Pogovor z ukrajinsko plesalko in pedagoginjo svetovnega ranga Julio Farid, ki je vodilna na področju orientalskega plesa.
Julio Farid je v Slovenijo pripeljala Ksenija Visket iz mariborske Hiše Zahir. Julia je s slovenskimi orientalskimi plesalkami delila svoje obsežno znanje iz treh tematskih področij: zgodovinske rekonstrukcije stila zlate dobe orientalskega plesa v Egiptu, egipčanske mestne folklore baladi in za konec še nekaj svojih unikatnih nasvetov za sočne gibe z boki. Julia se je predstavila tudi širši slovenski publiki kot plesalka, saj je bila gostja Ksenijine predstave z naslovom Sedem tančic. Z njo se je pogovarjala Nataša Kočar, ki je pripravila intervju tudi v angleškem jeziku in ga najdete pod slovensko verzijo!
Julia Farid, si ena vodilnih orientalskih plesalk in učiteljic na svetu. Nam lahko prosim zaupaš, kako in kdaj se je začela tvoja plesna pot?
Če govorimo o moji plesni poti potem ne morem mimo omembe tega, kako sem začela obiskovati plesne ure. Sprva me orientalski ples ni zanimal, pravzaprav ga sploh nisem poznala. Iskala sem plesni studio, kjer bi se učila bollywood in prijateljica me je povabila naj se ji pridružim na uri indijskega plesa, v plesni šoli, ki jo je našla. Kakšno presenečenje me je čakalo tam – glasba je bila popolnoma drugačna (fantazijsko orientalska v stilu glasbe Buddha Bar), gibi pa sploh niso spominjalo na plesne scene iz indijskih filmov. Bila sem precej razočarana. Kakorkoli že, še naprej sem obiskovala ta tečaj, ker sem upala, da morda pa bomo kmalu začeli z tipičnimi bollywood gibi. Po mesecu dni plesa v tej plesni šoli sem slišala, da se dekleta v garderobi pogovarjajo o urah orientalskega plesa. Vprašala sem jih kje se ga učijo, pa se je ena izmed deklet nasmehnila in mi odgovorila: ‘Ti si pa res čudna, saj se vendar učiš orientalskega plesa z nami.’ Tišina. Zastor se zapre. Tako se je v mojem življenju pojavil orientalski ples. Od takrat dalje mi ni bilo nikoli žal, da sem se odločila zanj – oboževala sem ga, navdihoval me je (in me še vedno).
Je bila to, da postaneš profesionalna plesalka in učiteljica tvoja želja iz otroštva ali si imela takrat zase kaj drugega v mislih?
Najbolj smešno je, da sem se, ko sem bila stara šest let, rada igrala, da sem plesna učiteljica. Imela sem imaginarno skupino učenk, ki sem jih učila plesat. Učile so se različne kombinacije, ki sem jih ustvarila za njih, jaz pa sem jih ocenjevala. Nato se dolgo nisem spomnila te igre. Šele ko sem bila že odrasla in sem imela svoj plesni studio, so me preplavili spomini iz otroštva. Ko sem bila najstnica pa sem sanjala, da bom notranja oblikovalka. To se nikoli ni zgodilo.
Kakšen je bil odziv tvoje družine ko so spoznali da si postala profesionalna orientalska plesalka? Vemo namreč, da se veliko plesalk po svetu spopada s stereotipi o tej plesni obliki in da je to delo dobro sprejeto kot hobi, ne pa kot poklic.
Ja, tudi jaz sem se morala spopasti s stereotipi. Moj oče, ki dela v vojski, ni bil vesel glede moje izbire poklica. Upal je, da bom izbrala neko stabilno pisarniško delo, ki mi bo zagotavljajo finančno varnost in reden dohodek. Poleg tega je težko sprejel to, da sem nastopala v restavracijah, tako, da sem mu morala razložiti, da je to del moje službe in da to potrebujem za profesionalno rast in razvoj. Vseeno mi je vedno stal ob strani in je prišel gledat večino mojih predstav. Mama pa je bila že od začetka srečna, da se izbrala poklic v katerem uživam in me brezpogojno podpira.
