Ala Turka! Modern Turkish Oryantal and Flexibility Workshop

I will be in the States from late December to late January.  Can’t wait!  During this time I will be giving the following workshop in the DC/Maryland area.  (See below.)  If anyone else would like to sponsor me to teach a similar workshop in your area, please contact me.  Cheers!

Lara Adrienne (Oryantal Lara) has been dancing in Turkey since 2011 in a variety of cities and venues. She has performed at five star hotels in Bodrum, on national Turkish and Israeli television programs, and in upscale nightclubs in Istanbul and Adana. She has performed in concerts with psychedelic Turkish band Baba Zula in Istanbul as well as in Lefkoşa, Cyprus, with clarinet virtuoso Hüsnü Şenlendirici in Washington, DC, with pop singer Atilla Taş in Van, and with the late great Müslüm Gürses in Istanbul and Bodrum. Additionally, during the past three years living in Turkey, Lara has been called on to perform in Alanya, Dalaman, and in Montenegro and Greece. Lara currently is a resident dancer at Al-Araby in Istanbul. Lara also has a life-long and ever-growing love for stretching, flexibility and body conditioning, fueled by her training in several dance forms and gymnastics, and a dedicated yoga practice.

Modern Turkish style is full of flash–fast turns, crisp hip work, clean upper and lower body isolations, kicks, rolls, and spins, short but showy taxims and floorwork, powerful shimmies, and daring backbends–all done in heels. Modern Turkish oryantal has been highly influenced by two famous dancers–the ground-breaking Asena and the poised and precise Didem Kınalı.

This two-part workshop with Lara Adrienne will cover the above aspects of modern Turkish dance, beginning with part one–a flexibility and muscle awareness segment to prepare and condition the body to safely and skillfully execute these flashy moves, followed by part two–drills and combinations “ala Turka”.

Turkish people are also known for enjoying a chat and a “çay,” so please feel free to ask Lara any questions about her experience as a foreign dancer in Turkey and Europe over tea after the workshop at a nearby cafe in Takoma Park.

**When**
Workshop: January 11th, 3:30pm – 5:30pm
Tea Q&A (optional): after for an hour or so

**Where**
Roda Movements
7014 Westmoreland Ave.
Takoma Park, MD 20912
www.rodamovements.com/

Tea Q&A (optional): location at a near-by cafe TBA

**Cost**
$30 in advance, $40 at the door
Send payment via Paypal: indrazaira@gmail.com
*Note “Ala Turka Workshop with Lara Adrienne” in comments

Or e-mail indrazaira@gmail.com for other arrangements or questions.

Istanbul Again, Part 2: New Gig, New Coworkers

I didn’t know what to expect dance-wise when I came back to Istanbul after being away for six months, but as it happened, I received a call last Wednesday from the owner of a venue in oh-so-chic Etiler. I started performing on Saturday and will be there for the next five weeks, which is when I go to the US for five glorious weeks, a trip of which the management is not yet aware.

I’ve performed at this venue before, including filming a video advertisement for them in the fall of 2012. They’ve since moved to a new location, with a bigger stage and a nicer dressing room. They’ve had a complete overhaul of entertainers, and one of the new ones is a zenne, or male belly dancer. (Name withheld.)

I’ll admit, he didn’t make the best first impression on me. When he started to light a cigarette backstage, I suggested sweetly that we not smoke in our small, shared dressing room, and although he protested, he put out the the cigarette. When I thanked him, he replied with a snooty, “Evet” (“Yes”) instead of saying “You’re welcome” or similarly appropriate remark.

I’ve found that with stuck up dancers, the best method is to be kind and complimentary, but not disingenuous. This worked well and fairly quickly with him. As he was the veteran dancer (I’d actually performed there before him, but he’d performed most recently and regularly), I made no protest as he planned the dancer order (dancers have artistic freedom there), and he seemed to relax and warm up to me after that. He quickly went from obnoxious to adorable. He even gave me a nickname “kara kız”–dark girl, which used to to describe a girl with dark skin, dark hair, or dark eyes, all of which I have, and no, I didn’t find it offensive, at least not coming from him.

