Dr. Mo’s Entertaining Balady Routine DVD

As I've written previously, I became enamored of Dr. Mo Geddawi's teaching at Ahlan Cairo Nights in Montreal last month. At the workshop, I purchased two of his DVDs and one CD (Delli Ya Delli II) from Little Egypt. I had enjoyed his teaching so much that I wanted to take it home with me, but I didn't know whether the DVD would be as good as being in the classroom. This DVD I will talk about now is the Friday Night Workshop from Ahlan Cairo Nights 2008, the Balady routine. I also picked up the Melaya Leff routine and will probably write about that in a later post. This particular video is available here from Little Egypt: http://www.littleegypt.com/caironightsvideo.htm

This routine was taught to one of my favorite songs on the Delli Ya Delli II CD, the Balady Youkal. It's a 5 minute baladi song that starts with singing and then goes into a baladi taqsim progression. I have to say that this DVD was so much like taking class with Dr. Mo! Everything was filmed, from little stories and explanations he gave in between, and the repetitions of each part of the choreography, and even rewinding of the music and waiting for it to start. Normally, this verbatim reproduction of the workshop can be a disadvantage in these DVDs – but since Dr. Mo is such an organized teacher, it works very well. The DVD set contains 2 DVDs, each about an hour and a half long. The choreography is very clear and easy to learn, partially because of his explanation of the steps, and the whole thing is peppered with his thoughts on dancing and choreography.

The last DVD in the set contains a Q&A section where he talks about what makes a good dancer, the difference in talents between dancing, choreography and teaching, and even advice for a professional dancer to maintain her audience's interest and her performer's mystique!

One thing I had to learn about the Little Egypt DVDs. Each DVD tends to have two sections. The first section starts out always with an advertisement for Little Egypt's store. If you think that this is just an ad and skip to section #2, you miss the entire first section of the choreography. For a long time, with all my Little Egypt DVDs (I also own Dina Montreal 2007), I thought that the whole workshop wasn't filmed and that we only got select parts of it. It didn't seem to make much sense just jumping into the choreography. Of course, with Dina, I knew that we weren't really learning a choreography – it was mostly following the bouncing butt. But with Dr. Mo, I knew how he taught the choreographies in big sections, breaking it down into smaller combinations, so when the DVD started out in the middle of the song – I knew I had missed something. That's when I realized that you have to tell your DVD player to play the first section, and then use the "skip" button on your remote to skip the LE advertisement.

I am eagerly awaiting Little Egypt's release of the 2009 DVDs from the workshops I attended in Montreal. I really adored both the Baladi and the Oriental routine we learned. Something I like about his choreography is that I never find it awkward to execute, once I've gotten it down. I loved the Yousry choreography that I learned in April, but parts of it still feel uncomfortable on my body. Perhaps Dr. Mo's choreographies are simpler than Yousry's, or just better suited to my dance style – I'm not sure.

To learn more about Dr. Mo and his theories, there is a great interview with him at the Gilded Serpent. http://www.gildedserpent.com/art43/cebdrmo.htm

Nourhan Sharif teaches Raks Assaya

May 17, 2009 – Pawtucket RI at the World Music and Dance Center

Nourhan taught Raks Assaya in Pawtucket RI this weekend. She included a lot of cultural information in her workshop – and not only about the Assaya. The first half of the class was mainly working across the floor with a variety of movements, the same movements that appeared later on when we picked up the assayas. It was hard work for my current shape. I completely agree that your chest should be more forward than your hips – but it's a bit hard to do that when your stomach has outpaced your breasts like mine has at this point. I just hope she realized I was pregnant and not just pudgy with terrible posture! I'm having more trouble keeping my balance when I turn these days as well. And forget about floorwork, which surprisingly there was some in this choreography (Ghawazee style). I have to believe that I will get my dancing mojo back along with my old body after I give birth. In the meantime, I'm giving Kai lots of great exposure to Arabic music, which I hope has an influence on him.

There was one embarrassing moment when she asked if anyone knew a rhythm and I volunteered Saidi. She asked me to describe it, so I said "dum tekatek dum dum tekatek". I think she must have heard me wrong because she said "No, that's not right." Then she told us it was Dum tekatek dum dum tekatek (same thing for the record, if you can't sound it out through the text)….even though I knew it was a matter of hearing, I still felt I had to prove my Saidi chops for the rest of the day. I know my music! I may not be the best dancer but I care deeply about the music and the culture! The important thing is that we all learned from it, we then worked on the Saidi rhythm of course. Which you kinda need for Raks Assaya!

The workshop was challenging in a completely different way than Yousry Sharif's workshop in April. The choreography, when we got to it, was simple and most of what we were learning was basic. However, it was hard work! Nourhan has beautifully muscled calves and the rest of her legs must be similarly stacked because I certainly would be if I worked out like that every day. Also, when I say it was basic, I mean that it wasn't complicated – doing it correctly is another matter. I know I certainly need a bit more practice with my cane, especially when we started spinning it backwards and with our left hands. I learned Raks Assaya initially from Nourhan's video, so I was familiar with the material, but I always need more practice and it was valuable to have the real thing, live and in three dimensions, and be able to ask questions.

