Fanoos caught up with Mohamed Ali-Seven, the leader of 7 Egyptian Dance Troupe for this special Fokloric Issue.
1. Tell us about your dance background, career, your training and how you got started.
My favorite thing growing up was to watch tv, hoping to catch any shows with dancing so I could dance along. I started taking classes at a dance school when I was 11. When I was 18, my cousin brought me to join El Horrya Folk Dance Troupe in Alexandria under the leadership of the Alexandrian artist, Nasreldin Mohamed. This troupe was part of the Ministry of Culture in Egypt. I learned many folklore dances in my classes as a child and young adult, including tanoura when I was 24 years old with the troupe. I travelled with my team members around the world and have been to at least 20 countries, participating in festivals, ceremonies, and competitions, including places like France, India, Turkey, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Japan, the United States, UAE, South Korea and Greece.
2. When and how did you decide to form your troupe, 7 Egyptian Dance Troupe?
I decided to move to the US in 2015. I wanted to continue performing Egyptian Folklore and formed my group, 7 Egyptian Dance Troupe, in 2016. I wanted to share my culture and love of Egyptian Folklore. I kept my eyes open for dancers interested in this style of dance. Not everyone is able to go to Egypt so with my troupe I try to bring Egypt here.
3. What challenges have you had, if any, in having an Egyptian folkloric dance troupe in America?
It was difficult to find people with the right experience to perform folklore, especially because they are not Egyptian. I have to share the culture and background with dancers to understand the folklore traditional steps. Bellydance includes a lot of freestyle where folklore has specific steps and order; some dancers do not prefer that style."
Also, in the beginning it was hard to find places to perform and people that wanted to hire me. I had to look for places that had multicultural interest and festivals. I had to post a lot of videos and share my performances to increase the amount of interest in Egyptian Folklore. We had to do a lot of shows for free to increase interest.
4. Do you have favorite folkloric dances and why?
I like all folkloric dances however I have a special interest in Eskandrani because it is represents the city I am from, Alexandria.
5. I've heard many dancers struggle with costuming when they want to learn folkloric. What advice do you have?
I usually get my costumes when I return home to visit Egypt. I will contact the designer before I leave to tell them what I am looking for so they have plenty of time to design and make the items so I can bring them back when I return to the US. I will also check with the troupe to see if they need me to get any costume items and bring them from Egypt when I go. If you can not buy costumes in Egypt, I would suggest finding a designer here that you can give direction to make what you need. But buying in Egypt is much easier.
6. Why is learning folkloric dances important?
I love folklore and traditional dance. I think learning folkloric dances are important in spreading my country's history and culture.
7. As a solo artist, where do you see yourself in the future?
I see myself continuing in the same path I am currently following. I love teaching and sharing my knowledge with the folkloric dance community. I love talking about folklore and answering any questions people have about it. I hope to continue participating in festivals and teaching workshops in addition to performing.
8. Lastly, what advice would you give to a student who is curious about starting a journey in learning these dances?
I would recommend the student attend regular, weekly classes with a folkloric teacher. If you can, in person classes would be best for learning technique. If you get the chance to attend any international festivals, that would be good. Also, there are videos online (Youtube, etc) that have Egyptian Folklore dance groups to study the technique and style. Folkloric dance is not freestyle so each one has specific steps you can study and learn.