A Tribal-Fusion Bellydance Experience

by Sherri/Cherchez La Femme
Photos by Bruce Meyer and Jenny Littrell,
posted March 28, 2009

Tales of Desire, a tribal fusion bellydance extravaganza, produced by Hollywood Music Center is the first Tribal Fusion DVD shoot of its kind.  Never before has an exclusively Tribal Fusion performance DVD been filmed in a theatre in front of a live audience.  We knew there would be challenges – there is no stopping to re-film a shot if something goes awry.  Yet, this is the point: the excitement and adrenaline of a live show.  Both audience and performer are suspended in the moment.  This provides a perspective that just can’t be duplicated in a controlled studio setting.

This was not to be your typical DVD shoot in any sense.  Not only was there the unique energy of a live audience, but we also opted to add a theatrical thematic element to this project.

Brainstorming theme ideas and potential storylines was the fun part, the creative stage before getting down to the administrative brass tacks.  We wanted the theme to serve as the thread that linked the varied and diverse line up of performers.  After generating a range of potential themes—everything from Dreamscapes (too amorphous) to the Seven Deadly Sins (too dark), we decided on Tales of Desire.  We felt that it was a theme that would be really open to creative interpretation providing structure to the show, but wouldn’t confine the artists. Once our
premise was decided on, we delved into the left brain details of production planning and organization: solidifying the venue reservation, choosing a line up, checking availability and lunging ahead first into production preparation including creating an event website, setting up ticketing options and preparing promotional materials.

“Tales of Desire was different and unique as it was a live show also…” said Princess Farhana.
“Because of the “immediacy” of the performance aspect and the dancer bonding in the dressing room, not to mention the energy of a live audience, the whole show felt more organic and also gave everyone the opportunity to unify and get close with each other during the creative process.”

One thing that became unusually challenging was finding a date where there were no other conflicting bellydance events.  Just when we thought we’d found a date, previously scheduled events would pop up on the calendars of various websites.  It became virtually impossible to find a Saturday that didn’t have at least something going on.  A testament to how many bellydance related events actually go on in or around Los Angeles! 

When we finally settled on the date, we moved into the challenge of confirming all of the performer availabilities.  Given how busy so many dancers travel schedules are, this was quite a task.  Fortunately, things fell into place pretty quickly.  We asked for feedback from the dance community posting on Tribe, Myspace, etc. in terms of who people wanted to see on this DVD. 

We felt that the buzz in the community was that people were getting tired of seeing the same performers on every performance DVD that came out, so we really tried to
mix it up and offer a more varied line up.

It was so difficult to narrow it down, there are so many amazing performers that we would have loved to have included in this DVD. 

We were extremely excited to have booked Unmata as the headliner and the momentum just kept building from there.  Soon we added Mira Betz, Elizabeth Strong and Damage Control Dance Theatre to the line up.  By the time we had the complete program; we had 11 soloists and 7 troupes totaling 22 performances.  Rounding out the final cast were: Aubre and Lumina
Dance Company, Tjarda from the Uzume, Arish Lam all the way from Puerto Rico, Sabrina, Steven and Raine of Atash Maya, Ayse Cerami and She’Enedra, Sherri/Cherchez La Femme, Rose Harden, her highness the illustrious Princess Farhana, Heather Shoopman and The Nekyia’s Showgrrrl Sublime.

We soon found ourselves knee deep in making travel arrangements, clearing music, non-stop event promotion, dealing with ticketing and answering countless questions about the show from
performers and attendees alike.  This is known as the necessary evil phase of event planning and production.  Not necessarily the most fun part, but the phase that sets the stage to ensure that everything goes off without a hitch the day of the show.

It’s amazing when you have the alchemy of not only this caliber of performers, but a cast of such varied talents and range of skill, the show really becomes something
so much greater than the sum of its parts. 

We were most excited at how varied this show was turning out to be.  It really brought out the fusion element of tribal fusion bellydance and became a marvelous showcase
of just how much this style of dance has evolved.

