Thread: Ibrahim (Bobby) Farrah

Originally Posted by Mirabai

Thanks for all these postings. I dance a Bobby choreography that I learned from Angela in Las Vegas who studied under Dahlena. I am so removed, though, of course, from the origin of this choreography that I hunger to find someone up here in the Northwest familiar enough w/Bobby's work to be able to help me figure out what I'm doing that gives justice to the piece and what could be done better. I also know that some of the choreography has been changed, but don't know what portions those are. I love performing it, though. It feels absolutely beautiful to dance it. Delicate. Elegant. Sexy :) Classical. Airy. I'll be performing it in an upcoming theatre production at Seattle Art Museum and will post a youtube of it here :) Constructive criticism and your educated perspectives will be soooo welcome!!


It's really great to read all your postings. Thank you!!

Ooh, which dance? What's the music?

Latifa

You could check out Michelle Forner's thesis about him.

The music is Bahlam Beek. I'm performing it this Saturday!! I have another girlfriend here in town who learned another Bobby choreography from Maleeha of Ohio ... or is it Iowa? It's incredible ... maybe I can get her to post that as well!

Wow, that was a long time ago. Great choreo as I recall.

Tina O'Neill used to cover his work pretty carefully.

Originally Posted by Mirabai

The music is Bahlam Beek. I'm performing it this Saturday!! I have another girlfriend here in town who learned another Bobby choreography from Maleeha of Ohio ... or is it Iowa? It's incredible ... maybe I can get her to post that as well!

Ooh, please post! And Maleeha's from Iowa. Beautiful dancer, sweet person.

Originally Posted by dancingrrrlz

Wow, that was a long time ago. Great choreo as I recall.

Tina O'Neill used to cover his work pretty carefully.

Tina's another wonderful dancer! Haven't seen her in years.

I wanted to resurrect this thread because I just spent some time with one of his dancers and got to see and hear about the REAL Bobby, and I swear it is changing my life (in more ways than just through the dance.) Because of the "issues" we've seen on Bhuz regarding the man's legacy, I don't want to give out personal details, but I do want to bring up some things.

Originally Posted by bintbeled

To me, the most important thing about Bobby's teaching was his musical interpretation. He really heard every nuance of the music, and tried to make his students the visual embodiment of that music.

Yes and Yes. The music I was hearing was mostly the full orchestra Oriental "Wash Ya Wash" kind of compositions, but I did see his ethnic dance choreographies and a couple of what might be considered more folky choreos.

It's sort of commonplace NOW to hear about being the visual embodiment of the music, but I'm guessing that's the luxury of the internet age and having two generations of dancers now teaching.

His use of the veil was so different from everything else I was seeing. He didn't do veil "tricks" like lassos, envelopes, etc. Instead, the veil was an extension of the dancer's body, moving with her and complementing the movement. It was magical.

YES! I hate veil, normally, because every choreography I've learned has been "arabesque and swish, pose here and transfer from hand to hand." yech. With the choreographies I saw, Bobby's veil work seems just like an extension of the dancer's breath and energy flow. Absolutely GORGEOUS -- and that's saying a lot coming from a hard-core veil hater like me.

His interpretation of the music during that first workshop was so beautiful, so intelligent, so elegantly logical that I was on the verge of tears all week long.

I didn't think I was that emotional a person, but that's how I felt just watching the video. When we got up to actually dance, I felt transformed. I'm almost in tears now, just thinking about it.

This whole idea of interpreting the music might not seem so revolutionary now, but it was earth-shaking then. I think (and this is my NSHO, so you don't need to agree) his influence is so widespread that many don't recognize it and think that this whole musical interpretation thing was always part of our dance.

I wondered about that. I think you're right on.

When I look at the list of people who have inspired me, most of them are on the list of people who were his students -- Elena, Fathiem, Ruby, Dahlena, even Suhaila. He was a part of my dance heritage without me even knowing it.

His concept of "Flow" wasn't something completely new to me, since a lot of instructors are now talking about breathing into the movement, and the energy flow through movement -- but I had to seek that out. Even today, not everybody is teaching this concept.

Originally Posted by norma

Last night I rewatched Bobby's video The Journey. It was made in 1997shortly before he died.

I have talked with several Bobby students and contemporaries and there are mixed feelings about this video.

When I first saw it, I didn't like it at all. I thought it looked too much like modern dance, and there didn't seem to be any joy to it. I need to watch it again, but I suspect I still won't care for that era of his choreography. But what I saw in his workshop footage and what I've seen of other dancers DOING his choreographies -- it's not like the Journey stuff at all.

Some of his students say the video is representative of his work, but I wonder if they mean representative of his concepts and technique in action. (??) Because other students say "Oh no, that's not the kind of dancing we learned at all."

Istead of earthy, I would say his style was airy. You can definitely see how he borrows heavily on ballet and modern dance. He likes the sharp piroutes, the kicks and turns, the dramatic poses, the extended carriage and stiff arms, and of course the veil. In fact in watching the dancers it seemed like traditional belly dance moves were just thrown in here and there.

I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that I don't think what you describe above is representative of the choreographies I saw, but it is very representative of what is on that video.

Also, while watching the workshop videos, my "source" made comments like "that fan kick was supposed to be lower," as we watched a dancer do a higher kick than I would feel comfortable performing in a skirt- lol! It's my understanding that Bobby encouraged individual dancers to be individuals. I mean, I think about Leila Gamal and Elena Lentini doing the same choreography -- how DIFFERENT it would look, because the two women are SOOO different in their energy and how they move.

One thing -- I saw one of his students dancing in a nightclub in New York, and it was just plain old good bellydance, without a strong Egyptian influence. It wasn't artsy-fartsy -- it was just good dancing. Come to think of it, I don't even think she had a veil.

