20 years ago our dance scene was different than it is today. As far as teaching went combinations and improvisation were king, or should I say queen! The goal of the dancer was to perform in clubs to live music with live musicians, and understanding how combinations worked helped the dancer improvise when the musicians invariably started to jam. A skilled dancer in those days might have a loose choreography in her head but was ready to leave it all behind at a moments notice.
   Over the years a gradual change occurred. Seminar teachers started to teach their own choreographies and in some ways this was better. Now instead of sometimes easy combinations they were teaching the material that they were going to perform that evening, some of their best stuff! Dancers could expect to learn something solid in the seminars, knowing that the teacher wasn't going to sluff off something easy on them.
   It was also easier on the teachers. Once teachers got over their fear of teaching their best material to a room full of dancers who could end up being their competition, they found certain advantages. Instead of adapting their material to the skill level of the dancers in each new workshop they could simply teach the same thing over and over. They could craft a beginner choreography and an intermediate to advanced choreography and simply teach it in city after city.
   Because they taught the same choreography over and over they could hone it and shape to be better and more effective. Like a touring theatre company, the show got better as it went through it's run. Everything got tighter and more streamlined; the teacher taught material she was incredibly comfortable with and then performed it in the show that evening. The dancers who took the workshop learned the distilled, creative thought of the choreographer, saw it well executed during the show and went away having felt they received something of value that they could then demonstrate to their friends and students.
   But over time certain disadvantages with this system became apparent; dancers were learning choreographies but they weren't learning how to dance. In years past when dancers were taught combinations and concepts they learned how to string those combinations together to create their own choreographies. They learned how to think on their feet while performing with live musicians of different nationalities who frequently changed things. And the dancers learned how to perform for different audiences who looked for different things in the performance.
   Thinking on her feet and adapting the dance to the various and changing conditions the dancer could expect were the hallmark of a good performer. And because the dancer wasn't bound to choreography she could develop her own improvisation and personae. If the dancer had a new idea she wanted to try out she could simply try it out on stage! A dancer didn't have to be perfect, but she did have to be skilled, passionate and in the moment. The discerning audience could tell if the dancer was dancing for and to them, rather than at them!
   So which is better, choreography or improvisation? I feel that as the pendulum swings from side to side so our dance scene does as well. I believe that we need both choreography and improvisation. Over the years the skill level has increased in our community and this is a good thing. The downside is that personal creativity has suffered and dancers are less confident in finding their own voice in the dance. I would use the image of the dance as a beautiful wedding dress inherited by the dancer; she respects and loves it but at some point she needs to have it cut and altered so that it fits her. In other words we need to own and claim the dance so that we can achieve our full potential as people and artists.
   To my mind the best dancers are those who can make choreographies seem new and hot off the press, while making improvs seem well rehearsed and thought out. Can you have both? I think so, if the dancer is willing to train hard in both areas. To be successful I think you need to have a strong will as well as the ability to let go of your will and surrender to the moment.
   Today our scene is broken down into different styles. We have Raks Sharki, Folkloric, Tribal, Egyptian, Lebanese, Turkish, Rom, Fusion and any number of other terms that generally define the dance by it's place of origin. But there are other terms as well, terms that describe rather than define. Terms that reflect the nature of the dancer rather than her country of origin. Terms like graceful or fiery, terms like bold or mysterious. These terms don't define the dancer's regional vocabulary but rather describe the dancer's personal style and attributes. A dancer can only reach her personal style when she lets go of her adherence to a regional style.
   I think we need to reexamine and acknowledge the importance of improvisation and creativity within our dance scene. While it's true that understanding and respecting the art that others have created is important, it's also true that being totally true to yourself and dancing your dreams is the greatest gift that you can share with your audience!

