February 1998

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with scan or artwork ................................................................. $25.00
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San Diego Area Middle Eastern Dance Association I
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Monthly News
JebruAr!J 1998
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All Fees Reflect a SAMEDA Discount:
Add $5.00 per item for non-members.
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Board Member Scherezade (Scottie Schultz)
of Arabian Nights Entertainment (see page 26)
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.,,Se1me,le1 tl!)onthli, vVews • • • Jebrue1ri, 1998
SAMEDA
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JebruAri, 1998 • • • .,,Se1me,le1 llt)onthli, vVews • • • -
Monthly News
SAMEDA FEEJNUA,?Y 1998 CALENDAR
the official publication of the
San Diego Area Middle Eastern Dance Association
Su
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Send membership renewals ($20.00 per year) , ads, and flyers (see
back cover for advertsing rates) to :
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SAM EDA
P.O. Box 40378
San Diego, CA 92164-0378
President:
Vice-President:
Treasurer:
Editor:
Member Secretary:
Secretary:
Mary Ann Nowell
Meleah
Theresa Freese
Lily Splane
Susan Teal
Francena Sherburne
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• I
I
We need your announcements, events notices, reviews, articles,
photos , artwork, and any other information you wish to share .
SAMEDA accepts original material submitted by the author/artist with
a valid return address. Mail submissions to:
Lily Splane, Editor
2739 Wightman Street
San Diego, CA 92104-3526
(Please don't use the editor as your personal secretary, or use her
answer machine for dictation. Written or typed copy helps eliminate
errors, aids in info verification, and keeps the editor from going
bald .)
Submission Guidelines
[~lJbrnissi<>11s deadline is t~~ ~~ of each month. Due to
ocassional space constraints, non-time-sensitive items may
be held over till the next issue.
Submissions should be typed or legibly handwrittenpreferably double-spaced with adequate margins.
Submissions on disk are acceptable (even preferred) in PC
and Mac platforms. Disks will be returned if you include a
postpaid mailer. Due to the new streamlined format, we accept
typeset material only for advertisements.
If you scan your own photos, please do not halftone
them-scan them as"grayscale"(16 grays) or"black and white
photo" in your scanning program.
Avoid scheduling conflicts-use these at-a-glance calendars!
SAN\EDA IYIAl<Ci-11998 CALENDAR
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..,Snmelln 'l'!)onthl!I ~ews • • • Jebrun'!I 1998
Wh11 Should J /foi11
SM1tVA7
Jebrunl'fl 1998 • • • ..,Snmelln 'l'!)onthl!I ~ews • • • -
3-
Lefler from the
Pre~ident
Se11efits for Members 011/y!
1)
2)
3)
12 monthly issues of San Diego's only Middle Eastern danceoriented publication.
Up-to-date belly dance class listings for San Diego.
Up-to-date calendar for dance-related events in San Diego,
plus selected out-of-town and out-of-state events.
4)
Member-written articles on dance, music, workshop reviews,
dance business, dance history, dance ethics, costuming ,
makeup, and much more.
5)
Two free classified ads in the
membership year.
6)
Dance teachers get free copies of the
for their students (twice a year) .
7)
Free listings in the performer, teacher, and costumer
directories.
8)
A chance to get to know your fellow dancers.
9)
Opportunities to have your profile, photo, article, opinion ,
artwork, and event review published.
10)
Reduced rates on flyer inserts and display advertising in the
SAMEDA
SAMEDA
Monthly News, per
SAMEDA
Monthly News
Monthly News.
11)
Discounts on workshops, classes, events, services and
products provided by SAMEDA members.
12)
List of clubs and restaurants featuring dancers.
13)
Dance supply vendor list (coming soon).
I commend you. All the hard work has been successful and
we are beginning the new year with (granted) a scanty budget,
but with one that has paid off all past debts and loans. It took
real team effort to accomplish this, and in the process has created
a sense of pride in our organization which I hope will continue to
flourish .
The firstSAMEDA meeting in 1998 has left me very enthusiastic.
Besides the regular board members, three individuals from the
membership participated in our brain-storming. Their talents are
especially appreciated because they have decided to join some of
the committees for up-coming events.
Fund-raising is always a major issue with any organization,
and we are no exception. How to restock the pantry to sponsor
some of our major events was one of our meeting topics. We have
decided to begin the year with a mini-workshop extravaganza
and evening show. Three teachers for the price of one! What a
deal. And the proceeds go into the SAMEDA treasury. Mark your
calendars for March 14TH . Flyers will provide the details.
Meleah is moving forward with the Teacher/Student
performances. The response to this type of event has been
encouraging. I hope all of you decide to participate.
We are also moving closer to our goal of becoming non-profit.
Oh, what a bow in our bonnet this would be. Complex paper work
and not enough money contributes to this being a slow process.
But, not unattainable. Susan Teal, Morwenna ,and Francena have
been working very hard to make this a reality.
Questions as to how to provide greater advantages to SAMEDA
members was also one of our issues. We a re looking for group
discounts from fabric stores, and of course the discounted rates
to our functions . We also voted to select only SAMEDA members
and members of other dance affiliates as performers to any of our
events. Snobbery? Nab-loyalty.
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.,SAmellA tlt)onchli, ~ews • • • JebruAri, 1998
New me mb ers will r eceive th e opportunity to provide a
biography a nd picture to introd uce themselves to the rest of the
membership. If you are a recent new memb er a nd would like
that opportu nity now, call Lily (the editor) to find out what you
need to send in and by what date.
Ju ly 12T11 h as been selected to be the birth date for a new
annua l event; The SAMEDA Fair. We will be starting out very small
du e to finances, but intend to mature into a well-represented
occasion. Participation will nurture our new baby into an event
we wi ll a ll be proud of. We'll have a swap meet, a ll-day dancing,
refreshments and vendors; we hope to become very festiv e and
dancer-friendly. The funds raised from the fair will help to sponsor
the new "One Enchanted Evening and Awards Presentation" in
November. The SAMEDA Fair will need plenty of volunteers and
danc e rs, so begin thinking now as to how you would like to
pa rticipate.
Ther e a re also a few more workshops still floating around as
ideas. If the mini-workshop format is successful, perhaps we will
do more of those.
To s um up the upcoming year, we have started planning;
workshops, a SAMEDA Fair, two student/teacher performances, and
"One Enchanted Evening." If you feel you would like to attend
the n ext SAMEDA meeting and become actively involved with the
planning, the meeting will be held at Meleah's house on March
srn at 1:00 PM. See the calendar of events for details.
I believe we are off to a great year. The response I've received
by way of comments has been very encouraging. It seems that
more people are interested in becoming involved . I anticipate
seeing fresh voices in the Monthly N ews, along with our oldies,
but goodies! I hope our out-of-town members will also feel free to
participate by offering articles and comments. There is plenty of
room for ideas, opinions, and philosophy. Too often I've heard the
comment, "But, I may make someone angry." Take the chance.
Your opinions are just as valid as the next person's, and we all
need food for thought.
See you at the next event and thanks for a really great year!
Sincerely,
-fll~
Ma rul a
JebruAri, 1998 • • • .,SAmellA tlt)onthli, ~ews • • • -
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70 lY!J!J .,Sisters in ~Aoce
byTatianaPopova
/
Dear Dancers,
The following words were written by one of San Diego's premiere
teachers, Tatiana Popova. Tatiana has temporarily relocated to
Minnesota for a little R&R . It appears tha!Tatiana enriches everyone
she touches. Her passion for Middle Eastern dance, and love and
respect for her students and colleagues, nurtures our souls. We
will miss her immensely! It is with her permission that I share these
wonderful words of wisdom.
\.
"
-Luisa
There are many qualities that make a dancer great. These
may be talent, development of style, feeling for space and time,
training, understanding the music, and costuming. Yet, a very
important element is often misunderstood and overlooked: That
is self-realization and self-love. Dance is a journey through oneself.
It will either raise your self-esteem or lower it. Once you have
discovered your potential, tap that creative force that is waiting
to be touched inside. Believe it is there; have confidence in it and
share it with others. Too often, we are concerned with how we
compete with other dancers, and we try to emulate them. Instead,
compete against the best you have in yourself. You are unique.
Take your own personal story, filled with moments of joy, laughter,
and love, along with those bewildering eruptions of fear, sadness,
and hurt, and involve them in your creative expression. The more
you learn about your internal self, the less self-conscious you will
be of what others think. This freedom and self-discovery will light
you up from within, incandescent with feeling.
Nureyev aptly sums it up: "Many dancers tend to contemplate
themselves, while I try to give myself to the audiences to fill out
the form of the ballet to the full with inner life and feelings ...
After all it is the dancer's personality which brings life and
grandeur to dance."
- Tatiana
December 12, 1997
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,Snmedn ll!)onthl!I ~ews • • • Jebrunr!I 1998
to h er that I'd heard people saying that h er performances have
an amazing and almost "mysterious, energizing power," similar
to a volcano, that brings people to the peak of excitement. I
p ersonally witnessed this when I watched her video performances
from the Hot Summer Nights Rafla presented by Kadayif in
Tampa, Florida . It seemed like the applause went on forever. She
was also unbelievably fantastic when she performed with Eva
Cernik at the Los Angeles Sheraton San Pedro Hotel, where she
performs weekly. Eva was a guest that night, and is also one of
my favorites. Each one was so special and so different. Atlantis'
technique and execution of movements was spectacular and that
evening she worked her audience perfectly. Atlantis said, "Believe
me, there is nothing mysterious about my power. It's just plain
hard work and a deep love of dance. I've worked very hard to
perfect my dance and my body, as well as my mental strength
and creativity. I owe a great deal to my mother [Tonya], who's
helped me in every way, and although she 'gave me the ball,' it
was up to me to 'run with it,' and I did. It was my choice to be
successful. You have to know that no one can do this for you ."
Atlantis is famous for using alternative music and for singing
in her shows, and her costuming is wild and extravagant. She is
a terrific belly dancer, but her talents are far greater than just
belly dancing. She is a great singer and actor as well, and excels
in many dance forms . Her Spanish Gypsy cape work is to die for.
She says she never wants to get stagnant or repetitious. "When
you perform for the same audience or work in the same nightly
or weekly, you owe it your audience to be special every time you
perform. No, there's nothing mysterious about success, although
some luck always enters into it, such as being in the right place
at the right time. Many of my friends are in [high places], but
I've never pushed my friendships. Everything that has come to
me has come because I've worked hard and earned it. You have
to be willing to give all your concentration and peak energy in
every performance, audition, workshop, etc. You have to be willing
to put your ego on the line. The greatest thing you can do for
yourself, is to know yourself. If you can't accept losing out on a
job or a part, don't blame the person who got the job or part, just
try again. Sure it's a lot of hard work, but it's worth it."
In Part II, Atlantis will discuss her opinions and helpful hints
on forming a dance troupe, and on-the-job protocol.
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Jebrun'!I 1998 • • • ,Snmedn ll!)onthl!I ~ews • • • -
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c2\nnouncements
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Would anyone who videotaped performances at H ajji Baba's
in 1994 please call Theresa at (619) 298-0849 . Theresa was a
p erform er at one of the shows and would like to buy a copy of
the tape.
•
Elle's Guedra workshop, sch edul ed for February 15T 11 , h as
been cancelled.
•
Does anyone have Nadia Winters' current addr ess and/or
phone numb er? Her Monthly News is bein g r eturn ed as
undeliverable.
•
Congratulations to Scottie (Scherezade) and R ebecca (Nefera)
for being invited by Shukriya to perform at Rakkasah on
March 21 ST at 3:26 PM. They will be on the cabaret stage in
the Bermuda room-stop by if you're in the neighborhood .
Arabian Nights Entertainment always has a good time!
•
The costuming workshop with Susan Teal and Theresa Freese
has been changed from March 1ST to April 26TH. See
"Workshops" section.
Do you have information on renting halls, stages, or other
locations for recitals, shows, and workshops? Please call
Theresa at (619) 298-0849 with information on fees and
parking availability.
Therapeutic Massage/Bodywork: Loosen up your neck,
shoulders, spine, and hips. Release blocks to being fully in
and enjoying your body. Licensed, professional therapist, 18
years experience. Call Therese at Massage for Health, (760)
942-3899. 10% discount for SAMEDA members; gift certificates
available.
Henna Body Painting: Treat yourself to beautiful, exotic,
sensual temporary body art. Call Therese at Sacred Art, (760)
942-3899.
Be prepared! When doing a show to taped music: record on a
new, unabused tape, check recording level for hi ss and
distortion-test in other machines. Always la bel both your
tape and the tape box with your real name, stage name, and
phone number.
- Theresa
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.,SAmellA il!)onrhl11 ~ews • • • JebruAr!I 1998
~ ._shows
Sr ~pecinl events ~
Wednesdays- Aleia dances to the music of John Bilezikjian
begi nnin g at 6 :30 PM at the Greek Village Restaurant, 6030 Paseo
del Norte, in Ca rl sbad . Open dancing; John plays music suitable
for s tud ents t o practice to. Rese rvations r equired , call (760 )
603-9672 .
Thursdays- Enj oy Middl e E astern Night with WalidAssaf and
Tatool , a t th e Crete Island Resta urant, at the Oceanside Marina ,
258 H a rbor Drive South, st arting at 7:00 PM. Call the restaurant
a t (760 ) 722-0461 for more information .
Wednesday, January 31-Rami International Night at the
Crete Island Restaurant, Oceanside Marina, 258 Harbor Drive
South. Enjoy the best in Egyptian music. Call the restaurant at
(760 ) 722-0461 for reservations.
: ) Sunday, February I - Meeting to discuss the July 12TH
SAMEDA Fair. Call Kathleen Thomson at (619) 273-2636 for time
and location.
: ) Sundays, February 1 and 15; March 1 and 15---.Jamila
presents a Belly Dancing Showcase at 6:00 PM at the newly opened
Crete Island Restaurant, 258 Harbor Drive South, in Oceanside.
Live music with Yannis, Tatool, and Dimitris. All performers
receive a 20% discount on dinner. Call (760) 722-0461 for
reservations; call Jamila at (619) 466-8233 to schedule dancing.
