How were you introduced to belly dance?
I was introduced to bellydance in the summer of 2001 by one of my cousins. She is a fitness model and was looking for a way to enhance her workouts. I would sometimes work out with her during my summer breaks in college. She came across the VHS “Bellydance Fitness for Beginners: Slim Down” with Veena and Neena in a store and asked if I wanted to do it with her. It was hard at first but after a few runs we managed to finish the workout. That’s where it started. Once we got the hang of it, we went looking for the rest of the Bellydance Fitness for Beginners collection. By the end of 2003 we had successfully collected all of the Veena & Neena tapes and the Bellydance fitness tapes by Rania. During the times I had returned to college, I would continue do the tapes as a way to workout. Unfortunately, this didn’t satisfy me. I wondered what it would be like to actually do Bellydance as ‘the dance’ rather than ‘the workout’. From there I started collecting DVDs on the basics of the dance, choreographies, and work outs. I bought my 1st Bellydance costume in 2005 off of ebay and took my 1st Bellydance class in the Fall of 2005. My teacher, Donna Whitley, studied Morrocan Cabaret and was a student of Bert Belladine. In the Fall of 2006 I relocated to Savannah, GA and studied under Scarlett in the Spring of 2007. In the Summer I became one of the co-founders of the Bellydance Troupe Mei’attah Raqs until I relocated, again, to Tallahassee, FL. I am currently studying under Amy Renee of Arabian Flair and am also a member of her troupe.
How long have you been belly dancing?
Well let’s see:
Self-study since 2001
Classes since 2006
Performing since 2007
So I would say I’ve been a student of Bellydance for almost 10yrs (Good God it’s been that long!) and have been performing for 4yrs.
What is your signature move/style (what makes you unique/separates you from other dancers)?
I’ve performed both Cabaret and Tribal but I’m more comfortable with Cabaret since I know more about it. I’m commonly identified by drum solos. Hip work and Shimmies are my favorite.
What song(s) and/or artist(s) do you enjoy dancing to?
I’m a fan of the old-school (classic) Middle Eastern music but I also love Egyptian Pop, Folkloric, and the New-Age/Industrial/Electronica music that we hear that’s being associated with Bellydancers in this period. My favorite musicians/artists are the Cairo Orchestra, Emad Sayyah, Hakim, Beats Antique, Raquy and the Cavemen, and Bellydance Superstars. I have too many favorite songs to name.
What inspires/motivates you to dance?
Seeing other women (and men) like me dancing. That, or seeing people who aren’t the stereotypes Bellydancing. That probably sounds lame but it’s true. I think I became more attracted to Bellydance when I saw more women of color dancing. I stayed because I saw big women (no disrespect to anyone who may or may not consider themselves ‘big’) dancing in gorgeous costumes dancing to their heart’s content not giving a damn about what the rest of world was thinking of them. All the dancers I have met and seen inspire me to continue in my Bellydance studies and hopefully one day I’ll make it to the level that they are at.
How do you prepare for a performance?
Do you mean what do I do to practice for a performance? Or what do I do before I go to a performance? Here’s the answer to both questions:
To answer the 1st question, I practice any troupe numbers that we may do several times to make sure that I have the choreography and timing correct. I also practice any solos that I may do and practice improv for ‘just in case’ situations. To answer the 2nd question, I make sure that I have everything that I will need for a performance ready the day before the performance (extra copy of music on CD or iPod, props, shoes, costume, SAFETY PINS, makeup, cover-up, and a change of clothes). When going to the performance I like to listen to what ever music I’m dancing to or anything that will put me in ‘dance mode’.
What is your most memorable belly dance experience?
I have several memorable Bellydance experiences but this is the 1st one to come to mind (You’re gonna get a kick out of this)…
This was my 1st official Bellygram. Scarlett (my previous teacher) and I were to do a surprise Bellygram for a man (we’ll call him Jim) who was having his retirement party at a restaurant. There is supposed to be an audio system there that can play CDs. When we get there the man’s friend (let’s call him Bill) has us wait in a corner unseen by Jim until Bill and company are ready to surprise him. Bill takes are music CD and we wait. A few minutes later Bill tells us that our music CD will not play in the audio system that was provided and it cannot support an iPod. We have to use the stereo that we kept in the car for these kinds of situations. We start dancing for Jim. Unfortunately due to the amount of people at the party the stereo isn’t loud enough to be heard. We ditch the stereo after the introduction song. Bill asks us if there is anything else we can dance to. Scarlett responds that as long as the music has a clear and upbeat tempo we can dance to anything. The only thing Bill has is karaoke music and we ended up improvising to the karaoke version of “Ebony & Ivory”. (Scarlett is white and I am black…oh! The irony!!) All in all it was a very interesting Bellygram and we were thanked by Bill and Jim for coming.
Moral of the story: Bellydancers can dance to anything they set their minds to!
Where do you see yourself as a dancer in five years?
I hope to be a better and more knowledgeable dancer than I am now. I want to travel more for workshops and conventions, and possibly dance (or teach) for a few. If I could get to an international festival then that would be awesome.
How does your identity as a woman of color impact your identity as a belly dancer?
It’s a little mixed up. I personally believe that what we know as Bellydance is a mixture of movements that cannot be claimed by one single nation. The dances of many nations (Asian, African, Indian, Middle Eastern, and European) are reflected in Bellydance and this dance has evolved over time as it has spread across the world. From my personal experience, I have had people tell me that I don’t fit what the ‘American’ or ‘exotic’ Bellydancer should be but I have also had people tell me that they enjoy my dancing and that I have inspired them to learn more about Bellydancing. When I first started Bellydancing I didn’t see many other women of color so that discouraged me a little but I decided to keep at it anyways. When I finally did see a professional dancer of color I was ecstatic! Now that I’ve met even more Bellydancers of color (not just of the African diaspora) and have seen what they are doing, I’ve doomed myself to the eternal life a Bellydancer…not that I’m complaining though.
What advice would you give to beginner/amateur belly dancers?
If you find this dance/art form interesting then learn everything you can about it. Find a teacher (or several), go to workshops and conventions, study in another country if you can. If you don’t have the money, find someone who shares your interest and meet up. Watch YouTube, do some reading online in the Bellydance forums and websites. But don’t stop there, there’s more to Bellydancing then just dancing: music, costumes, culture, language, and history. It’s all there and it’s waiting for you to make it yours
The only question is what’s stopping you?
Special thanks to Razi for doing this interview!
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