Saturday Photos
Rakkasah East Festival 2010
Photos by Carl Sermon
Commentary by MaShuqa
posted October 14, 2011
Rakkasah East Festival 2010, the 11th year of this annual festival in Somerset, New Jersey celebrates a blossoming friendship community of East and West coast dancers and musicians. The festival is the East coast version of the 30 year old Rakkasah West Festival tradition in California. This art form of dance is in constantly flux and now includes many different influences in costuming and performance.
It was fascinating to observe the new trends in performance, costumes, and dance styling at this year’s festival: Rainbow colors, Fan veils, Feather fans, Silk veils, Isis Wings, and contemporary costuming designs. A predominant costuming style for dance troupes was similar costume designs with each dancer wearing different colors to personalize their costuming providing a rainbow effect when troupes performed. Flowers and feathers adorned costumes and headpieces. Silk veils dyed to match costumes, or in brilliant contrasting colors were popular and created height and flow in performance. Some troupes performed excellent choreography wearing dancewear usually worn in class – the basic wrap top, dance pants and hip wrap.
Highlight of the festival was a musical duet by Eddie “The Sheik” Kochak, of the 70’s 33 1/3 rpm records fame, and Scott Wilson of New York. You can see from Eddie’s gestures as he sings that dancers have been privileged to perform with a musician who animates his music and adds to the show
Festivals are always fun because of the community support and sharing. Likely attending a Middle Eastern dance festival first, two who met at Rakkasah East festival were married onstage. She, a dancer in a golden beaded dress, and he, a musician wearing his family’s traditional Scottish tartan plaid, were both festival volunteers who met after the passing of their spouses. Their wedding reception started on stage as the audience began celebrating the marriage by throwing money on the stage as they danced their first dance.
Saturday
Amity Alize of New Hampshire
Anka Kusu of New Jersey Anka Kusu troupe of New Jersey wore beautiful costumes combining harem pants and skirts with Turkish Ottoman style long vests and fringed belts with yarn decoration.
Belly Mystics of New York
“Bliss” of New Jersey danced with the passion you can see in her image.
Calixta of New York
Desert Moon Dancers of Connecticut
Dorothea of Massichusetts Dorothea of Massachusetts danced in a costume that incorporated cabaret glitz of long sleeves, beaded chiffon belt, and skirt paired with a folkloric silk blouson top and a large gold necklace of striking design.
Scott Wilson and Eddie Kochak Highlight of the festival was a musical duet by Eddie “The Sheik” Kochak, of the 70’s 33 1/3 rpm records fame, and Scott Wilson of New York. You can see from Eddie’s gestures as he sings that dancers have been privileged to perform with a musician who animates his music and adds to the show
Serpent Secrets of New York The Serpent’s Secret troupe from New York led by Rakkasah teacher Elisheva mixes urban with traditional Orientale dance.
Fantasha Dancers of New Jersey
Isis of Texas Another famous crowd pleaser was a special performance by Isis of Texas who wowed us with her fiery personae and her 4-sword performance.
Jamileh Belly Dance of New York
Kelebek of New Jersey Kelebek of New Jersey was and danced as a beautiful tribal butterfly complete with butterfly wings costume.
Latifa’s Banat Al Beledi of Maryland Latifa’s Banat Al Beledi of Maryland performed several traditional Egyptian pieces wearing beautiful beaded galabeyah’s, and also flowing ruffled dresses for a spectacular water jug dance.
Lilu of New Jersey
Manhattan Tribal of New York
Maia Alexandra of Oregon
Mariana of Pennsylvania
MaShuqa Murjan of California
Mia Naja Oriental Dance Ensemble and Raqs Divas of Maryland
Naheda and Guenter of Germany A touching performance by Rakkasah teacher Naheda and her husband Guenter of Germany told the story of a doll-maker whose doll comes to life and, through his love of her dancing, she becomes human – and ends in the great love of the century as she dances to the music from the movie “Titanic”.
Neon of New York
Noel
Sahara Dance of Washington DC
Sera Solstive of New York
Sera Solstice (dancing at 8 months pregnant) filled the stage with a huge tribal troupe with a sinuous style with an urban street edge.
Shaula of New Jersey Shaula of New Jersey, in a fantastic performance image, displayed black and white butterfly wings to match the polka-dot edging on her skirt.
Shushanna of Pennsylvania Shushanna of PA shows you can channel the famous Egyptian Raqs Sharqi stars and treated us to a very authentic show that was musical and followed the maqams (it’s too bad we can only see an image and not view her entire show).
