Simply Put … A MUST Have for Any Dancer … By Raksanna © 2010 (First published in ZAGHAREET)

And … the belly dance scene is totally in luck.

This year, Faten Salama debuted her most recent masterpiece Al Massraweay: The Real Egyptian Certification. This 18-hour certification program combines history, firsthand experience, secondary research, culture frameworks, geography, dance theory and practical application into an intensive immersion that leaves participants with a solid education, a strong foundation of excellence in Egyptian style dance and the knowledge of how to apply folklore to Oriental dance.

Recently, I had the distinct honor to present Faten Salama and the Al Massraweay certification in Chicago.  Nearly thirty (30) dancers from four states gathered to study with this dance master to become more educated and skilled in Egyptian style dance.

Faten Salama refers to her lecture notes

Zerlina, a dancer who came to Oriental dance with a dance background, remarked that “Faten’s presentation of Labonation is an absolute necessity for any dancer.  Oftentimes in the West (America), belly dance is not seen by other forms of traditional Western dance, such as ballet and jazz, as being on the same level or having the same credentials. Faten’s incorporation of Labonation and dance theory raises our art form exponentially because it raises the level of professionalism of any belly dancer who takes the course, understands the theory and applies it. We can talk the same language as ballet and be taken more seriously. ”

Exploring Egypt through Dance

Once Faten set the educational foundation for dancers, she moved into the different folkloric dance styles. In total, she presented more than eight different genres: Zar, Saidi, Shamedan, Nubian, Philahe, Eskandari (Melaya Leff), Bedouin and Simsameya (Suez Canal).

She also touched on Kahleegy and dances from both the North and South Sinai region of Egypt. In addition to the styles, Faten discussed costuming and cultural aspects to each genre.

The dance portion of the certification included a regional overview, a demonstration of the movements, and a presentation of the specific music, followed by folkloric dance patterns and technique. Once dancers had a good grasp on the technique and movements, Faten then explained how to apply the folklore movements to the Oriental dance – and taught dancers how to do so.

Erika Ochoa, a prominent dancer based out of Chicago, was attracted to the certification not only because Faten is someone she greatly admires, but also because of this aspect of the certification program.

Happy dancers wiith Faten Salama

“I have trained in both folkloric and Oriental style for many years,” Erika said, “and firmly believe that for any dancer to be a great Oriental dancer, he or she must know their folklore roots. It is where Oriental dance originates – the movements, context, culture. Faten did a fantastic job of presenting so many different folklore styles and then applying the technique to Oriental dance. I feel I am a much stronger dancer – both in folklore and Oriental – because of this program.”

Monet Parker is a dancer from central Illinois. She just started belly dance and decided to take the certification program so that she could start off in belly dance with a solid education. “I am so happy that I committed the money and time to this workshop,” said Monet. “While I have danced professionally in other dance genres for many years, I am a baby belly dancer. This program gave me the knowledge in my body and the education for my mind that is a solid, authentic foundation to build upon. Faten is a delightful teacher and I recommend this program to anyone who is interested in taking their experience to the next level.”

Creating Her Legacy

When I asked Faten her inspiration for creating the program, she paused for a moment and then quietly said: “There comes a point in each artist’s life where you ask yourself what you can give back to the art, what you want your legacy to be and what you want to be remembered for. As I searched my soul for the answer to these questions, I realized that to me, the most beautiful dancers are the ones with the ones who have the education and knowledge as well as the movement in their bodies.

“Artistically and personally, I became aware that I wanted my contribution to our art to be a comprehensive program that is both broad and in-depth, providing the background, history, cultural meaning and context of Egyptian dance to preserve the art form of Egyptian dance – so that dancers who invest the time and money in the certification walk away with both the physical movements in the body and the education in their minds. By doing so, the art form is elevated by the creation of educated, well-informed dancers who understand and embrace the true spirit of Egyptian dance.