: ) Saturday, February 21-Aleia will teach a free lesson in
Belly Dancing for Health and Fitness from 1:00-2:30 PM at Artl
Dance Academy, 225 Brooks Street, in Oceanside. This event is
open to the public. Check out Aleia's teaching style! Call (760)
757-44 70 for details.
: ) Sunday, February 22-Meeting to discuss upcoming
teacher/student recital. Call Meleah at (619) 280-8424 for details.
: ) Saturday, February 28-Scottie and Arabian Nights
Entertainment present a video party from 1:00-4:00 PM , 3234
Idlewild Way, in Clairemont. Refreshments will be served. Come
check out the new videos, music, and other stuff. RS.VP. Scottie
at (619) 581-0135 .
: ) Sunday, March 8 - S AMEDA board meeting at 1:00 PM
M eleah 's bea utiful new home, 2805 Maple, in North Pa rk . (This
JebruAr!I 1998 • • • .,SAmellA il!}onrhl11 ~ews • • • -
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7he ZfltimAte ~eAlit!J
Part I
by Cari Marten-Trimper
In all my years of dancing, I have never met anyone more
talented, direct and honest than Atlantis. I have enjoyed writing
articles about her, because to me, she is the ultimate reality. I
believe she always has something of very great value to offer the
dance community that is worthy of mention.
I've heard people sat they saw her in a Raqia Hassan or Bobby
Farrah workshop, and they were amazed that she could miss the
first half of the workshop and still do the routine perfectly, just
the way it should be done, within minutes of arriving. Atlantis,
when asked, just blew it off and said, "If you're going to be late,
you'd better do something right."
She recently had a great dance part on The Young and the
Restless, a CBS TV soap. I loved talking to her about because she
is the most real and down-to-earth person you could ever meet; I
love her honesty. We were talking about how she got such a long
spot on the show, and she said, "I basically told them what I
thought they needed, showed them what I meant, and they went
for it. They wanted a Greek dancer, and of course I do a lot of
Greek folk dancing, but any chance I get, I do my best to
incorporate belly dancing, especially when it will be seen worldwide on network TV I choreographed the Greek dancers and
stylized the belly dancing and costuming to be more Greek. I
then decided to get everyone in the cast involved, hoping to get
more camera time, and voila, it worked. I personally feel it was a
wonderful plus for belly dancing, and I got to work with some of
my favorite musicians, Guy and Arshak Chookoorian, and yes,
yes, yes-Eric Braedon was a doll! It was also wonderful to receive
so many congratulatory phone calls from dancers across the
nation, including the wonderful Karen Barbee. That was really
great."
Atlantis' credentials in dance, TV, stage, videos, etc., are
absolutely amazing. I knew she would win the International
Academy Award of Middle Eastern Dance for Best Cabaret Dancer
of the Year. When I congratulated her, she was very grateful and
felt it was a great honor. Because we talk frequently, I mentioned
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..,Snmedn 'l'!:}onthl!J
~ew!I •
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JebruAl'!J 1998
unprejudiced eyes. All dance styles are not alike, and some, to
the uninitiated eye, may look decidedly odd. Usually, dance is
accompanied by suitable mu sic which will do much to emphasize
a work's rhythmic vitality or establish its emotional atmosphere.
Costumes may contribute to a work's effectiveness. Dancers
inhabit time and space simultaneously, and the interest of a dance
derives from space, time, positions of bodi es, from energy,
dynamics, and the way movements are rhythmically organized
for effort and rest.
From all this activity and interactivity the dance is built.
Dance communicates because it prompts responses within us.
Dance is not simply a visual art, it is kinesthetic as well; it appeals
to our inherent sense of motion. AB we watch dancers on stage ,
our own muscular systems react to the strain or relaxation of
their movements. We not only observe what happens, we also, in
some empathetic way, feel it. The art of dance is as old as the
human race.
R.eferences:
Anderson, Jack, Dance
Loren, Teri, The Dancer's Companion
La Meri, Dance Composition
Happy New Year To All!
~
C0)1Uur CCco)\vcer lD)caurncccer:
§«::cc»1t1b-t<.e §<Clhnuulltz (§«::he1nezccll«:ll<.e)
Scherezade has been dancing since 1981. She is the director
of Arabian Nights Entertainment, which produces the Bedouin
Bazaar and other events. Scherezade describes her dance style
as aggresive and unique, with a touch of comedy.
JebruAl'!J 1998 • • • ..,Snmedn 'l'!:}onthl!J ~ews • • • - - 7 -
will also be a house warming-plants cheerfully accepted!) All
members welcome! Call (619) 280-8424 for details.
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Sunday, April 19-Teache r/Stud e nt dance recital.
Location not set. Call Meleah at (619) 280-8424 for details and
updates.
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Sunday, July 12-The first ever SAMEDA Fair will take
place at Kathleen Thomson's home. Details to follow.
~ '9wnp tl!Jeets/'}/nrit '9nles ~
none this month
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l1/7orkshops
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Saturday, March 14-SAMEDA-sponsored mini-workshops
featuring Azziza, Marula, and Meleah, to take place at
Morwenna's Art/Dance Academy studio in Oceanside . Call
Morwenna for details at Call (760) 757-4470/433-2276.
Sunday, March 15-Baraka International Arts presents Dance
of the Ouled Nail, the desert courtesans of l9TH-century Algeria
with Elle, dance ethnologist. Workshop runs from 1:00-3:00 PM
at San Diego Danceworks, 2653 Ariane Drive, in Pacific Beach .
Fee is $25.00 for Baraka andSAMEDA members; $30.00 for general.
Call (619) 919-6774 for more information.
~ Saturday, March 28-Cassie presents an Exploring the
Belly workshop from 10:00 AM till 2:30 PM at 4371 IQTH Avenue, in
San Diego. Call (619) 230-9442 for details.
: ) Sunday, April 26-Costuming workshop with Susan Teal
(Beledi dresses and harem pants) and Theresa Freese (belts and
bras), from 1:00-4:00 PM at Centre City Ballet, 928 Ft. Stockton,
Suite 115, in Mission Hills. Preregistration fee is $20.00 forSAMEDA
members; $22.00 for nonmembers. At-the-door fee is $25.00/
$27.00. Call Theresa at (619) 298-0849 or Susan at (6 19) 444-4197
for details.
Sunday, May 17-Art I Dance Academy in conjunction with
SAMEDA will sponsor Dalia Carella for a workshop and show. Call
Morwenna at (760) 433-2276 or (760) 757-4470 for detai ls.
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,SAmedA 'lt)onrhlu ~ews • • • JebruAr!I 1998
~noce Clnsses
)!
By Appointment-Aleia teaches private ($25.00/hr.) and semiprivate classes ($10.00/hr.) for all dance levels. Includes costuming,
zills, combinations, finding your style. Call (760) 930-9893 for
information.
By Appointment-Master instructors Morwenna and Walid
A ssaf , recently of Boston, present dance and rhythm classes for
a ll levels, plus coaching in their studio at Art/Dance Academy in
Oceansid e. Art/Dance Academy has new classes forming for 1998:
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Mondays ......... elementary level belly dance .... 7:00-8:30 PM
Tuesdays ... .... . advanced level belly dance ....... 7:30-9:00 PM
Wedn esdays ... percussion class ........................ 7:00-8:30 PM
Thursdays ...... beginner level belly dance ........ 7:00-8:30 PM
Saturdays ....... dance technique ........................ 1:00-2:30 PM
choreography ....... ..... ........... ..... 3:00-4:30 PM
percussion class .......... ......... ..... 3:30-5:00 PM
Call (760) 757-44 70/433-2276 for more information. Special rates
for SAMEDA members.
By Appointment-Jamila teaches private lessons at your
convenience, specializing in floor work. Call 466-8233 for details.
Evenings and Saturday mornings-Cynthia teaches
beginning to intermediate belly dance in her peaceful countryhome studio in Olivenhain (between Encinitas and Rancho Santa
Fe) . Classes are $20.00/hr. private; $9.00/hr. group. Call (760)
753-6830 for details.
Mondays-Cyrena teaches belly dance at San Carlos Recreation
Center, 6445 Lake Badin Ave., in San Carlos (off Jackson Blvd.
between Cowels Mntn. and Lake Murray Blvd.). Beginning classes
are from 6 :00-7:15 PM; intermediate classes are from 7:15-8:45
PM. Call Cyrena at 698-9421 for details.
Mondays-Aleia teaches Beginning to Intermediate Cabaret-style
belly dance (including zill and veil work) at Art/Dance Academy,
225 Brooks Steet, in Oceanside. Call (760) 757-44 70 for details.
Mondays- Theresa teaches a belly dance class from 7:00-8:30
PM at Centre City Ballet, 928 Ft. Stockton, Suite 115, in Mission
Hills (take the Washington exit from Interstate 5, go east, turn
..J'ebn.iAru 1998 • • • ,SAme,IA tl!)oo&hl!I ~ews • • • -
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La Meri : "Art is capable of perfection, but the artist is not." The
dance has many faces. When a dancer appears on stage, try to
estimate him, then sit back and enjoy. For example, if attending
a student recital, don't expect the performance to have the polish
or perfection of a professional's . Your critical pleasure will be in
judging the appropriateness of the motivation of the dance and
the seriousness with which the students handle the presentation.
Know what you personally are looking for in a performer.
Technique? Aesthetic beauty? Emotional impact?To recognize an
artist, it takes a touch of the artist in the beholder. Give
appreciation where it is due. Give appreciation to those who
contribute to the advancement of the art. An artist presenting
anything is a step forward in art. Dance is a national resource for
international understanding. Encourage, applaud, give the rising
young dancer a place to learn this loftiest of arts and keep him/
her physically and spiritually alive. Dancers grow only with
experience.
See as many performers as you can-it provides dynamic
lessons in technique and expressiveness. It inspires you in your
own studies . It can plant ideas in your heart that you never
dreamed of. It can turn the lights on as to what all the class time
is about. You learn why you repeat over and over again the same
exercises. So support all your fellow dancers and get out there
and try it yourself.
While I am at it, let's give a big round of applause to all those
new students and old who performed at our fabulous SAMEDA
Christmas party. I, for one, was thrilled to see the new girls who
got out there and tried their wings. Those of us who have been
around a year or two know that things do not always go perfectly.
You know the old saying-"-- happens." I think you all deserve
a thank you for a very enjoyable evening. This was my first SAMEDA
party; hope we have many more.
Unlike sports, dance is not-or at least should not be-a
competitive sport. Several factors distinguish dance from this
phenomenon. The excitement of dance arises solely from the event
itself. Should a dance be well performed, then, in a sense all the
dancers win . Theatrical dance usually involves far more complex
emotions than do sports, and it is certainly as well structured.
Dance is movement that has been organized so that it is
rewarding to behold, and the craft of making and arranging dances
is called choreography. Because dance can assume so many guises,
the viewer should regard each dance he/she views with fresh,
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•••
.,SAmellA 'l!)onthl!I vVews • • • JebruA'!I 1998
m atter s (or simplify, as t h e case may be), their music is also not
qu ar ter-toned. Arabic mu sic is qu a r ter- toned and is consid ered
with its da nce, Orienta l.All the count ries of the Middle and Near
E ast a r e considered Orienta l, as t h ey a re on the continent of Asia.
OrientalJEastern Dance
A. movement comes from th e waist up (emotiona l)
B. feet ar e u su ally bar e, move simply, and expressive in
themselves
C. technique built on infinite sh a dings of movement
D. every separate pa r t of t h e body h as life, a line a nd a
rhythm of its own.
E. fingers are more outward to include people
F.
is concentric, movem ent curves inward through and
around the center
G. emotionally compressive-reflects dancer 's personality
within context
H. most dances were born in the temple-can be sensual
but not sexual
I.
should soothe (no chaos)
J. choreography expresses an emotional level, which
increases intensity only
K. invisible curtain at the edge of stage or performing space.
L. perfection is based on conformation and adhering to
ancient rules
M. every part of the body, as well as the face react according
to a given law
It requires preparation before you can appreciate eastern
dance arts, including our own Middle Eastern version. Folk dance
brought to the stage is no longer communal, but performance
dance. The same goes for trance dances and all ladies' dances.
But even when tran splanting it to the stage, the origins of
motivation and technique must be maintained.
As a "do-it-yourself' critic of dance, you must know what you
are seeing. First learn to appreciate dancing. By criticism I do
not mean censure. You cannot defin e and judge every performance
the same way. Never demand perfection . To quote again Madame
Jebl'UAl'!J 1998 • • • .,SAmellA 'l!)onthl!I
vVews • • • - 9 -
left on Goldfinch , left on Ft. Stockton- the stud io is on t he ri ght
corn er of Ft. Stockton and Hawk ). Beginner/inter med iate level,
with fin ger cym ba l practice each week . Each class is $7 .00; $1.00
off for SAMEDA members. Call Theresa at 298-0849 fo r deta ils.
Mondays- Nicki Vaccar teaches several fo rm s of da nce at Ea rl
Wa rre n Jr. High School, in Sola n a Beach . From 5:00-6:00 PM,
Gree k folk dance; 6:00- 7:00 PM, H awaiian I Tahitian dance; 7:008: 00 P M, belly dance; 8:00-9:00 PM, Flamenco technique. Call Nicki
at (760) 634-3680 for details.
: : ) Tuesdays- Beginning Belly Dance class with Luisa fro m
6:30- 7 :45 PM at th e La J olla Rec Center, 615 Prospect (Prospect
and Draper ). Fee is $30.00 for an 8-week session . Call Luisa at
(619 ) 299-1129 for enrollment and info rm ation .
Tuesdays - Morwenna A ssaf begins Advan ced I Profession al
Classes from 7:30-9:00 PM. Call Art/Da nce Aca demy for deta ils at
(760 ) 433-2276.
