Spotlight on: Annah of Sweden

Photo: Tunde Dora

1. Dancing Raqs in Sweden comes with a unique cultural backdrop. How has your environment shaped the way you interpret and embody this dance?

When I discovered Raqs Sharqi in my 20’s, my view on dance in general was very much a ”Western” one. I had grown up dancing ballet & jazz/show dance, with focus on technical precision, defining & naming separate movements, counting to 8, and learning choreographies. Don’t get me wrong, I loved it! My dream as a child was to become a musical artist. But it made me approach Raqs Sharqi from a perspective that was very far from its own character & traditions.

Furthermore, my first teachers didn’t tell us a lot about cultural context, history, or the music. The town I lived in however had quite a large proportion of immigrants from Lebanon, Turkey, & Greece. When I started performing at restaurants & parties in the area I also started to encounter the culture(-s) where this dance is a living social dance. And my approach gradually changed. Improvisation and audience interaction became more important than choreography. Knowing the popular songs among the audience became crucial, and performing & interacting with musicians became part of the experience.

At about the same time I got the opportunity to start studying with Egyptian teachers like Aida Nour, Raqia Hassan, and Khaled Mahmoud - which was a true eye-opener. I realised I needed to learn so much more about the dance, and the music. 

I’ve spent a lot of time studying and re-learning, in many iterations over the years. I’m in the middle of a new iteration right now! It never ends

But my Swedish or ”Western” perspective definitely still impacts my dance. Especially when I work with choreography, for my troupe for example, I can see how the theatrical staging from my previous dance life comes through.

2. Your work feels both refined and emotionally present. How do you balance technical clarity with genuine feeling in your movement?

This sounds ”too simple” perhaps, but I think of it like this: clarity of foundational movements is the best enabler for expression. 

To really, physically feel the basic movements  as the core of the dance, following them through and letting them take the time they need makes it easer to be present. There’s no rush, I have time to absorb the music and respond to it with whatever expression I want. 

This might mean that I don’t ”hit” all the accents or react to everything. And that’s ok!

When it comes to genuine feeling, it’s all about the music, and the meaning and emotional charge of a song. I try to be as responsive as I can in the moment, and to touch into my own emotions. Again, this is easier when I don’t do a 1000 movements, but instead focus on the basics & go from there.

3. Many dancers outside the Middle East wrestle with questions of authenticity. How have you defined your own relationship to the dance’s cultural roots?

Honestly, this is something I struggle with all the time. Especially in a political climate where people of the cultures of this dance are demonized and discriminated against, while I stay clear of all of that with all my privilege. 

This is an ongoing process for me, and I have  questioned many times if I really should be doing this dance at all.

On the other hand: I think people feel quite directly if you approach the dance (their dance) with openness, humility and a willingness to learn. If you put honest focus on your audience rather than yourself.

I’ve messed that up many times along the way. But I’ve also had many - predominantly - wonderful and sincerely emotional moments. If I made a wedding party memorable and made the guests of all ages happy, taken care to choose their favorite songs, and got them up to dance…  I’m still a guest in this dance. But I’ve done something that was truly appreciated. That’s a huge honor. Then I feel like the most welcome guest. 

My ”authenticity” is always in the eyes of the audience. And I can always learn more from them.

4. What drew you to raqs in the first place—and what has kept you committed to it over time?

What first attracted me was the joyful interaction with the audience - and, I must admit - the glitz and glitter.

My first encounter with Raqs Sharqi was a local (Swedish) dancer performing at a small

Photo: Tunde Dora

restaurant in Malmö. She came in like a wave of joy and energy, I was blown away. She was improvising, and communicating a lot with the audience.

Then I started in my first classes, and was also soon hooked on how the movements felt in my body. I had been dancing other dances from a very early age, but nothing had felt as good as this. Plus, I loved being on stage in a beautiful costume. For me at that time, as a very ignorant young dancer Raqs Sharqi had it all.

The real love for the music however came a bit later, when I started studying with Egyptian teachers. Then the world of the music, as part of the dance, opened up for me.

I’ve had many low periods over the years: because of stress or time constraints, family priorities, or just times when I’ve lost inspiration. What has kept me still coming back, still in love with this dance is to watch dancers of and in the culture. 

YouTube has been instrumental for me. I have 100+ playlists there with Egyptian, Lebanese, Turkish & Greek dancers, from the 1940’s and onward. When I go back and watch one of my favorites - like Fifi Abdo, Naemet Mokhtar, Tahia Carioca, or Shoo Shoo Amin - I always find the spark again. Suddenly I feel that compelling, irresistible urge to dance, and I’ve found new (old) variations that I need to try.

5. How do you approach musicality and nuance?

For me, it’s about feeling ”at home” in the music, and being able to guide the audience through it in a way that moves with it, not overwhelms it.

