Pressburg Dance Fest 2014. - Interjú Karolina Idrisovával (angolul)

Egyik legkedvesebb élményem volt a Karolina Idrisovával történt találkozás.

A Pressburg Dance Fest záró gálaműsorában rengeteg szlovák és cseh lánnyal táncoltunk együtt közösen egy beledi + shaabi koreográfiát. Ennek a koreográfusa Karolina volt, így kerültünk kapcsolatba.  

(A workshopról már olvashattátok a tavalyi cikkemet itt: http://everydaylifeofabellydancer.blogspot.hu/2014/09/pressburg-dancefest-elokeszito-ws.html)

Élveztem a szuper kombinációkat, a könnyed hangvételű koreót, az izgalmas kombinációkat. Megfogott Karolina oktatási tapasztalata, pedagógiai képességei és az a lendület, amivel kitalálta, megrendezte, színpadra vitte a táncot, az a lelkesedés, amivel instruált minket, táncosokat. 

Már akkor tudtam, hogy interjút készítek majd vele a PDF-en. 
Így is lett, alább olvashatjátok a beszélgetésünket. 

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Mahasti: - Karolina, the first time we met personally this year on Pressburg Dance Fest (www.pressburgdancefest.eu), though I'v been following you and your dance activity for some years. I would like to say a big "thank you" for the choreography we danced in the international group on the Gala Show of PDF. The choreography was so happy, full of positive energy as you are in life. I enjoyed very much working with you. It was a BIG BIG FUN for me. I got to know you as a happy, fiery woman, energetic dancer, creative choreographer and a fantastic, patient teacher. 

Karolina Idrisová: - It´s an honor to have you as a part of our Pressburg Dance Fest in Bratislava! And it is even a bigger honor to learn about the impression of my work on you :-)

Mahasti: - Maybe in Hungary there are some belly dancers who still doesn't know you. Please, tell us some words about yourself, your life, your connection with belly dance. Where are you from, how did you explored belly dance for yourself, what does it mean to you, which styles do you dance, what are your favourite styles, what is your "motto" in dance, in life, in teaching.

Karolina: - Talking about yourself is never easy, I guess. But here is a blurb that I have written about myself:

The world of Raks Sharqi swept me off my feet in 2000. My newfound obsession resulted in awards obtained as a solo dancer in several festivals, such as Nile Group in Cairo in 2008.

While I am immensely proud of the prizes and recognition, I have found a satisfaction that extends beyond cabaret style of oriental dancing. Having been raised as a folkloric dancer since I was a nine-year-old girl in Indonesia, the pull to go beyond the cabaret glitz of oriental dance was irresistible.

I have been lucky enough early in my career to have worked with the representatives of two known folkloric dance Reda Troupe and Kaomeya Troupe. While Mahmoud Reda and Farida Fahmy were truly inspiring, I will be forever grateful to Mohamed Kazafy and Osama Emam, for honing my skills in the field of Egyptian folkloric dances.

Currently, I teach regular classes in Prague and workshops in various corners of the dance world. I have found my own dance troupe Matahari Group in 2007. And in 2014 I have cooperated with Elena Dahabeya and Mohamed Kazafy to form the first ever Kazafy Troupe in Czech Republic.

On a more personal note – I am a hopeless globe-trotter who has lived across three continents of the world, a writer and a big fan of yoga. 

Karolina's group on PDF

Mahasti: - Maybe you could tell us some words about your school and your students... As far as I know they had beautiful results in the PDF Competition this year.

Karolina: - Yes, my group has won several prizes in the Pressburg Dance Festival 2014. And yes, I am very proud of Matahari Group that has been receiving awards in festivals. One of our most treasured prizes is the gold medal from Nile Group in Cairo. 

 

The Jury (with Karolina Idrisová and Shaba)

Mahasti: - Please tell us about your "story" with PDF and Hafla Girls. How did you meet them, have you worked together? Who has invited you, how did you find out your ws topics? Have you participated in PDF before?

