The Gilded Serpent presents...
Ranya Renee Fleysher
Ranya Renee Fleysher, of New York City, has been active in Middle Eastern dance and music since 1990. Ranya specializes in holistic Egyptian-style dance and theatrical performance skills.She teaches and performs full-time in New York and internationally. A strong advocate for Arab culture and arts, she has trained in Arabic language and music for many years. She produces live music and dance events in New York and conducts original research in the Middle East. Conversant in seven languages, Ranya holds a B.A. from Yale University in Linguistics and Theater. Her first instructional DVDs will be released by the end of 2008. More information about Ranya’s work is at her website www.ranya.net.
Ranya says of her teaching work in Asia, “My trips there have been so educational and constructive for my work, in expected and unexpected ways, and I’m happy to be able to share some of this experience with Gilded Serpent readers. We are all dancing the same dance, but the different ways of approaching it are fascinating. I always come back from my travels with so much more than what I went with—it opens my mind. During my latest trip to Japan, I ate a teriyaki grasshopper on a dare…that was especially mind-opening.”
Web sites: www.ranya.net
theatricalbellydance.com
Articles on Gilded Serpent by or about Ranya Renee Fleysher
- 10-18-10 Tough to Choose What’s Best from Ranya! Belly Dance Egyptian Style: the Baladi,Belly Dance Egyptian Style: Modern Oriental
A dance friend described it aptly as something you can “geek out” on. It is jam-packed with information about the music, different styles of baladi, and the movements to use in this improvisational style. - 9-17-08 Belly Dance in Japan Reaches New Heights of Popularity
Japanese audiences are extremely receptive, supportive and interested in this form of entertainment.” Conservative elder Japanese may still disapprove of the sensual aspect of belly dance, but among the younger generation it is seen as cool and trendy. - 4-23-08 to ? From Toronto, Ontario, Canada The International Bellydance Conference of Canada
- 9-1-10 Expanding Traditional and Innovative Approaches, Report from the Theatrical Belly Dance Conference, Part 1: The Panel Discussions
As with any new label applied to the genre, a question of definition consistently arises from fans and skeptics of the burgeoning theatrical belly dance category. Wisely, the organizers have incorporated panel discussions in the Conference’s roster of events since its formation. - 10-13-10 Part 3 of 2, More Performance Photos
Our stage shows took place Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights at Dance New Amsterdam, a beautiful studio and performance space just north of City Hall. Performers included featured soloists and troupes selected by a panel of teachers, as well as all of the conference teachers themselves. A diversity of styles and approaches were represented onstage, from traditional to fusion to fantasy. - 10-12-10 Part 2 of 2: The Performances, The New York Theatrical Belly Dance Conference 2010, A Five Day Exploration of Dance Styles, Intention, and Content
Some of these "theatrical" works focused more on staging and aesthetics; some used narrative; others focused overtly on intention and meaning; and, a minority stayed true to traditional cabaret or folkloric modes.