Tudi nekateri moji prijatelji so bili skeptični glede moje izbire plesne kariere in so bili zares presenečeni ko so videli, kam me je to pripeljalo.
Kdo so bili tvoji glavni učitelji oz. kdo so bili učitelji, ki so najbolj vplivali nate in kdo je tvoja največja inspiracija danes?
V zadnjih dvajsetih letih so me navdihnili številni plesalci in plesalke. Med tistimi, ki so pomagali izoblikovati mojo umetniško vizijo so zagotovo legendarne egipčanske plesalke Samia Gamal, Tahia Carioca, Naemet Mokhtar, Fifi Abdou, Dina in vsi tisti egipčanski mojstri, ki so postali moji učitelji – Randa Kamel, Tito, Mohamed Kazafy in Yousry Sharif. Danes me resnično navdihujejo umetniki, ki sledijo svojemu srcu, ki jih ni strah biti unikatni in tisti, katerih ples postane njihov glas.
Veliko poučuješ povsod po svetu in zato tudi veliko potuješ. Si kdaj razmišljala da bi se nekje ustalila, v neki državi in bi tam odprla svojo plesno šolo, tako da bi celo leto učila iste učenke?
V Ukrajini sem imela plesno šolo skoraj petnajst let in leta 2020 sem jo zaprla, ker sem se preselila v Italijo. To delo sem oboževala. Uživala sem, ko sem opazovala kako moje učenke rastejo, kako se učijo ne samo plesa, ampak spoznavajo tudi same sebe, oblikujejo svojo osebnost čez svoj ples. Ker sem imela zelo naporen urnik potovanj in poučevanj po svetu, je bilo vedno težje vzdrževati delo v domačem plesnem studiu, zato je bilo zaprtje le-tega na nek način olajšanje (obenem je bila tudi težka odločitev in še vedno pogrešam svoje učenke). Leta 2020 sem začela z spletno platformo TIPS4HIPS, ki je postala moj virtualni plesni svet. Danes ta plesna platforma združuje veliko učenk iz različnih koncev sveta. Poučujem v živo preko Zoom-a, z dekleti se srečujemo, pogovarjamo in imamo celo online zabave.
Prepričana sem, da je veliko regionalnih razlik v percepciji, poučevanju, učenju in končni izvedbi – nastopanju orientalskega plesa na odru. Lahko deliš z nami, kako ti vidiš te razlike kot priznana mednarodna učiteljica, ki uči v različnih deželah, na različnih kontinentih.
S tem, ko veliko potujem po svetu, lahko vidim kako mentalno, kulturno in zgodovinsko ozadje vpliva na percepcijo plesa neke dežele. Nerada posplošujem, toda res sem opazila nekaj razlik med posameznimi deli sveta: na primer, ko sem se vrnila iz Kitajske in moram reči, da so kitajski plesalci najbolj pridni in delavni učenci, kar sem jih videla. Nenehno vadijo. Imajo zelo kratke premore med delavnicami, ki trajajo po štiri do pet ur. Obenem pa so mi nekateri izmed njih priznali, da težko ustvarijo lastne koreografije, tako da se raje naučijo že narejene koreografije drugih učiteljev na delavnicah. V Evropi pa imajo učenci raje bolj kreativne delavnice in se raje učijo kombinacij, ki jim nato pomagajo ustvarjati njihove lastne koreografije. Tudi hitrost učenja je različna. Prav tako opažam, da so plesna tekmovanja bolj popularna v nekaterih državah, medtem ko v nekaterih državah plesalci ne želijo biti ocenjevani. Tudi izbira glasbe in interpretacija le-te je odvisna od mentalitete. Na primer, nastopati lirično pesem je precej bolj popularno na Kitajskem kot v Evropi, kjer redko vidiš koga nastopati na ta tip glasbe. Veliko razliko vidim tudi med orientalskimi plesalci v južni Ameriki, kjer so vsi bolj strastni (tako kot Arabci) – to je povsem drugačna kultura kjer je zelo močna tradicija družabnih plesov.
Večinoma učiš in nastopaš na festivalih orientalskega plesa in dogodkih povezanih z orientalskim plesom po različnih deželah sveta, toda ali si kdaj želela postati profesionalna orientalska plesalka v Kairu?
