Perceptions of Eastern Dances And Cultures

 

Alia, thanks for sparing some of your time. Would you mind introduce yourself first? Who is the artist, the dancer Alia?

Thank you for reaching out to me! I am a dancer of Lebanese heritage currently living in Dallas, TX. I’ve been performing belly dance for about 12 years. My father is a musician and music has always been a big part of my life. My passion for music is what inspires me to dance.

 

 

 

Where did you get your dance education from? What have been the most crucial points and teachers on your way as a dancer?

My first teacher was Zein Al-Jundi - she is a Syrian woman residing in Austin, TX. I am lucky to have initially learned from her as she is not only a wonderful dancer (and singer) but her style is very authentic and raw. I live in Dallas now and I have been training here mostly with Vashti, who is an amazing dancer and instructor who has been studying the dance intensively for many years. She actually used to perform with my father and uncle back in the day, so I have known her since I was a child!

 

 I started performing belly dance with a burlesque troupe about 5 years ago and the burlesque artists really inspired me to improve certain aspects of my performances, such as putting more effort into theatrics and stage presence, being more creative with costuming, and setting a mood. These elements are present in belly dance of course, but are I feel like they were somewhat more emphasized in the golden era more than they are today.

 

 Another crucial point for me was a couple of years ago when I was laid off from my day job and finally decided to try and make it as a full-time dancer. I gained much more time to dedicate to the dance. This, plus having good friends in my dance troupe who have also dedicated their careers to dance, helped me to mentally embrace having the label of “dancer” as an occupation. Most people do not take belly dancing seriously and don’t treat it with the same respect as other art forms. I got negative reactions from several family members when I first took up belly dancing. Even though I loved the dance, this reaction by people that were close to me made me also feel somewhat embarrassed about it when I first began performing. It made me subconsciously look at the dance form as nothing more than a hobby. Luckily, I grew to unapologetically embrace it as a serious art form and also came to a place where I could care less what anybody thinks about what I do. I couldn’t be happier and wish I had made the decision to become a full-time dancer years ago!

 

 

You come from a lebanese background. How do you feel is your approach to the dance/music maybe different in comparison to dancers without a native ME background? Or is there no traceable difference in your opinion?

I feel like music and dance is in my blood, and even though I don’t speak much Arabic, I connect very deeply with Middle Eastern music. My father is an amazing musician. He plays the doumbek, nay and many other percussion instruments from around the world. My uncle is also a great musician who plays guitar, bass and oud. I was fortunate to grow up in a house full of music and to often see belly dancing as a kid. I’m not sure if my passion for music is something that is innate, or is a result of my exposure to music being the daughter of a drummer – probably a bit of both. But I think that being exposed to Middle Eastern rhythms and instruments from a young age has definitely been advantageous for me in this dance as musicality is something that has always come naturally to me.

 

 I don’t think you have a Middle Eastern background to have a deep connection with the music, however. I also feel very connected to Brazilian music and other music from around the world and have no hereditary connections to these countries. But I do think this strong connection with the music you are dancing to must be present to be successful. I have come across online postings of dancers saying they love belly dance but don’t particularly like the music. This totally baffles me. I can’t comprehend how you can love a dance style but not like the music that inspires it. You are supposed to be interpreting the music with your body, if you cannot appreciate the music, your dance will be superficial and people are not going to connect with it.

 

 

Which style of „Belly Dance“/Oriental dances do you perform and what are the characteristics of your style?

My style of dance is highly influenced by the “Golden Era” and the belly dancing from the 60’s and 70’s – so “Vintage Style” belly dance. Glamour, simplicity, improvisation and a lighthearted, joyful spirit characterize this style. Performing vintage style belly dance nowadays is more than just replicating movements that were popular in those years, it is channeling the feeling behind those movements that is the goal.

 

 

What makes the „Golden Era“ style so special for you? Whats the magic about it?

Other than the magnificent music and gorgeous costumes, the magic of the golden era is the spirit behind the dance. Dancers in this time were truly dancing from their hearts. They exuded so much joy in their dance that the audience members (and youtube viewers ?) couldn’t help but feel it too. The dance had soul, and it was sensual and free.

 

 

 

What does dance mean to you in your personal life?

On a general level, dance, as well as music, are not really separate from my personal life. Even when I’m not working or practicing, I pretty much have music playing constantly and am frequently dancing around my apartment. Not just to Middle Eastern music, but samba and all different types. I have several good friends who are dancers and I have amazing musicians in my family. I feel like music and dance are engrained in who I am.

 

 When I first started dance training, it was just something I did for fun, as a hobby and side gig. But over the years I came to appreciate how powerful dance is on a much deeper level. At one point, I was going through a hard time emotionally, and at the time the last thing I felt like doing was getting dressed up and dancing, but I had no choice since it was my job. I realized that after a performance, I was in a great mood and had forgotten about my troubles. I then recognized that dance does so much more for my wellbeing than I had realized. It’s actually a form of meditation. When I am dancing, I am not thinking about anything going on in my life, I am completely in the moment and in the music.

 

 

In your opinion, where is a good place to start research about Vintage style Oriental Dance or Oriental Dance,

Raqs Sharqi in general? Any advice for the serious dancer?

For vintage style, youtube is a great resource. There are countless inspirational video clips from back in the old days that you can watch and study. There are many nuances to this dance that you cannot learn from just videos, of course, and cultural context is also important. But videos are great for inspiration. There are also many insightful articles online about some of the famous dancers of the past. If you are lucky, some of these dancers who are still around may teach workshops in your area, which are invaluable. Even if they aren’t teaching this particular style anymore, you can learn so much from just being around them and experiencing their energies. Regardless of any style, I think we should always strive to learn more and continue to get new perspectives from a variety of dancers and teachers.