   I think that it is pointless to discuss that dance styles are changing. Why? Because we know that all things change, art and dance included. A century and a half ago Western artists in the Middle East were complaining that the same thing was happening. They felt that European influence was destroying the native culture.
   It's important to remember that two principles are at work here. One is change, which is inevitable. The other is culture, which endures. While the Middle East has changed, it is certainly still the Middle East. The same is true with the USA and every other culture, race and nation on earth. For example, everyone thinks of the American Plains Indians on horseback, and yet horses were introduced to the Americas by the Spanish during their years of conquest. The Cheyenne Indians have stories of their leaders discussing whether or not to buy horses from the Arapahoe, and how it would affect their society!
   The Middle East is a huge area and while we make generalizations it is extremely diverse! Of course most of it is Arabic and Islamic but there are also other races and religions. The Jews have endured for thousands of years as a distinct people, as have the Assyrians, the Chaldeans, the Berbers and many other groups. Change has certainly occurred within these groups, and yet they retain their identity and culture.
   And so why would we expect a performing art to remain static? And why would we want it to! Certainly the dancers in Egypt have been greatly influenced by the West and this is not a bad thing. The cabaret was a French invention and the violin and accordion are Western instruments which were introduced to the Middle East during the centuries of Ottoman rule.
   To preserve a dance style in it's pure form is the goal of the dance historian. But the historian knows that dance constantly evolves and that they are capturing but a fleeting moment in the evolution of the style. The dance historian preserves or recreates a dance form in order to acknowledge and remember the people who created it.
   But most of us are not historians but performing artists. Our job is to create art and to touch our audience! And it's up to us to do that however we have to. Our purpose is not to reenact; but to act. The reason a dance form is worth recording and remembering is because it was important and real to the artists who originally performed it.
   The problem that I see is that we are producing a generation of recorders, reinterpreters, reanimators and imitators! Is there nothing we can call our own? It seems that the highest goal of many Western dancers is to be mistaken for a Middle Eastern dancer. And yet we decry those in the Middle East when they try to impersonate us!
   Most people know that Helene and I are fusion artists. Helene has a very eccletic dance style and I am completely different from the Middle Eastern drummers. And yet often we are told by Middle Easterners that we are like their dancers back home. If the outward form is so different why do these people feel that we represent their culture? Because it's real to us. Because we believe in what we do, not because we are a good imitation of someone else, but because we are ourselves, warts and all. The differences in style and technique disappear when heart and feeling are involved.
   I believe that it's vitally important that we not try to make ourselves virtual carbon copies of any one, no matter how much we respect them. There is a difference between imitation and inspiration and the artist who achieves their dream of being mistaken for someone else will find it a hollow accomplishment.

   Recently on the list there has been talk regarding the impact of fusion dance on the dance scene as a whole. While I respect the differing opinions offered up there are certain assertions people have made that I feel need to be challenged.
   One poster has claimed that the dance as it exists is a cultural garment and to change the dance has the effect of destroying this garment. Others have suggested that if fusion dances are to be created, that we don't call them Middle Eastern dance. Still others have said that fusions are good only if done by Middle Easterners themselves because they own the culture and have the right to do so. Some dancers feel that fusion reflects a lack of respect and the inability to grasp the richness of Middle Eastern culture.
   I feel that all of these statements are untrue, that they are in fact reverse discrimination, and that they have an unhealthy effect on our dance scene. I believe that fusions are wonderful acknowledgements of culture and have done a great deal to introduce different cultures to each other in a way that promotes respect and understanding! And because I'm a musician I would like to illustrate this point by taking the list on a musical adventure that explores the world of fusion.

   Egyptian singer Hisham Abbas has a wonderful fusion song named 'Habibi Dah' that he performs with Indian singer Alicha. You can download a version of 'Habibi Dah' at:

http://www.orientaltunes.com/video.html

singing that he is on fire from his lover's beauty, Habibi Dah is a hit in both the Middle East and in India and proves that both cultures like and accept fusion.
   Lebanese composer and musician Rabil Abou-Khalil has made a name for himself by working with jazz musicians from Germany and the United States. He has succeeded in creating beautiful and skillfully crafted pieces which blend the best of both Middle Eastern music and Western Jazz.
   25 years ago Doug Adams of Light Rain together with his dancer wife De Ann pioneered American Belly Dance music. One of his most beautiful songs, 'Sundown Silhouette' features the Chronos String Quartet and was the music for a dance performed by the Joffery Ballet that remains a part of their permanent repertoire.
   Next I would like to invite everyone to my own website, 'Orientalist Art of the Nineteenth Century' to hear the song 'Terra'. The url is:

