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July 29, 2012
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TRIBAL ROOTS part 3- Amazigh, Amazons, La Kahina and Kabyle dance

     In the dark cold of Winter, sustained shimmies and reading have been keeping me warm, body and soul. I've been re-reading a classic book on the subject of women's dances from the Arab world, Serpent of the Nile by Wendy Bounaventura and rediscovering many jewels like the following quote-     "The dance is a showing rather than a showing off, a showing of the physical self in the best setting of all, an atmosphere of encouragement and appreciation. It is assumed that all of us, rather than the specially gifted few, are dancers; that everyone can do something, even if it's only two or three movements, and that there is no need for a girl to feel embarrassed or inferior if she is not as skilled as her friends".     Wendy Bounaventura is talking about how women grow up dancing together traditionally in the Arab world, much like how in many cultures everyone sings whether you are a 'singer' or not. Singing and dancing together are ways we can connect as a
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Celebrating Spring- Ederlezi, Hidirellez and the Feast Day of St. George

The arrival of Spring is widely celebrated and has ancient roots across the globe. Many ethnic and religious groups celebrate this event on May 6th in the Gregorian calendar, approximately 40 days after Spring equinox. Ederlezi is the 'Gypsy' or Roma name for the  Feast of Saint George , which is widely celebrated in the Balkans and beyond. It is called  Đurđevdan  in Serbian,  Gergyovden  in  Bulgarian  or  Jurjevo  in  Croatian .  A similar celebration called 'Hidirellez' is celebrated in Turkey and throughout the Turkic world.  Hıdırellez  is celebrated as the day on which Prophets Hızır and Ilyas  met on the earth.  Hızır and Ilyas , the names of the two prophets, fused together, forming the name of the festival, Hıdırellez. A Turkish friend of mine told me that in Turkey people hit themselves and/or each other with nettles on this day. I'll be sure to bring her some next year as I have an abundance of them! May 6th is also St. Georges Day an
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Mary Wigman's Witch Dance

Strong and convincing art has never arisen from theories. -Mary Wigman Witch Dance Choreographed in 1914 and filmed in 1930! I just discovered this video and find it very compelling and powerful.  Very inspiring! “ The revised Witch Dance made explicit what had been implicit in th e identically titled solo presented twelve years earlier on her debut program. As in the earlier solo, the choreographer does not impersonate the character of a witch but rather embodies the quality of “witchness.” However, her self-transformation is intensified and made more complete through her use of a facial mask, designed by Viktor Magito. As a review described the effect: ‘She emloys a small face mask, which doesn’t hide all of her cheek, nor does it cover her hair. The eye openings of the mask allow her eyes to be seen… (Her) partially covered body…lives no longer, but withdraws so far from life that each movement extinguishes all thought of human existence.’ … Wearing a mask, the female dancer obje
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