Interview with Renee

February 24, 2010 06:53 PM

Name: Renee

What is your role within the Sahara Dance community? Student/ Fan

Childhood ambition: All I wanted to do when I was a kid was become a bank teller. I was engrossed in concepts like interest and mutual funds at 8 years old. I know I was a boring child!

First job: I accomplished my childhood goals and became a bank teller during the summers after senior year of high school and freshmen year of college. My first real job was at Deloitte as a Financial Advisory Services analyst.

What’s playing on your iPod or CD player? Lady Gaga, Black Eyed Peas, Alanis Morisette, and many Mediterranean artists I found on Beirut Nights online radio. I highly recommend this radio station for the Sahara Dance crowd. It is “the best in dance, trance and Mediterranean music.” They have many current artists mixing traditional Middle Eastern and European songs and music with modern techno beats.

Indulgence: Chocolate and U Scream, Ice Cream on U Street. It used to be a Maggie Moos, but now they serve Maggie Moos type ice cream under independent management. My husband and I go there once a week, even in the dead of winter.

What’s your favorite belly dance moment or experience? Does the time I finally got the three quarter shimmy count? My first UDM performance was definitely memorable.

Current inspirations: Any music with a heavy beat, such as Sa’idi music, always moves me to dance.

What is your dance background? My mom used to do belly dance when I was little but got out of it. I still use her zills that she received from my dad’s mom. The Arabic music we dance to is very similar to the Greek music I heard growing up.

How did you get interested in belly dance? My parents always had music on and danced around the house, but I was never comfortable dancing in front of other people until I went to American for college. My friends and I would go to clubs to dance but guys would always bother us, so we would dance on the nearest stage/ box/ speaker to get away. Since everyone could see me up there, I figured I should become a better dancer. All my moves are stolen from watching other people.

Finally, what do you love most about Sahara Dance (other than Hip Talk, of course!)? I love the way all women are welcome and embraced. I live and work in a world of men and spreadsheets, I love having an outlet that is feminine and creative!

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