Gilded
Serpent presents...
In Memorium – Amira
by Suzanne Shields
The Wichita, Kansas dance scene suffered a severe loss on May 24th with the passing of Amira (Alice Castillow) after a long illness.
Amira was one of
the pioneers in the field of Middle Eastern Dance in Wichita during
the 1970s. With her strong ballet background, she picked up the moves
quickly and went to New York to study and learn more about this fascinating
dance form with Bobby Farah. Amira soon started teaching
classes
in her home studio, and formed her first troupe, the L’Orient
Dance Troupe, which is still together and performs a variety of
styles. Amira has always been known for her exacting technique and performance
standards.
Always thirsting for knowledge, Amira studied and then taught Hula, Gypsy, Flamenco, and Hindi dance in addition to her Middle Eastern dance classes. With the increasing interest, she formed a second troupe, Dance Arabesque, and added additional classes taught by Dasara, Sheba, and Dahabeya. Her students have always been known to add color and class to any of the many local and regional events where they have performed.
Amira’s daughter Lettie (Mish Mish) is also a wonderful dancer, and moved to New York many years ago to study and teach. The local dancers have always enjoyed her visits home, where she has sometimes helped her mother with her classes.
Hundreds of women
have studied with Amira over the years, and enjoyed the physical and
mental bonuses that make this dance form so rewarding. I studied with
her for fifteen years, and have learned a lot that has helped me with
my teaching. All the current teachers in Wichita have studied with Amira
at some point in their dance careers! Each teacher and, indirectly,
their students have had their lives touched by Amira and her love of
the dance.
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a comment? Send us a letter!
Check the "Letters to the Editor"
for other possible viewpoints!
Ready
for more?
6-6-04
At last! The Sunday Photos from Rakkasah West 2004- Page
1, Page 2
Thanks
to all the photographers and volunteers whol help make this happen.
We still need a few names to go with faces!
5-28-04
Dance Contests by Yasmela
People
being who they are, and dance and art and America being what they are,
there will always be the competitive urge, the attitude that success
is defined by the amount of your income, the number of your trophies.
5- 26-04
Dance Festival or Shop-a-thon? by Nisima
Shukriya,
can you hear me now?
5-24-04
Dancing Darkly: The Phenomenon of Gothic
Belly Dance by Laura Tempest Schmidt
This
may come as a shock to many, but Gothic Belly Dance isn’t really
a new phenomenon, and it’s not just centered in California. First
of all, it’s simply a merger of two entities that go well together,
like peanut butter and chocolate.
