AN EVENING AT BYBLOS WITH EGYPTIAN CARTOUCHE



By Norma Westover
June 27, 2004—Tempe, Arizona

Sunday evening, June 27th, Helena Vlahos and Katayna and their students were honored to be the special guests at Egyptian Cartouche’s monthly Belly Dance Revue. Staged at Tempe’s famous Byblos Restaurant on Mill Avenue, and hosted by Valleywide favorite performer, instructor and producer Morgiana, we knew we were in for an enjoyable evening of exciting dance, music, and delectable cuisine.

Byblos is a medium-sized family-style Middle Eastern restaurant that offers a nice little performance space, well-situated to offer a good view of the dance floor from just about any seat in the house. Service was meticulous, and the food was great, so all we needed was Morgiana to bring on the show for a perfect package.
Performance began with Egyptian Cartouche, choreography by Morgiana, featuring simple, elegant Pharaonic gestures. The spare choreography lent itself to the music flawlessly, keeping attention on the beauty of the dancers’ moves. The four member troupe that evening consisted of Iris, Faaria, Shaliney, & Morgiana. Each lady wore lovely, colorful cabaret-style costuming expressive of her own taste and character, and the number set a buoyant, joyful tone for the rest of the evening’s dancers.

Helena’s Intermediate class performed next, doing a coy and playful choreography written by Helena, set to classical vocalist Fatima Serhan’s “Ya Omdah”. In sparkling Gold Balady-style dresses, each accented by a different hip sash, the group of four performers charmed the audience with their humorous, insistent teasing moves, designed to evoke the spirit of the lyrics, wherein a corpulent Middle Eastern official is being solicited for his favors. Dancers included Catherine, Candace, Vanessa, and Norma.

Following Helena’s Intermediate class was a group of ladies from the Advanced class, performing to “Elli Biehsal Da” from Hakim’s “Hayal”CD. This choreography by Helena’s protégé and co-instructor Katayna kept things moving along at a fun and lively pace. The straightforward beat allowed for sharp, eye-catching moves with an infectious, bouncy quality. Stunning Black, Silver and Crystal cabaret bedleh, hand-crafted by each dancer, dazzled the eyes almost as much as the well-executed dance grooves. Troupe members Michelle, Pamela, Lisa, and Dee did an outstanding job. Congratulations ladies!

Taking the floor next was another group of Helena’s Advanced students, featuring Katayna, Cathy, Shazi, and Christine. The girls were outfitted in glittering, custom-made sequin dresses, tiaras and belts. The music was “Saidi” from Gamal Goma’s “Dance of 2000”, again brought to life with choreography by Katayna. Dramatic moves played off the song’s charming, flirtatious character, and all the dancers did a splendid, well-synchronized job of performing!

For the evening’s first soloist, we had Egyptian Cartouche’s Iris, doing a medley of cabaret numbers in her gorgeous, authentic cabaret bedleh of Teal, Silver, and Crystal. Iris’s graceful veil work, well-coordinated moves and exotic, Middle Eastern-influenced presence kept the audience entertained and cheering for more. Most notably, her careful use of space, and elegant hands and arms were a joy to observe. Bravo Iris, as beautiful to behold as the flower she was named for!

Next up, star of the evening, Helena Vlahos! Looking fresh and ready to captivate, Helena didn’t let us down with her well-chosen variety of classical Egyptian Cabaret tunes. She wore a splashy, Silver Sequin Balady dress, accented with a heavy, jingly coin belt, all custom made by Helena. Never one to repeat herself, Helena’s tone this evening had an earthy groove to it. Her famous, concise moves and zill expertise were used with an economy that created a near-perfect syncopated display of mastery. Much of her wry, humorous character came across in her dance, and she delighted the audience as she traveled the restaurant’s tables, gently teasing, pleasing, and enticing the occasional willing gentleman to accompany her on the dance floor. A special treat was drummer Gabby Tawil’s delightful solo, designed to put Helena’s finesse to the test; of course she didn’t let us down, and it was great fun to watch drummer and dancer up the entertainment ante with their best tricks!

