Amal Choucri Catta is ever attentive to detail "Zenobia Queen of the East", Enana Dance Theatre Company, Syria, Sayed Darwish Theatre, Alexandria, 2-3 March, 8pm and Cairo Opera House Main Hall, 5-6 March, 8pm In the darkness of a lonely stage, performers beaming flashlights venture out to history, seeking the remains of the lost city of Palmyra -- the ancient Tadmor -- and its famous queen, Zenobia. When they finally find her, spotlights illuminate her beautiful features; she is carried front stage to be admired by all. As her story was told on this occasion, Zenobia suddenly stirred and, coming back to life, she was once again the beloved queen of king Azena, living happily among their people in the enchanting oasis in the middle of the Syrian desert. "Zenobia Queen of the East" was performed for two nights at Alexandria's Sayed Darwish Theatre, and for two at Cairo Opera's Main Hall, by the Syrian Enana Dance Theatre Company, who gave us, last year, "Julia Domna", exploring the history of Arab civilisation. Zenobia's story, a pleasant mixture of fact and fiction, is written by Mohamed Omar, with compositions and arrangements by Mohamed Hebbash and choreography by Jihad Mefleh. Though the music, the songs and the spoken poems were rather loud, the colours, the lights and the dancers' performances were quite enchanting. Zenobia's story is filled with wars and conspiracies. It did not come as a surprise when the joyful dances turned into anguished cries and the sound of clashing swords filled an overcast sky. The costumes changed, the lights turned grey; the atmosphere was charged with mystery. Treachery was in the air: Rome was once again hatching a plot, while the Hittite Tibilinio, having conquered Dura-Europos, distributed the spoils of war, accompanied by his blonde daughter Amish and his soldiers. That was when king Azena attacked, capturing the sensual Amish, who did her very best to seduce him. She plotted against Zenobia, trying to foment discord between her and the king. In the end, she even plotted the king's death and, according to the tale, she succeeded. It was a sombre day when queen Zenobia bemoaned her husband's death. But life was not over yet and many wars were yet to be won. Having asked the gods for mercy, she decided to confront her enemies. According to history, Palmyra, an important trade centre between the Roman and the Parthian (Iranian) states, was turned into one of the Roman Empire's provincial cities by Septimus Severus. At the beginning of the third century AD, Palmyra assumed the status of a colony, though it did seem to have enjoyed administrative independence, with only a nominal recognition of Roman Suzerainty. Palmyrenes were adding to their names Roman ones, while the Romans recognised the city's military importance -- for their road from Damascus to the Euphrates, passed through it. Enana's dances enhanced its outstanding value. Palmyra was in splendour between AD 130 and 270: its international trade reached as far east as China and, as a city created by the caravan's trade, it became the true heir of famous Petra of the Nabateans. The Palmyrenes, however, did not distinguish themselves as warriors until their chieftain Odaynath managed to drive Shapur I out of Syria, pursuing him to the very walls of his capital, Ctesiphon in present- day Iraq. In the struggle between the Romans and their enemies, the Palmyrene chief sided with the Romans and was therefore appointed vice-emperor of the Orient. Emperor Gallienus bestowed upon him the honorific "Imperator" and acknowledged him Master of the Roman Legions in the East. The supreme authority over Syria, Northern Arabia, Asia Minor and Egypt, was nominally in his hands. Palmyra had thus become mistress of Western Asia. However, according to history, around AD 266-267, Odaynath and his eldest son were treacherously assassinated at Emesa "possibly at the instigation of Rome which had suspected disloyalty". And that was when Odaynath's beautiful and ambitious wife, Zenobia, proved a worthy successor. Ruling on behalf of her young son, she arrogated to herself the title "Queen of the East" and defied the Roman Empire. With masculine energy she pushed forward the frontiers of her kingdom, so as to include Egypt and a large part of Asia Minor where, in AD 270 the Roman garrisons were thrust back as far as Ankara. In the same year, Zenobia's victorious troops occupied Alexandria, the second city of the Empire, and her minor son, who was then proclaimed king of Egypt, issued coins from which the head of the Roman Aurelian was omitted. However, on the battlefield, her success was mainly due to her two Palmyrene generals: Zabbay and Zabda, who proved excellent on Cairo Opera's stage. At last Aurelian bestirred himself. In a battle of Antioch he defeated Zabda and in the spring of AD 272 he entered Palmyra. The proud Zenobia fled in despair into the desert on a swift dromedary, but she was finally taken captive and led in golden chains, before the chariot of Aurelian, to grace his triumphal entry into Rome. However, en route to his capital, the emperor was informed of an uprising in Palmyra: he speedily returned to the city, completely destroyed its walls and dissolved its commonwealth. He furthermore transferred the ornaments of the glorious Temple of the Sun to the new temple he erected in Rome "to the sun-god of the East" in memory of his notable victory. Palmyra was left in ruins. As for Zenobia, she chose to take her life rather than live without dignity; as darkness descended on the Cairo Opera's main stage, the queen's life came to a solemn end. But Zenobia never really died: she lived on in history and in the memory of her people. To this day children listen to the stories of her seemingly endless victories, admiring her courage and fortitude. Though extremely colourful and fabulously entertaining, it must be said that the plot, on stage, was at times a somewhat chaotic vision of multiple wars, conspiracies confusing events in Zenobia's life. At one point there was an overdose of battles succeeding each other in a tiny span of time. Dance theatre is, after all, dance theatre; and too many events tend to impede the fluidity of the performance. On the other hand, it must be said that the performers, soloists and the entire corps- de-ballet were excellent. Costumes were beautiful; sets, lights and choreography were perfect. And the audiences loved the performance.
