Raks at the Royalty
Product Description
(DVD/NTSC) BellyDanceStore.net: In Raks at the Royalty, you said that you always feel the desire to learn more. What styles of belly dance have you studied and what are your goals toward your dance education?
Nathalie: That's right, I always challenge myself with different styles of dancing and I am a very open minded person that likes to learn new things, whether it is culture or dancing I love to add new stuff to my head, LOL.
I am trained in classical ballet, modern dance, classical Egyptian bellydance as well as tango and a little bit of flamenco. I had just started training in salsa and the other day I had the opportunity to take a tribal bellydance class with one of the best...Rachel Brice, I have to confess that I loved it!
BellyDanceStore.net: For the song "Rum Chantment" you wore a very unique costume, it looked inspired by ballroom costuming. Tell us about that choice.
Nathalie: Ah! That costume is actually one of my favorites and it was inspired by a ballroom dancer I once saw. I fell in love with her dress so I wanted to create a similar style but still represent my classical Egyptian dance so my designer and I came up with that idea and I think is a very beautiful and unique dress!
BellyDanceStore.net: Which of the other soloists on Raks at the Royalty do you admire?
Nathalie: I actually like all of the ladies that are part of the DVD, all of them have something special and unique. I think each of us represents Middle Eastern dance in a different way but most importantly we all have something in common and that is we all love what we do.
BellyDanceStore.net: How long did it take to film this performance DVD?
Nathalie: Oh well, we got to Clear Water Florida around 9:00am and I believe that we wrapped around 5:00pm but the producers were shooting for a couple of days before I got there.
BellyDanceStore.net: What stands out to you about the experience of shooting this DVD?
Nathalie: It was an honor for me to be part of Raks at the Royalty because I had the opportunity to share time with other dancers and the chance to meet Luka (the producer of the DVD). It was really nice to work with someone that respects what we do on so many different levels. I had such a great time shooting this DVD. I am also working on my instructional DVD's that were also produced by Luka, they will be released by the middle of the year!
Chapters
1) Opening Credits
2) Meet Sevdiah
3) Common Misconceptions
4) The Students
5) Historical Facts
6) Future Plans
7) Dance Introduction
8) Sevdiah (song Raqset Rita)
9) Tahja (song Yisad Sabahak)
10) Portia (song Takasim)
11) Fanina (song Narges)
12) Nathalie (song Tabla Exotic)
13) Karen (song Sitt Alkull)
14) Xenobia (song Shahrazad)
15) Sevdiah (song Um Kalthoum)
16) Nathalie (song Rum-chantment)
17) Portia
Bonus Performance
A Review of Raks at the Royalty
by Curtis Opperud
This DVD is excellent in presenting Raqs Sharqi to the general public. Whether you are a seasoned dancer, novice, or spectator, this video will entertain and inspire you in beauty, elegance, and passion of belly dance.
Directed by award winning Producer/Director Luka Dziubyna, he brings together the talents and beauty of seven professional dancers. They are all fantastic entertainers individually and collectively. Dziubyna concept is simple: introduce bellydance to the public by showcasing talent and giving an overview through interview and dialog. He begins by highlighting the activity of a professional dance instructor/performer, showing raw footage in her dance studios, interviewing some students, then the instructor. Throughout the video he introduces the other dancers, records solo performances, and has dialog with musicians and artistic directors. The music and cinematography is fantastic.
This video entertains and educates. The dialog with the dancers and artistic directors are enlightening and revealing. They discuss a broad range of topics from cultural history of belly dance to music and artistic expression. The dancers talk candidly and honestly, and at times share some very private things about themselves.
Dance is the physical expression and the emotional language of music. An accomplished belly dancer is one who can express the emotion of music and physically communicate those feelings to her audience with passion and honesty. She makes them FEEL the dance. She draws her audience into the dance, captivating and mesmerizing them. She transcends technique and dances not with her body but with her heart and her soul. The featured dancer of this video, Sevdiah, personifies these qualities. She has fantastic instincts and incredible technique.
Sevdiah's first performance in this video is very technical and spirited. She appears more focused on the music and emits little emotion until near the end when she smiles expressively and finishes in a passionate Flamenco style cadenza. Her second dance is Very Sensual and a perfect interpretation of the music. She expresses a myriad of emotions and enraptures the viewer. She begins in modesty, then slowly morphs into a confident, playful, siren, discarding her veil and to the delight of the audience...her innocence. We are drawn into her passion with every sensual gesture and movement. Mesmerized and charmed, I was literally on the edge of my seat. When she smiles, it's blissful. She is elegant and graceful, like poetry in motion.
In addition to Sevdiah, the other dancers featured in this film are Portia, Fanina, Nathalie, Xenobia, Karen, and Tahja. They are all fantastic dancers exhibiting a variety of dance styles and interpretation. I enjoyed all the performances and I was equally moved emotionally by their individual talents.
As with any production, this video cannot capture the true essence of a live performance. The camera cannot record the energy, the spirit, or the emotional connection that takes place between a performer and her audience. This is, by its very nature, very personal and private and cannot be recorded. In spite of that, this video does effectively capture the spirit of Raqs Sharqi.
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