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A Day in the Life of…Petite Jamilla
Jul 22nd, 2009 | By Diana | Category: Interviews with Famous Belly Dancers, Leading Article
First in the new series is Petite Jamilla, I asked her some questions and here are her responses.
What does your morning consist of?
Because I’m on my “off tour” time, my morning now consists of waking up about 10am; drink a pot (small pot) of black coffee (seems my caffeine intake these days is what gets me out of bed). Go for my morning walk with my neighbor, lay out at her pool then come back to the house and get ready for Ballroom lessons. After Ballroom lessons I usually have something else to do in that part of town which I don’t normally drive to, so I go look at fabric either for a costume, or recovering furniture (both ongoing projects), I like to collect antiques. Get home late afternoon and if it’s a Wednesday or Thursday I watch So You Think You Can Dance (I’m addicted!!).
On any other day of the week, I do a workout program with some friends called P90X which kicks my behind! Sometimes my boyfriend comes over and we sing Karaokee together (he has his own equipment), watch some Aqua Teen Hunger Force Squidbillies or Alf re-runs, eat some dinner, go to bed and do it all again the next day! On Fridays, I cook for my family (Grandma, Grandpa, Parents, Aunt/Uncle and Boyfriend) and call it French Food Friday’s where I try to recreate the yummy Mediterarean meals I enjoyed in the South of France from my vacation this past Spring.
I am just learning how to cook and I’m really enjoying the process. I baked Pecan Crusted Salmon and steamed some Brussel Sprouts the first week and that was a big hit! On Sundays, I have dance class with my Troupe (Sirqus of Jreams) for 2 hours where I teach them new choreography’s or review some from their older repitoire and drill combinations and technique to keep everything clean. I take Ballroom 3 times a week for 2 hours as I’m training for a Latin/Rhythm Competition in 3 and 1/2 weeks and I’m having SO MUCH FUN with it! I do the P90X workout every night, walk every morning and I attempt to choreograph new stuff and maintain/create costumes in between it all!
Do you have a to do list before the show?
Definitely! When we first get to a theatre you have “claim your spot” as there are so many of us and sometimes not enough mirror space for all us. So I like to be one of the first into the building so I can grab a place with good lighting and a mirror. Usually, we are served dinner around this time (something along the lines of a grilled fish and a grilled chicken, some rice or pasta, a salad, steamed vegetables and then some fresh veggie trays and deli meat and cheese trays are put out during the show so we can make sandwich’s after the performance to take with us).
Then we prepare for ‘Tech Rehearsal.’ I like to set up my quick changes - these are changes that happen so fast throughout the show you do not have time to go to your dressing room so a small makeshift dressing room is made on each side of the stage equipped with lights, chairs and mirrors to ensure you make it on stage in time. I like to set my 7 quick changes before we start rehearsal so I am certain that they are on the correct side of the stage that I enter or exit from. It’s easy to get confused during the show and end up on the wrong side at the wrong time!!
I then warm up for tech rehearsal usually with some cardio to break a sweat to wake up my body after sitting on the bus for so long. I like to jog, do sit up’s, and now I have a jump rope that I am looking forward to bringing with me! Tech Rehearsal is where we “Tech” our staging of the show. We operate on a gridded number system and for each routine - you have X amount of number’s that you may be dancing on in order to create the necessary formations for each choreography. So you can imagine how difficult it is sometimes to remember all the numbers you personally dance on for all 18 routines in the show! Not to mention the formations and your numbers vary each night depending on the different sizes of the stage and the different number of performers (if someone is injured or cannot dance the choreography for whatever reason; it effects every formation in that piece). We try to walk the formation changes of each routine during Tech but, we do not have time to dance more than 4 choreography’s, as we are tech a 2 hour show in only 1 hour.
After ‘Tech,’ we have 2 and 1/2 hours to do hair, make-up, and pre-show stretch. This is the point where I like to get into my own world. I put my headphones on and listen to different playlists on my ipod that help me get in the right mood for the show. Sometimes comedy so I can laugh and relax (I like Jim Gaffigan, Brian Reagan, Mitch Fatel, Mitch Hedberg, and Ron White the best). More often than not, I like to listen to soothing music at first and as the time goes on the music gets more powerful so I can get energized for the show! I like to listen to pop, rock or funk when I’m doing pre-show warm up as again, nursing a constant back injury, I have to do cardio before I stretch at all. The constant songs on my workout playlist are usually: Tell Me Something Good (Rufus/ Chaka Khan), Last Night (The Strokes), Love Me Two Times (The Doors), A-Punk (Vampire Weekend), Taxman (The Beatles), Mr. Yeah (The Dream), Natural Woman (Aretha Franklin), Bulletproof (La Roux), Kiss Kiss (Chris Brown), and Simply The Best (Tina Turner). Then I do light stretching, and touch up’s (last minute lipstick applications, re-hairspray, change into opening costumes and re-check all the changes to make sure I know where each costume change will be and that all of my props [drums, veils, wings, etc..] for the show are in place).
