Kaeshi Chai
Interview with Ma * Shuqa Mira Murjan
Ma * Shuqa : What is your 8-word memoir ? Kaeshi : Growing , Laughing , Creating , Connecting , Transforming , Risk-Taking , Working Hard , Collaborating
How did you get where you are now ? I was inspired by Madonna ’ s story of moving to NYC from Detroit with only $ 35 in her pocket , so in my early 20s , I bought a one-way ticket from Sydney , Australia , and arrived in the Big Apple without a job , a place to live , or friends . Fast forward to 2021 , I ’ m still in NYC , now living in Queens , married to an incredible man , and dancing full-time .
“ Where your attention goes , your results show ”
In 2001 I chose to transition from being a full-time graphic designer working for other clients to focusing primarily on dance and designing for all my own projects . Since the beginning of Bellyqueen , I ’ ve designed everything from the website to the event graphics . It ’ s the best of both worlds : every day I get to dance and do design .
The first 20 years of my dance career revolved around working with Bellyqueen , PURE-Public Urban Ritual Experiment , Bellydance Superstars , Bellydance Evolution , Dalia Carella Dance Collective , Ahmet Luleci ’ s Collage , and Bella Gaia . Over the past couple of years , more of my focus has shifted to engaging in pop-up group projects where members gather together for focused rehearsals just before the show and then go their separate ways afterward . I have also been developing my voice as a soloist .
What do you want to create ? Since 2017 I ’ ve been running 3-5 day creative labs with artists to create collaborative dance performances using sprint Methodology and other tools such as Laban Movement Analysis ( LMA ), Playback Theater , Ensemble Directing , Lecoq Physical Theater in Connecticut , Santa Fe , Israel , Bali , and New York . Initially developed by Jake Knapp , Sprint Methodology is a process of design thinking , prototyping , and testing generally used by businesses to roll out new ideas . I believe I ’ m the first person to apply it to dance making .
Topics that I ’ ve explored in past creative labs include the Ocean , the Mother Goddess archetype , 5 elements ( Fire , Water , Wood , Metal , Earth ), and Time Travel . A future topic I ’ m interested in delving into is Identity . So far , I ’ ve primarily worked with dancers . Future collaborators I ’ d like to create with will include musicians and scientists . I would also love to get more grants and support from patrons to create meaningful art that has the power to touch people on an emotional and spiritual level .
How you want to be known . What is your legacy ? I hope my legacy will be for making connections ( between people and ideas ) and creating opportunities .
As an Asian dancer engaged in a Middle Eastern art form , my phone is not ringing off the hook for hookah lounge gigs or Arabic weddings . This circumstance , coupled with my innate entrepreneurial spirit , has required me to carve
September 2021 � The Belly Dance Chronicles 9