Gina began training with Suhaila Salimpour at age 14. She also took training with Ballet, Jazz, Hip Hop, and Flamenco from early age. Actually, Gina got connection with Suhaila before that. Her mother, Debby Lammam, who is a talented and accomplished dancer in her own right, shared with me her love of dance. In that time, Gina followed her mom to Suhaila’s dance class every Saturday, and she got influence by sitting in the back, playing dolls, or coloring her painting books on the floor when she was 3 or 4 years old.
Here is the interview between Gina Bruno and I love Raqs.
Q: What is the most meaningful part to you in this journey?
The most meaningful part of this bellydance Journey has been the connection to a legacy, a history, a moment in time, a culture, a music of bitter sweet expression, a tribe. It was never about sex appeal. As a little girl, I would watch old bellydance videos on VHS - these cabaret dancers were soulful, deep, expressive - Nagwa Fouad, Nadia Gamal, Mona Said, Fifi Abdou, the great legends of bellydance. They had such elegance and timelessness. They had something to say. These women took control of their femininity and there was so much power in that. That's what I love most. The satisfaction of knowing that you are in the process of being a part of something that is both timeless, cutting edge, and having the power to captivate an audience.
Q: Which part does Suhaila's format change you the most?
The key differentiation of the Suhaila format is a keen attention to technique and body awareness. You don't do something because that's the only "move" you know, or can only do it at a certain speed or timing. You do something because you choose to, because the music calls for it, and you have complete body knowledge and awareness of what you're doing. A structured format makes movements/choreography easier to teach to others. If you know what you're doing, you can explain it to someone else. Suhaila will never say..."follow along and do what I do." She'll break it down muscle by muscle. It's like yoga or Pilates; attention to detail and muscular systems to understand and impart knowledge of movement. This is a groundbreaking next step to bring structure and technique to bellydance.
Q: What is the most difficult part to you in Suhaila's format?
The most difficult part was Level 1. It was like learning a new language. The glute exercises seemed bizarre. When I was just beginning to dance Suhaila's technique, I couldn't figure out how to stay in releve AND walk full time AND overlay glute work AND make it look like something. It was a multitasking nightmare. Then it clicked. I found a center - a core strength and the movement was an extension of that. It took consistent work, practice, sweat, long hours in a dance studio and perseverance. In classes we would drill, drill, drill, when we got tired, we'd do it again, then once more to lock it in our body. It's all about muscle memory. Also, practice does not make perfect. Practice makes permanent! So, make sure you're doing your drills correctly. Don't be afraid to leave your ego at the door and ask questions. If you don't get something, stop, breathe, and start again. It's more of a mental process in the beginning.
Q: What is the most unbelievable part to you in Suhaila's format?
The most unbelievable part of the technique is the vibrations. They come not from a "pumping of the knees" but from muscular strength. I remember thinking I could never do it. Suhaila laughed and told me that nothing happens overnight. I was challenged. I made a New Years resolution and dedicated myself for six months in my Senior year of high school - like clockwork, every morning I would wake up and do 15 mins of glute squeezes on the floor.
For the first month I think I just sat there with nothing happening...then I got it. It started small and miniscule, and as I got stronger the vibrations became more noticeable. Now, it's locked in my body for good. And you don't get tired and shake all around...there's a certain relaxed quality to the vibration, because it's so completely controlled and isolated. Layering over vibrations become a breeze, because you simply set your glutes on auto pilot and overlay intricate or large movements - you can dance on it like a wave. So fabulous.
Q: What is the most less sense part to you in Suhaila's format?
Dancers must remember that Suhaila isn't trying to create "mini Suhaila's" - she is raising the bar for technique and knowledge of the dance. What's most important is that dancers take her technique and build from there to develop their own style, their own expression, their own creation. This format will help you learn the alphabet, syntax, and language...but you are ultimately the author of your own poetry. It must be an expression of you. The higher levels of the format begin to explore creativity, acting techniques, journaling, and integration of technique and artistic expression.
Q: When you hear a song, what do you focus on: the rhythm, the melody, or something else ?
When I hear a piece of music, I envision a texture, an emotion, a story. I don't listen for one part of the music or another; I let it take me where it needs to. Music for me evokes a body response, not an audial response. What really get me are Classical Arabic pieces, the old songs, about love, heartache, passion as in Oum Kalthoum. Her language is bittersweet; the music is the texture of that.
Q: In your opinion, if bellydancers want to learn another dance type to improve themselves, which dance would you suggest them? Why?
I'll be blunt. I can tell if a dancer knows what she's doing, and knows who she is, by the way she steps on stage. It's all about posture and presence. You can study belly dance for years and have zero posture/presence. Ballet is the fundamental for all dance forms. Ballet is a must. I would also suggest hip hop, so you learn to dance down into the rhythm instead of above it. Every dancer should have a mix of ethereal and earthy movements, and should be comfortable with both.
Q: Is there something about the dance industry that you Don't like ?
The dance industry seems to be concerned with separation of styles. There are many different styles and flavors in this dance form. I love expression and freedom of art, but I'm not a huge fan of separation or division - whether it is tribal, American cabaret, gothic, fusion, etc. Any modern dancer should be able to bust out a Martha Graham piece, as well as a Merce Cunningham piece. Also, if you're gonna "fuse" something...best to know what you're fusing.
Q: If someone asked you, “where does bellydance come from” how would you answer?
This may sound contrived, but I honesty I think that this dance form is deep within all women of all ages. It's archetypal and is constantly being reborn in each generation and in each cultural framework. We mustn't forget that it began as women dancing for women, as a goddess worship dance, a fertility dance. Belly dance is, at its core, a celebration of the feminine.
Q: If you needed to stop dancing for a while, what would you do instead?
I couldn't stop dancing if I tried. I choreographed this insane dance last night in my sleep - I woke up and wrote it down.
About Gina BrunoGina has been teaching and performing middle-eastern dance since the age of three and is a second generation belly dancer. Her technique both combines fusion and classical styles, and she has performed on national and international stages throughout her career.
Trained from an early age in jazz, ballet, flamenco, and Persian dance she integrates her extensive training with her traditional Arabic dance background. She began her studies with Suhaila Salimpour in 1994, and was one of the first and youngest members of the Suhaila Dance Company. Gina has performed in venues with some of the most renowned singers in the Middle East -- working with artists such as Alabina, Amr Diab and Hakim.
Gina is currently based in the Bay Area, and recently relocated from Los Angeles Lebanon
Extended Reading
More about Gina Bruno: http://www.ginabellydance.com
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