Antoinette's topics - tribe.net

Christina of Black Lotus Clothing is Hipdrop's Featured Artist of the Month for February 2007

2007-02-06T03:50:59Z

You can read all about Christina and see some of the pictures of her and her clothing line - Black Lotus Clothing on our website www.hipdrop.com

Make sure you also click on the Hipdrop Radio icon and listen to her interview with Aneaj.

If you missed last month's interview with Carmine, or would like to listen again. You can still hear it on Hipdrop Radio. Just click on the Hipdrop Radio icon from our website.

If you, or someone you know would like to become a Hipdrop Featured Artist or have a question or a comment about our website or our radio station. Please feel free to send email to Aneaj at: aneaj@hipdrop.com

posted in Antoinette - 0 replies

Turkish-style bellydance

2006-06-27T17:31:16Z

I have never seen turkish bellydancing. My teacher told me that the costumes are skimpier and floorwork is more accepted. I have seen some people who throw in a few moves, mostly bumping the body with the hands, but what makes the dance Turkish?

Thanks,

Nezer

posted in Antoinette - 0 replies

L.A.,CA Belly Dance Scene 60's/70's

2006-03-28T15:30:25Z

Could you describe the Belly dance scene is the 60's and 70's
The atmosphere, the players, dancers ect

posted in Antoinette - 4 replies

More Pictures!

2006-03-22T04:17:42Z

Could you please post more pictures.

posted in Antoinette - 2 replies

New tribe

2006-02-28T05:23:35Z

Hey group,
I've just started a tribe for fans of Hossam Ramzy.
Check it out: http://tribes.tribe.net/hossamramzy
I hope you join!!
-Eric

posted in Antoinette - 0 replies

Hi everyone

2005-10-06T00:32:49Z

Hi,
Well I'm finally settled in my new home. I love it here. I live in the hills of Henderson and it is beautiful. Yesterday I celebrated my 24th year of marriage and I must say I've never been happier. The only drawback is that I'm further away from my children. Hopefully they will come often to visit me. Welcome to the new members and please post so we can have an active site.

posted in Antoinette - 2 replies

Goodbye to Glendale and Calif.

2005-08-18T01:25:22Z

Dear Friends,
Tomorrow I leave California for Neveda, I must say my feelings at this moment are both of sadness and elation. Sadness to leave my friends and home of 30 thirty years and happiness and excitement about starting a new life. I will be offline for a week so please be patient if I don't answer immediatly.

posted in Antoinette - 4 replies

Choreography or Improv

2005-08-12T00:14:50Z

What are your thoughts on this subject? What did you do?

I ask this because I find myself wanting to choreograph all my performances because I feel more "prepared" (I tend to get nervous leading up to a public performance) so the PERFECTIONIST in me wants everything to be flawless yet I find myself STILL nervous sometimes. I've been dancing for almost 4 years so I think I am worried about how my dancing is received. I've been told to just feel the music and go....I'm working on it :)

posted in Antoinette - 12 replies

Welcome Gina

2005-08-11T18:13:26Z

Hello! My name is Gina and I would be so honored to be able to join your tribe. I clearly understand how important the history of this artform is. It's also really important to be as accurate as possible, and being that you have an important role in this dance, I would love to communicate with you.
Also, several years ago, I had the pleasure of coming to your home for a casual gathering. I was a member of the Suhaila Dance Co. and you generously invited us over while we were in San Bernardino doing "Ren Fair", Andre, Suhaila and Isabella were staying with you so we all came over. It was great fun and so open and kind of you. A very belated Thank you!
I haven't been in the dance co. for a while. I recently moved out of California, but as of recently I talk with Andre once in a while, I'm hoping in the future to help bring one of the girls out here for a workshop, I guess we'll see.
Ok, thanks for listening. Thanks.
Gina

posted in Antoinette - 2 replies

Music Question

2005-08-09T18:58:45Z

Hi Antionette and tribe members :)

I have been re-evaluating my CD collection lately and am wondering: what songs do you think every dancer should know?

posted in Antoinette - 1 reply

Andre's Party

2005-07-28T20:56:32Z

My son Andre celebrated his 40th birthday last Saturday and it was a wonderful party. Suhaila arranged a party at El Morrocco in Pleasantville and even though he may have suspected something I don't think he knew the enormity of it. Some of his friends from back East and from different parts of Calif were there. Myself, my husband and his brother and his wife came up from So. Cal. as well as the Khoury family.

