Nepenthe, American Belly Dancer

Musings on Karim Nagi’s lecture

2011-09-06T08:49:00.001-07:00

This lecture is very interesting. "Gateway drug", indeed! 10 years ago or so, when I started dancing, I had only a vague idea of the origins of belly dance. While I've always had a fascination with "The Orient", it was exactly that – a sort of Orientalist fantasy of the Arab world. I didn't know any better than that, even my initial visit to Turkey, I viewed it through those eyes. Through learning belly dance, I came to love this culture and its other dances. I've learned about its food, some of its language, its politics, its culture. Part of it, of course, as we come up on the anniversary of September 11^th, was that I wanted to oppose what my country (the United States) was doing in these other countries, the way that people were being portrayed. I'll never forget how everything was being blamed on the Palestinians at first, before they knew – and I was already sympathetic to Palestinians since one of my friends went to work at a relief organization in Israel/Palestine during college, and carried back her stories. I'll never forget my horror as my colleagues at work cheered on the bombing in Iraq, which to me I could see as innocent people being killed for being in a place. I did not want to be part of the ignorant masses who generalized all Arabs as Islamic terrorists. So, not on a conscious level, but probably as some kind of subconscious reaction, I threw myself more into learning about Arab culture than I might have otherwise.

I had to evolve though; at one time, I would have questioned why I would want to do a folkloric dance where I didn't get to wear a "sexy" costume. I had to grow up as a person, as a woman, and through exposure to people like Karim Nagi, Katia, Shadia, and other people who work so hard to maintain these dances in the context of their original culture, grow into the person that I am now. I can't see how any of us outsiders can achieve that without the leadership of natives – Arabs or Arab-Americans. On the other hand, I'm not sure how financially rewarding it can be if you _don't_ pander to the "fun and fitness" crowd. That's something I have been struggling with lately. To invite interest, do you market the dance to the potential audience (let us say, the general American public) in the way that it is most palatable to them? Or do you market it for what it really is – and risk not having a market? I was reading a description of dance classes in an Adult Ed catalogue and noted that Persian dance was being listed as Persian folk dances, and wondered – why do we never see "Egyptian dance" in these catalogues – always belly dance and therefore, at best, it is Raqs Sharqi if it is related to Egypt at all? Would people take an Egyptian dance class that _wasn't_ bellydance? If they would take a Persian dance class, or a African dance class, then why not an Egyptian folkloric dance class?

Of course, this video is mainly about how Arabs need to represent themselves in the belly dance industry. It is not about how I, a non-native, represent their dance; but of course, for me, it is. That's what I have to take out of it – am I helping – or harming – these folk dances [and Raqs Sharqi too] – which do not belong to me?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yPvGkbRd6h0

Just one small thing now, about something mentioned in this video. It's the term "Middle Eastern Dance". I have understood Karim's reasoning for some time, since the Arab Dance Seminar he held in Boston. However, I still believe you need a bucket term beyond Arab dance, and here's why. At least, for Raks Nativity, I can answer why we chose to subtitle it "The Christmas Story in Middle Eastern Dance". It's not just a marketing thing or a fear of using the word "Arab"; it's because I wanted to be able to include a Turkish-style dancer or Greek-style dancer if the show called for it. It has not happened yet, but it could. We could also someday include a Persian dance – perhaps. I like to allow the show to shift and change, depending on the talents of the casts. One day, we may have the three magi representing three countries – India, Persia and China even. Unlike Tchaikovsky's nutcracker, however, I would only want to do this if we could find dancers that were knowledgeable in the dances of those cultures.

Currently the show is mainly Arabic-style folkdances including:

Raqs Baladi (Egypt)
A Bedouin Dance (??? – I didn't compose this one so I'm not sure which Bedouins it represents)
A Melaya Character dance (Egypt)
A Saidi dance (Egypt)
A fantastical representation of Andalusian (which was based on a fantasy dance created by an Egyptian, since no one knows what the Andalusian Moors danced like)
Raqs Sharqi (for the Angel Gabriel and the North Star)

In our past incarnations, we also had the horse dance, which was modeled after a dance I had seen on Youtube and folkloric videos, going back again to Egypt. Plus there is plain old bellydance, in the form of the street performer balancing a tray of tea on her head, or the villagers at the end dancing to a drum solo (though that, I might argue, could also fall under Raqs Baladi). The focus on Egypt is probably due to my personal attachment and love of Egyptian dance in particular.

Overall, one of my goals for the show – beneath the ultimate goal to entertain – is to share the _other_ folkdances, beyond Raqs Sharqi, with a more general audience.

Cocktail: A Cabaret Bellydance Workout

2011-05-07T19:32:00.001-07:00

I am reviewing the aforementioned World Dance New York DVD release. It is another line in their dance workout DVDs. I own the trio Luscious, Love Potion and Hard Candy and you may have read my reviews of those products. My main complaint was that the music used was not at all bellydance music. Cocktail not only meets that need with true bellydance classics, but it also keeps it exciting by following the American Cabaret 5-Part routine. The thirty minute workout has two full routines, with everything from the chiftetelli to the drum solo and even a karsilama. There is an optional 60 minute beginner's drill section to learn the movements. A non-beginner may want to review just to get the cueing as Tanna Valentine may use different terms than one's own training, but as a 9-year veteran of bellydance classes, I was able to pick up the workout choreography on the first runthrough just by watching and following along. Because it is short, easy to follow, and has a lot of variety, I can see myself picking this DVD out of the workout DVD pile more often than its sister DVDs.

I was totally flashing back to my many years of classes with Amira Jamal, with the music and many of the movements – to the point where I wondered if Tanna and Amira come from the same New York American Cabaret lineage (and it turned out that they did share a number of teachers though they wouldn't have crossed paths as 20 years separate their dance careers in New York).

It was easy, as I mentioned, to follow along to the simple choreographies, suitable for a beginner class recital piece. The DVD covers a full range of movements from percussive hip hits to lyrical arms. I was actually sweating by the end, during the rousing Mastika finale. Let me repeat how thrilled I was that this workout DVD brings the real bellydance music and the 5-part routine to a broader audience. I also liked having the real music because I found it more inspiring and fun to dance along with – the choreography was simple – yet musical. Tanna managed to keep it clear and easy to follow while also following the phrases of the music.