Tuesdays-Belly Dance Basics, "Raks Al Sharki from Egyp t,"
with Elle, dance ethnologist .Performanc e basics (experi enced
dancers only) from 7:00- 8:00 PM at Expressive Arts Therapy
Center, 3817 Ray St., in North Park. Fee is $30 .00 for one 3-week
session ($24.00 for SAMEDA and Baraka member s). Call (619 )
919-6774 for details.
Tuesdays-Morwenna A ssaf teaches Advanced/ Professional
Belly Dance: coaching I drumming from 5:30- 6:30 P M, technique
from 6 :30- 7:30 PM , and choreography from 7:30- 8:30 PM at ArU
Dance Academy, 225 Brooks Street, in Oceanside. Monthly class
cards available. Call (760) 433-2276 for details.
Tuesdays-Cynthia teaches an 8-week beginning belly da nce
class in the auditorium at Earl Warren Jr. High School from 6:307:30 PM in Solana Beach. Only $29.00! Regist er early-class fill s
up fast-through the San DieguitoAdult School at (760) 753-7073.
Tuesdays and Thursdays- Meleah t eaches aerobic crosstraining for danc ers from 5 :55- 6 :55 P M . Ev e n th e m os t
accomplish ed dancer needs to cross-train for enduran ce, strength ,
and flexibility. Join us for a fun low/medium-impact workout at
Murphy Canyon Youth Center, 10323 Orleck St. in Tierrasan ta
{I-15 exit at Tierrasanta Blvd. , go east , turn right on Santo, right
on Orle ck, 1ST building on t he left). Fee is $4 .00 per cl ass . Call
Meleah at 280-8424 for details.
- 1O-
• • • .,SAme,1111
l'l!)onshl!f ~ews • • • Jebru11r11 1998
Wednesdays- World Healin g Drums of San Diego presents
doumbek lessons with Walid A ssaf from 7:00- 9:00 PM. Fee is
$10 .00; doumbeks available. Call Nick at (760) 234-1218 .
Wednesdays-WalidAssaf begins Drumming Classes from 7:008:00 PM, with Debke Classes from 8:00-9:00 PM. Call ArtJD ance
Academy for details at (760) 433-2276.
We dnesdays-Ana Goebel t eaches Beginning and Intermediate
Belly Dance from 7:30-8:50 PM at the Spring Valley Recreation
Cente r, 8735 Jamacha Blvd ., in Spring Valley. Sign up for 8-week
sessions-call the Rec Center at (619) 479-1832, or call Ana at
(619) 660-6965 for more information .
Wednesdays-Nicki Vaccar teach es belly dance from 9:45-10:45
PM a t San Marcos Parks and Recr eation . Call Nicki at (760)
634-3680 for details.
Wednesdays-Meleah t eaches intermediate I advanced belly
dance at 6:30 PM at Centre City Ballet, 928 Ft. Stockton, Suite
115, in Mission Hills (take the Washington exit from Interstate
5, go east, turn left on Goldfinch, left on Ft. Stockton-the studio
is on the right corner of Ft. Stockton and Hawk). This class is
designed for dancers who have been dancing 2 or more years,
and u ses advanced steps and combinations, with an emphasis on
form, str ength, and muscle control. Opportunities to perform .
$7 .00 per class. Call Meleah for details at 280-8424.
Wednesdays-Meleah teaches beginning belly dance at
7:30 PM at Centre City Ballet, 928 Ft. Stockton, Suite 115 in
Mission Hills. This class includes beginning steps and isolations,
with a focus on body alignment, posture, and enjoying movement.
$8.00 per class. Call Meleah at 280-8424 for details.
: ) Tuesdays-Beginning Belly Dance class with Luisa from
6:15- 7:45 PM at Dancing Unlimited (Folk Dance Center), 4569
30T11 Street. (This is a beautiful facility with lots of mirrors.) Fee
is $30 .00 for an 8-week session. Call Luisa at (619) 299-1129 for
enrollm ent and information.
: ) Thursdays-Jasmina teaches beginning to intermediate
belly dance classes from 4:30-6:30 PM at Cuyamaca College dance
studio, room R205 , 900 Rancho San Diego Parkway, in El Cajon.
S even-week session begi ns 2/5 ; session #2 begins 3/26-$39.00
each. Ca ll (6 19) 660-4350 for more information .
Jebru11r11 1998 • • • .,S111me,l111 l'l!)onshl!f ~ews • • • -
23 -
and conversation
-per Bobby Farrah: "People are not drinking holy
water"
- motivation is to entertain
2. TV
- poor fram e for dance
-emotion lost (which is essence of dance)
- limited camera vision, which loses fl oor design
-most studios have concrete floors
-dynamic quality is lost
3. Movies
-better adapted than TV
-retakes create an unnatural slickness
-close-ups spoil the whole
-best choreography ends up on cutting room floor
Since the basic motivation is to entertain, just sit back and
enJoy.
B. ArtJDance-divided into three main aspects
1. Ballet
2. Contemporary
3. Ethnic/World
ArtJDance is a full evening's performance on a concert stage
or at least a facsimile thereof. One should not attend with the
idea of being entertained, but rather enlightened. Therefore,
expect to be educated . Have a certain sensitivity.
Ethnic/World dance is all dances of alien background .
According to La Meri, "to fully appreciate all the aspects of ethnic
dance is the work of a lifetime. For our purposes we can have
three divisions: a) Raks Orientale/Belly Dance, b) Folkloric, i.e.,
ladies' dances of different regions, and c) Folk Dancing, i.e.,
communal line dancing.
All dances that are not Oriental/Eastern are considered
Occidental/Western-all nations not of Asia or the Far East are
Occidental. So rememb er, as you r ead and digest this information,
where the countries are.
Flamenco/Spanish , for example, is Western , as is Greek ,
Turkish, and Arm enian mu sic and dance. To further complicate
- 22 -
•••
..Snme,ln tlt)onthl11 ~ew5 • • • JebruA'!J 1998
JebnrAl'!I 1998 • • • .,Snme,ln tlt)onthl!J ~ew5 • • • -
11 -
Thursdays- Alia teaches Beginning Belly Dance from 8: 00- 9:00
PM at San Di ego Danceworks, 2653 Ari a ne Dri ve, Pacifi c Beach .
Fee is $40 .00 per 6-week session. Ca ll th e studi o at (619) 2727456 for more information .
Thursdays- Morwenna A ssaf begins Technique Classes from
7 :30-9:00 PM. Ca ll Art/Dance Acad emy for det a il s a t (760 )
433-2276 .
Part VI
The Audience of Ethnic Dance
by MorwennaAssaf
This section is written for all of those students, t eachers,
dancers, and also all of those people that make up our general
audience. A lot of the value of any art work lies in its emotional
impact on the viewer. We, as performers, all hope to be appreciated.
As performing artists, we have only one opportunity to please
our audience. Once a movement is done it is dead. We cannot
hope to retrieve it. It is over. The audience becomes our "do-ityourself" critic. Therefore, it is important to also be a good
audience-it will give you so much more appreciation for what
you are seeing. It will enrich what you observe and help you
evaluate what you see.
I am going to break down the two main divisions of ethnic
dance performance into 1) communal, and 2) performance:
Communal-One in which the community takes part. Line
dancing is communal, i.e., Greek,Armenian, Lebanese, or Syrian,
etc. Ballroom dance, unless it is an exhibition, is communal. When
you watch communal dance you get caught up with the spirit of
it. For example, watching a tar or dervish performance like the
Whirling Dervish/Mevlevi Turkish show last February at UCSD,
was really a communal or religious experience-not a performance
as such. You got caught up in the spirit of it.
Performance-Whatever bodily movements different cultures
favor, there are two basic kinds of dance:
A. Commercial
1. Nightclubs
-designed to entertain and amuse
-needs to be flashy and easily understood
- must overcome the clatter of dishes
Thursdays- Nicki Vaccar teaches Greek folk dance from 6:007:00 PM, belly dance from 7:15-8:15 PM , and intermediate belly
dance from 8:15- 9:15 PM at San Marcos Parks and Recreation .
Call Nicki at (760) 634-3680 for details.
Thursdays- Belly dance at UCSD! Two-hour bellyj a m for a ll
comers starting at 7:30 PM . Call Jacki e at 581-2376 for deta ils.
Fridays-Meleah teaches a daytime fun -loving belly dance class
from 1:30-2:30 PM at the Taoist Sanctuary, 4229 Park Blvd . in
North Park. This class is at a beginner/intermediate level for
dancers who know the basic steps and are ready for som e
variations and combinations. Call Meleah at 280-8424.
Sunday afternoons-Nicki Vaccar teaches and performs Greek
folk dance at Greek Village Restaurant in Carlsbad. Call Nicki at
(760) 634-3680 for details.
~
Out-of-7own £vents
)t
Wednesdays-Tonya and Atlantis present their Original Belly
Dance Showcase from 8:45-11 :30 PM at the Los Angel es Harbor
Radisson Hotel, 601 S. Palos Verdes St., San Pedro. Guest dancers
perform to live music by Viken & Carlos, as well as tapes. For
show information, call Tonya at (310) 434-3987; for reservations,
call (310) 519-8200.
Fridays-John Bilezikjian, Var Daghdeuirian, and Cyrianna,
as well as guest dancers perform at the House of Kabab, 2110
West Whittier Blvd., in Montebello. Show starts at 8 :00 PM. Call
(213) 721-8956 for reservations; guest dancers talk to John or
Var after the show.
Tuesdays- The Laguna Beach Recreation Department presents
a belly dance class from 7:45- 9:30 pm . Call (714) 497-0716 for
details.
-
12 -
• • •
..,SAmelllA tlt)onthlfl ~ews • • • JebruAr!J 1998
: : ) F e bruary 5, 12, and 19-Shareen El Safy presents a threeclass series on Oriental Dance and Beledi with new ch or eography
to th e Le banese song Walla M ara. Fee is $20.00 per class or $50.00
fo r t h e se ri es ; $55 .00 at t h e door. Call Sha r een a t (805) 962-9639,
or wri te P. O. Box 90936, Santa Ba rbara , CA 93190.
F e bruary 15, 1998- Tonya and Atlantis present the L ittle,
Junior, and Divine Belly Dancer of the Un iverse Competitions.
Call (310) 30 1-1568 fo r details.
: : ) February 22- Worksh op wit h Dahlena from 12:00 noon
ti ll 3:00 PM , at Ballet Etc. Da nce Studio, 212 Rowland Ave., in
Covin a . Fee is $25 .00 in advance; $30.00 a t the door. Call Lucy
Campa at (626) 338-6773 fo r details.
March I - Orange Coast College Dance Department andAngelika
N emeth present S hareen El S afy t eaching Oriental and Beledi
movem ents with new ch or eography to the popular Lebanese song,
Walla M ara . Registr ation is a t 12:30 PM ; cla ss runs from 1:005: 00 PM, a nd will t a k e place at th e Orange Coast College
Gymn asium Dance Studio, 2701 Fairview Rd ., in Costa Mesa.
Fee is $40.00 in advance by February 24TH; $50.00 at the door.
SAMEDA discount is $5 .00 . Make checks payable to OCC, and mail
to Angelika Nem eth , P.O. Box 4546, Irvine, CA 92616. Call
Angelika at (714) 786-3111 for more information.
)t
Out-of-~tnte events
~
March 7, 1998-Fahtiem teaches a workshop and performs in
Seattle, Washington . Contact Halima at (206) 862-7042 or Jareeda
at (5 14) 459-3115 for details.
May 15-17- Angelika N em eth appears in the Festival of the Nile
in Orlando, FL. Call Shari at (407 ) 656-7524 for details.
July 30- Augu st 4-Study with Amaya, Bert Balladine, Feyrouz,
and Aziz a t the Intern a tional Shake and Bake Festival at the
Wyndha m Hotel in Albequerque, New Mexico. Call (505) 2601186 fo r more information.
September 19-20, 1998- Faht ie m appears in York ,
Penn sylvania, presented by L itani, Chandra S ereen, and Kalim.
Co ntact Ch andra Sereen a t (717) 764-8915 for details.
~
JebruAri, 1998 • • • ..,SAmelllA llt)onthli, ~ews • • • -
21 -
7encher Committee '-'1Vews
We had our first meeting of the new teacher's committee Sunday;
J anuary 11TH at 1:00 PM at Morwenna's studio, Art/Dance Academy in
Oceanside.
We are fo rming an all iance of instructors, with the intention of
foste ri ng mu t ual support and encouragement wit hin our ri ch and
diversified dance community.
Teachers have a special responsibility to pass the love of this dance
onto their students. We all have common concerns and interests. Some of
the areas we will be working on include: teaching techniques, mutual
referrals, SAMEDA support, and most importantly; involving students in
performance. We want to provide aJI students with opportunities to perform
in a variety of venues.
We are planning our first event-a teacher/student recital- for April
19TH. We'd like to encourage teachers to get involved in the planning. Our
organizational meeting will be on February 22ND at 1:00 PM . Call Meleah
for details at her new number: (619) 280-8424. If you can't attend the
meeting, don't worry- you can pitch in at any time.
We're thrilled with the level of support at our first meeting. Everyone
shared the opinion that we need this group interaction and support of our
peers. We began by introducing ourselves and telling a bit of our
backgrounds, teaching styles, and class locations. It was so nice to learn
the different backgrounds, hidden talents, and specialties of each
instructor. I think we aJI felt more connected simply by sharing.
I was very impressed by the level of professionalism of those caring
instructors in attendance. There was no cattiness, no competition, just
sharing and support. I think our first recital will be very special as
instructors work together for mutual benefit.
Some ideas for future meetings will be: sharing our expertise with
each other via small teaching demos, marketing each other by distributing
flyers, sharing teaching techniques and visiting each other's facilities.
I am very excited about the future. Thank you all for helping by
attending, and thank you to the teachers who phoned in their support.
We'll see you next time.
Love in da nce,
/(![l b ~
Meleah (SAMEDA Vice President)
(619 ) 28 0-8424
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•••
.,Snme,ln tl't)onrbl!f
~ew• • • • JebruAr!f
1998
teaching a nd performing experi ence. If one h a d only enou gh tim e
to follow thi s routine on a regular bas is, I think they would be in
great shape. She fo ll owed the warm-up with "dancers walks" and
bringing different attitudes into ou r movem ents. This flow ed into
a series of combin ations that gracefully fit together into a complete
ch or eography. Fahtiem's style of t eaching is easy to fo llow, and I
a lways come away from her classes full of fresh ideas.
