EGYPTIAN HEARTBREAK:: amy

Recently I have been studying performance skills with Egyptian style dance teacher, Ranya. One of our workshops was called "Passion in Performance: Keeping it, Releasing it". A dancer in the workshop asked me whether we really to suffer true heartbreak in order to dance with passion. Good question. But your heart can be broken in many ways. My teacher, Yousry, was asking us what the meaning of a certain song was that we were dancing to. I think it was "Seret il Hob" but anyway we were all like, "Uh, love?" Yousry was like, all the songs are about love.
Last January, I came upon the Um Kolthum classic "Ana Fintizarak" and wanted to perform to it. At the time I was thinking, well I just want to give a Um Kolthum song a try... Yeah, sure. The truth was I was heartbroken, I had just gone to pieces over what else, some Egyptian guy. It was that kind of heartbreak that makes you cry on the subway and want to write songs like Lili Taylor's character in "Say Anything". "Joe lies! Joe lies... when he cries... when he cries." Heartbreak inspires creativity for everyone really.
So I dove into "Ana Fintizark", the words "Ya Reit, Ya Reit, Ya reit, Ya reitni omri ma Habbeit" "I wish, I wish... I wish I had never loved you", rang true and I danced my heart out. I think this heartbreak is what moved me towards Egyptian dance and away from the Gypsy and the Tribal styles that I had been studying. Of course, I still love those styles and I will always listen and dance to all kinds of music, there's just something about the history, the feeling, the angst behind Egyptian music.
It's always about love.

Comments

[Neon]

Amy, so true!!!! And you put it so beautifully!