This DVD also includes a bonus make-up section, a selling point for me. I had also won a gift certificate from my workplace that made it possible for me to buy this lighthearted, but not necessarily essential DVD. Overall, I would say that it's a great DVD for a beginner – far superior to the Neena and Veena DVDs. However, for an advanced dancer, it would not provide enough of a challenge. Nevertheless, sometimes I just need a no-brainer workout. I could also argue that you could – as I did – modify the workout by adding your own style and flair, putting a shimmy on top of movements, or ornamenting the hands.

Fabulous Faten!

2011-04-30T18:14:00.001-07:00

Here in Boston we were lucky to have Faten Salama come and teach us a portion of her Almassreya curriculum. We sure packed a lot into a single day: Nubian, Saidi, Ghawazee, Mohammed Ali street, Beledi, Melaya Leff, and Khaleegy!

It was nice that we spend a significant portion of time on Nubian, as not many people teach that. Not that I see much opportunity to perform Nubian, but it's always good to expand my education in Egyptian dance. Nubian uses a similar step to Khaleegy, and the music has a distinctive sound to the voice and the drumbeat. I could definitely see the African influence (well, being that Egypt is IN Africa, I suppose it's all African dance), with the chest and the posture. I feel like we don't see a lot of Nubian dance in the USA and it does make you wonder why this particular folkloric dance has been so neglected here. Because the Egyptian stars are doing it – Dina, Leila, Yasmina – they all do Nubian pieces in their sets. Often the CDs created by dancers contain a Nubian song, but to this day, I had never learned it. Again, I don't see myself performing it as it really seems geared towards group folklore and I don't have an opportunity for that, but it is great to expand one's mind.

I enjoyed learning some new cane moves, as well as a new look at some familiar ones. When we got to Mohammed Ali street (Awalim style), that's when I really got into it. I love the gumption of this style – it takes no prisoners! Of course, you could say the same for the Saidi style, in a different way – it is strong and proud and you never forget that the stick is first and foremost a weapon. We learned a bit – not enough – about the Ghawazee and their use of the cane vs. the Saidi style. You could say that about every topic - not enough! I wish we really had the three days that she normally uses, but then I never would have gotten to do it (family obligations and all).

Melaya leff was surprisingly difficult – just learning to manipulate it – get it wrapped quickly and unwrapped. Faten could go from a full melaya wrap to having it over her arms swinging it while she hip-dropped in less than 5 seconds. It is going to take a lot of practice. But I got some great tips on how to wear the melaya and hold it, that I hadn't gleaned from the melaya leff video I own (it's a Dr. Mo choreography). I would also like to know more about why melaya leff and eskandarany are so different – usually they are presented together – even in Egypt when I saw a folkloric show. I wish there had been more time to ask questions about that.

We also learned how to apply these movements to pop music. Most of the pop music today sounds just like our Brittney Spears and Katy Perry – I can hardly detect the Arabic music in this pop, with their 4/4 Western beats. The lyrics are in Arabic, but that's where it seems to end. So, I guess you could say I am not a fan of pop music. If I'm going to dance to pop music, it will be sha'abi. However, overall, the idea that these folkloric movements are the basis for dance – and appear in our dance – came home again and again. Steps I had learned in other choreographies were revealed to have folkloric roots and meanings.

The Joys of Live Music

2011-04-30T17:28:00.001-07:00

My teachers would always tell me how superior live music was to recorded music. It took me time to come around to their way of thinking – live bands generally scared me – all that uncertainty. But that same uncertainty that can strike fear in one's heart can also bring wonderful little surprises. Not to mention – tarab – can only happen with live music.

Today was a perfect example. Za-Beth hired some wonderful musicians for the post-workshop in honor of Faten Salama. A number of them were musicians that had danced with her in the days of El-Morocco - the Legendary Udi Joe Kouyoumjian Enssemble. Joe played the oud, with Hago. Garo was the drummer and he did a great job tonight accompanying the music with great enthusiasm and fast fingers. John joined him on the Riqq. The violinist played soulfully – believe it was Harry Papazian, Garo's father. Hagop Garobedian skillfully played any tune we dancers requested on the keyboard, and sang. If I got any of these names wrong, it was because I had to remember them from the introductions!

We only had 5 minutes, so I requested Raks Leila, originally played for Samia Gamal, but made famous here by George Abdo's version. So it's an Arabic song that most bands around here are familiar with. And, as people learned, it's better to choose a song that the band knows how to play than a song they don't! I usually hesitate to request it because it can be easily confused with the Khaleegy song "Leyla Leyla". But I sang the melody and got my request.

The song and melody was exactly how I expected it, but the surprises came in the middle! I had asked for one taqsim, as Raks Leila customarily has a chiftetelli. I received not one, but two (and possibly three) taqsim breaks! I danced with the oud and I danced with the violin. And I think there was a time when the two instruments wound themselves together, along with the constant accompaniment of Garo's drumming. Having recently been working with Ranya Renee's Taqsim DVD, I felt incredibly lucky to have this chance to experience the taqsim with live musicians. My teacher, Amira Jamal, talks about when you stop thinking when you dance and all you do is feel – I can remember when in this performance I said to myself – "Oh, I'm just going to feel the bliss now – not worry about what I look like!"

The band did a wonderful job playing for everyone today. I love live band performances – even if you aren't thrilled by a particular dancer, you can still dig on the music. And if the dancer and the music are in sync, it's perfection. At the end, they gave us "one final song" that turned out to be a medley of the greatest hits of Arabic, Turkish, and Armenian music – from Mavi Mavi to Ya Mustapha, Ebaad ("Leyla Leyla") to a beautiful chiftetelli.

They announced that they play at Basha Café on Wednesdays and Shiraz in Watertown on Fridays. I hear the food at Shiraz is great, so I may have to make myself a date to go out for music and food!

Hubris

2010-12-17T13:45:00.001-08:00

Around the time that we began the Raks Nativity project, I learned the word "hubris": exaggerated pride or self-confidence. In other words, "who do you think you are?" And secretly I would tell myself – this is hubris, doing this. Who do I think I am? I'm not an established choreographer, a well-known teacher, or even someone that has put on a small hafli. So what am I doing? But, I told myself – I had this vision, this idea, and so, who better to do it? If I don't do this, who will?