There were carnival people there to entertain (making balloons) and jugglers and a show was put on by Greg DeAngelo. We had put together a montage of Andre's life on video and I composed him a poem along the same line. And of course Isabella (my grandaughter) flawlessly danced. It's hard to believe my son is forty and he is the young one.

I'm blessed with having two beautiful sons and two wonderful daughters-in-law, and a wonderful grandchild and Husband. What more could a woman want.

posted in Antoinette - 3 replies

Thank you!

2005-07-21T21:32:52Z

Thanks for letting me join your tribe. I've only been taking lessons for a little over a year. No performance yet.

I think my personal concept of bellydancing comes from when I was a little girl watching my Aunt and Uncle's friends dancing at their house in Topanga Canyon in the early 70's. A bunch of hippie belly dancers.

I wish I had been old enough to come see you dance in Hollywood! I love reading your posts about your time dancing here. It must have been an amazing experience.

Serveral dancers whose dance style I really like (Anaheed amoung them) were trained by a lady named Diane Weber. Was she around during your time dancing here in L.A.? Did you teach also?

Jennifer
(Zhanveeyev)

posted in Antoinette - 2 replies

Bare legs VS ....

2005-07-20T17:24:23Z

As I was reading some of the posts I came across one that stated the dancer was not comfortable showing her bare legs and it brought to mind my first experience. When I started , women were not even wearing bikinis on the beach, the only place you saw such abbreviated costumes were at Hawaiian clubs or "burlesque" shows, so you can imagine how I felt going into public for the first time in such an abbreviated costume. I had on sequins and mucho bare legs. As I developed my own style I switched from beads and sequins to all coin costumes, I also always wore something on my legs. I found some beautiful gold and silver mesh that I wore under my skirts and they were very sheer, I made pantaloons out of them and even tho you could see my legs they were shimmering from the gold/silver. I realize that today many of the moves require much more freedom to legs than when I was dancing but for a change you might try that. I will try to provide a picture of that look.

posted in Antoinette - 4 replies

Style and costumes

2005-07-19T21:07:17Z

Was it more Turkish stuff back then? A mish mash?
Shoes or no? Coins moreso than sequins and beads?

posted in Antoinette - 9 replies

Congratulations!!

2005-07-18T16:30:29Z

I want to congratulate and wish Antoinette a happy retirement :)
Have fun!!

posted in Antoinette - 1 reply

"Old School" music question

2005-07-15T17:29:56Z

Hi there!
I'm looking for "old school" music that sounds like the second side of the Spectacular Rhythms LP. I particularly like the cuts titled "Hadiyat El Eid" and "Khatwet Samar".
I believe those are by the Rhabbani Brothers, but I've never been able to turn up anything with searches under that name.
I'm primarily a Tribal dancer, but upon occasion will do solo cabaret gigs, and I love the "retro" feel of the electric guitars and organ on those cuts!
I'd love to find more stuff with that sound but need titles to search for - so I would be grateful for any suggestions!!
Thanks for your help,
Lydia...*

posted in Antoinette - 2 replies

Many have joined but....

2005-07-14T18:20:05Z

Many have joined my tribe but unfortunatly I have very few posts. I feel fortunate to be a part of this ever growing world. When I was involved it was so small and there were so few of us. I promised myself I would stop dancing when I was 30 and I did just that when I was 32. I fell into dancing at 21 and did it 6 nights a week for 11 years. I put my husband through medical school with my dancing. It was a very hard road as we traveled to Mexico, Canada and the midwest to achieve his goal. I quit when he got his license and went back to school to complete my education. A few years later I divorced Andre's father and was totally out of both the dancing and the Arab community. I started working in the Medical field and have been there for 26 years. In two weeks I shall retire. I met and married a Dutch man and we will celebrate our 25th anniversary next year. Not until Andre became serious with Suhaila ( they have known each other since they were babies I met Jamila when I was dancing at the fez and we became life long friends after that.) did I once again become involved in the world of belly dance. I was amazed how it grew it was like a subculture and it is still growing today. Being on stage with Suhaila at Cairo Carnival made me realize that this isn't going away!! I'm very happy about Andre's and Suahila's success and hope to hear from some of you.

