{"id":3361,"date":"2011-10-14T12:31:26","date_gmt":"2011-10-14T19:31:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.gildedserpent.com\/cms\/?p=3361"},"modified":"2011-10-14T12:31:26","modified_gmt":"2011-10-14T19:31:26","slug":"carl-sermon-rakkasah-east-saturday-photos","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.gildedserpent.com\/cms\/2011\/10\/14\/carl-sermon-rakkasah-east-saturday-photos\/","title":{"rendered":"

Saturday Photos<\/h3>"},"content":{"rendered":"

Rakkasah East Festival 2010<\/h2>\n

Photos by Carl Sermon<\/a>
Commentary by MaShuqa<\/a>
\nposted October 14, 2011<\/span><\/h3>\n
\n

Rakkasah East Festival 2010<\/span>, the 11th year of this annual festival in Somerset, New Jersey celebrates a blossoming friendship community of East and West coast dancers and musicians. \u00a0The festival is the East coast version of the 30 year old Rakkasah West Festival tradition in California. \u00a0This art form of dance is in constantly flux and now includes many different influences in costuming and performance.<\/p>\n

It was fascinating to observe the new trends in performance, costumes, and dance styling at this year\u2019s festival: Rainbow colors, Fan veils, Feather fans, Silk veils, Isis Wings, and contemporary costuming designs. \u00a0A 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. \u00a0Silk veils dyed to match costumes, or in brilliant contrasting colors were popular and created height and flow in performance.\u00a0Some troupes performed excellent choreography wearing dancewear usually worn in class \u2013 the basic wrap top, dance pants and hip wrap.<\/p>\n

Highlight of the festival was a musical duet by Eddie \u201cThe Sheik\u201d Kochak<\/span><\/a>, of the 70\u2019s 33 1\/3 rpm records fame, and Scott Wilson<\/a><\/span> of New York. \u00a0You can see from Eddie\u2019s gestures as he sings that dancers have been privileged to perform with a musician who animates his music and adds to the show<\/p>\n

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. \u00a0She, a dancer in a golden beaded dress, and he, a musician wearing his family\u2019s traditional Scottish tartan plaid, were both festival volunteers who met after the passing of their spouses. \u00a0Their wedding reception started on stage as the audience began celebrating the marriage by throwing money on the stage as they danced their first dance. <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n<\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n\n\n
\n

Saturday<\/h4>\n

\"Amity\"<\/p>\n

Amity Alize of New Hampshire<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Anka<\/p>\n

Anka Kusu of New Jersey<\/p>\n

Anka Kusu troupe<\/span> of New Jersey wore beautiful costumes combining harem pants and skirts with Turkish Ottoman style long vests and fringed belts with yarn decoration.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Belly<\/p>\n

Belly Mystics of New York<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Bliss<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u201cBliss<\/span>\u201d of New Jersey danced with the passion you can see in her image. <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Calixta<\/p>\n

Calixta of New York<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Desert<\/p>\n

Desert Moon Dancers of Connecticut<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Dorothea<\/p>\n

Dorothea of Massichusetts<\/p>\n

\u00a0Dorothea<\/span> 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. <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Eddie<\/p>\n

Scott Wilson and Eddie Kochak<\/p>\n

Highlight of the festival was a musical duet by Eddie \u201cThe Sheik\u201d Kochak<\/a><\/span>, of the 70\u2019s 33 1\/3 rpm records fame, and Scott Wilson<\/a><\/span> of New York. \u00a0You can see from Eddie\u2019s gestures as he sings that dancers have been privileged to perform with a musician who animates his music and adds to the show<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Serpent<\/p>\n

Serpent Secrets of New York<\/p>\n

The Serpent\u2019s Secret troupe<\/span> from New York led by Rakkasah teacher Elisheva<\/a><\/span> mixes urban with traditional Orientale dance. \u00a0<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Fantasha<\/p>\n

Fantasha Dancers of New Jersey<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Isis<\/p>\n

Isis of Texas<\/p>\n

\u00a0Another famous crowd pleaser was a special performance by Isis<\/span> of Texas who wowed us with her fiery personae and her 4-sword performance.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Jamileh<\/p>\n

Jamileh Belly Dance of New York<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Kelebek<\/p>\n

Kelebek of New Jersey<\/p>\n

Kelebek<\/span> of New Jersey was and danced as a beautiful tribal butterfly complete with butterfly wings costume.<\/p>\n

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

Latifa’s Banat Al Beledi of Maryland<\/p>\n

Latifa<\/a><\/span>\u2019s Banat Al Beledi <\/span>of Maryland performed several traditional Egyptian pieces wearing beautiful beaded galabeyah\u2019s, and also flowing ruffled dresses for a spectacular water jug dance. <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Lilu<\/p>\n

Lilu of New Jersey<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Manhattan<\/p>\n

Manhattan Tribal of New York<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Maia<\/p>\n

Maia Alexandra of Oregon<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Mariana<\/p>\n

Mariana of Pennsylvania<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"MaShuqa<\/p>\n

MaShuqa Murjan of California<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Mia<\/p>\n

Mia Naja Oriental Dance Ensemble and Raqs Divas of Maryland<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Naheda<\/p>\n

Naheda and Guenter of Germany<\/p>\n

A touching performance by Rakkasah teacher Naheda<\/span> and her husband Guenter<\/span> of Germany told the story of a doll-maker whose doll comes to life and, through his love of her dancing, she becomes human \u2013 and ends in the great love of the century as she dances to the music from the movie \u201cTitanic\u201d.<\/p>\n

\"Naheda<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Neon<\/p>\n

Neon<\/a> of New York <\/p>\n

\"Neon<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Noel\"<\/p>\n

Noel<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"SaharaDance<\/p>\n

Sahara Dance of Washington DC<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Sera<\/p>\n

Sera Solstive of New York<\/p>\n

\"Sera<\/p>\n

Sera Solstice<\/span> (dancing at 8 months pregnant) filled the stage with a huge tribal troupe with a sinuous style with an urban street edge. \u00a0<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Shaula<\/p>\n

Shaula of New Jersey<\/p>\n

Shaula<\/span> of New Jersey, in a fantastic performance image, displayed black and white butterfly wings to match the polka-dot edging on her skirt. <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Shushanna<\/p>\n

Shushanna of Pennsylvania<\/p>\n

\u00a0Shushanna 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\u2019s too bad we can only see an image and not view her entire show). <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Tammy<\/p>\n

Tammy of Pennsylvania<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Tanna<\/p>\n

Tanna Valentine of New York<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Troupe<\/p>\n

Troupe Hayati of Pennsylvania<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Wedding\"<\/p>\n

Wedding<\/p>\n

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. \u00a0She, a dancer in a golden beaded dress, and he, a musician wearing his family\u2019s traditional Scottish tartan plaid, were both festival volunteers who met after the passing of their spouses. \u00a0Their wedding reception started on stage as the audience began celebrating the marriage by throwing money on the stage as they danced their first dance. <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Yame<\/p>\n

Yame of New Jersey<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Za-Beth<\/p>\n

Za-Beth of Massechusetts<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Ziba<\/p>\n

Ziba of Virginia<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n

<\/p>\n

Friday Photos<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

\"use<\/p>\n

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