{"id":1023,"date":"2009-11-27T17:40:18","date_gmt":"2009-11-28T00:40:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.gildedserpent.com\/cms\/?p=1023"},"modified":"2009-11-27T17:40:18","modified_gmt":"2009-11-28T00:40:18","slug":"jillinaahlan09","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.gildedserpent.com\/cms\/2009\/11\/27\/jillinaahlan09\/","title":{"rendered":"

My Dream:Dancing in Cairo!<\/em><\/h3>"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Denise's<\/p>\n

by Jillina<\/a>
\nposted November 26, 2009
\nPhotos by Denise Marino<\/a> and author<\/span><\/h3>\n

Like many dancers, it has been a life-long dream of mine to dance in Cairo. The amazing musicians, the exotic atmosphere, connecting with the birthplace of Bellydance as we know it–who hasn\u2019t dreamed of such an experience? <\/p>\n

I have always considered myself very fortunate to have traveled to Cairo many times over the years. Studying with Raqia Hassan<\/a><\/strong>, getting to watch idols such as Dina<\/a>, Fifi Abdou<\/a>,\u00a0<\/strong>and Lucy<\/a><\/strong> perform made this dream even more real and fantastic. I am even luckier to have stayed with my dear friend, Katia<\/strong>, one of the well known dancers in Cairo, giving me a behind-the-scenes look at some of the struggles and sacrifices that both native Egyptian and foreign Bellydancers face as they live a Bellydancer’s life\u00a0in Cairo. I knew\u00a0 from witnessing their experiences, and finding my way to perform in the 5 star hotels, that this dream of moving to Cairo was not something that I was mentally prepared to do. I could never make those kinds of sacrifices!<\/p>\n

The Phone Call<\/p>\n

When I\u00a0received a\u00a0phone call from Raqia about performing in the "Closing Gala" of the Ahlan Wa Sahlan festival<\/em><\/strong>, my heart seemed to stop!<\/p>\n

To be asked to teach at Ahlan Wa Sahlan is an amazing honor, but to be performing, in the biggest show of the year? It was unbelievable! This was the most significant phone call I have ever received in my entire career.<\/p>\n

It was the same feeling I\u00a0experienced when I did my first Bellydance performance: excited, scared, nervous, and ready to give it all I have. <\/p>\n

Once it sunk in that I was going to do this, I started emailing Raqia asking about musicians. I knew it would be important to\u00a0ensure an amazing orchestra; they\u00a0could make or break\u00a0my show.\u00a0In addition to\u00a0emailing Raqia, I began emailing Katia<\/strong> and another great friend, Soraya.\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>Most of their responses were \u201cMalesh, Insha\u2019 Allah! Don\u2019t worry, we will find you something special!" …which of course terrified me! I even emailed Randa Kamel<\/a><\/strong> and asked her\u00a0if I could use her orchestra.<\/p>\n

I attempted\u00a0to be calm and do the Egyptian thing. \u201cInsha\u2019 Allah!\u201d <\/p>\n

Connecting with the Band<\/p>\n

On my\u00a0first day in Cairo, I immeditately began to politely bug Raqia to help get my musicians together; she put me in touch with Samir<\/strong>, who was, fortunately, Randa Kamal’s band leader.\u00a0 It was opening night, and I\u00a0felt privileged\u00a0to watch the band perform with Randa. I was so impressed! What a relief!\u00a0\u00a0The band was, of course, amazing! Now I knew that I was in Cairo!<\/p>\n

The funny thing about that night in the Opening Gala was: while watching Soraya (a Brazilian who has lived in Egypt for about 10 years) and Randa, (a superstar Egyptian) perform, I thought that I couldn’t see myself doing that, or see myself dancing there for 45 minutes doing the \u201cEgyptian thing\u201d. For the last\u00a0seven years I\u2019ve been dancing in theaters, and working with big troupes, doing the \u201cAmerican thing\u201d with the occasional Om Kalsoum<\/a><\/strong> sprinkled in. I just could not envision myself in this way, and I doubted myself–for a moment.<\/p>\n

