February 2007
Dear LUTSF
It is with pleasure that I finally submit the report on my
trip to
The opportunity to attend the two world-leading festivals in
the field of Oriental Dance and Middle East Folklore has changed my life.
Professionally, the outcomes are above my expectations. Personally, I had the
most fantastic experience. During the period I was in
Despite my plans, I decided not to perform in the festival
showcase. I realized that in order to receive feedback on my dancing, the only
available solution was arranging a one to one session with an expert. To my
relief, private tuition with Master teachers can be booked during the festival
period. Both events succeeded in attracting professionals from around the globe
and proved to be the heart of the Oriental Dance network.
I have gathered an impressive amount of information
including, valuable notes, video footage of the results achieved at the end of
each master class, video footage of the best live performances, hundreds of
pictures and Mini-disc recordings of the lectures I attended as well as of
informal talks between fellow professionals and myself, in a variety of
subjects.
Besides my weekly shows in Brighton, I presented five Stage
Performances since I arrived back from
The highlight of this trip to
Thank you.
Sincerely yours,
Joice Marise S. Pereira
Here are
some suggestions, which could help future awardees if participating in any of
the mentioned festivals.
Traveling alone
Make the most of your experience by
sharing accommodation with other single participants. The festival organizers
are happy to arrange the matches and they usually provide information so
roommates can exchange emails before departing to
Managing the timetable and choosing
workshops
These festivals are known for the
high number of workshops and teachers on offer. A minimum of three classes
takes place simultaneously, in the mornings, afternoons and early evenings. It
gives the participants the chance to create their own timetable according to
their interests and budget. The fact is that the outcomes will vary according
to the choices made by the participants. There are common mistakes to be aware
of. It is very important to avoid exhaustion as well as frustration led by the
feeling of “wasted time and money”.
- Be
realistic about the number of activities you take on. The festival has also
lots to offer outside the classrooms and late evening performances take place
through out the week. 3hrs length workshops will require good physical
condition so make sure you save sometime for food and sleep.
- Avoid disappointment and do not
select classes simply picking by the instructor or by the style. Learn both,
the teacher’s profile and about the style on offer. Check on the website, read the
festival booklets and ask for advise from fellow
participants, preferably a professional who has previous experience at
festivals or with the teacher in question.
- Be aware of the technical requirements
of each workshop and be flexible regarding the teaching techniques used by the
master instructors as it might vary according to their generation and
background.
Performing at the festivals
If you can handle the pressure and
are looking for artistic exposure, it is worth paying for a slot in the
festivals competitions. These night-time open stages can go on forever! Either
showcase or competition, try to book your spot early so you can perform within
the first lot and hopefully you will catch an excited audience and a full table
of judges/experts. But, if what you really are looking for is feedback on your
dancing skills and performance, avoid stage slot fees and invest your money in
private tuition with the Master teacher of your choice.
Report from Joice Marise
With
the support of LUTSF, I travelled
to Cairo
From
the moment I started my journey, a rich cultural statement surrounded me. At
the Egypt Air flight to Cairo I watched black and white Egyptian musicals,
which are, known to have played an important role in establishing the Raks Sharqi or, Oriental Dance
style and which displayed artists known today as the “Golden Era” dancers and
singers. The airplane staff convinced me that I should go to a specific area in
Old Cairo in order to purchase a traditional Galabeya
dress. On the way to my hotel, the driver who collected me at the airport
played a cassette and tried to explain to me about the composer. Despite my
null Arabic, I knew what he was talking about, as it was an “oldie” and also a
favorite of mine.
It
is such a relief to see that those cultural treasures have not been forgotten
or discarded. As a western practitioner of Oriental Dancing, I feel that to be
able to trace back the development of the style is a necessity and the search
for the roots and the traditional is a constant, as related subjects do matter.
During the past decades, Cairo
The Festivals and the Dance training
I attended the two leading festivals in the field of
Oriental Dance and Folklore. Both events were held at Hotels in the Giza District, besides the Great Pyramids site in Cairo
I first took part in the Nile Group Festival, which had a
gathering of around 120 participants and had a real community feeling to it.
The organizers provide us with a high quality event where, teachers, attendees
and staff were closely involved professionally and socially. The training
program was carefully planed and the amount of participants
in each class was limited. The dance sessions were accompanied by live
drumming.
