I am sitting in the Black Book Cafe in Stroud catching up on emails and general computer led admin. It is such a pleasure to be in this welcoming quiet cafe, to be among people and yet not be disturbed by them. I can work here without the feeling of isolation which is the down side of working at the computer at home.
I recently performed at a gathering at Buckland Hall on a very small dais which had been used for a speaker sitting on one chair, beside him a small table for a vase of flowers. For the celebration evening I was to dance on such a small space, admittedly only a single 6 minute piece and with the chair and table removed. Was it possible? What if I fell off?! I have always maintained that much of the magic of Raqs Sharqi lies in what I called its ‘verticality’, that this dance developed in a relatively small space and that it was only later when ballet brought with it the idea of filling space (a stage) that in the Modern Classical form the dance expressed itself more horizontally.
In teaching the tradition one of the hardest concepts is that of this ‘verticality’ because we are so programmed in this forward (horizontal) energy, goal oriented, the next appointment, preoccupation with the future rather than the Now.
So this was the test, a six minute dance in a tiny space! I chose a very simple and traditional Ashra Baladi piece, starting with a beautiful meditative taqsim followed by the usual awadi and maqsoum and finishing with an exuberant driving tet. All the basic principals I have been teaching for years somehow became incapsulated in those six minutes. A wonderful experience indeed. The warmth and enthusiasm of the 170 people in the audience caused the magical reciprocating cycle between performer and audience which all performers, who stand exposed on stage in their art, desire most.
Please click on the CALENDAR tab above for workshop dates in 2018 and the countries where they will take place.
Anne Marie and Eva
