Devyani Dance Company Announces Successful Year

Devyani Dance Company, located in Irondale, Alabama, experienced a flourishing and prosperous 2007-2008 season. Whether the studio was undergoing expansion or the dancers were going on tour, this season served to reinforce the notion that Devyani is one source for the cultural experience that binds us all.

In November, Devyani teamed up with Dandasha Dance Company from Chattanooga, TN and Awalim Dance Company of Atlanta, GA to hit the road with Raquy and the Cavemen, a progressive Middle Eastern music experience out of Brooklyn, NY. This three-city southeastern tour was one leg of Raquy and the Cavemen’s larger “Give Thanks” tour. Devyani performed in a sold out show at the Barking Legs in Chattanooga; wowed a particularly enthusiastic group at the Red Light Café in Atlanta; and were heavily supported by the home crowd at Bottle Tree Café in Birmingham. Each show provided audiences with a taste of several styles of belly dance including American tribal style and tribal fusion, along with core shaking live music. In fact, the shows were so well received that dates are already set for the next tour and will feature two more cities in the lineup: Asheville, NC and Knoxville, TN. Look for more information in fall 2008!

Devyani’s Megha Gavin was invited to teach two workshops in February at TribalCon, a highly lauded annual belly dance event held in Atlanta that brings in teachers and students from around the country for three days of classes, networking, and shopping. Gavin’s workshops were packed with helpful information on dance technique and full details of new dance moves and combinations, much to the delight of the students. A highlight of the TribalCon event is the all-star show, and Devyani was invited to participate. The number included breathtaking floor work and many of the new dance combinations that Gavin taught in the workshop. The audience was filled with the energy generated by the performance, made evident through their boisterous praise.

In line with spring’s beauty and new beginnings, Devyani began a new venture by hosting a hafla on March 1 that featured two-time Grammy award winner Naser Musa and Grammy nominee Souhail Kaspar. Prior to the hafla, Kaspar offered a course at the studio detailing the history of belly dance; additionally, on the day of the hafla, Musa and Kaspar offered several drumming and melody workshops. The hafla itself featured dance companies and performers from around the southeast. The event included belly dancing, flamenco, hula, and Indian classical folk fusion dance. The Devyani students performed alongside several troupe members in a traditional number. The second half of the show was dedicated to the music of Musa and Kaspar with a few belly dance solos peppered into the pieces; one of the soloists was Devyani’s Deanna Freeman, who also coordinated this festive event.

Devyani also has two cover girls to announce! Gavin graced the cover of Zaghareet magazine in April 2007 and was featured in one of the articles. Devyani’s Michelle Amaral lit up the cover of the January / February 2008 issue of Jareeda Magazine for her winning article describing the addictive nature of belly dance costuming. An enormous “thank you” goes out to Sharon Creel for her fabulous photography that made each of these cover shots simply stunning.

And, as if these Devyani women just can’t sit still, their much sought-after American tribal style dance moves are once again going international! Yes, for the third straight year, Gavin will be teaming with Carolena Nericcio of Fat Chance Belly Dance, who is the creator of this dance style, to instruct Tribal:Pura workshops in such places as Canada, Madrid, Mexico, and Finland, to name just a few.

Devyani is looking forward to several upcoming performances including the ONB Magic City Art Connection in April, and the Devotion Show in San Francisco, where they will work in conjunction with sister troupe Fat Chance Belly Dance.

A studio expansion has allowed incorporation of many more classes at Devyani Dance Studio, including children’s belly dance, hula, and Middle Eastern drumming. More information may be found at www.devyani.net.

Published in Synchronicity: A Publication of the Alabama Dance Council, Spring 2008 issue Volume 12 Number 1