03/31/2004:  
Hello beautiful dancers! Did you miss the February issue 
of MEDiM? Ahem... I did. I got a little bit swamped last month... so here's the news from February and March!   

02/28/2004: Hafla in Orono
Farasha and her students hosted a lovely hafla in Orono, with performances, potluck, and dancing for all. Many of the students performed for the very first time in a group choreography, and Farasha, Alialin, and Lorien performed solos. Great food, great music, great company!

03/13/2004: Bellydance Superstars in Massachusetts
Dancers from Bangor, Waterville, and Portland drove to Cambridge to attend the Amar Gamal workshop and to watch the Bellydance Superstars show. Both were wonderful! 

Amar Gamal is a warm person, a beautiful dancer, and an excellent teacher. Her shimmies are mesmerizing - big and relaxed even at top speed. 

Amar Gamal of Bellyqueen

The show was inspiring - those are some dedicated, hardworking 
dancers. We got to see Sonia (CA), Ansuya (FL), Amar Gamal and Kaeshi of "Bellyqueen" (MA/NY), Dondi (CA, who did a comedy 
routine as Marilyn Monroe), Bozenka (FL), Petite Jamilla (AL, who combined belly dance with bagpipes and the Highland Fling), Sharon (CA), Melodia (CA), Yasmin (NC), and Colleen (CA). Oh, and an absolutely incredible drummer named Issam! If you are interested 
in a backstage glimpse of the tour, check out this month's featured 
link in the On The Web... section.

03/14/2004: Spring hafla in Portland
Right on the heels of the workshop and show in Cambridge was the spring hafla in Portland. The audience was treated to group pieces, solos, and even a drum solo to live drumming. What a great party!

03/27/2004: Hafla in Waterville
The Still/Moving studio hosted its first hafla at the Waterville Opera House. The dancing was lovely (special kudos to all the dancers who made their performance debuts that night), the food was excellent, and a good time was had by all. Many thanks to Roxann for all her hard work organizing the event!

The Aaminah School of Dance presents an evening of 
Middle Eastern dance in celebration of Earth, Air, Fire, and Water.

Where: Union Street Brick Church in Bangor, ME
When: May 15, 2004. Doors open at 7:00 PM/show begins at 7:30 PM. 
Cost: $10 for general seating or
        $15 for reserved patron's tables (limited number).

Buy your tickets soon - we usually sell out long before the show date! 

Contact Lorien by email or call her at 942-3741 to order your tickets.

May 22/23, 2004: Lala Hakim Workshop in St. John, N.B.
The Caravan Dancers present Lala Hakim of Egypt in a two-day dance workshop and evening performance at Gothic Arches, 95 Wentworth St., St. John, N.B. The full workshop cost will be $120 ($140 after April 30th). Check "Upcoming Events" on the MEDiM.org Message Board for more details.

July 31, 2004: Summer Hafla for Maine Dancers
Mark your calendars! The Portland, Bangor, and Waterville area dancers are organizing an outdoor summer hafla/campout, probably in Sidney (near Waterville). There will be dancing, socializing, and mini-workshops offered by many different teachers - a great chance to try out a new style! More details will be posted on the MEDiM.org Message Board as they are worked out.

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This month's featured link:

Dondi Dahlin's behind-the-scenes report 
on being a "Bellydance Superstar"

Dondi as Marilyn Monroe

Behind the glamour and the excitement of the Bellydance Superstars tour is the backstage reality - 60 shows in 67 days. Find out what it really takes to be a Superstar in this travelogue from Dondi. Here are a few excerpts: 

On the glamour of being a Superstar:
"It is March 5th, 2004 and I am on a toiletless bus zig-zagging across
America. With 15 other people and no privacy..."

"Suction cup shelves and vanity mirrors line the windows of the
bus as we try dilligently [sic] to attach our fake eyelashes while our  driver Juan speeds around the curves of the road."

Thoughts about Miles Copeland:
" ...we quickly become aware of how different his [Miles Copeland's] perspective must be than ours. He has worked with and managed 
rock stars. Men mostly. Men who can pee behind trees. Men who 
can eat twinkies without gaining weight..."

