in response to the rhythms with hip drops and shimmies, the arms to wave like snakes, the wrists to rotate gracefully, the shoulders to pulse slowly or shake with tiny shimmies.

A belly dancer responds to every nuance in the music, from the inside out, using core muscles. It is a visceral dance, individually interpreted, the music suggesting, the dancer responding. It is an emotional, personal dance. There is a bond between the dancer and the music. No two dancers, no two interpretations exactly alike. Our unique way of moving, what we hear in the music, is revealed in our dance. We do not hold back, we do not apologize for our physical response to the music. We are free to feel, to express. We do not apologize but rather celebrate our uniqueness -- our age, our body type, even our gender.

Where and when did belly dance originate? There is no known beginning -- it is at least as ancient as the paintings in the pyramids of Egypt, but likely older. Legend has it that sacred temple dancers in India were forced to move out and move on during a time of political upheaval - they took to the road in wagons and made their living doing the only thing they were trained to do, dance. Dancing in market places for coins. Tossed to the crowd's favorite dancers, the coins were sewn on belt that were used as dowry -- so the best dancers got the most-coveted husbands! People in the villages thought that the dancers came from Egypt, so they were called "Gypsies".

The dance evolved as the gypsy caravans traveled throughtout the many regions of the Middle East; the spice route and slave trade flourished. There was a fusing of the dance in many regions, and while each major region now has its own somewhat unique version of the dance, there is much overlap. Consider that an "omi" in Egyptian dance is the same move called by the same name in Polynesian dance. That American Tribal belly dance uses the hand flourios found in Flamenco, which came from the Moors during their rule of Spain.

Raks Sharki, or Oriental Dance, began in Egypt as a folk dance. At the 18th Century Chicago World's Exposition, an American entrepreneur brought Egyptian women to perform in an area in which only men were permitted; they were labeled "harem girls". Though fully clothed, their undulations, swaying hips and shimmies were considered scandelous in those Victorian times when Western women were corseted and not even an ankle could be seen. Here the women of the Middle East danced in bare feet, making clrcles with their chests and hips, shimmying, and the men were witnessing something forbidden at the time in the West. The very word "harem", which means "forbidden" in Arabic, suggested something sexual, when it actually refers to the women's and children's living quarters of a family, which a man from outside of that family is forbidden to enter. After the fair, other American entrepreneurs incorporated the music and movements of Middle Eastern dance in increasingly-bawdy burlesque shows, further creating the Western fantasy of the scantily-class seductress, peeling off layers of veils, or dancing for the sultan.

In the 1940s, Western tourism, mostly male, flourished in Cairo. Night club owners catered to the tastes and fantasies of their patrons by featuring beautiful young female dancers costumed in gauzy glittering outfits that bared the abdomen and offered revealing glimpses of shapely legs, skirts worn low on the hip to accentuate the hip movements and abdominal undulations. At the same time, Egyptian filmmakers began to produce lavish Hollywood-style romantic musicals which often featured a belly dancing seductress. It is interesting to note that what the West considers traditional Middle Eastern is 100% American -- the Egyptian movie producers were giving Western audiences what they wanted to see -- Hollywood-style harem dancers.

Today, there is a great deal of misconception in the West of what belly dance is, and is not. Sensuality is inherent to Middle Eastern dance and the environments in which it is often performed -- mesmerizing melodies, serpentine movments, semi-transparent silk veils, the hazy smoke of a hookah, sumptuous silk floor pillows, intoxicating incense, hypnotic drum rhythms, the lifting of the hair to reveal a long, beautiful neck.

In a male-dominated society where cultural conservatism is at its height and women were and often still are isolated "for their own protection", covered from head to toe "for their own protection", dance was and is sometimes the one escape, a way to literally let one's hair down and express one's feminine power, to bond with other women, to express one's self freely, to celebrate one's sensual side.

It is this same feeling of bonding, of release, of self expression that has made belly dance endure over the centuries. It is why we dance the dance today.