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An American Belly Dancer: The Significance of Jillina Review by Arabia Photos by Carl Sermon workshop sponsored by Amina Goodyear Dance Mission, San Francisco, California, January 25, 2004 The introduction was simple and straightforward. A lengthy announcement wasn't necessary. Jillina's vibrant energy commanded the room the minute she walked through the crowded dance space.
there was
no self-conscious indication that Amina's stellar sponsorship was quite
the rare first opportunity in our area. Since it is the instructor who
sets the tone of the class, this was the first sign that my fears about
the possibility of an unpleasant day may have been the result of my
guarded overcompensation for experiences with other "famous" dancers.
After a drive from Sacramento and a late arrival which placed me at
the back of the class and with no time for my own stretching, my frazzled
nerves and insecurities did not last long. The warmth and mutual respect
which seemed to immediately fill the room of 60+ dancers, confirmed
that many of the qualities which I had come to appreciate in Jillina,
the performer, were every bit a part of Jillina, the teacher. It would
be difficult to say whether it was the result of Jillina's ever-positive
neutrality or if she (and Amina) simply attract mature, professional
students to their workshops, but the potential for an intimidating,
competitive climate made way for getting down to the (more productive)
business of dancing.
We then moved onto "technique," where Jillina had us form a large circle while she discussed basic postures specific to Oriental Dance. We did some walking steps and hip drops, avoiding the chaos of bigger traveling circle combinations, and then practised her infamously mastered "Egyptian shimmy" -- an arguably revolutionized version much easier to describe than to execute (with Jillina's control and consistency) -- for those of us who initially learned what she called the "Turkish-American shimmy". Technique merged seamlessly into "combinations" (later incorporated into the choreography.) In this portion, we moved back into staggered line formations, which for the remainder of the class were routinely rotated both from back to front and from the interior outward since there was limited mirror space and imposing sunlight and noise from the side windows. Jillina focused here on the more challenging and iconic Egyptian combinations, always highlighting the elements that characterized the movement as Oriental, as well as the openings/opportunities for it to be personalized. She emphasized the value of folkloric style as the foundation for modern Egyptian, sharing examples of her experiences learning from such masters as Mahmoud Reda and Raqia Hassan She noted specific distinctions between steps which were more earthy and folkloric, and those imported from Egyptian greats such as Nagwa Fouad within the context of "cabaret" style. By the time we moved onto the choreography, it was only a matter of connecting the steps we had already learned. Here, Jillina urged the importance of smooth, flowing transitions, and of making the moves our 'own.' With the remainder of the afternoon, we learned 2 complete useable choreographies -- an Egyptian pop song and a short drum solo.
After the class, Jillina rounded everyone to watch her perform the entire pop song we had learned in order to demonstrate how choreography can be used as a liberating framework, by modifying the steps at various points to fit her own unique style as well as her mood at that moment.
In self proclamation to 'keep it Real,' Jillina completed the class with an open discussion forum, where she candidly answered questions ranging from her trajectory in dance, to her feelings about the incorporation of belly dance into popular culture, while intimating the responsibility we all face as ambassadors of an often misused art form ("Four classes and I'm a teacher...weeee"). Jillina's desire to share her knowledge and her sincere regard for her students were evident in other less overt ways. We were left with clear choreography handouts (which she suggested we read while doing the dance so that they made most sense), a class survey that solicited suggestions and companion CDs were for sale on-site for an affordable $15 each. Notably there was no real mention of her new exceptional 3-dance instructional DVD series, which is also better priced than most belly dance VHS tapes of lesser production and content quality.
As the consummate,
contemporary "American Belly Dancer" however, she is the easy target
of the ongoing debate about the limitations of formal Western training
to Oriental Dance. Although there is evident credibility to the debate,
any resonance that American dancers lack Egyptian essence due to a preoccupation
with technical chops is usually lost in fashionable misappropriation.
The observation is used less as a critique and more in a self serving
end to signal a "Good Eye." American dancers make the claim as a kind
of authorizing principle (they must be "good" 'belly dancers' because
they "get it"); non-dancer critics use it to legitimate their inactive
positions as voyeurs (they know "good dance"); and Egyptian dancers
use it (understandably) out of protective territoriality. This is all
done often without much genuine independent thinking. It is impossible
to say what original raqs sharqui intended to do, but it has
been my contention that Egyptian essence has at least two consistent
themes: it is a social dance designed to be celebratory (and thus by
default less available for critical comment); and part of that celebratory
nature has to do with individual interpretation (and therefore less
competitive and emulated). In other words, isn't it, then, to speak
of Egyptian essence in belly dance as not really a discourse on opposing
dualities -- on spontaneity versus choreography, emotion versus technique
-- but rather of the Personal? And isn't there something limiting in
the obvious comparisons of cultural difference given that there isn't
much to be done about the fact that some of us are "American"
and that we all share different experiences based upon our
own histories? Jillina and the Bellydance Superstars will be at the San Rafael Border's bookstore performing at 4pm on Saturday April 17, 2004 and again at 7pm at the DNA Lounge in SanFrancisco. Have
a comment? Send us a letter! Ready
for more? 4-12-04
The Bellybus by Dervishspin 4-11-04
"Magda, Hurry!"
by Majida Anwar 4-5-04 Rakkasah
West Festival Photo Teaser March 2004, Richmond, California |
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