Days\u00a0passed and frantically, I\u00a0attempted to schedule a rehearsal with the musicians. I finally pinned-down Samir to rehearsing Thursday night at 2 a.m. before the Friday night show. Success! I scheduled my rehearsal!\u00a0 The next morning, I\u00a0awakened to a phone call from\u00a0Raqia\u2019s assistant, asking me to bring my music down stairs. Samir would\u00a0not <\/em><\/strong>be performing with me after all, and\u00a0I would be using the "house band" for the Closing Gala. They were friendly musicians who made beautiful music but, for me,it was not\u00a0going to cut it for the Closing Gala.<\/p>\n

In a mad panic, I began calling Soraya and Katia, asking if I\u00a0might use their orchestras.\u00a0However,\u00a0they\u00a0had booked shows already and their musicians\u00a0were unavailable.\u00a0My panic level rose!<\/p>\n

I reluctantly gave them my music,\u00a0went back to my room, and within 30 minutes Samir called me,\u00a0accusing me of\u00a0canceling his show! I respond that I did not cancel his show. I told him that I was just following directions from Raqias\u2019s assistant. In his rage, he insisted that I come downstairs to meet him. I\u00a0dreaded meeting with\u00a0an angry Egyptian band leader!<\/p>\n

He was upset; he said that he had booked rehearsal space and\u00a0musicians.\u00a0Also, he said he would refuse to play at the festival again (ever) if he did not receive compensation for his commitment. So I told him, \u201cSamir, I prefer to dance with the best musicians, and yours are the better musicians; so let’s try to negotiate with\u00a0Raqia and fix this situation.\u201d We agree to meet with Raqia in 1 hour after I met with Samir, Raqia simply told me to ignore Samir–that she would "handle it". I scurried off to my classes and\u00a0pretended to ignore the stress that all this back-and-forth had\u00a0caused.<\/p>\n

I come out of\u00a0my class and witnessed\u00a0Raqia and Samir, yelling at each other (both using the few Arabic 4 letter-words I understood). Literally, I ran in the opposite direction! Hallelujah! Peace had been made. Samir had secured the gig, and we were back on with our scheduled 2 a.m. rehearsal.<\/p>\n

During the festival I taught a class of over 100 students. Quite a feat to connect with 100 dance student, but luckily I had a couple of great dancers assisting me (Alba Hayal<\/strong>, Nabila<\/strong> & Nahzarit<\/strong>), which allowed me to move around the room and work a bit inpidually with dancers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
\n
\"Mohamed
\nphoto by Denise Marino of Mohamed Shahin and his girlfirend, Diana Esposito<\/h6>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\"Magazine<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
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\"Jillina
\n\tAuthor’s photo with Amir<\/h6>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n

One of the best parts of teaching at the festival was being a student. I\u00a0participated in\u00a0some amazing workshops\u00a0presented by\u00a0the other teachers. My favorites included: Mohamed Shahin<\/a>, Raqia Hassan<\/strong>, and Mona el Said<\/a><\/strong>. Mohammed is a\u00a0resourceful teacher and artist. Raqia Hassan, of course is still an unbelievable dancer, choreographer, and teacher. Her choreography was so organic and beautiful that\u00a0it didn\u2019t look like \u201c5678\u201d. It was purely Egyptian dance, while\u00a0Mona Sa\u2019iid\u2019s workshop was inspirational.<\/p>\n

Mona taught about being "cool", laid-back, and confident when you dance, and she coined the phrase \u201cObama-style Bellydance\u201d!<\/p>\n