To vprašanje sem sama sebi zastavila samo enkrat in takoj sem vedela odgovor – ne, to ni moja pot. Sebe vidim najprej kot učiteljico, mentorico in malce manj kot plesalko (čeprav sem mnogo let delala kot plesalka). Kairo mi prinaša inspiracijo in energijo, ne vidim pa ga kot mesto, kjer bi živela in delala. Dobila sem veliko ponudb za delo v Egiptu in drugih arabskih državah, ampak sem raje ostala v Evropi.
Orientalska plesna skupnost te zelo dobro pozna po tvojem stilu zlate dobe orientalskega plesa. Od kje navdušenje nad tem stilom in kdo je tvoja najljubša plesalka zlate dobe?
Oh, to je pa zelo intimna zgodba. Zgodilo se je leta 2017, ko sem doživela umetniško izgorelost po zelo dolgi turneji na Kitajskem. Ko sem se vrnila domov sem se počutila zelo utrujeno in … razočarano sama nad sabo. Čutila sem, da to kar poučujem, nisem zares jaz. Tega občutka sem se prestrašila, ker sem začela razmišljati, če nisem iskrena sama do sebe, kaj bom lahko dala mojim učenkam in moji publiki? Potrebovala sem čas za samorefleksijo. Medtem ko sem raziskovala YouTube, sem nenadoma zagledala posnetek plesalke zlate dobe. Ta stil sem se učila že prej, a tokrat sem na njem opazila nekaj drugega – pogled, način kako se je plesalka stopila z gibom. Koreografija ni bila pomembna. Tehnika ni bila pomembna. Uživala je v trenutku. Začela sem si ogledovati na tone video posnetkov in jih analizirati. Zapisala sem si vsak gib, ki je bil drugačen od modernega orientalskega plesa. Te gibe sem začela dodajati mojemu plesu. To je bila pot, ki me je pripeljala od obupa, do mojega novega prepoznavnega stila plesa. Moje najljubše plesalke so Samia Gamal, Tahia Carioca, Naemet Mokhtar in Naima Akef.
Katera je tvoja najljubša mentah folklora oz. tvoj najljubši stil orientalskega plesa?
Absolutno je moj najljubši stil baladi. To je moj prostor, kjer se stopim.
Ali obstaja orientalski plesni stil ali mentah folklora, ki si jo še želiš naučiti ali izboljšati?
Ja! Rada bi izboljšala moj iraki in khaleegy. Obeh sem se učila v Ukrajini z ukrajinskimi učitelji, nikoli pa z dejanskimi učitelji iz te regije. Želela bi si tudi bolj poglobiti v dabke in maroško folkloro. Ko sem začela sem plesala skorajda vse stile, kasneje pa sem se osredotočila bolj na egipčanski stil.
Pred kratkim si postala mlada mamica. Kako ti uspeva organizirati tvoje plesne obveznosti in potovanja z družinskim življenjem?
To je kar velik izziv. Vendar moram poudariti, da vam zakaj to počnem in to mi daje energijo za to, da se uspešno spopadam z vsemi nalogami hkrati in da sem v njih kar se da efektivna. Plesne vaje in koreografije snemam medtem, ko je moja hčerka v vrtcu, ko pride domov, pa se ji popolnoma posvetim. Ko potujem, pa zanjo skrbi moj mož, ki me tudi sicer zelo podpira. Mislim, da je to ključno. Težko bi to naredila sama, skupaj pa nama uspeva. Med potovanji skušam izkoristiti prosti čas da ustvarim nekaj kombinacij, odgovorim na e-pošto, ipd. Delam tudi medtem ko letim, tako, da lahko nato z družino preživim kvaliteten čas, ko sem doma.
Kakšni so tvoji plani za prihodnost?
