| This Past
Month... |
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04/28/2004:
Ah, spring! Time for all of us to come out of hibernation
and spread our wings...
April has been a
quiet month (except for the rehearsals and preparations for the
upcoming show in Bangor), but there are all sorts of events
going on in May. Hope to see you all on the 15th!
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| What's Ahead... |
May 7/8, 2004: Segat
(zills) and Dabke workshop
in Portland, ME
Jamileh presents Karim
Nagi Mohammed of Egypt teaching traditional line dancing and
finger cymbal techniques and rhythms.
Where:
Dabke at the Elm St. Church in S. Portland (mini-hafli
follows)
Segat (zills) at the Center for Cultural Exchange, Portland
When: Dabke on Friday from 6-8 PM
Segat (zills) 1 Saturday from 10 - 12 AM
Segat (zills) 2 Saturday from 1 - 3 PM
Cost: $25.00/workshop, $45.00/any two, $60.00/all
three
Dabke
participants add $5.00 for mini hafli - mazza will be served!
Multiple-workshop discounts apply to pre-registration only.
Check "Upcoming Events"
on the MEDiM.org
Message Board
for more details - or contact Jamileh directly by
email
or phone: 773-2966
May 15, 2004: Tickets
still available for "Elementals" in Bangor, ME
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
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.
Where:
Gothic Arches, 95
Wentworth St., St. John, N.B.
When: May 22 and 23, 2004
Cost: $120 ($140 after April 30th).
Check "Upcoming Events"
on the MEDiM.org
Message Board
for more details.
May
23: Hafla in Portland hosted by Naya's Trance
Where: Maine Ballroom
Dance Center 614 Congress Street, Portland
When: May 23 from 2 - 5 PM
Cost: Donations suggested
Visit
www.nayastrance.com
for details, or call Jessica at 318-0400 or email nayastrance@hotmail.com.
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.
September
3 - 5 2004: Kahaz' Labor Day workshop in Bangor
Kahaz Productions presents Mesmera of California
demonstrating both cabaret and gypsy style in a two-day workshop
and a gala evening performance.
Where:
Union St. Brick Church in Bangor, ME
When: Friday, September 3 to Sunday, September 5, 2004
Cost: $140 before August 15 or
$165 after
August 15
For more details visit the Kahaz
Productions website.
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| On The
Web... |
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This month's featured link:
Hasani's
Awesome Book of Names Hasani,
a dancer and teacher in Washington state, has compiled an
enormous list of dance names and offers to
research a name for you - you just fill in an online form that
asks which language you would like (from Arabic to Navajo to
Welsh), or which letter it should begin with, or what meaning it
should have, or any combination of those queries, and she will
research it and email you the results. On her website she lists names from
the most-requested name searches ("jewel" names,
"flower and plant" names, "celestial" names,
names that mean
"happiness" or "beauty", etc.) in many different languages. If
you are looking for a name and can't find one you like there, try one of the other "choose
a stage name" links in the "Student
Resources" section of www.aaminahdance.com
March
2004 Featured
Link Update: If you enjoyed last month's link
Dondi
Dahlin's "Bellydance Superstar" Tour Diary (part
1)
here are two further reports of life on the road with the
"Superstars":
Dondi's
Tour Diary (part 2)
Dondi's
Tour Diary (part 3)
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| Three
Questions... |
... For Lou George:
Lou George is a wonderful
drummer who has been playing for dancers from Washington to
Maine for the last 15 years.
What
spurred your interest in Middle Eastern rhythms?
I come from a Lebanese background, so this music has
always been part of my life. I can remember going to a Waterville
campsite to
attend a Mahrajan (a
folk festival) when I was 12 or 13 years old. My mother’s
cousin was a professional belly dancer in New York, and she came
up to perform for the event, which also featured a live band. I
loved the music and was especially fascinated by the drummer,
whom I watched closely. I taught myself to play by listening to
recordings and picking out the drum parts, then imitating them.
I have never had a formal lesson, and I can’t read a note, but
the music flows directly from my soul out through my fingers.
How many drums do you own?
I
own three tablas: one
Turkish, one Egyptian, and one Syrian. Each has a unique sound.
I especially enjoy playing the Syrian one. There’s a story to
how I bought it: I was visiting my uncle in Toledo, and he took
me to a Lebanese bakery/restaurant that also had a display of
musical instruments for sale. I tried out this tabla,
and when the owner heard me playing he came out and started to
play along with me. Before long, everyone in the restaurant had
gathered around to enjoy the “show”! So the drum had good
energy from the moment I picked it up.
What kinds of music do you especially enjoy?
I
like a pretty wide range of music. I love to dance to oldies,
and I listen to country music. In Middle Eastern music my taste
runs to folksy, ethnic styles as opposed to heavily orchestrated
pieces.
Have
you ever played professionally?
I
have never played with an ensemble, but when I lived in Seattle
the owner of
a Middle Eastern restaurant
asked me to drum for
their dancers, which I did gladly. I was paid with free meals! As I got to know more dancers, I networked with
troupes all over Seattle and played for
their haflas and shows for many years. When I moved back to
Maine I met Audrey Swanton at the Greek Ball at Husson College,
and she asked me to drum for her classes - so that is how I
hooked up with the Aaminah troupe.
So you’ve had a lot of experience playing for dancers.
Yes, and there’s something special about playing for
dancers. Drumming for people who really appreciate the music and
allow it to move them (literally!) is a great experience. I
especially enjoy playing for haflas and other laid-back events
where everyone including me is improvising. It’s nice to
play for someone who is dancing from her soul because she loves
it.
There’s an unfortunate misconception of belly dancing as
“hootchy-cootchy”, but I think if you see it done well you
realize that it is not only an enjoyable folk dance but also a
fine art, and that it takes a lot of work and dedication to do
it well.
----
Thank you for the interview, Lou!
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| Let
Us Know... |
|
Check out the online forum for all 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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| MEDiM.org
Forum |
... If you have anything
you'd like to share with the Maine Middle Eastern dance
community!
Please send information about your upcoming events,
articles about your dance experiences, how-to tutorials,
interesting internet links, descriptions of items to swap or
sell, or ideas and feedback for this newsletter to MEDiM.org or post the information directly
to the
MEDiM.org
Message Board
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