Jillina Performs in Germany for the
20th Anniversary of Arabeska
Thanksgiving is not traditionally celebrated in Germany, it being an American holiday and all, but this year many Germans had much to celebrate over the Thanksgiving Holiday -- namely a fabulous workshop with none other than America's own Jillina!
While you were busy celebrating a second helping of your grandmother's special oyster stuffing, the oriental dance community of Germany was celebrating the 20th Anniversary of Arabeska, the famous Momo Kadous' and Soraya's dance company. The momentous occasion was marked by almost a week of festivities revolving around Egyptian dance and highlighted by the arrival of special guest star, Jillina.
The events commenced with two nights of fabulous stage performances by the master himself, Momo Kadous, his partner of unequalled loveliness, Soraya, esteemed members of the Arabeska Dance Company, and the ever popular, Jillina; and they culminated in several days worth of joyous, sweat-filled, foot-aching, muscle-throbbing dance class lead by the guest star, herself.
All of this was organized to celebrate 20 years of one of Europe’s finest dance ensembles: Arabeska. Under the expert direction of Momo Kadous, the troupe has become well known for its authentic portrayals of various folkloric dance styles, as well as its innovative presentations of more modern Egyptian Raqs Sharki.
Momo Kadous allied himself with Arabeska upon moving to Germany in 1987. He began his dance career in his homeland of Egypt at the age of 10. His training included Ballet, Modern Dance, and Egyptian Folklore. Early on he worked with numerous folkloric groups and eventually finished his training at the famous Balloon Theater in Cairo (El Ferqa el Steradeya). He went on to establish the folkloric group, El Mahalla el Kobre and 1974 he started Wadi el Nile, his own theater group. Wadi el Nile brought international acclaim and allowed for greater opportunities both at home and abroad. This lead to a two year tour of Tunisia after which Momo emigrated to Germany. Once there, he attached himself to the Arabeska studio and oversaw its artistic programming.
Momo Kadous’ 30 years of dance experience and choreographic knowledge have helped usher the Arabeska dance ensemble into its place as a premiere dance group. But credit must also be given to its many talented members, as well. Momo Kadous’ wife and dance partner, Soraya lends her lithe and joyous spirit to the group. Her deliciously impish demeanor on stage is a delight for her audiences. Soraya’s flirtatious style was at its most engaging in a choreographic confection between a waiter and the recipient of his affections that she and Momo performed at the anniversary concert. It was not hard to see why Momo’s character pursued her about the stage with such fervor!!
Arabeska’s other talents include Asmahan, Tahia, and Farasha, three dancers of great beauty and grace. Each has her own indelible style, as evidenced by their solo concert performances. Yet all three danced harmoniously in thrilling ensemble pieces Momo choreographed to debut at this special event. Other notable participants in the Arabeska concert included Cheryl, whose performance in a Nubian ensemble piece was so authentic, that she was mistaken for the real mcCoy instead of being recognized for her true Indian heritage. Truly all of Arabeska’s dancers were a sight to behold!
The success of the 20th Anniversary celebrations far and away exceeded all expectations. Instead of the atmosphere being slightly more subdued in a post September 11th environment, Arabeska performed to two sold out houses of excited patrons. And in the words of Momo, "Jillina brought a lot of people here!" Her workshop was crowded with enthralled students and professionals, eager to glean as much as they could from her unique talents and expertise. They crammed into the dance studio, some having come from as far away as France to dance delightedly to Egyptian pop tunes, and to master Egyptian folkloric malaya techniques under Jillina's guidance.
Workshop participants were excited about the prospect of studying with Jillina, especially after having witnessed her fabulous performances at the Arabeska concerts. In infamous Jillina fashion, she took the stage in an elaborate array of tailor made costumes, performing both oriental and folkloric numbers, as well as some in "shabby" style, for good measure. She enticed her students by giving them a performance preview of a number she would later teach them in class: her too-cute-for-words malaya dance. She wowed people with a particularly innovative cane number and caused their hearts to beat faster with her dramatic drum solo techniques. All the while, she demonstrated her talents not only as a terrific stage performer but also as a skillful choreographer: all of her performances were self-choreographed -- just another testament to her inexhaustible abilities.
"We learned a lot from her," said Momo referring to Jillina's particular style: a marriage of traditional Egyptian techniques and jazz dance influences. Said Soraya, "She has a pure oriental feeling, and combined with her extraordinary body movements, she mixes modern with the oriental and she takes everyone's heart with her."
Jillina's engaging energy and her theatrical flair moved audience members and workshop participants alike. As Soraya pointed out, "She makes every movement special with her personality and charisma. [She has] perfect costumes [and a] perfect body -- [one] can never have enough of watching Jillina dance!"
Don't miss this dancer Momo Kadous dubbed as "an Artist [who] stands out like Nagwa and Dina!"
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