Fall Quarter Star Dancer
“Lotus Niraja and the NDC” of Baltimore, MD
Lotus Niraja
as interviewd by: Oberon
The Niraja Dance Company or The NDC as the troupe is commonly referred to, is "stealing" hearts and minds every time they rock the stage in venues all across the country. Why is this troupe the performance stand-out, bringing consistent excitement and collective brilliance in an arena that has seen so many troupes struggle to unite the individual personalities that make up the company? Artistic director, choreographer, principal performer and number one devotee to her troupe, Lotus Niraja shared some valuable insight about commitment, work and family.
Here's what she said:
O) What makes the NDC approach different to other dance troupes?
LN) Or focus is modern and urban belly-dance. While we appreciate the older, traditional styles, after all the dancers who came before us are our God-mothers, we adhere more to modern Lebanese and Egyptian style.
We've fused our cultural backgrounds into the mix i.e. Latina and African American.
O) Are the troupe members only Latina and African American?
LN) Not at all. Members are chosen through open auditions - however, yes, they must have respect for all the cultural influences of our dance.
O) How many members are there currently? 
LN) Ten. There are 4 core members and four new members and 2 affiliates. 8 core Actually, four official members and four new NDC members. I have such great energy in the troupe and it is important to me to retain it - so there are two probation periods. One of 3 months is to make sure that the new members can commit to the troupe rigors and community and the other of 6 months to make sure it is what the dancer wants. This way I can see how the new personalities affect the dynamics of the troupe. I prefer to have a dancer with less talent and a good heart. I can train her as regards talent.
O) Affiliates?
LN) Yes - these are members who dance when time allows it and may not be able to adhere to our tough schedule of rehearsal and performance - which I insist upon with the core members.
O) How often do you rehearse?
LN) Generally, three nights a week - but that goes up to four or five nights a week before a performance … and the week of the performance, we might rehearse for three hours at a time.
Sometimes I watch my ladies perform requiring them to repeat a segment over and over until we discover what is not quite working. They are very good at regulating themselves and helping each other correct what is not effective.
O) How are the routines constructed? Who selects the music? How is it chosen?
LN) I am the person directing what the troupe performs and I choose the music first. I usually base it on a them i.e. "Bolly-wood" -another year it was hip-hop. The costumes follow - for that routine they were black with lots of rhinestones.
I tend toward "edgier" music like Saharni by Najwa Karam.
We plan our routines a year in advance of performance. I feel that people expect a certain flavor at our shows - we in fact talk about the flavor of the NDC. It's not unlike making a good stew with exotic spices. It would kill us to disappoint our audiences with a lesser performance.
O) How are your costumes chosen?
LN) My mother, Maz, who is also a dancer, designed for fashion houses at one time in her life. She made me a costume as a gift and everyone wanted to know where I had bought it - so I knew I was on to something. She has since made many of our costumes.
She travels with us when we have a new costume, brings her sewing machine and is back stage arranging and adjusting before we go on stage.
O) Who else travels with the troupe?
LN) My husband Al. He is my other rock.
O) What is the hardest obstacle to maintaining harmony.
LN) Oh - it's the preparation. I adhere to the tradition of if you don't do it correctly it shouldn't be done at all. Rehearsals, costuming, travel is all prep. But the core dancers know that this is serious business and will tell new members themselves, "This is not your Mac counter or your favorite restaurant - although it is fun and creative - this is a place of business and if you're not serious you should leave". My niece in fact is part of the troupe and she knows that although she lives with me, she gets no special treatment. Everyone works hard at helping out. We are picky about where we stay - how we travel because it affects us. So, each of us will take on a job - one will pick the hotel, another picks the flight, a third will fill out all necessary paperwork etc. When we travel we wear our sweat suits with our troupe name printed on the back and everyone receives a folder with the printed itinerary inside - it helps us stay on the same page in a unfamiliar environment. If members come in on a different day, we meet them at the air-port and even make up little signs with their names on them - we look after each other.
O) Who is the littlest dancer?
LN) She is Anaya who is seven years old and has performed with the troupe since the age of four. She has a shy sister - who is no longer shy … and at four years old tries to play understudy to her sister. We say "Oh- Oh - we've created another dancer/ troupe member"!
O) What is your personal hope for this troupe?
LN) I have a dream troupe. They are family to me and I could not ask for more dedicated dancers or family. We watch each others children, talk about every part of our lives, crash at each others homes. This is the harmony I'd like to keep. I'd like to see the ladies go on to generate solo careers and teach - hopefully stimulated by their experience in the NDC.
O) What was your most memorable performance?
LN) (laughing) - Always the last one. Each time, before we go on stage, I tell them. "We've got this. We're talented dancers and the stage is our home. Go out there and make you audience feel appreciated.
After a performance, we are all so happy - we worked hard to do well. We are laughing and taking pictures of our ecstatic, sweaty, women selves!
www.thendc.net
www.elmishaalbellydance.com
