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"IGNORANCE
IS BLISS"
An interview with Carolena Nericcio, Instructor & Director of FatChanceBellyDance
of San Francisco.
Interview conducted by Kajira Djoumahna, on 01/06/96, at the SF
office.
This interview was published in the March-April 1996 issue of the
Crescent Moon Magazine.
No portion of this interview, in whole or in part, may be used without
my express permission. Please ask! Thanks!
("K" will stand for the interviewer, Kajira, "C" for the interviewee,
Carolena. "FCBD" will stand for FatChanceBellyDance.)
(#1) K: How long have you been dancing?
C: For over twenty years, since 1974.
(#2) K: What brought you to your first bellydance class?
C: I don't know. Whenever I'm asked that question I answer it differently
each time! I think I just wanted to dance. I was a very shy only
child living in the suburbs with my parents when I found a bellydance
class in San Francisco. I took the bus twice a week, from one end
of the line to the other, just so I could get there & do it.
(#3) K: Had you experimented with any other dance styles at that
time?
C: No. In addition to being very shy, I was self-concious about
my body (I was 14) and my weight. I danced around the house alot,
but was too intimidated to pursue anything formal.
(#4) K: What attracted you to Masha Archer as your teacher?
C: Have you ever seen her? If you could meet her in person, you'd
know what it is. She's the most powerful woman I've ever met in
my life. The way I've evolved, power & presence is more important
than being pretty. It seems that women are supposed to be quiet,
pretty and feminine. That ideal has never really appealed to me.
This woman (Masha) was strong & sure of herself, & incredibly capable.
I was swept off my feet! I do remember going to my 1st class, being
this little 14-yr-old with no social skills, no idea what was going
on, & I decided "I want to be just like her!" One thing that occured
to me years later was that she wasn't a "bellydancer", she was an
artist. She's a visual artist. She has a Midas touch when it comes
to creating art. I think she just happened along dance at some point,
and decided to dance for awhile. What she did with the dance was
just incredible. I don't think she was concerned at all whether
something was traditional or considered culturally appropriate;
she just had a feeling for mood, timing, rhythm, & what to do.
(#5) K: I know that Masha's teacher was Jamila Salimpour. Do you
feel that Masha's style or your American Tribal Style has anything
to do with the Salimpour Format?
C: Oh, I definitely do! I've never met Jamila, & I've never studied
with her, but from everything that I can see from people who've
studied in the Jamila school, it's definitely the same base. I didn't
see exactly what happened, but I feel Masha was an artist who studied
with Jamila, saw what Jamila was doing, & put her own signature
on top of it. I saw what Masha was doing & I put my signature on
top of that. I can still see the clear connections. I've read interviews
with Jamila, and I've listened to how she put things together, &
it all makes sense. She (Jamila) came from a circus background,
and was really into presenting a show. Masha was an artist who was
really into presenting a design, so I can see where I got my theory
of presentation, & I would definitely credit it to Jamila. Maybe
someday I'll get to meet her. I'd like to thank her in person!
(#6) K: When did you first notice that your own personal style was
so unique? Even though it has alot in common with these other styles
we've been talking about, it's still very much yours.
C: I don't think I realized it until people started telling me that!
I make this little joke when people ask me about where I learned
to bellydance that I was raised "on an island". And, what I mean
is, I was so young when I started studying with Masha. I had absolutely
no reason to question her or to look for anything else, so I stayed
with her 2 or 3 times a week for at least seven years. I danced
in her troupe, & was very close to her family. I absorbed her because
I was obsessed with how glamorous she was in this really strong
way that she is. I just wanted to walk in her footsteps. So I did
this sort of traditional East Indian thing where you find your Guru
& do everything they say. It never occured to me that she had a
"style", I just thought she was what bellydance was. So, when I
started teaching my classes, I began saying everything she had said.
Then people started asking me questions "where did this step come
from?" & "what's the difference between the Egyptian & the Arabic",
& I thought, "I don't know! I'm just saying what my teacher said."
