Oriental dance, its benefits and derivatives (Egyptian yoga, Gnawa dance, "contemp'oriental" fusion)

Thanks to Alexia BERNARD, oriental dancer and teacher, for telling us about these new emerging and still rare trends that are Egyptian yoga, Gnawa dance and the fusion between Bellydance and contemporary dance called "contemp'oriental". In this interview, she also gives us a particularly precise and exhaustive list of all the benefits associated with oriental dancing and we love that!

Since yoga traditionally originated in India, what concept(s) and foundation(s) is Egyptian yoga based on?

Yoga appeared in Egypt around 2000-3000 BC. Egyptian yoga was then rediscovered by Babacar KHANE in 1960. It is an art of verticality which represents the link between the Earth and the Sky. According to Egyptian cosmology, one of the first episodes of the universe's creation consisted in the separation of Heaven and Earth. The Egyptian yoga's objective is to transcend this separation to go back to the source of divine light.
Egyptian postures are based on the relationship between the spine and the flow of energy.
Egyptian yoga postures were at the time practiced within the religious context: during offerings to the gods, ceremonies, prayers. Also, some postures are named after Egyptian gods and goddesses and allowed prayer to these gods.

What kind of posture is offered in Egyptian yoga and for what benefits?

Egyptian yoga postures do not necessarily require flexibility. They can be performed standing, sitting or even lying down, always in order to work on the body's verticality.
Some postures are a real physiotherapy for the back. For example the "Egyptian Ka" works in depth the muscles of the spine.
The Egyptian yoga's action on the vertebral axis affects the functioning of the different organs, through the nerve and energy connections.

What is the point of combining Egyptian yoga with oriental dance during a workshop like the one you had recently?

These two practices work on the body and the mind.
In the workshop's first part focused on Egyptian yoga, the participants were able to experiment and experience postures which in ancient Egypt had the objective of connecting to Earth and Heaven, but also discovering certain Egyptian gods and goddesses, by the postures dedicated to them.
You should also know that Egyptian yoga offers the opportunity of preparing the body for dance practice by warming up the spine, strengthening the anchor point, opening the pelvis and shoulder girdle.
The dance part was the subject of a second part. Bellydance as I practice it engraves movement in space and time while developing proprioceptive awareness. Not only did the participants connect to the group's energy but also to what is happening within them.
Thefore, these two practices are truly complementary and offer a double perspective on ancient Egyptian culture.

You have also already given a Gnawa dance workshop, what is it?

The Gnawa dance is associated with Gnawa culture which is the result of a crossbreeding between Sub-Saharan and North African spiritual practices and beliefs. Gnawas come from a community of African slaves' descendants who were brought to Morocco centuries ago.
The Gnawa dance is practiced to music of the same name. Moves are jerky, with swings, head actions, jumps, all punctuated by the sounds of drums, karkabou (metal castanets) and led by the mualem (or the master of ceremonies) on the gembri (percussive guitar with 3 strings).
The songs take up mystical incantations. The mualem sings and calls the spirits. The ceremony can last all night long.
Gnawa dancers go into a trance, they connect to the world of the invisible and seek to cure some physical and psychological ailments.
When I offer this practice in a workshop, the idea is not to go into a trance but to taste the power of the outlet movement, the one that help you unload mentally.

You also gave a "contemp'oriental" workshop, can you tell us about it?

My artistic world is inspired and nourished by traditional Arab and Amazigh dances from North Africa. From traditional movements, I tried to create a refined, organic, living gesture, coming from the belly and breathing. The breath as a starting point, the conscious connection to the earth for the impulse, the anchorage to strengthen the base and gain power in the pelvis, and the verticality to circulate the energy in the body through the dance move.
My dance is practiced on any music, traditional Arab or Berber, Western or Eastern classical, contemporary or jazz as well as in silence or in the middle of nature carried by the elements.
The idea is that the dancer is not a simple performer who offers the same choreography. She is an integral part of the orchestra, she does not dance to the music but with the music. She has her own score to play, she adds nuances and color that characterize her, depending on her emotional state and the context of the performance. Improvisation is at the core of my practice.

In view of the teachings you offer, you seem truly convinced that oriental dance is a precious "tool" for our well-being and our health. Why and how?

Bellydance has lots of benefits in many ways.
At the physical and physiological level, it puts the body in motion, works on flexibility, strengthens joints, releases tension, activates blood, lymphatic and energy circulation. It opens the pelvis (it is also great in preparation for childbirth), tones the perineum, improves digestion, and also has an impact on menstruation. It relieves congestion in the small pelvis, straightens the back, opens the shoulders, clears the chest and improves respiratory comfort.
At the psychological level, it allows a state of full consciousness, an openness to others, to assume one's place in the group and therefore in our world, gain self-esteem and self-confidence, free oneself from performance anxiety, develop creativity, create a new relationship with the body, learn to love and cherish it but also to recognize the stories it tells, give free rein to emotions, allow yourself to express them by getting out of the need for seduction. It's about living in the moment, just dancing and having fun.
At the energetic level, it releases and activates vital energy by circulating it throughout the body and allowing it to feed on cosmic and telluric energies, create a bridge between the visible and the invisible, release personal, transgenerational and collective memories.

What is your background as a dancer and more specifically as an oriental dancer?

After piano training at the Bordeaux Conservatory, I turned to world music until one day at university in 2006, I attended a traditional North African dance class offered by Leila Mameri. It was a real eye-opener! I then discovered dances that touched my soul, came to reconnect me to universal parts, to the women of the world.
I then trained with her while taking lessons in classical, contemporary, Afro-Brazilian dance, Butô (dance of Japanese origin) and floor barre. I took training at "L'Autre Danse" with Saida Nait-Bouda and Saadiya Souyah. Very quickly, I went on stage to offer another look at oriental dances.
Then I taught in various structures and then set up my association, the Compagnie Anoura, which serves as a platform for meetings around Arab-Berber arts.
Today, I no longer give regular lessons. On the other hand, I offer 3 to 4 thematic workshops per year around Bordeaux and very regularly participate in many artistic projects combining several disciplines: dance-calligraphy performance with the visual artist Yassine Kasmi, dance-graphics with Marie Yakite (Le Rafu association), dance with pregnant women, with fathers, with gypsy communities, interventions in middle schools, libraries, at the Museum of Aquitaine, local artistic festivals, exhibition openings...
I am not an oriental dancer who participates in major international shows. I am simply a woman who expresses herself through Bellydance's fundamentals.

Here is a successful demonstration of oriental contemporary fusion:

Discover the gnawa dance in a video: