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AMERICAN BELLYDANCER Back by Popular Demand! Tickets will be available for $8 at the door,
but may also be purchased in advance here: American Bellydancer is the first feature documentary on the art and practice of bellydance in the USA. Directed by highly respected documentary maker, Jonathan Brandeis, historical perspectives are touched upon, but the focus is bellydance today, with emphasis on bellydance in the USA. The male-female divide, the East-West dichotomy since September 11, and the controversy surrounding the birth of the world’s first professional bellydance troupe, the Bellydance Superstars and Desert Roses, are woven together amid interviews and performances, featuring many of America’s icons of bellydance. Though it may come as a surprise to many, there are more bellydancers in the USA than the rest of the world put together. This fact, plus the current wave of suppression in the Middle East has made American bellydance the center of the art today. Morocco, Tamalyn Dallal, Philidas, Tiffany Hanan, Rachel Galob Ortego, and the outspoken, Suhaila, are featured, the latter taking on producer, Miles Copeland, and giving him an earful. The Bellydance Superstars and Desert Roses’ formation along with high profile performances in Bali, Indonesia and on the US Lollapalooza festival tour provide a backdrop and storyline. The characters of Jillina, Ansuya, and Rachel Brice are particularly strong. Also featured are Sonia, Amar Gamal, Kaeshi, and Petite Jamilla, and Georgianne. Anyone interested in bellydance or even the workings of the entertainment business will find the film fascinating, informative, thought-provoking, and, most of all, entertaining. One thing for sure, if you weren’t particularly interested in bellydance before seeing this film, after viewing it, you definitely will be. www.bellydancesuperstars.com "American Bellydancer" explores the rapidly developing world of the ancient art in the United States. Almost explosive in its growth, bellydancing has inspired dance troupes, bellydance schools, a thriving internet community, and a new generation of dancers. Bellydancing addresses issues of gender politics, religion, spirituality and ethnicity. Yet it's also a tremendously entertaining art form - which explains why it has remained vital since its estimated origin in 200 B.C. At a time of fragile relationships between the US and the Middle East, bellydancing bridges the cultural and political divide. "It's been a challenge to bring Middle Eastern music and dance to the U.S. in the current political environment," Copeland says. "The fact that we've encountered occasional negatives has been far outweighed by the positives. Bellydancing is about art, not politics - but in experiencing the art, you also experience the culture, and that becomes political in and of itself."
"American Bellydancer" is directed by multiple award-winner Jon Brandeis, who's worked in various capacities within the film and TV community. Brandeis' credits include properties developed for ABC, Bravo, Showtime, Cinemax, VH-1 and MTV, among many others. The documentary, which began shooting in Puerto Rico and Miami in February, is everything its name implies: it delves into the world of US dancers via interviews with teachers, students at all levels, and fans. It includes footage of dance performances, each distinct and spectacular, in cities across America. Together, each element combines to provide a comprehensive view of the evolving American art of bellydance. |