So I had to start doing research, & as I did so, I began to realize
certain things. Then I started adding things of my own. Somehow
this style that people see as distinctively mine got created, but
to me, it's just what my teacher taught me. So in terms of the actual
physical style of the dancing, it's the same, but in terms of how
the troupe (FatChance) uses the choreography, there was a certain
point where my dancers started having a dialogue with me. Such as:
"It would be easier to see if we were all facing at an angle", "it
would be easier if the chorus kept a half moon" or "it would be
easier if the lead person stepped forward alittle". I was open to
them, because I wanted us to be successful. I wanted them to tell
me what they needed to do to succeed. Then the whole troupe thing
about how we do choreography, how we do improvisation, & how we
read off of each other started to evolve about 5 or 6 years ago.
But to me, the style of the steps is still the same, with maybe
alittle more strength, because I'm more physically oriented than
Masha was.
(#7) K: Could you explain what makes the American Tribal Style different
from the "usual" troupe approach?
C: With all due respect to all the other teachers & styles out there,
I believe there needs to be more of a distinction between what is
cabaret & Oriental, what is folkloric, & what is this new thing
called Tribal style. Because, what people tend to do is put on an
ethnic costume & still do cabaret steps, then call it folkloric
or tribal. That's not it! Folkloric steps are very different from
ours & from the Oriental. Oriental seems to be much lighter, and
more suited for use as a soloist. For example, the gestures may
be suited to one person, whereas the folkloric seems more suited
to group dances. Tribal style is different altogether in that it
blends those two together. You will not get the "tribal" look until
you study the step patterns& body posture.
(#8) K: One thing that makes FCBD stand out is your ability to improvise
as a troupe. In order to do this, all of your dancer's movements
must be very precise; for example, all chest circles must move to
the left, your movements are always led with the right hip, etc..
All that is for a reason- it would be impossible to follow leaders
otherwise during group improv.
C: You're right. That's one of the things that either appeals to
people or it doesn't. When I start to present that "only the left
arm comes up", or "always turn to the left", people either like
it because it's disciplined & they can remember it, which is exactly
why we do it, or they feel like I'm imposing some sort of unwanted
restraint on them- which I'm not! Those people would probably be
good soloists because they're willing to move in different directions,
they're constantly creating. That's great, but another person can't
follow that improvisationally. So what we've done is to dilute the
cabaret movement to make it broader & alot more repetitive. Some
people come to my classes & are really bored doing the same thing
week after week, over & over again. For those people there's a whole
other world out there, but for people like me that need the repetitive
motion to build the muscle quality, you can count on it! When you
see another dancer doing it, you know you're doing the same thing,
& you can let go of having to count, or having to stare at her.
You know that when you see a certain arm gesture, that it's accompanying
a certain foot step. You're already doing it, so you can go on to
thinking about what's next. It's definitely a different process.
(#9) K: How did you coin the term "American Tribal Style"?
C: Did I coin it? I might have made it up to get away from the "ethnic
police" that are always on my trail! So if I was the one who added
that, it may have been to clarify that we're not trying to imitate
a specific tribe, we're definitely American people who enjoy this
dance form, & we're not claiming to be authentic. Actually, someone
may have said to me: "You do American Tribal Style", & I probably
said "O.K."!
(#10) K: How many members are there currently in FatChanceBellyDance?
C: Ten, including myself. (Members other than Carolena are: Suzanne
Elliot, Jill Parker, Rina Rall, Suzanne Dante, Kerensa DeMars, Karen
Gehrman, Melinda Lee, Pamela Nickerson & Kathy Stahlman.)
(#11) K: Are the troupe members close friends as well as troupe-mates?
C: I think we used to be alot closer, but we burned out on it! The
core group & I have been together a LONG time- 6 years- & I think
we're definitely old friends. The newer members are enjoying the
comeraderie of the group, but in general, it's not as tight as it
used to be. I encourage them all to get along & to get to know each
other. It really helps when you're dancing if you know someone's
had a bad day, then you know not to shoot anything distracting at
them, or if someone's feeling very powerful, you can toss them alot
of extra responsibility.
