Articles on Gilded Serpent by Najia Marlyz
list last updated: June 2012- 80+ articles!
Most Recent
- 10-17-14 Retirement, Is There Life After Dance? by Najia Marlyz
Perhaps this was my mistake; I had a plan for my dance career, and I was not shy to tell it to everyone who would listen.
- 3-31-14 Beata Zadou in 1988, Winter Visit to Berlin's Snow Princess by Najia Marlyz
It is rare that reality matches one’s fantasy, but in this case, in 1988, my expectations were surpassed by the reality of wish-fulfillment.
- 1-8-14 O Aitos Berkeley in the '70s by Najia Marlyz
Truthfully, I had never laid eyes on an authentic belly dancer, live or on film at that point, so I hardly knew what to expect.
- 7-16-13 "Der Schnerkle" Its Proper Uses and Functions by Najia Marlyz
Therefore, I reasoned, the use of ones extremities for dancing (beyond transporting one across the stage or making a movement appear finished) was to gather and distribute performance energy from the stage rather than simply wave arms about in the air with artistry and grace.
- 5-13-13 Costuming Trends of 1987, At the Rakkasah Festival by Najia Marlyz
Although the trend at Rakkasah ‘87 was definitely toward better dancing than we have seen in the past; the costuming I saw would be high on anyone’s list of worn-out ideas. Nowadays, we have more and more of almost everything; it is immediately apparent that there is more material in the skirts—such as double skirts, ruffles, tatters, tiers, beads, and even elaborate sequined patterns, and embroidery.
- 4-16-13 Tale of the Rat, Beginning to Teach, Part One by Najia Marlyz
He warned me! My German speaking mentor and dance partner, Bert Balladine, told me one day that teaching would change my dance—not necessarily for the better.
- 3-11-13 The One-of-a-kind Costume Still Fascinates:Re-envision, Recycle, Renew, and Remember by Najia Marlyz
Sometimes, perhaps more often than not, those people whom we love, and those things that we enjoy doing, introduce new facets into our lives that change our perspective of what becomes important to us in the long run.
- 1-18-13 Cairo Revisited: Dancing into the ‘90s by Najia Marlyz
Originally written for Caravan Magazine 1992- The one thing on which you depend about dance in Egypt from year to year is that everything slowly changes. I’ve returned to Cairo each year now for nine consecutive years, and last year my visit was just before the short war we had with Iraq in which Egypt was our US ally. Cairenes seemed sad last year, because Cairo had lost most of its income from tourism, and many Egyptian nationals were returning from Iraq and Kuwait, where they no longer had employment. I did not know what to expect this year, except the inevitable fact of surprising, yet subtle, change.
- 9-25-12 Sharpening Your Dancer’s Edge: Performing Without Choreography by Najia Marlyz
The idea of dance governed by choreography is more a western notion that was not inherent originally a part of the Middle Eastern dance solo
- 7-29-11 Dancer Cancer, Part Two: Who? Me? by Najia Marlyz
Still, the human heart is woven with threads of hope, and mine did not doubt that if I could make it through the onslaught of doctors, surgeries, pain, and gymnastic therapy, I would, someday dance again.
- 6-26-11 Dancer Cancer, Part One: Hopping on One Foot by Najia Marlyz
Still, I was confident that there would be no further problem and that I was letting my vanity get the best of me. By wanting to look good, I had caused all my own discomfort, I reassured myself. He said I would have the biopsy report in a few days and to call my referral doctor to hear what the UC San Francisco laboratory report said.
Opinion and Advice
- 1-30-12 Bully for You! The Science of Dance by Najia Marlyz
I have observed a cycle in which, periodically, emerging dancers who have obtained slightly more prominence in the craft begin to make recycled attempts to regulate it through instructional devices in order to control it to their own personal ends.
- 8-25-10 Letting Go of the Towline, Surviving Dance Conflict! by Najia Marlyz
Still, even though our dance puts us into contact with beloved friends and creative people who bring us continual joy and renewal, Belly dance is also a powerful magnet for some people with serious mental and emotional problems beyond the scope of dance
- 7-12-10 Fusion: How much is too much? by Najia Marlyz
In America, and evidently elsewhere, we dancers seem to have a voracious appetite for new steps and movements, so like hungry chipmunks, we have grabbed all we could stuff into our cheeks of Turkish and Arabic steps and gestures, resorting to incorporating and mixing of Saidi, Kaleedgi, Blue Guedra, Ghawazi, etc. We've chewed all of them up together and spit them out and found that they have not sufficiently nourished us.