A fitting follow-up to Helena was protégé Katayna, in a darling Candy Pink Balady dress, beaded and sequined in the latest Egyptian fashion. Grooving to cute, bubbly Arabic Pop tunes, Katayna dazzled onlookers with that signature serpentine torso of hers, a skill that makes most of the rest of us dancers spend countless hours trying to polish our ribcage and belly isolations to look even one-half as superb. No less admirable to see was her natural, innocent sweetness that comes through in her every move, as well as excellent use of her long, Jet-black hair. Use of the hair to create interest is so important to good cabaret dance, and yet as a technique in the USA it seems really under-appreciated. To me, Katayna’s masterful use of it is a great inspiration. The house rocked as this lovely young star on the rise shook, snaked, and shimmied, with incredible strength and fluidity, through an exciting and delightful solo performance!

On to the next performer, we had valley-wide favorite dancer and queen of henna art, Shaliney. I’m always delighted to have an opportunity to see this diminutive-but-fiery little goddess take the floor. An interesting mix of musical styles is her usual choice, and this evening was no exception. Shaliney tore up the floor and wound her way through the tables with a wonderful showcase of bellydance bravado, all with her very admirable and highly entertaining personal flair. This little lady knows how to snare your attention and keep it; she is a veritable master of expressiveness. If Shaliney’s dance work could be compared to a dinner, she’d be a main course so satisfying that it leaves no room for dessert! You Go Girl!

Another new rising star on the valley scene, Faaria, took the floor next. Protégé of show producer Morgiana, this elegant beauty certainly reverberated with the best echoes of Morgiana’s style. In a very striking bedleh of Turquoise and Gold, Faaria (whose name means tall and beautiful) charmed us with her variety of performance, adding her own demure individuality to Morgiana’s trademark Pharaonic moves. Fluid hips and delightful ribcage isolations were a standout. Traveling through the audience with confidence and poise, Faaria never missed a beat. One can only hope that this striking young lady will remain devoted to her Art, as a wonderful career in the dance certainly awaits her if she does!

Nearing the top of the evening, the audience next welcomed beloved valley instructor/performer/AMEDA publisher Adayna, who also graciously served as the evening’s DJ. As Morgiana took over spinning the tunes, Adayna took the floor in a unique costume, done in rich shades of Green and Azure. This interesting outfit consisted of a Jazz-style jumpsuit, paired with a positively stunning Cabaret belt worthy of the fussiest peacock. Accessorizing the outfit were long mitts and a beautiful tie-dyed silk veil. Choosing classic cabaret music, Adayna thrilled us all with a departure from the ordinary, fusing crisp Jazz and Flamenco-type moves with traditional Egyptian Cabaret. As always, I was very impressed with Adayna’s wonderful ability to make direct, penetrating eye contact, as well as her very articulate hands. She left us all breathless that night, with her unique and special performance and lively presence!

Topping off the show was the evening’s hostess, Morgiana. Introduced by her son, she took the stage, wearing a very pretty and colorful bedleh of Hot Pink and Gold. Morgiana treated us to her best work that night, set to the variety of music and dance styles that she’s known for valley-wide. With her wonderful fusion of Cabaret, Tribal, Pharaonic, and Jazz styles, she served up 100% pure entertainment, topped off by her *incredible* well-known Double Sword work and back bend with ribcage undulations. Morgiana is a living testament to what dedication can achieve in bellydance, and her finale left me inspired and hungry for more!

All in all, this was a wonderful evening for everyone in attendance, performers and patrons alike. Helena, Katayna, and their students extend their deepest appreciation to Morgiana and Byblos for the opportunity to be a part of it. The show went off without a hitch, and offered great value for the money spent. Thanks to all for a delightful experience!