The day of the show was hectic, but we were all adrenaline-fueled with the excitement of the day finally being at hand after so many months of preparation.  So much to be done prior to tech rehearsal fast approaching at 2:30pm. How had 9:00am turned into 12:30pm so quickly? So many line items on lists to be checked off, last minute set decoration to be put into place, seats to be blocked off and moved to make room for the jib and other cameras.  Staff had to be coordinated, ushers educated, box office staff to be made ready for what ended up being crowds of people coming to buy their tickets at the door.  We were pleasantly astonished to actually have to turn people away!  You really can’t ask for a better compliment when it comes to a first show.  It’s always hard to gauge how it will be received.  Especially in Los Angeles where there is so much competition for a Saturday night.

We blew through tech rehearsal and crossed our fingers that one run-through would nail the lighting cues and sound check.  This part of the day always goes by so quickly.  The hustle and bustle of last minute task completion knowing that the show is only a few hours away, gazing out at the empty theatre from stage knowing that soon the room would be full of excited bodies hurrying to find their seats.

As one group or soloist ran their piece, the rest of the group divided themselves between the two dressing rooms back stage.  The rooms literally became living breathing explosions of brightly colored costumes; make up, false lashes, glitter, sequins, yarn, flowers and bobby pins.  What initially felt like large spaces shrunk considerably once they were packed with performers!  There was big competition for mirror real estate to say the least.

”Backstage was crazy!” Princess Farhana relayed, “we were jammed eyelash-to-elbow in the dressing room with a plethora of beautiful bellydancers stretching, applying make-up, running numbers and pouring body glitter on each other!”

Time in the dressing room moves at a faster pace than in the rest of the world.  Any performer will tell you this.  It seems as though you have only just begun getting ready and the next thing you know, someone is calling the 15 minute heads up. 

You feel the rush of adrenaline as you tick the items off of your mental checklist of what you still need to do to get ready and start assessing what may have to be forfeited

(“Well, maybe I’ll just have to go without eye lashes tonight to ensure I have enough time to finish getting my pantaloons on…”).

There is that moment just before a show starts where it’s like everyone involved holds their breath for just a moment, just a second until the curtains open, the lights come on and the music comes up and the first act begins without a hitch.  Then comes a bit of a collective exhale:  and. we. are. ROLLING.  And what a perfect powder keg release of energy to start the show than opening with Unmata! 

From there the show seems like an excited blur of activity.  Mher overseeing the music and Rahana stage managing like a seasoned pro, ushering performers on and off the stage with the efficiency of an orchestra conductor.  Dancers fell into an almost orbit around each other taking or leaving the stage, changing for their next piece, going downstairs to get their photos taken.  We were in the zone and things were flowing well.

Intermission was a chance for us to breathe for a minute and to gauge how everything was going.  No major fires to put out.  No major technical glitches or problems.  Again, collective exhale, mini celebration, then the adrenaline again as the second half of the show began. 

According to Aubre, director of Lumina Dance Company, "`Tales of Desire’ was a fantastic experience as an artist, dance company director, AND community member.

It was wonderful to share a professional stage with some of my favorite people, get to laugh and catch up, and just have fun. This is the best circumstances for work. Ya love what you do and in a positive and warm environment such as this, the best and most creative ideas come forth. It was also thrilling to get to have my dance company, Lumina, there with me. I love getting the opportunity to broaden their horizons as well as share with the world part of my artistic vision that is Lumina. The Desire theme for this show also made a wonderful assignment for exploration. From the audience to the backstage, this was a great evening!”

It seemed like we were corralling people for the bow in no time.  Giddy excitement was in the air as all of the performers took turns taking center stage to receive the crowd.  Soon the excitement would dissipate in favor of attending to more mundane details such as packing up and making sure people got back to their hotel rooms safely.