http://www.orientalistart.net

   The song 'Terra' is at the top of page one and you can download and play Terra as an accompaniment to the artwork. In constructing Terra I had been inspired by the second movement from Sibelius's Second Symphony. While I love Classical music I always felt that the rhythm arrangements were very simple. I combined a shiftetelli rhythm with a classical arrangement featuring the doumbek, bass and cello to create the rhythm structure. Next Helene wrote the melody line for the lead instrument, the oboe, and finally a friend helped to clean up the arrangements for each instrument. 'Terra' reflects the simple yet profound cycles of the earth and was specifically written for Helene's choreography.
   In addition on page three you can hear 'Diaspora from Spain' by Desert Wind and on page five you can hear 'Tanz de Kelim' by the German group Voyage. 'Diaspora from Spain' reflects the sadness and pain endured by the Moors and Jews when they were expelled from Spain. 'Tanz de Kelim' recreates the intoxication one feels when studying deeply an Oriental carpet. Please take the time to listen to these songs because they represent what I consider to be some of the best examples of successful fusions.

   I feel all of these songs show a respect and love for the various cultures, not a lack of it! And I feel that all of these songs took hard work and skill to create. Many people seem to think that fusions are easy to throw together, the opposite is true. You need to have a real grasp of the musical forms to create a successful hybrid; it takes vision, hard work, skill and a little luck!
   Has fusion hurt the cultures it draws from? The music of Alabina hasn't seemed to hurt any culture! And remember it was Sting's song 'Desert Rose' that introduced Algerian born Cheb Mami to the western world. In 1986 Paul Simon introduced Ladysmith Black Mambazo to the world as well. In 1975 Rock musician Eric Clapton did his version of Bob Marley's song 'I shot the sheriff' and Reggae exploded onto the music scene. It was through the efforts of British rock and roll musicians during the 1960's and 70's that the American public was introduced to their own Blues musicians!
   Who owns culture? My feeling is that we live in cultures, we don't own them. I'm an American living in Texas but I don't feel that I "own" this culture! If I met an Egyptian studying music in the US who told me he didn't want to do anything original for fear of disrespecting our culture, I would tell him to go ahead and do whatever he wanted, I wouldn't be offended!
   Fusion doesn't kill traditional art, it opens the door for it. The greatest cultural ambassadors are in fact the fusion artists. Peter Gabriel produced 'Passion' for the film 'The last temptation for Christ' and then released his 'Passion Sources' to show where this music had come from. Jimmy Page and Robert Plant introduced Hossam Ramzy to the world, and with Loreena McKennitt, Ramzy has introduced a new generation of westerners to Middle Eastern rhythm.

   If we accept the beauty of musical fusions can't we accept the beauty of dance fusions? Flamenco has added snap, crackle, pop to Middle Eastern dance, injecting some personal power as well as some of the darker emotions that Middle Eastern dance has lacked. Ballet has contributed a graceful carriage as well as helped give a good foundation to all types of turns and spins. Modern has given a sense of space and the ability to travel fluidly across a large stage. If a dancer is able to draw from different sources to create something of beauty then I consider that an accomplishment!
   I understand that people have their own tastes and I'm not trying to change that. What I would like to see is a little respect for the efforts of the fusion artists. I find it ironic that so many dancers will go to the Middle East, study the art and the people and treat them with respect and understanding, and then come home and ignore or demean the efforts of artists within their own local communities to contribute in an original way to this art form.

GW: With all the dance venues around Austin and the State. Why should a dancer want to create their own venue?

