Interview with London based Dance Instructor/Dancer
Leila Molaei
"...as with all Middle Eastern dances, you should access through the passion for music and culture door..."
Leila, thanks for sparing some of
your precious time to answer this interview. Would you mind to introduce yourself first? Who is the artist, the woman, the human being Leila Molaei and what is your craft/dance/cultural
activities about?
Thank you for wanting to know more about me! OK, so I was born and spent most of my childhood in London. My father opened, and I lived in the flat above, one of the first Middle Eastern restaurants here in the heart of the Arab/Iranian area of London - still standing today.
The area was and still is a mini GCC. In fact we joke the area is the seventh Gulf state. I've got a mixed family - and English mother and my father's side comes from the South of Iran. My two passions are dancing/teaching and writing. I've had a long and varied career artistically and non-artistically, but I have always been involved in
some sort communications role with a cultural element.
Where did you get your dance education from? What have been the most crucial points and teachers on your way as a dancer?
Thank you for wanting to know more about me! OK, so I was born and spent most of my childhood in London. My father opened, and I lived in the flat above, one of the first Middle Eastern restaurants here in the heart of the Arab/Iranian area of London - still standing today.
The area was and still is a mini GCC. In fact we joke the area is the seventh Gulf state. I've got a mixed family - and English mother and my father's side comes from the South of Iran. My two passions are dancing/teaching and writing. I've had a long and varied career artistically and non-artistically, but I have always been involved in
some sort communications role with a cultural element.
Where did you get your dance education from? What have been the most crucial points and teachers on your way as a dancer?
I learnt dance as a child. Formally I studied the dances normal to a British kid growing up in 1980/90s - ballet,
tap, contemporary.
Informally I was doing all sorts of Middle Eastern dances with my family and friends.
Informally I was doing all sorts of Middle Eastern dances with my family and friends.
I took up formal study of Middle Eastern dances in 2005. I have had some great teachers and influencers: Jo Wise,
Lillie Naor, Asmahan, Khaled Mahmoud, Shafeek Ibrahim and many more, as well as what I witnessed as a child in Turkey (I visited several times
growing up for family reasons) - the countless belly dancers in the hotels and restaurants - as well as the dancers they brought from Lebanon to London - from memory that was in Maroush, a famous chain of Lebanese restaurants. I really enjoyed watching these Lebanese and Turkish dancers.
You perform and teach several forms of Iraqi and Gulf Dance (as far as I understood they can hardly be seen as one dance, each is a form of its own, correct me here if I am mistaken). Which ones are those and what are their characteristics.
Yes you are right, there are many dances from this region. Let's start with the basics:
Khaliji refers is any country in the Khalij - i.e. the Gulf. In dance/rhythm terms we use it for the GCC countries, so we exclude Iran and Iraq, but we also include some Yemeni music. Yemen is pretty much the historical birthplace of all Khaliji art. Within Khaliji there are different types of dances and rhythms. For example khebeyti (KSA),
dosari (KSA), adeni (Yemen), samri (Kuwait), yowlah (UAE) and many more.
In conclusion, there is a homogeneous 'Gulf' culture which extends from Yemen all the way round the coastline to Southern Iran. Within each country there is also individual culture and styles stemming from the local culture with influences of the region. You can also say there is a modern Gulf dance style which links most people in the Gulf.
The two countries with the longest coastlines along the Gulf - Iran and KSA, also have a lot more than just Gulf culture, when you move away from the coast. For example, Northern Saudi Arabia is closer to Jordan and Iran also has many influences - from North to South it's completely different. That goes for Iraq, too. Basrawi dance/music
(from Basra in the South of Iraq) is somewhat different and developed from most of the other Khaliji dances, so it deserves its own dance/music category. Gypsies from the South of Iraq (many of whom have fled the area) also have their take on Iraqi dances, which most Middle Eastern dancers will know as the hair tossing/head spinning dance (although this is actually Iraqi, not gypsy origin, but the gypsy influence is undeniable). Those gypsies originally came from Iran and the area which spans the South of both Iran and Iraq is pretty identical in culture. For example in Ahwaz (Iran) they speak Iraqi Arabic and dance Chobi. Some parts of Southern Iran are more identical to the Emirati, Omani and Kuwaiti culture, in terms of clothing and the type of Arabic they speak. In Southern Iran you can find local dances like Bandari. I am a bit of a mish-mash - my family in Tehran would have little Khaliji exposure compared to me because of what I experienced in London, ironically.