I would never claim to ”know Arabic music” completely in any way, or understand all symbolism and nuance in every song. But I do think it’s possible to get to a point where you feel comfortable in the music, and in experiencing it together with the audience. For me, this is the best place to be on this earth. Especially if the music is played live.

To get there, IMO it comes down to

- Immersing yourself in the music, continuously, over time. Listening to the music of the genre/style/country, in volume. Not only one specific song or a specific recording. As teachers, we have a great opportunity - and IMO a responsibility - to give our students accessible ways to do this.

- Learning the fundamentals of how the music is structured, the rhythms, the instruments, and the way in which the music is traditionally played

- Knowing the meaning of the lyrics of songs, and their cultural context. Even though Raqs Sharqi isn’t a dance where each word/phrase is literally illustrated, you need to know if a passage is joyful, longing, sad, etc or perhaps satiric & funny. Learn Arabic, at least enough to start understanding the overall meaning and ”story arch” of songs.

- Always start from the fundamental movements. Adding nuance is to vary and combine those movements in different ways. Playing with speed, size, power, weight placement and balance, framing, focus/directions, levels, etc. 

- Watch how dancers - and ordinary people! - of the culture move to the music. I always return to the dancers of past days for inspiration, as well as current dancers of the culture (e.g Egyptian). Some of the most legendary and impactful performances are, when you really watch them, done with few and fundamental movements but with great nuance.

I also want to clarify that so far, I’ve primarily immersed myself in Arabic music used for Egyptian Raqs Sharqi and folk dances. I know very little about Turkish and Greek music, for example but I’m aiming to learn more.

6. How has being part of the European bellydance scene influenced your growth, compared to engaging with dancers and teachers from the dance’s regions of origin?

I would say: the quality & expression of my dance has overwhelmingly come from source dancers & teachers (mainly Egyptian). 

But the European (or perhaps more specifically the Nordic) dance community has been instrumental for my growth in many other ways, and is also very important to me on a personal level.

I had a period when I was in competitions regularly, in Denmark, Sweden & Norway. I had just started dancing actively again after having children. Competing in the arts can of course be questioned, but for me, at that time it was very impactful for my growth as a dancer. 

People work differently with goals & deadlines - but for me it did wonders to decide ”on that date I’ll be on that stage doing this piece”. I needed that push. And by setting that goal each year for several years it set a transformation in motion that then lead to so many things - including going to Egypt regularly, organizing local haflas vidited by both Swedish & Danish dancers, seeking out other events, and getting friends for life within the Nordic dance community.

To younger dancers finding their way in the multitude of events I would say: 

- remember that this is a cultural dance. Try to ensure that you study with source teachers as much as you can, and watch the source dancers. 

- at the same time, take the leap to go out to at least some events in your region. Visit local/regional festivals and haflas. You might find new friends, people that will inspire you, musicians to work with, tips on teachers, traveling tips, music inspiration… these 2 things can both play a part in your growth!

7. When you teach, what do you find yourself emphasizing most—precision, expression, musical understanding, or something less tangible?

I always try to start from and highlight how the dance is practiced in its home culture - both professionally and as a social dance. 

Which means, I focus on 

- Variation of fundamental movements, with a lot of references to this & that dancer

- Simplicity, presence, and expression rather than ”precision”.

- Musical awareness, built gradually over time, with at least one looong playlist per class!

- The social aspect of dancing together in the group (which can be a challenge when you teach online). My online students know what’s up when I switch to ”gallery view”

- Improvisation, or improvised sections on a choreo structure, based on all of the above.

8. Looking ahead, what kind of impact do you want to have within the international raqs community?

Photo: Kenneth Sporsheim

I would like to contribute to a bigger focus on improvisation and social dancing, overall. 

Which also means that even though I love to teach & coach students who want to perform and perhaps become professional dancers, I also want to just spread the joy of this dance, to encourage people to move together.

I want to inspire dancers/students to watch source dancers, to study with source teachers, and to make the source music as much a part of their life as the dance is.  

Another aim is to increase the interaction & connectedness between the ”dance community” and people who has this dance as part of their culture. In Sweden I still see far too little of this, and I know that I can do better!

Dance-wise I want to continue to highlight the immense treasure of dance legacy - the variations and expressions of dancers of the past, which is still an endless flow of inspiration for me. And, the new/current Egyptian stars & how they build on that legacy.

I also want to help spread information about source dancers, musicians, singers, composers & poets, to widen people’s knowledge beyond the mainstream ”bellydance albums”. With extra focus on those where there isn’t a lot of information available in English.

A small step in this process is my ”Song of the Week” series that I started earlier this year. And there might be more ambitious happenings in the future…! Upcoming events with Annah: - ”Baladi Immersion” online course, 10 weeks starting September 13

- Impro Lab workshop in Roskilde, Denmark November 8

These are open for registration on my website, www.fireflow.se/kurser/

There will also be a ”Raqs Sharqi Legacy” technique class online, starting in September, time TBD.

+ continued Song of the Week - stay tuned on my IG & FB for new additions!