(#12) K: I've noticed FCBD is using some choreography now. A few
years ago you kind of shyed away from that. How did you decide to
include it in your repetoire?
C: We definitely have divided our shows into two things, one of
them choreographies, the other the improvisation. In the beginning,
we didn't know how to do choreography. We hadn't developed enough
of a format to all do the same thing. It took quite a few years
of improv & getting to know one another's movements before we could
even consider it. So now, when we dance at the cafes, which are
often little, strange shapes that you can't really count on being
the same because tables are moved around, or waiters are going by
with food, we just do improv. You really can't do choreographies
then! You'd be a mess- terrified that if you got off, you couldn't
get back on. But if we're doing something on a big stage, at the
Ethnic Dance Festival, or one of the big bellydance festivals, or
our show at Theater Artaud, we decided we couldn't just noodle around
out there! We knew we needed a real structure. It was hard for us,
none of us really wanted to do it, because it meant counting & being
worried & not missing a cue... we blew it quite a few times! I have
videos with some really incredible mistakes... But it was the two
environments, the stage and the cafe, that pushed us into the choreographies
& the improvisational. With us, our choreographies are based on
our improv style. I don't know if that's true with other dance forms
or styles. I suspect the reverse is often true for them. The way
we do our choreography is based on what we'd be doing if we were
doing improv; the sight lines are still the same, the angles are
still the same. The presentation is a formal improv of sorts.
(#13) K: FCBD has also been using rhythms other than 4/4 lately.
How did that come about?
C: You could probably title this article "Ignorance is Bliss"! We
didn't come into this whole bellydance scene with any plan! This
whole popularity thing has been a delightful surprise. Masha never
taught anything but 4/4. I have no idea what to do with a 9/8- what
DO you do with those three bumps at the end? So when we (FCBD) found
a couple of songs we liked that happened to be 6/8s, we just started
dancing to them like we would a 4/4. I have to credit Susu Pampanin
for banging me over the head & telling me I was blowing it! I got
really irritated with her at first, & told her "Don't tell me what
to do! I'm an artist- I can do anything I want!" But then I really
looked at the nature of a 6/8, versus the nature of a 4/4, & I realized
she was right. But we didn't know any steps for 6s. So I decided
that some of our 4/4 steps could be broken down into twos, & therefore
used in 6/8s. The finger cymbal patterns were adjusted accordingly
as well. So now we can use 2/4, 4/4, 4/8 & 6/8s....but don't ask
me to attempt a 9 or a 12! I've let go of the need of trying to
do everything- it works or it doesn't. We just do what's appropriate
for us, & everyone else can do everything else!
(#14) K: Have you, or do you, study any other dance forms?
C: I've studied alittle bit of Kathak & some Flamenco. I would study
more if there were time, but there isn't for me. I encourage the
girls to study these forms as well, & they really love the Flamenco.
I don't think they've gotten into the Indian dance much though.
(#15) K: Are Kathak & Flamenco stylistic influences for FCBD?
C: Definitely. It's that whole Romany Trail thing. I don't see how
any one of us could avoid it! We all have those influences, whether
we know it or not. (as bellydancers). I think Flamenco dancers have
some bellydance influence; it's reciprocal. But I don't think East
Indian dancers have either influence; that style is old & so very
disciplined I don't think it gets influenced.
(#16) K: Does FCBD ever use live music?
C: I prefer not to. I tried to- I really gave it my best shot. But
it's very difficult to get musicians to hold the kind of rhythms
that we want & not get bored. We really need alot of repetition.
I think what people don't realize is that Oriental dance music and
folkloric dance music are two different things. We definitely need
the folkloric. There are not alot of folkloric bands. Sirocco is
the only one I've found that can really lay down that powerful mizmar
and tabl beledi base, & just stay on it until I cue them to change.