This year the Bedouin Bazaar was follow ed by a dinn er show
at the Greek Palace. The Greek Palace is a great place to party! It
has great food, a full bar, and a spacious dance floor in the middle
of everything.
The show opened with the beautiful music ofJohn Bilezikjian
and Dave Dhillon, two musicians who enjoy working with dancers
and who do their best to enhance each dancer's sh ow. I was
honored to be the first performer up, and glad I didn't have to
follow any of the other great dancers in the show.
Azziza was exotic in an unus ual costume with sleeves and
pants made of strings of pearls. The white pearls and her long
black hair made an intriguing contrast. Along with her usual
dynamic style, she had the unexpected opportunity to demonstrate
to us all what a real trooper does when her bra strap breaks.
With good humor, she quickly improvised a halter top out of her
veil (something we should all be practicing!) and went on with
the show.
The part of Cyrianna's performance that stays with me the
most was her beautiful veil dance. Her liquid movements had me
so mesmerized I never wanted to see it end. Neither of these two
excellent dancers live in this area, so we are very blessed when
there is an occasion where we can see them perform.
Also in the show was San Diego's own, the truly wild Desiree.
She highlighted her dance with a spirited drum solo, summoning
Dave with drum onto the dance floor where they engaged in a
flirtatious dialogue of music and dance.
Capping the evening was a performance by Marula. I would
love to see slow-motion video of Marula! She has so many precise
little hip isolations and executes them with such speed and
precision, it seems impossible. But for all her technical proficiency,
one of the things I enjoy most about watching Marula is the
happiness that radiates from her face while she is dancing
The evening concluded with exuberant open dancing and I
think everyone went home tired and contented. I hope the Bedouin
Bazaar will continue to be a regular part of the San Diego belly
dance scene for years to come.
Jebninrr, 1998 • • • .,S11me,ln llt)onrbl!f ~ew• • • • -
13 -
Dara~ lttten1atiott~l Arts prescmts
~r1~},
B£LLV DANC£ 13AS1CS
"RAKS Al SHARKl" from EGYPT
"ICuchut H,,,...,, ... , woman In pink trousu1 ... ,bovt, sht - • only d,rt vlol<t putt ... !ht has lull com< lrom th, b.nh ...
fresh s.mdl, somrthln1 llk.t th.it of JWtttt(lNj wrpentlne; she ~n by perfum ina htr h.inds wtth rosrw.ittr ... .i ull, sofendld crutur, ..• ~llllt1Y cofftt-colour<d ... when lh• bends, hu 11"'1 rlppi<s Into bronz, rid"'- Htr ,yn "' d,rt rnd tnor·
mous, htr .,..t,row, bl,ct, htr nostrlh - n •nd wldt; h<,vy lhouldtrS, full , ppl.-lh•P<d bmsu ... lh, wort • l,fl' urt>oosh,
om.a~<d on top with , COO\'tXroJd dist, In t/if mlddlt ol wlllch W>! • ,mall IT"" 11on< inlutln1 tmtnld; t/if blu, ..,..I
of Mr urt>oosh ~ scrud out bnwt.st ind ftll ... Mr bfJct h.1lr1 wavy, unruly ..• sm.itl bnldJ joined tol"fflu Ji W NPf of
htr ntdt ... sti, 1,., on, u1>1><r Incisor, nrt,t, which b b<&inninr to so bad ... two b,nds of sold, twlst<d and lnttrlactd,
.iroond one wrlsl ... on htr rtet,t arm Is ut~ ~ line of ~ut wrltln1 ... stir UIS us lf wt would lfkr J ltttle rnttru lnmrnt ... •
.i
with
£l l £. Dattce £thttolo5ist
WoMEN 's DANCE ARTS OF M&JR.xco, ALGERIA
Tuesdays
Tuesdays
- Gusu,tflaubtrt
Esna, 6 Hardi I 850
6'- &;y,,r
6:30-7:30 PM - Belly Dance Basics for Beginners
7:30-8:30 PM - Performance Basics Master Class
at Expressive Arts Therapy Center
381 7 Rly Strttt, North P~rt
$JO ~ . , J )/U•
'
(u......i.... & s.o. M~lc Ulftm DA...:C AM«. mcmbcn) ~ J...wttk ScH\oH
FOR INFORMATION CALL (619) 919-6774
~
A FRIEND IN KNEAD
on-site (chair) massage for trade show or office
relaxation (table) massage
ZenTouch shiatsu
sports massage
deep tissue
Nancy Klauschie, CMT
prenatal
Clinical Massage Therapist
619-785-1623 pager/voice mall
-
14 -
• • • ..,SAmellA tl!)onchlz, ~ews • • • JebruAl'!f 1998
fJArt of the
/~eepin9 Jit'/ Jormuln
b-y Nancy Klauschie
What do d a ncers-especially Middle Eastern dancers-need
to keep fit? You probably know already: stretch and warm up,
dance, cool down , dance, eat well, dance, have a good attitude,
dance, get a message, danceHey, wait a minute! Massage is just for rich ladies in spas, or
boxers a fter a fi ght, right? Wrong! Massage is for any athlete to
kee p the muscles supple and ready for action. Sports massage is
a vigoro us style that gives th e muscles a mini-workout between
serious ones. Massage stretches, energizes, and eases the knots
fr om muscles; it also assists in moving lactic acid out of the
muscl es, lessening the next-day ache . And it feels great! Serious
athletes get worked on every other day-alternating full body
with just parts. But, even weekly or bi-weekly sessions will give
great benefits.
So, consider getting a massage on a regular basis. It feels
wonderful, keeps your muscles happy, and may help you dance a
little easier.
~
._$•m•.t• C,oscumer ~isc
Aleia ..................................................................... (760) 930-9893
Morwenna Assaf ................................................. (760) 433-2276
Athena's Boutique ....................................................... 221-2920
Crist6bal ....................................................................... 697-9121
Scherezade's Souk ...................................................... 581-0135
Theresa Freese ............................................................ 298-0849
Nora Luchs ................ ~ .................................................. 457-7741
G.A. Walke .................................................................... 445-6674
Get on thi s list- it's free for members!
JebruAl'!f 1998 • • • .,SAmellA tl!)onchl11 ~ews • • • -
-C::-he
19 -
l3ed~L-&..i-, l30L::.::z:..~-.b-y Kathken Thomson (Alia)
When Scottie and Rebecca were planning the first Bedouin
Bazaar (originally the Baghdad Bazaar) in 1989, Scottie suggested
I set up a photo studio on the premises, which turned out to be a
very successful idea. So, up to 1995, I spent most of my time at
the Bedouin Bazaar off in a dark corner taking pictures. I met
many wonderful and beautiful people this way, some who r eturned
for pictures year after year. Because of eye problems, I decided I
couldn't commit to any more picture-taking marathons after
1995-but rumors of my retirement are greatly exaggerated ! I'm
still good for an unhurried hour or two of photography. No longer
committed to my dark corner, I've finally had the opportunity to
see what goes on elsewhere.
This year at the Bazaar, I did what I've never really done
before . . . I went shopping! We are so lucky to have this event in
San Diego since it is not always feasible to attend similar events
in the Los Angeles area and points north. There are so many
things that belly dancers need that are just not readily available
except through mail order. Since many of the vendors at the
Bedouin Bazaar also have mail order businesses, it gives one the
opportunity to get acquainted with the vendors and their
merchandise in person so that doing business with them by mail
later will be more productive.
I also enjoy seeing the cavalcade of performers at this and
similar events such as the Cairo Carnivale . Besides being
introduced to many great new groups and soloists, as well as
enjoying the return of old favorites , this is a great showcase for
music. I wonder if it would be possible for the announcers to
include information about the music used when they announce a
performance.
I performed this year, as I have twice in the past, and I must
admit that each time I was terrified and each time I was greeted
so warmly by the audience that I felt wonderful by the time I left
the stage. This is a very sympathetic crowd and provides a great
platform to try out new material.
I would have liked to attend both workshops, but that left
very little time at the Bazaar itself. So I chose Fahtiem's workshop
because I have so enj oyed h er classes in the past. Fahtiem has a
dyn amite warm-up routin e that she has developed from years of
- 18 -
•••
~11mell11 ')1Jonthlu ~ew• • • • Jebru11ru 1998
only the decorations, food, spirits, and a clean-up crew. Since we
still don't have any money, we could charge a small fee at the
door and make it a pot luck. We would also need a fair amount of
commitments, and phone calls to coordinate the food, etc.
Or someone could ask a restaurant owner for use of his
facilities, musicians, sound system, waitresses, and bus boys with
only the promise to pay $ 10.00 for a delicious meal. The reality
is, any type of event is going to cost money. Our job as the SAMEDA
board is to make them as inspirational, festive, generous, and as
affordable as possible. And hopefully, on the occasions that we
are all able to get together to share our time, ideas, and talent,
the experience will far outweigh the expense.
~
Jebru11ru 1998 • • • ~11mell11 ')1Jonthl!I ~ews • • • -
15 -
~ameda 'f'erformer ~reeto'fl
(all are in the 619 area, unless noted)
Dancer ................................. Alela ............................. (760) 930-9893
Dancer ................................. Ana ......................................... 660-6965
Dancer ................................. Morwenna Assaf ......... (760) 433-2276
Dancer ................................. Jamila .................................... 466-8233
Dancer ................................. Luisa ...................................... 299-1129
Dancer ................................. Mariah .......................... (760) 727-4545
Dancer ................................. Nora ....................................... 457•7741
Dancer ................................. Pamela ................................... 299-7337
Dancer ................................. Sahra Saeeda .............. (909) 359-6782
Dancer ................................. Sallmeh .................................. 466-7849
Dancer ................................. Scherezade/Llttle Egypt ....... 581·0135
Dancer ................................. Theresa .................................. 298-0849
Dancer ................................. Zahra ...................................... 281-5440
Drummer ............................. Walld Assaf ................. (760) 433-2276
Drummer ............................. Dave Dhillon .......................... 284-5367
Drummer ............................. Randwolf ............................... 788-1447
Get on this list-it's free for members!
~ame,la 7'eaeher ~ireetor9
[all are in the 619 area, unless noted) ·
Aleia ............. (760) 930-9893
Aphrodite .............. 283-0446
Badeah .................. 569-7872
Elle ........................ 919-6774
Jamila .................... 466-8233
Kathy ............ (909) 699-5606
Luisa ...................... 299-1129
Marula .................... 466-2272
Meleah ................... 280-8424
Sahra ........... (909) 359-6782
Sylvia ..................... 585-0244
Alia .................................. 273-2636
Morwenna Assaf .. (760) 433-2276
Cyrena ............................ 698-9421
Theresa Freese .............. 298-0849
Julia ...................... (760) 489-5409
Nora Luchs ..................... 457-7741
Mariah ............................. 727-4545
Medea ................... (909) 682-6977
Melissa ........................... 483-6973
Scottie ............................ 581-0135
Nicki Vaccar ......... (760) 634-3680
Get on this list-it's free for members!
- 16 -
• • •
.S•mellA l'l1:)onthlu JYews • • • Jebru•ru 1998
JebruA'(I 1998 • • • .$Ame,IA l'l1:)onthl(I JYews • • • -
Ill
17 -
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Responding to grumblings has never been one of my favorite
challenges, however, it is a job that should not be overlooked.
Usually, somewhere in the response both parties may be able to
learn something, as long as minds are kept open.
As merry as the SAMEDA Christmas party appeared to me, a
few people were less than satisfied. Dancing is not only a talent
and hobby for some of us, but is also a means of income. The
thought is then expressed as, "When we volunteer our talent to
perform, why are we also expected to buy dinner? Do we as
performers have to pay for the privilege of dancing?"
If you look at it that way, it could be pretty insulting. However,
there is another and, as it happens, more appropriate reason to
buy the required dinner. As a monthly publication and a freshly
organized community, we simply do not have the funds that it
would take to throw a party compliments of SAMEDA.
The $20 .00 a year fee to be a SAMEDA member does not yet
cover the cost of publishing and mailing the newsletter. We rely
on fund-raisers to make up the difference. So, how do we as a
group of dancers arrange special events to gather, share, and
celebrate? There are a number of ways to do it. Take a moment
and explore some of the options with me. Later, if you can think
of some other alternatives, please write us or attend one of the
meetings with your ideas.
When we decided to do a Christmas party, we could have
rented a hall or recreation room and could have charged everyone
a fee at the door to cover the expenses. A hall needs to be booked
in advance and requires a retainer. Besides the fact that we didn't
have a retainer, a hall will generally cost you anywhere from
$400.00 to $1000.00. You also need insurance for most halls, a
clean-up crew, security, a liquor license (if anyone wants a drink),
and a catering service. $$$$ Cha-Ching !!!!
Of course after the shock wears off, we could consider a
recreation room that belongs to one of our members and could be
donated for just such occasions. So if anyone out there knows of
one, please call us. That would leave us being responsible for
- 16 -
• • •
.S•mellA l'l1:)onthlu JYews • • • Jebru•ru 1998
JebruA'(I 1998 • • • .$Ame,IA l'l1:)onthl(I JYews • • • -
Ill
17 -
~~~,
byMarula
V'\
V'\
LW LLI
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C',j
z~
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<l)
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U..
\I\ V\u..
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Ill
Responding to grumblings has never been one of my favorite
challenges, however, it is a job that should not be overlooked.
Usually, somewhere in the response both parties may be able to
learn something, as long as minds are kept open.
As merry as the SAMEDA Christmas party appeared to me, a
few people were less than satisfied. Dancing is not only a talent
and hobby for some of us, but is also a means of income. The
thought is then expressed as, "When we volunteer our talent to
perform, why are we also expected to buy dinner? Do we as
performers have to pay for the privilege of dancing?"
