[The interview for The Hip Circle was conducted by Tina Frühauf, PhD, musicologist, NYC]

Tina Frühauf: What is your origin and motivation as a dancer?

Dalia Carella: I have been dancing since I was born. I came from an extremely musical family; and my mother and father were both dancers — not professional, but they *loved* to dance. My uncles toured with Frank Sinatra, Peggy Lee, Mel Tomei, Glen Campbell, Jimmy Durante, and Sammy Davis Jr. and they were great musicians.

Music and dance were always in my house. My training started at the age of eight with jazz. Because my family was very poor, they couldn’t afford my lessons after a while, which was heartbreaking for me. I believe that if they would not have pulled me out I would have wanted a dance career on Broadway, but that was not meant to be.

So I started to choreograph for all the kids on the block. I would take Motown music and I would choreograph the latest songs. I had my own little shows in the neighborhood. I took my first bellydance class when I was about 17 and a half years old and I got hooked. And ever since then I am into ethnic dance and studied all forms of ethnic dance: Egyptian, Tunisian, Algerian, Moroccan, and Lebanese. I also studied Flamenco, Indian, Latin, Caribbean, Bomba and Plena from Puerto Rico, just every single form of ethnic dance.

Tina Frühauf: Who were your most influential teachers in Middle Eastern dance?

Dalia Carella: Bobby [Ibrahim Farrah] was a big influence in my life. But Elena Lentini was my biggest influence.

Tina Frühauf: How do you see the evolution of your dance?

Dalia Carella: I feel that I am more an ethnic contemporary dancer, although my origins are in Oriental Dance. I have studied and research Dance Orientale for over 34 years. If I did not know the traditional dance as well as I do, I would not be able to fuse and keep the integrity that goes along with Dance Orientale.

My style incorporates many elements of Middle Eastern Dance, Flamenco, Indian, Latin Carribbean and contemporary dance movements. We are living in a contemporary age, and our dance form keeps shifting with the world's influence of people and diverse cultures.

Tina Frühauf: Outside of your staged shows: Do you improvise exclusively in Middle Eastern dance or do you also choreograph?

Dalia Carella: I love improvisation. I am from that era where everything was improvised, because we grew up in the nightclubs in Middle Eastern dance in New York City, dancing to live music. We were very blessed.

Many dancers around the country have to use CDs most of the time. I really believe that a dancer who can improvise is quite an artist. You become *one* with the musicians. And for me it is the biggest challenge and artistic expression.


Tina Frühauf: What is your favorite Middle Eastern music?

Dalia Carella: I love classical Egyptian, Turkish Roma, Saidi as well as Rai music from Algeria. I am really into music from the Maghreb lately. The dance and music has been such a love of mine for a while and now I want to delve deeper into it. I am in the process of choreographing a work in progress for my Dance Collective called “Maghreb Composition in Time”, which will be fusing a lot of North African rhythms with some contemporary rhythms and dance.

Tina Frühauf: How did the dance affect your life style?

Dalia Carella: Middle Eastern dance *is* my life style. When I was living in Egypt in 1987 and 1988 I performed classical Egyptian dance. I performed the traditional style, when I was there. But when I was offered a contract at the Marriott in Cairo, I decided not to do it. I realized then, I was about 30 years old at that time, that if I did stay my dance career would lead me to performing Classical Egyptian Dance. I knew then that that was not the direction I wanted to go in. I had a lot to say in dance in many forms and I decided to come back to America and really focus on the styles that were more in my blood.

Tina Frühauf: What are your current projects?

Dalia Carella: I just got invited to the University of Kentucky to choreograph for their dance department a piece of my original works, called “Salome”, and they are going to perform it in November 2005. They will perform it again in the Children’s Theater in Lexington, Kentucky with me in December, too. I will be presenting my work on my choreographies inspired by Ruth St. Denis in conjunction with Mecca Dance Company. They also commissioned me to choreograph for their dance company an “Oulid Nayli piece" and they will perform it at the same event. The University of Kentucky dancers are also going to enter a competition next spring at the University of Columbus, Ohio, and perform my “Salome”. I am really looking forward to collaborating more with universities and introducing choreographies that are Middle-Eastern-contemporary-based to the dance departments.

Tina Frühauf: What is your advice for people who want to become serious performers?

Dalia Carella: First of all, the dancer has to really know the music. If they don’t have the right musicality it will show. Secondly, they have to know how to dance in front of an audience, yet keep some parts of the dance for yourself. When we grew up as dancers, we were told always to please the audience, and we did, but as I am becoming more mature as a dancer, I want to dance more for myself now. It doesn't matter if people like me or not, but you have to always know that there is an audience out there watching you and paying to see you. So, there is a fine line. It is really important to wear a costume that fits you and your music. Also, you really need to practice your moves.

To be a good dancer, you have to be committed to it. You need to rehearse, practice, and take classes. Dance is commitment. But the most important thing of all is: be grateful and blessed that you were given the gift of dance and never forget that.