(#17) K: How long has FCBD been in existence?
C: 9 years, but it really didn't take shape until 6 yr.s ago.
(#18) K: How did you arrive at the name, FatChanceBellyDance?
C: I didn't want a name for my dance troupe that would be as hard
to pronounce as my own last name! I didn't feel any connection to
Arabic names because I'm not Arabic. There's that story about when
I was young & dumb, I would tell men I was a bellydancer & they
would ask for a private show. I would think "Fat chance!". I told
my friend Jim (Murdoch), who's a clown, with a rather subtle but
ongoing sense of humour, & he just said "oh-Fat Chance Belly Dance!"
I just knew I wanted it! The first group of dancers absolutely hated
the name. They couldn't believe I'd picked such an appalling, inelegant
moniker to describe them. But I knew what I was doing, I'd picked
an American phrase for an American Tribal Style troupe that was
simple & catchy that no one would be able to forget. To it's credit,
no one has forgotten it yet!
(#19) K: How long have you been teaching?
C: Since 1987.
(#20) K: You have the biggest classes, & the most classes per week,
of any bellydance teacher I've ever seen. In your estimation, how
many students attend your classes each week?
C: About fifty.
(#21) K: What, do you believe, makes you one of the most popular
teachers in the SF Bay Area?
C: Refer to the title of this interview! (chuckles)..Well, in the
beginning, there was a big hoopla about the tattoos, because then,
alot more of us were tattooed than now. That was just a pure stroke
of fate, though, because most of us were already tattooed before
we even met. We liked that, we were all kind of wild. At that time,
many of the students had friends who would be considered "alternative",
& were interested in learning bellydance, but weren't about to go
to a class where their tattoos, or piercings, would be considered
an abberation. So I think that in the beginning, it was all word
of mouth. People felt comforatable. They could relax, they weren't
expected to look or be a certain way. They could have any kind of
body type, or any hairstyle. We've had hairstyles & bodytypes, tattoos
& piercings of ALL kinds! It's really a San Francisco thing to be
visually unusual. I think people felt comforatable coming to my
classes because they weren't being examined, they would be admired.
I think that in general, people who cultivate an alternative look
, as outgoing & confident as they seem to be with their decision,
would really rather be around people like themselves. There's also
the female affirmation. I'm sure that must be true for everybody's
classes, though. I can't imagine that a room full of women would
collectively put themselves down! I know that in my classes, people
definitely like the grounded female energy. It's not based on looking
good for men, it's based on looking good for ourselves, & sharing
with other women. I'm happy that they feel that way. So, that's
how it started. Now things are much tamer. I've really listened
to and observed my students over the years. I pay attention to what
they want, & if it's something I can provide, I do. I'm very fair,
but the class structure is also disciplined. I think people appreciate
that balance. It's that tribal thing; if you make the effort to
come to class, I'll meet you more than half way. But, you have to
pay attention and respect myself and the elder students in the class.
We in turn will support and nurture your efforts. From the physical
angle, I've been swept away with the science of kineseology. How
the body moves. And movement analysis, why we move the way we do.
These studies have added depth to my classes, I'm sure.
(#22) K: Do you make your living solely from bellydance?
C: Yes, I do.
(#23) K: Over the years your mail order business has really expanded
& taken off. Can you tell our readers alittle about the kinds of
things you offer, & how it came to be what it is today?
C: The things offered in the catalogue are all the things you wish
you could find all in one place when you first start dancing! Music,
books, instructional & documentary videos, costume elements, etc..
I have a strong background in fashion design & retail so it wasn't
too much of a stretch to visualize the catalogue & put it into action.
And, as control oriented as I am, I really believe in the power
of collective effort. So a good portion of the catalogue showcases
cosmetics made by Suzanne Elliott & costume pieces by Gwen Heckeroth.
(#24): K: Can you tell us about Second Skin, Lunatique, The Oregon-based
Gypsy Caravan, & any other student troupe offshoots?