All in all, I think we were all pretty relieved at how smoothly everything went.  When you are relying on that many details to come together in a somewhat synchronized way, there are infinite things that can potentially go wrong.  You can only do so much to protect yourself against the unknown and try and be prepared for glitches.  At some point, you just have to relinquish yourself to whatever fate the evening hands you.  I think I can speak for all involved that we were immensely pleased with the way that Tales of Desire went over.  We couldn’t have asked for better cast or crew to work with.  Thus far, the raw footage looks incredible.  The editing process is well underway and the first DVD is slated to be released in March, 2009. 

The DVD will be available through The Hollywood Music Center or through your regular bellydance DVD resources.

Lumina Dance Company

Aubre Princess Farhana

Nekyia

Damage Control

Unmata SheEnedra

Arish Lam Steven

Atash Maya

Mira Betz and Liz Strong Sabrina

FInale- everyone on stage

A Romany Fusion Artist in Osaka

by Artemis Mourat
posted March 20, 2009

I first met Tania Luiz in Turkey. She brought 15 of her students from Japan to join our AlaTurka Folk Tours dance festival in Istanbul. Since that time, we have become friends and she has studied intensively with me. She is the dancer’s dancer. She has Romany roots and she fuses different genres with her training in folk dance, modern contemporary dance, Turkish Oriental, Turkish Romany and Arabic Oriental dance. She is not afraid to take chances thus allowing for her creative power and passion to express itself freely on stage. Her Turkish Oriental style is authentic and true. Tania’s life story is quite interesting. I suggested that she tell her story to Gilded Serpent and here is our interview.

Artemis: Please tell us about your connection with the Roma in Portugal …

Tania: The Roma that I have known in Portugal are almost exclusively selling goods in markets or on the streets and in their own shops. The goods are usually clothes and shoes. Outside my parent’s place, a flat on the 2nd floor of a 3 story building, there was an open marketplace and a small “shanty town” inhabited by Roma and non-Roma alike. On every Tuesday and Saturday some of our local Roma were joined by other Roma coming in big vans to sell their goods on the ground outside the market. My bedroom window had a view of the market place and I enjoyed watching the people getting their goods ready. I could also see the beautiful waters of the Tejo(Tagus) river flow. How well, I remember the market mornings because of the smell of the flowers, the vegetables and the fresh fish. The fish-selling ladies sang Fado songs, and the Roma ladies sang Spanish songs, the only thing their ancestors brought in their suitcases from Spain.

My Roma friends told me how during the XVIII-century in Spain, it was terrible for the Roma. Many Roma migrated to Portugal. At that time there were marriages between Roma and non-Roma in Portugal, for I have met several people who, like me, have a great-grandfather or great-grandmother who was a Roma.

My father’s grandfather was one such Roma. My father doesn’t remember much of his grandfather since he was the 4th of 5 children and he was born when his father was already an elderly man. My father surely inherited his fiery temper which was apparently legendary. Curiously enough, my grandfather, was a very calm but fun-loving man. He was famous for singing in the market place, telling jokes and being a great dancer. My grandparents on my father’s side were dance champions in the local balls. The main prize was often a barrel of red wine! Well into their 70s, they would take the bus to Spain to enjoy the fiestas. My father’s only talent (feet wise) was being a semi-professional soccer player before marrying my mother.

My mother’s father was without any Roma connection, but he was quite a character himself. At 11 he was thrown out of the house by his father with the intention of “making a man out of him.” He went to Lisbon, where he spent months sleeping on benches in gardens.

As a young man he decided he wanted to see the world so he became a chef on an international cruise ship. On board he played the banjo, took pictures of the places the boat visited and developed the photos in an improvised dark-room. He eventually kept a small monkey on board which he brought from Africa. He helped smuggle people from North Africa into Europe so they could find work and a chance to improve their lives. He was invited to a party on the North Pole, he told me! I didn’t believe him though!