“Al Massraweay became a labor of love, the result of a lifetime of experience, research and cultivation that I drew upon. It took over a year to consolidate, create and develop … and as I roll the program out, I am overcome with joy and am humbled by the great extent to which dancers from across America have embraced this program, absorbed the knowledge and allowed this knowledge to live on through their dance.”

What Makes Faten Salama’s Al Massraweay Certification a MUST for Any Dancer?

As a professional Middle Eastern dance artist and educator, my continued education and training has taken me  across the oceans to different continents and throughout our beautiful nation to workshops and certifications too numerous to count. Each of these programs has its own specialty and uniqueness, providing value and benefit to any dancer who completes these courses.

What makes Faten’s certification different from the rest and simply a MUST DO?

-         Faten is a native Egyptian. This fact gives her program an authenticity that other Egyptian style certifications taught by non-Egyptians can never have.  To make an analogy, if someone who was born and raised in Chicago moved to Egypt and lived there, at the core, this person would still be an American with an American perception and filter. It does not mean that the American does not have a great wealth of information and expertise to offer; what it means is that Faten can teach the nuances and cultural context as only a native can. For dancers seeking to fine-tune and enhance their Egyptian dance, this native authenticity is an essential  ingredient for a strong foundation.

-   Faten’s dance credentials. There are only a handful of artists in the world whose resume can compare or even come close to Faten Salama’s. With more than forty years as a professional dancer that includes being a principal dancer for Egypt’s National Troupe, Faten’s life has been dedicated to the dance. She has lived and breathed it every day of her life and this perspective is an invaluable resource for any dancer.

-  Historical and cultural accuracy. With the goal of preserving Egyptian dance, Faten not only drew upon her personal experience as a native Egyptian, she also spent countless hours researching numerous sources to ensure that the information she presents was well grounded in history facts and culturally context.  This scholarship gives even more credibility to her program because the content is supported by academic research,  intellectual publications and expert authorities that are outside of the dance world.

-  Depth and breadth of information. Faten provides a global view of Egypt by presenting the big picture – a map of the country, the different regions of Egypt and the associated culture and customs of each region – and then dives into the details of each section of the country. By presenting the entire picture and then providing the details behind each area, participants leave with a holistic understanding of Egypt and her dance.

-  Translation from Folkloric to Oriental dance. Arguably, the majority of belly dancers are focused on Oriental dance as their primary style. One of the many beauties of this program is that Faten teaches the folkloric dance – an absolute essential part of any educated dancers portfolio – and then applies it to Oriental so that dancers can expand and intensify their own portfolio and dance movement vocabulary.

Thank you, Faten Salama, for preserving the beautiful art form of Egyptian dance and enabling it to live on throughout time … like the Pyramids themselves.

Authenticity is commonly defined as “the quality or condition of being authentic or genuine.” Certainly, being authentic is important in our professional and personal lives … and I believe whole heartedly that this concept applies also to Oriental dance (aka belly dance).

How does authenticity apply to belly dance?  Well, I have the good fortune to travel a great deal and see dancers from all over the world. I can always tell the dancers who are true to themselves and their style, as opposed to the dancers who mimic others or imitate what they perceive is the “right” way to dance or what they think the audience wants to see.

For example, Dina is arguably one of the most recognized and famous Egyptian belly dance stars today. She has a certain style about her: signature sexiness, provocative costuming, trademark footsteps and musical interpretation. Dancers who try to mimic Dina’s style and moves exactly as Dina leave the audience with a sense of disappointment because they fall short– because the only one who can truly do Dina is … well, Dina!

So what does authenticity mean to dancers who are seeking to find their own voice in belly dance? Training and lifelong learning are a given; after all, to stop training and stop learning equals a halt in development and a downward trend in our level. (In fact, here’s an opportunity for you to learn from one of the world’s best Oriental Artists, Momo Kadous! Click on the JPG or email me for info at raksanna@raksanna.com): 

In my opinion, being authentic is learning the technique, patterns and choreography from the dance masters – and then making it our own. For example, my dance style is highly energetic and I’ve been known to jump a few times. If I learn a pattern that has a hip drop, followed by a big hip circle and I add a little jump to connect the moves, I’ve just taken the pattern and made it mine with the jump.