If you look at it that way, it could be pretty insulting. However,
there is another and, as it happens, more appropriate reason to
buy the required dinner. As a monthly publication and a freshly
organized community, we simply do not have the funds that it
would take to throw a party compliments of SAMEDA.
The $20 .00 a year fee to be a SAMEDA member does not yet
cover the cost of publishing and mailing the newsletter. We rely
on fund-raisers to make up the difference. So, how do we as a
group of dancers arrange special events to gather, share, and
celebrate? There are a number of ways to do it. Take a moment
and explore some of the options with me. Later, if you can think
of some other alternatives, please write us or attend one of the
meetings with your ideas.
When we decided to do a Christmas party, we could have
rented a hall or recreation room and could have charged everyone
a fee at the door to cover the expenses. A hall needs to be booked
in advance and requires a retainer. Besides the fact that we didn't
have a retainer, a hall will generally cost you anywhere from
$400.00 to $1000.00. You also need insurance for most halls, a
clean-up crew, security, a liquor license (if anyone wants a drink),
and a catering service. $$$$ Cha-Ching !!!!
Of course after the shock wears off, we could consider a
recreation room that belongs to one of our members and could be
donated for just such occasions. So if anyone out there knows of
one, please call us. That would leave us being responsible for
- 18 -
•••
~11mell11 ')1Jonthlu ~ew• • • • Jebru11ru 1998
only the decorations, food, spirits, and a clean-up crew. Since we
still don't have any money, we could charge a small fee at the
door and make it a pot luck. We would also need a fair amount of
commitments, and phone calls to coordinate the food, etc.
Or someone could ask a restaurant owner for use of his
facilities, musicians, sound system, waitresses, and bus boys with
only the promise to pay $ 10.00 for a delicious meal. The reality
is, any type of event is going to cost money. Our job as the SAMEDA
board is to make them as inspirational, festive, generous, and as
affordable as possible. And hopefully, on the occasions that we
are all able to get together to share our time, ideas, and talent,
the experience will far outweigh the expense.
~
Jebru11ru 1998 • • • ~11mell11 ')1Jonthl!I ~ews • • • -
15 -
~ameda 'f'erformer ~reeto'fl
(all are in the 619 area, unless noted)
Dancer ................................. Alela ............................. (760) 930-9893
Dancer ................................. Ana ......................................... 660-6965
Dancer ................................. Morwenna Assaf ......... (760) 433-2276
Dancer ................................. Jamila .................................... 466-8233
Dancer ................................. Luisa ...................................... 299-1129
Dancer ................................. Mariah .......................... (760) 727-4545
Dancer ................................. Nora ....................................... 457•7741
Dancer ................................. Pamela ................................... 299-7337
Dancer ................................. Sahra Saeeda .............. (909) 359-6782
Dancer ................................. Sallmeh .................................. 466-7849
Dancer ................................. Scherezade/Llttle Egypt ....... 581·0135
Dancer ................................. Theresa .................................. 298-0849
Dancer ................................. Zahra ...................................... 281-5440
Drummer ............................. Walld Assaf ................. (760) 433-2276
Drummer ............................. Dave Dhillon .......................... 284-5367
Drummer ............................. Randwolf ............................... 788-1447
Get on this list-it's free for members!
~ame,la 7'eaeher ~ireetor9
[all are in the 619 area, unless noted) ·
Aleia ............. (760) 930-9893
Aphrodite .............. 283-0446
Badeah .................. 569-7872
Elle ........................ 919-6774
Jamila .................... 466-8233
Kathy ............ (909) 699-5606
Luisa ...................... 299-1129
Marula .................... 466-2272
Meleah ................... 280-8424
Sahra ........... (909) 359-6782
Sylvia ..................... 585-0244
Alia .................................. 273-2636
Morwenna Assaf .. (760) 433-2276
Cyrena ............................ 698-9421
Theresa Freese .............. 298-0849
Julia ...................... (760) 489-5409
Nora Luchs ..................... 457-7741
Mariah ............................. 727-4545
Medea ................... (909) 682-6977
Melissa ........................... 483-6973
Scottie ............................ 581-0135
Nicki Vaccar ......... (760) 634-3680
Get on this list-it's free for members!
-
14 -
• • • ..,SAmellA tl!)onchlz, ~ews • • • JebruAl'!f 1998
fJArt of the
/~eepin9 Jit'/ Jormuln
b-y Nancy Klauschie
What do d a ncers-especially Middle Eastern dancers-need
to keep fit? You probably know already: stretch and warm up,
dance, cool down , dance, eat well, dance, have a good attitude,
dance, get a message, danceHey, wait a minute! Massage is just for rich ladies in spas, or
boxers a fter a fi ght, right? Wrong! Massage is for any athlete to
kee p the muscles supple and ready for action. Sports massage is
a vigoro us style that gives th e muscles a mini-workout between
serious ones. Massage stretches, energizes, and eases the knots
fr om muscles; it also assists in moving lactic acid out of the
muscl es, lessening the next-day ache . And it feels great! Serious
athletes get worked on every other day-alternating full body
with just parts. But, even weekly or bi-weekly sessions will give
great benefits.
So, consider getting a massage on a regular basis. It feels
wonderful, keeps your muscles happy, and may help you dance a
little easier.
~
._$•m•.t• C,oscumer ~isc
Aleia ..................................................................... (760) 930-9893
Morwenna Assaf ................................................. (760) 433-2276
Athena's Boutique ....................................................... 221-2920
Crist6bal ....................................................................... 697-9121
Scherezade's Souk ...................................................... 581-0135
Theresa Freese ............................................................ 298-0849
Nora Luchs ................ ~ .................................................. 457-7741
G.A. Walke .................................................................... 445-6674
Get on thi s list- it's free for members!
JebruAl'!f 1998 • • • .,SAmellA tl!)onchl11 ~ews • • • -
-C::-he
19 -
l3ed~L-&..i-, l30L::.::z:..~-.b-y Kathken Thomson (Alia)
When Scottie and Rebecca were planning the first Bedouin
Bazaar (originally the Baghdad Bazaar) in 1989, Scottie suggested
I set up a photo studio on the premises, which turned out to be a
very successful idea. So, up to 1995, I spent most of my time at
the Bedouin Bazaar off in a dark corner taking pictures. I met
many wonderful and beautiful people this way, some who r eturned
for pictures year after year. Because of eye problems, I decided I
couldn't commit to any more picture-taking marathons after
1995-but rumors of my retirement are greatly exaggerated ! I'm
still good for an unhurried hour or two of photography. No longer
committed to my dark corner, I've finally had the opportunity to
see what goes on elsewhere.
This year at the Bazaar, I did what I've never really done
before . . . I went shopping! We are so lucky to have this event in
San Diego since it is not always feasible to attend similar events
in the Los Angeles area and points north. There are so many
things that belly dancers need that are just not readily available
except through mail order. Since many of the vendors at the
Bedouin Bazaar also have mail order businesses, it gives one the
opportunity to get acquainted with the vendors and their
merchandise in person so that doing business with them by mail
later will be more productive.
I also enjoy seeing the cavalcade of performers at this and
similar events such as the Cairo Carnivale . Besides being
introduced to many great new groups and soloists, as well as
enjoying the return of old favorites , this is a great showcase for
music. I wonder if it would be possible for the announcers to
include information about the music used when they announce a
performance.
I performed this year, as I have twice in the past, and I must
admit that each time I was terrified and each time I was greeted
so warmly by the audience that I felt wonderful by the time I left
the stage. This is a very sympathetic crowd and provides a great
platform to try out new material.
I would have liked to attend both workshops, but that left
very little time at the Bazaar itself. So I chose Fahtiem's workshop
because I have so enj oyed h er classes in the past. Fahtiem has a
dyn amite warm-up routin e that she has developed from years of
- 20 -
•••
.,Snme,ln tl't)onrbl!f
~ew• • • • JebruAr!f
1998
teaching a nd performing experi ence. If one h a d only enou gh tim e
to follow thi s routine on a regular bas is, I think they would be in
great shape. She fo ll owed the warm-up with "dancers walks" and
bringing different attitudes into ou r movem ents. This flow ed into
a series of combin ations that gracefully fit together into a complete
ch or eography. Fahtiem's style of t eaching is easy to fo llow, and I
a lways come away from her classes full of fresh ideas.
This year the Bedouin Bazaar was follow ed by a dinn er show
at the Greek Palace. The Greek Palace is a great place to party! It
has great food, a full bar, and a spacious dance floor in the middle
of everything.
The show opened with the beautiful music ofJohn Bilezikjian
and Dave Dhillon, two musicians who enjoy working with dancers
and who do their best to enhance each dancer's sh ow. I was
honored to be the first performer up, and glad I didn't have to
follow any of the other great dancers in the show.
Azziza was exotic in an unus ual costume with sleeves and
pants made of strings of pearls. The white pearls and her long
black hair made an intriguing contrast. Along with her usual
dynamic style, she had the unexpected opportunity to demonstrate
to us all what a real trooper does when her bra strap breaks.
With good humor, she quickly improvised a halter top out of her
veil (something we should all be practicing!) and went on with
the show.
The part of Cyrianna's performance that stays with me the
most was her beautiful veil dance. Her liquid movements had me
so mesmerized I never wanted to see it end. Neither of these two
excellent dancers live in this area, so we are very blessed when
there is an occasion where we can see them perform.
Also in the show was San Diego's own, the truly wild Desiree.
She highlighted her dance with a spirited drum solo, summoning
Dave with drum onto the dance floor where they engaged in a
flirtatious dialogue of music and dance.
Capping the evening was a performance by Marula. I would
love to see slow-motion video of Marula! She has so many precise
little hip isolations and executes them with such speed and
precision, it seems impossible. But for all her technical proficiency,
one of the things I enjoy most about watching Marula is the
happiness that radiates from her face while she is dancing
The evening concluded with exuberant open dancing and I
think everyone went home tired and contented. I hope the Bedouin
Bazaar will continue to be a regular part of the San Diego belly
dance scene for years to come.
Jebninrr, 1998 • • • .,S11me,ln llt)onrbl!f ~ew• • • • -
13 -
Dara~ lttten1atiott~l Arts prescmts
~r1~},
B£LLV DANC£ 13AS1CS
"RAKS Al SHARKl" from EGYPT
"ICuchut H,,,...,, ... , woman In pink trousu1 ... ,bovt, sht - • only d,rt vlol<t putt ... !ht has lull com< lrom th, b.nh ...
fresh s.mdl, somrthln1 llk.t th.it of JWtttt(lNj wrpentlne; she ~n by perfum ina htr h.inds wtth rosrw.ittr ... .i ull, sofendld crutur, ..• ~llllt1Y cofftt-colour<d ... when lh• bends, hu 11"'1 rlppi<s Into bronz, rid"'- Htr ,yn "' d,rt rnd tnor·
mous, htr .,..t,row, bl,ct, htr nostrlh - n •nd wldt; h<,vy lhouldtrS, full , ppl.-lh•P<d bmsu ... lh, wort • l,fl' urt>oosh,
om.a~<d on top with , COO\'tXroJd dist, In t/if mlddlt ol wlllch W>! • ,mall IT"" 11on< inlutln1 tmtnld; t/if blu, ..,..I
of Mr urt>oosh ~ scrud out bnwt.st ind ftll ... Mr bfJct h.1lr1 wavy, unruly ..• sm.itl bnldJ joined tol"fflu Ji W NPf of
htr ntdt ... sti, 1,., on, u1>1><r Incisor, nrt,t, which b b<&inninr to so bad ... two b,nds of sold, twlst<d and lnttrlactd,
.iroond one wrlsl ... on htr rtet,t arm Is ut~ ~ line of ~ut wrltln1 ... stir UIS us lf wt would lfkr J ltttle rnttru lnmrnt ... •
.i
with
£l l £. Dattce £thttolo5ist
WoMEN 's DANCE ARTS OF M&JR.xco, ALGERIA
Tuesdays
Tuesdays
- Gusu,tflaubtrt
Esna, 6 Hardi I 850
6'- &;y,,r
6:30-7:30 PM - Belly Dance Basics for Beginners
7:30-8:30 PM - Performance Basics Master Class
at Expressive Arts Therapy Center
381 7 Rly Strttt, North P~rt
$JO ~ . , J )/U•
'
(u......i.... & s.o. M~lc Ulftm DA...:C AM«. mcmbcn) ~ J...wttk ScH\oH
FOR INFORMATION CALL (619) 919-6774
~
A FRIEND IN KNEAD
on-site (chair) massage for trade show or office
relaxation (table) massage
ZenTouch shiatsu
sports massage
deep tissue
Nancy Klauschie, CMT
prenatal
Clinical Massage Therapist
619-785-1623 pager/voice mall
-
12 -
• • •
..,SAmelllA tlt)onthlfl ~ews • • • JebruAr!J 1998
: : ) F e bruary 5, 12, and 19-Shareen El Safy presents a threeclass series on Oriental Dance and Beledi with new ch or eography
to th e Le banese song Walla M ara. Fee is $20.00 per class or $50.00
fo r t h e se ri es ; $55 .00 at t h e door. Call Sha r een a t (805) 962-9639,
or wri te P. O. Box 90936, Santa Ba rbara , CA 93190.
F e bruary 15, 1998- Tonya and Atlantis present the L ittle,
Junior, and Divine Belly Dancer of the Un iverse Competitions.
Call (310) 30 1-1568 fo r details.
: : ) February 22- Worksh op wit h Dahlena from 12:00 noon
ti ll 3:00 PM , at Ballet Etc. Da nce Studio, 212 Rowland Ave., in
Covin a . Fee is $25 .00 in advance; $30.00 a t the door. Call Lucy
Campa at (626) 338-6773 fo r details.
March I - Orange Coast College Dance Department andAngelika
N emeth present S hareen El S afy t eaching Oriental and Beledi
movem ents with new ch or eography to the popular Lebanese song,
Walla M ara . Registr ation is a t 12:30 PM ; cla ss runs from 1:005: 00 PM, a nd will t a k e place at th e Orange Coast College
Gymn asium Dance Studio, 2701 Fairview Rd ., in Costa Mesa.