Whats the most important value and skill a dancer should carry in her attitude towards the dance and in her performance?
growing up for family reasons) - the countless belly dancers in the hotels and restaurants - as well as the dancers they brought from Lebanon to London - from memory that was in Maroush, a famous chain of Lebanese restaurants. I really enjoyed watching these Lebanese and Turkish dancers.
You perform and teach several forms of Iraqi and Gulf Dance (as far as I understood they can hardly be seen as one dance, each is a form of its own, correct me here if I am mistaken). Which ones are those and what are their characteristics.
Yes you are right, there are many dances from this region. Let's start with the basics:
Khaliji refers is any country in the Khalij - i.e. the Gulf. In dance/rhythm terms we use it for the GCC countries, so we exclude Iran and Iraq, but we also include some Yemeni music. Yemen is pretty much the historical birthplace of all Khaliji art. Within Khaliji there are different types of dances and rhythms. For example khebeyti (KSA),
dosari (KSA), adeni (Yemen), samri (Kuwait), yowlah (UAE) and many more.
In conclusion, there is a homogeneous 'Gulf' culture which extends from Yemen all the way round the coastline to Southern Iran. Within each country there is also individual culture and styles stemming from the local culture with influences of the region. You can also say there is a modern Gulf dance style which links most people in the Gulf.
The two countries with the longest coastlines along the Gulf - Iran and KSA, also have a lot more than just Gulf culture, when you move away from the coast. For example, Northern Saudi Arabia is closer to Jordan and Iran also has many influences - from North to South it's completely different. That goes for Iraq, too. Basrawi dance/music
(from Basra in the South of Iraq) is somewhat different and developed from most of the other Khaliji dances, so it deserves its own dance/music category. Gypsies from the South of Iraq (many of whom have fled the area) also have their take on Iraqi dances, which most Middle Eastern dancers will know as the hair tossing/head spinning dance (although this is actually Iraqi, not gypsy origin, but the gypsy influence is undeniable). Those gypsies originally came from Iran and the area which spans the South of both Iran and Iraq is pretty identical in culture. For example in Ahwaz (Iran) they speak Iraqi Arabic and dance Chobi. Some parts of Southern Iran are more identical to the Emirati, Omani and Kuwaiti culture, in terms of clothing and the type of Arabic they speak. In Southern Iran you can find local dances like Bandari. I am a bit of a mish-mash - my family in Tehran would have little Khaliji exposure compared to me because of what I experienced in London, ironically.
Whats the most important value and skill a dancer should carry in her attitude towards the dance and in her performance?
To stay true to the art, no matter what personal or artistic influences you incorporate. To respect and immerse
yourself in the culture you are portraying.
What does dance mean to you in your personal life?
What does dance mean to you in your personal life?
Actually it's a personal struggle. For marriage/family and health reasons, I haven't been able to do half the things I wanted to. But at the same time, it saved me, it was always there for me and it those struggles actually pushed me to go in a direction that I may not have considered. So I am thankful for how it has all worked out.
In your opinion, where is a good place to start research about the Peninsula and Iraq dances? Any advice for the serious dancer?
