Americans have been mesmerized by the much-misunderstood art of belly dancing ever since Little Egypt first caused a ruckus at the Chicago World’s Fair (as we all learned from Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress), but the joyous “Journey From the Nile to the Tigris” should help jolt open some Orlando eyes and minds in favor of this tantalizing ancient tradition.
Director/dancer Veronica Lynn created most of the costumes, and claims choreographic credit along with her castmates and others. She shares the stage with a fivesome of fellow flexible females from across the country (Liz Azi, Gia Bee, Olya Clark, Gabi Corazon and Vania Ojeda), who represent a refreshingly realistic range of body shapes.
Without unnecessary gabbing to distract from the spirited gyration — aside from a devastating pre-finale statement about the dearth of accessible Palestinian dance footage — this production boasts a tightly paced succession of solo and group routines in a variety of Middle Eastern regional styles. A parade of glittering outfits and props, from iridescent wings and gold canes to finger cymbals and scimitar swords, help add visual variety; vintage Arabic dance videos projected as a backdrop provide additional cultural context.
Going far beyond your basic bump and grind, these dancers are able to skillfully shimmy while simultaneously balancing smoking shisha hookahs atop their heads, and their impressive muscle isolations allow them to punctuate every beat of the percussive prerecorded percussion soundtrack.
Seductively sensual without being salacious, “Journey From the Nile to the Tigris” serves up eye candy and cultural education at the same time. I highly recommended it … and not just because I received a personal solo at the press preview.
Orlando Fringe: Tickets and times for “Journey From the Nile to the Tigris”
Seth Kubersky
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