This is kSea, with the lovely Ariellah!

Ariellah: Hello! Good morning, sunshine!

kSea: Hey Ariellah! Thanks for finding the time to meet with me... okay, I've got coffee, you're good - I guess this is where we get on with the "official" part of this thang, so let's begin here - how long have you been a belly dancer?

Ariellah: I believe I am going into my ninth year.

kSea: That’s a lot of time! Were you doing other types of dancing before then?

Ariellah: Yes, I have a really strong foundation in classical ballet. I trained with an English ballet dancer who was with the Royal Academy of Dance in England, and she taught me. In my training  with the Royal Academy of Dance, I actually had exams every year, and marks. That was for about twelve or thirteen years.

kSea: So you’ve essentially been dancing for… 22 years?!

Ariellah: Yes! From age three to almost teenager, and then I went back to ballet when I was about nineteen for a couple of years - but by then you’re pretty much over the hill in ballet.

kSea: So tell us - what inspired you to get into belly dancing?

Ariellah: Well, my family is Moroccan and belly dancing has been in my life, my whole life. I’ve always loved it, we always had music and dancing as I was growing up. I’d never trained in belly dance and always wanted to, to get to know how to do it for real. So, I always kind of told myself I’d like to take a class at some point - and in my mid 20s I was finally at the point that I could do that, and I did. I took a class in San Francisco with Janine Ryle ; She is a folkloric belly dancer who trained with John Compton of Hahbi’Ru. That was my first formal introduction to belly dance and I loved it from the first class! I loved the music, I loved the movements. My body was totally awkward, but something in me… I think it was more the music, I loved it and it really moved me. I think it was just in my veins, maybe because of my background.

Janine then sent me to another teacher - she said I needed more training and I said “Okay, give it to me!” So she sent me to Rachel Brice! She taught classes three blocks from my house and it was rad. I studied with her for, I don’t know how long… quite a while. She took an interest in me and one day pretty much asked me if I’d be interested in an advanced class at her home and possibly forming a dance company together, and I said yes! I was really excited! We started doing that on Sundays and from there it was major hardcore training for a year or more, and continued on even after she joined The Belly Dance Superstars. That time with her became three classes a week, & she basically demanded we take two yoga classes a week, then we had our rehearsals, and later that became The Indigo! We had rehearsals with Rachel once a week, and another time during the week without her. I was drilling everyday by myself, so it was basically six days a week and it was so good! I wish I could do that again, and I am actually making every effort this year to get back into that. I haven’t been training as much as I’d like, at least as many hours a day as I’d like… that’s beside the point of the question though, or maybe it’s part of the point… So that was the training! I feel really lucky to have had Rachel as my teacher. I feel fucking lucky, damnit. Thank you! So that’s my training, in a nutshell.

kSea: Damn – that sounds pretty hardcore! So, back to The Indigo briefly - who were the original members?

Ariellah: Janice Solimeno, Michelle Campbell, and of course Rachel Brice and myself. Janice was more of the business partner and helped out with marketing and PR. We all came up with the name, it took like six months! Actually, I think Indigo was one of our very first picks for a name, and six months later we went right back to it!

kSea: Yeah, that happens frequently in my experience. The first one that sounds right usually can’t be improved on.

Ariellah: It was a long process to get that name. At some point we had Sharon Kihara as a guest dancer, so that was good too. Also, a dancer named Grace, who is now in my current dance company; she is a phenomenal dancer. She does salsa and other things, but her technique is great, and her belly is awesome!

kSea: So Ariellah - what did you learn through being in an actual troupe?

Ariellah: What did I learn from being in a troupe...oh…

kSea: Yeah, lemme have it! That wasn’t something you were really expecting when you started training with Rachel was it?

Ariellah: No, it wasn’t. In fact now that you mention that, I didn’t expect any of this to happen! I expected to go to belly dancing, get to my roots, and have some fun. I had no intention of ever in a million years of quitting my day job and doing this. This is a natural evolution that I had no idea was going in this direction.

kSea: Out of curiosity, what was your day job?

Ariellah: Well, I thought that I wanted to dedicate my life to homeless people - so I did that, I worked with homeless people for many, many years. My minor in college was sociology with a social welfare emphasis. I ended up being the head book keeper at an immigration law firm, & it turned out to be one of the best jobs! I have to admit that besides this creative side, I have this total Capricorn organized side and I really loved having to be that organized! I was the head of my department; I kind of liked to be in charge or something. In the end it was so good - I hate math but at this job they trained me to be the book keeper - they just took a chance on me and it was great! That was my day job and I actually loved it. I loved working with the homeless people and I loved being an accountant or book keeper. In the end I was starting to teach workshops, Rachel was referring me to teach and it was like I had two jobs and at one point I had to choose, otherwise I was going to die or something. It was too much and there was no way I was going to give up my art, but it took like a year of thinking, over a year of going “okay - can I do this?” And knock on wood, I am going into my third year of purely dancing & instructing. It’s great! I don’t get paid even half as much but you know what? Inside I am so… I can’t believe it when I wake up every day!

kSea: Right on! Here’s to you following your art & making it happen!