Once the show starts, it runs like clockwork. No room for error or even thinking too much, you just have to go where your costume changes are set up, make sure you enter and exit on the correct sides of the stage, and try to remember last minute formation changes for that evenings’ performance. Before my solo (6 veil and Tanoura Spinning piece), I have about 10 minutes from my previous performance, which feels like an eternity for me. I like to change into my costume right away and spend the extra time meditating. I like to get into a spiritual place before spinning in hopes that my heightened sensitivity will touch the audience in a similar way. Because it’s hard to find privacy or a quiet space to meditate backstage, I’ve grown accustomed to calming my nerves and listening to certain messages or music that reaches an emotionally connected chord inside me. It varies from Spinning Plates (Radiohead), Glass Blowers Breath or A Hat To Wear in Both Worlds (Rumi as told by Coleman Barks), Pulse (Ani DiFranco), Ave Marie (Beethoven), What Are You Looking At (Funki Porcini), Lark Ascending (Ralph Vaughan Williams), Gregorian Chants, or almost anything by Danny Elfman. Doing again, light stretching, I like to take myself ‘out of’ the earthly realm of stress and problems and try to imagine how small but how designed I am, and all of us are, in the grand universal scheme. Hoping that my emotions and vulnerability will reach someone in the audience.
If so, what is on your to do list?
(See LONG previous answer!)
How much gets accomplished on your list?
In a BDS show, ALL of it! Sometimes, a little less warm up if I’m running late, but the rest has to happen in order for the show to take place! We have, under severe circumstances, had to perform the show without a Tech Rehearsal which is less than ideal - but it can be done!
How much preparation goes into your costume making?
I’m pretty fortunate and being Cabaret with BDS, most of our costumes are provided for us, however all the alterations, and maintenance is your responsibility. So unlike Tribal, who creates their costumes from scratch, mine are provided. But as one can imagine, dancing every night in a show does plenty of wear and tear and requires at least weekly routine maintenance per costume.
About how many hours do you rehearse?
In pre-tour preparations, we rehearse anywhere from 7-9 hours a day for 7 days a week for a week and a half before a new show. Once we’re on tour, we rehearse an hour a day before performing the 2 hour show unless it’s a ‘day off’ which we attempt to set up rehearsals in a studio with mirrors so we can clean the show - usually rehearsing 4 -6 hours.
What kind of exercises do you do regularly?
I like walking outside because it feels good to be out in nature since I spend so much time on tour on the bus. It’s a nice way to get my body going in the morning too. I just recently began P90X, which is a circuit workout designed by an Ex Marine to tone and firm the entire body. It works on a rotation system for 90 days. For weeks 1-3 you alternate between weight lifting, cardio, balance, chin ups, pull ups, plyometrics, synergetics, resistance bands, an a Tai Bo type workout. It’s really tough but a lot of fun and I get immediate results, which I like. I am also cross training dance wise in Ballroom, specifically Latin/Rhythm. I love learning the Cha Cha, Rhumba and Mambo in particular. I just started learning Jive last week, which I found challenging, but not really my cup of tea. In general and when possible, I like to cross train in another form of dance and also do some sort of workout that isn’t dance to mix it up and keep me on my toes. I bulk up fast so I’m not too interested in weight lifting, but instead burning fat/calories and more than anything, building stamina.
How much input do you have in the show and what is your role?
A great deal. Miles is very interested in what you have to say as an artist; however it is his ultimate decision. When it comes to my solo, I choreographed all the elements in it this time around with collaborations with Zoe Jakes for the tribal section of my piece. We are responsible as front line dancers to choreograph our own specialties: Sonia - Polynesian, Sabah - Ballet En Pointe, Adore - Gymnastics and belly dance, and amongst the Tribal dancers of BDS, they also choreograph their own pieces. Generally, our Opening and Finale, and Orientale pieces (large group pieces) are choreographed by Jillina. But our new show, The Art of Belly Dance, has choreography’s by Yasmine Ramzy, Teria Morada, and Stefanie Sullivan.
Do you help with the choreography and costume choices?
Costume choices are decisions made by the choreographer. We have input, but again, with budget and approval by Miles.
Can you tell us about any unexpected surprises, like choreography getting changed minutes before the show or anything else?
There’s so many, where to begin?! One of the most memorable to me was in Durango Colorado where Kami and I got elevation sickness. There was also a nasty stomach bug going around and Sonia wasn’t able (I think Adore as well) to perform in the show that night. Two Cabaret dancers out of the show are HUGE changes for everyone! In addition to the altitude sickness, Kami and I had to use the oxygen tanks on the side of the stage in order to complete the show! And while we were putting on make-up, poor Kami had to wear the oxygen mask before we even went on stage… and being the sensitive friend that I am, I started calling her Goose and playing Highway to the Danger Zone on my speakers (Top Gun reference…) to encourage her!! She was a good sport about it…
On your days off, what do you do for fun?
On days off on tour, I like to see movies, go to a nice restaurant, get a massage, spend some time at a mall, manicure/pedicure… something interactive with the general public (I LOVE everyone I tour with, but it’s nice to get away from them for a minute), and a mall is usually a convenient place that has all of the above options for someone like me who has a hard time making up my mind. I like to sleep in and do things on my own schedule on my days off! If we’re in a fun SUNNY city (I LOVE sunshine) then I like to participate in outdoor things. In Stuart Florida, some of us rented a boat, went to an island, rented some jet ski’s, went para-sailing and then had a fabulous dinner and that day was perfect! It just depends really on what city I’m in, how much money I can budget to spend, and what I’m in the mood for!
And lastly what does belly dance mean to you?
Belly dance to me was my rite of passage into womanhood. Having been a 2nd generation belly dancer (my mother Jamilla Rasa was my teacher), I grew up watching her dance and then imitating what I saw before I had hips. And as a teenager, growing into a womanly body, and stepping into a womanly world, belly dance helped me find a voice of appreciation for my curves and an artistic way to express that. Without belly dance, I would not be the woman I am today.