Nevertheless, I planned for small things, a small theater with a small financial investment, small expectations for the event, and small demands on my cast. I didn't want to overextend. After all, it was the very first time I was doing many of these things. Sure, I can dance – but I had never choreographed for more than two people before. I hadn't written and directed a show aside from that time in sixth grade. I hadn't even acted in any community theater since I was eighteen. I certainly had never asked people to put their faith in me, first the performers who agreed to put in hard work and effort into this newborn show, and the audience, who had never seen a show like this – and not from me.

With encouragement from my co-producers, we forged ahead, even when things seemed darkest, like when our original choice for roles were injured, when we lost the full involvement of one co-producer for a time, or when only a few people showed up for auditions. At the very beginning, we even got rejected from a charity! They did not want our money, I kid you not. Bravery was required when I signed the contract with the lighting/sound technician, knowing that my nightly anxiety attacks would end (and they did) once I knew that we'd have that taken care of – but committing a large portion of my expected proceeds to this cost – the first one I couldn't just pay out of pocket.

I do credit my own project management experience in some of this. I evaluated the risks – running late for example – and tried to mitigate them. I kept endless documentation and sliced and diced the show data in dozens of ways, providing documents for different people according to their needs. I organized a collaborative website to communicate with my co-producers. I used my technical skills to create the website and set up the online payment, and then my writing skills to write press releases and occasional email blasts. So, that's the special thing I have brought to the table – the skills I use daily in my completely unrelated day job – that not every dancer or show-organizer has. So who the heck am I? A technical project manager AND a dancer, and I needed both to pull this off. Cool.

Of course, our cast members all came to the table with their own talents, from graphic design, to stage management experience, musical theater, a collection of Middle Eastern clothing, local knowledge, and technical writing. Everyone contributed in ways more than their performance alone. For the scenes themselves, it's important to note that while the broad framework – and in some cases the choreography – was set forth for the performers – the performers brought their own ideas, choreography (or improvisation), and creativity.

So it is with some amazement that I look back at Raks Nativity two weeks ago. That thanks to the hard work and diligence of all involved, we had a seamless show in a nearly sold-out hall. Friends came through and played our bit roles, in some cases, becoming the stars of the show (hellllo sheep!). We raised more than my meager expectations for the charity, adding to that number with the DVD sales. Now I must face one of my greatest demons – math! – as I calculate for the expenses versus the profits, and the money which is stored in various formats – cash, PayPal, checks – and try to bundle it into a single donation for Cradles to Crayons.

Happy holidays to all in this cold and yet generous season and here's a toast to things to come in 2011!

Just Two Weeks Away – and I’m Amazed at How Far We’ve Come To Get Here

2010-11-18T17:53:00.001-08:00

I'm in a state of amazement right now. The show is two weeks away. I got a call today from a reporter, looking to write a preview on the show. I gave an interview, which I was totally unprepared for. Ticket sales are starting to pick up, and like I said, the show is only two weeks away. It's all coming together, as I reflect now on where this started. From the germination of an idea, first guarded then shared with friends – who encouraged me and added to my idea. The burst of creativity as each dancer and actor who has joined the show has added something of themselves. Whether it's been the creation of an interesting costume, the development of an initial concept into a full-blown scene, or even just a suggestion on how a scene could be improved – I am reeling from the generosity of my fellow artists. I really couldn't have done this without them. It's really a collaborative effort – and I wouldn't want it any other way.

On the same topic but a different feel, I also want to express amazement at how much I've learned in this process. The challenges have been huge. I've had to learn a lot of new skills, promotion and publicity, graphic design (for the flyers), stage directions, building props and costumes, music editing, and even learning a bit about lighting/sound options. I've had to use my project management skills in a way I've never done in my personal life before, sending countless emails, making spreadsheets, lists, checking on due dates and checking in with people. It has also pushed me to be more assertive, though I can still see I need more improvement in this area. I've had to do such things as make decisions between two options, make a stand on something I want if it matters to me, and even navigate the uncomfortable waters of selecting people for the show. Actually due to our low turnout at auditions, it wasn't too difficult – many people are playing 2 roles!

If we do this – or another show – next year, I will be able to take these lessons forward. If we do the same show, I will be able to take a lot of things forward, from the script to the choreography to all the promo materials. I will definitely need a break from Production after Raks Nativity, but I have to say – I'm already thinking of what we could do next year – and even of the plot of another show. The main thing I need though for these narrative productions that I want to produce? More men. Most stories involve at least one man, especially love stories! At any rate, I never dreamed I would be this close to realizing a dream of mine (to produce a bellydance show with a narrative storyline), and here it is. It's happening. It's for real. Thank you to the people who believed in me – and in my idea – and helped make it what it's going to be. In just two weeks! *squeals of excitement*

Trying the Tabla

2010-10-24T16:14:00.001-07:00

I recently bought a drum. I've wanted one for a while, but the reason I finally bought one, was that I wanted to learn to stand on top of it ala Tito.

But now that I have it, I've found it's really hard to stand on top of it – especially without getting any help to get up there. I am afraid it will fall over at the point where I only have one leg up and need to pull up the other.

So, instead I've been learning to play it. It's actually quite fun! I had some trouble at first with some of the sounds, particularly the "ka" with the left hand. Also I have trouble distinguishing my sak from my dum. But it's coming along with practice, which I've been doing every day. I got both Rhythms of the Arab World from Karim Nagi, and Doumbek Rhythms and Technique from World Dance New York. Karim's video is as engaging as the man itself, and has a helpful closeup of his hands. However, it moves quite fast and a beginner like me would probably be best served by repeating the early drills over and over again. The latter video moves slower, with many more drills, and adds another sound technique called a "pop". Amir also describes the different types of tablas, which was interesting. I think the World Dance New York DVD is very detailed as they tend to be, and is great for a beginner like me. That's exactly what most of the Amazon reviews said! I think it's always good to get instruction from two perspectives, as one might hit on something the other doesn't – or sometimes someone's explanation makes more sense to an individual than another.

Anyway, as if I needed a new hobby that takes away from my existing limited time where I need to work out and dance and prepare for the upcoming Raks Nativity show I am producing – here I have a new hobby. At least it is something I can do while I watch my son play – it doesn't require a lot of room and while it takes concentration, I can keep my eyes on him. In fact, this morning he was taking to swinging my cane around (it's way too long so it's very funny – about twice his height) – as I was playing. It's like a belly dancer's dream to be sharing Arabic music and dance with your child!