I don't know that Bobby subscribed to the "5-part show" method. I never got the hint of that watching his work or his dancers. To me that's sort of the defining characteristic of what I know as American Cabaret style. I didn't see him doing or teaching that.

Originally Posted by bintbeled

Why did they do this? Because performing an Ibrahim Farrah choreography can be like becoming a poet with your body, becoming a gorgeous piece of music. I always felt beautiful and special dancing the moves and moods he had put together. This was the first transcendent dance experience I had. The whole experience was intoxicating.

Okay this IS making me cry. I felt a little of this just LEARNING the choreography. I can't imagine what it will feel like to perform it. I really can't.

It sounds weird, but it's like the choreography has some kind of magic in it. It IS intoxicating. It's goofy to write, but I feel like the more I do it, something somewhere is transforming me. I haven't had this kind of feeling EVER before in dance, even with my absolute fave dance mentors, and it's a little intense. I can only imagine what it must have been like to actually learn from the man himself. Gives me goosebumps!!

Aziyade, I can't tell you how happy I am to see another dancer "get" what Bobby was doing. I think I'll cry now too! Big hugs.

I have to giggle a little when I read the threads about backbends and how Rachel Brice does amazing backbends. It's true, but Bobby did 'em better!!


Something else that amazes me is what you mentioned, about how far-reaching his influence is. In class there's Fathiem, Horacio Cifuentes, YOUSRY, Suhaila, Dahlena -- and look how far-reaching THEIR influences are. It's like everybody who dances has a little piece of Bobby with them. :)

Originally Posted by aziyade

I have to giggle a little when I read the threads about backbends and how Rachel Brice does amazing backbends. It's true, but Bobby did 'em better!!


Something else that amazes me is what you mentioned, about how far-reaching his influence is. In class there's Fathiem, Horacio Cifuentes, YOUSRY, Suhaila, Dahlena -- and look how far-reaching THEIR influences are. It's like everybody who dances has a little piece of Bobby with them. :)

I'm not sure how much Horacio studied with him, aside from one weeklong, which was very memorable. ..g.: Yousry has tons of Bobby influence to add to his Egyptian folkloric training, and I think it really shows. But you're right, the ripples are very widespread.

This is too cool!

I had the pleasure of taking a workshop with Zuhela Yamir (Millie), of Ocala, FL. She and her sister studied under Bobby Farrah for years. Her workshop changed my dancing! Her choreography and style is very Bobby.

I know what you mean about giving that kind of dancing your all. It challenged me and I had to work so very hard on the piece she taught us. In the end I performed it once.

I love watching the video. It is still part of me, but I didn't feel I did it justice. I keep meaning to bring it back out.

Yes, these masters touch many of us and some never know it.

Originally Posted by bnwspots

I love watching the video. It is still part of me, but I didn't feel I did it justice. I keep meaning to bring it back out.

Do it!!!!! Maybe someday we can make a Youtube channel of his work, expressed by the next generation!

Originally Posted by aziyade

Do it!!!!! Maybe someday we can make a Youtube channel of his work, expressed by the next generation!

Here is what I learned from Zuhela Yamir:

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVBmGXrF8ZM"]Renee at Windows to the East (Ft. Walton Beach, FL) 2007[/ame]

I've got to pull this back out and work on it. (BTW...I'm not sure if the song is named correctly on the intro.)

Beautiful!!!! I love it! Get that choreography out and keep it out!! :)

More!

Originally Posted by bnwspots

Here is what I learned from Zuhela Yamir:

Renee at Windows to the East (Ft. Walton Beach, FL) 2007

I've got to pull this back out and work on it. (BTW...I'm not sure if the song is named correctly on the intro.)

Must hijack thread....OMG Where did you get that dress?!?!?!?!? I lurv it....

Thank You

This is me doing a Bobby choreography I learned from my mentor, Shahira. I am dusting it back off to show my students at an upcoming recital.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPGoqFs1kL8"]YouTube[/ame]

and by the way that is my old channel, I have a new one at BluegrassBD on youtube

LOVE IT! I want to learn that :(

Your music is different from mine. Mine doesn't have the opening vocal.

Originally Posted by aziyade

LOVE IT! I want to learn that :(

Your music is different from mine. Mine doesn't have the opening vocal.

I'll teach it to ya ,r:;

Originally Posted by ScarletDancer

Must hijack thread....OMG Where did you get that dress?!?!?!?!? I lurv it....

Thank You

It's an Abla... got it from Dahlal Int. years ago. It still looks great, too. Man-oh-man did that woman know how to make a dress! I don't have to pin it or anything... it came to me as if she made it just for me!

Back now... Thanks!

Whoo-hoo! ScarletDancer, I enjoyed that!

Originally Posted by bnwspots

Whoo-hoo! ScarletDancer, I enjoyed that!

Thank you! ..g.:

Originally Posted by ScarletDancer

Must hijack thread....OMG Where did you get that dress?!?!?!?!? I lurv it....

Thank You

Another vote for that dress!

Originally Posted by ScarletDancer

This is me doing a Bobby choreography I learned from my mentor, Shahira. I am dusting it back off to show my students at an upcoming recital.

YouTube

and by the way that is my old channel, I have a new one at BluegrassBD on youtube

ooh! I love this dance! I have video of Bobby and Leila Gamal dancing it together at a workshop -- such fun. I've performed it a couple of times but have no video...

Originally Posted by bintbeled

ooh! I love this dance! I have video of Bobby and Leila Gamal dancing it together at a workshop -- such fun. I've performed it a couple of times but have no video...

That's the workshop where Cindy (Shahira) got it

It's a wonderful dance, and it's one of Adawiyah's best recordings, I think.

I <3 Shahira! She was a real inspiration to me when I was studying with Bobby.