He was having a lover’s spat with his boyfriend, a married man with two kids, who had apparently lied to him about going out drinking the previous night. He told me all about it. It seemed this incident was the last straw in their relationship. I put on my makeup and prepared to perform as he regaled me with stories about his lover.

My performance went well, but due to a DJ who was uninitiated in the art of spinning for a dancer, and an awkward ascent to the stage (there was no clear path through the audience, so my entrance was less than grand), it wasn’t perfect. Still, everyone seemed to rather like it, including my new gbff, the zenne. He performed after me.

I rarely say this about a Turkish dancer or a male belly dancer, but he was phenomenal. From his perfectly toned little body and to his precise technique and beautifully executed choreography, he gave my favorite zenne, a dancer called Diva, a run for his money. He danced as though he had been trained by Didem Kınalı, Turkish belly dancer extraordinaire. Usually, I wouldn’t approve of such a blatant resemblance to another dancer’s style, but his technique and stage presence were so superb, I couldn’t help but to enjoy his performance immensely. Not only was he an incredible dancer, he was also an accomplished seamstress–he’d made his own costume. Creative and thrifty, too–the costume was made from an evening gown of his sister’s.

So, he dances beautifully, he choreographs, he sews, he’s funny, he’s gorgeous, he’s fit, and he’s charming. When he came back to the dressing room and asked me what I’d thought of his performance, I could honestly tell him that I loved it.

At one point, he picked up his phone, and spoke into it using a speak-to-text feature to compose the final message he would to send to the lover who’d betrayed him. He then turned the phone to me and another dancer and had us check the text before he sent it off. As it turns out, he’s illiterate. He’s 24, and as smart and talented as he is, he’s never learned to read and doesn’t care to at this point. I was shocked! Reading and writing give me so much pleasure and convenience, I couldn’t imagine my life without literacy.

Right before we parted for the night, his phone rang. He told the person calling that because of the noise and the rush to get to his next gig, he was unable to talk and would return the call soon. Then he looked at me and winked. “Benim yeni kocam,” he said. My new husband.

I absolutely love the guy! I hope he’ll be happy with his new man.

Night Out with a Belly Dance Legend

I slept in this morning after a late night out with party animal Sema Yıldız.  A busy dancer in Turkey, Europe, and throughout the Middle East in the 70s, 80s, and into the 90s, Sema is retired from regular performances and now teaches workshops in Europe, Asia, and North America.  Still, to see her flirt and party on a Saturday night, you’d think she was 22 years old. . . .

She invited me to a late dinner at Gar Gazino, where I had the privilege of watching Gül Nihal and two other dancers perform.  After that, we headed to Sultana’s to meet Didem, who is certainly recognized as the most popular dancer in Turkey, and known as an icon to dance enthusiasts around the world.  I’m a big fan of hers, myself.  To my delight, I found out she is pretty cool in real life.

The three of us headed to the Parisienne after that.  Another dancer, Kumsal, performed a pop-and-lockish, Asena– and Rachel Brice-inspired (at least from our point of view) belly dance, which was followed by a racy Russian revue show.

After that, the party continued.  Didem was tired from a round-trip flight to Bodrum earlier that day and couldn’t hang, but for Sema and me, the night was still young.  We stopped at a nearby club, but didn’t stay long (apparently, it wasn’t happenin’ enough for us), then headed to a swankier place with a band and singer performing beautiful Georgian and Turkish music.  We danced to a few songs and hopped in cab.  In my naivete, I thought I was being dropped off at home.  Nope!  Off to Beyaz Bar, where Sema pushed me onto stage for an impromptu performance to live music.

I dropped into bed at about four.