Cover of the first Bellydance book at Taiwan by Violet Mozaini Photo from http://www.panoramio.com/photo/5546983
As I said before, the development of bellydance at Taiwan is relatively new, comparing to its other Western communities. Even Japan and Korea have longer history of bellydance experiences than we have.
Around 2002 to 2003, it all started from simply sharing what she learned and enjoyed during her overseas studying at Israel, Violet Lee (She got married and changed her name as Violet Mozaini) first showed her friends the dance she learned and soon after with words of mouths, she was asked to teach in local community colleges and other studios. She was also invited to appear in TV and suddenly, everyone heard about bellydance and wanted to sign up a bellydance class.
I was one of the TV program audiences who wanted to learn bellydance.
Years ago, when I studied in New York, I went with my then boyfriend for a date and we saw a bellydance performance in Café Figaro at Village. It was my first time to see a real and live bellydancer with live band. I was totally stunned by her beautiful dance and her enjoyment with this dance, with the fact that she looked not that young and her body movement was so fluid.
I didn't think about signing up a class at that time. I was too young and there was the whole world waiting for me to conquer.
Years later, when I resettled at Taipei and my father passed away unexpectedly, the image of Violet dancing on TV reminded me of the elegant bellydancer I saw in New York years ago. My father’s sudden death really is a waking call to me: I realize health is very important and life is never too long to waste. I decided to sign up her class.
As bellyadnce became so popular at such rapidity, market demands appeared accordingly. People requested bellydance performances all the time and Violet had to ask her students coming with her to dance.
Eventually she trained some students to teach in order to meet with such strong demands on both performing and teaching. Since there was almost no supply of costumes and accessories available, Violet and her students either used Violet's own costumes and accessories or they had to make their own. There was no musician or bands either. Recorded music was used a lot. Few props were introduced by choreography, which remains the major method for bellydance learning and teaching: veils, cane, Shamadan, sword, Khaliji…
Gradually Violet formed her own troupe and members came from her students. She successfully creates very exciting, fancy and whirlwind like stage presentation, which becomes her own signature style as well as one of the major criteria for local audiences and peer colleagues. Usually she would create a story telling line guiding the audience. The topics are all about Arabian fantasy: 1001 nights, harem scene, village ceremonies… and each dance presents particular theme with either props or certain fusion styles. My favorite one is probably her last recital in December 2008. It is a short drama piece called “Looking for the Bluebird of Happiness.” In this story, a semi-autobiography of Violet's personal story, a girl seeks for true happiness and after a series of life experiences including miscarriage, eventually she finds her own happiness. It is already a very mature and yet strong localized format in terms of stage presence, with a sly twist of tantasy Middle Eastern flavor.
Violet and her troupe possess the majority of bellydance population in Taiwan. She successfully introduces this beautiful dance to local public audience and remains as one of the most renowned bellydancers here. She provides a great and friendly accessibility for those who simply want to do exercise, have fun, and press relief. There are many touching stories at her classroom telling how women regain their confidence and faith as themselves through bellydancing. If you go for their annual recital, it would be at least 500 to 1,000 persons in the audience seat. It is quite amazing.
Violet's case becomes the model following by other bellydancers at Taiwan. They also follow her choreography-oriented teaching with less emphasis on rhythms, downbeats and techniques. Violet's dancers are famous for their amazing memory of choreography and they specialize in group dancing with complicated formation. There is not much to do with solid bellydance movements or profound capacity on delicate stage presence.
Now with few years of bellydance experiences and more understanding of bellydance and ME/Arab culture, I found out there are more for me to experience in this giant bellydance world. I move on for finger cymbal, tabla and other techniques. I still like to see her annual recital to recall my early years of bellydance learning and see the promisingly growing bellydance student population.
Around 2002 to 2003, it all started from simply sharing what she learned and enjoyed during her overseas studying at Israel, Violet Lee (She got married and changed her name as Violet Mozaini) first showed her friends the dance she learned and soon after with words of mouths, she was asked to teach in local community colleges and other studios. She was also invited to appear in TV and suddenly, everyone heard about bellydance and wanted to sign up a bellydance class.
I was one of the TV program audiences who wanted to learn bellydance.
Years ago, when I studied in New York, I went with my then boyfriend for a date and we saw a bellydance performance in Café Figaro at Village. It was my first time to see a real and live bellydancer with live band. I was totally stunned by her beautiful dance and her enjoyment with this dance, with the fact that she looked not that young and her body movement was so fluid.
I didn't think about signing up a class at that time. I was too young and there was the whole world waiting for me to conquer.
Years later, when I resettled at Taipei and my father passed away unexpectedly, the image of Violet dancing on TV reminded me of the elegant bellydancer I saw in New York years ago. My father’s sudden death really is a waking call to me: I realize health is very important and life is never too long to waste. I decided to sign up her class.
As bellyadnce became so popular at such rapidity, market demands appeared accordingly. People requested bellydance performances all the time and Violet had to ask her students coming with her to dance.
Eventually she trained some students to teach in order to meet with such strong demands on both performing and teaching. Since there was almost no supply of costumes and accessories available, Violet and her students either used Violet's own costumes and accessories or they had to make their own. There was no musician or bands either. Recorded music was used a lot. Few props were introduced by choreography, which remains the major method for bellydance learning and teaching: veils, cane, Shamadan, sword, Khaliji…
Gradually Violet formed her own troupe and members came from her students. She successfully creates very exciting, fancy and whirlwind like stage presentation, which becomes her own signature style as well as one of the major criteria for local audiences and peer colleagues. Usually she would create a story telling line guiding the audience. The topics are all about Arabian fantasy: 1001 nights, harem scene, village ceremonies… and each dance presents particular theme with either props or certain fusion styles. My favorite one is probably her last recital in December 2008. It is a short drama piece called “Looking for the Bluebird of Happiness.” In this story, a semi-autobiography of Violet's personal story, a girl seeks for true happiness and after a series of life experiences including miscarriage, eventually she finds her own happiness. It is already a very mature and yet strong localized format in terms of stage presence, with a sly twist of tantasy Middle Eastern flavor.
Violet and her troupe possess the majority of bellydance population in Taiwan. She successfully introduces this beautiful dance to local public audience and remains as one of the most renowned bellydancers here. She provides a great and friendly accessibility for those who simply want to do exercise, have fun, and press relief. There are many touching stories at her classroom telling how women regain their confidence and faith as themselves through bellydancing. If you go for their annual recital, it would be at least 500 to 1,000 persons in the audience seat. It is quite amazing.
Violet's case becomes the model following by other bellydancers at Taiwan. They also follow her choreography-oriented teaching with less emphasis on rhythms, downbeats and techniques. Violet's dancers are famous for their amazing memory of choreography and they specialize in group dancing with complicated formation. There is not much to do with solid bellydance movements or profound capacity on delicate stage presence.
Now with few years of bellydance experiences and more understanding of bellydance and ME/Arab culture, I found out there are more for me to experience in this giant bellydance world. I move on for finger cymbal, tabla and other techniques. I still like to see her annual recital to recall my early years of bellydance learning and see the promisingly growing bellydance student population.
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