posted in Antoinette - 20 replies

Bal Anat

2005-06-13T17:27:51Z

Suhaila thank you for bringing me on stage with you. It has been a very long time since I have been on the stage. I enjoyed every minute of it. I thought the show was great and of course my grandaughter Isabella was the best. Love you

posted in Antoinette - 0 replies

Link Between Ansuya and Antoinette

2005-04-26T20:47:04Z

A little Quiz...Who can tell me the link to Ansuya and Antoinette.

posted in Antoinette - 5 replies

Solo Or troupe dancing?

2005-03-15T22:32:00Z

Hi,
As one of the original dancers in L.A. I only danced solo and I was wondering how many of you would prefer to dance solo as opposed to being in a group?
My experience was such that I was an improvisational dancer and my shows depended on my music (which was always live)I had an overall structure such as drum solos, taxims, belady etc. but no choreography per say. I found it very difficult to do the same thing as someone else. This is not to say that I don't appreciate the wonderful choreographies out there, however being arabic I was raised dancing alone except for Debkes.

posted in Antoinette - 3 replies

Publishing a book with Jamila

2005-03-03T18:45:39Z

I hope you don't mind that I posted your message on my site, but it makes for good conversation

Thank you madame,
Just an idea, you should publish a book with JAMILA, about belly-dancing in the 60"s and '70s AND 80s. It would be a shame, if its not recorded. SURE , theres stuffs in the INTERNET, but nothing like a BOOK.
I bought my FIRST LP, HAHA, through some record company "HOW TO MAKE YOUR HUSBAND A SULTAN" in the 80s, with out seeing any MIDDLE-EASTERN dance, opps early 70s :).I know theres middle-east countries and I am sure, every country has each own cultural dance. This was when I still lived in the mid-west.
Late 70s, we moved here in ARIZONA, not only in 1992, I finally, saw the dance on TV. Now here I am, but soon, time for a change for me :).
It was SUHAILA, that got me started promoting,IVE seen enough, maybe. NOW,Im not sure, where THE DANCE WENT? HAHA!
I had met your good son and SUHAILA, great hardworking, loving couple :). I thank you for your time, I m still having fun :), till when, who knows.
ESTHER

posted in Antoinette - 1 reply

Have many of you danced to live music?

2005-02-12T03:37:39Z

I was wondering in today's world of Belly dancing, how many of the dancers get to perform to live music on a regular basis. Most of what I have seen today is performances to taped music. Is it because there are not enough Musicians out there? Remembering back when I danced, it was only to live music. On the very few occasions I did , I wasn't really able to get into it at all. The musicians stimulated me and we had such a bond that without them I felt very uninspired. That also could be because there was no real choreography, I was reacting to the music.

posted in Antoinette - 9 replies

How many of you are full time dancers?

2005-02-10T19:16:50Z

When I was a dancer I worked 6 nights a week and did three shows a night. Often times I would also dance during the day for different restaurants. I definetly considered it a full time job. I know today many dancers go from club to club on the same night as they only do one show. I worked in one club and went to work at 9:00 and left at 2:00. Does this exists anymore? It was considered my profession, so all of my energy went into it.

posted in Antoinette - 2 replies

cattyness between performers

2005-01-14T18:42:25Z

Antoinette, I started belly dancing because I work in a male dominated environment and craved female bonding. I love this dance form.

Have you ever delt with such an issue of cattyness between you and another performer or seen this happen? Can you give advice on how to deal with this issue? I am hoping that Suhaila would read this and give her opinion as well. Thanks.

posted in Antoinette - 7 replies

Who are you dancing for?

2004-10-08T16:29:44Z

When I used to dance I danced for men as well as women, and they were fascinated, many were Arabs but also many were of the Hollywood crowd. They came in groups or by themselves. I must say looking back now I had a nice following. It was very flattering to be admired and also made one feel very feminine. Today it seems the dancers are dancing for each other, and the men are accompanying the dancers. Is this true or have I not seen the whole picture?

posted in Antoinette - 19 replies

The future of bellydance?

