UNDERBELLY FEEDBACK
ZAGHAREET MAGAZINE
Sometimes we need a solid reminder of why we dance … what it brings to our lives and how we got hooked in the first place! “Underbelly,” a new documentary by Steve Balderson of Dikenga Films not only helps us refocus on our love of dance, but gives us food for thought as well.
The documentary is a year in the life of Princess Farhana (Pleasant Gehman). The Princess has had no “ordinary” life and therefore this is no ordinary movie: it’s not your momma’s belly dance! (and yes, there’s adult content) Her career spans from her Punk Rock girl band days in the 80’s, where she booked clubs in Los Angeles and was known as almost a “mythical” person; to her belly dance career of 16 years where she has starred at Hollywood’s Moun of Tunis; to her burlesque career of 12 years. And while the documentary focuses on Princess Farhana, it also gives us extra insight into the history of belly dance, the evolution of different dance styles, and why so many dancers are drawn to this beautiful art form.
The movie follows the Princess through workshops across the US, in Canada and England, as well as on a belly dance cruise to Mexico. We follow her in her travels, watch her teaching classes, and accompany her to rehearsals and backstage where we’re allowed to watch and listen to her interactions with other dancers. This gives us a real feel for the kind of instructor and performer she is … as well as an appreciation for her sense of humor! The interviews and conversations with Princess Farhana are supplemented by interviews with other dancers and performers who talk about her fun, down-to-earth teaching style and her beautiful performances. The Princess is obviously a well-respected, beloved member of our belly dance scene with her classical oriental dance style. In fact, she was the 2006 winner of Zaghareet Magazine’s Golden Belly award for Favorite Cabaret/Oriental Dancer. And since she’s often included in many tribal and fusion events across the country, that speaks for her diversity as a performer.
The many wonderful interviews with other performers are a really strong part of the documentary. The interviews are very candid, opinionated and UNCENSORED – which means they are also very personal and we feel as if the performers are really sharing their feelings with us. Some of the names are those that we have come to know as authorities in our field such as Tonya & Atlantis, Suzy Evans, Marta Schill, John Compton and Kajira Djoumahna, just to name a few. There are also interviews and dance clips of many other performers such as Rachel Brice, Jim Boz, Tempest, Rachel Lazarus Soto, Margaret Cho, Lee Ali and other dancers that all have their own personal views to offer. We learn a lot about why they started dancing, and their personal feelings about the dance as well as about themselves. We get into issues such as the Goddess within, satisfaction with your own body, the life changing experience of dance, the feeling of power as a woman, and how dance celebrates your body. There are so many experiences shared in this movie – many make us laugh and some might bring tears to our eyes – but all together they manage to reinforce our own feelings about dance!
The many dance clips presented in the documentary give us a chance to see performers that we might not have had a chance to see before and also give us a glimpse into how many different personal interpretations there can be in our dance form. In fact, I would have liked to have seen even more performances, but that probably would have added an extra hour to this already 95 minute production!
There are discussions (both pro and con) of male belly dancers, different dance styles, and the more recent controversy of burlesque as it relates to belly dancers. The opinions are gutsy and honest, and we’re given a lot of personal insight into the individual dancers as we get both sides of these issues.
Since Princess Farhana is “naughty but nice,” a large part of the movie deals with burlesque. She shares her feelings about performing both types of dance, emphasizing that burlesque is more about the “tease” and how you’re presenting yourself, and we get to see some clips from her burlesque performances. We also hear very definite opinions from other belly dancers about burlesque. But whether you agree that burlesque should be kept completely separate from belly dance, or whether you think that it’s all just fun, it’s very insightful to hear the interviews with other burlesque dancers to learn their feelings about their performances. We hear that it makes you feel good about yourself, it’s a woman’s dance, that it’s about women that feel beautiful and have high self esteem, and that it’s a woman telling her own story. And then we’re left to draw our own conclusions.
As the documentary points out, Princess Farhana has lived her life without apology. While sharing her passion for the dance, in whichever dance style she performs, we can all be reminded of what our own dance means to our lives. You’ll definitely want to see this movie and add this DVD to your collection when it’s released in March of 2008!
Presented in part by the Kansas Arts Commission, a state agency,
and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency,
which believes that a great nation deserves great art.