Okay, back to pretending that I’m an interviewer: …Back to the troupe, what are some of the things you learned? Some of your experiences? Things that stand out the most that helped you?

Ariellah: Well, collaborating with other people is totally wonderful and I find it a much more enjoyable experience to work in. In the past I’ve worked on choreography with people and all the ideas that come together, the creative consciousness, I find to be wonderful. It’s one thing I enjoy, working with the troupe. Learning… well I learn new moves! One thing I learned with the Indigo is that Rachel wanted each of us to develop on our own as strong dancers and bring that back to the table as a group, so she really pushed us to get solo gigs as much as possible and really work on our own stuff aside from Indigo. I really thought that was a great idea, and then when I am in the group they’re giving to me their ideas as well as I am getting to share mine and I think that is a really great thing in terms of being an artist.

Being able to share it and not just going out there and dancing alone, being a soloist where it’s all about me! Me! Me! It’s really, really wonderful to share the dance with other people. I've worked with other group, Bastet & Lapsus, and I would have loved to have done more but time wouldn't allow it - but I'm really glad I had those experiences because they were more of a collaboration rather than a director, directing. I was able to bring that into my own dance company, where I am the artistic director - but I try to allow the dancers in my troupe to have their own ideas and expressions and bring that into the troupe as well. I am really thankful that I had those experiences, because I learned that from collaboration in other dance companies - just allowing that creative collective energy to happen, rather than it be some type of dictatorship. I also remember from my first dance company with Janine; I was in her student troupe and we did traditional Berber Algerian dances and she really wanted to be authentic. We had these Berber costumes, specific music, and specific movements, and I am really glad I had that training, but I really didn't enjoy wearing that costuming, and think it came out in my dancing. I didn't feel as good on stage, I didn't feel like myself. Now with my own dance company, I really hold onto that memory; we have uniforms when we do our costuming, but every single person makes their costuming their own. There is still a cohesiveness but they put their own things on it, infuse it with their own personalities. We might have a similar belt base, but then they'll do something to make it a part of their distinct style.

I also have them bring me music they like when we first start choreographing a dance piece, and well all kind of choose it together. Sometimes in the end, it’s me who says what song we’re going to do, though!

I learned both the negative and positive things from working with groups and in the Indigo I really learned and felt what it was like to have a strong connection, a “synergy”, and the happiness that came from being with these ladies. We were with each other every day and I am glad I had that really positive experience, because I've just carried it through everything I’ve done. I've heard about a lot of drama in the belly dance community, and I definitely feel fortunate to not be apart of it. I am enormously thankful to Rachel, she's influenced me in more than just my dance; she's shown me how to be positive, how to stay positive, how to be a good teacher, human being, dancer, and while all this stuff was hopefully already in me, she really brought it out and was an amazing mentor!

kSea: Wonderful! And here, you were nervous about not having enough to say…

So Ariellah, as we go on, I'd like to know some things you'd like to talk about.

Ariellah: I'd like to talk about performance art. I just want to put it out there, to the community to kind of remind all of us, because I feel like we sort of stray from this as belly dancers; that this is a highly skilled art form. I don't want us to forget that we are performance artists and we want to take the audience on a roller coaster, take them out of their seats and bring them on a crazy journey. I know when I go see Cirque Du Soleil, that's what I want, it's what I have a hunger for. I just want to put the vibe out there, to try to go on stage and not just do a choreography of eights counts of this, and eight counts of that and to be blankly staring out somewhere. I encourage people, I invite people to bring more theatre and drama to their belly dance, be more engaging with the audience and break down the wall that separates the audience from the performers. Reach out to your audience and bring them with you on your journey, and be the artist that you are - express yourself, show them a part of yourself. It's like a painting on the wall, it's somebody's painting – their heart laid out on the canvas.  It's the same way with the dance and for some reason that's really important to me, to get that message out there, so that when we are at these festivals or belly dance shows and have these big productions that it's not just one choreography after another but rather one piece of art after another, and for it to be engaging for the audience. It's theatre! Let's have some drama, some spice, some expression and really take it to the next level and have some fun! That's the beauty I find in fusion belly dance, when I dance I try to stay grounded in the basic movements in Middle Eastern dance but at the same time there is obviously some styling that comes on top, and that's were the theatre and drama come in and engulf the audience.