Karolina: - I have met Halka Tytykalova, one of the main organizer of Pressburg Dance Fest, several years ago in a professional educational program for oriental dancers where I was teaching. Halka is a keen learner and a very active lady. It didn´t take long before she decided to organize an oriental dance event in Bratislava. I was invited to become the event´s mentor and the head of jury.

Mahasti: - What are your most important impressions about PDF? How was the competition for you (long, difficult, high level, interesting, anything...) What were your favourite moments from the 3 days of PDF, what did you liked the most?

Karolina: - There are many oriental dance events and festivals nowadays. I have taken a part in many of these festivals in Europe and have come to one conclusion. The quality of the festivals is not always determined by the large size of the event and the amount of the teachers. In fact, I have learned that many times the smaller festivals offer a friendlier atmosphere, a larger opportunity to learn and meet other people, than the flashy events. And that is exactly what Pressburg Dance Fest offers!

Mahasti: - My students enjoyed your workshops and they are happy to meet you, too. They - just like me - enjoyed your dance, your choreography, your style, your teaching, happyness, and - to tell you the truth - they were really tired and really sweaty in the end - but very happy. Can you tell us some words about your ws-s?

Karolina: - I was teaching baladi-shabi in my last workshop in Pressburg Dance Fest 2014. It´s wonderful to read your feedback, since this is one of my favorite teaching subjects. Many of the workshop participants didn´t know much about this style, which made it even more worthwhile for me to teach it.

Mahasti: - You are also an organiser of a big and famous festival - Let's Dance in Prague. Please, tell us about it - how often do you organise it, when will be the next one, who is it for, from which countries are the participants, who are the main guests and so on... 

Karolina: - Yes, for many years I have been organizing Let´s Dance festival in Prague. I have also founded the Dance of Love event. However, times change :-) I am now dedicating more of my time to the troupes that I am leading (Matahari Group and Kazafy Troupe), to the educational oriental dance programs (Orient Art Club), and obviously to Pressburg Dance Fest. So I am looking forward to seeing all of you in Bratislave at the end of September :-)

Mahasti: - Karolina, thank you very much! See you soon in Bratislava, PDF 2015!

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Behind the scenes... 

Pressburg Dance Fest 2014. - Serkan Tutar interjú (angolul)

A Pressburg Dance Festen volt alkalmam személyesen is megismerkedni Serkan Tutarral. Zseniális táncos, igazi showman nem csak a színpadon, hanem az óráin is. Könnyedén, érthetően magyaráz, vidám és gyakorlatias példákkal; a színpadi táncát látván pedig elragad az a könnyedség, lendület, életöröm, ami árad belőle.
Nem utolsósorban pedig a világhírű és gigantikus méretű Rakkas Istambul fesztivál főszervezője is.
Természetesen nem akartam elmulasztani a lehetőséget, hogy Serkant is meginterjúvolhatom, így már a Pressburg Dance Fest alkalmával is sokat beszélgettünk is az orientális táncról, művészi hitvallásáról, zenékről, produkciókról, stílusokról. Hazaérve pedig elküldte a kérdéseimre a válaszokat írásban is.

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Mahasti: - Serkan, maybe in Hungary there are some belly dancers who still doesn't know you. Please, tell us some words about yourself, your life, your connection with belly dance. Where are you from, how did you explore belly dance for yourself, what does it mean to you, which styles do you dance, what are your favourite styles, what is your "motto" (slogan) in dance, in life, in teaching?

Serkan: - You can find a lot of information on my site:

www.serkan.be

"International award winning bellydancer & teacher.

“Male Bellydancer of the world 2008” and winnar of “Brandon Oasis 2006”

In 1983 a 10 year old Turkish boy arrives in Arabic countries. Living there for 3 years, he gets charmed by the oriental dances of the Arabic women on festivities such as weddings. The sound of their music touched his soul and opened his door to dance. Back in Turkey, he goes deeply into the Egyptian and Turkish style bellydance. The working out process on especially body sensation, muscle control and ligthness gets its reward when Serkan performs for the first time at the age of 17. Not only in Turkey but also in Germany his numerous performances are a great success and soon he decides to share his experience by teaching the dance that has swept away his heart. After developing himself and educating others in Turkey (Istanbul, Izmir, Kusadasi) and Germany, he enters the millennium in Belgium. He has performed and instructed workshops all over Belgium, Hong Kong, Singapore, Israel, Germany, France, Egypt, England, Austria, Turkey, Italy, Greece , Holland , Czech Republic, Croatia, Sweden, Switzerland, Bosnia, Taiwan, Malaysia, Japan, Russia, S. Korea, USA, Alaska,...And more."