Here’s an example of what I mean …

What does this mean to you, as a dancer? Take movements, learn the music, then put your self – your authentic self into your dance. Be the best that YOU can be … because you’ve been the best at being you for your whole life. Give your soul, give your heart and embrace the fantastic, wonderful YOU!

During the day, he is a high ranking physician treating patients for a myriad of health problems and bringing them back to health. At night, he is a maestro, creating beautiful compositions of music that touch the souls of millions around the world and inspire dancers from all continents to
bring his music to life. His credits include scores from The Scorpion King and Spy Games, to church music for prayerful spirits to albums composed especially for belly dance.

He is none other than the one … the only … Dr. Samy Farag.

And his new release, Melodies from Cairo, once again is a magnificent compilation of original compositions and fantastic
remixes of familiar songs.

I recently had the honor and privilege to travel to Los Angeles and visit Dr. Farag in his recording studio, Sphinx Records.  Over coffee and omelets, he invited me into his experience and thoughts when creating the CD.

How did Melodies of Cairo come about?

This past December, I returned to my home in Egypt to spend Christmas with my family and celebrate New Year’s with them.

Before I took the trip, three brand new beautiful melodies were developing in my mind.  I started composing music for a new album.  I sent tracks of the music that I recorded in my own studio, Sphinx Recording Studios, to my friend who owns a very famous recording studio in Cairo.

When I arrived in Cairo, I began to work at my friend’s studio. I hired the best musicians and sound engineers from the Institute of Arabic Music, as well as two new star singers for the vocals, Mohamed Sary and Heba Yossef. Each day, we collaborated on the musical arrangements from about 10:00 am until 2:00 am each day.

Our teamwork was excellent and we finished the project before I returned home to the States.

Melodies from Cairo features three brand new tracks designed especially for belly dance: Howa Habibi, Alexandria and Star Dance.

Tell me about your thoughts and mindset as you created these new  compositions.

Howa Habibi was the first melody that was going through my mind. I would wake up at night singing and humming, and would quickly grab my recorder and record so that my conscious mind would remember the inspiration when I sat down to compose. This is actually my personal favorite track on this CD because it is so catchy and just came so easily. I mixed different rhythms, including Saidi of course, to make the music.

Alexandria is a tribute to my home town. I wanted to give something back. As a coastal city, Alexandria is very chic with a cosmopolitan culture and feel. I used the Ayub rhythm because it is the rhythm people use when they are in the streets and celebrating … and of course, a little folkloric as the Zar rhythm. It is a beautiful piece and I am quite happy to honor my roots with this melody.

Star Dance is a much different piece that I have done before. It is reminiscent of music you would hear and dance to at a discothèque. I was inspired to write this style of music because, as you know, I go to many belly dance shows. I noticed that some of the big stars tend to gravitate to the new techno sounds and I wanted to capture this feeling. I like this work precisely because it is so different.

Raksanna and Dr. Samy Farag

Yes, I took some of my favorite songs and rearranged them so that the music is suitable for dancers. You’ll find exciting tabla accents, different rhythms and tempo changes.

The texture and complexity of live musicians (as opposed to keyboards and synthesized music) is so wonderful.
You mentioned that the remaining tracks are remixes. One that I personally enjoy very much is the Karem Medley.

Yes, it is a mix of three different songs that are among my favorites. The lyrics are touching and heartfelt. I wanted to blend the three in a manner that incorporate different rhythms in a seamless transition and that sophisticated dancers would be able to bring to life the nuances of the changes, the accents and the meaning of the song.

How would you summarize your experience in creating this new work?

As an artist, it is important for  me to constantly grow and change. It is also my personal goal to top each previous work – I always raise the bar

for my creativity and strive for perfection of even the minutest of details. For me, I feel that Melodies from Cairo meets my personal goals and the response from the dance community has been overwhelming positive.

