From: radzy@hpcc01.corp.hp.com (Lynne Radzykewycz)
Newsgroups: alt.pagan
Subject: Desert Dance Festival
Date: 3 Oct 92 01:36:35 GMT
Organization: the HP Corporate notes server

OK, if you've read enough lately about women's self images and middle
eastern dance, then you might want to skip this posting.  There *are* a 
few pagan elements as well, but my posting really doesn't focus on them.

With that disclaimer...

The following is a report on my observations from the Desert Dance Festival. 
This is an annual 2-day festival celebrating middle eastern dance and 
music.  It it held in Milpitas, California (San Francisco Bay area).
I am one of many volunteers who run the festival.

What an experience to be part of this!  Nearly all of the volunteers are
women, and the director of the festival is a women.  These women fill
many positions:  announcers, sound booth, admission, stage management,
etc.  Women haul equipment to set up and tear down for the festival.
Women run most of the vendor booths.  Women teach nearly all of the
classes.  The only place where women are in the minority are musicians,
but there were a number of female musicians at the festival too.  

Of course, most of the performers are women.  They ranged in age
from 5 to over 70, from all different ethnic backgrounds, with all
different kinds of bodies.  And there was such POWER in their dancing!
They were proud and confident women.  Here are quotes from some of 
the dancers:

      "Every women is unique and discovers her 
         own dance within the art."              --SeSe
      "I dance because I give and receive joy."  --Celena
      "I feel beautiful when I dance."           --Kalikah
      "The dancer's realm is myth, magic and history."  --Alyne
      "I express my love for life by dancing."   --Shaheen
      "I dance for personal freedom."            --Dunia

Some of the things I remember...  There was one quiet vendor working
nearby me at the front desk, who also was scheduled to perform.  When
she danced, all the quietness was gone!  She dancing was so fiery and
expressive; she really took command of the stage.  Another memory is
of a troupe of six dancers who were mesmerizing to watch as they
performed together in complete harmony.  Occasionally they would 
zaghareet each other (a zaghareet is loud, high-pitched trill used
for greetings, departures, and other general excitement; you make it by 
saying "la-la-la-la-la..." real fast then pitching it up as high as your 
voice will allow).  These women's performance was so captivating that
whenever they would zaghareet, the audience would zaghareet too, filling
with auditorium with excitement!

Some pagan tidbits:
-  I heard one dancer dedicate her performance to the Goddess.  
-  There were at least two vendors who sold Pagan/Goddess-related 
     wares (music, books, videos, etc.)  
-  One of the musicians noticed my S.O.'s stylized pentacle and got
     into a discussion about his percussion circles which he likes
     to hold outdoors under the trees where "you can hear Nature".

It was great to be surrounded by powerful women for a full weekend.
Janis, you should have been there!

I'll post the date for the 8th annual Desert Dance Festival about a
month ahead of time next year.  Hope some of you can make it!

Lynne
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lynne@hpnst.mayfield.hp.com
Newsgroups: alt.pagan