Gemma's fairy tale, an oriental dancer

Thanks to Gemma, a professional Bellydancer and teacher, for her detailed and exciting answers to our interview.

Can you introduce yourself in detail, from the birth of your passion for Bellydance to your activity today as a renowned dancer and teacher?

I started oriental dance with Della Durlach, who was my first teacher, when I was a student at the Sorbonne in Paris. I really fell in love during this first lesson. Before this I used to practice classical dance, but I discovered in oriental dance another dimension that suited me more: femininity, the pleasure of dancing and especially the fact that this dance immediately made me feel better and treated my shyness.
So I threw myself body and soul in this discipline. I traveled to Egypt to train with great masters like Raqia Hassan, Ibrahim Akef, Mahmoud Reda, but also to see shows with great belly dancers like Dina, Randa ou Noor... or to understand the oriental culture. At the same time, I was diligently following Mayodi's classes in Paris. Quickly, he offered me to be part of his company, the Compagnie El Noujoum, and made me enter the world of entertainment through the front door, since my very first stage was as a professional oriental dancer at the Olympia.  It was also the time of the prestigious Parisian evenings, we entertained large weddings, I participated in a musical at the Divan du Monde for more than 70 performances in Paris then on tour throughout France, I did an appearance in the film Vengo of Tony Gatlif as well as various ones in television shows... We were performing almost every night!  So I had to put my studies on hold because I could no longer reconcile the galas until 3 am and preparing for the agrégation to be a philosophy professor! Finally I had to make a choice and it was my passion for Bellydance which won!
I then developed my career as a professional oriental dancer and founded my own company with my partner Djamel Mellouk. I also completed my training from a rhythmic point of view with finger cymbals' lessons. In 2000, we created the Compagnie Mille et Une Nuits which brings together 7 dancers and musicians with the ambition to present a classy and modern image of oriental dance, showing beautiful Bellydance costumes, sophisticated choreographies and a real staging. My wish was to succeed in bringing oriental dance to theaters and large stages, outside of weddings and private parties. We then regularly produced big shows for renowned stages such as La Cigale, the Arab World Institute, always self-produced and without any subsidy. We also released a live CD/DVD box set of our show at La Cigale (distributed by SONY). Thanks to this hard work, we've drawn the attention of the media to oriental dance and have been the subject of many press articles, TV reports, and participated in different programs such as "Attention à la marche", "Vendredi tout est permis"... 
Since then, we continue on our way, are invited in theaters or receptions in France and in the world (Egypt, Lebanon, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Togo, Gabon, Congo and recently in Djibouti...).
The reality is far beyond anything I could have imagined!  

Tell us about your famous "Mille et Une Nuits" Bellydance school? 

I started teaching oriental dance first in the province, in the town of Vernon where I come from, without thinking that one day it really would be my job. I really wanted to share with as many women as possible this culture I had discovered and which was now part of me. Quickly, the dance school I created (Mille et Une Nuits) took an unexpected dimension, and like in the domain of shows, I found myself carried away in the dance! Since then, we offer oriental dance and percussions lessons and workshops in a historic place, as we are lucky enough to have a very beautiful dance hall with a part of the city wall.
Since 2000, I have been giving regular Bellydance lessons in Paris (currently in studio 16) and every year, I organize a big end-of-year show with my students from Paris and Vernon, because I have my heart set on highlighting my students' work and bringing a good outcome to their year of dance. The lessons take place in a good atmosphere and in a friendly way, I really try to make the women feel comfortable. I'd say that my objectives are to have them progress with discipline and seriousness, but without making the teaching austere.  Because above all, for me, dancing should be festive, but it also teaches us to be united, passionate, follow through on our ambitions in a spirit of sharing. We are a tight-knit team and I take great pleasure in seeing my students blossom on stage. We should be performing in June, after stopping two years due to the Covid, and with even more motivation and happiness to share! I also give regularly themed Bellydance workshops with my partner Djamel Mellouk who accompanies us on the darbouka so the students can acquire, in addition to technique, a sense of Egyptian rhythm and musical listening which are very important.  I also train professional oriental dancers who join my company and teachers who come to perfect their knowledge.

