Mm Mm Monday - Gypsy Moor Dancers

The Gypsy Moor Dancers were the precursor, if you will, to Hahbi 'Ru. Created by Mish Mish (the original Bay Area Mish Mish), one of the notable members was future Hahbi'Ru director John Compton. There's a story there, which I am not the one to tell, but later John left to create his own group, as we well know, and many of the same songs and dances were to be part of their iconic repertoire. Case and point, this video with their traditional procession followed by an old beloved song and dance, Jamilo.

Mm Mm Monday - Hahbi Ru at Rakassah - John Compton Tribute

Past and present members of Hahbi 'Ru performing pieces from their classic repertoire, including the Cymbals Dance with a bevvy other guest dancers who had learned the routine elsewhere. There really need not be any other words for this than *sigh*.

YIP Podcast - John Compton!

YIP Podcast did a great interview with John Compton of Hahbi 'Ru recently, which I thought y'all might enjoy if you weren't already aware of it.

When asked how he became interested in Bal Anat and studying with Jamila Salimpour:

"I moved to California in 1971...I think. In 1972 was the first time I saw Jamila's group. I didn't know if they were from the moon or what the heck they were. The drum beat just got to me, and I just wanted to be a part of it so bad.


I approached some of her dancers and they said 'Oh no, I can't teach you. Jamila... that lady...she would kill me is he knew I taught you.'"


...


"Finally somebody...a friend of mine... told me where Jamila's secret studio was. And there was a little room you went in before you actually went into the studio and there was a black curtain which separated the two. She said wait until after the class starts, and sneak into that room and you can see


And I pulled the curtains apart just enough to peek into the room with one eyeball, and then try to do the step in this little waiting room, and I did maybe basic Egyptian, Arabic 1, 2, and 3 or something. And all of a sudden the curtain ripped open. Jamila was a step above where I was standing...she looked huge...and she just went 'YOU!' pointed at me, 'IN HERE! SIT!'"

Wanna know what happened then? You have to give it a listen! More about John Compton's first performance with Bal Anat, why he quit and moving out on his own, influences on Hahbi 'Ru's stylizations, and so much more.

http://www.yippodcast.com/2012/01/episode-53-john-compton_29.html

Mm Mm Mondy - Urban Gypsy

We interrupt this regularly scheduled Mm Mm Monday video post to bring you this late-breaking video footage of my beloved friends and sisters in dance, Urban Gypsy.  Just this week they posted video from their performance from 3rd Coast Tribal (incidentally, this is the festival they put on every January in Texas), and it is pure, unadulterated Old School Tribal. You know, that stuff I LOOOOOOOVE.  They incorporated many pieces of inspiration from Hahi 'Ru including a pot dance, and Jamilo, the lively coffee-making harvest dance which increases in speed to an insane fervor by the end. Not to mention a capella finger cymbals, and features sections with live singing, drumming, and even Sahira hopping over to play flute.  Basically, I passed out from pure adoration, and then played it back a few more times. I am pretty sure a lot of you, my dear readers, will do much the same. Enjoy!

A Tale of Life and Bellydancing - Rebaba of Hahbi 'Ru

Gilded Serpent is always full of such amazing gems.  I have recommended it many times before, and continue to advocate frequent visits to see what treasures you find about bellydance past and present.  Yes, I know it continues to be difficult on the eyes design-wise, but..the articles! The interviews! The photos! Lynette has really turned her labor of love into a go-to resource for so much fantastic firsthand accounts of bellydance history and evolution.

My most recent find?  An article written by Rita Alderucci, a.k.a. Rebaba of Hahbi 'Ru.  A gorgeous woman and dancer, with a difficult past of addiction, which she shares very candidly in this piece.

"It was at this low point in my life that my nearest and dearest, both my immediate family and my Hahbi’Ru family, came to my rescue in the unwanted form of an intervention to save my life.  With nothing but love and fear for my life they put their foots down, and took away the last connection I was desperately trying to hold on to which was dancing.  I had convinced no one but myself that I could keep dancing in that horrible condition. Thank God, they were brave enough and scared enough to say “NO MORE”, and do the one thing that would force me to get the help I needed, take the dance away.

...

In my story that follows I will take you on my life journey, the good and the bad, dancing and then not dancing.  I hope this will entertain you as well as help you understand a little about the illness of addiction."

I actually never knew that she had been a member of Bal Anat (there are some photos of her at 13 years old when she began to perform with them within the article!)

"Her classes gave us so much more than just a Belly dance.  Jamila, with her wonderful story telling and strong hand as a teacher gave me, and many like me, a new and fantastic feminist life-path that was strong and woman-dominated. It gave me a sense of pride and self-esteem for the very first time in my life.  It was the first time in my short life that far that I felt truly special, beautiful, and talented!  I was mature enough to realize that I wasn’t alone in my new found sense of self-worth.   Many young American women who began taking Jamila’s Belly dance classes at this time had similar experiences."

These snippets are from the first installment of her story, but get this...the story is told in SEVEN PARTS (with more to come I hope--the most recent installment was posted as recently as 1/4/12)!  There are seven articles written about her journey in the dance and life, travels around the world, even her lovers and misadventures, and it is all fantastic.  You can find all seven articles at her bio page here
http://www.gildedserpent.com/aboutuspages/RitaRebaba.htm#axzz1jI52w3W1