This March, the production of “Cleopatra’s Court: A Dance Gala” aims to revisit an ancient civilization and the woman who revolutionized an Egyptian era. The production is spearheaded by three of Albuquerque’s own belly dancers—all women who understand the art of making an impression.

“Our community is very small, but it’s full of very high-powered women,” says Leyla Najma, whose “past life” includes a decade of living in a teepee while studying to become a medicine woman. Najma is also the alluring entertainment at Pars Cuisine, where her signature belly dancing style can be traced to Middle Eastern technique. Najma will make Cleopatra’s life her own in this one-night dance production, which began as a Cibola High School costume contest and evolved into an artistic expression of the power within a feminine soul.

“The original idea was very simple, of course, and you know what happens to simple ideas,” admits Rozana Hurst, the second Dance Gala director. Hurst, who ventured into the world of dance at the age of four, happened upon a hafla (a casual belly dancing party) as a teenager. Now her own belly dancing troupe, Zahara al Jinan, awakens onlookers to the graceful state of ancient dance.

Najma and Hurst, along with Audrey Maxon (former jazz dancer whose humor and friendliness quickly labeled her “de mama”), envisioned a team of dancers, actors, and businesses committed to celebrating Cleopatra with a partnership of resources. Their passion proved infectious, with specific dance studios now enacting snapshots of the Egyptian past, narrated by Cibola drama students and funded through the generosity of a local hair salon, a bank, and various hotels. Najma calls it “the eternal circle”—an opportunity for individuals to give back to the community and empower themselves in the process.

Before developing a script, the women met with a local Egyptologist. They watched documentaries, asked questions, and slowly separated fact from fiction. What they uncovered was a woman who attracted others with her intellect before her body.

An anomaly among her family of rulers, Cleopatra learned to speak and write Egyptian (among eight other languages). Also a fantastic politician, she dominated discussions about mathematics, architecture, commerce, geography, and society. And as one of the keepers of the Library of Alexandria, Cleopatra lusted after knowledge and turned the manipulation of words into a tool for cultural change.

Maxon, who co-wrote the script, hopes for that happy medium and says, “where not only is the audience going to be enthralled because they are getting some historical data, but we’re going to take them to the spiritual side as well.”

That spiritual side was exalted as Cleopatra eventually declared herself the human manifestation of the goddess Isis. Her people agreed, and though Cleopatra eventually took her own life, she was celebrated as an eternal figure— forever sealing the triumph of spirit over flesh.

Traces of Isis are woven into the theme of “Cleopatra’s Court: A Dance Gala,” with special honor given to the universal ideals of personal rebirth, empowerment, and femininity. To encourage these traits in our own community, the trio of directors sought assistance from Haven House—a group determined to ease the trauma of domestic violence and turn victims into strengthened individuals. Haven House is lending volunteers to help construct sets and prepare for the production and will receive a portion of the profits.

A millennia ago, the Greek Plutarch wrote of Cleopatra, “Plato admits four sorts of flattery, but she had a thousand.” Spoken on an intellectual level, there are faint hints of the intricacies inherent in the word “woman”—for she is a balanced mixture of emotional strength and vulnerability, with the ambition of a queen and devotion of a mother, the mystery of a goddess, and the heart of a human. The message of “Cleopatra’s Court: A Dance Gala” is simple but profound—“If an 18-year-old can rule her world, I can take control of my world and make a difference in my life.” With this in mind, “Cleopatra’s Court: A Dance Gala” might also become the stuff of legends…

Amber Hartley graduated with a degree in culinary arts, worked as a flight attendant for Delta Airlines, interned in Hollywood, and has volunteered for a number of international orphanages. She is currently pursuing a degree in creative writing at the University of New Mexico.