Back to my parents, my childhood….My father is a fierce communist-atheist with the temper of a volcano, and a generosity to match. My mother is a very pious and gentle woman but fierce if she needed to be and very compassionate. Often she took poor Roma children from the shanty town nearby and bathed, fed and clothed them – not telling anyone she’d done it. Of course someone always saw it, and she gained the reputation of being very kind. She’s still loved by everybody in the neighborhood. She is also a bit forgetful and at least once a month she routinely leaves her wallet either at the bakery, the café, the fish stall or at some Roma lady’s market stall (which is basically a cloth on the floor). I remember one day as a child opening the door and there was a huge Romany widow fully dressed in black with the long wide skirt and head scarf. She was bringing my mother her wallet which she had forgotten at her vending place. She screamed: “Dona Dorinda! (That is “Mrs. Dorinda”). I’m honest but some are not so don’t do that again!”

Artemis: Will you tell me about your dance background?

Tania: My first dance training was imitating the local Roma as a child, usually watching them from the window. They invite people who are staring at their dance with their mouths open! So, occasionally I did join them. At 13 I joined a local group of Latin dance aficionados who danced in the basement of the church under the disguise of doing Bible studies. We were all kids, and we would memorize the dances we saw on the Brazilian TV channels and then go and practice there. At 18 I auditioned and was accepted for a contemporary dance course which lasted 3 years. I studied every day for 2 or 3 hours and eventually participated in some of their company’s productions. At that time I was attending the University and studying Biology. I also did Fencing, Tae-kwon-Do and Kung-Fu, the latter with a Chinese friend (we`ld go jogging in the park and kick trees, I quit that! Poor trees!!). I also took several Romani fusion (Russian/Romanian) classes in Portugal.

In 1995 I went on a trip to Turkey to visit my husband who was then my boyfriend. He is English and was teaching at a University in Ankara at the time. On a weekend trip to Cappadocia, I saw Oriental dance live for the first time in a restaurant in a cave. Well, it was all decided there.

I had been struggling with my identity in dance for years. The androgynous aspect of contemporary dance stifled my sense of sensuality.  I found Flamenco to be too angry for me. Latin dances were too light. These comments apply to my own need of expression through dance, and in no way do I mean to take anything away from these dances which I like so much. But here, in Turkey, right in front of me was a beautiful woman, gracefully using her body, at times so sweet, at times so assertive, but always kept by the music; sometimes following it, sometimes, I felt, creating it! I latched on to her after the show and got a small lesson! I later lived and studied in Germany with German and Turkish teachers and took workshops with Egyptian guest dancers. I then lived in Nepal where I started dancing in the local
5 star hotels. While there, I studied a little Yoga and Buddhist Newari Tantric dances. I was asked to start teaching. I was around 24 I guess.
I stayed 6 months in India studying Odissi dance in a dance ashram.

At this time I think I was longing for a well-documented dance, old and structured. I was a little sad because I saw how people who were not properly trained but who just had a costume would teach Oriental dance. Plus the deep connections of Indian dance to the Divine were very interesting to me. At the end of it all, I realized that my body, my soul and my blood are meant to do Oriental.

I came back to Portugal and had a culture shock. Later I joined my husband in the Arabian Peninsula, Qatar. While living there, I could not leave the house on my own, and wouldn’t want to if I could so I studied the Arabic script and taught myself to play zills! I did it accompanying CDs. I had had darbuka classes while in Portugal so this helped me further with the rhythms.

I have now been living in Japan for 5 years where I am teaching 20 classes a week plus occasional workshops.

I also dance every Friday and Saturday at a Turkish restaurant called Istanbul Konak and it is in Osaka. The owner is Reza Alkoc. I keep going to Istanbul regularly, and 4 years ago joined the AlaTurka festival in Istanbul where I met you, Artemis, who have been drilling good zill habits into me! Your knowledge of the older Turkish Oriental was an absolute blessing to me because I was not getting any inspiration from the new Egyptianized styles. I am at the moment studying the oud with one of the members of my trio called “Kadife” (which means “velvet” in Turkish). The 2 other members are Turkish musicians who reside in Osaka, Sefer Simsek and Abdurrahan Gulbeyaz. I am performing the Turkish Oriental type of show with zills, veil and floor work and occasionally a Turkish Romany/Oriental dance. On the other hand I have created a fusion dance using contemporary dance with one or several Romany dances. Sometimes I dance with a long wide skirt, other times in pants, dressed as a man would, which allows for the faster foot work.