I'm teaching Turkish style bellydance, Modern Egyptian style, Baladi, Saidi, Shaabi, Turkish Gypsy style, Veil dance (double and single), as "my signature" “Crazy drum solos”, and many more dance styles,...

I continue to dance and give workshops in all over the world.

Mahasti: - Maybe you could tell us some words about your school and your students, their successes in belly dance and belly dance competitions...

Serkan: - I don't have my own school because almost every week I'm travelling to teac in other countries. So I don't have much time for school here but I've been teaching 10 years already in the same school. I have many students from all around the world and some of them is winner of some competitions. Their secret of to be winner are working, learning, practicing !!!!! All this is really important !!!

Mahasti: - Please tell us about your "story" with PDF and Hafla Girls. How did you meet them, have you worked together? Who has invited you, how did you find out your ws topics? Have you participated in PDF before?

Serkan: - No, it was my first time here (I hope it will be not the last time ) I know Karolina Idrisova from Prague. She contacted me to invite to PDF and I'm so happy to be there and working with this all good level dancer girls. For my worshop topics I think everybody was happy. Still (even yesterday) I'm getting emails from PDF girls who attended my workshops. They say they are very happy from my workshops. Specialy good to learn the differences between Turkish and Egyptian style and Turkish Gypsy.

Mahasti: - What are your most important impressions about PDF? How was the competition for you (long, difficult, high level, interesting, anything...)

Serkan: - Yes it was a little long but I used to this from other countries also. In PDF competition my first impressions were the very good level and the creative dancers!!! Many good ideas and good level!!! I really enjoyed it!!!

Mahasti: - What were your favourite, most remarkable moments from the 3 days of PDF, what did you liked the most?

Serkan: - Meeting Karolina, Moonlight Daughters, and everybody there Everybody was so friendly and warm. Feel like a home there! Show, Hafla, competitions like a dream time! I hope to be there again.

Mahasti: - My students enjoyed your workshops and they are happy to meet you, too. They - just like me - enjoyed your dance, your choreography, your style, your teaching, happyness. Having fun on belly dance lessons while working very hard - it's a great way of learning! Can you tell us some words about your ws-s on PDF?

Serkan: - Thank you for kind words Topics and level is very good. Participants were very warm and happy to learn. Organizers make you feel like at home. Very friendly and homely festival!

Mahasti: - Some special questions for the Hungarian BD community. Have you ever been to Hungary? Have you worked with Hungarian belly dancers before?

Serkan: - No, not yet. I have been all around the world but not to Hungary yet I hope one day to be there !! But I have worked with some hungarian bellydancers in my festival "Rakkas IStanbul Festival"

Mahasti: - I know you are not only a busy dancer, who travels and teaches worldwide, but the organiser of one of the biggest oriental festivals in the world - Rakkas in Istambul.

Please, tell us about it - how often do you organise it, when will be the next, who is it for, from which countries are the participants, who are the main guests and so on...

Serkan: - Yes I'm the organizer of Rakkas Istanbul Festival. It's the biggest and best festival in Turkey. It's organized once a year. Next edition it will be 10-14 June 2015. Dancers arrive from all around the world. We have 27 teachers of all kind of Oriental dance styles. From Turkish Style Bellydance to Egyptian style Bellydance, from Folklore to Tribal fusion or Turkish Gypsy Romani style. Gala shows, open stage show and competitions, photo shooting time, costume bazaar and many more activities to come for. 