Isa: I have to add, in class she is constantly going "Faces! Faces! Watch your faces!" Other teachers haven't focused on your facial expressions during dances and sometimes people are so concentrated on just being on point & hitting their marks. She brings us back to watching our faces so we can focus on what you're emoting to other people.

Ariellah: That's also part of training, to take your dance to the next level. Yeah, you're going to have your concentration face when you're learning something but at the same time you should be working on that face you're going to present to the audience. To be that well rounded dancer that has it all, that's what's going to bring your audience in and have them want to see you more.

kSea: If there was anyone in the entire dance community that you were able to take classes from, who would that be - and why?

Ariellah: Mira Betz, and I am actually taking private lessons from her right now. I am super excited about this because I've never taken classes from her before and I think she is an exceptional dancer. I am retraining for the third time in my belly dancing career and it's really challenging, sometimes really frustrating, but I am so happy. I think she's phenomenal in her dynamic choreographies, and in her isolations. I'd also love to take classes with Mardi Love again - I took classes with her in 2003 for about six months. Rachel asked me to take over her classes when she left to tour with Belly Dance Superstars, but I said no because I was too scared, so Mardi Love took over. It's a blessing in disguise though because I think she is the most creative genius in the whole entire world. I love her! I would die for her. It's like the creativity just flows right out of her mouth and her finger tips. She doesn't even have to think about it; costuming, technique, choreography, combos, music, being a vegan... she's just exceptional at so much. She oozes it, she's so influential and I don't know if people realize it. Rachel will tell you this, behind the scenes she is like the master. But yes, Mira Betz and Mardi Love. I am lucky enough to live near Mira Betz and be able to work with Mira and really try to get back into my crazy training and take my dance to the next level. I’m very excited!

Isa: Everybody is on this Mira Betz craze!

Ariellah: She didn’t ask me to do this, but god, I want to plug her! I have that she is one of the most exceptional teachers I have ever know. She gets right in there, moving me and telling me exactly what I need. She really watches you, and I really appreciate that. She's phenomenal. I am going to get to work with her - we are doing a duet in Toronto in March I believe so I am excited about that. Last year I got to be able to do a couple of European tours and this year I get to do the same so I am stoked. I get to go to Australia and Malaysia, along with Europe. So it's an exciting year for me, although last year was real exciting too! Everything is amazing and that's all I have to say, because I am so thankful that I’m so busy. I’m getting married, too, and it's awesome! I am just the happiest woman in the world. I love Bruce so much and he was in Ultra Gypsy back in the day. He used to take classes with Rachel Brice and Sharon Kihara while they were students too. We are getting married September and we are going to India for our honey moon for three weeks. I am going to train in Odissi dance because I want to bring that style in, it’s so fucking beautiful. I think it was 2002 that Rachel told me to go do Odissi and I am so excited to bring that in and get into that. It is so phenomenally gorgeous. Bruce is going to do some yoga, and I am going to try to as well and during out last week we're going to a Greek island.

Isa: Are you doing any yoga in the bay area?

Ariellah: Yeah! I train with Jennifer Rodrique the most wonderful teacher, I'm sure everybody thinks that about their yoga teacher, but I love her so much and she's at the Yoga Loft and I've been training with her for eight years. Also, since I met Bruce four years ago, he has an exceptional teacher Kristie Dahlia-Home and we do two yoga retreats a year with her that consist of three day intensives and they're phenomenal and I've learned so much from her. We try to go to her a few times a year. So yeah! I train with two yoga instructors and I love them so much!

kSea: Also, a small mention of something else Ariellah is doing, tell us all about it!

Ariellah: Well I was asked if I teach private lessons which I do, but somebody asked me to teach private lessons over the webcam. We did it through Skype, it's been interesting. I didn't know what to expect but it's worked out, it's just like having her there except I can't touch her which kind of sucked, but it's been really, really beneficial to her apparently. It's good for people who unfortunately don't have access to any teacher at all. It's out there and it's free, this Skype thing. You just type it into google and you can sign up right there and you just need a webcam or to have one in your computer, and that's not such a horrible issue, and it's free! Talk over the internet with video, Skype is awesome!

kSea: Ariellah, you rocked! Thank you very much for talking with Big Top!

Ariellah: Thanks kSea & Isa for even interviewing me! I hope it was okay?

kSea: Of course it was – you were absolutely wonderful.

Ariellah: Cool! Thanks!