Nourhan Sharif

1. Why did you start Raqs Sharqi?

My mother was a teacher in the 70's.... I was an only child and she took me to class :)...There was no one to take care of me at home my mother was obsessed with Bellydance ..so .I started in diapers at age 2!!

I later started teaching a children's class at the young age of 8 years old ......that is just how my life was ! My mother had over 500 students at a time ..she did not leave our home state ( I am from Rhode Island ) and she was not famous but she had a very, very large school! All ladies were doing it for exercise at this time in USA!

2. What is the most important thing to do when we dance in public?

To maintain integrity & dignity for ourselves and to continue to develop the dance form forward ..there are too many untrained dancers that exhibit questionable behavior while performing in public all over the world and unfortunately they keep lowering the standards for all of us ! I am always aware that my dancing reflects a culture and is not just "fantasy dance" I believe the roots of this dance and most things in the Middle East come from Egypt ..she is like out mother and we need to respect her/ourselves ! The dance is not to be taken away from the culture it comes from! For example some people want to bellydance to Rock and Roll ..that is not something I wish to do personally:)

3. Could you tell about your Raqs Sharqi style?

I am a mix between Egyptian style & Lebanese. Most of my training is/was with Egyptian Masters and my performance experience is/was with Lebanese Musicians:) I feel very lucky to have danced to such great live musicians who really cared about my show ..my first CD " Nourhan Sharif Raks Sharqui Volume one was written by and given to me personally as a gift from one of those musicians Aboudi Badawi from Tripoli Lebanon and that was a very special gift for me I will forever treasure! I have other training but my 2 main forces are Egypt & Lebanon!

My full bio is on my webpages:) I have had the great fortune to have almost every famous Egyptian teacher come and stay in my home & teach in NYC here at The Egyptian Academy of Oriental Dance which I have managed since 1997!

4. Could you tell about the relationship between Raqs Sharqi and your background?

My mother was a teacher and so I was forced into it ..then I grew to love it :) We are Italian Americans and so it is not related directly to my background, however I look Egyptian and most people believe I am Egyptian and just assume that is the case. My look /body type appears very Egyptian for better or worse I accepted this a long time ago :) I only remember dancing to Greek, Lebanese, Turkish and later Egyptian Music all my life ! I have never been a fan of American Music.

5. Could you give some advises or comments for Raqs Sharqi dancers?

Never use music without a translation of the lyrics/otherwise use instrumental music only !

Never price cut the other dancers in your community just because you want to dance ..better to do a benefit for an under priviliedged community than to price cut your sisters in dance! This unfortunately happened in NYC and the dancers are the ones that lowered the rates from the local night clubs by price cutting each other ..this practice goes on in many major cities around the world I see it almost everywhere I teach which is unfortunate for our Art form!

I will put many tips in my upcoming book about how to become a successful dancer:) Many pieces to this puzzle!

6. Who is your ideal dancer? Why do you like the dancer?

Sohair Zaki had the best hip work & clarity in her dancing ..she also had the best musicians and she was the first one to dance on Ulm Kalthoum!

Mona Said for her feeling !

Raqia Hassan is the best trainer/teacher / choreographer alive for Raks Sharqi in my opinion and she has trained most of the stars past and present ! ( Dina, Soroya, Rhonda , Mona Said , etc )

I am also very impressed with Hassan Affifi who is very prolific for his generation he made many artists, dancers and films throughout his life ..If I were living in Egypt full time I would spend all my time with him and Madam Raqia !

I am currently touring in 2011with Ahmed Hussein who is the only Egyptian to have Ballet, Bellydance , NYC Broadway Star & Ballroom Champion ! I don't think there is anyone more qualified in out field than him who is my current teacher! There is no other Egyptian Alive that I know of that has been a Ballroom Champion except Ahmed so that makes him extremely special and in demand!