For more info you can visit festival website or my website here: www.rakkasistanbul.com

or www.serkan.be

And of course, we can get in touch on FB, too: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Serkan-Male-Belly-Dancer

Mahasti: - Serkan, thank you very much! I really hope to meet you soon in Hungary or to dance together with you again in your Rakkas Istanbul Festival!

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Pressburg Dance Fest 2014 - Interjú a szervezőkkel angolul

(Már készül a magyar nyelvű összefoglaló is!)
A Pressburg Dance Festről a www.pressburgdancefest.eu oldalon találtok rengeteg információt és fotót. 
A következő 2015. szeptember végén lesz, ugyanúgy Pozsonyban, és mi ugyanúgy ott leszünk. :-)
De addig álljon itt az interjú, amit a szervezőkkel készítettem. Egy kicsit szubjektív, egy kicsit objektív, egy kicsit szakmai, egy kicsit privát...  Ahogy szoktuk. :-)

Köszönöm a beszélgetést, a meghívást, a szép élményeket Halka Tytykalová-nak, Petra Majzúnová-nak és Siwakoti Lydia-nak! 
:-)

Siwakoti Lydia, Petra Majzúnová, Halka Tytykalová

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Mahasti: - How did you know how to organize such a festival as PDF?

PDF Girls: - We didn't know. But as a starting point we used experiences from dance events we had been attending or events in other fields of this activity. Peta had experience with organizing Haflas, Halka with organizing courses and conferences. Apart from PDF, in Slovakia there is also Liptov Orient Fest. This one is held in spring. That's why, from the beginning, we prepared our festival in autumn. We wished to provide the dancers and the audience with an alternative and the same time not to put them in a stressful situation where there would be two festivals in a country scheduled to take place in roughly the same time.
But when choosing the date we also took into account other established festivals or events, we are trying to collaborate with them and we even collaborate, for instance with Tales of Sahara, Hvězda Orientu, Orient Connection - all in Czech Republic. In Slovakia with RaksFarah. Bratislava's location is awesome, it is near to many other countries. It's an opportunity but also a commitment.
 

Mahasti: - Which one of you three came first with the idea and convinced the others that you HAVE TO organize the PDF? Weren't you afraid of failure? How was your first festival? What has changed since then and why?
PDF Girls: - Pressburg Dance Fest is Peta's idea. Once she told me that she would like to have a big festival, not only small forms - meetings (which, by the way, have their own unique charm). And so me and Lidia also joined. The first year included a gala show and seminars, it was mainly focused on local dancers. When we began considering the second year, we wanted also to include a competition. But we were not sure whether to do it in the second year or a year later. And then I met Karolina Idrisova and she told us "Don't be afraid, just go for it right away."

The festival was extended especially by Czech dancers, but also dancers from Poland, there was also one from Bulgaria. From our country there also came dancers who didn't want to participate to competitions before and we are very grateful for this. During the second year already, PDF became not only an event but a community of dancers who we are trying to support and they support us. It is a very precious situation and we are infinitely grateful, especially the trust showed to us by many dancers and we don't want to disappoint them. 
The third year was discovered by groups and the community was extended by dancers from Hungary. We are trying to perceive the dancers in a different way than just numbers in the competition or on a seminar or the gala show. We ourselves dance, we attend many events and follow their activities during the year. Each of them has her own story and has her value. This is why we organized for example a chain of seminars for the winners in the professional category and we contributed to their publicity, this is why, among the prizes, the dancers will also find admittance to other competitions or seminars for example within Orient Art Club. Also the possibility of photo shooting in the workshop of a professional photographer. These are the things needed by a dancer who wants to develop further. This idea was also supported by Karolina when she came up with the concept of a joined choreography, where winners from the previous year, but also other dancers, perhaps from the last village - but if they are good - they had the opportunity to dance with such a star as Serkan Tutar. We believe a tradition will rise. We would also like to believe that at least a part of the about 250 dancers who came to us this year will return because they liked it.