Dr. Farag, I am a huge fan of your work and as a dancer, thank you from the bottom of my heart for contributing to our collective body of creativity. You produce music that inspires dancers across the globe to dance and put forth beauty through movement. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

PERSONAL NOTE FROM RAKSANNA – In my opinion, Melodies from Cairo, is a must-have for any dancer interested in contemporary, authentic Middle Eastern music. To purchase your copy, you can order it directly from Sphinx Records or from CD Baby.

For the past two days, Randa has been teaching our class her signature choreography and opening number for which she is known around the world. I was amazed and so surprised (and overcome with excitement and happiness!) to learn that she was sharing it with us. Certainly, Randa’s generosity is rare to find and a treasure to be cherished.

I have met new friends from around the world – Scotland, Japan, Germany, Spain, Italy, Latvia, Russia, Poland, England and of course, the good ol’ USA! (There are five Americans here – two of which are in the final leg of the competition tonight!)

Speaking of the competition tonight, the finalists were asked to provide a list of ten (10) well known and loved Egyptian songs that her orchestra could play. Then, Randa selected each dancer the music to which she will dance this evening. It was my good fortune to be assigned Fi Youm Wa Leyla, one of my favorite
Oriental songs in the whole world. It is the first time I have ever danced with
a full orchestra and I am so excited for this opportunity.

While, as in all competitions, there will only be one “winner”of the Randa crown, I do firmly believe in my heart and soul that each of us who competed is a winner. Part of the competition was direct feedback and evaluation from Randa herself. For me, this information is a gift – because I am a teacher, I rarely receive feedback on how to improve and grow. To see myself through her eyes is wonderful because actionable items and points to focus on and develop on.  And my goal is to be able to show demonstranble improvement when I see Randa again in Chicago in May when she comes with Dee Dee Asad from Little Egypt. (Btw, if you have not done so now and are in the area, you should take the opportunity to register because as a dancer, Randa is a teacher, choreographer and performer that you simply MUST experience. Not only is Randa a lovely person, her impact on our dance and art form is global – and she is changing Oriental dance. For belly dancers who are interested in knowing the modern trends and technique, you will be left behind if you do not take the opportunity to study with and see her perform.)

So, tonight, it will be magical. Not only do I have the opportunity to perform with one of the best Oriental orchestras in the world, but I am dancing in a new costume from my dear friend, Mohammed. He is the brother of Hanan, the designer known as Queen Hanan, and he started his own design business about two years ago. On the plane ride home, I am going to write an article about him so that you get to know him. His quality is as high as Eman Zeki and I predict he will quickly become one of the premier designers of Oriental belly dance costumes.

For this evening, I am going to release all expectations and let go of all worries and concerns. I am going to simply focus on the magic of the moment – dancing in Cairo in the shadows of the pyramids, to a magnificent orchestra, in front of the woman who inspires my dance and artistically influences me beyond measure, surrounded by friends and loved ones I consider part of my extended family. Tonight is simply perfect.

And, another nice thing is that I signed up to dance with the orchestra for the open show to Alf Layla We Layla, another of my absolute favorites.

I am so thankful and grateful for the chance to be here and send much love to my husband and best friend, David, for making it possible for me to live out my dreams. For without him, I don’t know where my life would be. I love you, David!

The course is organized by Sarah, who has done an outstanding job on making sure every detail is taken care of. As a fellow dancer and actor, she has keen insight as to what is important to a dancer and it is apparent by the high level of service and little extras typically not found from non-dancers.

There are 49 students in the course and this size is perfect to ensure that everyone gets feedback from Randa and can see and hear what is being taught. There are several countries represented – including Russia, Germany, Poland, Japan, England and the United States. The dancers are very friendly and there is a shared sense of excitement at studying with one of
today’s top Oriental stars. I have made two new friends from America, Aurel and Canina, both from the East coast. It’s their first time to visit Egypt and their excitement is contagious.