Well I would definitely recommend the facebook group I co-run with Mark Balahadia (www.facebook.com/groups/peninsulariraqiran), as an interactive way of dipping your toes in the water! Aside from that, you should definitely learn with a reputable teacher. The ones I like and think have the most integrity are the teachers that actually learnt and spent time with people from these
geographical areas. There are quite a few, and depending on where you are, some of the people I highly recommend are Mark Balahadia, Khadijah, Kay Hardy Campbell, Aisha Azar, Irina Belopolskaya, Tatiana Eshta and Warda Maravilha. There are others, I just can't list them all here. I'm also quite a good teacher myself! When choosing a teacher for Khaliji, Iraqi or Southern Iranian dances, you need a specialist teacher, not someone who does it as a small sideline to their Egyptian belly dance.
Music and culture are both extremely important. It is no longer acceptable or excusable to think Khaliji dance is just about putting a thobe on and tossing your long hair to outdated and overused Khaliji pop music. This worked 20-30 years ago when Khaliji was a rarity and Gulf visitors to Egypt and London would've been surprised and delighted by a nod to their culture. It's also unacceptable for people to do the same with Iraqi dances - it is so much more than spinning your head while holding belly dance arm position. So for this reason, as with all Middle Eastern dances, you should access through the passion for music and culture door. Of course, some dancers will have
come across these dances via belly dance. In this case, I recommend you go to the clubs, you listen to the music and you speak to the people, especially musicians. Musicians have unique insights that even some top dancers don't have - they see a lot of dancers (professionals and the general public), they grew up in the culture and they know the music. Despite my own cultural background, and having a lot of friends and family from these cultures, I still did and do a lot of work to consolidate everything I learn. I have always been in the Gulf and Iraqi clubs most weekends. Even when I'm not dancing, I'm observing. I'm listening to music and watching TV, I'm speaking with my friends and following social media to keep up to date and push my knowledge of
the traditional even further.
What are your activities as a dancer/teacher like? You live in London/UK, Do you teach weekly classes or regular workshops there? Do you also work internationally?
I no longer teach weekly classes, although I may return to it at some point. I am enjoying writing and researching much more right now. But my main passion is still teaching.
I recently taught in Serbia which was fantastic. I can't express the passion and commitment I witnessed from Amani,
Nina and Jelena and their students. I hope to teach in more of Europe in 2016 and also return to teaching in the USA. I was also very grateful to lecture and teach at Shereen's SHRQ symposium in
Prague. Although dance is the basis of what I do, there is so much more to me, and I like to give my students an all round education. I like to share with them the histories, the anecdotes and my
own
personal experiences. I would also love to teach in South East Asia.
What is the most important thing/attitude about the dance you teach that you want to pass onto your students?
Toolkit! I give you all the information, the background, the musical knowledge, the culture, the dance technique - essentially a framework.
I teach my students to think critically and work things out through asking questions and applying logic. And then you take that away and use your toolkit to make what you can from it. That way the artists are empowered by knowledge and make their own artistic decisions with confidence. They are not limited by the culture, instead they know all the options they have and how to do the dance justice. I was so happy
when a student I worked with messaged me to tell me since applying the things I taught her, she had turned around a certain Gulf state ambassador's opinion of her dancing, and impressed him with what she knew. These are the things that keep me going.
How is your perception of the nowadays dance scene?
personal experiences. I would also love to teach in South East Asia.
What is the most important thing/attitude about the dance you teach that you want to pass onto your students?
Toolkit! I give you all the information, the background, the musical knowledge, the culture, the dance technique - essentially a framework.
I teach my students to think critically and work things out through asking questions and applying logic. And then you take that away and use your toolkit to make what you can from it. That way the artists are empowered by knowledge and make their own artistic decisions with confidence. They are not limited by the culture, instead they know all the options they have and how to do the dance justice. I was so happy
when a student I worked with messaged me to tell me since applying the things I taught her, she had turned around a certain Gulf state ambassador's opinion of her dancing, and impressed him with what she knew. These are the things that keep me going.
How is your perception of the nowadays dance scene?
I feel like the London scene is somewhat quiet in terms of teaching and I wish we had more of a scene that I see in other countries, with lots of well established schools.
However, the scene in London in terms of Middle Eastern culture is huge and there to be taken advantage of, so I would encourage more students to immerse themselves in that aspect!
