The Belly Dance Chronicles Oct/Nov/Dec 2017 Volume 15, Issue 4 | Page 28

Another distinguishing facet that I feel I possess is the ability to choreograph well , quickly , and often , with a lot of versatility in styles and props . Choreographing a lot also gives my performances a lot of variety . It ’ s important to me to present well-put-together shows that are entertaining , high energy and culturally authentic . Costuming is a huge part of that presentation , and I prefer to make my own original designs to help stand out from the crowd . I especially like to recycle old pieces of jewelry and fabric to create something totally new and unique . I like to tell stories with my dancing and take my audience on a mini adventure with me !
The world of belly dance is growing and changing rapidly and I foresee my part in its bright future to be exciting and lively , from traveling to teach and perform at festivals and belly dance events , to offering an array of online classes through “ Sa ’ diyya ONLINE ” and PowHow , and long distance coaching , to creating custom choreographies for soloists and troupes . And I also hope to contribute to the world of belly dance by producing my annual event , “ Ahlam Al Raks ” ( Dreams of Dancing ), which offers world-class workshops , black box theater shows and an improvisational dance competition , which will be on March 2-4 of next year !
I think it ’ s super important to keep learning and evolving as an artist , especially if a dancer wants to remain relevant in this industry . I have so many ideas for choreographies , costumes , online classes and events that I don ’ t think I ’ ll
Photos from Ahlam Al Raks by Miracle Bennett Nadi El Raks
Raena Rivkah Sarafina