Raks Star
(Naajm Raks)
Tara el Nur, Berlin Germany
As written by Tara and Zaina Hart
Over the years of study at Rakkasah, I have had the opportunity this dance brings us all, of making new friends. Friends met as we study this dance art, friends we keep throughout the years. Dancers in fact that we are blessed to participate with as we all evolve in our dance art and at the same time friends that sadly we only get to visit with once or twice a year at Rakkasah, or other large and even small events. This is no doubt why Rakkasah has been such an important part of my dance life.
As you have read through the articles and pages here on iShimmy.com, you will have seen that through these experiences as I travel and meet dancers, I then get to share with you a closer look at those dancers who shine and stand out to my eye and heart’s view, and not only because of their talent. Most often what strikes me is their inner beauty - - which I am drawn to first and foremost. Kindness and compassion goes far and will always be what my eyes view first. When that is combined with “talent and skill” you get a complete dancer that thrills all the way to our toes as we watch their performance. Her elegant, powerful performances are exciting and heart warming. Today, again, I get to bring you closer to a dancer whose inner person was a breath of fresh air. Her outer beauty is clear and easy to see, but it is that megawatt smile and energy that could light up the state of Texas for a week. Her enthusiasm about our dance art and life can’t help but to spill over into our lives and motivate anyone around her.
Tara's Playful Side
I first met Tara el Nur as we stood side by side taking classes at Rakkasah. While she is a serious student she approached much of that day with a great sense of humour. The next year I was honoured to see her in my own class as I was teaching at Rakkasah and again there was that glorious smile, wonderful energy and great sense of humour.
Tara el Nur offers here, answers to my questions to which I have not altered so you have the true flavour of her speaking in English as a German born woman. I think it gives a more personal glimpse of the woman I know, and a delightfully talented dancer I know as Tara.
Tara el Nur - Restaurant Performance
What brought you to Raks Sharki - this dance we share?
When I fulfilled my self a dream, which I had since my childhood with going to Egypt, I have seen in the home of friends two girls switching the radio on, wrapping a shawl around their hips and starting to dance. And there was more fun in dancing than I have seen ever before. It seemed to be so free. From this time the wish to learn this dance started growing in me. In the next year a friend of mine asked me to come with her to a belly dance-class, and that is how it really started. I stayed in the class und enjoyed it very much. A year later I got the chance to perform in a restaurant and the people liked me with my dancing and I loved to perform. I loved to enjoy people with my dancing. It was sharing my beloved dance with them and giving them a good mood.
Per Zaina,
Tara's Megawatt Smile
What is the most valuable thing this dance has given you?
This dance gave me freedom, to be myself. It gave me the chance to live my own life, with making people happy voluntarily. It gave me the chance to live a life full of creativity, learning and sharing fun and knowledge. That dance is joy, love, freedom, creativity and connection to other people. And whenever I have been sad the dance was there to build me up again. I think dance is one of the God gifts, because we do it with other people together.
I teach in Berlin 7 times a week and I perform as often as people want me to be seen, which is different.
I am teaching constantly six years now and am so happy for that experience, because it taught me much about the dance. Because I wanted to explain it every time better I learned so much about the dance. My dancing group “Shelale” is another gift that came with the dance. I’ve seen how nice it is to put them together as a group. We practice every week, after the normal class and the nicest thing is the monthly first Sunday where we sit together sewing our costumes, planning, having a rehearsal, talking and sometimes philosophizing. Every second month I am making a “Hafla Rakessa”. I wanted this as a party for Oriental-Dancing-Women, where we are together for just having fun together with dancing - just how we want, and seeing other “local” dancers performing. I feel it as a great gift, when some of them are coming and saying “Thank You for doing this party, we love it”, because that was what I wanted it to be for them.
How many years have you been dancing?
I’m dancing more than 16 years.
Tara's First Step
I’m living in Berlin/Germany and this was a big chance for my dancing. We have so much workshops and I have had Beata and Horacio Cifuentes as my teachers. And I am also thankful for the key to understand and interpret Egyptian music which was given to me from the great tabla-playing and CD producing musician Sayed Balaha. My friend Mo Geddawi gave me two sentences which inspired my thinking of teaching the dance. The first is “Walking is like dancing, if you can walk, you can dance” – that really helps while teaching to make it easy. And “I want that there will be more, better dancers” which is very important to me to be a part of that idea. I want to share my knowledge, passion and ideas about the dance with whoever values it. And one of my wishes is travel and teach and connect with other dancers.
Tara at Rakkasah
Speaking to Zaina, "the backswim-picuture shows that I was impressed of your workshop - I´m curios, I often try to do the things, I was impressed with, in the next time (performance).
Photo by Carl Sermon
Who have you studied with?
I have done so much workshops, because I am curios, but I think workshops do count as studying. My dance is a mixture of many different impressions.
Tara Sparkling on Stage
My name is just the expression my idea what I want to be when I dance. I want to be just like a sparkler to the audience and I hope when they close their eyes, they can remember a nice feeling.
If you would like to see more of Tara el Nur she can be seen on youtube in her Rakkasah 2007 performance, by searching “Tara el Nur”.