A Day of Arabic Folkloric Dance

2010-10-16T20:45:00.000-07:00

Today's Arab Folkloric Dance workshop with Karim Nagi was illuminating as always. I think my favorite part was learning the men's style of Raqs Assaya. I thought it might be similar to what Shadia taught us when we started flipping the sticks - but he showed me an even easier way to do it (with the same visual effect). I learned a lot of new moves, new ways to spin the cane, and also got the breakdown on how to do certain moves I had seen in videos.

I just loved the men's style so much that it's a pity that we ladies are not really supposed to do it! Although I guess it leave something to men to do ... and with my son picking up my cane all the time to toy with it, maybe he will someday be my backup Saidi dancer. :-) Doing the men's style dancing gave me the same awesome feeling as when I used to do boxing, I guess because it was a martial art. It was a relief not to have to feel graceful and light, as much as I obviously enjoy that too. I partnered up with Goddess Moe for the mock tahtib section and we just had a lot of fun at it. I was totally inspired to go home and review the choreography we have written so far for the Shepherd scene in Raks Nativity to see if any of these new movements will fit.

We also did zikr, a type of sufi dance that is meant for worship and transcendental experiences. I think it was all too short but worth learning more about. All too short I say because we couldn't go in depth with it like we did with spinning and zar at the Arab Dance Seminar a few years back. But a good length to get a taste of it and to learn more about that culture. Karim shared some experiences he had had.

Then we moved on to debke. Fourth debke workshop I've taken now (three of those were with Karim). I still haven't quite gotten to the point where I can take my eyes off the feet and just enjoy it, but it's definitely getting easier. For both Debke and Saidi, I felt like I was getting more of the subtleties this time because I had previously been exposed to the basics.

Overall, a great day down at the World Dance and Music Center.

how to make the trains run on time

2010-09-27T06:43:00.000-07:00

Why is it that belly-dance events never run on time? I pondered this last night, as I had to leave a wonderful performance early (or rather, when it was scheduled to end). It was great to have that ability, as usually when I'm a performer, I have to stay at least until my own performance is scheduled. At the mercy of a club owner, I once waited 2 hours to perform - I was asked to arrive an hour early - and went on an hour late. That's not fair. When it's a big hafli or show with other dancers, there are of course so many variables to control, and sometimes organizers are kind enough to allow people to change the order of the show to perform earlier (as Meiver did for Seyyide on Friday night, who had a family obligation).

So I thought I should look at this as a project manager (my day job). I am producing a show this year, my first, and I do not want it to run late, for the sake of the audience and the performers both. So what are the reasons that it happens? Obviously no organizer wants her show to be delayed; so what happens? What seemingly out-of-control events occur that could be mitigated or avoided in advance? In Project Management, we call this risk management - identifying potential issues before they happen, taking actions to avoid or reduce their impact, and having contingency plans for when they occur.

In belly dance, we are often dealing with people from other cultures, whether it's Arabic culture, or Latin American culture, or North American culture. Our performers come from every part of the world. Some cultures, like North American culture, are monochronic; whereas others, like Latin America, are polychronic. [Succinct explanation here: http://www.csub.edu/TLC/options/resources/handouts/fac_dev/culturalbarries.html]

While one person might value a relationship over timeliness (perhaps waiting for a performer to be ready to go on, or waiting for all the ticket-buyers to take their seats), another person might drive towards a deadline by saying "If you're not here at X time, I'm starting the show without you." The latter attitude risks harming your relationship with the performer, who may have a valid reason to be there late. But the prior attitude may upset/frazzle people who have tight time schedules to meet. On the other hand, some organizers demand that all performers are at the site and in costumes hours before the show, in order to ensure promptness from the chronically tardy belly-dance community ... and if one goes too far with that, the performers just ignore your rule or are bothered by your need to control. I know I've been upset if asked to be in an uncomfortable costume and full makeup for hours, and the show still runs inevitably late. The point is - things happen to delay us - and how we deal with them depends on our cultural background and personal preferences.

So I put a lot of thought into how I could make this comfortable for everyone for Raks Nativity, showing respect for everyone's time, by preparing well in advance. Certainly I can arrive at the site early, and begin setting up, and I can ask others to do so as well. I can allot more than enough time for people to get dressed and made-up. I can prepare the technology in advance, testing it the night before in our Tech Rehearsal.

In Project Management, there is also great value in "lessons learned", learning from past experiences from your own life and others. So I ask you, dancers, organizers, audience members: What else can go wrong? And what else can I do to ensure that everything runs smoothly?

American bands can make great Arabic music

2010-08-31T17:49:00.001-07:00

Or so it turns out.

I just purchased the two releases from House of Tarab (a.k.a. HOT) – a band in Seattle that works closely with Delilah. Their CDs are available from Visionary Dance. I love them both from head to toe. They both have good instrumentation and singing and it feels like dancing to live music, with a smaller band, very different from the big orchestra sound of the music from Cairo, but still very Arabic. The instruments used include mismark, nay, oud, violin, and a variety of percussion.

Their first release is bellydance classics from the golden ages and old films, Hebbina, Zeina, Aziza, Lamma Bada, and a variety of taqsims with different instruments including a fun table solo. Their second release is called Beledi and has a more earthy feel, with classics such as Ya Aziz Aini – done in more contemplative style than I've heard on other releases – and old Syrian and Lebanese folk songs appropriate for debke or cane work. There are two drum solos on these release, as well as a folkloric Turkish piece and a 10/8 Muwasharat.

We will be using this music in our upcoming show – Raks Nativity – so I will be getting to know a lot of it very intimately. It's amazing how many of these songs fit perfectly into the scenes we had envisioned, and the band was kind enough to allow us to use the music for our dancing in the show.

