Interview with Meklena

March 25, 2010 04:15 PM

Name: Meklena

What is your role within the Sahara Dance community? Student now, former studio assistant also former RCW member, occasional assistant stage manager on some of the Sahara Dance shows…

Childhood ambition: My childhood ambition was to be a writer. I’m still considered a quasi/unpublished writer. I spend time writing but just haven’t quite gotten the desire yet to see them published.

First job: I was a seamstress in my youth - like most immigrant families, we all chipped in to help out and I worked in a sewing factory with the rest of my family for quite a few years and learned the fashion business from the bottom up. I can pretty much handle all factory equipment including the big old shearing machines that cuts out clothes patterns in stacks. One would assume I would go into fashion but that never happened…thank goodness - I’ve seen some seriously BAD designers and am happy I never deluded myself into thinking I was one. :-)

What’s playing on your iPod or CD player? I am currently listening to a tango belly dance fusion piece. One of my girlfriends, who is also a Sahara Dance student company member, and I had talked about doing a tango tribal fusion duet this year. So I’m focusing on familiarizing myself with the music.

Indulgence: I have to say my greatest indulgence is probably spa treatments. I tried my first one at the Rachel Brice trip to Costa Rica a few years back and absolutely love the massages - haven’t stop getting them since. :-)

What’s your favorite belly dance moment or experience? I have two favorites - one was when I first join Raqs Caravan West - I don’t know whether it was because we all started at the same time or maybe it was the dynamics - as a group we were very tight and had a closeness that I don’t see too often in many of the troupes that I have been involved with since. The happy memories I had dancing with my tribal sisters will remain with me always.

My second favorite memory actually is of Rachel at UDM6. It was a priceless moment - the int/adv performance class was doing a piece that require inverting a V formation - this class however had many dancers and the dancers were all trying frantically to get to their positions (it didn’t look like it on the dvd - we actually looked pretty synchronize and composed) but from back stage - the chaos definitely could be seem - I remember hearing Rachel yelled out for us to slow down…it was so unlike Rachel - it totally de-stressed the moment - I still chuckle when I remember that piece. One of my fondest memories.

Current inspirations: I have been on a hiatus from dance for about 8 months - it just stopped being fun - I think mostly because I was burnt out. I recently rejoined and am in Sahara Dance’s Raq’s Beledi group. The choreography has definitely inspired me as well as my instructor. I started belly dance with Rachel as my first and main instructor and she has always been a source of inspiration for the elegance and beauty she brings to the dance. My other inspiration is Carolena Nericcio - Director of FCBD and creator of American Tribal Style belly dance. Both instructors are so different in style and yet both have taught me to appreciate the integrity of the dance and to appreciate the music of the Middle East.

What is your dance background? I didn’t really start dancing until I was an adult and then I guess to make up for lost time, I pretty much embraced any dance that came my way. My dance background is very eclectic. I started out doing country line dances about 13 years ago, then got introduce to a wide range of other dances. I have danced swing (lindy hop, west coast swing, east coast swing) for over 11 years, I have danced salsa for over 9 years, other Latin dances (bachata and Argentine tango) for more than two years. I have recently been dancing Blues (a form of slow dance that one dance to slow jazz). Last but not least, I have been dancing belly dance for over 8 years. I was a company member of Sahara Dance’s Raqs Caravan West for more than five years before deciding to focus on my new found passion for Fat Chance Belly Dance’s ATS style of tribal belly dance. I received my teacher’s certification and started teaching ATS about 2 years ago.

How did you get interested in belly dance? I was at a friend’s birthday party and Rachel Brookmire’s mentor, Leah Autumn Ward, was performing. She was in this beautiful white/gold costume that made her look like a princess…I fell absolutely in love with it. I decided to sign up but at that point, Rachel had just inherited Leah’s classes…..Rachel’s focus on clean technique and beautiful elegant lines challenge and also entice me. I love the fact that it didn’t matter what shape or size you were - the dance itself only made each dancer feel beautiful - and it really helped me to be more comfortable in my own skin. Once I started performing - it clinched the deal. I became a lifer. :-)

Finally, what do you love most about Sahara Dance (other than Hip Talk, of course!)? For me, Sahara Dance is like home. No matter how often or how far I leave - I always come back when I need to be inspired. I love the fact that Sahara Dance sponsors so many incredible dancers to the area to teach us. When other dancers ask me about workshops - I always recommend going to the Sahara Dance site for a look. There is also a core group of dancers, like me, who have made Sahara Dance home and because of that, like Cheers, “somebody always knows your name” :-)

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