- 6-16-08 Arab Defamation in the Media: Do Unwary Dancers Add Harm to the Mix? by Najia Marlyz
My frustration rose when the television news commentators expressed their puzzlement over the significance of the “shoe slapping antics” as they attempted to interpret them for western viewers. If they had had any inkling of the enormity of the hatred the insult indicated, they would not have made the silly comments that they made that day!
- 2-26-10 Life as a Bellydancer: A Dancer's Dilema by Najia Marlyz
Next came my surprising reality check. It stung me pitifully when I was introduced at my family reunion as "Evelyn’s daughter, the Kootch dancer"! I still thought of myself as a graduate student, learning fascinating things about ethnic studies and folklore.
- 3-3-09 Recieving Filthy Lucre: Justifying Payment for Your Art by Najia Marlyz
Belly dance can be a respectable art and teaching it should be a respected employment. Often it isn’t, and that is why you have to set your career goals—and don’t forget to consider the money!
- 1-16-09 Thorn of the Rose: Making Friends with Criticism by Najia Marlyz
Thorns make the rose ever more precious; though one’s ego rarely treasures moments of having felt the sharp thorn of stinging criticism. If the dancer is open to criticism—valid or invalid—it can open the door to the process of re-evaluation that otherwise might never happen.
- 2-17-06 This is Not a Review: Bellydance Superstars Commentary by Najia Marlyz
Herein lies one major flaw concerning the concept of superstardom in Bellydance: choreography. While choreography is a form of quality assurance, it is also assurance that the quality attained will be less than stellar in Bellydance!
- 4-9-04 Who Died and Made You Queen of Dance? by Najia Marlyz
This lack of background basic performing experience would be unheard of and un-tolerated in any other dance form.
- 12-2-03 Advice from a Temporal Dance Oracle by Najia Marlyz
--Dance related disputes
- 9-9-03 Searching for Your New Dance Teacher, The First Interview by Najia Marlyz
- 7-25-03 The New Age Adage for Performing Dancers by Najia Marlyz
If you have nothing to say through your dance, do not dance.
- 4-12-03 The Critic; Real Critics Don’t Mince Words by Najia Marlyz
Either we are a sisterhood of ego therapists and our instructors are politically correct in all they say and do—or we are tough artists in search of ways to improve our art form by ruthlessly weeding out the lame from our herd.
- 8-12-02 Certifying the Certifiers, The Chicken or the Egg? Part Two by Najia Marlyz
...artists and stars are born, not schooled. You’ve either “got it, or you don’t”
- 6-6-02 Certifying the Certifiers by Najia Marlyz
...this has occurred because of the current need to be correct, and within certain predictable standards of competence rather than special, unique, outstanding, unusual, memorable, or even (gasp!) emotion producing...
- 2-6-02 What do You Owe Your Dance Teacher, besides a Christmas Fruitcake? by Najia Marlyz
Teaching involves a selflessness that often does not often jibe with the egotism it takes to be an outstanding performer.
- 12-14-00 Why Take Private Lessons and Coaching? by Najia Marlyz
You will enhance your presentation beyond your wildest dreams!
- 9-18-00 Dancing to the Houri's Siren by Najia Marlyz
She was always there dancing at my shoulder and up-staging me in my own mind...
- 2-20-00 Entertainment or Art? by Najia Marlyz
It is possible to be an artiste in a non-art form in the sense that one may be skilled, professional and artistic at the business of entertainment.
- 9-23-99 Welcome to Bellydance by Najia Marlyz
..Do not allow anyone to limit your possibilities.
- 8-20-99 BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR… by Najia Marlyz
A Case against Standardization in Nomenclature for Belly Dance Instruction
- February 1999 Najia introduces her new column by Najia Marlyz
- 12-7-01 Rakkasah West 2002 Looms Ahead by Najia Marlyz
Although Rakkasah still is an attempt to give all dance performers an equal opportunity, results of the phone-in to book a dance time is often very chancy because of high demand.
 Dance and Teaching Techniques
- 4-16-13 Tale of the Rat, Beginning to Teach, Part One by Najia Marlyz
He warned me! My German speaking mentor and dance partner, Bert Balladine, told me one day that teaching would change my dance—not necessarily for the better.
