Interview with Rachel Kay Brookmire

January 8, 2009 10:05 AM

Hi everyone! Welcome back! This is the second semester for Hip Talk, and we are adding a few new features, including interviews of Sahara Dance faculty, studio assistants, students, friends, fans, and, really, anyone who has heard of Sahara Dance. Who better to feature in our first interview than the person who started it all…

Name : Rachel Kay Brookmire

What is your role within the Sahara Dance community?: Founder and Creative Director … teacher too.

Childhood ambition: To be a princess-ballerina-architect-astronaut!

First job: a papergirl

What’s playing on your iPod or CD player?
Milt Jackson, Fatme Serhan and Umm Kulthum

Indulgence:
Cherries and waking up without an alarm clock

What is your dance background?
Tap, Jazz and Ballet as a child… Modern and West African dance in college.

How did you get interested in belly dance?
I discovered it in college. We’d go out to the Middle East Restaurant in Cambridge and they had a belly dancer. She was mysterious and lovely… and she danced barefoot in this grungy little cafe. I think that surprised me most of all. At the time I really loved West African dance, but when I found belly dance, it felt more like home. I like its earthy roots, with the lyricism and softness of belly dance. So,I took a few workshops and eventually started taking classes at a gym in New York. I didn’t realize then how much the dance would become a part of my life…

What’s your favorite belly dance moment or experience?
Hmmm… it’s hard to choose one. Some of my favorite memories are performing at Prince Palace with live music. The audience was mostly Egyptian and the music was in the style of Arab “golden oldies” with an oudist/singer and a drummer. It was a special place, though maybe only to me. The music was too loud, the lighting was too orange and sometimes I’d burn my bare feet on the hot coals from the hookahs. I can’t really explain why, but something made it magical for me. It’s no longer operating as a live music and dance venue.

Current inspirations:
Jalilah’s Raks Sharki 3, Fifi Abdo, Sahra Saeeda, Yousry Sharif, Samay… and odd, non-dance things like fabrics, ideas, dreams, menus, expressions…

Finally, what do you love most about Sahara Dance (other than Hip Talk, of course!)?
The community and creativity it supports. I say it often, but it becomes more meaningful to me each day. The women surrounding the studio are truly inspiring… the students, the teachers, the people we meet along the way. I feel fortunate to be on this path with them. I’m always encouraged when I see people enjoy and develop their dancing. It’s a curious lens through which I can understand other people and myself. There’s always something new to learn or see or create.

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