Yesterday was day 1 of the course. We started with a warm up from Mohammed of Reda Troupe. He led us through a balletic warm up, followed by folkloric technique and patterns. Then, Randa taught her hallmark technique for an hour and a half. She fine tuned our style, worked complex pattens and left us all breathless, sweaty and eager for more.

After the break, she brought in four members from her orchestra – the male singer, the accordion player, the keyboardist and of course, Karim, her table player.  The afternoon was split into three fundamental categories: morwar and hoour, rhythms and beledi. The morwar and hoour discussion was very insightful and illustrated the importance of matching the proper style to go with the component of a song. While I am still working on the concept and it will take some time to really comprehend and illustrate it in my own dance, the discussion and examples were very insightful and important for any dancer interested in demonstrating his or her knowledge, professionalism and expertise with Arabic music.

During the rhythms section, we worked through eighteen (18) rhythms commonly found in dance. Randa, along with the orchestra, presented the rhythms and then provided patterns and technique to go along with the rhythms. From Ayub to Dareg Smaal to Khamsa Arbaa to Smaae Sakel, we dove headfirst into understanding and feeling the music.

Beledi was really fun. Karim, the tabla player, put on his dancing hat and demonstrated how men dance beledi. He has a playful style and was beaming with happiness to showcase his style. Randa showed the difference between the style of men beledi and women dancing the men beledi style and the female style of beledi. It was nice to be able to enjoy the freedom of beledi
and enjoy the rich music.

After a fantastic 7 hour day, I showered and joined my friends for dinner. We stayed in the hotel and enjoyed the Italian restaurant menu and then followed up with a nightcap, talking into the wee hours of the morning about dance, politics, love and more.

Coming to Cairo, for me, is really important. I feel so energized here – it sounds so incredibly wackadoo, but I honestly feel that there is a special energy here. Maybe it is from the pyramids, maybe it is because this area is the cradle of civilization, I don’t know what exactly it
is. But I love Egypt very much. There is a special magic that reenergizes me at
the very core … and perhaps that is why I continue to return time after time.

I just looked at the course agenda for today and it looks like a lovely mixture of warm up, technique and Saidi (one of my favorites!). It should be a fantastic day!

Until next time – hugs and shimmies!

PS My cord to my camera is still at home in the US. I’ll upload photos when I get back! And when my friends share them, I’ll try and piggy back on them. For example, check out my friend Aurel’s blog!  www.ancientartstudios.com/blog

2011 was full of great shows, and wonderful opportunities of growth for Raksanna’s Production Company and our students.  We enjoyed learning new dances and meeting internationally renowned masters while pursuing excellence in our shared passion for the art of Egyptian belly dance.

We welcome our friends and family to join us as we review the years accomplishments on February 11th, 2012 at our annual “Got Hips” show and banquet followed by a grand masquerade ball.

5:30 pm – 6:00 pm Cocktail Reception (cash bar)
6:00 pm – 8:00 pm Dinner and Show
9:00 pm – 1:00 am Roaring Twenties Themed Ball

Tickets are $99.00 per person and can be purchased either here or from Raksanna directly.  A block of hotel rooms are available.  More details will be available soon.

Pyramids and Sphinx of Egypt

I fly from Chicago to Cairo on Wednesday to attend a weeklong intensive dance course and competition by my all-time favorite and long-time friend, Randa Kamel.  This is not my first time to go to Egypt; in fact, I have been traveling there twice a year for several years now – teaching in the Ahlan Wa Salan festival in June and studying at Raqia Hassan’s
wonderful Intensive Teachers Course each December.

Each time I go to Egypt, I come back a better dancer, a different person and a stronger Oriental artist. I
expect that this time will be no different and I am very excited to go again.

Given recent events that have transpired in the Middle East, it is no wonder that friends and family alike look at me as though I have purple hair or that I am a little on the loony side when they find out I am heading out in less than two days. Their concern is certainly well placed – the media has made it sound as though the end of the world is near and, as usual,
playing on the public’s fears through sensationalism.