- 5-12-11 Get Over It! Soundbyte Bellydance Part Two by Najia Marlyz
Imagine yourself dancing inside of a huge plastic jug full of gel or detergent. Pull and push your movements through the viscosity with conviction!
- 4-10-11 Sound-Byte Bellydance, Part One: Evolution of Bellydance by Najia Marlyz
Through her clear description of what she wanted to learn, I was able to look inside our recent dance evolution and see what we dance teachers in the west have done to change Bellydance here in the U.S., how we have changed and modified it into something it never was in the lands of its origins.
- 6-11-10 Teacher or Coach: What’s the Difference? Why All Performing Dancers Need a Dance Coach by Najia Marlyz
Most performers have a great deal of untapped potential; additionally, many consider it cheating to engage a professional coach and yet, that is exactly what they would look for if this were the Olympics and they were competing for the gold!
- 8-23-09 Improvisation: Method Behind the Madness by Najia Marlyz
One of the biggest mistakes we western Bellydancers have made is presuming that the dancing to which Arabs refer as the “Eastern Dance” is a theatrical dance that ought to be choreographed as if it were a ballet, or that its steps and movements are traditional like those of the Greek Hasapiko, an Arabic Depke, or a Hawaiian Hula.
- 6-19-09 The Dance Teacher: By Divine Design or Default? by Najia Marlyz
...nearly everywhere, dancers in this particular form seem to have found it necessary to “do it all” in order to earn a living by dance career alone
- 5-3-09 The Quintessential Performer: Attitudes for the Stage by Najia Marlyz
What can you rightfully expect of an audience of persons who are not, themselves, involved in performing (or related to you)?
- 11-7-08 Gift of the Muse: Finding and Using “Dance Energy” by Najia Marlyz
The concept of “Dance Energy” carries with it a power that appears to compel the dancer to move without conscious thought or excessive effort.
- 3-13-08 Enduring Open Criticism: A Student’s Question about Feeling Humiliated by Najia Marlyz
What is wrong with our form of dance today is a direct result of the current trend for treating dance students as if they were in therapy or grade school (or both).
- 9-11-07 How to Avoid the Executioner: A Journey into Creative Listening by Najia Marlyz
Standardization can ruin an art form as it would the fashion industry—or any other endeavor based upon creative thinking.
- 9-15-06 The Taxim from a Dancer's Perspective:Tarab or Tyranny? by Najia Marlyz
Sometimes, these improvisations can be quite elaborate. The effect is somewhat like modern jazz and stays within the framework of the traditional maqam or maqamat.
- 11-28-06 Back to Basics by Najia Marlyz
Belly Dance is most meaningful when we define it as a communication of mutually held emotional response and truths between people
- 12-24-03 Dancing Inside Out by Najia Marlyz
People come to see dance most often as music translated by movement, not just made visual by it, and to enjoy the character the dancer creates in her little drama set into the music by the composer.
- 10-28-03 Raks Assaya Instruction at Najia’s Studio by Najia Marlyz
Demonstrated by Rawan El-Mouzayen (Arab-American, age 3)
- 5-23-03 The “It Factor” by Najia Marlyz
Between the two men, my dance teacher and my artistic lover, how could I not learn to bring the movements from the core heart) to the outside?
- 3-2-03 Painting Dance -Fabulous! by Najia Marlyz
I'd like dancers to understand how the ideas of color, texture, tone, shading, etc. can also apply to the art of speaking through movement.
- 1-11-03 Music to My Ears, How I Learned to Hear Like a Dancer by Najia Marlyz
Musical interpretation is the single, most important skill that can elevate the Oriental dancer from the chorus line to the spotlight.
- 11-21-02 The Great American Belly Dance Veil Routine by Najia Marlyz
After having said all that, I must add that American style Oriental/Belly dance is a distinctive style composed of creative elements that are simply outstanding.
- 4-10-02 "Does Learning Constitute Copying? My Musings about Sharing Dance" by Najia Marlyz
I could still feel her pain as she spoke...
- 10-19-01 Follow the Bouncing Butt; in Defense of a Teaching Method by Najia Marlyz
Some of the "Follow Me" teachers should be more aptly described as "inspirationally oriented".
