Review: Arab Women Arab Dance
At the Scotia Dance Centre
by Jeannie Khouri

I had the good fortune to attend a noontime presentation by five of our most accomplished and beautiful Arabic dancers last Friday. The life stories we heard and the diversity of dance styles presented to us were very inspiring and we each took home a part of their story in our hearts.

Arab women are born to the dance. All their lives they are surrounded by the music and dance of their cultures, to dance is a natural part of being wonderfully human and alive. All one needs to do is observe the range of emotions and passion in their faces as they dance to see that this is truly something beautiful to behold.

*Rahma (Gail) Haddad told of dancing since early childhood in Edmonton, inspired by her Lebanese Grandmother who was an accomplished dancer herself. Rahma has a degree in Phys.Ed. and danced and taught, sharing her love and knowledge of the dance with so many of us for many years. Her dance presentation was lively, engaging and full of warmth and passion. She remains one of Vancouver’s most lovely and inspiring dancers and favorite instructors. Her heart’s desire is to pass the torch, to transfer this knowledge and love of dance to the next generation of young women.

*Narmaya (Emily Basha) is a beautiful young dancer with an interesting heritage being both Iraqi and Jewish. Narmaya is a splendid example of Rahma Haddad teachings! Narmaya is the next generation of Arab Women in Arab Dance and one of Vancouver’s treasurers. Anyone that has seen her dance understands this! Her dance is delicate and feminine, graceful and exotic at the same time. We are fortunate she is also teaching here.

*Salma Ferchichi shared with us the story of dance in her life growing up in Tunisia. She gave thanks to her mother for supporting and enabling her to study the dance she loved, although it was not seen as something respectable at the time. For seven years she and her mother managed to hide the fact she was studying dance. She presented a lively Folkloric dance from her home that made you almost feel you were at the well fetching water with the young women!

*Lynette Harper told us of growing up in BC, discovering her part-Lebanese roots while traveling as a young women. She remembers being delighted to see people that looked like her! Since beginning to identify with her Arabic heritage and discovering her that beautiful cousin Rahma Haddad was a dancer and instructor, she has devoted her life to dancing and teaching. She presented a charming folkloric cane dance.

*Dr Rabab Ward introduced herself to us and stated she was an electrical engineer. Beauty and brains, blended with such warmth of spirit, I was very moved to be in her presence for the first time. She told of her desire to dance as a young women, and her family’s wishes for her to apply her skills in math and sciences to a career. She danced so lightly and naturally, with her love of dancing obvious in the range of emotions and passion she displayed.

There is a rare opportunity coming up to attend a four-hour workshop presented by these five amazing and accomplished women. On Saturday Dec. 3, 2005 from noon until 4:00 PM they will teach a workshop entitled Raqs Araby, The Flavour of Arabic Dance. “This event will provide a personal and cultural context for understanding the dynamic and evolving art of Arabic dance by exploring music through movement.” Pre-registration $55.00. (MEDA Members $50.00). For more information go to www3.telus.net/rahma or call Devorah at 604-736-2343.