Bellydance Show Basics for Beginners Review

2010-08-26T17:27:00.001-07:00

I'm watching Belly Dance Show for Beginners with Tanna Valentine. This video is such a little gem. I rented it from Netflix. Now I was lucky enough to study with Sabrina and Amira Jamal, both of whom taught me the 5-part routine and how to do either a restaurant show or a bellygram. But often, I think this information is hard to come by. It's full of tips like how to recover from veil mishaps, cute things to do for photo-ops if you have a special guest, veil wraps, even makeup tips. It goes through each part of the American Cabaret routine and then has extras on floorwork, makeup, costumes, staging, and so forth. Each little section is packed with information, the sort of thing we would have spent entire classes on in Amira Jamal's class. These World Dance New York videos are always packed with information, so that you can work with them for a long time, revisiting. I do that with my Ranya Renee Baladi video. But anyway, I am glad I got it from Netflix. I would say it's probably a nice complement to Secrets of the Stage.

Her voice and demeanor reminds me of my own voice. She sounds to me almost exactly how I sound when I watch myself on video, with that same frank, straightforward way of speaking. Also the gestures, facial expressions, cadence. This is exactly how I talk when I'm giving speeches. Since I took a public speaking course last semester, I am intimately familiar with my own voice.

The only change I would have made to this video? I would have filmed it with a "fake" party guests, in a party situation – either a pseudo restaurant or a living room set up. Because it would have been nice to be able to demonstrate some of the situations she's talking about, particularly the audience participation section.

I totally agree with her comments on ciftelli/taqsim section. Those movements – the snake arms, belly rolls, and hand articulations – are what people think of when they think of bellydancers. Contrary to popular belief, it's not boring – it's what people have been waiting for. I really liked how she described that.

The only thing I find a little odd is that it's very much taught at a beginner level, especially the technique (ex: breaking down snake arms), but by the time most people are ready to dance professionally, they should have already learned their technique. So it's almost like the video has two audiences. I'm mostly skipping the technique sections and just watching the concept sections. Not tha the technique sections don't contain a lot of interesting information too (I sat through one), but they also describe what an arabesque is. So, I don't think that if you need to learn snake arms, you should think that if you do this video, you can now go out and get a restaurant gig. This video is just a taste, just a preview, of the kinds of things a professional needs to know. But it's good, you know, because this information doesn't necessarily get out there. We're so lucky in Boston to have so many teachers that have had long professional careers, but that isn't true everywhere.

Why Amira’s Student Recital is so Important to Me

2010-05-02T15:41:00.001-07:00

Recital marks my May like a holiday, with anticipation, preparation, the gathering of friends and loved ones, and a festive, joyful atmosphere. Amira Jamal has a gift for developing performers – from the shyest among us. Each year, it is a joy to see how people have grown. What challenges have they undertaken? What have they finally conquered? What new things have they learned, inside or out? What beautiful new costumes are to be worn? People's lives change as we see them from year to year, the long-time students of Amira, from young college students, to new moms, to women entering retirement. Perhaps because of the camaraderie in the classes, these students tend to stick around for a long time. I believe this was my 6^th recital and I am one of the newer regulars.

I love it as a time to see my classmates perform, all in one show, with a supportive audience that we need not stress over (but some of us do!) - as the audience is mainly performers and their families. I love it because it's a place where you can see bellydance not as a competitive sport as it has become in some cases, but as the empowering self-expression that is serves for so many people as. As sisters dance together, as daughters watch and eventually join in, as friends create duet choreographies - spending their time both practicing and laughing together - this aspect is one of the best aspects of bellydance. It is a place where people can come together to be creative, in a way that isn't always accessible in our day jobs.

As much as I loved a polished performance from a professional, and even better, an Egyptian dancer who is in touch with the music and the culture (the dance that in its highest form of art is not for everyone, more than a folkdance that all can do, it becomes like ballet, something only a few can do very very well) -- I also love this aspect of bellydance where it IS a folkdance that everyone can do, that it's a joy to see people do it at any level, at any amount of commitment, or years of training. I love the (American?) spin of self-empowerment and fulfillment. It is, of course, the reason why many of us were ABLE to learn bellydance, why classes are filled, and why it continues on with such popularity. American life offers us very few opportunities for creativity and self-expression (although this appears to be changing rapidly of late due in no small part to the internet culture of generating your own content) As I've observed in the past, we tend to leave that up to the experts. We listen to singers, but do not sing ourselves. We love to watch Dancing with the Stars, but people are often bashful to dance themselves. So when you see a woman in her sixties, grooving to a clarinet taqsim (solo), eyes closed and connected to the music - there's just something beautiful about that.

Anyway, I was moved today, to be at such a warm and supportive event, led by the teacher who brings out the best in all of us, Amira Jamal.

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2010-04-10T20:43:00.001-07:00

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A Tribute to Souhair Zaki

2010-04-09T12:01:00.001-07:00

My current bellydance project is creating a Tribute to Souhair Zaki piece. Of all the dancers from past generations, she has always been my favorite, from the first time I saw her. The standard description for Souhair is "sweet". When I was in Egypt, some of the people I met did not admire bellydancers, but no one could say a bad word about Souhair Zaki. She really does come across that way, like a girl next door, like she would be a really nice person if you did talk to her. She doesn't appear to be strong or threatening, nor does she seem weak. It's somewhat amazing how much personality each dancer has, what comes across when they dance. When Souhair dances, you see that she is in enraptured by the music. She also had a tremendous figure, a distinctive style both in movement and appearance, and the music she chose to dance to is some of the best in the world.

I chose the song Leylet Hob, because she is famous for dancing to it and there were several videos where I could study how she related to that music. Poor timing, of course, for Youtube to take down all but one of the Souhair Zaki videos where she dances to Leylet Hob. One has been made private, the cute one with Souhair in a pink beledi dress. Another has been removed for terms of service violations.

The easiest part is the costume. I was born with long dark hair and generous hips. I can easily wear a simple bedlah with a chiffon skirt and matching body stocking. It will be a daring move for me to expose so much of my legs. Nevertheless, this is the EASY part. The hard part is the dance itself.

I am facing several challenges:

The first is artistic. How much do I include of myself? The version of the song I chose is 6 minutes long. There are plenty of Souhair movements that I can do. I can imitate the way she uses her hands and arms, softly flipping and twirling them, making arm paths. I can imitate her most frequently used movements – hip downs, figure 8s. I can perform one of her signatures, using the circle skirt as a veil and holding it as I twirl. I can also avoid movements that she never does, movements that became popular in modern Cairo style. I could, after all, just copy her entire dance although I think that would be less of a challenge and not cool at all. At some point, I need to bring in my own improvisation, and maybe even do a few of my own signature moves. It is still, after all, me dancing. I haven't seen a lot of tribute dances, but I know that when I read a book that is a retelling of an old tale, I am expecting a retelling, an update, something that both harkens back to the old but also offers something of the new.