7. What is your future plan with Raqs Sharqi?

To keep on teaching & sharing the dance & culture that I love ( they go hand in hand) , produce more badly needed teaching tools ( I have produced 4 DVDS, and 15 CDs during my career thus far ) and continue Making "Sharifwear for Divas that dance !!This makes women happy in all sizes from XS-XXXL ! Proudly made in the USA! I was the first person to have a dancewear line made only for Raks Sharqi in the world and I am very proud of that ! I am writing a book about Bellydance, & Betrayal ..my life story which includes many cultural points, discussion about the dance both the positive & the negative! Straight talk about gross/upsetting abuses/betrayals from my past husband Yousry (Ahmed) Sharif who turned out to be horrible after a 20 year relationship! Women need to be educated about this topic ..many young ladies get swallowed in the Lawrence of Arabia fantasy ..I am lucky to be free of him and I must educate others about it ..while this situation has happened to many dancers they are afraid to speak and thus the cycle of abuse keeps continuing..many dancers lose their careers, money, youth, beauty to a man very quickly all around the world .. ..using women for passports, money, greencards etc..children often get caught in between and a woman needs to really think clearly/be educated about many things before she marries any man never mind someone from a different culture..my book (s) will shed much needed light on these topics . Many dancers tend to think marrying Musicians or Arab men will further their dance career and in most cases this kills their dancing so they get the opposite result many of them longed for!!! Without any planning my two master degrees MSW & MBA plus my 40 years of dancing are merging together which is a big surprise ..but I feel a responsibility to help/teach the younger generations about dance, culture and awareness!

8. What is the most important thing to create choreography?

To be able to work with the melody, lyrics , & rhythms at a sophisticated level which takes a life time and one is never done learning..it goes on until your death ! If a teacher ever tells you they have talent from God only and that is it ( they did not have human teachers) my advise is to leave immediately ..we all need teachers ..civilization is based on having teachers ..and good ones inspire as well as give us a firm foundation to create for ourselves! They are not envious and they are happy when their students do well ! I am hosting a Future Stars of Raks Sharqi Series here in NYC to nurture young talent in the Fall 2011!

9. How and/or with whom do you train?

I will bring Madam Raqia Hassan here in 2011 & in 2012 and I will also host other Egyptians ..I bring approximately 4-6 Egyptians a year to NYC at the Egyptian Academy of Oriental Dance and I always take the workshop ! Currently I train with a Salsa teacher, Hustle teacher, both are top in the field here in NYC ..it is hard for me to find inspiration in my field at the moment in NYC ..many people are into make belief goddess, fusion stuff I have no interest in that personally ..I like Straight up Raqs Sharqui. My flamenco teacher Mariano Parra once said "Fusion is Confusion" I agree with him ..for one to do fusion you need 25 years in each field ..many dancers are not alive long enough for that or will not work that hard ..I cannot do fusion I will not be alive long enough for that ! My current teacher is Ahmed Hussein who I described above :)

10. As a dancer, what special methods, or daily routines (beauty products, massage, etc.) do you use to maintain your beauty?

It is important to feed your soul and go on artist dates with yourself ..to the museum, reading a book etc ..I also like to go to the Korean Spa for bodywork ..your body is your temple and if you don't take care of it then it will become your prison! I eat smart and try to exercise daily ..my body is used to dancing so I must do other things to get my heart rate up & Shock my body !

11. Which part of Raqs Sharqi is most relaxing for you?

Raqs Sharqi is relaxing when I can just dance for fun which rarely happens unless I am at a wedding etc ...( I am always working ! ) For me Hustle, Yoga or Salsa is relaxing because it is not part of my work world ..only for me personally :) There have been times in my career when dancing to LIVE music I just got lost in the music ..this can never happen dancing to a CD ...and dancing to live music is rare now so it doesn't happen that often :( but I could say I relax with live music ! In Japan I will be dancing to LIVE music in October! Yeah!!

12. What suggestions do you have to make the belly dancing community grow? How do you think we can turn belly dancing into an industry?

Many Western women in USA are turning it into a fitness industry ..bellydance is a workout now in almost every gym in the New England Area!!! I have students with 500 + students in their schools ..they are making certifications , shows etc and it is turning into big business for them ! I am not a fitness teacher personally although I have nothing against the idea.....yes you get a workout in my class but I am more interested in your head and then your body ...most of the professional dancers performing in NYC right now started with me ...I am really into making dancers move & think & create a firm foundation with the basics ..without that your not going to go very far ! I insist learning the rhythms ..many dancers that have been dancing for years cannot tell you the basic rhythms and that to me is very very sad !!