Tammy of Pennsylvania
Tanna Valentine of New York
Troupe Hayati of Pennsylvania
Wedding Festivals are always fun because of the community support and sharing. Likely attending a Middle Eastern dance festival first, two who met at Rakkasah East festival were married onstage. She, a dancer in a golden beaded dress, and he, a musician wearing his family’s traditional Scottish tartan plaid, were both festival volunteers who met after the passing of their spouses. Their wedding reception started on stage as the audience began celebrating the marriage by throwing money on the stage as they danced their first dance.
Yame of New Jersey
Za-Beth of Massechusetts
Ziba of Virginia
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Ready for more?
- 4-10-10 Carl’s Photos from Rakkasah East Festival 2009, Page 4: R-Z
Raks Helm, Raks Sheva, Ranya, Raqs Caravan, Rasa, Sahara Shimmer, Salit, Samra, Scheheresade, Sera & Solstice, Shaula, Shayda, Shushanna & Sean, Soverign Reign, Surayyah, Suzanna, Tanya, Tapestry Tribe, Tasha, Tempest, The Nixies, Troupe Little Egypt, Troupe Solice, Troupe Zoryanna, Valerie Rushmere, Wild Gypsy Fired, Yame, Yasmine, Za-Beth - 6-7-07 More of Carl Sermon’s Photos : Rakkasah West ’07
Prep and layout by Michelle Joyce - 5-23-06 The Photos of Saroya Ahlaam,
…she was a replacement at Rakkasah for a no-show and did a great job! I was so impressed with the crystals on her costume. You could see them sparkle from the back of the auditorium - 8-2-05 Rakkasah West Festival 2005 Page 3-Sat & Sun, photos by GS Volunteers
- 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! - 5-6-03 Rakkasah Festival West Photos – Sunday
Fahtiem, Aziza, Mesmera, Amaya, Shanna, Akiko, Leila, and more… - 5-19-02 Rakkasah West Festival 2002 Sunday Photos
Dalia Carella, Eva Cernik, Suhaila Dance Company, Ma’Shuqa, Parri and more…. - 4-7-01 Rakkasah West Festival 2002 Friday Night Photos
Dalia Carella, Leila Haddad, Ghawazee, Cory Zamora and more… - 6-13-01 Rakkasah 2001 Festival West: Sunday Photos
Alexandria, Momo Kadous, Soraya, Leila Haddad, Elana, Suhaila, Jamila, Dhyanis…. - 4-14-00 Saturday afternoon Rakkasah Festival 2000 Photos–
- 6-1999 The Mysterious Performer’s Dressing Room at Rakassah, Otherwise Known as the Women’s Restroom… A Photo Essay by Bobbie Girratana
- 10-13–11 Friday Night Photos from Rakkasah East- October 2010
Desert Embers, Dharma, Fahtiem, Leila Haddad, Mystic Wiles, Nadia Layla, Najma, NightShade, Phoenis, Raks Shiva, Troupe Shahibat - 10-12-11 Bellydancers "Gotta have a Gimmick!", Excessive Use of Props
I get the impression from watching such performances that a prop wasn’t incorporated in the show because it helped the dancer express an emotion in the song, but the property was intended to be the focus of the performance. - 10-6-11 Dreaming in Massachusetts, Photos from MassRaqs 2011
The celebration of those traditions, along with the fervor of Boston’s intellectual culture, the talent of our local community of dancers and musicians, and a desire to connect that beautiful history to the global present and future of our dance drives the work we do in our event. - 10-5-11 MaShuqa interviews Ali Hamidzadeh of Turquoise International,
Ali tells us about how he came to produce his first cymbals. He is interviewed by MaShuqa. He also talks about Dahlena, Bobby Farah, his education, inferior copies of his zils, how to know that you have genuine Turquoise cymbals. Testimonials from Jillina, Princess Farhana, and Marta Schill. - 10-3-11 Assiut / Assuit, Fascinating FAQs
However, mosquito netting was invented by the Egyptians and dates back thousands of years. - 9-28-11 Aubre Hill, New Fussion Energy in Taiwan
As time has passed, the local community has found itself on a changing path. The heavily choreographed (written notation) dance trend remains the staple of the main stream while increasingly, local dancers (and instructors as well) have begun to realize that there is something else in addition to set notations of dance movements to learn. - 9-27-11 Competition Strategies, A Judge’s Suggestions
Choosing a costume that fits and flatters your choreography is equally important. If you want to highlight your amazing hip work, be sure to choose a costume with lots of fringe and tassels on the hips so the judges cannot fail to see that hip work.
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