Middle Eastern Magic

It was a dream come true. I sat there transfixed as the Maestro himself and his enchanting ensemble carried me away into another reality. And there was the Enchantress, dancing beautifully to every single beat and tune with the precision and beauty of a true master of the art. I was completely spellbound. Never have I thought that I would ever watch Hossam and Serena Ramzy perform live, in flesh, right before my very eyes. Having watched videos and listened to their work since I began my love affair with Middle Eastern Dance not too long ago, I jumped when I heard that they were coming to Malaysia and booked my ticket immediately.

There was something soul-lifting about listening to one of my favourite songs, 'Zeina' being played live. Believe me, I almost cried. And to listen to classics like Enta Omri and other songs that I was familiar with makes my heart swell. It was also really really nice to bump into familiar faces. One of the things I love about bellydance is how easily people bond through it in the spirit of sisterhood. I thought I would be alone tonight as most of the people I know went on the first night. So it was a pleasant surprise to meet Huda, (who by the way, came to watch on both nights!) and ended up changing my seat so that we could sit next to each other in the front row. Watching it with a friend made the event so much more worthwhile:D Then, I bumped into Naziehah, Azfa and Mavis. Compared to these ladies, I am very much a newbie. Naziehah is actually the person responsible of converting my sparks of interest into this inextinguishable flame that it is right now. It was her who taught me my first moves and even if it was just for two sessions, I can't thank her enough!

My personal definition of a successful performance is when it reaches out to me on many levels. And the show did just that. The improv segment especially, struck a chord within me. Serena tackled every beat and tune that was thrown to her gracefully and effortlessly. Every movement was executed spontaneously and it turned out simply beautiful. And through my non-expert observation, she was able to do it because she kept her center. A position that she would always come back to no matter where the music carried her. Her understanding of the essence and the underlying meaning of the music, combined with powerful mastery of the techniques contributed to her precision. The fact that she connected well with the musician and her audience is another factor to her mesmerizing performance. It was obviously a two-way communication where the dancer and musicians influenced each other. Most importantly, she was connected to herself. She owned her space and she interpreted the songs with heartfelt genuineness.

So much like life, don't you think? Sometimes it trashes you around, tests all your limits and seems to try to break you. But if you keep your center, engage both your knowledge and intuition and be aware of your environment, then maybe you will enjoy the spin and won't end up so frazzled or out of control. I went home with one thought lingering in my head- what happened to my center? What about you guys out there? Do you know your center?

Who would have thought that one could find enlightenment at the most unexpected time and place. I love Middle Eastern Dance, Raqs Sharqi, Bellydance, Oriental Dance, Tarian Timur Tengah, Tarian Padang Pasir, Danse du Ventre, ..whatever name anyone wish to call it, I love it all the same.