The second is the realization that, to be a tribute to Souhair, you must not just emulate the gross movements (I call them this because they are the large physical movements, not the fine details) – the aforementioned figure 8s and downward hips. You have to get the essence, the way that she angles her head, smiles, the way that the hands and arms are held. She is very distinctive. Without attention to these details, one could repeat her dance exactly and not evoke Souhair at all. But with the proper details, no one could miss it. Generally if I choreograph at all, I leave the details up to my personal style and improvisation. In this case, I need to leave the gross movements up to improvisation with a loose idea of what fits – but I have to internalize the fine details until they are almost instinctual.

Finally, it is a personal dance challenge, slowing down and savoring a single movement. Like many modern dancers, I tend to dance in a series of combinations and rarely repeat the same movement for more than a measure or two. Souhair tends to repeat a movement, with variations. If you are a really good dancer, you can repeat a movement again and again. This requires excellent technical execution skills, to make something simple look divine. How do you keep the audience engaged without a lot of flash? That's really the challenge that all those who would emulate Egyptian style will face. One of the keys, of course, is engaging all those internal and core muscles at the root of our dance, to give the smallest of movements more oomph and strength. Also, one must develop confidence and charisma to present those movements. If the brain is thinking "Am I boring people?", it is broadcast through the face and body.

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2010-03-31T16:14:00.001-07:00

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Party Time

2010-03-19T19:07:00.001-07:00

In the past, I would have been incredibly nervous right now. After all, tomorrow I am the surprise at a 49^th birthday party! I used to get all worked up about private gigs. After all, people were paying me to entertain them and not only did I have to be good, I also had to figure out how to please them. This year, perhaps because of the baby, I have a whole new attitude. First of all, I don't have time to get worked up! Secondly I have so much more confidence in myself as a dancer. I no longer bother trying to be someone I'm not. I figure, people have access to my website, my youtube videos – they know what I look like and they know what kind of dancer I am. If they didn't like me, they wouldn't be hiring me. I'm not hiding anything.

For one thing, I've decided that the best way to please my crowd is to be myself. Instead of picking out music – either BDSS-style fusion or American Cabaret classics – that I think is what you're supposed to use – I chose fun, fast upbeat EGYPTIAN music. Because that's what _I_ love. And if I love it, then I am going to radiate that love out to my audience. I have realized that you cannot rely on the audience's feedback to get you going – you have to produce it yourself – starting with music that makes you feel happy and utterly confident in yourself.

On my last two bellygrams, I also realized something else! Most of the time, the music matters NOT AT ALL. First, most of these people – unless they are Arabic, Greek, or Turkish – don't know anything about the music, or care. They just want a sparkly, "exotic" and beautiful woman to show up and make their party fun. It's like being a guy in a gorilla suit or a clown. On my first bellygram, which I did with Sabrina, we didn't really follow the music at all. We even did sword balancing and floorwork during a drum solo! We basically were party tricksters and entertainers. At my next party gig, I couldn't HEAR my music at all because their sound system was in the house and the party was outside. Not to mention, the guest of honor was blindfolded – until I took off his blindfold. I remember the most fun at that bellygram was all the little girls there, who all gathered around me to ask me questions afterwards. Now, there's always a chance that the people are going to stare blankly at you, or just sit and watch politely. In that case, wouldn't it be better to be dancing to one of your favorite songs, so that you can have fun – even if you're the only one?

Now I totally get why you don't break out Lissa Fakir at a party – and I'm not doing that. In fact, I hardly slow down at all except for a 2 minute Chiftetelli for sword balancing. For people who don't know much about Arabic culture, I often do sword balancing because it impresses people and it adds some variety to the show. It does let you slow down and catch your breath (not that I get out of breath), but without boring an audience who doesn't know a Hijaz from a Bayati. Of course, I end the show with a drum solo and then a rousing rendition of Happy Birthday, during which I really hope I can get the guest of honor up to dance – or at least take pictures – since the music itself is uninspiring. Sometimes I wish I could sing because that would be a great addition, but my singing – well – they might just demand a refund!

The only thing I'm nervous about is my entrance. The party is at a small Chinese restaurant. I'm a surprise, so I'm supposed to arrive in costume (I'll wear a cover-up and hopefully get nearby parking!) and come in dancing. I'm going to meet the person coordinating it outside, hand him my boombox, and trust that he can start my music. Somehow I have to come in with my sword, and my veil – forget about zills at this point. Now I know why a certain local dancer starts her restaurant set balancing a sword on her head with her veil draped over it holding her canes – she has mastered the art of getting on stage with all of your props.

Michael Gregian Taxim Workshop

2010-03-02T08:16:00.001-08:00

I just wanted to use my blog to promote what I believe is a very important workshop for professional dancers. When this material was offered to me several years ago, it transformed my interpretation of taxim. I gained an understanding of the instruments' sound quality, their natural ebb and flow based on the musician's breath, the moods of the maqams, and how the musician communicates with the dancer. It was shortly thereafter that I experienced my first "tarab", the magical suspension of reality when the musician, the dancer and the audience are all mesmerized by the music. I had the opportunity to dance a taxim at the Middle East with Michael Gregian on clarinet.

In the class, he brings all of his instruments and students have the opportunity to dance to live taxims. It's very different than dancing to a recorded taxim, far more intimate and entrancing. And Mike is a kind instructor and musician, the ideal musician to work with. He actually watches the dancer, and if he knows her, will play taxims that suit her style and preferences.

When: Saturday, March 13th, 10:30-noon

Where: Performing Arts Center of Metrowest, 140 Pearl Street, Framingham, MA

What: Workshop with Mike Gregian to learn about the nai, clarinet and dumbek as they relate to belly dance performance. "Hands on" will include dancing with each instrument and learning how to phrase, especially during taxim and chifti-telli.

Price: $25, cash or check made to Mike Gregian directly.

If you are not comfortable working with a taxim this workshop is for YOU! Don't miss this wonderful opportunity to work with live taxim music. Contact Amira Jamal to reserve a spot in the workshop.

