A Serena Tribute by Myriam Eli of Harmonic Motion

Serena and Myriam Eli at Serena Studios’ A Night at the Casbah,
one of Ms. Eli’s first performances, September 1979.

IN GRATITUDE OF SERENA

By Myriam Eli

Serena, my first Middle Eastern dance teacher, passed away on 17 June 2007. She was a major force in the first wave of this dance that took place in the United States in the 1950’s. She was also a major force in my life and my career. I am forever grateful to her. Serena, the “trailblazer,” as my brother described her, created a Middle Eastern dance technique, with positions as in ballet, that I use to this day to teach and create. I first saw her dance while I was in college on 24 February 1974. There was an “Oud Concert” that day at Serena Studios on West 53rd Street in New York City featuring her son Scott Wilson on oud and guitarist Maurice Sedacca. Serena’s dance in the “Surprise Finale” was a great source of inspiration for me.

I studied many years with Serena and her wonderful Serena technique teachers, LaDonn Amato and Michele Rousseau, beginning in 1978 at Serena Studios. I remember it as a small but highly stimulating artistic space. The list of what I learned from Serena is endless but includes improvisation and the thrill of creating and being in the moment that accompanies it. It also includes dancing to live music, as she generously gave us opportunities to perform with her husband Rip Wilson on dumbek and son Scott on oud.



Serena sent me on my first teaching job, which was in the basement of Alexander’s store in the East Side. She also sent me on my first Caribbean cruise job, in which I got to approach my island home, Puerto Rico, from the ocean for the first time. With her, I learned to play zills and to dance to my first odd-metered rhythm, the 9/8 or karsilama, now one of my favorites. She also coached me and sent me to my first Egyptian nightclub audition, which was at the Ibis when it was on East 50th Street. With her I had the first opportunity to perform in a dance company, the Serena Dance Theater, which at the time included my teachers LaDonn and Michele, as well as my colleagues Terri Bernen and Roberta Watts. The titles of the dance pieces included Sahara City, Palesteena, Egyptian Village Dance, and my favorite, Offerings. With the company I had the first opportunity to perform in many different venues, such as schools and theaters, as well as at the Central Park Bandshell and Lincoln Center’s Damrosch Park.

Now, 29 years into my career, I pray that I am doing justice to these prized gifts that I received from Serena as I also try to pass down to my students and audiences the endless beauty of this dance form.

Thank you, Serena, for leading me into the path of this dance career and the spiritual fulfillment and exuberant joy that it offers. May you enjoy the Big Kef in the Sky.

Myriam Eli

Harmonic Motion