Katayna’s Bio (KATAYNA, CHAMPION OF BELLY DANCER OF THE UNIVERSE COMPETITION,2006!)

By Norma Westover

Meet Katayna, co-instructor of Helena Vlahos’ School of Belly Dance! This statuesque beauty has the enviable status of protégé to Helena Vlahos, and with good reason. If electricity can take on a fluid form, then this sweet young lady knows the alchemy to accomplish it. Anyone who’s seen Katayna’s performance can attest to the fact that she offers a unique, high-energy rendition of classical Raqs Sharqi dance, hallmarked with Helena’s fluid and concise style.
Coming from a lifelong background in dance studies, Katayna’s father engendered in her a love of dance, inspired by his admiration for the legendary Ballet master Mikhail Baryshnikov. She began studies in Ballet at age 4 and continued for 6 years; then shifted to Hip Hop during her teen years until 1996, when she encountered Belly Dance for the first time at the Arizona Renaissance Faire. Questioned about what caught her interest, she’ll tell you that the young lady she saw in performance that day executed a hip bump, and the rest is history. Never before had she witnessed a dance that so precisely isolated and showcased the body’s every part. From that day forward, she began an odyssey into the world of Middle Eastern dance that has become her passion and her life’s focus.
Katayna began her career in Middle Eastern Dance with instructor Joyce Daniels of Ali Baba, then moved on to the Valley’s own Morgiana and Mara, before being discovered by Helena in a chance meeting at the Devonshire Renaissance Faire.
Expressing to the young dark-haired beauty that she was “cute” and that she would like to introduce her to the study of Raqs Sharqi, Helena opened wide for her the door to the world of professional Middle Eastern Dance, and Katayna hasn’t looked back since. In addition to the very substantial foundation of Helena’s mentorship, she’s also worked hard at expanding her knowledge base via many fine workshops and seminars from esteemed instructors such as Suhaila Salimpour, Leila Haddad, Jillina, Jihan, and Sautwasoora. A particular favorite and great inspiration has been the many talented performers in the contemporary Lebanese dance community.
Combining a fervent devotion to practice with natural grace and aptitude, Katayna made such rapid progress under Helena’s private tutelage that it wasn’t long before Helena had declared Katayna as her next protégé. The most important thing Katayna feels Helena was able to do for her was to develop the groundedness so crucial to the successful performance of Middle Eastern Dance. With Western dance forms so heavily skewed to up-on-the-toes buoyancy, we all know it can be a frustrating chore to get that “down ‘n dirty” earthiness to come through in a performance, but Helena drove the point home. And that’s another thing, Katayna comments about her mentor, Helena will work you till you either “get it”, or you both give up with a promise to work on it. Remarking that it was only Helena’s insistent coaching that could break down her interfering pride, Katayna credits Helena’s firm but expert teaching style with removing the barriers that held her back from mastery.
As a fellow student, I can vouch for that. Anyone concerned with getting “bang for their buck” in Middle Eastern Dance instruction can do no finer than to sign up for lessons at Helena’s school. No social hour here, you show up for class dressed and ready to WORK.
Asked what the Dance has done for her, Katayna quickly replies that it has done wonders for her self-confidence, and also that it has opened a whole new frontier for self-expression never quite fully satisfied by any other dance form. Add to that the infinite subtleties and complexities of Raqs Sharqi technique, as well as the many lasting friendships she’s forged in the Middle Eastern Dance community, and you’ve got the formula for a delicious, long-term love affair.
So, if you feel your experience with Belly Dance has grown a little blasé, what does Katayna recommend for a pick-me-up? Wise advice: watch another Professional! However you can access it, whether through live performance or video, she contends there’s just no substitute for studying the moves of a master. And frustration, how about that? Well, Katayna’s not immune to that nemesis of every student. Her advice to those in despair: DON’T get discouraged! Doing lousy is a NECESSARY FIRST STEP on the path that leads to mastery; only by conceding that we can fail, do we begin to realize that forgiveness and repetition are the keys to true achievement, and this is a point that Katayna simply can’t emphasize enough!
When it comes to performance experience, Katayna says that her favorite part of the work is the rush of dressing up in a fantastic bedleh and putting on what she feels is a great show. Especially rewarding is when Middle Eastern natives compliment her on a performance well-done; the ultimate pat on the back from the most discriminating of audiences! As far as a pet-peeve goes, awkward tipping situations while traveling through a crowd top her list. Unlike performing in the Middle East, where it’s understood that the entertainers are hands-off professional workers worthy of respect, US audiences frequently and mistakenly equate Belly Dancers with “exotic” dance performers, feeling free to “cop a feel” with their cash outlay. Cultural inconveniences aside, however, nothing can replace the joy of the overall experience for this talented performer.
