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TEMPEST |
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The Three Graces |
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I Advance Masked: Sashi, above, Ariellah below |
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Tempest of Med'Devi Ink |
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Sashi, Tempest and Ariellah bring Gothic Bellydance to the world |
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The best of dark tribal fusion dance incorporates the sinuous, fluid gracefulness of a snake and the robotic, jackhammer vibrations of a female android. That mix of timeless seduction and cybernetic intensity is a new and irresistible channeling of feminine power, at the heart of a renaissance of an ancient dance discipline.
This writer's introduction to the the dark beauty of Gothic belly dance was at a performance by internationally known performer Ariellah, in San Francisco. The art of her moves, style and choreography were like nothing I'd ever seen, making me a passionate admirer, and sparking my love of tribal fusion and experimental middle eastern dance.
Sashi, a Southern California based dancer who splits her creative energy between teaching dance and performing at various events worldwide, is taking the Tribal Fusion phenomena to a new level with Ariellah and the revered "gothmother" of the movement, Tempest. The three friends combined their talents and their devotion to their art by presenting the first ever festival of dance devoted completely to dark tribal fusion performaces, by solo artists and by many of the best dance troupes.
Gothla US: The Conjuring was scheduled for February 2008, with more to follow next year. |
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The Dark Romance Interview with
Sashi ~ |
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Sashi,
what was your first attraction
to gothic bellydance?
My first attraction occurred
within the Gothic-Industrial club
scene, as bellydance, fusion styles
and related types of movements
have long-standing roots there.
However, my first formal introduction
to Gothic Bellydance came when
seeing Tempest of Med'Devi Ink
perform for the first time.
Can you tell us where Gothic
Bellydancing began?
Tempest
makes a great point about the
origins of Gothic Bellydance in
her articles on the Gothic Bellydance
Resource (http://www.gothicbellydance.com)
which I am very much inclined
to agree with. She illustrates
that Gothic Bellydance appears
to have been around for, at least,
the last 10 years. However, she
also explains that the truest
origins may not be traceable,
as the combinations in their infantile
stages of the Gothic Bellydance
movement appear to have happened
in multiple locations and times
across the globe. The surge in
interest and more organized nature
of the Gothic Bellydance movement
in the last 5 years or so can
be attributed, in largest part,
to Tempest's publicizing of Gothic
Bellydance and her creation of
what we now call the Gothic Bellydance
movement..
Have
you been a part of the movement
since its beginnings?
No,
actually, I feel that I am part
of the second wave of Gothic Bellydance.
If we are to consider Tempest
to be the Mother of the Gothic
Bellydance movement, then Ariellah
and I et al would be considered
to be the daughters.
Who are your favorite music performers
to bellydance to?
I
very much enjoy performing to
bands like The Retrosic, Front
242, Wumpscut, Assemblage 23,
Feindflug, Front Line Assembly,
Grendel, Esper Machine, Alter
der Ruine, Rottersand, HexRx,
Gewalt Kubitzkhal, VNV Nation,
A Smile Inside, Iris, De/Vision,
Velvet Acid Christ, Switchblade
Symphony, Helium Vola, Angels
and Agony the list can go on and
on. In actuality, it's how much
I am moved by the music that aids
in my choice of song and performance.
Where
did the name for the Gothla festival come from?
The term Gothla is a mash up between
the word Hafla, loosely
meaning a private bellydancing
party, and the term Goth, hence
"Gothla."
How
many of the performances at Gothla
US will be "performance art"
pieces, as opposed to strictly
dance?
We will have an equal mixture
throughout the day and evening
of both styles of pieces. Keep
in mind though, Gothic Bellydance,
in and of itself, can be considered
performance art more so than just
dark bellydance, as it tends to
incorporate dark storylines, obscure
props and lucid costuming.
How
did Gothla US take shape and become
a reality?
The 2006 US Durga Tour, produced
by Tempest, brought her, myself,
and Ariellah together as we disseminated
the word of Gothic Bellydance
across the United States. The
great success of The Durga Tour
inspired me to think that it was
time to create an event for people
to attend that showcased Gothic
Bellydance as its main attraction.
The impetus came from our realization
that interest in Gothic Bellydance
was growing at a rapid rate, but
not the possibilites for seeing
it performed or for attending
learning workshops. We decided
to create a festival where all
aspects of Gothic Bellydance were
made readily available. After
much planning and forethought,
Gothla became a reality as we
chose a location, created a budget,
made a commitment to take the
risk and launch the event.
We probably talked about it for
a few months and then committed
to the concept before putting
it in motion. It was pretty much
agreed that this was a great idea
from the start.
Does
the gothic movement strive to
emulate the traditional language
of middle eastern bellydance or
is there an evolution to the movements
while using it to express the
emotions of dark culture?
There will always be an evolution
of movement in the Gothic Bellydance
subculture as it is a fusion of
traditional bellydances and because
it is a newer subculture that
leaves it open for growth, experimentation
and creative expression. It is
always important, however, to
have a solid understanding of
the base dance style with which
Gothic Bellydance rests upon such
as traditional cabaret and tribal
style bellydance.
In
the days of Lord Byron, there
was also a special appreciation
for Middle Eastern culture --
what do you perceive as the common
attraction to the Middle East
between the romantics of the victorian
era and the dark romantics, or
Goths, of today?
I believe the common attraction
is essentially the paradoxical
struggle between the life and
death instincts inherent in all
of us. Thus, the attraction to
those things middle eastern or
"Orientalist" can metaphorically
represent our search for Eden
or the concept of "the beginning"
of all things which inevitably
leads one to "the end"
of all things and the constant
struggle to reconcile the existence
of both concepts as one.
What do you express through your
dancing?
I believe strongly in what I call
the Spirit of the Dance, which,
for me, is essentially an honoring
of the divine feminine by creating
spiritual and physical unions
through movement. How I go about
doing this is very intricate.
My style of gothic bellydance
relies heavily on using a storyline
to flavor the energy and intent
of the piece. By creating this
story, I allow myself the ability
to engage the audience, keep their
focus and take them on an experiential
journey that I have created for
them. Furthermore, once I have
chosen a storyline and/or character
for my piece, I commit fully to
that persona and maintain its
consistent façade on stage.
In this way, I gain the trust
of the audience and entice them
to commit to the story/journey
as well. Lastly, I tend to choose
characters, persona and storylines
that challenge the watcher's common
beliefs and comfortable limitations.
For example, I recently did a
sword piece in which I used the
sword as a cutting and suicide
device for a very sorrowful character
versus using it as just a prop
to balance on parts of my body
while dancing. While the audience
did not expect this storyline
initially, they were willing to
commit to the journey and graciously
traveled it with me until the
end as I brought about my demise.
It's
been said that in Gothic Bellydance, there is a paradox between empowerment
and submission, and between victorian
manners and decadent sensuality.
Do you see that as true, and if
so, is it an intrinsic part of
the nature of the dance itself?
I believe that presenting any
type of paradoxical concept through
dance will pose this dilemma for
the audience. Movement of the
body is, in and of itself, sensual
no matter what the size or shape
of the dancer as it represents
the life instinct. When coupled
with concepts that juxtapose this
living/moving representation of
the life instinct with, for example,
restraint (not living/stagnant)
one inevitably illustrates the
constant struggle between the
life and death instinct that is
what we call life. Thus, my style
and definition of Gothic Bellydance
is just that, the physical representation
of the constant struggle for reconciliation
between the life and death instinct
and the constant contemplation
of the struggle over which side
will win out and when.
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