C: Second Skin originated because I needed some differentiation
between the core group & the new dancers coming in, because the
new girls needed alot of performance training. Now, however, they
have all assimilated into the troupe. I know there are quite a few
FCBD-style groups forming all over the country. I'm really quite
flattered, but I wish they would call home! I'm genuinely interested
in what they are doing, how they've blended my style with that of
other teachers, their own ideas & research. But I don't get much
communication - I know, I know, I'm intimidating! But that's showbiz.
I want my students to perform and evolve. I'd just like to be included.
I want them to call me up & ask questions. I have a running dialogue
with Kendra of La Danse Serpentine & Suzanne of Invaders of the
Heart. They always check in with me & tell me about their shows,
successes & failures. I crave that kind of interaction.
(#25) K: I've noticed that your troupe members seem to do the FCBD
thing exclusively. Is that purely by their choice, or do you encourage
them to explore other styles, or solo expressions? You've already
said you do encourage them to study Kathak & Flamenco. I mean other
bellydance styles.
Is it them, or you, or what?
C: As far as exclusivity, the dancers are completely free to study
with other teachers, bellydance or otherwise. But, to tell you the
truth, I keep them pretty busy. They seem to really enjoy the discipline
& consistency of our style. American Tribal is itself a new idea,
so I get to be open minded about new material. The thing is that
we want to keep our distinctive style. So, when someone brings something
new, we examine it and refine it to suit our format.
(#26) K: How often do you or FCBD perform on the average, per week?
C: Small groups perform at least twice a week.
(#27) K: FCBD has been featured at the SF Ethnic Dance Festival.
What years?
C: In '92 & '94.
(#28) K: Could you tell us about the auditions- were "they" receptive
at first?
C: The judges at the SF Ethnic Dance Festival weren't really happy
with us in the beginning! I can't even watch our first audition
tape, it was so horrible! That's when we got a clue that if we were
going to work on a big stage, we were going to have to come up with
something more solid than what we had. They used to have time to
give critiques (they no longer do so), & they were the ones who
suggested we get uniform costumes. We fought that, because we felt
the colourful aspect was enough. But we tried the black velvet look
just to see if it would appeal to them. It did, & they were impressed,
so then we decided to all go with satin one day, or velvet one day,
or flowers, etc.. Their suggestions really helped. They never critisized
our technique- they felt we were strong dancers, but they did give
us copious notes re: our stage presentation. I took them all to
heart & worked on every aspect because I really wanted to get into
that festival. And we did! It's to their credit. Dancers can get
alot of valuable experience auditioning there, but always remember
they're not the end-all or be-all of approval, & they're not the
ethnic police! They're a commercial business & they take what works
for them. Try to take their criticism constructively.
(#29) K: You were a soloist at the SF Ethnic Dance Festival in what
year?
C: In 1995. That's not something I'd planned on. They actually encouraged
me to do a solo audition. I generally don't allow the girls to do
solos. It's o.k. to dance solo at a friend's party, but in terms
of being hired out, I insist on two or more dancers always. I really
want the tribal part to come through & the comaraderie of women
to come through. So I really had to think long & hard about it before
I decided to do it. It was a challenge I really needed, but I didn't
want to contradict myself. So I decided to do something different.
I danced without the big headdress, & did only the belly rolls &
taxeem, as that's my favorite part. I didn't really care whether
I got in or not. I really wanted the troupe to get in, & it really
disappointed me that they picked me & not my troupe! I was very
insulted. But it was kind of neat that they took something so subtle
as my solo presentation. I didn't move around the stage, I just
stood there & did belly rolls and flutters. So that just proves
you don't have to be all over the place to get their attention.
It was a nice experience, but it's not something I can see basing
a whole new career on!
(#30) K: Do you have any advice to offer those thinking of trying
out for the SF Ethnic Dance Festival?
