1. Tell Fanoos how and why you started Disco Iskandar.
Disco Iskandar is the shag carpet that resulted from all the threads present in my life weaving together. It was always a dream of mine to tour as a belly dancer, a dream I shared with my best friend Devin Alfather. I struggled to figure out how we could carry a full-length show with few dancers and no dollars. Two essential things then occurred: first, I joined Sahlala Dancers in Los Angeles, which taught me how to create a diverse and exciting show with four to five dancers (among many other things), and then it was suggested to me that we simply crowdsource the funding to get us started. Once Devin and I decided that January 2023 was our launch date, I called in our friends: Liz Azi, Ariel Celeste, and Gia Bee. Disco Iskandar was born!
I had been producing local dance shows for years and took my fondness for dive bars into the project, finding venues across the Southeast who were willing to cut a deal with us. Disco’s inaugural tour was all about friendship, fun, and funk. It was beyond magical. We tried all kinds of crazy stuff in our show and slept in many a friend and relative’s house. While organizing a DIY tour was definitely not easy, it was all so much simpler than I’d made it out to be in my mind, and once I got out of my own way, Disco Iskandar just poured out.
2. DI has a distinct vintage feel, very 70s! What was your inspiration for this?
The 1970’s influence present in Disco Iskandar is just a natural result of my long-held love of disco and 70’s fashion. I’d been listening to Sylvester and wearing bell bottoms since high school. Later, as a soloist, I frequently danced to cheesy 1970’s and early 80’s Lebanese and Egyptian music. I’d spent a lot of time agonizing over what my “voice” was and never realized it was there the whole time! When Disco Iskandar began a residency at Alamo Drafthouse Cinema in Los Angeles, I dived head-first into the world of old Egyptian films and became ever more enamored with the silly, wonderful scenes of dancers doing things like busting out of giant paper riqs and balancing canes on one boob in 70’s Middle Eastern cinema. 3. What is your group choreography inspiration and process?
Choreography is something I resisted for 90% of my career and I only begrudgingly choreographed pieces for the first tour out of perceived necessity. Now I love it! Sometimes it begins with a song, but usually it begins with an idea. I see a gap in the program and look for the right song to fill it. Inspiration comes from all sides; all my myriad heroes plus old movies and Super 8 videos of dancers like Diane Webber and Soheir Zaki. I’d be remiss to leave out Sahala Dancers’ lasting influence on me as well. I’m in the beginning of my choreography journey and am excited to continue honing that skill.
4. How do you balance your own projects with those for the troupe? Do you struggle with any group dynamics in the creative process?
To be honest, I never thought of myself and Disco Iskandar as being separate. All my projects are Disco Iskandar projects. While I can see how that relationship may evolve in the future, right now I’m totally happy with that! As for group dynamics, we have been fortunate to always have an amazing group of dancers with A+ personalities. Thus far there have been few to no creative clashes because I either choreograph everything myself, or commission choreographies (with the exception of a couple early collaborations in the beginning). While the flow of ideas is always swirling around in a groovy miasma, there is well-defined leadership and a singular creative vision that keeps the group focused. 5. Costuming! How do you handle group costumes with a vintage flair?
I love costuming so, so much. That being said, I do seem to be a glutton for punishment in terms of setting myself crazy sewing tasks for Disco Iskandar. It has been the joy of my LIFE to have a group of dancers willing to wear what I ask them to, allowing me to play real-life dress up and explore all the ideas in my silly little brain! Many of the costumes have vintage flair but the influences come from all over. They include the tribal fusion look, Perfumes of Araby in 70’s California, and my own love of bright colors and dull metals. An interesting and fun challenge I’ve been learning about is costuming different body types and gender expressions. My alterations and tailoring experience helps in this process, but I am eternally a student at the beginning of my journey of clothing people. In addition to the house-made costumes, I’ve also developed a knack for finding great bulk deals on group costuming second-hand. I recently snagged three sets of ensemble costumes (totaling 15 individual costumes) for less than $400! And they even smelled good!
6. What would you love to see in the future of DI?
There are 10,000 plans being hatched in the crockpot of my artistic vision. My number one goal for Disco Iskandar is to return to the road for the third time at the next level of professionalism and to eventually be an internationally touring group. It’s my ultimate dream. Other goals for Disco that I have in mind are forming a band and recording an album of funky, psychedelic-rock influenced arrangements of classic Egyptian and Turkish tunes. I also want to bring our show to a Renaissance Faire. And develop a presence in the local theatre scene performing story-based, kooky AF full-length shows. And create a short film on Super 8. And put together an educational showcase upholding the utmost cultural integrity to tour high schools in Florida, exposing students to Middle Eastern dance and music. And 9,994 other things!
7. Finally, tell us about the current projects and upcoming events! Where can we follow all things Disco Iskandar?
Anything can happen between the time of this writing and the time of publication: so who knows what 2025 has in store?! There are several things cooking that are too much in their infancy to yet reveal, and I’m excited to see what other opportunities present themselves in the New Year. The next thing on the agenda after the scheduled time of this publication is our appearance at Migrations Festival ATX in January, featuring many founding members of Disco Iskandar (bonus: Disco OG Liz Azi is teaching two workshops at Migrations, which everyone should attend!). We always have shows and events popping up, and folks can find out about them either at our website, disociskandar.com, or our Instagram, @discoiskandar !
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