I learned first-hand this summer just how much the media does skew things to increase their ratings. I once again traveled to Cairo to teach at Raqia’s Ahlan Wa Salan festival. This event, which typically draws over a thousand dancers from across the world, is in my opinion, the premier dance festival in Cairo. Held the breathtakingly beautiful Mena House, you’ll find a wonderful blend of dance classes, gala shows, available tours and of course, shopping, shopping,
shopping!   It is easy to dance away two straight weeks and immerse yourself in the very unique, very fabulous Egyptian culture.

As mentioned, most years bring in over a thousand dancers to the festival. This past June, however, there were less than 200 students in attendance. I am absolutely positive that the reason there were such few dancers is a direct result of the media coverage and news-created perception of what was taking place.

As I prepared for the trip in June, I watched the news. In light of the news coverage, I was expecting to find mayhem and turmoil in the streets of Cairo.

Nothing could have been further from the truth.

What I found was that life was going on as usual, with the exception that the unemployment levels have risen to near historic highs due to the lack of tourism to the country. And for a country that depends on tourism for the majority of citizen’s livelihood, it’s a hit where it hurts.

I remember the opening gala of the festival. Raqia arranged to have it on the beautiful Nile Maxim where Aziza of Cairo, Katia and of course, Dina, performed for us. Raqia hired tour buses, with police escorts, to take all the dancers to the boat. As the buses passed the people on the streets, the people cheered, clapped and yelled out, “Welcome to Egypt! We need you! Thank you for coming!”

While I was there in June, I made my usual rounds of visiting friends, dining at favorite restaurants and visiting Kahn el Kalili, the old market place. It was a fabulous trip, as always, without any blips or glitches.

Fast forward to this week.

Today, I’m in the midst of finishing up last minute administrative work, cutting music for my competition piece and organizing what I need to pack (and writing down what I need to buy!).
The elections have been moved up to January 25^th, a week before I come home. Yes, there are still protests going on in the Square – but the action, when there is action, is isolated to that area of Cairo. Sure, I can hone in and obsess over the news … but I’d rather practice safe traveling tips (like I do to any country or city – or even in my own home town).

For me, I plan on enjoying the stay. Randa is teaching several different genres of dance styles and of course, I love her amazing choreography and her strong technique. She is one of the best teachers I have ever learned from and I am so excited to see my friends from across the world who are attending the course with me.

Time permitting, I plan on blogging and posting photos, etc. So, keep an eye on Face Book and sign up for my newsletter – and I’ll let you know how things are in the shadows of the Pyramids!

I realized about three years ago that I’m not really good at New Year’s resolutions. Sure, I excel at writing down specific goals that are SMART (specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and time bound) – and even mapping out the exact steps needed to achieve the goals.

But year after year, the result was the same. Within about a week, I had forgotten the goal and life continued at its crazy, hectic pace.

In the summer of 2009, my best friend at the time died from esophageal cancer. This was a turning point in my life in many respects and on many levels – and one fundamental aspect was my lifelong philosophy.

I have always believed that if I put ideas and dreams out into the Universe, they will come back to you. And if you look at my life’s journey, I’ve seen this truism time and time again.

So, in 2009, I decided to give up New Years’ resolutions and instead, fine tune my life’s philosophy from carpe diem to something with a little more focus. I thought about what is important to me personally (outside of God, family and country) and
developed a living, breathing mantra that I incorporate to my daily meditations.

Today, my decisions are focused on healthy longevity, joyful success, financial abundance and prosperity.

Since I made this mental shift, life has been really great. No more guilt about not achieving New Years’ resolutions, weight management is a lifestyle as opposed to a check-the-box type of goal, financial stress (while always a part of our lives) has been managable and both my personal and professional relationships have become deeper and more meaningful.

This is not to say, of course, that life doesn’t bring enough challenges to keep it all interesting. But it does mean that I’m more grounded in my approach to daily experiences as well as long-term decisions.

So, for you, my friend, I wish you health, joy, financial freedom and prosperity.

Here’s to a wonderful 2012!