Since I\u2019ve been featured on DVDs from IAMED (International Academy of Middle Eastern Dance), HMC (Hollywood Music Center) and of course, my video and international tours with BDSS (Bellydance Superstars), my work over the last decade has brought my image, dancing and teaching style to many different parts of the world. My fan base has crossed many borders. When people see me\u00a0for the first time in person, it\u2019s often a funny reaction. Ahlan wa Sahlan is so unique, because there are\u00a0numerous people from\u00a0various countries. It always takes me by surprise, and still feels a bit strange, when I am approached by fans lining up for pictures, wanting autographs. It\u2019s a bit overwhelming, and since there is no hiding from the public at Ahlan Wa Sahlan, I must always be camera-ready. Being on the cover of Belly Divas Magazine<\/em><\/strong>, a German publication that was given to all the festival attendants, made me feel like one of the FBI\u2019s "Most Wanted" list at the U.S. post office. <\/p>\n

I had a blast throughout the week, reuniting with friends, students, and peers, networking with dancers from all over the world, shopping at the amazing bazaar, and ordering new costumes for my troupe. Shopping! Shopping! Shopping! <\/p>\n

Rehearsal<\/p>\n

Before I knew it, the week was coming to a close, and it was time for my rehearsal. I had never been to an Egyptian rehearsal and had no idea what to expect. I called an old friend, Halah Moustafa<\/a>,\u00a0<\/strong>to join me along with her with her Arabic speaking female assistant (a lovely, sweet woman). Thank goodness, she was there because she\u00a0 translated all the conversations during the rehearsal, and kept us in the loop so that I wasn\u2019t the redheaded doe-eyed foreigner who was completely oblivious to the musician\u2019s conversations.<\/p>\n

The rehearsal was held in a room that was about 10 feet\u00a0by 12 feet with just the core musicians, about 15 men, who were all chain-smoking. Even though my eyes and throat were on fire from all the smoke, my body tired with fatigue and jet lag, I couldn\u2019t help smiling with joy. I was finally being initiated as \u201cRa’ assa\u201d (Egyptian slang for Bellydancer) I was finally paying my dues. The music was incredible, so incredible you could taste it! (…or maybe that was the cigarette smoke.) The accordion player was heaven to listen to, the violins were as rich and sweet as chocolate, the percussion was just sensational. I had goose bumps the entire time.\u00a0<\/p>\n

At 4 a.m., as we headed out of rehearsal, I handed Samir a cash tip, making sure all the musicians saw and thanked them for a lovely night of music, choking as I said it. I can\u2019t complain, two hours of breathing smoke\u00a0seems a small price to pay for such heavenly music\u2026.<\/p>\n

Lesson with Raqia<\/p>\n

On the third day of the festival, I heard a rumor that Raqia was teaching private lessons. Never being able to pass up on some one-on-one with Raqia, I jumped at the chance. When I\u00a0went to meet her, of course she was over-booked and asked me to come back in 2 hours–\u201cEgyptian Time.\u201d I arrived finally at my appointment and she showed up with another Egyptian folkloric teacher. They sat down in front of me, and Raqia said, \u201cOkay, what are you going to do?\u201d<\/p>\n

I start with my Oriental entrance, terrified of course! I finished, and her only comment\u00a0was, \u201cYou need more Raqs Sharki and less Oriental in the Maqsoum section.\u201d <\/p>\n

I smiled politely and thanked her as I\u00a0wondered what this comment meant. To me, Oriental and Raqs Sharki meant pretty much the same thing. Without trying to look stupid, I asked \u201cCan you demonstrate\u00a0that for me?\u201d She replied that I just needed more hip work in that section. Ah, Ha! …Less twirly, more hippy… She asked me to do it again, and I\u00a0danced with a little bit more confidence. <\/p>\n

\u201cYes! Much better,\u201d she said, and asked me, \u201cDo you need anything else?\u201d<\/p>\n

I imagined that she was talking about my Oriental piece only.\u00a0 \u201cNo, that feels good!\u201d I commented.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay.\u201d She smiled, slinging her purse over her shoulder, and she walked out the door… I had been hoping to get some help with my Om Kalsoum piece, but I had no luck that day!<\/p>\n

