Thread: Is this true? Question about Raqia Hassan and proteges

I came across this in Princess Farhana's blog

"Many of Madame Raqia’s current devotees and/or former students are literally “household names” in the global belly dance community, including Egyptian stars Dina, Randa Kamel, Aza Sherif, Dandash and Mona El Said, as well as non-Egyptian dancers such as Russian-born Katia, and Americans Jillina and Zahra Zuhair."

I was just wondering if this is true. Having seen Raqia dance, I know she is a popular teacher and choreographer, but I have a hard time imagining Mona or Aza in particular as her students. Has Raqia really been the teacher of all these dancers, and if so, how much influence do you think she's really had?

I don't know about Aza, but Mona definitely acknowledges Raqia as a source for her development. Dina, Randa, Dandash have all had exposure to the dance through Raqia as well as other instructors/choreographers.

One thing that is important to understand about the "Egyptian way" is that they don't necessarily micro-manage every little detail of placement and movement in the same way as is done with non-ethnically Egyptian dancers. There is a lot of preset cultural understanding of movement and music that comes into play rather than mechanics.

I could go on and comment on each dancer you mentioned and a million others too probably. But, you get my drift already, I think. For the record, I have a lot of Raqia in my lineage too, along with other names.

Raqia is one of those mentors that has her standard "stuff" and then she takes what a dancer brings to the table in ability and prior training and manipulates it into an individual expression - if the dancer is of such ability and desire. Many of the dancers seek mentors at Raqias level come for someone else's expression. Not their own. People want to be more like Dina, like Randa, like Soraya, like [insert local, national or international icon here]. Then you have those that go to Raqia because she, along with other instructors, can help identify who you are - as yourself.

Several of the choreographers and mentors I have had the pleasure of acquainting through my career make comments such as "you should do this, you should do that" to me or to others around me. It took me a while to get what they were saying - thanks to the generous in-depth explanations from people around me at the time - and to realize that they were giving the individual dancer a direction - not just a general "everyone should" type of comment. Once I started taking these comments to heart and abiding by them - I was able to start breaking out of the mechanical, and "enthusiastic" rather than trained, look of my movements. I still work on many of the things they mentioned every time I practice.

I think one of the problems we have as dancers is that we aspire to be like someone, to get something that someone else has, to understand something that someone else does, to understand something that someone else has understood. Yes, this is a very valid and important part of our earlier progress, but we only become copies of each other. We even aspire to physically and appearance-wise look like so and so. We teach using examples of other dancers even. Well, at some point - a dancer needs to be guided by a vision - not by a reflection. But this is not possible without understanding the reflections of others first. This is what I find so beautiful in dance - that there is ALWAYS room for growth. No matter how full of yourself you get... oh I mean, accomplished, of course! There is still room for more growth and depth to your material.

Anyways, to reply to your question. I believe that there are large, impacting contributions made to careers out there that we dont necessarily identify easily by mentors like Raqia, Aida, Mahmoud Reda, Farida Fahmy, Momo Kadous, Yousri Sharif, Faten Salama, Lubna Emam...well, I can go on, but you get the category I am trying to give a nod towards.

DaVid

PS: This is why I find it interesting to look at lineages and see how different names we see around have reached their current results as dancers and artists. This is why I included my "dance lineage" in my handbook too. I think it is important for people to see what amount of work and range of study lays behind a dancer's presentation. Most of the internationally known dancers have studied with the same "batch" of instructors but their outcomes are VERY different from each other.

Originally Posted by david

Well, at some point - a dancer needs to be guided by a vision - not by a reflection. But this is not possible without understanding the reflections of others first.

So well stated, David!

Shems, my teacher says Raqia is a brilliant choreographer (she was one of Raqia's students too.) She said Raqia wasn't able to be a professional Raqs Sharqi dancer because of her husband and child, but she was able to fulfill her creative spirit by dancing in the folkloric company and creating choreographies for Raqs Sharqi dancers. But my teacher makes a really big deal about how Raqia is brilliant as a choreographer, and she really really respects her.

I just want to be clear, I'm not trying to denigrate Raqia at all, just settle in my head something that seemed a little incongruent, but I see DaVid's point, dancers are not necessarily a strong reflection of their teacher.

I had the same questions -- Raqia is not a Raqs Sharqi dancer, so why does she teach Raqs Sharqi??? LOL.

We had in local ballet a couple of very ANCIENT former dancers who worked as coaches. They didn't dance anymore, but they knew how to pull out of YOU something super awesome. I would expect that's what Raqia does. Inspires. Also - maybe a lot of her students grew up in the improv tradition and want to learn choreographic skills - ?

Originally Posted by shems

I just want to be clear, I'm not trying to denigrate Raqia at all, just settle in my head something that seemed a little incongruent, but I see DaVid's point, dancers are not necessarily a strong reflection of their teacher.

I knew that :) I just was thinking that I'd share those thoughts with everyone that may read this thread.

The reflection I was referring to is not only in regard to teachers but also in regard to other dancers. I mean, sure we can see similarities between dancers and that's all fine. But when the main purpose in life for dancers becomes to do the best possible clone job of other dancers - that's when the intricacies of art get left on the commerical fire to be consumed by the flames, if you ask me.

There can only be one Dina, one Randa, one Samia Gamaal, one Jillina, one etc etc etc. Dancers' job is to take knowledge and inspiration from these dancers - not try to become them...

Eh, well, that looks like this was my little rant for today, didn't it? Ops. I didn't intend it to be ranty. But you see my point, right?

