What´s the true purpose of Egyptian Dance?
The purpose of Egyptian Dance has been forgotten, a long time ago.
Yet, forgotten doesn´t mean lost; it doesn´t mean erased. It just means "forgotten", something that has been buried under the sand and fallen upon collective amnesia.
When I think about the History of Egyptian Dance, its ancient roots and how many changes, limitations, and distortions it has endured, I´m not surprised that its essence has been left behind.
Egyptian Dance has been used as a workout, as a social dance for life´s celebrations, for - high and low level - entertainment -, for artistic, healing, and self-discovery purposes; it has also been used, sold, and treated like a cheap exotic strip-tease.
In the midst of this wonderful mess, there´s the TRUTH, the ESSENCE, and the PURPOSE that can never be erased. For as long as we´re human - body, mind, heart, and soul -, the core of "Raks Sharki" prevails.
Now, you´re wondering, what´s the PURPOSE OF EGYPTIAN DANCE?
And the answer is simple: the purpose of Egyptian Dance is Human Connection.
Human connection - from each individual to her/himself;
Human connection - from a specific culture to other cultures;
Human connection - from humans to other humans.
As a performer, I´ve witnessed and experienced the purpose of Egyptian Dance on a level hard to describe with words. I felt it on my skin, then I started doing it and teaching it.
As a teacher, an author, an entrepreneur, and a person, I know this is the ultimate goal.
That´s why everything I choreograph, teach, write, and share at Joana Saahirah´s World is imbued with the spirit of Egyptian Dance, the power of its original purpose.
Authentic Egyptian Dance, the one that serves the soul, not the ego; the one that unites instead of separating, the one that empowers us to become individuals, not copies of someone else.
In our Sunday Coffee Sessions - Click HERE to know more about it -, a free online event I created to inspire, empower, and share our common humanity during the quarantine, we´re actively working on the purpose of Egyptian Dance.
Participants may, or may not, be aware of it but that doesn´t change the facts. As a creator, I´m responsible for turning my vision into reality and for setting the tone inside every cell of my work - in the free content I provide; in my shows, courses, private coaching, writing, choreographing; in whatever I do.
Session #2 was particularly emotional. We discussed Self-Love (& Self-Care) over coffee. That, in itself, would be enough to make it worthy of anyone´s attention, but we went further. I shared my vulnerable, raw, honest self and the participant women - amazing, intelligent, magical women who were present for the best reasons - did the same. No masks, no vanity, superficiality or competition in sight. Pure human connection.
Beauty.
My soul whispered in relief, my heart smiled, I left the session feeling like a better person, accomplished, in tune with the reason why I do what I do.
Now, more than ever, we´re called to remember what has never been lost, though forgotten: our essence, heart, common humanity.
That´s what we´re creating at Joana Saahirah´s World; that´s what we´re delivering at our Sunday Coffee Sessions.
In the midst of darkness, there´s light, the light we make with our own hands. I hope you join us on this ride.
Follow THIS LINK to SAVE YOUR SPOT for our upcoming Free Live Sunday Coffee Sessions and feel welcome to share the news with your friends and dance peeps.
50% Complete
Two Step
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua.