The Winter 2008 issue of Belly Dance magazine is out, and I'm thrilled with the way those talented folks put together my profile on Donna Carlton, dancer, teacher and author of LOOKING FOR LITTLE EGYPT.
You can find the article starting on Page 56, nestled between a tribute to Leona Wood (who graces the issue's cover), penned by Aisha Ali ,and Marta Schill's review of last year's Raqs L.A. event, with lots of great photos.
I had such a great time interviewing Donna for this article and I really felt privileged to be able to share her story with others. She is not only devoted to the art and practice of belly dance as a teacher and performer, but her research into the early days of belly dance and especially the legendary Little Egypt has made her one of its most knowledgeable historians.
So what'd you think about last night's episode of "California Gold" on the Raqs L.A. event? I don't ordinarily watch the show and I wasn't sure what to expect, but I thought Huell Howser covered the event in a fun and entertaining way. He interviewed several dancers, including Mesmera, Ansuya, Petite Jamilla, Leela and her Salome Jihad troupe, and a few other dancers I didn't recognize (That was one drawback of the show: a few of the people he interviewed were never identified. So if you know who they were, I'd love it if you could enlighten me in the comments section).
Howser also interviewed Bellydance Superstars producer Miles Copeland, who organized the festival along with Marta Schill, and the vendor who was selling Saroyan zills and swords (which she demonstrated), as well as belly dance costumes and hip scarves. Howser seemed fascinated by all the merchandise, but then who isn't?
I'm glad we got to see some dancing, too. The show included short bits of some of the live dance performances, but the producers also spliced in segments from Petite Jamilla's double veil instructional DVD, "Unveiled," and a DVD performance from Ansuya.
I don't know what time Howser and his camera crew were shooting, but it was unfortunate that the auditorium looked nearly empty throughout most of the episode. There was a shot or two of a performance taking place on the stage with only a few people in the audience that had seating for more than a hundred. I felt so sorry for the performers!
But all in all, it was a great representation of our dance community that emphasized its positive aspects. My favorite quote of the show came from Mr. Copeland himself when he described what belly dance is about to Howser. "It's an artform about the real beauty of a woman," he said, adding that it was for all ages and sizes. Very nice, I thought, and very true. In my book, it boils down to fun, fitness and friends. I guess I would add "fashion" in there, too, because we do love our costumes, don't we?
If you'd like to buy a copy of the episode on DVD or VHS, you can do that here.
Here's Howser with Leela and Salome Jihad for the final wrap-up of the show:
If you're a belly dancer within driving distance of the Glendale Civic Auditorium, I know where you'll be this weekend. Raqs L.A., a collaboration between Bellydance Superstars' Miles Copeland and Marta Schill, promises great workshops, great performances, and great shopping. Who could resist? Not me :-)
Update: Don't forget to bring the waivers that were e-mailed to workshop participants (one for each workshop).
The Winter 2008 issue of Belly Dance magazine is out, and I'm thrilled with the way those talented folks put together my profile on Donna Carlton, dancer, teacher and author of LOOKING FOR LITTLE EGYPT.