 

Also, Radio Bastet podcasts are an excellent resource for vintage belly dance music. I always feel inspired after listening to these shows and can’t recommend them enough.

 

 

What do you feel went missing (speaking of nowadays dancers) in comparison to the days long gone? I sometimes feel its a bit like the loss of the glory the old Hollywood days… the glamour, the mark went missing. Can you agree to that or do you have a different perception? What might even be better today?

I feel that dance today has steered away from its soulful origins and is now more focused on wowing the crowd with complicated choreographies, intense isolations and acrobatics. While these things can be fun to watch and are definitely impressive, it’s rare to see dancers just joyfully dancing from their hearts, which was the norm in the old days. I think dancers often get so wrapped up in technique and choreography that they lose sight of the feeling and passion behind it all.

 

 In addition, the music has changed a lot. We rarely get the opportunity to dance to live music these days, and the recorded music that comes out is made on computers and keyboards rather than live instruments – it feels empty, there is no soul behind it. It’s hard to dance from your heart when the music has no soul. The big orchestras from the past no doubt had a big influence on the soulfulness of the dancers.

 

 

What are your activities as a dancer/teacher like? You live Dallas, Texas, do you teach weekly classes or regular workshops there? Do you also work internationally?

Belly dance is not only my passion but it’s my job and main source of income. I perform about eight shows a week on average. I don’t teach a weekly class at this time but hope to in the future. To be honest, even though I have been performing for 12 years now, teaching has always made me nervous – it’s a whole different ballgame and comes with a new set of responsibilities. I also still feel like a student in so many ways. I will always be a student of this dance, of course, but I am working on how to convey what I am good at to other people. I taught a couple of workshops in February here in Dallas and am looking forward to getting out of my comfort zone and taking on more opportunities to teach.

 

 

What countries have you been to to perform and teach? Where do you badly want to go?

 Last year I performed in Singapore for the Formula 1 races, which was a great gig. I have also performed several times in Bali. I have visited many other countries but out of wanderlust rather than for dance. I’m hoping to travel more with my dance in the future. I’ve been to the Middle East (Lebanon and Syria), but I would really love to go to Egypt one day and immerse myself in the music and dance scene there, as well as Morocco. I’m very drawn to traditional tribal music and dance and would love to see Ghawazee performances in Egypt and Gnawa in Morocco. These two countries are at the top of my list.

 

 

What is the most important thing/attitude about the dance you teach that you want to pass onto your students. How do you do that?

Other than staying true to yourself and your vision as we discussed before, I think being comfortable improvising is very important in this dance form. This is something I am trying to figure out how to teach. It seems difficult because it is really something that comes from within yourself, so it is hard to relay to other people in words. But there are tools and tips that help the process which I am working on identifying and organizing for future classes.

 

 

How big is the interest in „Vintage Style“ in the US? Is there maybe some kind of revival we will see in the near future?

I think a lot of dancers look up to dancers from the golden era etc. but I don’t personally see many dancers performing this style. There is definitely a vintage revival going on in other communities, such as burlesque, and in pop culture, and I think this will trickle down and influence more interest in vintage belly dance as well. I really hope so because it is hard to find belly dance costumes in that glamorous vintage style! I am selfishly hoping for a revival so I can have more access to costumes! I’m joking, sort of. ;-)

 

 

Do you have a favorite dancer on the silver screen ? Which dancers are your biggest inspiration?

That is a hard question! My favorites are always changing, but currently I have found myself most drawn to and inspired by Nagwa Fouad, Nadia Gamal, and Katy.

 

 

What are your wishes for the future dance scene?

I hope to see belly dance gain popularity and appreciation in the U.S. beyond just the dance scene. One of the things I love most about performing in the burlesque shows is that they draw a very diverse crowd of people. I have people come up to me after the shows saying they had never seen belly dancing before and fell in love with it, and then other people who know the dance form and were delighted to see it in the show. I feel like most belly dance events are marketed solely to other belly dancers and therefore the dance form remains niche and exclusive. We don’t get many opportunities to dance on stage for the general public. I would love to someday see big, well-produced shows that showcase the various music and dances of the Middle East and North Africa in a way that will attract diverse audiences and garner the attention and appreciation that these art forms deserve.

 

 

Most disturbing thing you experienced in relation to dance recently?

I have been very surprised by some of the things I’ve seen on social media in the belly dance community. Particularly dancers and musicians outside of Middle Eastern heritage posting articles and opinions with anti-Arab sentiments, or supporting Donald Trump, lol.

 

 

Most beautiful thing you experienced in relation to dance recently?

I am lucky that I get to perform so much and experience beautiful moments in dance pretty regularly – I love dancing at weddings or parties where people get up to dance with you and everyone is totally blissed out and in the same joyful zone dancing together. Or when little girls are completely enthralled by your dance - sometimes they are just hypnotized by the sparkles - but other times it’s more than that and you can see it in their eyes. Or just when an audience member is really connecting with your dance and you can see on their face the happiness that it brings them.

 

 

Any future plans you wanna share with us?I will be dancing at the Fares Karam concert in Dallas this week which I am very excited about. Other than that, I have some tentative things in the works, but nothing I can share at the time. I would love for anyone who is interested to follow me on my Facebook page or website for updates:

 Http://aliamohamed.com

 http://facebook.com/mohalia

 

 

Anything I didn’t mention but you wanna share with us? Things that need to be said?

Space for some free thoughts here.

I think I have rambled enough, lol. Just want to say thanks to you and everyone else who support and dignify this art form, and especially those who have dedicated so much time to studying its history and evolution, and who selflessly share their knowledge with the rest of the world