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Aszmara - The Demi-Bloggess
Aszmara at Mahrajan Celebration of Oriental Dance, Brea California - photo Terry Crane
Winter ‘08
Fazil’s Times Square Circle Dance Studio is closing it’s doors on it’s Historic Studio location this month and along with the closing of those doors, comes the 31 years of memories of climbing the two flights of stairs to take class and inspiration from the many teachers there. There I met and worked with many wonderful dancers; Roberta Koch with whom SaZ Dance Theatre was formed, Carmen and Majda for Oriental Images, Dolores Riskallah with many workshop and dance pieces were created, Ramzi El Edlibi whose company I was in for a few seasons and Elena Lentini’s many company incarnations. I have taught classes, Master Classes, Workshops and privates in my home away from home and always knew that I would find welcome and inspiration within it’s walls.
before ... and after 1 year at Fazil's
I started up that stairway in 1977 to take my first class with Ibrahim Farrah. - of whom I had taken a workshop with and whose company I had seen perform in Nutley New Jersey. Eight Avenue, between 46th and 47th street in those days was lined with Peep Shows, X Rated Movie Houses and Porn shops. To this little suburbanite girl, it was an adventure in the "big bad city." Since you always traveled in pairs just in case you got into trouble, my friend and I, first, had the address wrong, walked up two flights of stairs and came face to face with a glass shielded counter manned by a not too friendly looking character. Behind him were piles of sheets and towels and on the glass, a price list of hourly rates were prominently posted. It took us a moment to figure out where we were and quickly flew down the stairs and around the corner to the door marked "The Jerry LeRoy School of Acrobatics and Tap." Another climb of the steep, dark stairway where we were assaulted by the sound of pounding flamenco dancers, tap dancers, Indian ankle bells and finger cymbals. What an introduction to the venue of inspiration for so many artists throughout the years, long past and present, in this world and in a higher plane...
To those at Fazil’s, I wish them great success in their new location. I know that they carry with them the hearts of all the dance artists whose lives were touched by this wonderful family. Their caring for others, their joy in art and their sincere generosity is an embodiment of their unmeasurable contribution to the New York Dance Scene. I will miss 743 8th Ave but I look forward to what is ahead for us all...
Dancer’s Philosophy....
It’s all about content and presentation
When & Why we dance is the question. In a Nightclub, on a Concert Stage, in a Living Room, in a Showcase; why are we dancing? Are we expressing an idea or image; Are we being an entertainer; Are we being an educator? These are the questions to ask of oneself when preparing for a performance. The content of your show depends on your venue and how you present that content is what people remember.
As a pure entertainer, don't forget to entertain yourself. If you are enjoying the music and can be playful within it, then the audience will feel your sense of fun and enjoy themselves as well. Present the image of a Dancer enjoying her art. If you are Educating your Audience, KNOW your topic - do your research and be comfortable with the information in your mind and body. Present the knowledge in a way that engages and enlightens the audience. It helps if YOU delight in the knowledge yourself! Stretching our wings as dancers: to do something larger than pure entertainment; to express inspiration from an idea or image; that is for the Concert Stage or Showcases. The idea can be as simple as "filling the stage with my veil" or can be abstract or complex story lines. With SaZ Dance Theatre, Roberta Koch and I developed whole suites of pieces to convey themes or moods. Make the story true for you and the audience will share in your experience. Prepare yourself, rehearse and challenge youself to find the inspiration within to express it with full dance.
Remember, even the face dances....
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Fall '07
It sounds like the start of a joke, "What did one anthropologist say to the other anthropologist?" But I was lucky enough at the Mahrajan Concert in California to be sharing a dressing room with Sahra Saeeda and Lee Ali, two women who have done extensive dance research. Sahra’s field is Egyptian dance and her knowledge is tremendous, deep and passionate. In class at Artemis & Tayyar’s Folk Tours Camp, I loved her evolution of the hip circle over the decades from Egyptian dance star to dance star and the prevailing Morals Policy of the time. Lee Ali’s field is a fabulous wealth of knowledge of folkloric, trance and ritual dancing. Well, one anthropologist asked the other anthropologist the loaded question, "So what do you think about the Tribal Dancers?" I will not tell the answers because that is not the point. What the question led to was a lively and informational discussion. It was fascinating to hear these two women as they presented their opinions with their wealth of education in their fields as their base. I felt privileged listening to their dialog and knew that I was missing an opportunity to learn more about cultural mores and theories of traditions when I had to leave them in order to perform.
These types of dialogs, from dancers who have spent their lives working on the knowledge of their art, are an important source of education to all dancers no matter how many years they have been studying. Continue to learn, to change, to grow. The next time there is an opportunity for a Symposium where dancers discuss the nature of our art, please attend with open ears, open minds and a notebook to take advantage of the wealth of information these educators have to offer.
Summer News 2007
Mahrajan Concert photo Terry Crane
This past May, I had the great pleasure to dance as a Guest Artist at Artemis & Tayyar's Folk Tours Memorial Day Music and Dance Camp. Everywhere you went, you were surrounded by musicians and their students. The dance teachers, Artemis, Dalia and Sahra Saeed were excellent and experiencing their teaching and performances was an inspiration.
And Heaven Bless Sahra Saeeda! She is an incredible dancer and educator who saw me dance at last year's Folk Tours Camp and brought me out to California this May to teach Workshops, Master Class and a Concert. Along with the beautiful Angelika Nemith, these two ladies put together a concert that knocked me out! Both Sahra Saeeda and Angelika are Egyptian Style dancers, having studied and researched intensely in Egypt. Their styles are as different as the rich culture of Egypt - with dancing playful, strong and sweet like halvah. Thank you, my beautiful ladies, for a wonderful weekend and a fabulous concert. Check out all of the beautiful dancers, Sahra Saeeda, Angelikia Nemith, Fahtiem, Lee Ali and myself in the Mahrajan Concert Photos at
http://courtn.smugmug.com/Events/321617There are a few upcoming events that I look forward to his fall: Touring in Switzerland with Transition and a New York concert performance with my guys... Souren Baronian, Haig Manoukian and Mal Stein this November, at the New Rochelle Library Theater. Check Events Page for full information.
As always, keep checking the site for Master Class Series in Manhattan starting this October and don’t forget to send your e-mail address to be put on the mailing list for updates on workshops and performances. Dance Well!
Drawing By Stewart Hoyt during performance in Vermont for Alia Thabit of Earth Magic December '03
~~~~ Dancing is a part of your soul that is visible to the audience ~~~~~
All articles are written by Aszmara.
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