Interview with Melinda

April 23, 2009 03:05 PM

Name: Melinda

What is your role within the Sahara Dance community? Raqs Caravan West Company Manager, Former Managing Director

Childhood ambition: To take the world by storm! I always wanted to try new things and meet new people. My father was in the Air Force so we moved around a lot (about every 2 years) and we always explored each new place we lived to learn the culture and see what the place had to offer. I always thought I’d grow up and do something creative… like be an artist.

First job: I worked in a recreation center on an Air Force Base. That’s what got me started in my event planning career. We planned parties, workshops, classes, and trips for the military members and their spouses. I got to buy for the huge album and video collection library. It was great first job.

What’s playing on your iPod or CD player? I love a little of everything, which is probably what led me to tribal fusion. There’s always Helm, Solace and Raquy and the Caveman for more traditional tribal improv. Some of my favorites for fusion are local artists like Maduro and one of my new favorites Chris Blose, who created the music that Raqs West is using for Under a Desert Moon.

Indulgence: I have many as I think that’s what life is all about: European chocolate, hot baths, baking bread, gardening, hanging out with my girlfriends just having silly fun, creating unexpected dance choreographies, just to name a few :o)

What’s your favorite belly dance moment or experience? Some of my favorite moments have been when some of the adventures that Raqs West has had while traveling for performances. We get to meet great dancers from all over the world and see things that you wouldn’t believe if you hadn’t seen them yourself. Although, I have to say that some of my favorite moments happen onstage when dancing with members of Raqs West or Tribal Remix and we are completely in tune with each other while dancing in the moment and having so much fun!

Current inspirations: I just saw the Paul Taylor Dance Company perform, and I was hugely inspired by the crazy choreography and costumes in their most recent performance based on dreams at The Kennedy Center. For tribal fusion belly dance, I am always inspired by Zifira Dance Company and Urban Tribal. My inspiration comes from everywhere, sometimes from a prop or costume piece, a photograph, or often a pose. I sometimes see a great pose and work on creating movement that will end up in the pose (My father was a photographer so I was always posing for some shot he was trying to create.)

What is your dance background? I have always been active in some sort of movement - I started with ballet and gymnastics when I was probably 5 or 6. I started studying yoga as a teen. I was a member of the drill team in high school, and was a “disco queen” and participated in dance contests with a partner. I took jazz in college and have probably tried every type of aerobics and step class created. I continue to take other styles of dance classes today including urban (hip hop) and modern dance.

How did you get interested in belly dance? I was first introduced to belly dance when I was at the recreation center and we had a teacher in every week. I was very pregnant at the time, so thought I would try taking class after my son was born, but I had to move away. Fast-forward about 20 years, and I was looking for a dance class for fun, and I came across belly dance at Joy of Motion. I was in Rachel’s first class where she was the student teacher with Autumn Leah Ward. I was in her first performance class and was one of the “Genies.” I saw Rachel Brice not long after that and made the switch over to tribal.

Finally, what do you love most about Sahara Dance (other than Hip Talk, of course!)? The community of people that we have from the staff, teachers, students, volunteers that help with the show, and even the vendors - everyone gives so much of themselves. It’s absolutely the best!

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