Performance Day<\/p>\n

As I headed back stage with my suitcase and yoga mat, ready to do my big theater style warm-up, I\u00a0found out that I was not going to be allowed to\u00a0enter the dressing room until Dalila<\/strong>\u00a0was\u00a0finished changing. That would give me only\u00a010 minutes in the dressing room to set my costumes and do my warm-up. Ha! What warm-up? I\u00a0was not at the Folies Berg\u00e8re<\/em><\/strong> anymore!<\/p>\n

I took a deep breath backstage as my entrance music began. On cue, I entered the stage to greet my audience. The music\u00a0sounded\u00a0 heavenly, with over 20 musicians. Their sound\u00a0vibrated through my heart and soul, commanding me to dance with an intensity I have never felt before. I felt that I could\u00a0barely breathe; I\u00a0was overwhelmed with a combination of fear and joy. I survived my entrance and grabbed the microphone.<\/p>\n

I wished Raqia a happy 10-year anniversary and expressed my sincere joy for being able to perform at the event. I handed-off the microphone and sprinted\u00a0away to my quick-change, returning to perform a super sha\u2019abi \u201cEl Hantour\u201d. The crowd\u00a0ate it up! I\u00a0was starting to relax finally, breathing some oxygen and was away for my 3rd costume change. It was time to perform the most important part of the show: my Om Kalsoum piece! <\/p>\n

This piece is both my favorite and the most stressful part of Bellydance for me. Its my favorite, because I love Om Kalsoum\u2019s music. Listening and performing to her songs is such an emotional and intimate experience. You can really see the soul of a Bellydancer during this section of her show, which is also the reason why it can also be the most stressful. I knew that everyone in my audience\u00a0would know the music of Om Kalsoum at least as well or better than I. They all have their own emotional connections to the music, and I could only hope that they would enjoy my interpretation of the song as well. <\/p>\n

On that night, I had chosen \u201cAlf Leyla, wa Leyla\u201d. The female singer was amazing. It was pure "tarab".<\/strong> <\/em><\/p>\n

During the show, I was able to see Raqia<\/strong>, Aza Sharif,<\/strong> and Nelly Fouad<\/strong> in the front row, watching me the entire time. It felt\u00a0strangely surreal; I have spent years adoring each of them via video. Never had I imagined them watching me! Off for my final costume change and time for my drum solo! The drum solo is what I like to consider my specialty in the vast world of Bellydance. For this performance, I make no excuses, and pull out all the stops. I danced on my drum, accomplished the Turkish Drop, and ended with a super-turbo head-twirling zaar<\/em><\/strong>!<\/p>\n

At the end of my performance, I collapsed back stage, crying tears of joy. I finally pulled myself together, packed my costumes and\u00a0went to see my friends in the audience. My friends, and fans congratulated me. I\u2019ll never forget Amir Thaleb<\/strong> picking me up, twirling me in a circle and telling me that I made him cry! Of course, I started to cry again, like a big crybaby!<\/p>\n

Within minutes, Sa\u2019ad<\/strong>, one of my favorite Egyptian singers, came bursting on the stage for\u00a0his phenomenal performance. Wow! That\u00a0man can really shake his bootie! We all danced, laughed, and partied until the sun came up, and I headed to the airport.<\/p>\n

This was, by far, my best visit in Cairo; it was a trip of a life time. Between all the madness and stress of uncertainty, there is so much beauty and passion. Cairo will always be, as my friend, Antoinina Canal, likes to characterize it, \u201can enchanting chaos\u201d.<\/p>\n

\"Jillina<\/a>\n\t\t<\/p>\n

Jillina after show with Raqia on left and on my right\u00a0 the famous dancers form the 80s\u00a0 Azza Sharif & Nelly Fouad .
\nThey were in the front row during my performance . Yikes!

\n\t\tClick photo for enlargement<\/a><\/h6>\n
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