RF: I think that many dancers would like to perform more and get paid for doing it! While it's nice to have someone else do the leg work as far as getting and maintaining a gig it's also nice to have your own! Then you have creative control over it and it can be very fulfilling.
   As far as regular gigs there are not that many in Austin and they can't accommodate all the dancers who would like to perform. One thing that I think is very important for the development of a dancer or musician is the opportunity to perform frequently and regularly! The Mirage dancers are a good example of this as well as those who frequently perform at the Carousel Lounge, Cafe Mundi or at Ararats. Each venue has its own style and so attracts different people to them.
   In addition there are other gigs available out there. Renaissance faires are all over the state as well as opportunities to perform at weddings and other social events. One thing that is big in the Midwest is teaching and performing at baby showers! The average fee a dancer can charge is $150.00 to $250.00 for teaching a short class and having a hafla!
   In other words there are so many different ways a dancer can perform and make some money at it. We just need to fire up and go for them!

GW: What do you see as the high risk factors?

RF: There aren't that many high risk factors. Now obviously if a dancer does Bellygrams or dances at a lot of private parties she going to have to put energy into assessing the situations to make sure that things will work out well for her.
   But for most dancers the issue is about getting paid the amount that was agreed on! I think all of us who have done it for a while have stories we can tell about how we felt short changed for performances we have done! One way to insure that things work out is to put it in writing, either in the form of a contract or at least an email exchange. Verbal agreements work 95% of the time but it's that 5% that you remember!

GW: If a dancer is thinking about putting on a seminar or show or combination, what is the first thing you feel they should think about doing?

RF: I would recommend a one day seminar first. To be a successful sponsor you have to build alliances and that takes time. Mutual consideration and support is important in our scene and when we cooperate we all win! When I started my Master Sunday Series I took the time to explain what I was doing to the local sponsors and make sure that I didn't schedule too close before or after the big events. This worked out well for all of us.
   Also I wanted to reintroduce to our dance community what a master class was! Too often big name performers would dumb down the seminar material so that they wouldn't lose people! That's great if you're a beginner but frustrating if you really want to learn something new!

GW: How much lead time should a dancer be able to commit to the process of creating a venue?

RF: It's really just making calls till you get your foot in the door and then having a good interview. Sounds easy doesn't it? But it's so hard! You have to really believe in yourself and then the battle is three quarters won! Now once you have a gig you have to deliver the goods. Lazy dancers don't hold onto gigs for very long, it takes real work to make them work. But when they work out they are an incredible experience.

GW: How much money should a dancer be able to commit up front before planning an event?

RF: This is an interesting question. What you really need to do is attend other seminars around the state to see what is going on and to ask questions. In other words your education about the business will cost you money.
   When I do one of my Master Sunday Series I figure my expenses will be between $150.00 and $170.00. What I do is offer the seminar teacher a 70/30 split after expenses, they getting the 70%, with a minimum guarantee of $300.00 for a four hour workshop. Because I both teach and sponsor I wanted to create a fair arrangement that empowers both parties.

GW: When thinking about where to have an event, what types of places or businesses would you recommend to approach?

RF: Support your local dance studio! If you are going to spend money try to keep it within the dance scene. This is another way we all help each other. If you need services such as graphic design or printing try to see if someone in the dance community does it. Always try first to support the community that you want to support you.

GW: How many attendees should a dancer plan to advertise for to make an event profitable?

RF: In my case I need just 12 people to break even. You can see this is a lot less stress than producing the big shows!

GW: Where can an inexperienced promoter or venue seeker look to find people with experience to get some ideas?

RF: By asking around. Most dance sponsors will share info with you and you can learn a lot just by observing. Of course if people think that you're a bandit intent on making off with whatever you can get they are not going to help you! Ultimately you must earn what you have.

GW: What mind set should a dancer be in to begin to plan and event: Dancer, Promoter, Marketer, Advertiser, Instructor...etc.?

RF: All of these mind sets come into play and that is what makes it so satisfying; but it should be your love of the dance that propels you!