Interview with Yasmina



What got you interested in Middle Eastern Dance?

In high school and college I enjoyed taking gymnastic classes. After leaving college I wanted a fun way to exercise. I was bored with aerobics and was looking for something different. I found a belly dance studio in Mesa, The Art of Belly Dancing, with Samia. After the first lesson I was hooked. I loved it all, the costumes, the music and how the dance was so expressive.
I took the classes for pure exercise; I never envisioned that I would perform, teach, produce belly dance videos, sponsor workshops & events, create a website and have a TV show.


What got you interested in dancing with props?

How I got interested in props was watching other dancers perform at restaurants, student recitals and videos. I really enjoyed watching dancers that included props in there performances. I feel it really adds to the dance. You can really play around with a prop in your dance, such as being flirtation with a veil or fan, serious with a sword, telling a story with a jug or basket, etc.
I purchased a video from Veda Sereen on cane dancing and this is where I was introduced to double cane. In fact for me to dance with one cane anymore is difficult. Cane dancing is a lot of fun and it fits my style of dance very well. I also ordered other prop videos from Veda Sereen and it opened a whole new world for me in my dance.


What instruments do you play and what is your favorite?

I started playing clarinet in 6th grade. I begged my parents to let me play the drums, but was very happy to play any instrument I could. In college I played saxophone and flute, but then switched majors and left the music behind. When I started belly dancing I picked up the zills with no problem. I later found a dombec class taught by Shirley Thompson and my dream of playing drums finally came true. With Alimah I have been able to play wind instruments again. Currently I play the Sipsi, Zurna, Recorder, Turkish Flute and other flutes from various countries. It’s hard to say which instrument is my favorite; I like them all.


How has playing a musical instrument helped you in your dancing?

When I learned to play the dombec, my dance improved immensely. I started to understand the rhythms I was dancing to. From knowing the accents and phrasing of the rhythms I know how to phrase my dancing. I know when to hit the accents, I can flow easily from one rhythm into another, especially in Egyptian style music and the biggest help in knowing the rhythms of Middle Eastern dance is performing with a live band.
Performing with a band, especially one that you have not worked with before, you can speak their language. The group may not know the rhythm by the name you do, but you can annunciate the rhythm in dums, teks & kas in the speed that you want to dance to. The band appreciates your knowledge and you know you are going to dance to music that you know.


Do you enjoy performing and teaching out of state?

I love going to belly dance events out of state. For me I learn a lot by watching other dancers. I enjoy sharing my dance style, teaching and just seeing the styles of other dancers and groups from other states. I keep abreast of what others are doing at festivals, dance competitions and workshops. I see the new costumes on the scene, hear new music and pick up a lot of great moves. Rakkasah is an awesome festival to attend and you should experience this event once for yourself.


What year did you start performing Middle Eastern Dance?

I started taking lessons at Samia’s studio and performed in the class recitals and some belly grams but really didn’t start soloing until after my health issues were resolved in the late 1980’s. There was a five-year period that I didn’t dance and started taking lessons again in 1987 at the Mesa Parks & Recreation. I started teaching the classes in 1988 when Shirley Thompson, who was teaching at the Parks moved to Yuma.


What gave you the idea of having a Belly Dance swap meet?

I was really never into garage sales, but I thought a belly dance swap meet would be a great way to empty my closet of items I no longer needed. Plus I wanted some new costumes and music. When I started my annual swap meet there was really no place in town that sold belly dance items. There were no studios any more and the Internet really didn’t exist. Mark your calendars; my next swap meet will be January 18, 2004.


Your website is wonderful. Why did you make your page so informative instead of a promotional dance page for yourself?

I was going to a business to do a belly gram for a birthday. A man walked out of the building and asked me who was getting the strip-a-gram. That was it; I knew I needed to do something to educate the public on what belly dancing was. This is how my public access TV show began in 1990.
I took this idea a step further and started my website. I know when I first started dancing I had a hard time finding any information out about belly dancing. It’s history, how to make costumes, where to purchase music and videos were nonexistent. The Internet is an amazing tool with its wealth of information and can be overwhelming to some who do not know how to search for topics. I designed my page to help point dancers and belly dance enthusiasts to the information they are seeking. When I created The Joy of Belly Dancing website I had not idea how large it would get. My page is a labor of love and I’m still adding to it.


What style of costume, music and dance do you favor?