For you, if life were to be an oriental dance, which one would it be and why? 

My career is starting to be quite long and when I was younger I would have answered without hesitation "Sharki" , but taking a step back and with maturity my answer is "Baladi", with its joys, sorrows, but always its authenticity. Baladi is a feminine dance, and like a woman, it is a dance that is sometimes cheerful, sometimes nostalgic or melancholic, but always proud of its roots. Above all, its earthly side requires us to "keep our feet firmly on the ground", which is essential in this job!  

Based on your experience, how do you see the future of oriental dance following the various developments it has experienced over the past 10 years but also the Covid-19 crisis?  

After years of work to build a positive image of bellydancing, a challenge that has been partially successful, these past 10 years I have unfortunately observed some cultural and sociological closure: oriental dance makes people dream less, sometimes it is once again associated to negative clichés and images among the general public. Having become cosmopolitan when world music was "trendy", it was aimed at everyone, but now we feel a clear withdrawal and in our shows we meet less and less this mixed audience of the past years. The current trend is to dance either for an audience already knowledgeable, of oriental origin, or for an audience of people practicing oriental dance. It stays "cut off from the world" and that's a pity. Bellydance is such a rich dance that it deserves to be fully shown just like any other dance! Media have also turned away from our art lately, particularly following the waves of terrorist attacks, and it is very sad, because dance promotes openness and tolerance.
With the Covid crisis, Bellydance (like all dances) suffered a lot, as much in the world of shows as in dance lessons. Oriental dance lessons developed by video, an aspect that does not particularly appeal to me, because for me belly dance is a socializing activity, it creates very important human bonds. In terms of shows, everything slowed down, and restarting is difficult because the lack of visibility in the time required to set up and organize a show discourages the schedulers and organizers.
Who knows what comes next, no one can predict the future. Going back in September was a rebirth: despite the difficulties, I am still here, with my passion intact. I think lots of effort will be required to rebuild all the work that has been done. But it is also in crisis that we realize the importance of Art. As long as there are women and men, there will be dancing! It is essential for mankind.  
Finally, the "truce" imposed by the Covid was beneficial in one area, I was able to finish writing my book "Je danse donc je suis", a book on oriental dance which is biographical, sociological and historical, as well as an overview of my personal and artistic journey. Coming soon.

On stage, which style of Bellydance costume do you prefer to wear and why?

On stage, I like to wear oriental dance costumes which I feel good in. All of my company's costume sets were created for us, with One Thousand and One Nights designs (stars and moons in rhinestones), to give a professional overall picture. For my students, I always create a minimum of two scenes for each class: one in an identical Bellydance costume and another in a “free” costume to let them express their fantasy. It's part of the game and they really enjoy it! My mom being a seamstress, I grew up surrounded by fabrics and I'm usually very inspired. I love to create, assemble, modify costumes to customize them!
For my own oriental dance costumes, I like the shiny fabrics, bright colors, close-fitting cuts, transparencies, beaded and rhinestone fabrics. The feminine side of a beautiful embroidered costume, I love it, and it catches the light so well! On stage you can wear all the colors that we wouldn't necessarily dare to put on everyday, so why do without? I also like to match my costumes with necklaces, headbands, sleeves... Every detail counts!
And of course, I like to introduce various props into my Bellydance shows, such as Isis wings, veils, canes, and finger cymbals.

Who are the French and international oriental dancers that you admire the most? 

I still admire Dina who in my opinion is the best bellydancer and the one who has inspired me since my beginnings. But I also like some Russian oriental dancers who kept the Egyptian authenticity, like Aida Bogomolova. In France, we have a new generation of good bellydancers, well trained technically. Most of all I need someone to touch me with a certain grace, musicality, authenticity. You need sincerity in dancing, true passion, charisma.

What quality do you think is essential for any oriental dancer?  

Dedication. Simply because working as a Bellydancer is difficult, the path is punctuated by main strengths and disappointments. There are people who encourage you, believe in you, and others who hold you back, deliberately or not, so you really have to believe in yourself, in what you want to do and in your dreams, and be consistent over time. And given the current situation, it is even more necessary! Never give up, go your own way and don't get discouraged.

Check out Gemma and her dance company performing on a TV set: