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Sleeping
Beauty Show Review Article by Marlayna
Maclarty |
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There is a thirst for enlightenment in this new
millennium. But in order to understand this newly
popular word, we should first understand what it is
not. Enlightenment is not a religion, though it is
the goal, recognized or not, of many religions.
Enlightenment is not a belief. Enlightenment is not
faith, and it does not need a group to happen! It
does not need a temple or a church. Enlightenment
happens within, and it is a deeply personal and
unique experience for each individual. It is in the
truth of our actions and in the deepest compassion
of our souls that we will find enlightenment. It
resides in the silences between our purest thoughts,
and in those precious, fleeting moments when we
sense eternity. You cannot "seek out" enlightenment,
yet it is everywhere you want it to be. Dance can be
a path to Enlightenment.
- Rosane Gibson aka Hozuhni from her
book
Enlightenment Through Dance: Dancing Your Way to Eternal Bliss
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"It's all good." Those words will stay
with me a long while, possibly far beyond the time it
takes for their utterer to return from her unknown realm
of consciousness. The issuer in question, Lynda Waters,
self-proclaimed "belly dancing, scuba diving, biker
chick," also skydived when not working as a
schoolteacher inspiring students to reach beyond the
stars. That is, until Lynda recently met with the
earthbound misfortune of being critically injured in a
motorcycle accident, resulting in deep coma. While
showing small signs of awareness, her amazing network of
family, friends and Enlightenment Through Dancers surrounds her,
who this night put on the second show I attended for her
benefit.
Formerly, the Enlightenment Through Dance Company promoted
Fiesta Gitana in Orlando, comprised of international
troupes incorporating belly dance. This time, the show
appropriately dubbed "Sleeping Beauty" was more
circumscribed in contributors, more concentrated in
scope. Beyond the words intermittently honoring the
reposing, Lynda's essence could be felt in every earthy
step. At times mesmerized by the agility of the
gyrating, be they svelte or bounteous, male or female, I
could not help feeling transported to her bedside,
although I have never actually met this beautiful woman.
One by one, each expressionist rendered tribute,
underscoring that we all are "goddesses," gracious,
generous and glowing, both inside and out.
Lynda was further captured in the original renderings of
one of her classmates, Jeanie Wu, who refrained from
dancing to give of her talents another way. Younger
dancers also stepped back to offer delicious homebaked
goods. Local businesses gave discounts and raffled off
beautiful baskets, adding to the copious outpouring. By
evening's end, a respectable amount had been collected
to aid in Lynda's recovery.
From the outset, I felt welcomed into a womb-like
warmth. Hozuhni (Rosane Gibson), founding member of
Enlightenment Through Dance, author, world-renown teacher and
flight attendant, once again proved an amazingly
well-grounded hostess as she gifted the room with her
dazzling presence. At intermission, I overheard the aunt
of the magnificent male dancer Zhor (Andrew Guilfoil)
extolling the virtues of her nephew, in whose princely
presence I soon found myself. Like Hozuhni, Zhor owns
and teaches at his self-founded venue (The Guilfoil
Academy of Dance & Performing Arts) after studying and
performing internationally. Although they danced
together for many years, tonight marked the end of their
long hiatus sharing a stage. The American Belly Dance
Harem also filled the floor, swirling scarves to musky
music, progressively telling the Disney classic in an
ancient yet brand-new way.
When I asked Zhor why he took up belly dancing, he
modestly explained that he originally trained in (and
mastered) classical ballet. From there he went on to
pursue most other genres with the exception of the
earliest styles, his more recent quest. Zhor holds the
distinction of being one of the world's few and finest
male belly dancers, I was informed. Amusingly, he also
bears a striking resemblance to one of Picasso's self
portraits, the image of which occupied my mind the
entire time we spoke! Not to be outdone, Hozuhni's face
and effervescence reminded me of a younger Ann-Margret.
As they say, "it's all in the interpretation," as is
this type of dance and its restorative properties.
(Interestingly, The Free Dictionary cosmically defines
the word "coma" as "the luminous cloud of particles
surrounding the frozen nucleus of a comet; forms as the
comet approaches the sun and is warmed.")
My hope is that Lynda Waters be the recipient of that
outcome, materially and ethereally. Although she has
been rendered speechless, she has spoken to me through
the magnificence of many tongues. May she never take
another nosedive as she could never fall from grace.
"It's all good," so long as there's love ... and Lynda.
Marlayna Maclarty
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