Interview by: Roslyn Fay
Recently I filmed my belly dance teacher, Lady Fred. This was a long standing desire of mine having taken her classes for nearly 4 years.
Frédérique (Lady Fred) is a very interesting woman! One rarely gets the chance to see so many different aspects of someone’s personality at a time. One minute Frédérique is very articulately describing a dance move, and the next she is breaking into hysterical laughter at an unintended pun she made or funny thought she had (upon which she’ll often pause class to tell a story). Frédérique unabashedly and unapologetically shows the world her many sides: giggly, playful and imaginative little girl, sexy and sometimes raunchy woman, actress, comic; cursing, burping, arm-pit smelling tom boy, accomplished dancer and teacher, articulate and engaging speaker (to name a few!).
As she says “I take my profession seriously, I just don’t take myself too seriously.” Frédérique is one of the most self-expressed, free spirits I have ever known. Her openness, humility, humor, and light-hearted nature have been a source of personal inspiration to me. As far as her dancing goes, nothing short of mesmerizing!Frédérique doesn’t like calling what she does “belly dance” as it doesn’t accurately describe her style. While she spent many years teaching and performing “American Tribal Style” belly dance, and it undoubtedly influences her dancing today, her current style is very unique. Combining classical with drum and bass, electronica, dubstep, modern Middle Eastern, music box and even audio excerpts of old films, each dance feels like poetry in motion. A beautiful expression of her own private narrative.
- Rosalyn Fay
True Colors TV
Hi there!
Thanks for taking the time to read the above and watch the video below. It was filmed on July 2nd, 2009 and is approximately 17 minutes long.
In this video, you’ll get to see photos of me when I was 6 years old, again when I was 12 years old as a little Death-Rocker, when I first moved to Oakland (about 17 or 18 years old) as a Punk-Rocker, and an old ATS photo. You’ll watch as I hesitate saying Carolena Nericcio’s last name as I feared mispronouncing it…duh.., you’ll catch a brief shot of me sporting a top hat that Mira Betz embellished (white picket fence w/ horse and flower), my Rosehips shawl (that I love so much), the inside of my wedding invitation that I designed, some video footage, and finally…watch me be an overall dork.
