Yaël ZARCA, the internationally famous and emblematic French bellydancer and teacher, evokes for us her biases, her taste for originality and authenticity, as well as her global vision of Bellydance.

You did a Bellydance choreography on an oriental remix of the famous title "Shape of you" by world star Ed Sheeran, how did you come up with this idea and why did you choose this title?

It was totally on a whim, I’d heard the music on the radio a few days before then started dancing at home to laugh. My husband Amar Chaoui who is a percussionist took his darbuka and started playing over it. I liked it, so he recorded the title and I decided to do it onstage!
On the day of the show (at the Grande Motte Casino for the OMFestival), I really dreaded the reaction of the audience. A few minutes before I was panicking, I did not know how the public would react, I was afraid they’d be disappointed or wouldn’t hit it off with the remix. When the solo started, for a few seconds there was silence and then I heard shouts in the hall, applause, people singing along with the music, it was really a great time shared with the audience!

You keep going by offering remix-based workshops, especially on songs by Michael Jackson (Beat it), Shakira (Whenever) and Adele (Someone like you). How do you create choreographies combining oriental traditions and contemporary modern music?

The songs I chose to dance on are very popular, everyone knows and loves them.
I selected oriental remixes with the darbuka and try to keep my oriental side while being influenced by the singers ‘particularities.
For example, I adapted the Moonwalk from Michael Jackson into an oriental dance step, I made ripples going back just like Michael Jackson but while Bellydancing!

How do your audience and bellydance students welcome these original choreographies and music?

It's true that my choreographies with original music were very successful; I received dozens of messages from dancers after my solo on Ed Sheeran's "Shape of You" asking where they could buy the music.
I also received many requests to do Oriental Remix-themed bellydance workshops. My first one in Paris was a success, it was full and the trainees were very enthusiastic and satisfied! Since then, I have received several requests to do other ones on trendy music.

Bellydance continues to evolve and diversify. How do you see it in mid-term (5 years) and long term (10 years)?

Oriental dance has a more modern and fused body language, I try to adapt according to my students’ requests who are always looking for more novelties while keeping the soul of the Egyptian style. I'm afraid that in the long term the specificities of the Egyptian style will disappear because I feel that today, the bellydance focuses more on the "impressive movements" than the emotion to feel and hand over... On the other hand, the positive point is that our discipline is more and more respected and admired. It is developing fast and has its place in beautiful theaters and dance schools.

You are well known in France but also internationally as a dancer and teacher, how did you become passionate about oriental dance and what are your career’s highlights?

I have been dancing since I was very young and I am very attached to this discipline but also to the music and culture which goes with it.
I have been teaching bellydance for over 10 years and I’ve been lucky that my style and pedagogy are asked for around the world.
I give weekly classes in Paris then workshops and shows almost every weekend in France, or abroad such as in Korea, China, Egypt, Switzerland, Spain, the United States...
My highlights, I had plenty and keep on having them. For me, every new project, new destination, new student met is a highlight building my life as a dancer and fan.

Can you name 3 of your favorite Oriental dancers and why?

I admire a lot of dancers, but if I had to choose three of them linked with the theme of modernity it would be Dina Talaat, Sahar Samara, and Yousry Sharif.
Dina Talaat is an Egyptian bellydancer I admire enormously because after more than 50 years of career she keeps on carrying me away in her songs’ interpretation and does not fail to surprise me with the regular addition of new steps which enrich her dances. She is also an actress and uses her acting to convey a lot of emotions in her dance. I have a lot of admiration for her, she's a real artist.
Then Sahar Samara, a young Egyptian bellydancer who during her dances keeps an Egyptian style while trying to modernize her dance with her gestures, staging, and bellydance costumes. I’m always impressed by her creativity and how she’s full of surprises! Every time I cannot wait to discover what she prepared for us!
Finally Yousry Sharif, a male teacher who is Egyptian and lives in the United States. He is the one who brought modernity in my choreographies with influences of movements sometimes borrowed from modern jazz or tango, but also the use of surprising music! All of this while keeping the oriental soul. I admire his inventiveness; he influences my dancing a lot.