Global Dance Collective E-newsletter

Welcome to the Global Dance Collective e-newsletter. Global Dance is a collective of instructors of world dance, primarily Middle Eastern dance located in Springfield, MO. The e-newsletter is published 6 times a year and includes information on world dance, music, culture and more!

Namo namah

This year is off to a great start for many of our students and teachers! There have been some schedule changes, so don't forget to check the schedule regularly if you are thinking about coming to a new class!

Everyone has been getting ready for the 2nd Student Showcase coming up the weekend of March 8th. See the events listings for more information. We hope to see you there!

From the Editor

This is such a busy time of year for everyone, we are getting ready for the showcase and I know this is the time of year where everyone seems to be planning what workshops they will be attending. If you know of any local workshops or shows that you think we should list in the newsletter, I would be happy to post them under Local Events for our readers. If you are a local teacher or advanced student with an interest in submitting articles or reviews, please let me know. Please don't hesitate to contact me with any questions or ideas. My email is jemina@dreamdancers.org. I hope to see everyone soon!

Happy Dancing!

Jemina Shikany
Editor

Why Dance?

By Jemina Shikany

“That is not where I got the idea from, I made all of that up on my own.”

This was the response, spoken very defensively, I got from a dancer after I complimented her on her troupe choreography several years ago. I was telling her that I really enjoyed the piece and could see, to my enjoyment, the connection and similarities with pieces being performed in other parts of this country. Missouri is one of the last places to get hit with innovative concepts I am sad to say, but I do my best to keep up with the dance outside of home as it is much easier now then 10 years ago.

It was truly several years ago, yet this statement still rings in my ears all too often. At the time I was absolutely speechless, I just had to smile and nod. Did I miss something? When and where did people start inventing new styles of this dance form that have no history or connection with anything else besides their imagination? Nothing is entirely new. I believe it was Buddha who said “Everything is in relation to everything else.”

Even someone as innovative as Suhaila Salimpour takes from other dance forms. In her certification, discipline and break down of technique she started something unfamiliar to Middle Eastern dance. These aspects that she has incorporated into this dance form are not just prevalent in other dance forms, but expected and necessary. I have no doubt that Suhaila would be the first to admit this. Not being able to admit it, to lie to yourself and to everyone else is extremely disappointing and unnecessary. The idea that it makes your choreography less valid if you have inspiration from other artists is false, you lose validity when you refuse to acknowledge your inspirations and teachers.

The dancer who takes from other dancers and teachers, and never gives of herself has no vision. She mimics with no acknowledgment and passes it off as her own. For a few unfortunate dancers they always have to have someone to mimic or copy, moving from one “mentor” to the next their style completely changing each time with no recognition of the constant imitating. Taking from other dancers and passing it off as you own with no acknowledgment is completely unethical. Some people have a mentor as their source for inspiration, and a good mentor will help the dancer develop themselves with proper teaching and examples.

Every artist takes something from someone, whether or not they are mimicking them, or being inspired by them. Nothing is so unique that it is solely of your own creation, that you completely made it up out of your own head, no one creates in a vacuum. It is impossible. Everything that we do is a reflection of someone or something that we have known, heard, touched or seen. Sometimes these inspirations are so deep in our subconscious we can never place them, but they are there nonetheless. Inspiration for creating can come from an innumerable amount of sources.

Regardless of your inspiration, you have to know that you are the only one you can count on, it is your body that you must rely on and your soul, no one can express yourself better than you and you cannot accurately express someone else through yourself. The beauty and the art is to take the inspiration, acknowledge it, and make it your own through your personal expression and spirit. That is where your creativity is reflected.

Self expression in dance is beautiful, truly an art. But the idea that one person is in some way more innately blessed, artistic and unique because they have the ability to create something from nothing is false. In this woman’s attempt to seem more of an artist then others around her, I feel that she is as far from an artist as I can imagine.

To be able to utilize the many facets of your life and filter them into a creative expression through your body is amazing. Dancing with this much truth and expression is not only extremely healing, but fascinating to watch. I admire a dancer who dances with their own passion rather than someone else’s. If your dance isn’t from within yourself, why dance?