Fee is $40.00 in advance by February 24TH; $50.00 at the door.
SAMEDA discount is $5 .00 . Make checks payable to OCC, and mail
to Angelika Nem eth , P.O. Box 4546, Irvine, CA 92616. Call
Angelika at (714) 786-3111 for more information.
)t
Out-of-~tnte events
~
March 7, 1998-Fahtiem teaches a workshop and performs in
Seattle, Washington . Contact Halima at (206) 862-7042 or Jareeda
at (5 14) 459-3115 for details.
May 15-17- Angelika N em eth appears in the Festival of the Nile
in Orlando, FL. Call Shari at (407 ) 656-7524 for details.
July 30- Augu st 4-Study with Amaya, Bert Balladine, Feyrouz,
and Aziz a t the Intern a tional Shake and Bake Festival at the
Wyndha m Hotel in Albequerque, New Mexico. Call (505) 2601186 fo r more information.
September 19-20, 1998- Faht ie m appears in York ,
Penn sylvania, presented by L itani, Chandra S ereen, and Kalim.
Co ntact Ch andra Sereen a t (717) 764-8915 for details.
~
JebruAri, 1998 • • • ..,SAmelllA llt)onthli, ~ews • • • -
21 -
7encher Committee '-'1Vews
We had our first meeting of the new teacher's committee Sunday;
J anuary 11TH at 1:00 PM at Morwenna's studio, Art/Dance Academy in
Oceanside.
We are fo rming an all iance of instructors, with the intention of
foste ri ng mu t ual support and encouragement wit hin our ri ch and
diversified dance community.
Teachers have a special responsibility to pass the love of this dance
onto their students. We all have common concerns and interests. Some of
the areas we will be working on include: teaching techniques, mutual
referrals, SAMEDA support, and most importantly; involving students in
performance. We want to provide aJI students with opportunities to perform
in a variety of venues.
We are planning our first event-a teacher/student recital- for April
19TH. We'd like to encourage teachers to get involved in the planning. Our
organizational meeting will be on February 22ND at 1:00 PM . Call Meleah
for details at her new number: (619) 280-8424. If you can't attend the
meeting, don't worry- you can pitch in at any time.
We're thrilled with the level of support at our first meeting. Everyone
shared the opinion that we need this group interaction and support of our
peers. We began by introducing ourselves and telling a bit of our
backgrounds, teaching styles, and class locations. It was so nice to learn
the different backgrounds, hidden talents, and specialties of each
instructor. I think we aJI felt more connected simply by sharing.
I was very impressed by the level of professionalism of those caring
instructors in attendance. There was no cattiness, no competition, just
sharing and support. I think our first recital will be very special as
instructors work together for mutual benefit.
Some ideas for future meetings will be: sharing our expertise with
each other via small teaching demos, marketing each other by distributing
flyers, sharing teaching techniques and visiting each other's facilities.
I am very excited about the future. Thank you all for helping by
attending, and thank you to the teachers who phoned in their support.
We'll see you next time.
Love in da nce,
/(![l b ~
Meleah (SAMEDA Vice President)
(619 ) 28 0-8424
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Thursdays- Alia teaches Beginning Belly Dance from 8: 00- 9:00
PM at San Di ego Danceworks, 2653 Ari a ne Dri ve, Pacifi c Beach .
Fee is $40 .00 per 6-week session. Ca ll th e studi o at (619) 2727456 for more information .
Thursdays- Morwenna A ssaf begins Technique Classes from
7 :30-9:00 PM. Ca ll Art/Dance Acad emy for det a il s a t (760 )
433-2276 .
Part VI
The Audience of Ethnic Dance
by MorwennaAssaf
This section is written for all of those students, t eachers,
dancers, and also all of those people that make up our general
audience. A lot of the value of any art work lies in its emotional
impact on the viewer. We, as performers, all hope to be appreciated.
As performing artists, we have only one opportunity to please
our audience. Once a movement is done it is dead. We cannot
hope to retrieve it. It is over. The audience becomes our "do-ityourself" critic. Therefore, it is important to also be a good
audience-it will give you so much more appreciation for what
you are seeing. It will enrich what you observe and help you
evaluate what you see.
I am going to break down the two main divisions of ethnic
dance performance into 1) communal, and 2) performance:
Communal-One in which the community takes part. Line
dancing is communal, i.e., Greek,Armenian, Lebanese, or Syrian,
etc. Ballroom dance, unless it is an exhibition, is communal. When
you watch communal dance you get caught up with the spirit of
it. For example, watching a tar or dervish performance like the
Whirling Dervish/Mevlevi Turkish show last February at UCSD,
was really a communal or religious experience-not a performance
as such. You got caught up in the spirit of it.
Performance-Whatever bodily movements different cultures
favor, there are two basic kinds of dance:
A. Commercial
1. Nightclubs
-designed to entertain and amuse
-needs to be flashy and easily understood
- must overcome the clatter of dishes
Thursdays- Nicki Vaccar teaches Greek folk dance from 6:007:00 PM, belly dance from 7:15-8:15 PM , and intermediate belly
dance from 8:15- 9:15 PM at San Marcos Parks and Recreation .
Call Nicki at (760) 634-3680 for details.
Thursdays- Belly dance at UCSD! Two-hour bellyj a m for a ll
comers starting at 7:30 PM . Call Jacki e at 581-2376 for deta ils.
Fridays-Meleah teaches a daytime fun -loving belly dance class
from 1:30-2:30 PM at the Taoist Sanctuary, 4229 Park Blvd . in
North Park. This class is at a beginner/intermediate level for
dancers who know the basic steps and are ready for som e
variations and combinations. Call Meleah at 280-8424.
Sunday afternoons-Nicki Vaccar teaches and performs Greek
folk dance at Greek Village Restaurant in Carlsbad. Call Nicki at
(760) 634-3680 for details.
~
Out-of-7own £vents
)t
Wednesdays-Tonya and Atlantis present their Original Belly
Dance Showcase from 8:45-11 :30 PM at the Los Angel es Harbor
Radisson Hotel, 601 S. Palos Verdes St., San Pedro. Guest dancers
perform to live music by Viken & Carlos, as well as tapes. For
show information, call Tonya at (310) 434-3987; for reservations,
call (310) 519-8200.
Fridays-John Bilezikjian, Var Daghdeuirian, and Cyrianna,
as well as guest dancers perform at the House of Kabab, 2110
West Whittier Blvd., in Montebello. Show starts at 8 :00 PM. Call
(213) 721-8956 for reservations; guest dancers talk to John or
Var after the show.
Tuesdays- The Laguna Beach Recreation Department presents
a belly dance class from 7:45- 9:30 pm . Call (714) 497-0716 for
details.
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• • • .,SAme,1111
l'l!)onshl!f ~ews • • • Jebru11r11 1998
Wednesdays- World Healin g Drums of San Diego presents
doumbek lessons with Walid A ssaf from 7:00- 9:00 PM. Fee is
$10 .00; doumbeks available. Call Nick at (760) 234-1218 .
Wednesdays-WalidAssaf begins Drumming Classes from 7:008:00 PM, with Debke Classes from 8:00-9:00 PM. Call ArtJD ance
Academy for details at (760) 433-2276.
We dnesdays-Ana Goebel t eaches Beginning and Intermediate
Belly Dance from 7:30-8:50 PM at the Spring Valley Recreation
Cente r, 8735 Jamacha Blvd ., in Spring Valley. Sign up for 8-week
sessions-call the Rec Center at (619) 479-1832, or call Ana at
(619) 660-6965 for more information .
Wednesdays-Nicki Vaccar teach es belly dance from 9:45-10:45
PM a t San Marcos Parks and Recr eation . Call Nicki at (760)
634-3680 for details.
Wednesdays-Meleah t eaches intermediate I advanced belly
dance at 6:30 PM at Centre City Ballet, 928 Ft. Stockton, Suite
115, in Mission Hills (take the Washington exit from Interstate
5, go east, turn left on Goldfinch, left on Ft. Stockton-the studio
is on the right corner of Ft. Stockton and Hawk). This class is
designed for dancers who have been dancing 2 or more years,
and u ses advanced steps and combinations, with an emphasis on
form, str ength, and muscle control. Opportunities to perform .
$7 .00 per class. Call Meleah for details at 280-8424.
Wednesdays-Meleah teaches beginning belly dance at
7:30 PM at Centre City Ballet, 928 Ft. Stockton, Suite 115 in
Mission Hills. This class includes beginning steps and isolations,
with a focus on body alignment, posture, and enjoying movement.
$8.00 per class. Call Meleah at 280-8424 for details.
: ) Tuesdays-Beginning Belly Dance class with Luisa from
6:15- 7:45 PM at Dancing Unlimited (Folk Dance Center), 4569
30T11 Street. (This is a beautiful facility with lots of mirrors.) Fee
is $30 .00 for an 8-week session. Call Luisa at (619) 299-1129 for
enrollm ent and information.
: ) Thursdays-Jasmina teaches beginning to intermediate
belly dance classes from 4:30-6:30 PM at Cuyamaca College dance
studio, room R205 , 900 Rancho San Diego Parkway, in El Cajon.
S even-week session begi ns 2/5 ; session #2 begins 3/26-$39.00
each. Ca ll (6 19) 660-4350 for more information .
Jebru11r11 1998 • • • .,S111me,l111 l'l!)onshl!f ~ews • • • -
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and conversation
-per Bobby Farrah: "People are not drinking holy
water"
- motivation is to entertain
2. TV
- poor fram e for dance
-emotion lost (which is essence of dance)
- limited camera vision, which loses fl oor design
-most studios have concrete floors
-dynamic quality is lost
3. Movies
-better adapted than TV
-retakes create an unnatural slickness
-close-ups spoil the whole
-best choreography ends up on cutting room floor
Since the basic motivation is to entertain, just sit back and
enJoy.
B. ArtJDance-divided into three main aspects
1. Ballet
2. Contemporary
3. Ethnic/World
ArtJDance is a full evening's performance on a concert stage
or at least a facsimile thereof. One should not attend with the
idea of being entertained, but rather enlightened. Therefore,
expect to be educated . Have a certain sensitivity.
Ethnic/World dance is all dances of alien background .
According to La Meri, "to fully appreciate all the aspects of ethnic
dance is the work of a lifetime. For our purposes we can have
three divisions: a) Raks Orientale/Belly Dance, b) Folkloric, i.e.,
ladies' dances of different regions, and c) Folk Dancing, i.e.,
communal line dancing.
All dances that are not Oriental/Eastern are considered
Occidental/Western-all nations not of Asia or the Far East are
Occidental. So rememb er, as you r ead and digest this information,
where the countries are.
Flamenco/Spanish , for example, is Western , as is Greek ,
Turkish, and Arm enian mu sic and dance. To further complicate
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.,SAmellA 'l!)onthl!I vVews • • • JebruA'!I 1998
m atter s (or simplify, as t h e case may be), their music is also not
qu ar ter-toned. Arabic mu sic is qu a r ter- toned and is consid ered
with its da nce, Orienta l.All the count ries of the Middle and Near
E ast a r e considered Orienta l, as t h ey a re on the continent of Asia.
OrientalJEastern Dance
A. movement comes from th e waist up (emotiona l)
B. feet ar e u su ally bar e, move simply, and expressive in
themselves
C. technique built on infinite sh a dings of movement
D. every separate pa r t of t h e body h as life, a line a nd a
rhythm of its own.
E. fingers are more outward to include people
F.
is concentric, movem ent curves inward through and
around the center
G. emotionally compressive-reflects dancer 's personality
within context
H. most dances were born in the temple-can be sensual
but not sexual
I.
should soothe (no chaos)
J. choreography expresses an emotional level, which
increases intensity only
K. invisible curtain at the edge of stage or performing space.
L. perfection is based on conformation and adhering to
ancient rules
M. every part of the body, as well as the face react according
to a given law
It requires preparation before you can appreciate eastern
dance arts, including our own Middle Eastern version. Folk dance
brought to the stage is no longer communal, but performance
dance. The same goes for trance dances and all ladies' dances.
But even when tran splanting it to the stage, the origins of
motivation and technique must be maintained.
As a "do-it-yourself' critic of dance, you must know what you
are seeing. First learn to appreciate dancing. By criticism I do
not mean censure. You cannot defin e and judge every performance
the same way. Never demand perfection . To quote again Madame
Jebl'UAl'!J 1998 • • • .,SAmellA 'l!)onthl!I
vVews • • • - 9 -
left on Goldfinch , left on Ft. Stockton- the stud io is on t he ri ght
corn er of Ft. Stockton and Hawk ). Beginner/inter med iate level,
with fin ger cym ba l practice each week . Each class is $7 .00; $1.00
off for SAMEDA members. Call Theresa at 298-0849 fo r deta ils.
Mondays- Nicki Vaccar teaches several fo rm s of da nce at Ea rl
Wa rre n Jr. High School, in Sola n a Beach . From 5:00-6:00 PM,
Gree k folk dance; 6:00- 7:00 PM, H awaiian I Tahitian dance; 7:008: 00 P M, belly dance; 8:00-9:00 PM, Flamenco technique. Call Nicki
at (760) 634-3680 for details.
: : ) Tuesdays- Beginning Belly Dance class with Luisa fro m
6:30- 7 :45 PM at th e La J olla Rec Center, 615 Prospect (Prospect
and Draper ). Fee is $30.00 for an 8-week session . Call Luisa at
(619 ) 299-1129 for enrollment and info rm ation .
Tuesdays - Morwenna A ssaf begins Advan ced I Profession al
Classes from 7:30-9:00 PM. Call Art/Da nce Aca demy for deta ils at
(760 ) 433-2276.
Tuesdays-Belly Dance Basics, "Raks Al Sharki from Egyp t,"
with Elle, dance ethnologist .Performanc e basics (experi enced
dancers only) from 7:00- 8:00 PM at Expressive Arts Therapy
Center, 3817 Ray St., in North Park. Fee is $30 .00 for one 3-week
session ($24.00 for SAMEDA and Baraka member s). Call (619 )
919-6774 for details.