Kai’s First Hafli

2010-02-28T17:23:00.001-08:00

I believe Kai enjoyed his first hafli. While he may have gotten a bit fussy between dancers, his eyes were glued to the stage when dancers came on. My son shows good taste in dancers – he enjoyed Phaedra immensely. He also had eyes for Xylinia (who was totally hot in assuit!) – and he was, of course, riveted to Karim Nagi. I particularly wanted him to see Karim, to see the mens' style of dance. Kai enjoys the music and he enjoys dancing with me, so I want him to know that there are options for him in this dance – it is not all ladies in bedlah.

In fact, he liked every dancer except me – he had to be taken screaming from the room when I danced, probably because I wasn't holding him anymore. Thanks Susi for keeping an eye on him while I danced! Thank goodness for simple costumes and simple pop songs. Needless to say I did not get as far as my fake hair and false eyelashes – I had to go for a more natural look! Overall, it was great to have him with me, to share with him my favorite thing in the whole world, and I think he loved being the center of attention. Just wait until he is old enough for his own galabeya and his own stick – I am sure he will be out there on the dance stage.

I won two things in the raffle! A private lesson with Najmat and one workshop that Za-Beth puts on this year! The raffle prizes were really great, ranging from 100$ towards a custom costume by Shadia (won by Lily), to various DVDs, hip scarves and jewelry. There was also quite a lot of variety in the vending – and I even got to see a friend from college, who ended up vending her candles there! I hope the event made lots of money for Haiti.

A nice weekend for bellydance for me, and wonderful to be able to share it with my son – plus to see the dance community in action, and so many friends. We really have such a good dance community here in Boston.

Ranya Renee, Revelations, Motherhood, Dancing

2010-02-27T18:02:00.001-08:00

February has been a busy month for dance. In all honesty, there have been a plenitude of workshops every month and I now have to choose carefully because I need to get childcare. When Ranya Renee came to RI, I couldn't turn it down. I already had missed her the year before, because it conflicted with Randa Kamal in Montreal. She will also be in New Hampshire in May, but the length of the drive prevents me from going in my new-mom status. I have been a fan of Ranya Renee since I got her baladi video last year. Her down-to-earth teaching style, with the heavy emphasis on visualizations, really works for me. She also has a ton of knowledge about Egyptian dance. I wasn't sure however how I felt about the workshop topics – Balancing Act (balancing props) and Character In Dance. I confess I thought I would have preferred something more dance-y. But I got so much more, something longer lasting.

One cool thing that happened is that Ranya recognized me from Facebook and my Amazon reviews of her DVDs. Nothing puts you at ease around a star than when the star already knows YOU. This is also why I don't review bellydance products I don't enjoy. By the way, she is coming out with several more DVDs, some on musical interpretation, taxim, and finally her classical oriental DVD. From now on I will be buying directly from her website, because after talking to Nadira last night and Ranya today, I know now that the artists do not make as much money on Amazon purchases.

As I told the gal I drove down there with, the first workshop was great, but it paled in comparison to the second. In the first workshop, we learned to balance tray. However unlike other balancing workshops or videos I have taken, Ranya went to a deeper level. Making turns, spins, and complex movements while balancing a tray has a secret, and that secret comes from your nightclub door – which should always be guarded by a bouncer. Yes, you shouldn't leave the backdoor of your nightclub open! Don't know what I'm talking about? You should spend some time with Ranya. Her analogies are hilarious, apt, and really make you aware more than anatomical exactness could. At any rate, between the breathing methods and extending away from the floor, I really felt that the work I have done lately with yoga and Ruby's floorwork DVD came in handy. Yes, we did floorwork with an Egyptian instructor – it's part of doing Shamadan.

The second workshop delved deeper into ourselves. Both workshops revealed a method of breathing into your back, through your softly open mouth, breathing with every movement and with the music. I have been working on breathing with the music, but I did find it difficult to breathe through my mouth because yoga teaches you to breathe through your nose [and she explained why!]. I came to several realizations…although I often do just let the joy pour out of me, I also do feel compelled to smile and can't turn it off. Sometimes (I would say in performance often) that smile is genuine, but at other times, it reveals a forced set of the jaw. Ranya pointed out that breathing through the mouth has a different feeling, more of an energy exchange, more open, more sharing – and it forces you to be in touch with yourself. I found it extremely difficult to breathe with my mouth softly open and not smile. In fact, all I could do when breathing this way was really sink into myself and the music. I couldn't be in my head – I had to be in my body – in my SELF. Any attempt to do anything else felt uncomfortable or I would have to stop breathing that way.

Ranya had some great ideas for visualizing, like embodying that welcoming feeling of your entrance piece by painting rainbows on everyone and everything within the performance space. That you are giving beauty to the people around you, painting beautiful garments on them, putting up decorations around the space that you're dancing in. I work very well with visualizations, and since the entrance song is often where we (I) feel the most nervous – having a mental focus could really help me. You know, these things do not sound nearly as cool when you write them down, much as many dancers lose their sparkle when reduced to a youtube video. You really HAD to be there.

We also worked with characters, even exploring the "negative" characters – the bitch and the slut. My bitch smiles, it turns out. Ranya focused on bringing out characters within ourselves, rather than exploring, say, typical Arabic woman characters. It seemed that Ranya's workshop had a strong focus on being the authentic woman (or man) within. I have to confess I was moved and empowered by today's workshop, some of the things she talked about, that I could not do justice by repeating. Everyone has their way of accessing certain aspects. My experience of motherhood, of giving birth, has given me a certain awareness of my body and I thought about that today. Clearly, it's not the only path to that awareness, since Ranya Renee doesn't have kids but she is clearly in touch with her power center.

I may not go to many more workshops this year. I am really glad for the ones I attended, but they haven't been easy. Not as the mother of an infant. Today's workshop only had a 30 minute break. In that time, I had to eat as well as pump. Despite this being a woman-focused art form, I'm still uncomfortable pumping in front of others, so I always end up in a tiny restroom. I have to use most of the break doing that. If the workshop is far away, it makes it even more difficult, extending the time I'm away from my son. Not only do I need to make sure we have enough milk at home for him, I then am away for longer and therefore need more breaks for pumping. I realize I am away every work day for 8 hours, but it's different since we have a nanny and my work provides a comfortable room for mothers. Today, the workshop ran longer than expected, and apparently my son started to cry for me around 6:15 onwards. I got home at 7pm, and I just wanted to connect with my son. He goes to bed around that time, and I won't see him again until early morning. I really miss him and while it was worth it, I have a feeling that's my last workshop for the year. I'm so glad I am taking him with me to the hafli tomorrow. Truly, being a mother changes you!