I love it when I see dancers that are a cohesive melting pot of their instructors with the preferred direction of an educated vision of what they would like to project and present.

Wow, Its always nice to read you David!

Originally Posted by david

I knew that :) I just was thinking that I'd share those thoughts with everyone that may read this thread.

The reflection I was referring to is not only in regard to teachers but also in regard to other dancers. I mean, sure we can see similarities between dancers and that's all fine. But when the main purpose in life for dancers becomes to do the best possible clone job of other dancers - that's when the intricacies of art get left on the commerical fire to be consumed by the flames, if you ask me.

There can only be one Dina, one Randa, one Samia Gamaal, one Jillina, one etc etc etc. Dancers' job is to take knowledge and inspiration from these dancers - not try to become them...

Eh, well, that looks like this was my little rant for today, didn't it? Ops. I didn't intend it to be ranty. But you see my point, right?

I love it when I see dancers that are a cohesive melting pot of their instructors with the preferred direction of an educated vision of what they would like to project and present.

Bingo! This is my first and foremost belief. As much as I may admire a dancer, I still want to look like myself and my own style, not be a cookie cutter of somebody else. While it's flattering to imitate a maestra or maestro, the true art is when you are being yourself.

Originally Posted by Fotia

Bingo! This is my first and foremost belief. As much as I may admire a dancer, I still want to look like myself and my own style, not be a cookie cutter of somebody else. While it's flattering to imitate a maestra or maestro, the true art is when you are being yourself.

Salomestar: Ah, merci and thank you :)

Fotia: yup. At the same time it is important to understand the value and importance of the work prior to reaching the point where one is capable of producing true art and being oneself too. I believe all dancers work towards this goal - at least they are suppose to lol.

Originally Posted by aziyade

I had the same questions -- Raqia is not a Raqs Sharqi dancer, so why does she teach Raqs Sharqi??? LOL.

I'm curious, how do you define a "raqs sharqi" dancer?

Originally Posted by aziyade

I had the same questions -- Raqia is not a Raqs Sharqi dancer, so why does she teach Raqs Sharqi??? LOL.

As far as I know;
Raqia has not performed as a solo dancer(she was in the Reda troupe)but she has made choreographys and taught technique to beginner students,up-and-coming dancers AND dancers that were already established.
(like Azza).

IMO Raqia is The raqs sharki mentor/coach in Egypt.

Her movement vocabulary is very big,and her choreos are in many differerent styles for many different dancers.
It´s not a coincidence that so many top dancers worked with her.

I think Raqia is superior at identifying a dancers personality and style fast and help her bring it out on stage.


Dandash was a protegé of Aida Nour also...Aida is amazing.

Edited to add:Oh,I now read through the thread-very good posts DaVid!

Originally Posted by kashmir

I'm curious, how do you define a "raqs sharqi" dancer?

Raqs Sharqi - solo improvised dance, with a certain "stigma" attached to it. Many conservative women believe it is not appropriate for them to do this dance if they have a family to worry about.

My teacher knows Raqia and Raqia seemed to believe that it was inappropriate for her to PERFORM solo, in the typical costume. Dancing with the folkloric company was fine, but not doing the solo performance dance (Raqs Sharqi.)

I'm sure she COULD dance it very well -- she just didn't perform it, for personal reasons. At least that's how it was explained to me.

Thanks David, for the insight
very inspiring indeed

Very well said, DaVid. Emma's post about Raqia's personal reasons for never having been a solo dancer are correct. I've known Raqia for nearly 15 years and have studied with her when in Egypt. I'm not a big star anywhere, but I suppose I'm one of her proteges because I feel that her teaching has had a profound and lasting effect on my dancing and because she has invited me to teach at Ahlan Wa Sahlan for the last 4 years.

I'm one of the students that DaVid and others have described as having had their own personalities drawn out and incorporated into their dancing style by Raqia. She taught me a lot of movements and some choreographies, but encouraged me to be myself within my new knowledge.

As Emma said so well "Raqia is The raqs sharki mentor/coach in Egypt." It is no surprise that she has had significant influence on many of the leading raqs sharqi dancers of the world today.

Originally Posted by leylalanty

Very well said, DaVid. Emma's post about Raqia's personal reasons for never having been a solo dancer are correct. I've known Raqia for nearly 15 years and have studied with her when in Egypt. I'm not a big star anywhere, but I suppose I'm one of her proteges because I feel that her teaching has had a profound and lasting effect on my dancing and because she has invited me to teach at Ahlan Wa Sahlan for the last 4 years.

I'm one of the students that DaVid and others have described as having had their own personalities drawn out and incorporated into their dancing style by Raqia. She taught me a lot of movements and some choreographies, but encouraged me to be myself within my new knowledge.

As Emma said so well "Raqia is The raqs sharki mentor/coach in Egypt." It is no surprise that she has had significant influence on many of the leading raqs sharqi dancers of the world today.

Leylaaaa :) give us an instructional....video.... DVD :)

Originally Posted by david

Leylaaaa :) give us an instructional....video.... DVD :)

Oh garsh, thank you DaVid! First I have to win a lottery. I'm going to try to post another video or two on YouTube sometime - hope that will do.

I do have an instructional DVD coming out later this month, but not a dance instructional. It's called "Habibi, You Are My WHAT?! Leyla Lanty's Essential Arabic for Dancers Volume 1". It's in the production queue at the printers now. I don't want to hijack this thread, so if anyone is interested, keep an eye on the "Product News and Reviews" forum where I'll make an announcement when I have an exact release date. Some info about it is on my website Leyla Lanty - Hear the Music BE the Music!