TALES 1001-Dance Educational Books

Lebanon Vs Egypt

1. Where does Lebanon fit into the scheme of things?

   Lebanon is one of the roots of the dance. We primarily think of Egypt but this is wrong. Egypt has only recently come into the picture due to the war in lebanon. Badia Masabni was a Lebanese dancer and moved to Egypt. THat is how the dance got promoted there in films. Check your old records, you will see that they were all produced primarily in Lebanon. We will go back for more research in 2012. We will kwwp you posted.
   

2. When did we leave for Lebanon in 2011?

   We are on a countdown. We leave on October the 20th and arrive in Beirut on the 21st.  We plan on visiting and checking on things starting the 22nd -25th. On the 25th Amani opens her Oriental Festival that we will be part of. For the next 5 days we will be involved with Amani, teaching and meeting all the famous people she has hired. The 30th through the 6th we will be doing research throughout the area. We are particularly interested in the Baalbak area and the history of the Phoenicians. All will be reported on our return.

   
   

   We are back. Lebanon has equally if not more and longer history in the dance that Egypt. Now Egyptian dancers will dispute this. But their history of the dance is too short. Only goes back 30 years. Badia massabni was Lebanese and moved to Egypt to be near the filmmaking center. films were always made in Egypt. When the war broke out artists in droves move from lebanon to Egypt to continue their practice of the art.  Now there is peace they are coming back to Lebanon their original place. According to Amani Egypt has let the dance descend to the lowest place possible. Now we have to fight to raise the art up again.
   

3. What will be in store for Lebanon this year 2012?

   We are planning on going back to Lebanonin JUne. The Amani Oeiental Festival is planned fro JUne 19th -24th. Amani has asked me to teach again. Very excited.

   This year we have plans to do way more research. Last year we tried our steps. We now know where to go and whom to contact.  Have peole lined up from Mexico City to Baalbek to help. People who know. The finest educators will be intervired to add to the interviews I got last year. This will cement all ideas.

   
   

   Since coming back last Novemember I have spent all my spare time researching in books the Phoenician's their dance. The dance of Crete gets in there too. It is exciting for me to put all the pieces together. Our research this year will culminate with the Bedouins of Lebanaon and Debke from the Bekaa vValley. Stay tuned for more information to come.
   

LEBANON

1. How was Lebanon for Dancing?

   From an educator's point of view Lebanon has the best of everything when it comes to studying this dance form. it is all there. I used to feel that NYC was the center of dance in the world. I now feel Lebanon is the center of this dance form.from dance instructors to the culture, music  and food. It is there. The highest quality teachers are there. There is opportunity to study with the best and to perform with the best. It does take gumption to stay alone in Lebanon. For starters the city is crippled. After 30 odd years of war it is just starting a come back. The people want it desperately It will happen.  We are ready to start our next tour to Lebanon so save your pennies.