Light Rain Plays for All-Star San Francisco Revue
By Heidi Refro
December, 1997

Light Rain provided the music for a star-spangled belly dance revue December 15 at the Galeria in San Francisco. De Ann, Mesmera, Amina, Habi'Ru, and Shoshanna were some of the artists featured that night. The performance was staged for an advertising company's Christmas Party and as far as the entertainment went, they pulled out all the stops. Outside, there were real camels at the entrance of the Galeria. Inside, the beautiful, huge hardwood dance floor reflected the rows of hundreds of high-flying stage lights (the Galleria ceiling is five stories up). Light Rain was on a stage high above the dance floor almost at the second story level. That night Light Rain featured Richard Mikos on guitar, Rami Ziadeh on doumbec and De Ann on finger cymbals. Of course, Light Rain's director/composer Doug Adams played the violin. They were joined for much of the night by the incomparable percussion of Susu Pampain.

Light Rain opened with their magestic, mysterious piece "Temple Dance" from Dark Fire. This set the mood perfectly for two hours of non-stop Middle Eastern delights. Mesmera flew up from Los Angeles to lend her magic to the festivities, and it seemed she would fly off the dance floor when she came out with a huge, gilt cape with a wicked high collar with a wing span of at least ten feet! She controlled this liquid gold garment from within, twisting and and turning her wings upon themselves in regal display. She danced two more times that night; once with huge ostrich feather fans (again threatening to become airborne) and finally a sensuous, seductive, suggestive snake dance set appropriately to Light Rain's tune "Serpentina."

San Francisco's illuminary Amina Goodyear was dressed in dark colors when she danced in her signature sultry style to Adam's violin. Adams' wailing violin was joined by Susu's crisp doumbek. It was great to witness the chemistry of these three; Susu (Amina's daughter) has been fine-tuned to Amina's movements since before birth (as Amina has been aware of Susu's rhythms). Susu literally grew up in the studios of the Aswan Dancers where she cut her percussive teeth on Dream Dancer, Light Rain's 1978 release. Doug Adams and Susu began their collaboration with the recording of Light Rain's Dark Fire.

Two of Amina's students, Greg and Judy, did a wonderful piece with sticks. They placed the sticks forehead to forehead and stomach to stomach and danced around each other maintaining this connection. Greg later did a fabulous dervish dance assisted by Judy. Watching him spin was a truly transcendental experience.

Light Rain left the stage for a few minutes while John Compton and his group Habi'Ru came marching out from backstage. The wailing horns and compelling drums urged the dancers through their paces really making the mood of a middle-eastern bazaar. As they left the dance floor, Light Rain music filled the room again.

De Ann, the Dream Dancer, did two dances. The first was a tightly synchronized mask dance in which De Ann and her partner, Ricky, were each draped in black and wore a jeweled mask. This piece was performed to "The Gentle Wind," a piece composed by De Ann. De Ann also did "The Sword Dance" to the Light Rain song by the same name. It was great to see De Ann dancing after so many years absent from the scene. Her performance was elegant and sophisticated; she is truly a master of the art.

The real surprise of the night was De Ann's new protoge, Shoshanna. She came whirling onto the floor in an ecstatic succession of spins and twirls. So fluid, so magic...effortlessly tossing her head back, letting her hair fly in the midst of a tornado of turns; her veil sailing around her like a phantom partner. I haven't seen anyone dance like this in a long, long time, and as I watched I could see the reflection of De Ann. Being a long-time devotee of De Ann's, to see her style, her spirit, being transformed and born anew in this finely tuned, highly trained young dancer was a very emotional experience.

The really silly - yet so typical - aspect of this monumental night was that the only missing element was...the audience. Remember, this was not a concert or a show, but a hight (very high) budget Christmas party for an advertising company. Seats were not arranged for viewing a performance, the sumptuous buffet was on the second floor (completely out of view of the stage), and most of the table arrangements were hidden from the dance floor. People were eating, drinking, and schmoozing with thier business acquaintances, virtually undisturbed by what may have been one of the most noteworthy belly-dancing events of the year. It was like hiring Placido Domingo to deliver a singing telegram. Even the red-hot motown band that followed the Light Rain show was received in a manner quite blase.

I certainly feel privileged to have been able to witness that incredible night. It reminded me what a center for Middle Eastern dance arts the San Francisco Bay Area has become over the years. It would be great is that night's line up could be staqged for our dancing community. I know that Light Rain and many of the performers will be at Rakkasah in Oakland this March. I just wonder if they'll bring the camels!

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