Formerly, The Quarter Star Dancer
Spring 2007
Neena Nour, Phoenix, AZ
I met Neena Nour in Phoenix, in August 2006 in Phoenix while I was there teaching and performing with Neena, Naj, and Gabby Tawal (see Zaina's Zany Adventures for more on the trip).
I was immediatly captivated by this young woman who has an inner beauty equal to that of her outer beauty. Neena took a private lesson with me and when I asked what she wanted to work on, she told me grace, balance, and "hip articulation". I always find it interesting when dancers tell me they want to work on the very thing they seem already to have an incredible grasp of. Neena is "elegant" and graceful, and has an ethereal appearance to her dance.
We were three fourths of the way through our private lesson when she told me of her disability, stating she gets frustrated sometimes, feeling unbalanced. Well you could have fooled me. I had no clue Neena was working with a minor disability. She truly seems to have overcome it - - performing with a grace that many dancers with no disability only wish they had.
As well, Neena has a tremendous "feel" for and understanding of Orientale Dance. She has a unique style that is definitely reminescent of the Golden Age of dance she so deeply loves.
Neena's lack of ego and humble demeanor is refreshing. Her desire to help others through her own accomplishments in overcoming this disability and our beautiful dance art is close to my heart. Neena Nour has for certain left her loving and kind mark on this dancer...Zaina
“Neena Nour is a dancer that always strives for excellence. She is a hard worker, she continues to train and always works very, very hard”. The words of Jillina describe Neena Nour perfectly. Her persistence and dedication shine through her performances. Despite the challenges she faced, Neena strives to achieve exceptional standards, and is continuing to climb towards excellence.
From the age of sixteen Neena has been enthralled with the art of Middle Eastern dance. The cultural aspects and beauty of ‘The Golden Age’ captivated her. Seeking knowledge and the ability to dance professionally, Neena first took lessons from Morgiana of Phoenix. Morgiana always encouraged her to succeed. She suggested Neena take lessons and attend workshops from whomever she could to build her style as a dancer. Neena heeded Morgiana’s advice and is currently studding with Dahlena, Jillina and Helena Vlahos. She has since grown closer to attaining her goals.
Other than her teachers, Neena’s style is inspired by world-class dancers such as, Maria Shashkova, who is from Russia. Her dance interpretation and movements inspire Neena’s ‘less is more’ mentality. Dancers Soraya and Nour, who dance in Cairo are not of Arabic descent; however they copy the dance form with dead on precision and inspired Neena to do the same. Nagwa Fouad is a legend. When she comes on stage, the presence she projects is so wide one could stand outside of a closed door and still feel her stage presence. Neena aspires to tantalize her audience in a similar way. Helena Vlahos explains: “Neena captivates the audience with her ability to follow the intricacies of classical Middle Eastern music. Her emotions show in her face as she dances and has since become her signature”.
Neena was diagnosed with a mild case of Cerebral Palsy (C.P.) at the age of six. She was dismissed from her ballet classes at the age of three on account of her poor balance before her disability was discovered. Doctors told her parents she would never be able to dance, however Neena overcame her C.P. and proved every doctor wrong. When Neena first started lessons, she walked with a slight limp and had problems with balance. Miraculously through determination and inner strength, Neena triumphed. At the age of twenty, Neena raised 3,000 dollars for the United Cerebral Palsy organization by organizing ‘Dances from the East’, a benefit with multiple eastern dancers and styles. According to Morgiana, “You can’t tell that Neena has any symptoms of C.P. You don’t see it when she dances now or when she walks. She has overcome it. She worked really hard to improve her balance.” she is currently working on a new beneficial show; see her website for more information regarding this event. She is rotating between six different restaurants and clubs. In addition to these performances, she is quickly booked for various private parties.
Neena aspires to continue contributing to United Cerebral Palsy by eventually running a dance school where she can host beneficial shows for the remainder of her life. She wishes to travel and dance throughout the world and share her story so that she may give hope to others who may not think they can accomplish their dreams. Her story is one to be shared; Dahlena sums it up eloquently: “Neena definitely has something special, a nice feeling for the Middle Eastern music. She is hardworking and dedicate, Neena is on her way to being very good dancer, she is a pleasure to watch. In the last year she has improved tremendously”. Neena would like to eventually design her own costume line and run her own online belly dance store.
Photo Credits: Joseph Saadeh
You can visit Neena’s website at:
http://www.NeenaNour.com
