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Moderator
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Maryland
Posts: 251
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Hi Maria! Thanks for starting this thread and for asking such wonderful questions. I see that Jahzaal has answered them already, but I'll add my answers, too, so that you can get my perspective. As the newest member of The NDC, I have a bit of a different experience from the rest of the ladies.
How the group was formed? in time? by auditions, it just happened between a group of friend dancers that shared the same vission?
Jahzaal already answered how it was formed, but I want to share that I joined the troupe I guess about two years ago now. By then, The NDC was established already and they had started making a big name for themselves nationwide. I'd been a student of Lotus' for two years, so I'd watched the ladies first-hand as they grew together as a troupe and flourished as solo dancers. I'd started my dance training in American Orientale (Cabaret), ATS, and tribal fusion and had moved on to Lotus to get training in Egyptian and Lebanese bellydance styles. I'd fallen in love with her unique style, based in bellydance but with an added dash of her own flavor. Her teaching methods really spoke to me and I flourished in her classes, really finding myself as a dancer. What I love about Lotus (well, one of the things) is that she encourages each of us to find out who we are as a dancer - yes, as a troupe, we are called upon to dance her vision on the stage, but we each hold equal weight and can contribute our thoughts about the choreography and, as solo dancers, she supports us in trying different things. For instance, though I am a part of her glamorous, decidedly cabaret, troupe, I perform tribal fusion as a solo artist.
Two years ago, when the troupe decided to hold auditions, I did audition. I was so enthusiastic that I was the first person to respond with my application! Thankfully, I was accepted into the troupe and, though it was a struggle for me, I have integrated into the troupe well and they have really made me a part of the family. Dancing in The NDC has helped me achieve my dream of becoming a professional dancer, while also giving me the opportunity to make new friends, who have now become my family.
How many hours you work together?
Many! Many, many, many. That's how we've become family so quickly - we spend many waking hours together, not only rehearsing, but studying DVDs, taking workshops, working on costumes, traveling, performing and just hanging out. We enjoy every minute together.
Rehearsals can be a bear. They are hard, hard work and Lotus is a strict taskmistress. But her attention to detail is what has caused this troupe to grow in our knowledge of the dance, the music and the culture and has given each of us a craving to know even more. What I do know is that every time we take the stage, we are prepared. We have drilled, rehearsed and picked apart each routine until we can dance it in our sleep.
How you decided to get into designing your own costumes?
Lotus' mother, Maz, is our exclusive costume designer. Each NDC costume is a Maz creation and each is handmade with love and genius-level skill. Her visions are sometimes so expansive that I can't even imagine how she comes up with them! And each costume, while similar, is made slightly different to address the needs and the look of each individual dancer.
Do you have a life beside all this??????
Yes, we all do! I am a mom of a beautiful four-year-old daughter. I'm a wife. I have a full-time job in the government and I'm also a makeup artist and beauty blogger.
We all have lives outside of the troupe, but we fit it in because we love it so.
The results are the leader's ideas or you work as a group also?
I think I already answered this before, but the choreographies start with Lotus' visions and then she gives us leeway to insert our ideas and thoughts. So, though they are Lotus' visions and dreams, they are very much a collaborative effort. All of us put in much hard work.
I really love that you are all real everyday juicy women away from the skeleton/anorexia type that is showed from tv and media, did you ever had a problem with this, with people hirring you etc?
Thanks! We, as a troupe, recognize that women and beauty come in all shapes and sizes and we celebrate each other's beauty - from the thinnest to the "juiciest." What we look to be is a troupe of exquisite dancers. We're not looking to fulfill a stereotype of beauty, but rather to share with the world that beauty can come in a variety of forms and that, no matter our size, we have come to dance!
What is your dreams as a group and individuals?
Lotus' dream for the troupe is that we continue to grow together and that we become even better, even tighter, even more precise in our choreographies; that we try new styles and new ideas; that we reach the highest heights.
My dream for myself is that I continue to be a contributing member of The NDC and that, as a solo dancer, I continue to learn more and more about the wonderful world of bellydance - that I am prepared, knowledgable, graceful and powerful every time I step on stage. And that, when I step off stage, I have entertained my audience and they want to watch me dance again.
How you compine such variety in different styles of oriental dance? and everything be WOW!!!
Well, that's a result of Lotus' training in very different styles and our commitment to educating ourselves through classes, workshops and DVD studies. Also, we each have our own specialty - like I said, I am educated in tribal, as well, and, for instance, Jahzaal is a wiz at raqs assaya.
Can you have me in your troupe? lol
Sure! How soon can you get here from Greece?
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