Serena Ramzy

1.    Why did you start Raqs Sharqi?

I have always loved dancing ... I fell in love with Egyptian  dance and the music at a very early age and this dance seems to hook people for life!!! Once I got into it, the interest just grew and I took it further and further then. It is a beautiful and soulful art form and very specialised for women and a dance that celebrates women as they are.  

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

Well, there are many important things  of course but, when dancing to a public I believe the most important thing is to dance the music for THEM. The public love to be offered such artistic expression and appreciate the sharing , not only demonstration.

3.    Could you tell about your Raqs Sharqi style?

Well... I dance the music as I understand it and feel it. According with the principle of translation the music, the philosophy Hossam developed of E=E and according to his article “Drumming 4 Dancers” on our website at this link: http://www.hossamramzy.com/dance/drumming4dancers.htm   

I dance what I hear from the music and translate it into movement as I feel appropriate.

This is what dancing is, for me. And the style will change as the music changes...

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

I entered the world of dance at about 5 or 6 years old when I started ballet and Jazz classes. I then got introduced to belly dance at the age of 8 through my sister Karima, she was already a professional Belly dancer at the time and with that I had a very close contact with the Belly Dance World that was just starting in Sao Paulo, Brazil. I started to perform professionally in 1991 at the age of 15, and have not stopped till now, 20 years later.

5.    Could you give some advice for Raqs Sharqi dancers?

Listen to the music, understand  your body, study the culture , be who You are and from wherever you are from, be ethical and honest. These are the priorities, then create your own game and play it. The least what will happen is that you will have some fun.

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

My favorite dancer of all times is Naima Akef, for her subtlety and grace, together with the precision and control of her technique , and for her simplicity in presentation, and  the complexity and depth of her musical understanding. She makes watching dance enjoyable not intimidating.

7.    What is your future plan with Raqs Sharqi?

My plan is to continue educating dancers and to continue to dance and create artistic presentations that contribute to the raising the profile of the dance. We are touring the world at the moment doing just that and we plan to continue to do so. We also have a course in our School in The UK that produces professional dancers and instructors who can teach others the same philosophy and we to have many dancers graduating from it. The results of the course have been astounding and  we very much intend to bring it to the rest of the world. We welcome students from all over the world.

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

To Know your music and be able to analyze it. Once you understand what is required of you from the music you can then add the movements you would like to use to translate each sound.  Understanding the layers of the music will facilitate the process of choreographing a lot. When you know what is asked of you , is easier to respond correctly.

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

I train by myself. I have help and guidance from Hossam in the music interpretation understanding and cultural and musical background. I work mostly by myself and get much inspiration from the Golden era Dancers and learn a lot from them. I take ballet classes next to my Egyptian dance training and I love jogging!

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

I would love to have a daily routine, but my touring schedule does not always allow me to have one. However, whenever I can, I like to wake up and go jogging for 30minutes then do ballet/Pilates for 1hr and then dace for another hour or 2. I think massages are the best thing for a full time dancer. It is the reward back to the body after using the body so much!

11.( Raqs Sharqi is said to be more relaxing and stress-free than other dances) which part of Raqs Sharqi is most relaxing for you?

Yes, I agree to some degree. Drum solos are not necessary relaxing or less demanding than any other style to dance. But the relaxing side of it as the fluid motions and the fact that you dance and get your mid into the dancing and nothing else. This is the most relaxing thing for me. To listen to a sound and just respond to it and not think of anything else is quite magic. 

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? 

I am not sure we should make belly dance into a industry. We can bring it to a higher status and positioning in the world of dance, but I like to think that we are dealing with an art form , not only a product to sell in mass and become in industry.  We can grow as a community but working as community and educating the community and grow stronger as a group.

【Related Article】

• Hossam Ramzy
• Your Idea = RaqsART (Hossam Ramzy's Answer)

[Your Idea = RaqsART] RaqsART asked your questions to Hossam Ramzy!

RaqsART is a place for belly dancers to share and create information with other dancers all over the world about events, performances, dancers; just about anything related to belly dancing. Our goal is to create the most interactive and extensive belly dancing community to bring international fans together.

One dancer on RaqsART facebook community asked a question about Hossam Ramzy's interview article. I immediately asked Mr. Ramzy the question, and he gave me the answer which is attached below.

Where do zils fit into his teaching? If the dancer is a 3D representation of the music and only responding to the music, surely they should not be making music... just wondering.

