{"id":3039,"date":"2011-08-08T16:33:26","date_gmt":"2011-08-08T23:33:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.gildedserpent.com\/cms\/?p=3039"},"modified":"2011-09-22T14:55:06","modified_gmt":"2011-09-22T21:55:06","slug":"stasha-perfumes-araby-diane-webber-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.gildedserpent.com\/cms\/2011\/08\/08\/stasha-perfumes-araby-diane-webber-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Becoming the Object of Your Own Fantasy"},"content":{"rendered":"

Diane Webber and the "Perfumes of Araby" in the 1970s, Part 2<\/h2>\n

\"Diane<\/p>\n

by Stasha Vlasuk<\/a>
\nposted August 8, 2011
\nPart 1: posted here<\/a>
\nPart 2: posted here<\/a> You are here!
\nPart 3: posted here<\/a> <\/span><\/h3>\n

From Part One: This article will focus on the iconic 1970s \u201cPerfumes of Araby\u201d belly dance troupe, lead by the almost mythical performer\/actress\/teacher Diane Webber, my teacher.  I was there!  Through a selection of our performances in that era we\u2019ll explore dance and costuming as becoming the object of your own fantasy.  The article also touches on paradoxes of our art form: the performance setting creating a artificial boundary within which we feel free to have intimate exposure (and how costuming facilitates that), and the seeming female accommodation of male sexism actually a proclamation of autonomy and a pathway to power.<\/em> <\/strong> <\/p>\n

The Perfumes moved on to several other outdoor festivals for the rest of the 70s. <\/p>\n

At the Calabassas Pumpkin Festival<\/span>, during the month of October, twice a weekend in often 100+ degree weather, more than a dozen dancers and half a dozen musicians put on an hour long show before quite a lively audience!  Each of us had a signature costume color, mine was yellow.  One memorable event happened during our performance of a serious North African Guedra dance.  The company all lines up stage front to create a screen while our Guedra dancers position themselves mid stage.  <\/p>\n

We are packed tightly shoulder to shoulder, impulsing to the dramatic beat with great solidarity: traditional hand gestures, chest drops, all very serious and trance like.  This mood was broken however by a guy at the back of the 200 plus audience, who stood on his chair, raised his beer glass and shouted "The one in the yellooooow…." then actually fell completely backwards like a tree that had just been cut!  I hope he was OK! <\/p>\n

\"pumpkin<\/h6>\n
1973 Pumpkin Festival
\n<\/h6>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"pumpkin<\/h6>\n
 1973 Pumpkin Festival Snake Dancer Teresa Davis<\/h6>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"pumpkin<\/h6>\n
 1973 Pumpkin Festival L to R : Rhonda, Anaheed Mary Ann Cappa, Khadija Cynthia Beck, Ann Graca,
\nYvonne Partidge, Margaret Turner, Sam King, Stasha Qamar Vlasuk, Donna Bella, ?<\/h6>\n
 <\/h6>\n
\"pumpkin<\/h6>\n
 Perfumes of Araby 1974 Pumpkin Festival, from R to L this time : Rhonda, Yvonne Partridge, Maryann Krakow, Margaret Turner, Shirin,
Pat, Ann, Jann Goldsby, Stasha Qamar Vlasuk (the one in the Yelloooow!), ?, Maya Knight, Ann Graca, Khadija Cynthia Beck, ? , ?
\n Photo J. Webber<\/h6>\n
 <\/h6>\n
 <\/h6>\n
\"pumpkin<\/h6>\n
 1974 Pumpkin Festival,  
\nPhoto J. Webber<\/h6>\n
 <\/h6>\n
\"pumpkin<\/h6>\n
  1974 Pumpkin Festival,   L to R: Stasha Vlasuk, Yvonne Partridge  
\nPhoto J. Webber<\/h6>\n
 <\/h6>\n
\"pumpkin<\/h6>\n
 1974 Pumpkin Festival,
\n Photo J. Webber<\/h6>\n
\n
\"Photo
\n"One private party experience performed in the vast
\n back yard of a Hollywood mogul\u2019s estate got so loud
\n\tand rowdy that the show was stopped mid way and
\nwe were asked to tone it down!<\/em>"<\/h6>\n<\/div>\n