Szép magyar lányok szép sikere. :-) (Haladó raqs sharqi kategória)

Az amatőr folk kategória nyertesei (jobbra a Mahasti tanítványok, az Ana El Asl csoport)

Szép összkép a Gála után

Mahasti: - Who were members of the jury?
PDF Girls: - Last year we had Maria Aya (Greece), Bri Hurley (USA/CR), Yalia (AT), Leila (SRB), Karolina Idrisova and Sahar (CR) and Suhayla (SR). This year there came Serkan Tutar (Belgium/Turkey), Teresa Tomas (Spain), Shaba (Hungary), we invited again Karolina Idrisova and Sahar (CR), from CR Sheyla joiend and to represent our country there is Ranya.
The choice of the jury members is very important for us. Not only because they will become stars of the Gala show but also because they are teachers and they are able to assess not only the elements important for the dance, technique, expression, etc., but they are also able to understand mistakes with regard to the actual level of the dancer's career and see the potential in further growth.  

A zsűri: Serkan Tutar, Karolina Idrisova, Ranya, Sheyla, Teresa Tomas, Shaba, Sahar

 
Mahasti: - When I was reading your page I was surprised that you don't open the categories "bollywood" and "tribal".
PDF Girls: - During the second year we had representatives for the tribal category. We eliminated bollywood right from the start. We are convinced that bollywood, but in the end, also tribal need their own, specific jury. Tribal and India have other styles within which need to be carefully distinguished and assessed and need special attention.
We were also convinced about it by the tribal community of dancers represented last year at the conference of oriental dance teachers in Brno. Maybe one day it will become reality, but for now we want to keep the festival three-days long and we may not succeed with bollywood and tribal if they are to receive the space they deserve.

Mahasti: - What is your opinion about the festival? Do you consider it being a great success? Which was your favorite part? Perhaps the open stage or the dazzling after party after which you could sigh with relief and say "Yes, we did it! And now we can rest". Or perhaps the organization, the preparations for the festival, the communication with the participants? Or maybe the gala show with those awesome high quality dances of the winners and members of the jury?
PDF Girls: - To tell the truth, for us the festival didn't finish yet. We are processing the scores and are sending them to the dancers who asked it. We also still work on the photos and each day we get the results of the cameraman's work, we are preparing a documentary about our festival.
Apart from all this there is also the preparing for the next year which we look forward, there will be dates released, newsletters, we need to constantly improve the website, especially the English language... and a bunch of other things we know that must be improved.
Halka: - We have a good feeling about the festival and this is why we want to continue next year. If I may speak on behalf of the others as well, my favorites are the competition and the joined choreography, Peta's favorite are the galashow and the Openstage, Lydia is always happy about the colorful bazaar and the accompanying events. The organizing of such event is not work, if we didn't wanted we wouldn't be doing it. We always meet new people and those we already know always have some news. 

Kint a bazár...

Bent a verseny...

   
Mahasti: - Do you have any personal or perhaps funny stories regarding the event?
Halka: - It was cute when Marta, our moderator, found the model of a skeleton behind the scenes and we quickly looked for a permit to use it as a prank on gala show. I personally appreciate that in one of the groups danced a Hard of Hearing dancer. Initially she also intended to go solo, but didn't finish her preparation due to illness. I personally like the amateur category and the category 'Ladies over age 50'. Each one who joins is already a winner and I am serious about it. The oriental dance is about this as well.



 

A haladó szóló fúzió kategória győztesei (igen-igen, jobbra Rembeczki Eszter!)

Mahasti: - What are your plans for the future? When will be the next PDF, what will be preserved and what will change? Will your goal be again to join the dance community from 4 countries (Slovakia, Czech Republic, Austria, Hungary) or you want to extend the festival and the guests?
PDF Girls: - We can already say that Pressburg Dance Fest in 2015 will take place at the end of September again, during the last week end. We definitely want to gather the dance community from the V4 countries but we hope other countries will be interested as well. And we are beginning to pick guests :)

Mahasti: - Thank you for answering the questions, for inviting me, for the possibility to take part in your festival. I really hope we will meet next year again and enjoy oriental dance together with the dancers from other countries! :-)


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Még néhány, teljesen szubjektív módon válogatott fotó a gáláról.

A Serkan Tutar workshop végén a vidám, ámde hullafáradt csapat