Beverley
London
Email: beverleyfromlondon@hotmail.co.uk

Internationally celebrated, leading performer, Amani, launched her Oriental festival this year. The five day intensive brought together some of the hottest and most talented teachers, choreographers and performers trendsetting in Lebanon today, and was the first of a much anticipated annual calendar date for Oriental dancers seeking to work deeper into their art.

he workshops were set out over three days, and were offered individually priced between $20 and $55 depending on length and master teacher. This was unbelievable value and allowed participants to plot a vocational course through the material. Amani placed strong emphasis on the folklore and identity of Oriental Dance in compiling the programme and offered touring dancers much valuable direction in blending the technique with the emotion. “The roots are from such a romantic, spiritual era,” she says. “I want to preserve the identity of Oriental dance as it merges between the dancing, the music, the folklore, the East and the West.”

Amani's own theatre director, Gerard Avedissian, took each attending dancer through stage and technique analysis, and Georgette Gebara founder of “Ecole Libanaise de Ballet” taught the adaptation of Oriental dance to Ballet and Back. The strong love of folklore and wonderful pride in the culture came through one of the most exciting workshops I have ever attended, where choreographer Sami Khoury brought his immense passion and vitality to teaching us the Lebanese Dabkeh dance and rhythm. The sensational Franscois Rahme taught both a Bedhouin dance from the Baalbeck Region and a beautiful Andulasian workshop, and the very talented Natasha Devalia taught different styles of Indian Classical and Folkloric dance. Veilwork was taught by Mounir Maaleb (founder of a leading Lebanese Folkloric group) as well as Sameera Hadad, who was largely skilled in Cane Dance Cabaret .

Amani's workshops covered rich ground. She opened the first session with an ancient sword dance by the “Courtesan” which was used to point ideas for bringing dance to a large stage, and in so doing much firsthand knowledge was warmly shared. In contrast a chart-topping choreography just released from her latest CD, “Amani El Omr” was taught, totally modern and vibrant (with veil). Her final workshop in the three day span spoke of the various styles, rhythms of the Egyptian folkloric dances that we use to confuse with Oriental dance, music and rhythms. Her passionate study into these subjects has reached a crucial understanding through many years of research, and indeed meeting logic with instinct, to produce what is essentially a superb account of the Oriental story, tied in with rhythms, costumes, gestures, background analysis and the feelings and emotions behind. I found myself captivated by Amani's storytelling, in her relaying the information to us, as she is a gifted communicator, easy to follow, comfortable to interact with and in perfect command of English (French, Arabic etc!).

“My own dancing,” Amani says, “Depends on a good understanding of culture as a path to reach into the authentic world of Oriental Dance”. In exploring emotional meanings and moods, Amani chose to take us for excursions to places where the Oriental dance and folklore have flourished in the past, and we found inspiration in the mosaic walls and crumbling vistas of some of the most important ancient sites in the world. The group were taken out with a fantastic guide, who together with Amani, painted an exquisite historical tale that nourished very much our sense of the arts and the old world inspiration. Remnants from Pharonic, Roman, Phoenician, Greek, Arabic, Crusade, Ottoman and even the rarest Hellenic cultures have brought a wealth and diversity to Lebanon . “My choice of monumental places (Baalbeck, Beiteldine, Deir Elkamar, Ksara and the Barouk Cedars) has been made due to the blending of cultures and the majestic human creativity manifested.”

In the palace of Beiteldine , we explored every inch of beauty, and ourselves became much the courtesans of the court, finding a wonderful, playful innocence in the gardens and by the fountain… through the elaborate bathhouses and into the prince's chambers. Amani did also perform an impromptu dance, where but for the imagination, years may have slipped in a time-warp!

n Baalbeck the ruins of a thousand upon thousand-year project rose majestically in fine, scalloped detail on the pillars remaining and those scattered by our feet. The figures and sculptures dancing from the dust told the story of a house of prayer likened in design to the great temple of King Solomon , and the most exquisite part, was the timing, this day at sunset.

There's a particular orange that seems to hold within it all the mysteries of the Middle East . In places like this, visions of the past creep right through you, and the sense of our belonging to time, and connecting across it, is strongly manifest.

While in Lebanon , and certainly in Amani's care, I felt totally well looked after and pampered on every level. The hotel of choice was the first five-star ever built in the country. Calling home the Regency Palace was a luxury on every level and the beauty of the location, beyond the gorgeous sea views, was certainly the use of the Caesar's Palace Theatre within the complex, which we used during the workshop sessions, and also which set the stage for the performances. Our glittering opening night brought camera crews and press as each master teacher presented their work. The final night was even more exceptional as the workshop participants had the opportunity of entering a competition, and in the same bill, Amani took the stage with excerpts from her new world-touring show “Amani around the world” – (ps excellent DVD). If I had flown over and alone watched her show live, it would have been well worth the trip. A rare and accomplished master, her performances are luminous with strength, skill and spirit.

I was most impressed by the level and diversity that each workshop participant brought to share. There was also a strong sense of us bonding we could attribute to many factors. Our course material had us both watching each other and releasing much inhibition through folk dance, Amani's team facilitated each move with warmth and genuine concern, and Amani herself was a picture host, on every level considerate, caring and an absolute treasure to the sisterhood of Oriental Dance.

Lebanon has struggled with war for the past seventeen years and now the country is excitedly rebuilding its good reputation. The population are incredibly well educated, warm and filled with a Joie de Vivre! Outside of the festival programme, we were safe and terribly charmed by the high standard of living, and indeed enjoying all that the city has to offer. Downtown Beirut has an exciting festive atmosphere that the Lebanese enjoy as part of daily life, with street café's,

the aroma's of waterpipes into the night, late and luxurious dinners and dancing till dawn most nights of the week. Infact, the city never sleeps! The wide modern streets are fabulous for shopping, with outlets carrying all major international brands and local designs. Beyond this, visiting the souk turns up all sorts of wonderful items, as gifts, or for costumes at fair-shot rates. I highly recommend a visit to Byblos ' age-old marketplace. Go with your bargaining hat and drive hard!

The festival timing mid-June seals Lebanon 's reputation as a hot-spot for many dancers touring through the summer festival route next onto Cairo . Amani has met a much-needed demand in opening up this beautiful country to dancers and she aspires to this invitation with a genuine interest in education. The opportunity to study with Amani and experience first hand her wealth of knowledge is an inspiration to dancers of all levels. “I want to help beginner to professional dwell into the deep soul of Oriental dance and discover what they have missed as new Oriental and folkloric styles emerge,” she says. Lebanon is now open for discovery, and Amani's team are obliging towards a totally enriching experience.

Next year's Oriental Festival is currently being set out. Classes will be offered at various levels and a similar package deal to 2005 will be offered. This has included massive reductions in the hotel rates, as well as free airport transfers, touring and administration costs.

contact info@amanionline.com , or bookmark www.amanionline.com , alternatively call the very lovely Ali Reda on 00961-3-265903 with your questions.