Photo left: Gamila and Omar (PA) 1980 by Jay Belli Looking again for more Egyptian style classes around 1985, Gamila had heard really good things about the new Egyptian instructor teaching at Ibrahim Farrah’s School of Middle Eastern Dance. She joined a friend for class and was instantly hooked. Here was that Egyptian folkloric style and music again and as coincidence would have it, here was that dancer from Nagwa Fouad’s company! Yousry Sharif was now a full fledged instructor with steady classes at Bobby’s school. Gamila immediately began taking classes with Yousry -- every class -- and was one of the first members of his dance company, the Yousry Sharif Ensemble. It was in working with Yousry’s company that Gamila gained exposure to Mahmoud Reda’s style and choreography on a performance level.

Photo right: Gamila in performance with the Yousry Sharif Ensemble 1986 By 1987 Gamila had begun teaching regular classes and was now thinking about creating her own works. Choreography intrigued her as an entity unto itself, not just as a means to get through the music coherently; partner and group choreography became especially attractive to her. She was bored after 12 years of solos and wanted to create the magic she had experienced in the professional dance companies she had been in and what she had seen produced by Ibrahim Farrah. As she focused in that direction, the seeds were sown. She formed the first rendition of her performing troupe Benat El Nessma. -- at the first sign of spring Egyptians cluster to Cairo's Zoological Gardens to "smell the breeze". "Ah ... helawi (sweet) nessma (spring zephyr)!" -- Gamila wanted to keep the traditional elements and vocabulary but infuse her own take (hence the allusion to the spring breeze: a breath of fresh air, so to speak) on floor patterns and interaction between dancers during and within the choreography. Photo below left: Gamila with from left Hamouda Ali (violin), Nagi Saky (nai), George Naoum (tabla) and Amine (riq).

On a Voyage of Discovery by Nina Costanza Arabesque Magazine March/April 1993 "Gamila El Masri was one of the most popular dancers on New York's night life scene for some years. After the birth of her child, she put dance on "semi-hold" to enjoy motherhood -- but the dance bug bit again. When she returned she discovered "changes" in the "scene" -- unfavorable changes, this put her in a quandary. The answer to her plight was to create a new place for herself within the dance scene, one that would incorporate a variety of tasks and her abilities as teacher, choreographer and show producer. She began to develop a student clientale by initiating classes on an on-going basis at the venerable Fazil's Rehearsal Studio (NYC) in 1987.

Further, she offered workshops in all phases of cabaret performing. Especially popular were her drum solo workshops, made more exciting with the participation of the famed Egyptian tabla player,Gamal Shafik, where the registrant could learn the skills of rhythmic improvisation for cabaret use. Simultaneously, she reformed her performing troupe Benat El Nessma: Yasmeen El Qa'hira, Tagrid Harsini, Naima (Nesrin) Sabri, Andrea Anwar and Noha Khayam. After building up a repertoire and operating independently, Gamila "took the bull by the horns" and presented her works in a variety of venues,booking engagements from small restaurants to theaters to cable television. Amongst her conquests were the following highlighted engagements: Production of a bi-monthly series, "Cavalcade of Cabaret", in prominent New York and New Jersey night spots -- Istanbul Taverna (NJ), Fazil's Place (NY), Nazareth (NY), Al Amir (NY), presenting a variety of entertainment from traditional to original choreography and from troupe work to improvised solos with live music from some of the best in town; A cable television show which included an interview with Ibrahim Farrah and Gamila by Amar (Nina Costanza) and performances by Yousry Sharif, Gamila and Yasmeen El Qa'hira; and accomplishing a very

courageous and professionally and financially risky venture for a new producer -- she booked New York's prestigious Ethical Culture Society's auditorium on June 28th (1992) and presented a grand show including: Her choreography with Benat El Nessma; the Kismet Dance Ensemble(Suhaila, Zeinade, Layla, Aziza and Zenouba) another New York troupe attempting to find new venues for their performances; Master of Ceremonies (her mentor) Ibrahim Farrah; soloists and duos -- Jajouka and Ghassan Fadlallah (NY); Yousry Sharif; Omar(PA), Zuhela Yamir and Alexia (FL), Habiba (PA), Amar (NY), and Sa'aida and Aszmara (NY). Unfortunately, Gamila may be suffering a little from "burn-out" from what she tells us. But what dancer doesn't experience this at times? We hope that the discoveries along her self-chosen voyage of challenge will reinspire her for her next journey." Photo above right: Gamila and Gamal Shafik Dec 1992 Photo above left: Benat Nessma 1992 continue next © 2003 Gamila El Masri. All images on these pages are the property of Gamila El Masri and are for viewing on the internet only. If you wish to use an image contained on this site, please contact us.

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