C: Go to the theatre beforehand & look at the stage! Understand
it's immensity. They definitely favour live musicians. Make a simple
choreography & rehearse it until you're bored to tears! It's an
incredibly high-stress situation. You have to be willing to audition
every year & be rejected over & over.
(#31) K: I know some folks would like info regarding the tattoos
you & some troupe members have. Do they have any significance?
C: No, the tattoos are a personal choice. We just happen to be tattooed
people. There's a joke that goes something like this: the only difference
between tattooed people & un-tattooed people is that tattooed people
don't care! Un-tattooed people keep asking us what they mean, but
they just mean we have tattoos!
(#32) K: How did the troupe's costuming evolve?
C: Originally when I danced with Masha, we wore pantaloons & no
skirt, a hip shawl with no belt, & a choli with a bra. Also a small
headress with alot of jewelry. When I first started teaching, I
advocated the use of that type of costume.Then one day someone came
in with a big, beautiful skirt from the Renaissance Faire. At first
I said, "no, we don't wear these", but when I put one on I realized
they were really nice! So then we all got skirts. At some point
the hip belt came in, & eventually the headdresses started growing
bigger. We actually needed more material to pin our ever-increasing
amounts of jewelry to, something with a secure base. So the headdress
has evolved pragmatically. The facial tattoos were not my idea;
someone else thought those up. Someone else brought in bindis. Whenever
someone would discover something new that they liked, we'd all want
it. So it got to the point where one person would go shopping for
something, & bring enough for everyone. It became a fun, playful
kind of thing. The costumes used to be less uniform than they are
now. We've tried bras with vests, I've tried various tunics. It
was sort of a 'survival of the fittest'. The tunics would get snagged,
the vests were too revealing or else covered the body shape too
much. If the headresses were too tall, you couldn't balance a sword.
So out of trial & error our costuming has evolved.
(#33) K: How does your costuming affect your dance movements or
style?
C: One thing is we can't do veil work because we can't drag them
over these headdresses! Also we can't do any rolling about on the
floor with them. We can, & do, backbends both standing & to the
floor; but cannot do forward bending or they'll come off. We can
do sword work if we make sure our headdresses are on correctly.
I have great admiration for those dancers who are able to dance
with swords bare-headed. I could never do that! Our headresses also
tend to keep us very upright. We tend to wear alot of bracelets
& rings, & have run into problems in dances where we'd like to link
arms or hands because we catch on each other's costumes or just
don't get the purchase we'd tried for. So we tend not to come really
close to one another. Sometimes we have to pin our tassels on our
belts down if there are too many people spinning closely together
because they'll tangle. We also have settled on our current look
because it flatters all the dancers as well as the movements. Like
with the cholis, which cover the upper arms so we don't have to
worry about that involuntary shimmy of the triceps & can be confident
that not too much is showing. We never remove our zils, & our hand
movements stay away from the body.
(#34) K: Last year, in your interview in the Whole Earth Review,
it became public knowledge that you have Multiple Sclerosis. Please
tell us about how the disease has affected your life.
C: Well- it's different every day. When I was first diagnosed, I
made the decision to stop sewing & start dancing full time because
I wasn't sure how long I'd be able to dance. I'm glad that I did
that, but I'm really getting tired. So now I'm starting to think
ahead of even that. It's very fatiguing; some days I don't feel
like performing or teaching, but I always feel better when I do.
Last year I took alot of time off, but began feeling disconnected
& decided I wanted to come back. I can't take the same kind of gigs
that involve driving for hours & vending or performing in some hot,
dusty fair environment where you have to dress in a closet & there's
too many people around. When those sort of situations came up, I
felt I wanted to retreat. I also found myself losing my temper alot.
Now I know when to just go away & not take it out on others. I have
to take each day as it comes & be careful not to overextend myself.
The symptoms come & go.
(#35) K: How do you stay in such great shape, despite it all?
