![]() In 2005 she auditioned for a teacher training diploma at the Josephine Wise Academy of Arabic Dance (JWAAD) in the UK and was one of the 12 students accepted – the only Irish dancer to do so at the time. She continued improving her technique by buying dance videos of famous Egyptian dancers from the US and travelling up to Dublin for classes. When her bellydance teacher gave up giving classes, Lisa found she could not quit. A local resident, Bernie Donovan used to recruit all the youngsters of the estate into rehearsals. Tops of the Towns was a variety competition hugely popular in her native Corrib Park. She took classes in disco and won several awards including representing Galway in the Malibu Ireland Disco Dancing Championships. She was always trying to emulate Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers on the television. Growing up Lisa always loved dance, be it classical, waltz or Irish dancing. I quickly became hooked and wanted to learn as much as I could about the dance form.” But once I heard the music I got so energised. I was so stiff I was not able to put a handbag on my shoulder. I think I crawled out of the first class or two. There was an English woman offering classes here at the time. “We had no hot yoga or pilates back then. It was an Egyptian doctor treating her in University Hospital Galway who recommended it as a therapy to help strengthen her injured lower back. She first started belly dancing in 1999 after a car crash. And the bigger the tummy for this ritual the better.įor 13 years Lisa Collins has been training the city’s female bodies in the art of Arabic enchantment. But not every culture is conditioned into believing that flat tums are the holy grail.īellydancing has emerged as this year’s cool keep-fit regime, a way to tone up and have fun, while releasing our inner-goddess. They definitely make me want to hear more of what they do.City Lives – Denise McNamara meets Lisa Collins, a leading exponent of a 4,000 year-old female ritualįor most women the idea of letting our bellies all hang out is repulsive sadly few of us are blessed with washboard stomachs. This one is a dedication to Cunningham’s late father, shaping up as an elegiac cinematic anthem where one readily perceives the power of the drums.ĭemonstrating tastefulness and high quality in the chops, these modern jazz practitioners find a harmonious balance between composition and freedom. ![]() “ The Way We Remember” brings the album to a conclusion, guesting singer Katie Ernst, who co-wrote the lyrics. An asymmetric 14-beat cycle is contemplated before the trio aligns it to a more commensurable measure of 16 beats, just to conclude it after a little while with the bassist at the fore. Further deeply involving is “ New Dust”, whose introductory reverb-drenched sax monologue in good time enjoys the company of bass and drums for a feel-good, moderately exotic dance. If “ Comfort Station” is a cyclic effort impacted by an uncanny bass figure, then the deceptively slow-burning “ Ray Tracing” surprises in its last section with a transfixing rhythmic fabric and a saxophone sound that enthralls. The synth vibes sound like playful toy music by the end, creating a particular atmosphere that is redeployed to the groovy title track. “ Worlds Turn” admits multi-instrumentalist Josh Johnson on alto saxophone, with Cunningham’s energized clarity in the beat allowing for latent syncopation. “ Everything” is an easy listening experience masterfully weaved with a relentless one-note drone in the background and untethered by Laurenzi’s inside/outside tour de force on tenor. Then, Bryan, sliding across keys with futuristic vision and figuring disciplined bass lines, granted the final touch to a body of work that is pleasurable in all its unfolding detail. ![]() While touring with the alternative folktronica/pop/rock group Bon Iver, the saxophonist came up with several ideas on the OP-1 and sent them to the drummer, who gave them melodic elasticity and rhythmic grace through his modern musical sensibilities. The nine enticing Cunningham-Laurenzi compositions on A Better Ghost were developed at a distance. These technically enlightened musicians navigate new sonic waves that are fascinating, sometimes ethereal, and consistently magical. Displaying maturity, this trio collaboration between drummer Jeremy Cunningham, saxophonist Dustin Laurenzi (both from Chicago) and L.A.-based bassist/producer Paul Bryan is a success.
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