The Oriental Line: Sarita in Winnipeg
By Azura (Barbara Tomporowski)[1] - March 31, 2005
We posed for twenty seconds, one foot ahead of the other, left arm raised, gazing past the outstretched hand. We might have been contemplating a comet, a miracle, a vision of beauty. Chests raised, toes pointed, bodies elongated and relaxed as Sarita Mileta adjusted the tilt of a head or the placement of a foot.
It was the second day of Sarita’s workshop in Winnipeg on March 19-20, 2005. Hosted by Saramaga Middle Eastern Dance, Sarita was teaching a raks assaya choreography to Warda’s self-titled song from the Bellydance Superstars album. The dramatic pose opened an unusual choreography blending cane movements with a zar section and the contemporary sounds of Warda’s music. Sarita taught combinations that would be useful in other routines, using the cane to frame the body while walking, turning or performing body waves and shoulder shimmies. Yet it was Sarita’s demonstration of how to stand and move like a professional Middle Eastern dancer that dominated the workshop.
Sarita focused on “the Oriental line” to which every belly dancer aspires. This line – the placement and appearance of the dancer’s body as she stands and moves through space – is achieved when the dancer is fluid and relaxed, yet appears as if her body is elongated. Sarita suggested that dancers should strive for a long line in the body, standing tall and stretching out by opening the arms, throat and torso.
The Oriental line is also based on the placement of different parts of the body. For example, Sarita taught the Sekhmet position in which the dancer stands with one foot directly in front of the other, the toes of the back foot touching the heel of the front foot. Posing and traveling in this position is more flattering than standing with the feet apart. By taking tiny steps, pushing the movement into the glutes, and ensuring that the weight comes down on the ball of the foot, the dancer can travel with “booty action” or plie to a fully kneeling position if she places one foot slightly ahead of the other.
Sarita also focused on shimmies, teaching the straight-legged knee shimmy for her choreography to “Nashwat al Raks” from Nourhan Sharif Raqs Sharki Volume I. Unlike a hip shimmy, which has a lower, tighter look that comes from bending the knees and tucking the pelvis firmly, the straight-legged knee shimmy involves standing straight while keeping the lower abdominal muscles slightly engaged to protect the lower back and core. To learn the straight-legged knee shimmy, Sarita suggested leaning forward slightly on the balls of your feet and making sure that your legs are completely straight while moving your knees. The knees move faster to increase the power of the shimmy.
The “Nashwat al Raks” choreography was challenging for dancers of all levels because Sarita encouraged the class to layer arm moves and pelvic rotations over the shimmy. She also taught two variations on the three-quarter shimmy. Sarita favors the downward three-quarter shimmy, which is contained within the dancer’s own body space as her hip moves down, out, and then lifts in an upward/inward motion. She also taught an Algerian shimmy consisting of a downward hip motion followed by two twists to the back. Sarita emphasized that shimmies should never result in uncontrollable quivering; instead, “the hips must be very disciplined in that meter” so the dancer always has defined movements.
Sarita’s knowledge of Middle Eastern culture added depth and richness to the choreographies. She discussed the cultural basis for zar movements as well as “the geometry” of Middle Eastern dance, saying, “Oriental things move in circles and oblique ways”. For example, she explained how to interpret the masmoudi rhythm by emphasizing the doum beats while filling the tek-ka’s with circles and turns.
Her knowledge of rhythm and musical interpretation was obvious during the Tonight in Cairo Belly Dance Show on March 19, 2005. Sarita’s first routine was “Kalemny An Nafsoh”, a lament about an Arab woman who has been abandoned by her lover. Her small movements, dramatic facial expressions and gestures told the story and held the audience’s attention. Her second routine featured an entrance, taxim and drum solo. Zilling during barrel turns and performing strong body waves with head tilts and arm movements, Sarita demonstrated that she is a master dancer with strong technique. The most unusual aspect of her routine occurred when she balanced a half-full beer bottle on her head during the taxim. Keeping the beer bottle level, she shimmied and performed chest accents before moving down to the floor. Reclining on her stomach, her demurely crossed ankles contrasted with her wink and arch smile before she rose for her drum solo and finale.
The show featured several high-quality performances. Cheryllyn Saramaga-Martai and Shayera opened the show with a guedra, a Moroccan blessing dance. Other performers took up this folkloric theme as Ahlan performed a joyous debke, leaning backward in unison with the dancers cleverly arranged by height. Nicola performed a beautiful rendition of a melaya leff, coquettishly wrapping the melaya over one arm and kicking off her shoes. Karla performed a raks assaya that was a highlight of the evening. In a black assuit dress with bronze bands, gold coins, and a coin-decorated headdress, Karla balanced the cane on her head while performing the half-moon step. Her routine included a short floorwork section before she finished with a drum solo.
The folkloric pieces were balanced by cabaret routines. Jamiila pulled a man out of the audience and persuading him to dance. The audience roared when she sat down, leaving him to dance while she watched. While Jamiila brought a sense of humor to her routine, Houda was playful and serene in a sexy black bedlah with long fringe and black high heels. Shawnie’s style was different yet again, with bouncy, energetic movements to “Khawwan” by Hakim.
In addition to Karla’s cane and Sarita’s beer bottle, props were well represented as Jamiila performed a sword dance and Shayera danced with a cape. Its purple, red, sapphire and gold panels fluttered as she spun, flicking its corners into the air. Shayera used the rods extending the cape to good advantage by tapping them against the ground and against each other as an accent with the music.
Overall, the workshop and show were excellent. The lunch was fabulous and the ballroom of the Ramada Marlborough Hotel is an intimate setting that gives the audience a clear view on all sides. Unfortunately, the workshop venue was too small for the veil section of the choreography, and Sarita did not have enough time to teach all of “Nashwat al Raks” because she spent the first morning on technique. Nonetheless, the technique was very useful and Sarita’s emphasis on “the Oriental line” will hopefully have an enduring impact on dancers in the Prairies.