AMARA: It is a pleasure to speak with you Sausan. I have known of your work for many years. Now that you are promoting your latest project, I am delighted to add you to the fine roster of HONORARY MEDLS MEMBERS OF THE MONTH in the field of Academia. Please tell us what inspired you to start this work.

SAUSAN; It is great to speak with you also Amara. I see that you are intereted in promoting classical and historical Egyptian Dance Art as I am.  My first teacher Jodette from Sacramento was the first to introduce me to Egyptian Dance Stars Badiya Al Masabni, Tahia Karioca, Samia Gamal, Mohamed Abdul Wahab, Farid Al Atreche and many more.  Back in 1974, I was not able to gather much information and in my search, I met my partner Dr. Hatem El Sayed in 1984 who helped me to open an Egyptian Restaurant EL MASRI in 1996  in San Francisco. He pointed me in the direction of how to get more informations about these Egyptian Dance Artists.

AMARA: That is so interesting. I too started studying these artists in 1984 though. Being on the east coast, this is the first I know of your wonderful restaurant El Masri.

SAUSAN; Well it is a place where we offer the public an educational experience about Egypt. It's culture, it' dance, it's cuisine and it's history.  From that educational standpoint, I have been able to have a venue for my students to dance in a safe environment.

AMARA; Well Kudos to you. I know this must have had it's challenges but you are a classical example of a MEDLS DANCE LEADER. I would love to hear more about your workshops and how students are reacting to them.

SAUSAN; Well it has a mixed response. I believe that the generation of today may not always want to know the cultural heritage of this dance. I have had more success with new dancers.

AMARA; I understand.  I have had similar responses myself. We were so fortunate to have had the years and experience of learning this art from masters who pointed us in this direction and who learned from masters who opened the doors for us.

SAUSAN; I think that festivals today should feature seminars and workshops which include the video performance and biographies of Egyptian Greats from the Golden Age of Egypt.

AMARA; I agree totally. It is great to have YouTube to start to see these greats.

SAUSAN; I can say for a fact that anyone who has trained with me have gone away with a different perspective on how to execute Egyptian movements. What sparks them is what aI call the Egyptian Code.  That tiny trevial element of the dance is how Egyptians hear and keep the beat of the music.  As welll as their expressions they use in day to day life which is then transferred into the dance.  Having the restaurant is like living in Egypt, not only opening windows but doors of understanding for the culture, the people and the art.

AMARA; That is not easy and I applaud you for this accomplishment. I do much better myself with students who will take time to learn and not just rest on what the level they are at. I know I keep on learning. By the way, have you traveled and / or lived in Egypt?

SAUSAN; Yes, I have been there, Actually it gave me more resolve when I returned home to search for information on the Egyptian Artists because I couldn't find out about it even when I was there.

AMARA; Well it certainly sounds like your workshops are a wonderful opportunity for everyone who is dedicated to retaining this dance art's historyand continuing to expand their knowledge.  What one thing would you like to say that would inspire dancers based on your experience and life work.

SAUSAN; Don't turn your back on the history and the people that can make it possible for you to learn without having to spend money to train in Egypt. You won't find too many teachers in Egypt that will teach you about the history of the dancers of Egypt's Golden Age.

AMARA; Are you planning on putting this workshop series on DVD? For dancers who want to learn more about these workshops and classes, please visit Intensive Workshopson Sausan's site.

SAUSAN; I do have two DVDs, one for my primary class and another for Level 2. These depict the Egyptian Dance Movements by actual Egyptian Dancers and then my teaching them in class. Divided into 12 units, you can see both.

AMARA; Thank you Sausan for your time for this interview. Your work is a wonderful opportunity for dancers to educate themselves in more than just dance technique. For DVDs of the great Egyptian Stars, visit Sausan's store. Here is a wonderful and recent video clip of Sausan and visit your Video Page for more.

SAUSAN YOUTUBE

Author: Amara Al Amir.  Join MEDLS AND MEDLS YAHOO GROUP. More MEDLSLeaders