The style/subjects I chose to study included Classical
Oriental, Awallin, Modern Oriental and Folklore. I
took part in master classes led by Freiz, Lubna Emam, Aida Nour, Liza Laziza,
Mohamed Kazafy, Neveen Ramez, Khaled Mahmoud,
Dandash, Dr. Farida Fahmy and Dr. Hassan Khalil. It was quite extraordinary to observe closely such
a display of artistic generations. I feel that I was able to experience and
capture their distinctive vocabularies. I found that these particular teachers
are true to their background when it comes to their dancing style and their
teaching approaches. I was deeply touched by the “genuine feeling” evoked by
the older generation and I was also inspired by the
“visions” of the younger artistes. One of the highlights was Dr. Farida Fahmy’s lecture. She told
us how legendary figure Mahmoud Reda’s
passion for dance resulted in a life dedicated to research and to the creation
of an artistic interpretation of the Egyptian folklore, leading to the creation
of the country’s first National Ballet. As first ever soloist of the Reda Troupe, she cleared up misunderstandings about the
folkloric repertoire and helped us to understand how it has influenced the
Oriental Dance style. As the once higher educated daughter of a wealthy and
respected family, she gave us a good idea of the intellectual scene of that
time, the taboos they faced, the nationalist movement of the period and the
role it has played on the cultural production of the country.
A week later I joined another 840 dance enthusiasts at the Ahlan Wa
Sahlan Festival, a highly recommended
experience but, it must be said, not always a smooth one. I found it hard to
accept the ridiculous number of attendees allowed in the classrooms during the
most popular workshops. I did tackle the situation, as I profited immensely
from these particular master teachers, but to those who were unfamiliar with
the teacher’s style and for those less experienced, it was a different story
and it seemed terribly frustrating. There was an
impressive number of workshops on offer and some truly worthy teachers.
Dance sessions were accompanied by
live drumming. The
style/subjects I studied included Classical Oriental, Egyptian Balady, Egyptian Rhythmic Studies and Music interpretation.
I took part in master classes led by Momo Kadous, Randa Kamel,
Nani Sabri, Yasmina, Asmahan, Diana, Sarah
Farouk and Emad El Rashidi.
Teaching techniques through the practice of routines and choreography
proved to be a popular approach between instructors and to be highly
appreciated by attendees. I witnessed genial use of the
technique to visually classical music pieces and a more intuitive way of
expressing the popular songs. It helped me to understand that in order
to be a complete dancer, both approaches, technical and intuitive, should be
developed and given the same attention, as each one of them serves its own
purpose in the Oriental Dance context.
The highlights of my timetable were the master classes on
music interpretation and rhythmic studies, taught by Sarah Farouk and Diana. I
have not only deepened my understanding of Egyptian music, but I also learnt
new ways of dancing and presenting its rhythmic complexity. I was pleased to
receive individual attention during a proposed reflection on improvisation.
Live Performances
These festivals allow its participants to be active, as well
as to be a spectator, creating an appropriated environment for both
experimentation and reflection. The opportunity to observe several high
standard performances accompanied by live Egyptian orchestra was unique and
enabled me to analize several subjects related to
Oriental Dance/Music stage performance, such as “table” and choices of
repertoire, choreography x improvisation, addition of folkloric numbers and the
atmosphere evoked. An earlier reflection and the preparation of a questionnaire
helped me keep focus and gave me clear answers while completing the task. Also,
by watching so many artistes I witnessed a variety of styles, costume trends
and performance concepts. It became clear that a common point between the top
dancers is how successful they are in incorporating their personalities and
establishing their own style within the Egyptian Oriental Dance form.
Folkloric dance performances took place at the Gala Shows at
both festivals. The Egyptian Sufi Tanoura proved to
be a very popular number. Regarding the Egyptian Folkloric Ballet, it seems
that not much has changed since the establishment of Mahmoud
Reda’s repertoire. The Ahlan
Wa Sahlan
festival presented us with a varied number of folkloric performances, which
included the famous Egyptian dancing horses, puppetry, and genuine Gawazze performance. Twice, the Nile Group team treated us
with evening programs outside the hotel, where we were able to watch popular
theatre and folkloric dance shows and socialize in a more Egyptian atmosphere.
Benefits
By passing through intensive dance training I polished my
technique, improved my improvisational ability and learnt new skills. By
attending a huge variety of quality dance performances, I did benefit from
being exposed to the most traditional as well as modern concepts and
contemporary ideas. I have deepened my understanding of the Egyptian folklore
and its role in the Oriental dance context, helping me to identify the
distinctions between what is authentic and what is artistic
interpretation/creation. By integrating an international scene, I experienced
intense artistic exchange. I enjoyed professional networking and the results
were both immediate and promising long term. The “go and see the practice in
the country” experience is one not to be missed by artists who are seriously
committed to Egyptian Dance. By immersing myself in the culture, I was able to
find explanations to various moods and movement qualities brought into the
dance.
Conclusions
Through this experience, I have not
only improved my dancing skills but, I have also been inspired and most
important, I have grown in confidence. As a performer, teacher and
choreographer, I am now aware of what I have already achieved and what I need
to work on. I can contextualize my individual practice within this art form.
The information and the material that I have collected will be extremely useful
for both teaching and creative processes. I have a lot to continue studying
with and a lot of experience to pass on.