What is Oriental Dance? - from Egypt to the World*

Christian Schloe



I kind of envy everyone who is so sure of him/herself  and his/her certainties that nothing and no one can shake them, move them, change them. As far as I know, all that exists is change and uncertainty and I - happily - reached the point of rejoicing on that impermanent ground.

I discovered - through the most unexpected ways, lessons and teachers - what is Oriental Dance during the last years of career and life in Egypt. I reached success without any compromise I could be ashamed of and I was blessed to be guided by egyptian audiences, my musicians and Magic* towards a deep - and unusual - understanding of my craft.
I know how to dance for egyptians and in my own way (which is, by chance or not, the "egyptian way" with a personal twist); I am comfortable dancing with the best egyptian musicians and for the most demanding of egyptian audiences. That is territory already conquered - more than conquered.

Once I started to be invited to teach and perform in different countries of the world (with their own language, culture, mentality, tradition and relationship with Dance) the territory I had already conquered expanded and showed itself in all its glorious immensity. I started to understand I was back to - almost - point zero. I started to dance for audiences who were not my fellow egyptians with whom comunication - via dance - became so organic, spontaneous, instinctive, visceral and  loving that it´s second nature to me.

Suddenly my stage expanded and I was out of my Cairo cocoon where - for some intense years - I was working, learning, exploring, trying new and old things, discovering myself as a dancer, woman, human being in the wide WIDE world.
I started to be hired to perform for audiences who were not familiar with egyptian language, music, dance, culture. This made all the difference in the demands applied to my craft; I also started to perform without my warm company (my egyptian orchestra) without whom I never thought I could dance; I had to face huge theatres (where the physical distance between me and the audience were a major obstacle to a dance that requires physical proximity and energy exchange between music, dancer and audience) as opposed to the cosy, circle like stages I was used to perform in Egypt (where my audiences could see the shine of my eyes, hear my breathing, feel the heat coming from my heart).

The stakes did not become only higher but so DIFFERENT than the ones I was used to that I had to rethink everything I had learnt about Oriental Dance.
Out of my comfort zone, once again - always.

From Egypt to the world sounds great, doesn´t it?! It was always my project, dream, goal, mission and - may I dare saying - DESTINY.
Easier said than done though...but here I am: rethinking, questioning what is the ESSENCE of Oriental Dance, what I must re-adapt in my dance in order for it to be understood and felt by audiences from China to Italy, from Russia to Argentina, from France to Mexico and so on.

Keeping the essence/heart/soul/original language (because Oriental Dance IS a LANGUAGE) of the dance while making it fit in brand new contexts where the MAIN MESSAGE of the dance is still being comunicated.
Distilling the language, cleaning it from everything that is accessory, reaching for its core and being able to make all kinds of people FEEL it and LOVE it as much as I do.

Being a dancer is - above all - being the eternal student, the curious child, the one who is open to all kinds of jumps into the Unknown.
From Egypt to the world sounds great, indeed. SEEING MYSELF DOING IT sounds even greater (and AMEN to that).