It was a tight workshop space-wise. Somehow we managed not to hit each other with the canes, but there wasn't enough room at times to extend your arms. Across the floor exercises can be difficult when people are not familiar with how much space they take up and are not careful to see the person in front of them. I do not take huge steps – I tend to make small steps – so it takes me longer to get across the floor than people who take longer strides when they dance – even though I'm tall, I try to keep my feet closer together when I dance. I also believe those coin belts should be banned. If I ever run my own studio, I will ban them. Someone's coin belt burst and spilled coins and beads all over the floor. Sarah and I were the only ones to be picking them up - maybe we're the only people with sensitive princess feet. They are also so noisy. Too bad they don't come with silencers.

Bellydancing in Mexico

This is a long overdue post about my fantastic trip to Mexico City, where I experienced the generous hospitality of Sharid Sana, fellow bellydancer and Mexico City native.

February 28^th, 2009

We arrived in Mexico City to be greeted by Sharid Saná and her boyfriend. It was such a joy and relief to see the big pink sign with my name on it. I literally jumped for joy. Sharid could not be a nicer person, and although we were stuck in traffic for an hour and a half, she was very good-natured and we talked about bellydance most of the way, talking about teachers we've taken with and workshops we've attended. I had made up a little present of the By Dancers for Dancers 4 DVD, and I was thrilled that she didn't own it already.

Alli and I caught up on some sleep; then Sharid picked us up for the evening. I knew we were going to a Lebanese restaurant, the first one she danced at, and the one she considers to be like a family – the way I feel about the Middle East Restaurant. I did not know that in two days she had put together a hafli! She invited some of the best dancers in Mexico City to perform along with the members of her two troupes. The restaurant, Al Andalus, is beautifully appointed with a marble floor, tiled walls, high ceilings and lots of plants. Any of us would be so lucky to dance in such a place. And their food was top-notch, some of the best Lebanese food I've had – particularly the kibbe.

I was so honored by the surprise, and of course so happy to be enjoying Arabic music and dance. Some of the dancers used Latin music, and one even danced to the Pink Panther. All had a lot of personality, and her students are a credit to her. One of my favorites was a special guest, who danced an authentic Raks Assaya. I also enjoyed the duo dancing sha'abi style to El Toto Nai (heck, I sang along.) Particularly impressive was her student Hana Malak, who has studied for only two years but shows incredible virtuosity in this art form.

To complete the amazing surprise, Sharid did a 5-part routine. She opened her set playing zills while swirling a silk veil, the topic of her workshop where I met her in Las Vegas. Then, she performed a double-sword piece to fast music, another impressive feat. The next piece I think was an Arabic pop song, complete with lip-synching and gestures – very charming. I think it started out going "la la la la" (la means no in Arabic), so she was shaking her finger No. I loved that! Then the drum solo – all I can say is that this woman is equal to Jillina. All in all the show was simply amazing – I had only seen Sharid dance to one song (E Hantour) in Vegas – but I remember it was one of my favorites of the whole evening. Tonight I was just in awe.

Another thing that awed me – the friendliness of everyone. All the performers came over to greet me after the show, and I was also seated with some other friends and students of Sharid. To some levels of success, we chatted in a mixture of Spanish and English – mostly Spanish and I tried to express myself – again, to varying levels of success. I just don't have the fluency, to know the words I want to use. Trying to remember the word for Eggplant in Spanish (to describe Baba Ghanoush to another woman who had not had Lebanese food before) left me speechless. Eventually I found myself describing the "a big purple vegetable", it was the best I could do.

Alli was practicing her Spanish too and I was pleased to see her try to talk to people, with the few words she knows. I just love that she is learning Spanish too. I envision many more trips to Mexico and other Spanish-speaking countries where we will get better and better at speaking Spanish, and taking our kid with us too to also become bilingual. Besides, I already love Mexico and I would love to come here again and again.

After the show and the meal, we sampled some of the delicious desserts offered by Al Andalus in their bakery. To my surprise, as guests of Sharid, we received our little dessert box as a gift. We met the owners of the restaurant, and I had to remember that they probably speak Arabic and Spanish, not Arabic and English as I've come to expect – so I did get a chance to use my Arabic as well. The honey balls, which I had not seen before, were delicious. I also had a pistachio filled roll and baklava. I wish the Middle East back in Boston did more Lebanese desserts.

Mexico City is a beautiful, tree-filled city. The air pollution has been over-rated – it is perfectly easy to breathe here (unlike Cairo or Agra). Some avenues are lined with tree-shaded walkways in their center, and the old buildings in the colonia roma where we are staying are charming. The traffic however is miserable – I am glad we do not have to drive here.

Today we are going to go out with Sharid on the turibus, visiting the centro, and then Coyoacan and San Angel. Whatever we do, I know it's going to be fun.