About the dancers as a group:
"If there were catty tendencies and bitchy personalities before the tour began, they are gone now. We are almost one month into the tour and we are "watching each others backs" like sisters."

All quotes from Dondi Dahlin's website.

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  ... For Jessica Means:

Jessica Jane Means ("The Pink Gypsy") teaches belly dance classes in Portland, ME and directs 
the eleven-member professional dance troupe 
Naya’s Trance.

When did you begin dancing, and what inspired you to start?

I grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area and I've been dancing since I was a young girl. I started taking ballet around the age of 5. I wanted to be a ballerina and trained for nearly a decade. Puberty ruined my hopes of becoming a ballerina, but it made me a beautiful woman. I continued to dance through college and expanded my repertoire to include contact improvisation, modern dance, flamenco, tap, and jazz. I started a group of "guerilla dancers" in San Francisco called the "Youth Trash Performance Collective" and we basically would do random acts of dance throughout the city--on buses or streets or elevators, wherever.

I grew up watching "I Dream of Jeannie" and I idolized Barbara Eden as the epitome of femininity. That early fascination, coupled with the HUGE middle eastern population in California, led to an incredible curiosity about belly dance. I saw Fat Chance perform several times, and went to their workshops at the cafes on weekends. When I finally had time in my schedule, I registered for a belly dance class with Adult Education. I was totally hooked.

Belly dance provided my mature body with an outlet for dance that was graceful, feminine, and completely powerful. The driving rhythm and strong movements connected with my core being. I realized that the dancer within me was not an unattainable ideal and that belly dance was truly a dance for every woman. The connection was immediate and to this day remains unwavering.

Which dancers or dance styles do you love to watch and why?

I love ballet. I just love it. The skill and determination required for ballet dancers is both frightening and inspiring. I admire those dancers that can train so rigorously and then transcend their training and truly express themselves through their dance. A really good ballet shows you that. I enjoy flamenco for its narrative (story telling) strength and the connection to belly dance. I appreciate modern dance for its organic expressiveness. I like tap because it makes its own music.

What are your dance goals in the upcoming year?

This next year I'd like to see my troupe, Naya's Trance, carve out a name and reputation for ourselves as quality artists, not just entertainers. I'd like to remember to get up early every Saturday at 9 for my ballet class. I'd like to travel outside Portland for more classes.

What do you do when you are *not* dancing? 

I am the Education Manager for a non-profit community program called Youth Building Alternatives. I help young adults complete their high school education or GED. My "day job" is very important to me. I'm also in a local dance company called Vivid Motion. This winter we put on a fabulous show called "Nutcracker Burlesque" and we hope to run it annually. It was very sexy and innovative. We're working on an all ages, non-burlesque showcase for June.

What is your favorite dance music at the moment? 

I will always love George Abdo. His vocals are unbelievably sexy and his music always moves me.

What have been your greatest influences in the dance? 

Like I said, Barbara Eden for her barbie doll style. My college dance teacher, Theresa Dickenson, who showed me that there is a dancer in every person. Locally, it would have to be Josie Conte ( Baraka!) and Jeanne Handy because without them I wouldn't be experiencing the success I've enjoyed here. Also Betsy Dunphy who is a local dancer and choreographer (not belly dance) and whom I've really enjoyed working with.

Honestly, I'd most like to workshop with Maine dancers and teachers. The population is so small in Maine, and building a dance community is so important to me; I think that the opportunity to grow and influence one another is amazing. Maybe its because I'm from a major metropolitan area and experienced a lot of belly dance there but, I would so much rather work within the community of skilled dancers here to develop a Maine voice for belly dance than try to poach a big city style.

Describe your proudest dance moment. 

It wasn't belly dance, but I felt like I'd "made it" when I danced at Merrill Auditorium in Portland with Betsy Dunphy. It was probably because of the lights and curtains. I was also psyched when our Naya's Trance website went live last month.

---- Thank you for the interview, Jessica!

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Check out the online forum for Maine dancers:

 MEDiM.org Message Board

It includes a ride board, a flea market, news about upcoming events, recommendations about online vendors, class cancellation notices, rehearsal information, and whatever else you choose to post!

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