Queen of the Bay 2006
June 17, 2006 Oakland California
As Written by: Dorretta
It is Saturday night and here I am, spellbound. I am sitting in a crowded theater with my mouth hanging open, watching a vision. A dancer who in my eyes is perfect! Her name is Leyla Jamal. And to think, Leyla is only competitor number one at the first annual Queen of the Bay competition held June 17th 2006 in Oakland, California.
Produced by the multi award winning Shabnam Pena and local Production Company MoLuv Productions, the Queen of the Bay was a fantastic success. The event was designed to highlight the amazing depth and diversity of talent we have in the San Francisco Bay Area. Shabnam, who was both Belly Dancer of the Universe (universal) and Belly Dancer of the Year 2005, designed the competition for solo artists from all genres of Middle Eastern dance. With a fabulous judging panel, the recipe worked wonderfully. The competition drew talented dancers from the Bay Area and beyond including Mina, from Sonoma County and Leyla Jamal all the way from Oregon.
The competition consisted of a preliminary round with music of the dancers choosing. The top three scorers then facing off in an improvised drum solo challenge. The preliminary round was exciting starting with the exquisite Leyla. Standouts for me were Nitara with her veil work and gorgeous costume that everyone was talking about. Zahara, oozing emotion, Mina, such a sparkling coquette and Jamilla of Jerusalem who is just a damn sexy Babe. The finalists, three of my favorites, were Leyla, Mina and Zahara from Antioch California. The drum off was a nail-biter! With two dancers sequestered so they would not hear the music, each dancer took her turn improvising to an extremely challenging mix of rhythms. With only two and ½ minutes of drum solo to dance to, it was a difficult task for both competitors and judges. Each dancer was amazing, truly amazing! I had my strong favorite going in to the finals but after the drum solo, felt that any of the three finalists could deservedly win. The beautiful and riveting Zahara is the first Queen of the Bay, winning a tiara, sash and cash prize. Mina placed second with Leyla Gamal in third. All I can say is, thank goodness I didn't have to choose.
The competition was followed by a star-studded show featuring such local luminaries as Nana Candelaria, tribal fusion queens Bastet, duet Doretta and Seraphine and the amazing Shabnam herself. Shabnam performed two numbers. The first, a twelve minute shimmy taxim that was, there is no other word for it, astonishing. The perfect layering of locks and isolations over her fluid shimmy displayed her amazing ability as a technical master. Her second number was a the whole package, her sheer joy and artistry shining through each section of the piece and demonstrating yet again her superb dance and interpretive skills. She is one of those rare dancers so transcendent, she brought tears to my eyes. Shabnam's award winning troupe, Ooh La La finished the show with a number containing all of the innovative choreography, spectacular costuming and incredible personality that they are so well known for.
The event was so well attended that it has outgrown its venue in its first year. I have no doubt that it will continue to grow and attract talent from all over the country. I can't' wait until next year, but until then I will daydream about dancing just like Shabnam!
For information about the Queen of the Bay Competition go to:
www.queenofthebay.com
www.shabnampena.com