Vedno sem polna načrtov. Rada bi poglobila svoje znanje o arabski kulturi, se naučila arabščino in se posvetila nadaljnjemu razvijanju mojega plesnega stila. Če sem iskrena se želim tudi bolj posvetiti moji fizični obliki telesa po porodu, želim si da bi bilo moje telo bolj močno in bolj prožno. Želim, da moja spletna učilnica TIPS4HIPS Academy postane močna plesna skupnost, ki ne samo daje znanje, ampak tudi pomaga oblikovati vizijo in unikaten stil vsakega plesalca, ki se ji pridruži. In na zadnje, rada bi nadaljevala z razvojem svoje osebnosti na različne načine – tako, da bom vzor svoji hčerki, da bom učiteljica, ki pomaga plesalkam, da bom plesalka, ki prinaša radost občinstvu, da bom podjetnica katere podjetje je odgovorno, da bom mojemu v podporo mojemu najdražjemu in da bom človek, ki mu je mar do tega v kakšnem svetu živi.
In English
Julia, you are one of the world´s leading Oriental Dance teachers and performers. Can you please share with our readers how your dance journey began?
Speaking about my dance journey I can not but mention the original way how I started attending dance classes. I was not interested in oriental dance, I actually even didn’t know about this style. I was searching for Bollywood studio when my friend offered me to join her and to take a class of Indian dance in a studio she had found. What my surprise was when I went there – the music was different (fantasy oriental, like Buddha Bar melodies), the moves didn’t remind any scenes from Indian movies. I felt quite disappointed. However I decided to keep on attending classes, who knows maybe we will arrive to typical Bollywood moves. After one month of dancing in that studio I heard how girls in the changing room were discussing bellydance classes. I asked them where they studied it. One girls started laughing – ‘you are so weird, you study bellydance with us’. Silence. The curtain falls. That’s how the world of oriental dance appeared in my life. Since then I never hesitated in the choice I made – I loved it, I was inspired by it (and so I am now).
Was becoming a professional dancer and teacher your childhood dream or did you have something else in mind back then?
The funniest thing is that I played a dance teacher when I was six. I had an imaginary group of students that I was teaching to dance. They were learning different combinations that I created, and I was putting marks. And then I actually even didn’t remember the game, it just popped up in my mind when I was a grown-up and already had Dance Studio. But being a teenager, I dream to become an interior designer, but it never happened.
What was the reaction of your familly and friends when they saw you became a professional Oriental dancer? We know that many dancers around the world struggle with the stereotypes about this art form and that this is usually well-accepted as a hobby but not as a profession.
Yes, I also had to struggle with these stereotypes, my father, who is the military was not really happy about my choice hoping that I’m going to choose a regular office job, that can provide stability and a fixed paycheck. Besides, it was not easier for him to accept me performing in the restaurants, so I had to talk to him and explain that it was a part of my job and that I needed it for my dance growth. In any case, he was always on my side and came to see many of my shows. My mother, on the other side, was really happy that I was doing something that I love, she supported me unconditionally. And some of my friends to be honest were quite skeptic about my dance career and were surprised to see where this path brought me.
Who were your main teachers, or better who were the teachers who influenced you the most, and who is your greatest inspiration today?
Throughout past 20 years I was inspired with numerous dancers but among those who shaped my artistic vision are the Egyptian legendary dancers Samia Gamal, Tahia Carioca, Naemet Mokhtar, Fifi Abdou, Dina and those Egyptian masters who became my teachers – Randa Kamel, Tito, Mohamed Kazafy and Yousry Sharif. Today I’m truly inspired with the artists who follow their heart, who are not afraid to be unique and those whose dance becomes their Voice.
You are teaching all over the world and you travel a lot for that reason. Have you ever thought of settling down and forming your own dance school in a certain country, teaching the same students all through the year?
I had a school in Ukraine for almost 15 years and I closed it when I moved to Italy in 2020. I loved that part of my work, I was enjoying seeing my students grow, learning not only dance but learning about themselves, shaping their personalities through the dance. Due to active touring schedule it was quite hard to keep working in the studio so somehow closing it was a relief (it was also a very difficult decision as I was (and still am) missing my students). In 2020 I launched an online dance platform TIPS4HIPS which became my virtual dance world. Today TIPS4HIPS Academy unites many students from all over the world. I teach live Zoom classes, we have meeting and discussions and even dance parties online.
I am sure there are regional differences in perception, teaching, learning, and performing oriental dance. Can you share with us, how you see those differences, being an international teacher who teaches in different continents, different countries?