Basically, yes, of course, the dancer should be translating the music and is meant to be the final instrument that translates the music to her audience. The "Zills" ar a prop, and addition, an attraction to grab the attention of the audience... but it is not the dancing. It is a tool for making the audience look at a dancer, but this is not what keeps them interested... it is the translating of the music that keeps them there for you.... not the noise.

Hossam Ramzy

1. How would you go about learning rhythm as a dancer? And as a musician/drummer?

This is exactly what I teach at our Drumzy School of Music & Dance in the UK and around the world.　This subject is very close to my heart as I feel that the main reason our beloved dance is stagnating and the artists within our art form are having to resort to all sorts of deviations that result in disrespect of the dancer and the dance itself. The examples are many and I need not explain it here.

However, the answer is, as a DANCER, you start by listening and identifying the rhythms from the music. The dancer should be taught to tap our the rhythms in a simple format on a drum with no technicality which will help her identify these rhythms.

If you start to learn Flamenco or Indian Kathak, you are expected to fully learn the rhythms and understand all the rhythmic syllables before you even start learning the moves. But this is because the teachers and instructors know what they are teaching and are experienced in the science of their art forms.　

However, I know that this is not the case in the art of Belly Dance and this is what Serena and I are coming to your country with the wish to teach this to the dancers.

As for musicians and drummers, then they will need to study how to play a drum and learn the rhythms from that.

2. Would you recommend learning a series of different rhythms (and in what order)?

I have developed a series of related rhythms that flow from a root all the to the branches of those rhythms and I called them “THE TREES OF RHYTHM”.

3. What is the best way to go about learning rhythms specific to belly dance?

By learning the rhythms of Belly Dance. I have created a double CD specifically for this subject called Rhythms of The Nile” EUCD 1427 available from my website www.hossamramzy.com .

In this album, I speak and explain the instruments, rhythms and the second part of the album is dedicated to teaching how to play the instruments too. There is a transcript of everything I say on the album in four languages.

4. What is the most common error dancer make when trying to move to drum solos?

The main error would be “Not repeating your moves 4 times” each time you do a new step.

5.What should a dancer be careful about while trying to match their rhythm to that of belly dance?

They have to pay very close attention to time keeping and ensure that they do not over translate the rhythm or the music and not under translate the rhythm or music.

6. What do you expect of a dancer while you play the rhythm?

This is thoroughly explained in my article “Drumming 4 Dancers”.

7. What signals are used between drummers and dancers when a change in tempo or rhythm is wanted?

There should NEVER be a change of tempo. Unless it is designed, understood, rehearsed and practiced between dancer and orchestra as well as between dancer and drummer.

There seems to be this false information, perpetuated by the uninformed instructors who are damaging this art form, that there is a sign to show your drummer or musician to change tempo or to change rhythm.

This is false, this is not true and this should not be used in dance performances.

If you watch a Ballet, you will never see this between dancer and orchestra.
If you watch a Flamenco Tablao... you will never see this between dancer and band..
Same if you watch an Indian Kathak dance performance.

What makes anyone think this can be in Egyptian dance.

Have you watched Nagua Fouad, Mona El Said, Soheir Zaki, Namima Akef, Zeinat Oloui or any of the true Super Stars of Egyptian Dance live with their bands? You will never see such a thing ever take place.

I guess that the answer to your question is ... NO, there aren’t any signs.

8. Is it possible for a group to dance to improvised drum solos and hit the accents?

Dancing to an improvised drum solo will have to follow the rules I gave in my article “Drumming 4 Dancers”.

But to do this by a group, then you will be opening the door to many miss interpretations. Such drum solos may be organized for a group, but a proper routine must be learned and rehearsed between them all, or it will look like a mess.

9. When collaborating with a belly dancer for a performance, what do you look for in both the dancer and in the musical presentation?

I make sure that both dancer and orchestra understand the article “Drumming 4 Dancers”.

And that the dancer knows how to translate the music according to this article. Then we discuss the emotional content of the music, how it going to be portrayed and why.... then we start rehearsing, trying, making mistakes, correcting, agreeing, disagreeing and working out a vision we want to present.

When all above is agreed, then we rehearse and practice this agreed upon results and we perfect it each time we perform it.

For us, a Belly Dance performance is a sacred as a symphony orchestra’s performance.

We work hard at them all.