C: I spend at least one or two hours a day at the gym. I've been
working out for ten years. I've always lifted weights & admired
bodybuilders & the discipline required for them to get where they
are. I've definitely been influenced by female bodybuilders. I also
really enjoy going to the gym; it's not a chore for me. Sometimes
the only personal time I get is at the gym. My diet is very strict
as well- I avoid fat, I'm a vegetarian- & I avoid complicated foods
because they upset my stomach. I like plain foods that are simple
& easy to digest. I have a sort of intense eating disorder, & was
actually happy to have the MS diet imposed on me, because it's what
I'd be eating by choice anyway. But now when people say "oh, you
can have that", I can say "no, I really can't" & they'll leave me
alone about it.
(#36) K: Do you have any general advice for bellydance students?
C: Stand up straight & smile! In general, I feel people could be
stronger. I'm dismayed at the amount of physical conditioning (or
lack of) that many dancers maintain after years of performance or
study. I'm not saying you have to be a bodybuilder, or as skinny
as a ballerina, but I would like to see women take this dance style
& themselves more seriously & condition themselves for stamina &
strength. Also less competitiveness, please! There really is room
for everyone. The world is interested in having alot of bellydancers,
but the bellydancers make their world small by competing so much.
Stop it, & you'll all get jobs.
(#37) K: How about advice for teachers?
C: I wouldn't attempt to give advice to another professional. I'll
just say that the more consistent & giving we are, the more people
will want to come & study, instead of the reverse.
(#38) K: Any advice for performers, either pros or those just starting
out?
C: Again, I don't need to give advice to the pros, but for new performers
I'd say try to take a birds-eye view of what's going on during your
performance. Try to stop thinking about yourself. The audience can
smell fear. You have to be able to open up to the audience without
getting pulled in by them or looking to them for approval. Look
at them & engage them without personalizing it. Learn to open up
& express yourself. It takes making alot of mistakes. Be willing
to make mistakes & be open to criticism. Do constructive work with
the criticism you get. I think alot of budding performers go out
& are so devastated with the criticism they get that they shut down
& stop listening to people. That's opening yourself up to disaster!
Take it home & think about it. See what you can do to improve. Cultivate
your teacher's participation, as no one can give you the advice
your teacher can. If you cut yourself off, you could be missing
out on a whole encyclopedia of knowledge. To get onstage without
your teacher's support is to not get the rest of your education.
(#39) K: What do you see as the future of bellydance in America?
C: It's nice to see people trying new things. I think it's good
that people are grasping the fact that they're Americans who can
take an Arabic dance style & apply their ideas to it without feeling
like they're being inappropriate. It seems to me that all of the
Arabs I've come in contact with are delighted that we're doing their
dance & don't seem to have any problem with American's interpretations
of it. I like the open-minded approach. I'd like to see the dance
be pushed into a more mainstream, general public audience. So that
as more people are exposed to it, more people can make a living
at it, & all the dancers who wish to can find venues to perform
in without the stigma of the "stripper thing".
(#40) K: How about your future & that of FCBD?
C: We just finished our last two videos, "Live" & "The Advanced
Workshop". We don't have any plans for more videos in the near future.
Our show at the Theater Artaud was a great success, much to my relief
after nearly having a nervous breakdown over the production...&
they have asked us to come back. I'm looking forward to working
again in the Theater; I'm one of those people who are really happy
backstage- just give me a little dressing table & I could just about
live in there! I'd love to get a run that could last for two weeks,
instead of just the three days, so I could really get a feel for
the stage & work with the lights. One of the commentaries about
the show I've been hearing from people has been how nice it was
to see bellydance supported by a real theatre, it proves that our
art form is just as exciting & interesting as anything else. It's
just that often we're dancing outside in the street & that's what
makes it into such a halfway thing.
K: This concludes the interview with Carolena. I hope you have enjoyed
reading it as much as I have writing it! I have long admired Carolena
& FCBD for their unique & innovative approach to our dance. I feel
FCBD conveys a sense of feminine power & integrity that is a joy
to behold. Check 'em out!
~end~
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