Fringe Dancers Pour Their Hearts Into International Styles
  by Eva Yaa Asantewaa
  August 20 - 26, 2003

Belly dancers at FringeNYC 2003
(photo: Bob Greenwald)

o A/C, a broken mic, an audience of 10 sweating and fanning. Yet the New York Performing Arts Company soldiered on. What an ironically generic name for veteran ethnic dancers of well-honed, distinctive skill, each draped in a succession of unique and glorious costumes. "Caravan to Cairo: Dances of North Africa and the Middle East" featured 11 works by choreographer Samara—a travelogue in movement (absolutely fabulous) and words (sometimes too many). Choice bits included the Ouled Nail duet performed by Morgiana and Samara—curbing her Beverly Sills smile to reflect the no-nonsense attitude of these Algerian dancing women—and The Djinn of the Feather Cloak, a nicely understated interpretation of a Moroccan folktale. Reyna and Andrea highlighted the elegantly giddy Raks Khaleegi, a flowing, twirling social dance with which Saudi women entertain one another.

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