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November 23, 2004 -- Fox Channel 5
November 23, 2004 -- Fox Channel 5 Amara was featured on Fox Channel 5 Morning News teaching Tunisian dance steps to feature reporter Holly Morris and the Bellydance Superstars!
September/October 2003 -- Zaghareet! Magazine
by Amara I wrote the following based on my travels to Turkey in May 2001 and to Morocco in April 2003. I hope that you find it helpful in your own travels. Clothing Bring a headscarf and keep it in your daily bag. (I bought a nice one at Target for $7.) In Turkey, non-Moslems can go into any mosque, however you will need to be dressed appropriately as described above and you will need to cover your hair. In Morocco, the only mosque that non-Moslems can enter is the Hassan II mosque in Casablanca. Other than visiting mosques, there may be instances where you may wish to cover your hair. I found wearing a headscarf while exploring some of the smaller Moroccan towns without our guide to be helpful in decreasing unwanted attention from teenage boys and young men who have nothing better to do than to harass women. Wearing a headscarf is also useful in decreasing the extremely aggressive sales tactics of the sidewalk sock and perfume vendors in Istanbul, particularly in the Grand Bazaar area. In Morocco especially, you will see lots of French and Italian women in tight pants and skirts and tank tops showing lots of skin. These women are tourists, like you, who visit Morocco in huge tour groups, hopefully unlike you. Their interaction with the local people is minimal. If you want to interact with the local people in a positive manner, you must respect their customs and one of these customs is not revealing your body and lots of skin in public. Language Marriage Sleeping Toilet Facilities Washing Water
April 2003 -- Dance Spirit Magazine
by Jennifer Shorey Arnold Shakira, the 25-year-old Latin American singing sensation, is sparking new interest in an ancient dance style: She can be seen all over MTV belly dancing to a beat all her own. Though she's been shimmying since age 4, she admits to never having formally studied belly dancing. Read on to see how you can get your own body-shaking moves. The intricate art of belly dancing, one of the oldest
known dance forms, originated in the Middle East as far back as 4000 B.C. Since
1798, the French have called the style danse du ventre (dance of the stomach),
which Americans translated as "belly dancing" when they were first
introduced to the artform at the Chicago World's Fair in 1893. The modern form of raqs sharqi (an Arabic term meaning
Eastern dance) melds stylistic elements of various regions, not only the Middle
East, but also Mediterranean countries and South Africa. "This dance form
encompasses such a wide geographic area," says Amara, a teacher and
professional raqs sharqi dancer in Washington, DC. A more "Hollywood"
style of belly dancing has developed in America. The Americanized style, seen
in movies since the 1920s, is just now beginning to find acceptance among
traditional Middle Eastern dancers. Sharon Clark, who studies with Amara, describes
the study of raqs sharqi as "a lot of fun; it makes you comfortable with
your body and helps you gain confidence." QUICK ISOLATIONS Originally performed in family and community
celebrations, raqs sharqi is mesmerizing to watch and entrancing to perform. Dancers
express complex emotions through movements that often emphasize musical
variations and tempo. A key element in the traditional style is the absence of
movements that travel. (Traveling movements are more common Westernized
styles.) To master the quick isolated movements you need total
control of your torso and hips. Your feet are together in a parallel position
with the knees slightly bent. When preparing for movement, the pelvis is held
in a neutral position, the chest is lifted and shoulders slightly pushed back. A MOVE BY ANY OTHER NAME... Unlike most dance styles, raqs sharqi has no formal
terminology. "Different teachers call movements by different names,"
explains Amara. "It can be frustrating to the student. That's why it's
always important to watch the teacher." The names teachers give movements
can offer insight into how the movements should be performed. As a beginner,
you start with basic "shimmies." Performed with the shoulders or
hips, shimmies are rapid movements from side to side or front to back.
Shoulders are still while performing hip shimmies and vice versa. Ready for something more advanced? Try the "camel," a full-body undulation or wave-like movement that requires a flexible spine. Starting with the knees slightly bent, begin at the thighs and slowly allow a wave to move up your body to the chest front to back. This can also be done in reverse, with the wave beginning in the chest and moving down to the thighs. When done properly, the movement evokes the image of a camel's hump moving slowly across the desert.
January 26, 2003 -- Journal Newspaper The following article appeared in the
January 26, 2003 edition of the Journal Newspapers.
While I thought the article basically well-written, there are a few errors and inaccuracies that I would like to correct here. The
most glaring error is that the article says that belly dance is a folk-style dance from Central Asia.
This is not true! While Middle Eastern dance and Central Asian dance share some of the same arm and hand movements,
Central Asian dance does not contain the hip isolation movements and torso undulation movements common to
Middle Eastern dance. Central Asian dance has its own unique style and character.
From The Sunday Montgomery Journal, January 26, 2003
by Caitlyn Kelleher It started as a recommendation from a friend for a fun and different way to exercise. Eleven years later, it’s become a second career and a passion to share with others. Amara, a regulatory project manager for the Food and Drug Administration, teaches belly dancing — a growing trend — at two recreation departments in Montgomery County. “It’s a total body workout,” Amara said. “There’s more to it than just shaking your butt.” Amara, a Gaithersburg resident, does not give out her birth name because of unwanted attention she has received in the past from men who find out she is a belly dancer. Belly dancing is a folk-style dance from the Middle East, Turkey, North Africa and Central Asia. El Naar Haninah, also a belly dance teacher and performer, and Amara are co-founders of the dance troupe Bassama!, which means “the smiling ones” in Arabic. Haninah said there is a misconception about belly dancing because of the way the dance form is portrayed in the United States. “People don’t realize it’s not a male harem dance form,” Haninah said. Most people who go to the recreation classes are familiar with the cabaret style of belly dancing because it is what they have seen at restaurants, clubs and parties, Amara said. In the classes offered through recreation departments in Rockville and Gaithersburg, students are both men and women ranging in age from their teens to their 60’s. “Because it is a folk dance, it is done by everyone,” Amara said. “I highly welcome men in my classes. I think there is an intimidation factor.” Haninah said the female solo dance is only one facet of the dance style. The majority of students, though, are women between the ages of 30 and 40, Amara said. During the past five years, the popularity of belly dancing has increased, said Carolyn Hosman, a program supervisor for Gaithersburg’s Department of Parks, Recreation and Culture. “It’s like square dancing and other things that get popular and then fade out. But this is on a resurge,” Hosman said. “It’s definitely one of the more popular classes at this time.” Gaithersburg offers two classes each at the beginner, advanced beginner and intermediate levels. “The beginning classes are always full,” Hosman said, although there still are slots open for the classes that started Wednesday. Rockville is offering belly dancing for the first time this year. The classes on Thursday nights will start this week. The first section of the class is full, so a second section has been added.
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