- 5-9-01 Taming the Wild Frilly-Lou Bird, Or Training Your Hands to Dance by Najia Marlyz
Once the dancer learns the skill of audience dialogue through energy transfer...
- 3-10-01 Put Your Dance on a Pedestal by Najia Marlyz
Many dancers make the mistake of using the entire width of the front part of their feet when they dance, because they have never been taught dancer's footwork. "Ankle wobble"indicates...
- 5-19-00 Dance Emotion, Part 2 by Najia Marlyz
The audience is not going to care, or even notice, that a dancer did a high-stepping Fandango Walking Step with an over-lay of a Soheir Zaki Head Tilt and a really fine
- 11-24-99 Dance Emotion, Part 1 by Najia Marlyz
"The place of dance is within the heart."
- 6-7-99 Becoming a Fanana of the Belly Dance-by Najia Marlyz
Instead of a musical slave, I believe it is your calling as a dancer to interplay with the music.
Memoirs and History
- 12-13-11 Saudis in America, Encounters of a Dancing Kind by Najia Marlyz
However, no. Instead, Prince X sent a drink to everyone at my table, except me, just to underscore his apparent disapproval of my offensive behavior…
- 9-2-11 Debunking the "Golden Era" of Bellydance, Part 2, Finding Your Gigs by Najia Marlyz
Nevertheless, you don’t have to wait for someone else to hire you; you can hire yourself!
- 8-29-11 Debunking the "Golden Era" of Bellydance, Part 1 by Najia
Just like today, dancers had to create the place, the time, and the excuse to show or “sell” our newly-found artistry or resign ourselves to dance in parks and on street-corners or in syncopated troupe dances forever. So much for creativity and self-expression…
- 1-24-10 A Fan Speaks with Nagwa Fu’ad by Najia Marlyz
Nagwa seems to have excelled in innovation and creativity with the new compositions. She dances with the old favorites, but shines with the new orchestras playing current pieces.
- 12-14-09 The Wine Glass or The Wine? Dance Conversation with My Mentor by Najia Marlyz
Sometimes, the mere beauty of glassware can be so impressive that it can far surpass the content.
- 9-9-08 Bert & Me: Vignettes From Our Partnership by Najia Marlyz
Though Bert might like to think of himself as a simple man, in fact, he is a very complex and private person whose lifetime is filled with famous and colorful characters and experiences.
- 3-5-07 My Dance Career’s Dark Side: As seen through a fog of murky emotion by Najia Marlyz
Will recounting my dark stories help me to purge them? Should one forget those special moments of insult and bad human behavior that all performers face?
- 1-12-07 The Magnificent Fundraiser Part IV: The Berkeley Fire Department and Act 3, Bert and Najia's Duet, Slideshow coding by Tammy Yee by Najia Marlyz
Near the end of our Second Act, the curtain began to smolder badly filling the air with an acrid stench and blue smoke...
- 6-18-06 The Magnificent Fundraiser Part Three: Acts I and II by Najia Marlyz
...today’s dancers and producers sometimes write that they believe that large stage shows with good sound and lighting, a Master of Ceremonies, and live music are only now starting production ...
- 4-7-06 The Magnificent Fundraiser, Part Two- Police Barriers Surround Event by Najia Marlyz
Over coffee, we decided that our fundraiser would have to be an extraordinary dance show rather than “just another student night” or worse yet, a studio recital.
- 1-30-06The Magnificent Fundraiser by Najia Marlyz
That included the Belly dance, which he confided in me (later) that he had hated, because it had been introduced to Greece during the time that Greece was under the suppression and control of the Turks.
- 3-31-05 Defiant Dancer: How I became a Dance Pioneer In a small 1970s California Community Festival by Najia Marlyz
My attitude turned from community spirit to outright defiance.
- 11-19-01 "A Star Remembered, The Maturation of a Career in Performing" by Najia Marlyz
... last thing in the world that I wanted for myself and my own dance career was to be a "forty year old belly dancer".
- 2-17-01 Zil Thrills in the '70s, Memories from another Viewpoint by Najia Marlyz
My experience with Bert was the opposite, however; the cymbals were hardly a secret.
- 12-16-99 The North Beach Project by Najia Marlyz
I took leave before I was invited to leave.