Beginning in 1973 the prestigious Pasadena university Cal Tech invited the Perfumes of Araby to perform annually the week before finals in order to \u201crelieve student tension\u201d.  How delightful now to look at the audience in the background of these pictures: love that 70s fashion.  We also starred in the evening entertainment at the very first Equicon Science Fiction Convention<\/span>, another bastion of brainiacs. <\/p>\n

\"detail\"Los Angeles being a media town our performances often had \u201cstellar\u201d spectators. One Pumpkin Festival afternoon, off to the side of the stage stood David Carradine<\/span>, star of the popular \u201cKung Fu\u201d TV series, with his jaw dropped.  Although I didn\u2019t see him, I\u2019m told George Harrison<\/span>, my favorite Beatle, attended one of our Beverly Glen Art Festival performances (he had a house in the neighborhood at that time).  One private party experience performed in the vast back yard of a Hollywood mogul\u2019s estate got so loud and rowdy that the show was stopped mid way and we were asked to tone it down! <\/p>\n

During the the mid-70s we added a costumer to our roster: Kathy Sanders<\/span> added her expertise in helping us manifest Diane\u2019s vision with continuity.  We all avidly scoured historical sources to create our \u201cTurkish court costumes\u201d and some of us included jeweled pillbox hats. <\/p>\n

By 1975 Diane designed a bold new costume element inspired in part by Jerome\u2019s \u201cWoman of Cairo at Her Door\u201d: an \u201cunder the bust\u201d vest with a sheer blouse.  Because our outdoor festivals were so hot, most of us opted to create sleeveless versions.  Some of us varied the \u201cpeek-a-boo\u201d factor by doubling the fabric or building the blouse on a sheer fabric bra.  In an almost archetypal will to power, Diane encouraged us to utilize our costuming – and our dance – as a way to search out and expand our own unique spirit, fantasy and physique, something I try to continue with my students today: become the object of your own fantasy. <\/p>\n

How were we as a group bold enough to appear in public in these spicy outfits?  We achieved this confidence through combinations of sociological perspective that are most probably endemic in your performing troupe as well.  We brought all these factors to our shows.  Read all about it in part 3! <\/em><\/p>\n

\"Logo<\/span><\/p>\n

Logo drawn by Alicia Austin<\/h6>\n
\"perfumes\"<\/h6>\n
 Cal Tech 1973<\/h6>\n
\"perfumes\"<\/h6>\n
Cal Tech 1973  with Louie Sayeg, drummer<\/h6>\n
\"perfumes\"<\/h6>\n
Beverly Glen Art Festival poster:<\/h6>\n

Regarding the festival poster: Shira Jane contributes, "
\nSuzanne Dunaway <\/strong>was the artist for the Beverly Glen Fair poster. She used to live in the Glen but now she lives in Italy with her husband. She is a really cool lady. – www.suzannedunaway.com\/<\/a><\/p>\n

Suzanne’s response to Stasha note regarding this article and our use of her artwork: <\/p>\n

"Dear Stasha,
\nI am honored and touched that you used the dancer (I love it, too, I have to admit) in Diane’s tribute. She was one helluva woman and belly dancer, and my years in the Glen as editor of the Glenite and Glen Fair worker, and simply resident of the Glen, would never have been complete without her dancing each year at the fair. We adored her music and style and looks and personality and kind heart.
\nThank you again for going ahead and using the symbol of her wonderful talent.
\nAffectionately, and sad to hear of her death,
\nSuzanne"<\/p>\n

\"perfumes\"<\/h6>\n
 Beverly Glen Art Festival 1975, L to R : Teresa Davis, Anaheed Mary Ann Cappa, My Lucky Dad, me (Stasha Vlasuk) and Maryann Krakow<\/h6>\n

 <\/p>\n