On Sunday, February 20, we’ll feature the second Advanced Certification Recital Show, featuring Rachel George and Andrea Sendek as the testing dancers. This performance will be the final part of their Level 4 certification testing, and it will be an exciting night. The show will will also feature Gina (Level 5 certified), Sabriye (Level 4 certified), and Stacey (Level 4 certified). We hope you will be able to join us.
Below is an outline of the program for the evening. Links are provided to connect you to the footage from the December 2009 recital.
Part One: Suhaila Salimpour’s Certification Choreography
Suhaila’s Certification Program includes five levels. Choreography is included beginning in Level 2; by the time dancers reach Level 4, they work on a total of seven required choreographies. Each piece was choreographed by Suhaila with specific focus such as layering, emotional range, stylization, endurance, etc. as well as with specific demands for each certification level. In this challenging performance section, the dancers perform the seven choreographies nonstop in one set, demonstrating the highest physical and technique demands in Suhaila’s certification program.
Part Two: Student “Fusion” Choreographies
As part of their Level 4 requirements, each dancer creates a personal “fusion” choreography to a composition meeting the music genre or theme for that particular testing group. By using non-belly dance music, the student is forced to work outside the typical themes and movements of belly dance to develop personal movement and emotional perspective, rather than just work “in the box”. After Suhaila approves the dancer’s selection of music, Suhaila provides each dancer a series of “required movements” to include in the choreography. During the choreographic development, Suhaila works with the students on intention and an authentic connection physically and emotionally to the work and music. The students create a story line for their choreographies and design a costume appropriate for the fusion music. The music theme for this year’s testing group is the work of musician/composer Miles Davis; this year both dancers/testers chose the same music/song; this provides the audience an interesting opportunity to see two completely different interpretations of the same piece.
Part Three: Improvisation to Live Arabic Band
The performers will improvise to a live Arabic Band with classical Arabic music. The dancers will not know their performance music until they are only on stage, but each set ends with a drum solo. Each dancer is told to bring double veil, cane, sword and finger cymbals. Right before a dancer goes on stage, she will be told if she will require one or more of the props for particular portions of their performance. The interaction between dancer and musician is crucial in this section of the performance test.