Costuming and Textiles
- 3-11-13 The One-of-a-kind Costume Still Fascinates:Re-envision, Recycle, Renew, and Remember by Najia Marlyz
Sometimes, perhaps more often than not, those people whom we love, and those things that we enjoy doing, introduce new facets into our lives that change our perspective of what becomes important to us in the long run.
- 11-24-07 Antique Textiles Part 3: Creating Your Unique Statement by Najia Marlyz
It is possible that you may never have performed professionally while wearing a lampshade on your head… but I have!
- 7-31-07 Part Two of Antique Textiles: Costuming Before the Reign of Egyptian Costumers by Najia Marlyz
I view today’s dance values as interlopers—meant to mitigate Belly dance’s checkered past by exchanging its innate free emotional expression for speed and difficulty of execution and an over-the-top outpouring of energy that
is neither sensual or exotic.
- 4-18-07 Antique Textiles: Renewed Life for Dance by Najia Marlyz
In fact, we often danced for many little luncheon gigs in offices and other places as a surprise birthday gift—to the music of our own solo sagat. Now, that is a skill that I have never seen anyone repeat since the early seventies!
- 9-15-05 Part Five; Lace and My Muses: Treasures by Najia Marlyz
I was looking at a piece of artwork featuring a classical dancer of the past, turning it this way and that to get a better view, and suddenly, I realized that I had lost contact with my treasured mentors and had also abandoned my sense
of artistic direction that they had helped to foster within me.
- 2-16-05 Lace and My Muses, Part 4 of 5:Tarnished StarDust by Najia Marlyz
Not until very recent times, could I admit, even to myself, that I had lost a large part of my creative thrust along with many of my treasured friendships because I had perceived wrongly that I needed to become more like the Egyptian and Lebanese
dancers of the day.
- 11-08-04 Lace and My Muses: In Search of A Personal Style Part Three by Najia Marlyz
I suggest that “elevating Belly dance” to the standards of western dance would be counter-productive in the long-term rather than a valid goal for us to desire.
- 8-3-04 Lace and My Muses: Everything Old Becomes New Again Section 1, Part Two by Najia Marlyz
Now it was the ancient, exotic art of Belly dancing and my fantasies of the bizarre life of a Belly dancer that smoked incense into my heart.
- 6-15-04 Lace and My Muses Part 1: Egyptian Mummy Lace or “Assiute Cloth” by Najia Marlyz
I fastened around my hips a white Assuite cloth encrusted with gold knots throughout, forming pictographs of falcons, pyramids, crosses, and diamond shaped designs.
Poetry and Allegories about Dance
Miscellany
- 7-29-11 Dancer Cancer, Part Two: Who? Me? by Najia Marlyz
Still, the human heart is woven with threads of hope, and mine did not doubt that if I could make it through the onslaught of doctors, surgeries, pain, and gymnastic therapy, I would, someday dance again.
- 6-26-11 Dancer Cancer, Part One: Hopping on One Foot by Najia Marlyz
Still, I was confident that there would be no further problem and that I was letting my vanity get the best of me. By wanting to look good, I had caused all my own discomfort, I reassured myself. He said I would have the biopsy report in a few days and to call my referral doctor to hear what the UC San Francisco laboratory report said.
- 5-26-08 Betty Th’ Builder: a Little Something Extra to Shake Co-written by Najia Marlyz and Salima
This year's "Grand Dancer" tells of her transformation from body builder to Bellydancer
- 6-16-05 Surreyya: Adding Dance to Her Repertoire by Najia Marlyz
Set choreographies are seldom the “stuff of dreams” but simply serve as crutches for the dancer who has not developed a “clean edge”.
- 2-25-04 Live Music and Me: The Third Sunday at El Morocco, Photos and story provided by Faridha, Written by Najia Marlyz
Live musicians, whether hot or just luke warm, alway confront the dancer with a set of variables.
- 10-22-02 A Story Written with Arabic Idioms; Why it is Difficult to Translate Arabic songs into English, Story by Annonymous, Translations and interpretations by Rima El-Mouzayen, Introduction by Najia Marlyz
“just try to read it in English and at the same time, think in Lebanese Arabic…if you can! "
- 7-31-00 MiniDisc Recorders-The Best Kept Secret for Music Lovers by Najia Marlyz
I would unhesitatingly recommend that, at the very least, a dancer should own a MiniDisc recorder for its editing function alone.
 Reviews
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