Fall 2006 Issue
Oct/Nov/Dec
"Hands of Kali"
By: Melody Anderson
I've met a lot of people in this wonderful art form but I'd like you all to meet a group of ladies that I have recently gotten to know. Kendra, Tayissa, Magi and Maureen… in the bellydance community they are known as the bellydance troupe Hands of Kali.
Some people would typify them as a Gothic bellydance troupe but they consider themselves to be Experimental Fusion. On stage they incorporate the classical Egyptian style as well as Cabaret and American Tribal. I have also seen these ladies incorporate Tango and Flamenco moves into there performances.
Hands of Kali feel that this Experimental Fusion style is the next step in the bellydance art form. In their words, "Bellydance has been going along on a certain path for about four years or so and we think that bringing theater and bellydance together is the next step. We are all bellydancers at heart and that's the major part of what we are doing, but we are also trying to tell a story with that dance."
And tell a story they do! Recently I had a chance to see them perform their "Belly-Tarot" - Three cards from the Tarot deck are chosen and one of the dancers acts or bellydances that card. And it's not just the dancing, but costuming, makeup and the whole package.
For instance, Tayissa portrayed the Devil card. She was painted blue from head to toe, with mystical symbols painted in white on her body and she had horns and wings. The music was in fact "Devil Inside", one of the great rock classics of the 80's. She bellydanced from the heart and became the Devil card.
Magi was draped in white gauze (that I swear glowed!) and had a moon plate that she danced with.., turning it back and forth, raising and lowering it. Giving the effect of the moon from sliver to full and from scaling the sky to sinking below the herizon. With her delicate moves and grace she too became the Moon card!
In contrast to the costuming and make up of the first two, Maureen portrayed the Lovers card with nothing more than a simple yet ellagent dance with two veils. This particular show was very intriguing and the audience was totally taken with it.
And for Hands of Kali it's not just the dance art form they are into. They write (both stories and poetry), sing, paint, sew their own costumes and one of them even does pottery. "That's why this troupe goes so far beyond just bellydance, because these women are just so talented in their own ways. And I just say run with it," says Kendra the troupes leader.
When asked who they thought their target audience was they replied that they felt that their art form was for the whole world and that everyone should get a taste of it. As a troupe, they feel that it's a good kind of challenge to try to speak to different kinds of audiences, presenting information and ideas to them in the ways that that particular audience can understand. They are all about breaking boundaries, destroying barriers and finding new and unusual ways to present this art form to people who otherwise would not have any knowledge or introduction to bellydance. And their actions might just be working as many people have embraced bellydance as a true art form through them.
To learn more about these sassy ladies go to their web site at www.handsofkali.com
