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Magical Moments from the May 18th Hafla

May 21, 2013

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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

Tribal Roots and Armenian Women's Dance

More and more I am interested in studying and performing women's traditional dances from the Middle East and Central Asia, particularly the Caucasus Mountain area. My time studying with Helene Eriksen, a dance ethnographer based in Seattle, definitely fueled that fire. For many years I have studied, performed and taught 'belly dance' both folkloric and fusion styles including American Tribal Style aka ATS and 'Tribal Fusion' belly dance. ATS and Tribal Fusion are modern forms of 'belly dance' that draw randomly it seems from folkloric dances of the Middle East, India, and North Africa, as well as Flamenco. ATS belly dance was created by FatChanceBellyDance director, Carolena Nericcio, and is clearly defined and documented with the primary characteristic being that of group improvisation. Tribal fusion belly dance is the further evolution of ATS, it is usually choreographed not improvised and, blends elements of ATS with other styles of dance. It

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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