Reviews Rating

Belly Dancers of Cairo

Rating: 5 lamps

Skill Level: N/A

This documentary, made in 2005, focuses on belly dancers in Cairo today, the reasons they dance, and their culture's ambivalence toward women in dance.

A brief and interesting history of belly dance in the 20th century is given, with clips from Egyptian Cinema and a little info about Badia Masabni's role in promoting the dance.

The film gets a little repetitive in its exploration of the stigma of belly dance but it's a great touch when narrator (and director and producer) Natasha Senkovich interviews some of the men in her own family here in the States; their attitudes differ very little from the Cairene men. Those of us involved in belly dance in conservative communities can relate to this issue but of more interest to me were those dancers, like Lucy, who try to explain the intangible, spiritual and emotional pleasures of dance that are quite separate from financial gains.

This award winning documentary is a great addition to your DVD collection if you have a particular interest in Modern Egyptian Belly Dance, but it's not an instructional and does not really address what constitutes Cairene dance, as opposed to Alexandrian, Saidi, and other styles.

The sections concerning Ghawazee are particularly important but I wish the nature of Ghawazee style had been explored more instead of Kharreyya Maazin's married life.

Still these dancers do come alive for us and one can't help but feel the bond we all share - our love of the dance.

I particularly like the special feature showing nine of the dancers featured in interviews in the movie. The "live" camera work can be choppy but the informality captures the feeling of being there watching the dance and provides a "time-capsule" of the dance as it is performed at this time.

Interested in buying this DVD? The Global Dance Collective carries it. $20 + tax. phone: 417.881.4477 email:jemina@dreamdancers.org or come by studio.

For more articles and reviews by Angela Belle Shikany visit the Dream Dancers website listed below...

Upcoming Events

Includes events held by the Global Dance Collective or where members of the collective are performing.

Student Showcase - March 8, 2008
The Global Dance Collective is hosting the second Student Showcase featuring students and teachers of the Collective. 8:30pm. GA. Tickets are $5.00. For more information visit http://www.globaldancecollective.org/events.htm

Springfield Belly Dance March Meet Up - March 23, 2008
website: http://www.bellydance.meetup.com/106

Springfield Belly Dance April Meet Up - April 27, 2008
website: http://www.bellydance.meetup.com/106

In This Issue:

Dance Supplies!

Come by the studio and check out our belly dance supplies including hip scarves, cds, veils, zills and more!

Did you know?

Tahia Carioca slapped King Farouk once when he threw an ice cube down her dress!

T-shirts

Global Dance Collective t-shirts are available now! We have sapphire and purple shirts available in sizes Small, Medium, Large, XL, 2X and3X. Shirts are $20 + tax. Come get yours today at the Global Dance Collective.

Classes

Global Dance Collective
Dance Studio and Supplies
3165 S. Campbell Ave. Ste. C7
Springfield, MO 65807
(417) 881-4477

Middle Eastern Dance, Belly Dance, Middle Eastern Rhythms and Drum class and more. All ages for most classes.

Classes offered six days a week

For complete class listing, call 417.881.4477 or check out the link below...

globaldancecollective.org

DVDs Available

DVDs are still available from the Global Dance Collective Grand Opening and the 1st Student Showcase. Also, plan on getting one from the 2nd Showcase. DVDs are $15 each + tax.

Local Events

These are events, workshops and shows that are being held locally by friends of the Global Dance Collective that you may want to attend.

Greek Night at Galloway Station, March 15, 2008, 9:30 PM. There will be belly dancing around 9:30 and 11:30 pm. Sa'dia and Naima will be performing. $5. 4211 S. Lone Pine
417-881-9730

Naima Belly Dance Workshop May 17, 2008 - Buffalo, MO presented by Sisters of the Moon Middle Eastern Dance Academy. visit
http://naimasbellydance
blog.blogspot.com/ 

Subscribe

If you saw this newsletter on our website or had this forwarded from a friend and you would like to subscribe, sign up here: Global Dance Collective
Newsletter Subscription Page 

"I wash my hands of those who imagine chattering to be knowledge, silence to be ignorance, and affection to be art." - Kahlil Gibran