2004-09-23T16:40:16Z

What is your take on where this dance form is heading, do you believe most of what you see today lacks depth and substance or is it just the opposite?

posted in Antoinette - 7 replies

Music differences

2004-09-15T20:16:22Z

What do you find that are the biggest differences from the music of you day to the music of today?

posted in Antoinette - 1 reply

Dr Najeeb Khoury

2004-09-15T19:57:27Z

Why did you think that Najeeb was such a unique Oud player?

posted in Antoinette - 1 reply

c'mon!

2004-09-15T18:13:05Z

Jamila Salimpour

2004-09-14T21:08:56Z

How did you meet her?

posted in Antoinette - 1 reply

Drummers

2004-09-14T21:00:36Z

Who would you say was an great drummer that you danced for...?

posted in Antoinette - 1 reply

The Legendary FEZ

2004-09-09T20:27:34Z

What do you find are the differences between the nightclubs of today and the nightclubs of yesterday:)

posted in Antoinette - 1 reply

A Dancer's Destiny

2004-08-31T21:05:44Z

It is unusual for an Arab girl (bint Arab) to become a dancer. My parents and Grandparents were Syrian and migrated to America in the early 1900’s I lived with an extended family, which included my mother, grandmother, grandfather, three uncles and two aunts. My grandfather was a cabinetmaker and he specialize in making ouds and talwas (inlaid backgammon tables). I grew up with the Arabic culture deeply ingrained in me. I ate Arabic food, listened to Arabic music and spoke only Arabic until I went to school. My mother sang at the Arabic “hafles” and was accompanied by live music. Like many little girls I would dance to the middle-eastern rhythms. My mother and grandmother would take me to the movies to see the famous dancers and singers. Dancers Tahia Carioca and Samia Gamal fascinated me as they glided like gazelles in their gorgeous costumes. At home I would amuse myself by watching myself in the mirror imitating the dancers whom I had seen.

Out of this background grew my love for dancing. I wanted desperately to be a ballet dancer, but my mother wouldn’t let me take lessons for fear it would build ugly muscles in my legs. I was so determined to learn that I secretly checked out ballet books from the library and practice the steps on my own. Of course I couldn’t really learn much that way.

Finally, after graduating High School, I could make my own choices. One of the first jobs I had was teaching for Arthur Murray, I reasoned that I would have to learn all of the dances in order to teach them. The more I taught, the more I learned and the more I found myself drawn to the Latin rhythms. I found a dance partner and started doing exhibition dancing at Latin concerts at the Palladium and other venues in Hollywood. I met a young man who was a Flamenco dancer, Roberto Lorca became my partner for some of the exhibitions. He had been dancing with the Jose Greco Company. He aroused my interest in Flamenco dancing. I could relate to the emotions and the expressive nature of the Flamenco music and dance. It was almost the same intensity of emotions and expressiveness of Arabic music and dance. Roberto went on to become a successful Flamenco dancer.

I married, had a son and decided to go to college, but all I could concentrate on was dancing, I took modern dance in college and then took workshops taught by choreographer Lester Horton, who headed a successful dance company.

Around this time, my Mother was singing at Mahrajans (Arabic functions) and there was a dancer by the name of Kanza Omar, who was my idol. She came to the affairs dressed in Mink coats and her costumes were dazzling, she looked like a movie star. She was in several films in the Middle East and she was also in a few American films I wanted to look like her when I danced. I begged my Mother to ask Kanza to teach me to dance Arabic (they were friends) unfortunately Kanza died an untimely death but before that she had given my Mother one of her dancing skirts to give to me.

I had some Arabic girlfriends who were dancing in a small company that was headed by an Arabic woman named Delila Muir. She created Arabic shows around town and entertained soldiers on Army bases. Her brother Antoon wore a turban and played the drums and her other brother played the oud. I joined her troupe at the urging of my friends. It consisted of four girls, Delal and myself. We traveled around in a big bus to the shows, sometimes hundreds of miles away. Delal was the star of the show. Her performance included snakes slithering out of wicker baskets. This type of dancing did not live up to my perception of how Arabic dancing should be performed.

