
The Gilded Serpent presents...
Anajim
Anajim has been dancing for 55 years.She started with ballet at the Dorothea Mc Keon School of Dance at age 4, doing her first solo at the age of six.Falling in love with the spotlight, she went on with her studies, following ballet with jazz, and Modern Ballet at the same school until the age of thirteen. At this time, now of unsuitable proportions to follow her ballet career, she settled into schoolwork, and decided on an academic career.
In the next decade, she graduated from high school, got married and decided to make being a Mom her career. After divorcing her first husband she went back to college, and continued her dance career, teaching fun ballet for exercise. It was during this time, in the early 70's, that she found bellydance in an effort to lose weight. Starting out with Norma de Luca of Jean de Luca Dance Studios, then going on to Shahunda's (Nourhan's mother).Then moved to Kanina's classes.
During the next twenty years she taught for, danced for, and supported many dance organizations from coast to coast. Her most treasured moment is when and how she happened to dance at the famous El Morocco in Las Vegas just before it's demolition, by virtue of a mutually surprising encounter with an old Armenian musician. She was always a requested dancer for every Earth Day celebration in whatever city she was in at the time, and earned many accolades of appreciation from cities that sponsored these events. Now, leaving a trail of well trained dancers behind her (just ask Meena), she has again returned to her New England ancestral home in Green, Rhode Island. Here she hopes to continue teaching, and hopes to use her training in a cutting edge theater in California as a base for her new endeavor, Theater dance. Having been the company choreographer for The Motherlode Stage Company, California's Official Sesquicentennial Theater, for a brief stint, she picked up a lifetime of knowledge from their brilliant director Stuart Earle White Smith. She hopes to use this knowledge to continue Smith's work with children's theater.
Anajii alf
Nejmah, as she is known in the bellydance world, is the drive
behind the Anajim foundation which she started in 1973 as a study group
devoted to researching ancient temple dances and ceremonies. She feels
her best moments are when passing on what she has learned from others
to wide eyed dreamers. Meg's personal philosophy is :"If you can't
say something nice, go dance"!
bio by Lirien Essaouia
Web site:anajim.multiply.com
Articles on Gilded Serpent by or about Anajim
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8-13-07
Dance
in a Rhode Island Summer, June 22, 2007, Performance in Tiverton
the picturesque small harbor view was the perfect venue for this family event! The performers comprised an eclectic group that presented varied types of dance. With only one of each of the different styles, the show moved along swiftly. - 2-27-08 One Night at the El Morocco in Las Vegas
Oh God, now we have to stay or be rude. I had a brainstorm, and retorted, "Well, I only like Armenian music. If you can play any of that, we will stay".