Amara Al Amir’s Gala Belly Dance Show 5-20-08 Long Island, NY
Welcome to Amara Al Amir’s Gala Orientale Bouquet Dance Program. Tonight we offer a potpourri of middle eastern dance delights. Starring Amara Al Amir and the Tapestry Dance Theatre, our Guest Artists this evening are fellow teacher and dance stars, Samira of Syria and Lili Rosa plus a special Guest Artist Flynn.
Also, note that with few exceptions, Amara Al Amir is the principle choreographer and Artist Director of our program Orientale Bouquet tonight. Director and Master Teacher of Tapestry Dance Academy, tonight is Amara’s final show in NY before she relocates to NC and opens her new studio in June.
We begin the show tonight will be our first dance suite… In the Beginning...during the early 17th and 18th century, Middle Eastern Dance consisted of primarily cultural story telling and folkoric dancing to entertain family and friends at festivals and gatherings. These dance styles have evolved into a variety of belly dancing today but still stay authentic to their cultural and historical roots.
The Fellaheen are farmer girls of Upper Egypt, they dance with a Balais or Water Jug at the Well while flirting with their cousins. They offer a taste of the sweetness and a glimpse of their ankle bracelets is very Haram,
Then Amara Al Amir dances the Ghawazee Raks Baladi, the Ghawazee is a Saidi Gypsy, who would dance to very primitive instruments with maybe one string and wooden flat flutes called Mizmar. She will dance with one of those first types of instruments as she performs the classic Baladi.
Hello everyone, my name is Amara Al Amir. And now we move into the 21st century. Over the centuries, Belly Dancing has evolved and today as many know it has fused with other music and dance styles all over the globe. If you wonder if Belly Dance is globalized, just google Belly Dance and you will get over 3 Million hits. We present our Techno Pop 2007 Dance Suite fearuring Jannah, Innah, Ashera, Mahira and Aksana. These dances reflect the rock and roll dance music of the Middle East as well as the latest fusion dance style called Tribal. Utilizing props like skirts, veils, fans, swords, and veils are traditional and are modernized to the music of today. Welcome the Tapestry Dancers
Gypsy Fire
Gypsies migrated from all over the middle east and different names from Arabia to Eastern Europe, to Turkey and other countries. Combining some unique dances styles and music, each of dancers led by our Guest Artist who has taken the Tatib to a new level, will present Shikkot, Dunyavi and even Shakira in this Gypsy Fire Dance Suite.
Now welcome Fynn, Honashe, Aneena, Giorgi and Shebari.
It is with great pleasure that I introduce our first Guest Artist this evening. Lili Rosa is a protégé of mine, she began her dance journey with me only five years ago and has grown into a seasoned professional star and dance teacher. She is one of several teachers who is graciously accepting Tapestry Students into her New Dance School in Nassau and Queens. Lili Rosa is also the owner of a wonderful aromatherapy online store as well, check her out at www.airybeauty.com now please welcome to the stage Lili Rosa.
Now to kick off our second half of the show, I have the great pleasure of introducing our second Guest Artist tonight. Samira of Syria as name implies is originally from Syria and migrated to Israel then the US. Her training goes back to those countries and she brings her authentic style today to her students at her school in Plainview. A treat for us, Samira will bring the true cultural feeling of Middle Eastern to our stage tonight. Let’s hear it for Samira of Egypt.
Many here have seen Belly Dancers at parties and events. Tonight we bring the Tapestry Dancers to our stage in At the Casbah, Amara’s Nighclub where you see traditional nightclub dancers in group and solo. Amara had the pleasure of working many years at the top Egyptian and Middle Eastern Nightclubs and she presents a little of that to you tonight. Welcome, first our Delicious Divas, Ashera, Mira and Soraya followed by tantalizing Tatiana in the true Tet, the most challenging dance to perform for any dancer.
To continue with with our nighclub atmosphere, we present the Tapestry Goddesses. Dancing in top nightclubs always included full orchestras and very elaborate dance programs. We present some of that this evening with our Goddesses and our youngest Goddess Little Egypt. Influenced by Goddess Isis, the pharonic wings have become a popular prop at weddings and nightclubs. Joining Little Egypt in the first dance is her Mother Shebari and Liyanah who will open the dance. Following them will be Lisema, Amouna and Kara, who will also dance in the most elegant belly dance styles to be found.
As we near the end of our show, we now would like to present the entire Tapestry Dance Theatre. Women in Harems only danced for each other to relieve the boredom of their daily restricted lives and exercise their abdomens for fertility and childbirth. Amara Al Amir will follow with a traditional Danse Du Ventre that might be seen in any hotel nightclub in Cairo today. Finalizing our program will be the Hips on Fire featuring all of Tapestry Dance Theatre.