Traveling around the world I was able to see how our mentality, cultural and historical background influence perception of dance. I prefer not to generalize, but I really noticed some difference in different areas: for example I have just came back from China and I must say the Chinese dancers are the most hard-working students I’ve ever seen. They practice non-stop. They have very short breaks during the workshops which by the way last four or five hours. At the same time some of them confessed to me that they find difficult creating own choreographies, so they prefer to learn ready choreography at the workshops. Meanwhile, in Europe dancers are more open to creative work and they prefer combos that will help them to come up with own choreos. But the tempo of studying is different. Also, it’s hard not to notice that competitions are popular only in some countries while in others dancers prefer not to be judged. I think that even the choice of music and the interpretation of it depends on mentality. For instance, performing lyrical songs is much more popular in China than in European countries and you will barely see an Egyptian dancer performing to this type of music. Also, I see the Latin American Bellydancers very passionate about dance (as Arabs) – it’s another part of the world where the culture of social dance is very strong.
You mainly teach and perform in festivals and Oriental Dance events around the world, but have you ever wanted to become a professional dancer in Cairo?
I asked myself this question just once and I knew immediately- no, that is not my way. I see myself first as a teacher, as a mentor and a bit less as a performer (though I worked as a performer for years). I feel that Cairo is the place that brings me inspiration and energy, but it’s not a place where I see myself living and working.
I got many invitations to work in Egypt and other Arab countries but I preferred to stay in Europe.
You are very well known for your Golden era style of dance. Can you share with us how this happened and ofcourse who is your favorite Golden era dancer?
Oh it’s a very intimate story. It happened because of a serious artistic burnout that I had after a long tour in China in 2017. I came back home after my trip quite tired and … disappointed with myself. I felt that what I was teaching was not reflecting who I was. It made me scared because I thought- well if I’m not truthful to myself, what I am going to give to those who come to study with me, to my audience?
I had to take some time for reflections. And while surfing in YouTube, i saw a random videoclip with a golden era dancer. I had been studying golden era before, but this time there was something different I was able to notice – the glance, the way she melted through the movement. The choreography was not important. The technique was not important. She was enjoying the moment. And I started watching dozens of videos, analyzing them. I was noting every single movement that looked different from modern oriental dance. And I started applying it to my dance. It was a journey that brought me from despair to my signature dance. My favorite dancers are Samia Gamal, Tahia Carioca, Naemet Mokhtar and Naima Akef.
Do you have other favorite styles of Oriental Dance or mentah folklore?
Yes my absolutely favorite style is Baladi. That’s my place to ‘melt’.
Is there an Oriental Dance style or a mentah folklore that you´d love to learn or work more on it?
Yes! I’d love to improve my Iraqi and Khaleegy. I learned them with Ukrainian teachers only and never had a chance to study with native dancers. I’d also love to practice more dabke and Moroccan folklore. I danced almost all styles when I was beginning my dance education but then I focused on Egyptian art mostly.
You also became a young mother recently. How do you manage to organize your life combining dance obligations and travel while being a young mother?
Well it’s quite a challenge of course. But I know my ‘why’ and it gives me energy that I need to be a multi-tasking person). I’m doing my best to work effectively: I record classes and make choreos when my daughter is in the kindergarten, once she goes out, I’m all hers. When I travel, my husband who is incredibly supportive takes care of our baby. I think that’s the key, I’d not be able to do it alone, but together we do a good job. I also try to use some free time during my travels to choreograph some combos, reply email etc, I work during my flights, so I have more quality time with my family once I’m home.
What are your plans for the future?
I’m always full of plans. I want to deepen my knowledge of Arab culture, learn Arabic language and continue developing my dance style. To be honest I feel I need to dedicate more time to my physical shape after having a baby. I want to have it stronger and more flexible. I plan to develop TIPS4HIPS Academy into a strong dance community, that not only gives knowledge, but helps to shape a vision and to create a unique style of every dancer who joins it. And the last one, it’s probably not much a plan but rather a wish – I’d love to continue developing my personality in different ways – as a good example for my daughter, as a mentor that helps other dancers, as a performer that brings joy and makes audience reflect, as a leader whose business is responsible, as a supportive partner to my beloved one and as human who cares about the world we live in.