During one of our performances at the Wilshire Ebell theatre, a woman who had a Flamenco troupe performing that evening approached me. She was Rita Lupino, and I believe she was the sister of Ida Lupino, an actress who was popular at the time. Rita asked me If I wanted to join her troupe, I explained to her my limited Flamenco dance experience and the little Roberto had taught me was not enough to perform professionally. She said I had the perfect look for a Flamenco dancer and that she would train me. Of course I was delighted and went to her rehearsals and studied the routines, heelwork and castanets, but it was short lived.

One of the girls in Delals group went to audition for a dance job in a Hollywood nightclub called the Fez Supper Club, she asked me to accompany her. The fez featured an Arabic show, the only one of it’s kind at the time. They brought Arabic musicians, and dancers from the Middle East. The food was Arabic and the décor was right out of a scene from a Thousand and One Nights. I had been to the Fez before. The owners were two brothers, Lou and Fred Shelby. Lou was the violinist who played at the Mahrajans where my Mother sang and Kanza danced. My girlfriend auditioned but I was hired. Lou Shelby said I looked just right for a belly dancer. My Arabic looks, olive skin and long black hair helped. I told him I had never danced in a nightclub nor have I ever danced solo. He said, “don’t worry about it we’ll teach you.” He asked me to start the coming Friday night. The only other time I had ever dance by myself in front of others was at the Peacock Alley, a jazz club that featured an Arabic night with live music. I was taunted into dancing by my Mother and some of her friends, so dance I did, street clothes and all feeling totally mortified. Little did my Mother know that she launched a career that night that she was initially against.

I was both excited and nervous at the same time, I had no costumes. The costumes I wore in Delals group were hers and I didn’t even know where to get one. Then I remembered the skirt Kanza had given me, it was black and it had a gold border, I quickly ran out and bought a black bra, some gold sequins and gold braid and made a bra and a belt to match the skirt.
1st costume
Lou Shelby told me to start that Friday night; the Fez had entertainment only on weekends at that time. Maya, an Egyptian dancer and Cozette, a Las Vegas dancer were working there; I was the third dancer on the program. I came early for a rehearsal; Lou’s idea was to have a real Hollywood like production. I emerged from the darkness in a flood of colored lights and smoke from a smoking machine, opening the show. Lou Shelby announced me as the casting director’s dream. I remember dancing for about five minutes, ending my dance and running off the stage crying in embarrassment. My first night as a solo professional dancer began.

I was in awe of Maya Medwar, she had the same aire about her that Kanza had. Her costumes were beautiful and she had such self-confidence when she danced. She was temperamental and demanding. She danced like the dancers I had seen in the Arabic movies and she also sang as part of her act. I couldn’t believe I was dancing in the same show with her. Cozette, on the other hand was a very friendly girl from Oklahoma who used to dance in Vegas until she hurt her back, she had a ballet background and was very fluent and smooth. Cozette was a great help to me, she introduced me to a man who was the designer for the Jewel Box review (a transvestite show in Hollywood) and he helped make next costume.
The band consisted of Toufik Barham, singing and playing the oud. His nephew Richard Barham also played the oud, Lemi Pasha played the kanoon and Lou played the violin. Josef Kayoumjiam also played the violin. The musicians wore colorful costumes, some wore turbans and some wore the Fez. Lou Shelby wore a black suit and a Fez. Even the waiters and waitresses wore middle-eastern costumes. Lou was the Emcee and his brother Fred was the Maitre’d.

The fez had an upstairs room. Sinbad’s Cave was small and had cushions on the floor. Khamis El Fino and Adel Sirhan played oud. It was a very dark, Smokey mysterious room. The cocktail waitresses would dance up and down the aisles, and the audience was encouraged to join in. Eventually, when the Fez opened 6 nights a week the Dancers would put on a show once or twice a night. Sinbad’s Cave was open 6 nights a week .

Each weekend dancing got easier and easier for me, I was actually starting to enjoy myself, Lou Shelby would say to me “move your hips more” and I’d go out there and move my hips (my arms remained at a stand still). Then he would tell me to move my arms more and I would be all arms. I finally was able to put the two together.

to be continued....

posted in Antoinette - 2 replies

The Hollywood Bellydance scene circa 1960-1970

2004-08-31T18:05:15Z

Since I was one of the first dancers in Hollywood I thought it might be interesting to discuss how it "was" back then. Many dancers have asked me about the past history of this art. Once I get organized I will post my beginnings in this profession.

posted in Antoinette - 3 replies