Artemis: What about your future plans?

Tania: Next year I am going to start a DVD series for Japan. Hopefully I can share the love for what I do with the American audience one day, either in person or in DVD. Inshallah, in person. What I have learned from all the countries I have been to (Spain, France, Belgium, Holland, England, Scotland, Check Republic, Italy, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Morocco, Turkey, Qatar, Dubai, Nepal, Thailand, China, Singapore and Japan ) is that we are all struggling to go down the same road, hoping to find peace or happiness or contentment. I have received smiles from people in all these places – either from my dance or from trying to speak their language. All these
stories (I have many more to tell!) and memories make me feel very rich and proud to be an Oriental dancer.

Tania’s website- www.tanialuiz.com/

The Mainstream Media’s Influence

by Fahmia
posted March 19, 2009

We Indonesians were a little slow to catch on to belly dance in comparison with our neighbouring Asian countries. Nowadays though, things are changing rapidly in this archipelago. Since around 2006, belly dance has taken off in a big way, figuratively groaning under the heavy weight of national mainstream media attention that has been piled onto it for the past two years.

Dance teachers and aerobics instructors across the archipelago have capitalised on what they may well see as the latest ‘lifestyle trend’. From large urban cities to smaller towns in the outer parts of Indonesia, you’re likely to find classes full of women hip-dropping their jingly hip scarves to their hearts’ content.

Extensive mainstream media attention has been a mixed bag of blessings and, well, “somewhat less than blessings,” as most Indonesians would diplomatically say.

Since early 2007, Bellydance Jakarta (where I’m a student) and Christine Yaven (its founder) have been featured in at least 20 print publications (women’s magazines, newspapers, journals) and invited to two commercial radio talk shows and at least five prime time television appearances. That’s without even including online magazine articles. Phew! "Great!" you say, "Amazing coverage." So, what’s the problem?

For every sound article written on belly dance recognising it as a respected and ancient art form on par with other respected dance styles or listing benefits such as empowerment, body confidence, sisterhood, stress alleviation and just plain fun, there’s always another story lurking around on some television station, showing footage of ‘belly dancers’ in darkly lit cafes and nightclubs—as Akon put it—“windin’ and grindin’ up on that pole.”

Well, sometimes sans pole. You get my point. It’s the same in many countries, I’m sure. I’m sure that every single reader is familiar with the undeserving connotations linked to this ancient art form.

We fully realise that mainstream media attention will wane after several years, and those interested in belly dance simply as a passing fancy or trying to cash in on this ‘trend’ will move on to other things. When that happens, we hope that all the work our community has done to show and inform the public will ensure that belly dance in Indonesia is showcased with the dignity and appreciation it amply deserves.  

As a community, we’re proudly growing in number, and there is a true sense of cohesiveness and comradeship I’ve never encountered anywhere else. Christine focuses on ensuring clean technique among her students and on impressing upon us cultural and historical values embodied in the dance. Bellydance Jakarta also hosts workshops several times a year, previously having engaged legendary exponents such as Tamalyn Dallal (all our students love her!), and having Hadia of Canada set to come in April this year.  

Belly dance in Indonesia is still in its infancy. With a growing number of true devotees of this dance, its future looks bright, with endless exciting possibilities.

Hanna, Lingkan, Fahmia, Ria

Fahmia, Hanna, Helen, Santi Christine is the dancer at the top of the page.

