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Aisha Azar · 06-24-2008, 01:12 PM

Dear Gang,
I have seen professional, great quality dancers from the Middle East and Egypt on the big stage and they seem to handle it just fine. Mouna Said, Fifi, Suheir Zaki, etc, all danced in venues both large and small, and they did not "adapt" their dance styles to do so, nearly as I can tell. Instead, they used space effectively and they also know how to make authentic movement so that the inherent qualities of the dance show through no matter the venue. In other words, movement did not become larger because of the venue, but the things that make the dance what it is, the essence and spirit carried out over the physical space of the venue, if that makes sense. Native dancers seem so much more aware of the importance of that spirit than do so many western dancers. I have heard Jillina and others say that is why the show looks the way it does, but I disagree with their premise of bigger movement on the larger stage from the core of that philosophy.
For myself, I believe that the concert stage is not the best venue for viewing the dance for several reasons. The concert stage sets a "formal" atmosphere for a dance that is not a formal dance. The psychological message is not the same in a theatre setting as it is in a hotel convention room or a nice quality lounge. My dance company does our twice yearly performances in a place that is a moderate quality bar, but the owner works with us to make it nice and homey, and the atmosphere is very intimate, with clear stage borders, but the audience is right there with us. It sets up that nice feeling of social intimacy between the dancers and our audience. The theatre stage, even when intimate, creates a boundary between the audience and the performers that should not exist when performing belly dance because the dance is in good part about that very human connection. Another consideration is that when the dance is on stage, you really might not see the very intricate and subtle workings of the body, though you should definitely get the essence and feel of the dance regardless of the size of the theatre. The dance is about close up and personal!
Regards,
A'isha

06-24-2008, 01:12 PM	#5 (permalink)
Aisha Azar V.I.P. Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Pacific Northwest USA Posts: 4,464	Stage or intimate atmosphere? Dear Gang, I have seen professional, great quality dancers from the Middle East and Egypt on the big stage and they seem to handle it just fine. Mouna Said, Fifi, Suheir Zaki, etc, all danced in venues both large and small, and they did not "adapt" their dance styles to do so, nearly as I can tell. Instead, they used space effectively and they also know how to make authentic movement so that the inherent qualities of the dance show through no matter the venue. In other words, movement did not become larger because of the venue, but the things that make the dance what it is, the essence and spirit carried out over the physical space of the venue, if that makes sense. Native dancers seem so much more aware of the importance of that spirit than do so many western dancers. I have heard Jillina and others say that is why the show looks the way it does, but I disagree with their premise of bigger movement on the larger stage from the core of that philosophy. For myself, I believe that the concert stage is not the best venue for viewing the dance for several reasons. The concert stage sets a "formal" atmosphere for a dance that is not a formal dance. The psychological message is not the same in a theatre setting as it is in a hotel convention room or a nice quality lounge. My dance company does our twice yearly performances in a place that is a moderate quality bar, but the owner works with us to make it nice and homey, and the atmosphere is very intimate, with clear stage borders, but the audience is right there with us. It sets up that nice feeling of social intimacy between the dancers and our audience. The theatre stage, even when intimate, creates a boundary between the audience and the performers that should not exist when performing belly dance because the dance is in good part about that very human connection. Another consideration is that when the dance is on stage, you really might not see the very intricate and subtle workings of the body, though you should definitely get the essence and feel of the dance regardless of the size of the theatre. The dance is about close up and personal! Regards, A'isha