Tuesdays-Morwenna A ssaf teaches Advanced/ Professional
Belly Dance: coaching I drumming from 5:30- 6:30 P M, technique
from 6 :30- 7:30 PM , and choreography from 7:30- 8:30 PM at ArU
Dance Academy, 225 Brooks Street, in Oceanside. Monthly class
cards available. Call (760) 433-2276 for details.
Tuesdays-Cynthia teaches an 8-week beginning belly da nce
class in the auditorium at Earl Warren Jr. High School from 6:307:30 PM in Solana Beach. Only $29.00! Regist er early-class fill s
up fast-through the San DieguitoAdult School at (760) 753-7073.
Tuesdays and Thursdays- Meleah t eaches aerobic crosstraining for danc ers from 5 :55- 6 :55 P M . Ev e n th e m os t
accomplish ed dancer needs to cross-train for enduran ce, strength ,
and flexibility. Join us for a fun low/medium-impact workout at
Murphy Canyon Youth Center, 10323 Orleck St. in Tierrasan ta
{I-15 exit at Tierrasanta Blvd. , go east , turn right on Santo, right
on Orle ck, 1ST building on t he left). Fee is $4 .00 per cl ass . Call
Meleah at 280-8424 for details.
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• • •
,SAmedA 'lt)onrhlu ~ews • • • JebruAr!I 1998
~noce Clnsses
)!
By Appointment-Aleia teaches private ($25.00/hr.) and semiprivate classes ($10.00/hr.) for all dance levels. Includes costuming,
zills, combinations, finding your style. Call (760) 930-9893 for
information.
By Appointment-Master instructors Morwenna and Walid
A ssaf , recently of Boston, present dance and rhythm classes for
a ll levels, plus coaching in their studio at Art/Dance Academy in
Oceansid e. Art/Dance Academy has new classes forming for 1998:
•
•
•
•
•
Mondays ......... elementary level belly dance .... 7:00-8:30 PM
Tuesdays ... .... . advanced level belly dance ....... 7:30-9:00 PM
Wedn esdays ... percussion class ........................ 7:00-8:30 PM
Thursdays ...... beginner level belly dance ........ 7:00-8:30 PM
Saturdays ....... dance technique ........................ 1:00-2:30 PM
choreography ....... ..... ........... ..... 3:00-4:30 PM
percussion class .......... ......... ..... 3:30-5:00 PM
Call (760) 757-44 70/433-2276 for more information. Special rates
for SAMEDA members.
By Appointment-Jamila teaches private lessons at your
convenience, specializing in floor work. Call 466-8233 for details.
Evenings and Saturday mornings-Cynthia teaches
beginning to intermediate belly dance in her peaceful countryhome studio in Olivenhain (between Encinitas and Rancho Santa
Fe) . Classes are $20.00/hr. private; $9.00/hr. group. Call (760)
753-6830 for details.
Mondays-Cyrena teaches belly dance at San Carlos Recreation
Center, 6445 Lake Badin Ave., in San Carlos (off Jackson Blvd.
between Cowels Mntn. and Lake Murray Blvd.). Beginning classes
are from 6 :00-7:15 PM; intermediate classes are from 7:15-8:45
PM. Call Cyrena at 698-9421 for details.
Mondays-Aleia teaches Beginning to Intermediate Cabaret-style
belly dance (including zill and veil work) at Art/Dance Academy,
225 Brooks Steet, in Oceanside. Call (760) 757-44 70 for details.
Mondays- Theresa teaches a belly dance class from 7:00-8:30
PM at Centre City Ballet, 928 Ft. Stockton, Suite 115, in Mission
Hills (take the Washington exit from Interstate 5, go east, turn
..J'ebn.iAru 1998 • • • ,SAme,IA tl!)oo&hl!I ~ews • • • -
25 -
La Meri : "Art is capable of perfection, but the artist is not." The
dance has many faces. When a dancer appears on stage, try to
estimate him, then sit back and enjoy. For example, if attending
a student recital, don't expect the performance to have the polish
or perfection of a professional's . Your critical pleasure will be in
judging the appropriateness of the motivation of the dance and
the seriousness with which the students handle the presentation.
Know what you personally are looking for in a performer.
Technique? Aesthetic beauty? Emotional impact?To recognize an
artist, it takes a touch of the artist in the beholder. Give
appreciation where it is due. Give appreciation to those who
contribute to the advancement of the art. An artist presenting
anything is a step forward in art. Dance is a national resource for
international understanding. Encourage, applaud, give the rising
young dancer a place to learn this loftiest of arts and keep him/
her physically and spiritually alive. Dancers grow only with
experience.
See as many performers as you can-it provides dynamic
lessons in technique and expressiveness. It inspires you in your
own studies . It can plant ideas in your heart that you never
dreamed of. It can turn the lights on as to what all the class time
is about. You learn why you repeat over and over again the same
exercises. So support all your fellow dancers and get out there
and try it yourself.
While I am at it, let's give a big round of applause to all those
new students and old who performed at our fabulous SAMEDA
Christmas party. I, for one, was thrilled to see the new girls who
got out there and tried their wings. Those of us who have been
around a year or two know that things do not always go perfectly.
You know the old saying-"-- happens." I think you all deserve
a thank you for a very enjoyable evening. This was my first SAMEDA
party; hope we have many more.
Unlike sports, dance is not-or at least should not be-a
competitive sport. Several factors distinguish dance from this
phenomenon. The excitement of dance arises solely from the event
itself. Should a dance be well performed, then, in a sense all the
dancers win . Theatrical dance usually involves far more complex
emotions than do sports, and it is certainly as well structured.
Dance is movement that has been organized so that it is
rewarding to behold, and the craft of making and arranging dances
is called choreography. Because dance can assume so many guises,
the viewer should regard each dance he/she views with fresh,
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..,Snmedn 'l'!:}onthl!J
~ew!I •
• •
JebruAl'!J 1998
unprejudiced eyes. All dance styles are not alike, and some, to
the uninitiated eye, may look decidedly odd. Usually, dance is
accompanied by suitable mu sic which will do much to emphasize
a work's rhythmic vitality or establish its emotional atmosphere.
Costumes may contribute to a work's effectiveness. Dancers
inhabit time and space simultaneously, and the interest of a dance
derives from space, time, positions of bodi es, from energy,
dynamics, and the way movements are rhythmically organized
for effort and rest.
From all this activity and interactivity the dance is built.
Dance communicates because it prompts responses within us.
Dance is not simply a visual art, it is kinesthetic as well; it appeals
to our inherent sense of motion. AB we watch dancers on stage ,
our own muscular systems react to the strain or relaxation of
their movements. We not only observe what happens, we also, in
some empathetic way, feel it. The art of dance is as old as the
human race.
R.eferences:
Anderson, Jack, Dance
Loren, Teri, The Dancer's Companion
La Meri, Dance Composition
Happy New Year To All!
~
C0)1Uur CCco)\vcer lD)caurncccer:
§«::cc»1t1b-t<.e §<Clhnuulltz (§«::he1nezccll«:ll<.e)
Scherezade has been dancing since 1981. She is the director
of Arabian Nights Entertainment, which produces the Bedouin
Bazaar and other events. Scherezade describes her dance style
as aggresive and unique, with a touch of comedy.
JebruAl'!J 1998 • • • ..,Snmedn 'l'!:}onthl!J ~ews • • • - - 7 -
will also be a house warming-plants cheerfully accepted!) All
members welcome! Call (619) 280-8424 for details.
~
Sunday, April 19-Teache r/Stud e nt dance recital.
Location not set. Call Meleah at (619) 280-8424 for details and
updates.
~
Sunday, July 12-The first ever SAMEDA Fair will take
place at Kathleen Thomson's home. Details to follow.
~ '9wnp tl!Jeets/'}/nrit '9nles ~
none this month
~
l1/7orkshops
~
~
Saturday, March 14-SAMEDA-sponsored mini-workshops
featuring Azziza, Marula, and Meleah, to take place at
Morwenna's Art/Dance Academy studio in Oceanside . Call
Morwenna for details at Call (760) 757-4470/433-2276.
Sunday, March 15-Baraka International Arts presents Dance
of the Ouled Nail, the desert courtesans of l9TH-century Algeria
with Elle, dance ethnologist. Workshop runs from 1:00-3:00 PM
at San Diego Danceworks, 2653 Ariane Drive, in Pacific Beach .
Fee is $25.00 for Baraka andSAMEDA members; $30.00 for general.
Call (619) 919-6774 for more information.
~ Saturday, March 28-Cassie presents an Exploring the
Belly workshop from 10:00 AM till 2:30 PM at 4371 IQTH Avenue, in
San Diego. Call (619) 230-9442 for details.
: ) Sunday, April 26-Costuming workshop with Susan Teal
(Beledi dresses and harem pants) and Theresa Freese (belts and
bras), from 1:00-4:00 PM at Centre City Ballet, 928 Ft. Stockton,
Suite 115, in Mission Hills. Preregistration fee is $20.00 forSAMEDA
members; $22.00 for nonmembers. At-the-door fee is $25.00/
$27.00. Call Theresa at (619) 298-0849 or Susan at (6 19) 444-4197
for details.
Sunday, May 17-Art I Dance Academy in conjunction with
SAMEDA will sponsor Dalia Carella for a workshop and show. Call
Morwenna at (760) 433-2276 or (760) 757-4470 for detai ls.
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• • •
.,SAmellA il!)onrhl11 ~ews • • • JebruAr!I 1998
~ ._shows
Sr ~pecinl events ~
Wednesdays- Aleia dances to the music of John Bilezikjian
begi nnin g at 6 :30 PM at the Greek Village Restaurant, 6030 Paseo
del Norte, in Ca rl sbad . Open dancing; John plays music suitable
for s tud ents t o practice to. Rese rvations r equired , call (760 )
603-9672 .
Thursdays- Enj oy Middl e E astern Night with WalidAssaf and
Tatool , a t th e Crete Island Resta urant, at the Oceanside Marina ,
258 H a rbor Drive South, st arting at 7:00 PM. Call the restaurant
a t (760 ) 722-0461 for more information .
Wednesday, January 31-Rami International Night at the
Crete Island Restaurant, Oceanside Marina, 258 Harbor Drive
South. Enjoy the best in Egyptian music. Call the restaurant at
(760 ) 722-0461 for reservations.
: ) Sunday, February I - Meeting to discuss the July 12TH
SAMEDA Fair. Call Kathleen Thomson at (619) 273-2636 for time
and location.
: ) Sundays, February 1 and 15; March 1 and 15---.Jamila
presents a Belly Dancing Showcase at 6:00 PM at the newly opened
Crete Island Restaurant, 258 Harbor Drive South, in Oceanside.
Live music with Yannis, Tatool, and Dimitris. All performers
receive a 20% discount on dinner. Call (760) 722-0461 for
reservations; call Jamila at (619) 466-8233 to schedule dancing.
: ) Saturday, February 21-Aleia will teach a free lesson in
Belly Dancing for Health and Fitness from 1:00-2:30 PM at Artl
Dance Academy, 225 Brooks Street, in Oceanside. This event is
open to the public. Check out Aleia's teaching style! Call (760)
757-44 70 for details.
: ) Sunday, February 22-Meeting to discuss upcoming
teacher/student recital. Call Meleah at (619) 280-8424 for details.
: ) Saturday, February 28-Scottie and Arabian Nights
Entertainment present a video party from 1:00-4:00 PM , 3234
Idlewild Way, in Clairemont. Refreshments will be served. Come
check out the new videos, music, and other stuff. RS.VP. Scottie
at (619) 581-0135 .
: ) Sunday, March 8 - S AMEDA board meeting at 1:00 PM
M eleah 's bea utiful new home, 2805 Maple, in North Pa rk . (This
JebruAr!I 1998 • • • .,SAmellA il!}onrhl11 ~ews • • • -
27 -
7he ZfltimAte ~eAlit!J
Part I
by Cari Marten-Trimper
In all my years of dancing, I have never met anyone more
talented, direct and honest than Atlantis. I have enjoyed writing
articles about her, because to me, she is the ultimate reality. I
believe she always has something of very great value to offer the
dance community that is worthy of mention.
I've heard people sat they saw her in a Raqia Hassan or Bobby
Farrah workshop, and they were amazed that she could miss the
first half of the workshop and still do the routine perfectly, just
the way it should be done, within minutes of arriving. Atlantis,
when asked, just blew it off and said, "If you're going to be late,
you'd better do something right."
She recently had a great dance part on The Young and the
Restless, a CBS TV soap. I loved talking to her about because she
is the most real and down-to-earth person you could ever meet; I
love her honesty. We were talking about how she got such a long
spot on the show, and she said, "I basically told them what I
thought they needed, showed them what I meant, and they went
for it. They wanted a Greek dancer, and of course I do a lot of
Greek folk dancing, but any chance I get, I do my best to
incorporate belly dancing, especially when it will be seen worldwide on network TV I choreographed the Greek dancers and
stylized the belly dancing and costuming to be more Greek. I
then decided to get everyone in the cast involved, hoping to get
more camera time, and voila, it worked. I personally feel it was a
wonderful plus for belly dancing, and I got to work with some of
my favorite musicians, Guy and Arshak Chookoorian, and yes,
yes, yes-Eric Braedon was a doll! It was also wonderful to receive
so many congratulatory phone calls from dancers across the
nation, including the wonderful Karen Barbee. That was really
great."