Photos from GS Files and Your Comments

December 22, 1927 to March 14, 2009
Bert was very special to many of us. Gilded Serpent would like to provide a space for us to remember him and collect our memories. Below you will find a few photos from our files. We will add more photos as we get them prepped. Some of you have seen these photos again and again over the years and other may be new to you. If you would like to send a photo to add to this collection, it would be much appreciated. At the bottom of the page is a comment section for you to add your thoughts that will become a permanent part of our community’s tribute to Bert, always available, stored here and listed in our archives. As we have word of any other memorials or services we will list those here also. Bert’s bio page on Gilded Serpent lists his articles on this site as well as lists of his books and films he was a part of, as well as other articles in other magazines.
Thank you!

Cousin, Glenn Schneider, has suggested that friends and fans can honor Bert by making a contribution to….

There will be no funeral as per Bert’s request.

Posing with a lion from the Circus in Germany?	“On the road between Calcutta to Arkara”
Tourist photo in Spain, cousin Glenn behind in hat and tie	Gig in Denver, Haram Fantasy show with dance partner Patti
Glenn, Bert, and his wife. Still taken from a video coming soon! Courtesy of Carl and Ma*Shuqa
1968 Bert as fire eater "Ali". click for larger image
a publicity photo for the "Psychedelic Act of Love,&quot a North Beach gig of Bert’s. Bert and Patti painted themselves with black light paint, wore g-strings and danced under a black light doing romantic poses. Colorized from the B/W original	Photo of a photo that hung in the Pasha dressing room. Who is this with Bert? Zahra Anise?
Performing Adagio	Posing with Dalilah in Las Vegas
Posing with Najia	Posing with Tamara
Posing with Dalilah in front of the Sphinx in Cairo	Bert poses in a costume made by Shalimar
Bert and MaryEllen pose with Lupe the donkey	1984 Bert poses with his mule at a local feedstore
Bert and Shalimar Serene perform	Shalimar Serene & Bert by Bob Winn
Bert Performs with Nakish	Bert performs with Sabah
Bert performs with Ma*Shuqa
Bert teaching	Bert with Maryellen
Bert performs with Amaya	Bert poses with Donna Carlton in his backyard in Petaluma
Bert and Amani	Tambra, Bert Balladine, and Bobbye Dee Arlington Texas, March 2 and 3, 1985 Picture taken by Larry Roberts One of Bert’s favorites when he taught class “now we go.” He allowed me to videotape his classes and evening performance. I have these in my archives and cherish the time with him in 1985. This was the first and last time that I performed with Bert as his partner. What an experience. He has a great lead.
Farouche sends the below 4 photos
Photo attached was taken at our last duet performance in November 1999. The Fire Duet was our specialty which Bert learned growing up with performing parents in Europe. I had the honor of performing many times over the years with the “Legendary Bert”. When he was in the Bay Area I sponsored him many times for work shops that dancers will remember his unique and perfected style for the rest of their lives. Bert also had a first love and that was his farm with his many animals all of which had their own special names. I recall one performance where his prized lamb was about ready to give birth and throughout our show, called home many times to see if she was ready to deliver. Loving, caring, sensitive yet strong and positive was Bert. When he taught workshops it was correct or not at all. Bert, it has been my honor to have performed with you. You will be surely missed by me as well as the thousands you have taught in your famous lifetime. Love, Farouche
Ma*Shuqa and Bert pose at his last Rakkasah workshop in 2007

Page 2 of Photos
Please come back here to comment.

Fusing Bellydance With Other Dance Forms

by Rebecca Firestone

posted March 14, 2009
NOTE: new comments section at bottom of page

The page title on their web site says “Breakthrough Fusion Competition”, and a subtitle adds, “Who’s changing the face of dance?” 

Billed as “the first-ever competition of its kind in the bellydance community”, the event was created by local San Francisco dancer Cera Byer, who has come up with a new kind of bellydance competition that WANTS people to break the rules, and that consciously avoids a purely “Middle Eastern” focus.

“This is a FUSION-ONLY competition – That’s right… No traditional Middle Eastern categories. No traditional music. No ATS! This is about innovation and the future of the art… Competitors will be critiqued “American Idol Style” … with live feedback from the judges.”

Read more »