2006年VOA标准英语-American Dancer/Choreographer Creates Cult

By Mohamed Elshinnawi
Washington, DC
15 February 2006
 
watch Diana Calenti report

There has been a lot of talk lately, following the controversy¹ over the cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad published in Europe, about the conflict of civilizations between Islam and the West. But an American dancer and choreographer² has created a bridge between her country and Egypt, which is mostly Muslim, by linking American contemporary dance and Egyptian folkloric³ dancing. 

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Diana Calenti
  

Diana Calenti is an American dancer and choreographer who has spent years of her artistic⁴ life in Egypt. Her love for the land of the Pharaohs began with Egyptian music when she was a child.

Diana Calenti as a child  
  
"I was used to be -- from the time I was very young, a child of 7 or 8 -- moving and listening to different kinds of music, so I did not find it hard to think about folkloric movement with ballet and modern and mixing them together. So I was experimental even as a very young child," she said.

The American artist went to Egypt in 1984 to teach dance at the American University in Cairo, but another door opened up for her:

"The Ministry⁵ of Culture asked me to work with the ‘Reda Dancing Troupe,’ and I thought this is a wonderful opportunity: they are 40 dancers to work with, what is better?” thought Ms. Calenti. “And I wanted to do a piece that was very, very folkloric. And we put together a story, a simple story. So I taught them classes, at the same time I worked with them on the choreography and they performed it for many years."

 
Diana Calenti performing a dance
  
With her success in mixing various types of American and Egyptian dancing, Diana Calenti soon became a celebrity⁶ in Egypt. She was granted Egyptian citizenship⁷ and was given the chance to form a modern dance company:

"I was working with dancers just coming to be part of this new group, and I worked with a very talented young composer, Bassem El-attar, who made the music and we made it a 35 minute sweet story of "Bahaya - Symbol of Egypt."

With the help of her Egyptian-Canadian husband, Calenti co-produced a fictional⁸ movie called "Search for Diana" in 1992, which resembles her early attachment⁹ to Egypt.
 

Diana Calenti's 'Search for Diana'   
  
"It is the story of a young woman who feels somehow she is drawn¹⁰ to Egypt, and she somehow gets involved with an archeologist, who is uncovering tombs in Egypt. And there is an obvious connection with them that goes back to the ancient days."

Diana Calenti is planning to go back to Egypt soon to work on another project:

"I feel that I have a duty and an obligation to take what I learned over there, because it is not that I developed something in Egypt.  I took what was my knowledge from here, I went over there and was able to absorb and learn and add, so I would like to take what was grown in Egypt, to bring it over here to North America. I want the people in North America to see the wonderful artists and the wonderful creation that was made over there." 

Diana Calenti feels artists can connect the East with the West because they see no separation between the two; because people in both areas have the same human feelings.

1 controversy   

n.争论，辩论，争吵

参考例句：

• That is a fact beyond controversy.那是一个无可争论的事实。
• We ran the risk of becoming the butt of every controversy.我们要冒使自己在所有的纷争中都成为众矢之的的风险。

2 choreographer   

n.编舞者

参考例句：

• She is a leading professional belly dancer, choreographer, and teacher. 她既是杰出的专业肚皮舞演员，也是舞蹈设计者和老师。 来自辞典例句
• It'stands aside, my choreographer of grace, and blesses each finger and toe. 它站在一旁，我优雅的舞蹈指导，并祝福每个指尖与脚尖。 来自互联网

3 folkloric   

adj.民间传说的；民俗的

参考例句：

• In the rush to go folkloric watch out for collision of cultures. 在民俗化的热潮中，要提防不同文化的冲突。
• Lunch blowout beside the pool, accompanied by folkloric dancing (Vanity Fair) . 盛大的午餐在游泳池边进行，还有民族舞蹈助兴（名利场）。

4 artistic   

adj.艺术(家)的，美术(家)的；善于艺术创作的

参考例句：

• The picture on this screen is a good artistic work.这屏风上的画是件很好的艺术品。
• These artistic handicrafts are very popular with foreign friends.外国朋友很喜欢这些美术工艺品。

5 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

6 celebrity   

n.名人，名流；著名，名声，名望

参考例句：

• Tom found himself something of a celebrity. 汤姆意识到自己已小有名气了。
• He haunted famous men, hoping to get celebrity for himself. 他常和名人在一起, 希望借此使自己获得名气。

7 citizenship   

n.市民权，公民权，国民的义务(身份)

参考例句：

• He was born in Sweden,but he doesn't have Swedish citizenship.他在瑞典出生，但没有瑞典公民身分。
• Ten years later,she chose to take Australian citizenship.十年后，她选择了澳大利亚国籍。

8 fictional   

adj.小说的，虚构的

参考例句：

• The names of the shops are entirely fictional.那些商店的名字完全是虚构的。
• The two authors represent the opposite poles of fictional genius.这两位作者代表了天才小说家两个极端。

9 attachment   

n.附属物，附件；依恋；依附

参考例句：

• She has a great attachment to her sister.她十分依恋她的姐姐。
• She's on attachment to the Ministry of Defense.她现在隶属于国防部。

10 drawn   

v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的

参考例句：

• All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。
• Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。