Duisburg, den 24.06.06

Interview with Leyla Jouvana Mai 2006 for Belly Divas
from Michelle / Albuquerque

1) I know you danced many years before you began studying Oriental Dance. Where did you first discover it?

When I was a child I first danced Yugoslavian folkloric dance, then some years Jazz-dance. with 18 years I saw a belly dancer at one party in Germany and I was really impressed and fascinated of being very feminine, sexy and beautiful and I decided to try myself. In Germany you can see a lot of foreign cultures and dances, because the people are very open for this.. I am born in Yugoslavia and now I heard that they have started with oriental dance only since year 2002. So if I would have been living in Yugoslavia I would not discover this wonderful dance before...

Leyla and Roland at the "Bazar Oriental, 2005"

2) Did you always plan to open a studio? How many classes do you teach a week? No, I did not plan first. After one year dancing (even I have not had the repertoire of today) one dancing school was asking me to give a WS, then regular classes. Then I started with some own classes and more and more came, I was secretary with foreign languages, and one day I stopped this work because I have had too many students and I was teaching every day and training every day to improve myself... so both dancing and secretary was not possible after a while. Meanwhile I have 300 regular students in my own school and I am teaching every day,

10 classes each 1,5 hours per week (on Saturday and Sunday travelling or once a month WS in our own studio) and I also need the foreign languages because we are invited to teach and perform all over the world. But I have not finished with learning, I will never finish...... If you think you are good enough and no need not to train any more, you will stop at one level.

3) Can you tell me a little bit about your yearly Oriental Dance festival? How do you manage to organize such a large event with your busy schedule?

Yes I wonder too. It is one year work and every day and directly after the festival is before the festival......sometimes we are working and preparing 13 - 16 hours per day (in the last weeks). But continuously 10 hours per day. It is growing to a big Event with 3.600 people coming to join. Now the festival is lasting 9 days, always the last weekend in November until first weekend in December and we invite the most famous dancers all over the world. There is a weeklong and 5 shows, with exhibition of oriental dance accessories. Roland is helping me so much. Without him I would not be able to manage it. He is also making himself the decoration, the technique and the percussion.

4) How do you keep your energy level so high with so many performances and workshops? Thanks to god I am a person with a lot of energy, sometimes workaholic, Roland too. But sometimes we have the Friday for relaxing we have our own sauna and this is important for us to receive new energy. Also we receive a lot of energy, if the work is successful. And a lot of happy students give me back a lot of positive energy.. this is important. 5) How do you and Roland develop your drum solos? Sometimes he has the ideas sometimes me.... We start together in speaking about what kind of rhythms I would prefer and then we make to gether a small choreography and composition but leaving enough space for spontaneous improvisation....He knows my movements , I know his way of playing so, after years we are used to look at each other

Leyla Jouvana and Roland

6) Where did you and Roland meet? Did he play the doumbek before meeting you?

We meet in the school and fell in love, when we were both sweet 16 years old. Now we are a couple since 21 years!!! This was the best gift I ever received in my live and I thank to god every day!
I was first starting with oriental dance and 2 years later Roland with playing doumbek. I am happy he was also fascinated with the rhythms and music and I did not have to convince him.

7) What are your hopes for the future of this dance and your own career?

Really, first at all our hopes for the future are for us both to be always together in love and to have a little bit more time for each other. We are very happy with our career, we love travelling all over the world, meeting new cultures and nice people. We try to give always our best and we hope to keep our positive energy and to be able give positive energy to our audience and students.

Thank you Leyla!

Based in gorgeous Albuquerque, NM, Michelle Morrison has 14 years of belly dance experience. She is director of Farfesha Belly Dance Company, owner of Farfesha Studios, producer of her own instructional videos, and a popular workshop instructor.

The Oriental Festival of Leyla Jouvana and Roland in Duisburg / Germany

14 years ago the Oriental Festival of Europe was one of the first and now with 3.600 visitors it developed to one of the most important and most prestigious events for Oriental Dance in Europe. Leyla Jouvana and her drumming husband Roland have had the idea of helping the oriental culture and the belly dance to become more accepted as an art. For this purpose since 14 years they invite for their festival the best of the best worldwide for teaching and performing. The 10-days-festival with more than 40 WSs is always starting at the last weekend in November until the 2nd weekend in December.

Leyla Jouvana's Ensemble

This year the opening show is taking place on 25 of November with "dances of the world", every day WS and weeklong with superstars. For the 2nd weekend you can join 4 Gala shows and the exhibition on 3 floors with costumes, music, jewellery, oriental food, and much more. The expected stars for this year are: Aziza (Miss Bellydance universe 2002 of USA), Ava Fleming (Miss Bellydance Universe 2005 of USA), Aziza Abdul Rhida (the no. 1 in Italy), Samara Hayat (Super-star from Spain), Seetha and Louis Anch Amun (show and announcement), Dr. Mo Geddawi and certainly Leyla Jouvana and Roland with their ensemble and groups.

Samara Hayart, Spain

Nathalie Lebel

Jillina, USA

Until now they have sponsored big names like: Jillina (USA), Amaya (New Mexico), Sahra Saeeda (USA), Beata and Horacio Cifuentes (Germany), Mayodi (Paris/France), Amir Thaleb (Argentina), Momo Kadous & Soraya (Cairo/Germany), Magdy & Azza El-Leisy (Cairo/Germany), Yousry Sharif and his wife Nourhan (USA), Dalia Carella (USA), Hadia (Canada), Nathalie Lebel (Canada), Shahrazad (Germany), Hind (Morocco), Zimonah Farid (Germany), Sabina Zaida (Germany), Prof. Dr. Hassan Khalil (Cairo), Kathrin Ferguson (USA), Schachloh (Uzbekistan), Zarefah (Lebanon/Germany), Afritah (USA), A Nada (Germany), Magda Kadous (Cairo/Germany), Ehab Atia (Cairo), Eva Cernik (USA), Tahia (BRD), Sashar Zarif (Azerbaidshan), Mishaal (Tokyo), Helene Eriksen (Germany), Ingrid & Nabil Barsoum (Cairo/Austria), Maja (Berlin), Russya (Australia), Saida (Germany), Verahzad (Germany), Gamal Seif (Cairo/Germany), Manis (Germany), Mojgan Azarmi (Iran/Germany), Claudio Paes (Brazil), Sakti (USA) and more ...

Fanchine Conche, France

Amir Thaleb, Argentina

Leyla Jouvana and Roland hope to welcome also you one day in Duisburg /Germany.
Our expected stars for this year's festival are: AZIZA (USA), Ava Fleming (Miss Bellydance universe 2005 USA), Samara Hayat (Spain) Aziza Abdul Rhida (Italy), Tito (Egypt), Louis Anch Amun XIV & Seetha (BRD), Leyla Jouvana & Roland & Ensemble, Schachloh (Uzbekistan), etc.

Aziza, USA