I really like all styles of belly dancing. I would say my style leans toward folkloric and tribal fusion. Props are a big part of my dance with cane, tray of candles, veil and snakes being my favorites.
I like the more ethnic pieces of music and the challenge of Egyptian music. Not the “Egyptian top 40” music were the rhythm never changes. The Egyptian songs that go through 6 or 7 different rhythms before you hit the drum solo and finale. I really like music that you can get lost in, that gives you goose bumps and lets you show all kinds of emotions in your dance.
I’m not really a bead person when if comes to costumes. I do own the flashy cabaret costumes, but I love big skirts, Cost Less bras & belts, especially the coin style, and a nice comfortable choli. I find the more comfortable you are in a costume the better you dance. The more freedom of movement you have to express yourself.


Where and what do you teach?

I teach at the Mesa Parks and Recreation West side. Currently I teach five classes. Tuesday nights I teach two classes, intermediate and advance belly dance. Thursday nights I teach three classes, beginning dombec, beginning belly dance and beginning American Tribal Style.
Each session I teach moves, combination moves and a different choreographed routine. This session I’m teaching an Egyptian folkloric dance to the intermediates, a Tribal hand candle dance to advance and my beginning class is learning a cane routine. I’ve even added a bellyrobics section to my advance class. Next session of classes will be totally different. I like to teach the different styles of belly dancing so my students get an idea of what they are and what style is right for them. This way they can seek out other instructors that focus on this style of dance and they can learn more and find their own style of dancing.


What motivates you to dance and teach?

I love the dance. This dance took me out of my shell and lets me express myself in ways that I didn’t think I could. My students motivate me. I see some of them come into class shy and unsure of themselves and after a couple of session having more confidence and knowing they can do whatever they put their minds to. This dance does something to your soul and I love to watch my students grow. I in turn learn an awful lot from my students.


What dancers outside of Arizona have inspired you?

After Samia’s studio closed and after my last surgery I started to purchase videos to get back into dancing. I purchased several of Veda Sereen’s tapes and learned a whole new style of dancing. Then I started to find other videos from Amaya, Suzanna Del Vecchio, Mesmera and Delilah. One of my husband’s customers, from Morocco, gave him a video from Egypt of dancers from movies and I was introduced to Souhair Zaki, Najwa Fouad and Zizi Mustopha. I was fascinated by this video and was on the hunt for more tapes with these dancers. Their dance was so different from what we have in the U.S. I couldn’t get enough. There are so many dancers that I enjoy and have learned from through video and workshops, it’s hard to name them all. Dancers that I currently enjoy watching and learning from are: Jillian, Aziza from OR, Hahbi ‘Ru, and Gypsy Caravan to name a few.


Do you have a funny story that has to do with your dancing?

I’m not sure how funny this is, at least at the time it wasn’t very funny. I was hired to be a snake charmer for a grand opening of a resort in Scottsdale. All I needed to do was to follow behind the camels and other circus type acts, walk through the ballroom with my snakes and exit. They kept us all outside, in January, at night, for almost two hours before we could do our thing. I’m in full cabaret costume trying to keep myself and my snakes warm; while standing behind two smelly camels. For the most part the camels were very well behaved. They kept themselves occupied by eating pine trees in the parking lot. We are finally given the signal that we were about to begin the parade. All of a sudden I feel something wet. I immediately threw open my cape and held my snakes away from my body. Here is Fethe; my male snake relieving himself like there is no tomorrow. Yikes, the parade is finally moving and my snake can’t hold it. Thank goodness John, my husband was there to help out. He grabs Fethe, still going, and I start taking off my skirts which are now soaked. Luckily I wore three skirts that night and only two had been subjected to Fethe’s little accident. So I’m down to one sheer skirt and one snake. The rest of the performance went on without a hitch.


What things would you like to see in the future for you in your dancing?

I have just joined the writing staff of Wiggle Hips, a belly dance magazine out of Reno, Nevada. My first article will be published in the next issue. I will also be teaching my cane workshop at Wiggles of the West Belly Dance Competition in Reno in July 2004. I’m very excited about both of these opportunities.
I’m currently a co-director of Alimah and we have several goals we are working towards. We are working on our first performance video and hopefully a music CD in 2004. We will start performing the fourth Saturday of each month at the Royal Taj restaurant in Tempe starting in Oct. and we currently perform the second Saturday of every month at Sinbad’s restaurant in Tempe.
I’m still kicking around the idea of producing my series of instructional videos, something I have wanted to do for a long time. I think it’s finally time to get started on this project.
I want to continue teaching, maybe adding more classes in the future. I’m still producing our cable TV show and need to redesign my website. I would like to attend and teach at more belly dance events outside of Arizona and enter a few more dance contests. The biggest thing for me is to keep dancing.
Visit Yasmina’s informative website at Yasmina's Joy of Belly Dancing