In the Spring of 1976 I travelled to San Francisco from Boulder, CO, in an attempt to meet my teacher’s teacher. I was studying with Susheelah in Boulder and was so enamored with Susheelah, I felt I HAD to meet her teacher, Jamila Salimpour . As fate would have it, it just so happened that at that moment in time Jamila was hosting the extraordinary and dynamic MOROCCO and I found myself in a room of over 100 enthusiasts! It was a thrilling scene, especially for this young (23-yr old) version of me !
A seasoned performer and instructor who excelled at hip articulations, Morocco played finger cymbals like nobody’s business and with masterful precision taught a complete choreography in one afternoon!
During the course of the class she mentioned she had a studio in New York City. Luckily at the conclusion of the event, I found myself in an elevator with ‘Rocky’. I begged forgiveness for interrupting her conversation with someone else and asked if I might visit her studio when I was next on the East Coast (visiting family for the Christmas holiday). She kindly jotted down the studio address and telephone number and thus began our 50-year acquaintance!
Now, before I forget to mention, I pause here to tell you that not only did Morocco impress us with her dance and finger cymbal technique, she also published the definitive book,You Asked Aunt Rocky: Answers & Advice About Raqs Sharqi & Raqs Shaabi (Oriental & Folk Dance) with over 50 years of in-culture research and experience… “No other book in existence contains such an in depth look at what we popularly call belly dance. Country by country, region by region, Morocco breaks down customs, dances, rhythms and folklore while answering common questions and addressing major misconceptions about the world of Oriental dance.” She has also written numerous scholarly articles on the dance and I encourage you to check ALL of them out at her website: www.casbahdance.org/musings/articles/
I visited the Manhattan studio whenever I was in New Jersey visiting family and then I decided it was time to host Morocco in Fort Collins! (By this time I had relocated north from Boulder to Fort Collins). I cannot recall the date of the first time I hosted her but it was a resounding success with attendees from throughout Colorado, Wyoming, New Mexico and Arizona! It was grand and we agreed she needed to return to teach us more, complete with watching her Super8 recordings of the Marrakesh Folk Festival and more! In May 1983 I hosted her in Colorado a second time for a 3-day program of classes that culminated in a grand celebration of dance featuring the Storm Mountain Folk dancers among many others and spotlighting the Marvelous Ms. Morocco!
Our long standing friendship has endured from our first meeting in San Francisco in June 1976 to the Cow Palace in Fort Collins (poster above) to a masterclass and performance at the Allentown (Pennsylvania) Hilton and a performance at the Mayfair Festival of the Arts in Allentown to week-long retreat at Camp Keanae in Maui and countless rendezvous at her NYC studios.
I am forever indebted to all that Morocco taught me in her generous sharing of what she learned throughout her extensive travels in North Africa as well as the precision with which she could make the music relatable and choreography accessible!
Thank you Rocky; we love you always and forever.
