The Logo

The principle challenge of creating a logo for Egyptian Elementals Dance and Movement™ was clear from the outset — how do you distil a lengthy and profound journey with the dance and culture into a simple line or shape?

Below I reveal a few hidden secrets of the logo…

The logo takes the shape of the Shen Ring or 'Shenu', which denotes time eternal - both linear and cyclical. This dual perspective of time - and by extension life, is echoed in the dance.
In hieroglyphic form the Shen Ring represented "all there is" — "all the sun encircles".
The Sun also symbolises life eternal via birth/death and resurrection and would often be depicted as a solid circle within the centre of the Shen Ring.

The elongated form of the Shen Ring, (known as the Cartouche1), was used to encircle the names of royalty, simultaneously linking these illustrious personages with their Sun God and providing divine protection — life eternal. The elements of fire, earth, air, and water2 are all encoded within the logo which represents a microcosm of a world held safe from 'chaos' — the dark and infinite 'nothingness'3 outside the enclosure.

Beliefs and desires of a most profound and passionate nature oversaw the construction of the great pyramids. They stand undefeated by time, an inspiration as to what can be accomplished against any and all odds — and that energy pervades Egypt still. Even in antiquity the pyramids were considered ancient and synonymous with the everlasting — faceless and motionless — yet 'alive' with knowledge and mysteries — enticing us to draw our own, often imaginative conclusions as to their origins and intended purpose.

Egyptian Farm — Galen Frysinger

The polarity of Deshret (the red desert) against Kamet (the black fertile land) hints at the strong dichotomy that exists throughout Egypt, both visually and energetically. The hypnotic allure of the sharp, bold geometric shapes against the fluid arabesque shapes of Islamic architecture and Arabic calligraphy; water - desert; chaos - peace; simple - intricate; passion and acceptance. Ancient, contemporary and traditional ideas all exist together in a complex yet fluid continuum. Indeed this dichotomy creates a compelling dynamism that is the heart and soul of the dance and music.4

I experienced this energy throughout Egypt — but particularly when by the Nile. A sense of balance and harmony between the male/female energies5 — a warm and wondrous envelopment which simultaneously proffers a sense of great nurturing beauty and potent natural wonder. This pervasive sense of male/female accord existing through time and creation is a reminder of what can be achieved when strengths are realised, rather than weaknesses exploited.

Arising serenely from the Black Land is ‘Dance Eternal’. Human in form, yet mythic in stature, she is a subtle reminder of our sacred purpose in custodianship and our own place in time eternal.

© Copyright Juliet Le Page 2005

  1. French scholars named this shape ‘cartouche’ at their earliest exposure to Egyptian hieroglyphs, due to the fact it resembled a gun cartridge.
  2. These four elements are integral to the dance.
  3. 'Nu' or 'Nun'.
  4. This is also expressed symbolically wtihin the Shen Ring.
  5. Which may seem at odds with the increasing sway of Fundamentalism, but there none-the-less.