The costume, or bedleh, of a dancer is the single most important prop at her disposal. Katayna has crafted several of her own bedleh having learned the craft from Joyce Daniels. She’d recommend the experience of making a bedleh to every dancer, even if only for the purpose of learning the basics of sewing, an Art that Katayna feels ( and I agree! ) has been lost in modern culture. Ask her what her “fantasy” bedleh is, and she describes an ensemble such as Helena’s Rhinestone outfit, worn recently at the school’s recital in February of 2004. Covered in Vegas-caliber Rhinestones, a bra and belt paired with Helena’s signature slit pencil skirt would make up the basics; accessorize everything with gloves, an Art Deco-style waist girdle and a crown, and you’ve got it!
Recognizing that a beginner has special costuming needs for optimum achievement, Katayna recommends that all beginners come to class in tights or yoga pants, a crop top that exposes the belly, and a jingle belt of some sort that will allow the dancer to “feel” when her moves are in synch with the beat of the doumbek. Skirts and elaborate, voluminous harem pants obscure a dancer’s movements and make it difficult for an instructor to successfully critique a student’s moves, so it’s in one’s best interests to keep to the above-mentioned basics.
As everyone knows, the world of Middle Eastern Dance encompasses a myriad of cultures and styles. So, what is it that has captivated Katayna about the distinctly Egyptian Raqs Sharqi form? In her opinion, Raqs Sharqi offers a virtually inexhaustible repertoire of expressive technique, underscored by a precision and control of the individual parts of the body that’s unrivalled by any other dance form. With the resources and determination to “check it all out”, this young lady has repeatedly returned to Raqs Sharqi as the style of choice. Anyone exploring the form will also quickly realize that a Raqs Sharqi dancer is restrained only by the scope of her imagination and physical abilities!
In choosing to teach alongside a legendary performer such as Helena at the Cannedy Centre Studio in Phoenix, Katayna ventured carefully into a great unknown, discovering something very important about herself in the process. Being a “junior” in the age category, she’s rather reluctant to step in and critique students, even though she’s chock-full of helpful suggestions. Katayna is very aware of what might seem like her “formidable” appearance to new students, and is very anxious that she not hurt anyone’s feelings, thereby discouraging them from the joy they might find in the dance. As a fellow dancer and advanced-in-age (44!) underling, I have to admit that her extraordinary beauty and presence ARE intimidating. BUT, if this interview has taught ME anything, it’s that Katayna is THERE for ANYONE seriously interested in improving their dance; please just ask her guidance and you’ll be richly rewarded! She’s an incredibly sweet-natured human being, more than happy to hop in and share her friendly and valuable insights on your performance. In all things, Helena Vlahos demands nothing short of excellence, and in this respect, I can say without reservation that Katayna is undeniably worthy of her sponsorship. It is this fact which keeps me interested in learning the dance at Helena’s school, even though I’m well beyond the age of enjoying a lucrative performance career.
When it comes to Belly Dance musicians, it’s always hard to pick favorites, but Katayna cites artists Natacha Atlas and Hakim, as well the many wildly popular European club-circuit Arabic Techno Dance artists, as her choices. While these may offer a starting point, she recommends dancers choose tunes that move them personally, since those will inevitably yield up their best possible performances.
As a talented young professional, Katayna obviously is free to choose her venues; so, what keeps her here in the Valley of the Sun? First of all, the many friends and connections she’s made in the years spent here; and second, her absolute love of the Sonoran desert, with its unique flora, fauna and breathtaking panoramic beauty. There’s simply nowhere else she’d rather call home!
Much as she loves the Valley, if she could change one thing about the local Middle Eastern Dance scene, it would be to expand the number of venues available to the area’s dancers. As far as she’s concerned, there simply aren’t enough properly-equipped clubs in the Phoenix area to support the area’s many talented Middle Eastern Dance performers.
Long-term, I was quite moved to learn Katayna shares a goal with me: To restore Helena Vlahos to public recognition as a pioneer in American Raqs Sharqi performance art. Many have come and gone in American Belly Dance performance since Helena Vlahos first set foot on a stage at the age of fifteen in the early 60’s. So, aside from the very understandable goal of carving out her own fame in the world of American Raqs Sharqi performance, Katayna’s primary focus is to preserve and spread the notoriety of Helena’s wonderful legacy. I cannot think of a worthier goal.
In parting, Katayna offers up her most heartfelt advice to every novice dancer: KEEP ON IT! Practice, even when you think you’re getting nowhere; and always, ALWAYS, watch other dancers. No less important: keep up with your classes! There’s no easy replacement for the feeling of accomplishment earned by a move executed correctly through hours spent in devoted practice. Happy Dancing, from Katayna!

KATAYNA, CHAMPION OF BELLY DANCER OF THE UNIVERSE COMPETITION,2006!

Katayna's Photos

Katayna is a local trend setter and much in demand, teaching workshops and performing regularly in Phoenix and the surounding areas.


Performances

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Katayna is one of the featured dancer in the DVD BELLY DANCE ROCKS! By IAMED ~ Producers of the Best Belly Dance Shows in the World!