Atlantis' credentials in dance, TV, stage, videos, etc., are
absolutely amazing. I knew she would win the International
Academy Award of Middle Eastern Dance for Best Cabaret Dancer
of the Year. When I congratulated her, she was very grateful and
felt it was a great honor. Because we talk frequently, I mentioned
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•••
,Snmedn ll!)onthl!I ~ews • • • Jebrunr!I 1998
to h er that I'd heard people saying that h er performances have
an amazing and almost "mysterious, energizing power," similar
to a volcano, that brings people to the peak of excitement. I
p ersonally witnessed this when I watched her video performances
from the Hot Summer Nights Rafla presented by Kadayif in
Tampa, Florida . It seemed like the applause went on forever. She
was also unbelievably fantastic when she performed with Eva
Cernik at the Los Angeles Sheraton San Pedro Hotel, where she
performs weekly. Eva was a guest that night, and is also one of
my favorites. Each one was so special and so different. Atlantis'
technique and execution of movements was spectacular and that
evening she worked her audience perfectly. Atlantis said, "Believe
me, there is nothing mysterious about my power. It's just plain
hard work and a deep love of dance. I've worked very hard to
perfect my dance and my body, as well as my mental strength
and creativity. I owe a great deal to my mother [Tonya], who's
helped me in every way, and although she 'gave me the ball,' it
was up to me to 'run with it,' and I did. It was my choice to be
successful. You have to know that no one can do this for you ."
Atlantis is famous for using alternative music and for singing
in her shows, and her costuming is wild and extravagant. She is
a terrific belly dancer, but her talents are far greater than just
belly dancing. She is a great singer and actor as well, and excels
in many dance forms . Her Spanish Gypsy cape work is to die for.
She says she never wants to get stagnant or repetitious. "When
you perform for the same audience or work in the same nightly
or weekly, you owe it your audience to be special every time you
perform. No, there's nothing mysterious about success, although
some luck always enters into it, such as being in the right place
at the right time. Many of my friends are in [high places], but
I've never pushed my friendships. Everything that has come to
me has come because I've worked hard and earned it. You have
to be willing to give all your concentration and peak energy in
every performance, audition, workshop, etc. You have to be willing
to put your ego on the line. The greatest thing you can do for
yourself, is to know yourself. If you can't accept losing out on a
job or a part, don't blame the person who got the job or part, just
try again. Sure it's a lot of hard work, but it's worth it."
In Part II, Atlantis will discuss her opinions and helpful hints
on forming a dance troupe, and on-the-job protocol.
~
Jebrun'!I 1998 • • • ,Snmedn ll!)onthl!I ~ews • • • -
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c2\nnouncements
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Would anyone who videotaped performances at H ajji Baba's
in 1994 please call Theresa at (619) 298-0849 . Theresa was a
p erform er at one of the shows and would like to buy a copy of
the tape.
•
Elle's Guedra workshop, sch edul ed for February 15T 11 , h as
been cancelled.
•
Does anyone have Nadia Winters' current addr ess and/or
phone numb er? Her Monthly News is bein g r eturn ed as
undeliverable.
•
Congratulations to Scottie (Scherezade) and R ebecca (Nefera)
for being invited by Shukriya to perform at Rakkasah on
March 21 ST at 3:26 PM. They will be on the cabaret stage in
the Bermuda room-stop by if you're in the neighborhood .
Arabian Nights Entertainment always has a good time!
•
The costuming workshop with Susan Teal and Theresa Freese
has been changed from March 1ST to April 26TH. See
"Workshops" section.
Do you have information on renting halls, stages, or other
locations for recitals, shows, and workshops? Please call
Theresa at (619) 298-0849 with information on fees and
parking availability.
Therapeutic Massage/Bodywork: Loosen up your neck,
shoulders, spine, and hips. Release blocks to being fully in
and enjoying your body. Licensed, professional therapist, 18
years experience. Call Therese at Massage for Health, (760)
942-3899. 10% discount for SAMEDA members; gift certificates
available.
Henna Body Painting: Treat yourself to beautiful, exotic,
sensual temporary body art. Call Therese at Sacred Art, (760)
942-3899.
Be prepared! When doing a show to taped music: record on a
new, unabused tape, check recording level for hi ss and
distortion-test in other machines. Always la bel both your
tape and the tape box with your real name, stage name, and
phone number.
- Theresa
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.,SAmellA tlt)onchli, ~ews • • • JebruAri, 1998
New me mb ers will r eceive th e opportunity to provide a
biography a nd picture to introd uce themselves to the rest of the
membership. If you are a recent new memb er a nd would like
that opportu nity now, call Lily (the editor) to find out what you
need to send in and by what date.
Ju ly 12T11 h as been selected to be the birth date for a new
annua l event; The SAMEDA Fair. We will be starting out very small
du e to finances, but intend to mature into a well-represented
occasion. Participation will nurture our new baby into an event
we wi ll a ll be proud of. We'll have a swap meet, a ll-day dancing,
refreshments and vendors; we hope to become very festiv e and
dancer-friendly. The funds raised from the fair will help to sponsor
the new "One Enchanted Evening and Awards Presentation" in
November. The SAMEDA Fair will need plenty of volunteers and
danc e rs, so begin thinking now as to how you would like to
pa rticipate.
Ther e a re also a few more workshops still floating around as
ideas. If the mini-workshop format is successful, perhaps we will
do more of those.
To s um up the upcoming year, we have started planning;
workshops, a SAMEDA Fair, two student/teacher performances, and
"One Enchanted Evening." If you feel you would like to attend
the n ext SAMEDA meeting and become actively involved with the
planning, the meeting will be held at Meleah's house on March
srn at 1:00 PM. See the calendar of events for details.
I believe we are off to a great year. The response I've received
by way of comments has been very encouraging. It seems that
more people are interested in becoming involved . I anticipate
seeing fresh voices in the Monthly N ews, along with our oldies,
but goodies! I hope our out-of-town members will also feel free to
participate by offering articles and comments. There is plenty of
room for ideas, opinions, and philosophy. Too often I've heard the
comment, "But, I may make someone angry." Take the chance.
Your opinions are just as valid as the next person's, and we all
need food for thought.
See you at the next event and thanks for a really great year!
Sincerely,
-fll~
Ma rul a
JebruAri, 1998 • • • .,SAmellA tlt)onthli, ~ews • • • -
29 -
70 lY!J!J .,Sisters in ~Aoce
byTatianaPopova
/
Dear Dancers,
The following words were written by one of San Diego's premiere
teachers, Tatiana Popova. Tatiana has temporarily relocated to
Minnesota for a little R&R . It appears tha!Tatiana enriches everyone
she touches. Her passion for Middle Eastern dance, and love and
respect for her students and colleagues, nurtures our souls. We
will miss her immensely! It is with her permission that I share these
wonderful words of wisdom.
\.
"
-Luisa
There are many qualities that make a dancer great. These
may be talent, development of style, feeling for space and time,
training, understanding the music, and costuming. Yet, a very
important element is often misunderstood and overlooked: That
is self-realization and self-love. Dance is a journey through oneself.
It will either raise your self-esteem or lower it. Once you have
discovered your potential, tap that creative force that is waiting
to be touched inside. Believe it is there; have confidence in it and
share it with others. Too often, we are concerned with how we
compete with other dancers, and we try to emulate them. Instead,
compete against the best you have in yourself. You are unique.
Take your own personal story, filled with moments of joy, laughter,
and love, along with those bewildering eruptions of fear, sadness,
and hurt, and involve them in your creative expression. The more
you learn about your internal self, the less self-conscious you will
be of what others think. This freedom and self-discovery will light
you up from within, incandescent with feeling.
Nureyev aptly sums it up: "Many dancers tend to contemplate
themselves, while I try to give myself to the audiences to fill out
the form of the ballet to the full with inner life and feelings ...
After all it is the dancer's personality which brings life and
grandeur to dance."
- Tatiana
December 12, 1997
~
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..,Snmelln 'l'!)onthl!I ~ews • • • Jebrun'!I 1998
Wh11 Should J /foi11
SM1tVA7
Jebrunl'fl 1998 • • • ..,Snmelln 'l'!)onthl!I ~ews • • • -
3-
Lefler from the
Pre~ident
Se11efits for Members 011/y!
1)
2)
3)
12 monthly issues of San Diego's only Middle Eastern danceoriented publication.
Up-to-date belly dance class listings for San Diego.
Up-to-date calendar for dance-related events in San Diego,
plus selected out-of-town and out-of-state events.
4)
Member-written articles on dance, music, workshop reviews,
dance business, dance history, dance ethics, costuming ,
makeup, and much more.
5)
Two free classified ads in the
membership year.
6)
Dance teachers get free copies of the
for their students (twice a year) .
7)
Free listings in the performer, teacher, and costumer
directories.
8)
A chance to get to know your fellow dancers.
9)
Opportunities to have your profile, photo, article, opinion ,
artwork, and event review published.
10)
Reduced rates on flyer inserts and display advertising in the
SAMEDA
SAMEDA
Monthly News, per
SAMEDA
Monthly News
Monthly News.
11)
Discounts on workshops, classes, events, services and
products provided by SAMEDA members.
12)
List of clubs and restaurants featuring dancers.
13)
Dance supply vendor list (coming soon).
I commend you. All the hard work has been successful and
we are beginning the new year with (granted) a scanty budget,
but with one that has paid off all past debts and loans. It took
real team effort to accomplish this, and in the process has created
a sense of pride in our organization which I hope will continue to
flourish .
The firstSAMEDA meeting in 1998 has left me very enthusiastic.
Besides the regular board members, three individuals from the
membership participated in our brain-storming. Their talents are
especially appreciated because they have decided to join some of
the committees for up-coming events.
Fund-raising is always a major issue with any organization,
and we are no exception. How to restock the pantry to sponsor
some of our major events was one of our meeting topics. We have
decided to begin the year with a mini-workshop extravaganza
and evening show. Three teachers for the price of one! What a
deal. And the proceeds go into the SAMEDA treasury. Mark your
calendars for March 14TH . Flyers will provide the details.
Meleah is moving forward with the Teacher/Student
performances. The response to this type of event has been
encouraging. I hope all of you decide to participate.
We are also moving closer to our goal of becoming non-profit.
Oh, what a bow in our bonnet this would be. Complex paper work
and not enough money contributes to this being a slow process.
But, not unattainable. Susan Teal, Morwenna ,and Francena have
been working very hard to make this a reality.
Questions as to how to provide greater advantages to SAMEDA
members was also one of our issues. We a re looking for group
discounts from fabric stores, and of course the discounted rates
to our functions . We also voted to select only SAMEDA members
and members of other dance affiliates as performers to any of our
events. Snobbery? Nab-loyalty.
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• • •
.,,Se1me,le1 tl!)onthli, vVews • • • Jebrue1ri, 1998
SAMEDA
31 -
JebruAri, 1998 • • • .,,Se1me,le1 llt)onthli, vVews • • • -
Monthly News
SAMEDA FEEJNUA,?Y 1998 CALENDAR
the official publication of the
San Diego Area Middle Eastern Dance Association
Su
M
T
Send membership renewals ($20.00 per year) , ads, and flyers (see
back cover for advertsing rates) to :
w
Th
F
s
SAM EDA
P.O. Box 40378
San Diego, CA 92164-0378
President:
Vice-President:
Treasurer:
Editor:
Member Secretary:
Secretary:
Mary Ann Nowell
Meleah
Theresa Freese
Lily Splane
Susan Teal
Francena Sherburne
; I
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We need your announcements, events notices, reviews, articles,
photos , artwork, and any other information you wish to share .
SAMEDA accepts original material submitted by the author/artist with
a valid return address. Mail submissions to:
Lily Splane, Editor
2739 Wightman Street
San Diego, CA 92104-3526
(Please don't use the editor as your personal secretary, or use her
answer machine for dictation. Written or typed copy helps eliminate
errors, aids in info verification, and keeps the editor from going
bald .)
Submission Guidelines
[~lJbrnissi<>11s deadline is t~~ ~~ of each month. Due to
ocassional space constraints, non-time-sensitive items may
be held over till the next issue.
Submissions should be typed or legibly handwrittenpreferably double-spaced with adequate margins.
Submissions on disk are acceptable (even preferred) in PC
and Mac platforms. Disks will be returned if you include a
postpaid mailer. Due to the new streamlined format, we accept
typeset material only for advertisements.
If you scan your own photos, please do not halftone
them-scan them as"grayscale"(16 grays) or"black and white
photo" in your scanning program.
Avoid scheduling conflicts-use these at-a-glance calendars!
SAN\EDA IYIAl<Ci-11998 CALENDAR
Su
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T
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,Ev\M"J;QA
Advertising Rate Sheet
Classified ad s
$3.00
(6 lines or less, including name, address and phone)
Business card ad-one issue ............................ ...... ....... ....... ....... $3 .00
six issues/one year ............................. ........ ... ... .... .. $15.00/$28.00
Half- or full-page ad ....................................................... $5 .00/$10.00
Flyers ready to mail with newsletter ( 180 copies) ..... ... ........ .... $15.00
You provide master for flyers-we do the copies (one-sided) .. $25.00
For an additional fee we can create an ad or flyer master for you.
(does not include publi shing ad, or copying and mailing fees) :
without scan or artwork ........................................................... $20.00
with scan or artwork ................................................................. $25.00
!
San Diego Area Middle Eastern Dance Association I
1,~
...111111111
~l...b
Monthly News
JebruAr!J 1998
>><'.
(f)
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All Fees Reflect a SAMEDA Discount:
Add $5.00 per item for non-members.
>I
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::.:::
>CD
,---------------------,
§
Advertising Order Form
I
0.
Send a copy of the ad (or mock-up of the ad to be typeset and layed
out), with payment to:
Name: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
AAMf~
Address:._ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
P.O. Box 40378
San Diego, CA 92164-0378
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
City:
State: _ Zip:___
Phone:._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
Classified Ad ................... .. :.............................. ...................... $3.00
Business Card Ad (one issue) ................................................ $3.00
Business Card Ad (six issues/one year) .................. $15.00/$28.00
Half- or Full-Page Ad ............................................... $5.00/$10.00
Flyers to Mail ....................................................................... $15.00
Flyer Master (we copy) ........................................................ $25.00
Typesetting/Layout Services:
0 member-no graphic ..................................................... $20.00
D member-with graphic .................................................. $25.00
D non-member-no graphic ....... ........ .............................. $25.00
0 non-member-with graphic ............ .............................. $30.00
Total Enclosed: .............. ..... .... ................ .................. $. _ _ _ __
L---------------------~
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·; " ~
Board Member Scherezade (Scottie Schultz)
of Arabian Nights Entertainment (see page 26)