Interview
with the author:
Dynamic
Belly Dance, The Joyful Journey of Dancemaking and Performing focuses on the process of creating improvisational and
choreographed dances, including the nuances of energy, style,
design elements, musicality, emotional expression, performance psychology and related topics.
Ramona guides the reader through the creative process with many
examples and creativity-building exercises.
How does this book benefit dancers?
I set
out to produce a book which would be genuinely helpful in assisting dancers to use the steps and movements they already know
in new and innovative ways.
I also
wanted to discuss topics which are not always covered in dance technique classes—such as how dancing slightly ahead
of, exactly on, or behind the drumbeat relate to the feelings and impressions a dance evokes, and how this relates to dancing
with a live band or recorded music.
Although
the book is geared towards readers who are familiar with belly dance steps and movements, readers who are new to
belly dance told me that this book is interesting and helpful for them too. I was so happy to hear this!
Tell
me more about Dynamic Belly Dance.
One of
my goals was to make the book easy to read cover to cover. I want the experience of reading my book to be like sitting down
with a good friend who explains lots of practical techniques and trade secrets that will help you be the very best dancer
you can be.
This
supportive friend also wants to help you have the best possible experience when dancing, whether it’s on a stage or
in the privacy of your home.
What
inspired you to write this book?
I reached
a frustration point in my dance career when I realized that although I’d mastered a repertoire of dance movements, combining
them into a choreographed dance was difficult and time-consuming.
The choreography
classes I’d attended were group exercises for creating a dance to a specific song. I was frustrated because those classes
didn’t teach me how to create a dance to any piece of music.
I also
didn’t feel comfortable with the way my improvisational dances turned out, and I wanted help with that. I talked with
many dance teachers and searched belly dance literature. Although I got many helpful tips about creating dances, I could
not find any resource that spelled out the whole dancemaking process.
So
what did you do?
I researched choreography techniques used in jazz and modern dance and found helpful info there. I realized
that top belly dance choreographers were already using these techniques, which have been around for a very long time
and used across dance genres.
So, I took what I knew from years of studying belly dance and applied the techniques, and was very pleased
with the improvements in my dances. I felt that others who were seeking help with belly dance choreography and improvisation
might benefit from this knowledge.
The photographs in the book show a variety of lovely dancers. How did you select these
particular pictures?
Since
the subject matter of the book applies to all styles of belly dance, I wanted to show a variety of dancers in various styles
of costuming. The book includes pictures of dancers in cabaret, baladi, tribal costuming and other styles. I also wanted to
showcase dancers in various settings, so some of the photographs were taken outdoors, while others are pictured on stages,
in restaurants, or in studios.
To illustrate
many of the topics discussed in the book, I selected photos showing dancers in motion as well as posed photographs. They're
all so beautiful!