Recently „cultural appropriation“ is a huge topic among some groups of dancers. Basically it says that a certain attributes of a suppressed culture are taken by a oppressor culture and are used out of context, mostly in a disrespectful or inconsiderate way. How do we see this in M.E dances? Where is the line between appreciation and appropriation? What can a dancer do to not fall into the trap?
I don't know where the line between appreciation and appropriation occurs exactly, but I think the what I mentioned above - entering the dance through the love of culture (and music) helps. For example, all your learning as a dancer should not just occur in and only be valued from a dance studio, with someone teaching you who had little or no
contact with that culture. Equally, people who accessed the dance through hanging around the clubs that you see very few non Arabs at, what may be described as dirty or ghetto, are huge playgrounds for dancers to learn and absorb so much. Some of the best teachers and dancers I know are the ones that count Arabs and musicians as their friends, who perhaps can't quote a household name with who they learnt a not so popular folk dance with.
An example of when appreciation occurs for me, is when a dancer or student is able to crack a joke about that
culture and the people of that culture laugh with you and
you laugh along with them, because your joke came out of knowledge and love of their culture. Appreciation is studying enough of the dance to not want to change things beyond recognition or bring in alien elements, because you see the beauty in the existing art. In my opinion, if we focus purely on the positive (appreciation), the
negative (appropriation) would not occur.
What are your wishes for the future dance scene?
you laugh along with them, because your joke came out of knowledge and love of their culture. Appreciation is studying enough of the dance to not want to change things beyond recognition or bring in alien elements, because you see the beauty in the existing art. In my opinion, if we focus purely on the positive (appreciation), the
negative (appropriation) would not occur.
What are your wishes for the future dance scene?
I will, selfishly, talk about my specialist areas. I would hope that all dancers wanting to perform and pass on knowledge of Iraqi and Gulf dances study the folk roots of these dances. And also that they do not slap the gypsy label on their Iraqi dance without knowing what they are really talking about.
Just like Egyptian belly dance, folk is the basis and gives you a great foundation. For me it's the same in Iraqi
and Gulf dances, you need to know the folk and traditional dances to be really good in understanding and presenting the dance, even in the modern style. Furthermore, I don't see how someone can
claim to do Iraqi gypsy (Kawlee) dance without having studied from those people first, second or third hand AND without knowing Iraqi folk dances. A good teacher should be able to show her
students how these dances are related and influence each other, and the point that they go off on their own tangent. Going back to Gulf dances, I also hope that the newer teachers (and some of
the older ones) are able to explain the different styles and music to their students to give them a rounded education. Most of the teachers I quoted earlier do this. But there are far too many
teachers who don't know the difference between a Saudi and an Emirati song and equally cannot spot the different dance techniques. The most important thing a good teacher knows is what she
doesn't know.
Most disturbing thing you experienced in relation to dance recently?
Probably racist remarks through social media..
Most beautiful thing you experienced in relation to dance recently?
That's difficult because there are so many. But I guess right now, due to current events and my comment above, is realising how many allies we have in the industry. Women that have dedicated so much of their time to learning about dance and culture off their own back. It's very comforting knowing that these ladies are standing up for what's right.
Most disturbing thing you experienced in relation to dance recently?
Probably racist remarks through social media..
Most beautiful thing you experienced in relation to dance recently?
That's difficult because there are so many. But I guess right now, due to current events and my comment above, is realising how many allies we have in the industry. Women that have dedicated so much of their time to learning about dance and culture off their own back. It's very comforting knowing that these ladies are standing up for what's right.
Any future plans you wann share
with us?
The Middle Eastern side of me can't divulge due to fear of being struck by the evil eye! But I think 2016 will be a much better year as I had some personal issues this year which meant I couldn't do as much as I wanted dance wise.
The Middle Eastern side of me can't divulge due to fear of being struck by the evil eye! But I think 2016 will be a much better year as I had some personal issues this year which meant I couldn't do as much as I wanted dance wise.
Interview by Hanan