Speaking of which, there was a big to-do in Facebook today about a certain local restaurant that is now cutting dancer's pay and expecting them to dance for free if they get enough tips. I am disappointed, in yet another restaurant where dancers are not being valued as we should be. It is probably fortunate that I am also at a point right now where I would rather stay home with my son while he is so young, rather than go out and dance for less than I am worth.

Sa’diyya from Texas in New Hampshire

2010-02-20T18:30:00.001-08:00

I got out for my first workshop since October (Amar Gamal). Sa'diyya's workshop brought up to Nashua New Hampshire, my hometown. I brought my little man to visit his grandparents, who kindly watched him as I took the latter half of the workshop, the drum solo. I already knew I enjoyed Sad'iyya's teaching style from Combination Nation Vol 2. She also had the respect of my friends Badriya and Najmat. In fact, many respected Boston-area dancers made the trek up to New Hampshire – and that speaks volumes. Due to the location, I also had the opportunity to see dancer-friends from Vermont and New Hampshire who I rarely see. Nashua has come a long way. When I was a little girl and even as a young adult, there were no bellydancing classes to speak of in the area. I wasn't able to start studying bellydance until I moved to Boston in my mid-twenties.

Sad'iyya did something that is the mark of a good workshop instructor. She created tracks of her music for each section of her choreography, allowing us to easily start from the middle or end when we were working on those parts. She also had tracks that slowed the music down. She was pretty good at keeping the workshop at a level that everyone could follow, while also adding in notes of additional things you could do if you already had the foot and hip work, like hair accents, facial direction, and "style".

We got to see the whole performance at the end. She is quite the athletic dancer! She had an impressive ending pose that would take me a while to master, and I mean, a while with a bench press machine! I wanted to ask what she does to work out in addition to dance. Her style combined both Egyptian dance and jazz and ballet stylings. She is a real original, not just a good dancer – but a creative dancer.

It was perfect serendipity that one of the workshop vendors was a natural soap maker. My parents do love special soap, and I was able to bring them back a nice gift to thank them for watching my son, who apparently did quite well without it, with a brief crying fit when he awoke from his nap without me there.

I also brought my costumes for sale. While I didn't make any sales (and personally I'd rather not sell a costume to someone who won't be completely happy with how it fits), I did get to see how they looked on other people – and that's always fun. But with my costumes, it's always the issue of either the top being too small or too big for the person I'm selling it to! In particular, I have a crazy Joharah costume that I bought when I was pregnant, with a top that is larger that you can believe 'til you see it, and then hips that I can just barely fit into today. So if you see a dancer that looks like she should be dancing to "pumpkin" instead of "manga", let me know – do I have the bra for her!

The Dancer Re-Emerges

2010-02-11T13:37:00.001-08:00

Many dancers this year are having or have had babies, not only in my local region, but on the national scene as well. Michelle Joyce, Amar Gamal, Dondi, Bahaia, Oreet. It seemed that every dancer was having a baby. And I too, was pregnant with a little boy.

I danced almost daily until the last month of my pregnancy, performing at eight months. I was still going to classes and not much had changed for me, other than that I couldn't fit into a costume. I had no idea what was about to happen. But I was determined to keep dancing, no matter what.

The act of birth itself is no small feat, it turns out. I had quick and dramatic labor, and one of my lifelines through my natural birth was the soothing sounds of Middle Eastern taxims. I don't remember exactly what was playing when Kai was born, but I believe it was actually a baladi progression. One of the first times I stood up in the hospital, I held him and swayed to the melody of Bitwannes Beek, singing it softly for him. I was told to stay off my feet for the next two weeks to recover, not something a dancer wants to hear. However, during those first few months, a mother is entirely focused on her baby, learning how to care for him – and herself again. Nevertheless, dance was never far from my mind. I was afraid I would lose connection to it entirely, and with it, myself.

My body was completely unfamiliar to me, neither the full fruitful bounty of pregnancy nor the muscular tautness from before. I had strong abdominals and pelvic floor even after pregnancy, because I had never stopped dancing, but my strength was not what it was. And my back ached from leaning over and holding this baby all day long, so my straight posture had grown hunched. When I went to Rakkassah to shop, I was horrified to find that costumes no longer fit me off the rack, as they used to. And I didn't see any time in my future to put make up on and wash my hair, let alone get a mani/pedi! I despaired of ever returning to Middle Eastern dance as anything more than a hobby.

I needed my spouse to come home early to watch him if I was to take classes, and I couldn't be away for long. For a while, I took him along with me to class, until he started to need me to hold him throughout the class (or else he would cry). Everyone thought he was adorable, but I couldn't concentrate on my dancing when I also had to care for him. Now, I did have maternity leave, so I fell into a rhythm of finding time to dance at home while he slept. I remember working my way through an entire Dr. Mo meleya leff choreography, taking breaks when Kai would awaken. Once I returned to work, it became near impossible to go to class or practice at home. My spouse suggested that I have private lessons at the house, and so now I have private lessons with Susi and Najmat once a month or so. It's not the same as going to class, seeing my friends, so I also managed to start going back to Amira Jamal's class, which starts later in the evening.

The most intimidating thing I had to face was returning to public performance. Before I even gave birth, I set up my next date at the Middle East – in November. I hadn't danced there for a year at that point. On top of that, I was coming back as a "professional", a paid dancer. I had a longer set and, for myself, a lot of expectations to live up to! The first performance may have gone well, but I was too nervous to enjoy it. But, with that out of the way, my next performance – at Za-Beth's holiday hafli – felt like a triumphant return, and the next time I danced at the Middle East, I was my old confident self again. Now, I find myself dancing at Basha Café on Saturday.

Although I can't do everything I used to do, I can apparently still be a professional dancer. I do find the time to put on my make-up and get my gig bag together, and to practice at home from time to time. Kai enjoys watching me improvise, if I treat him as an audience member, and he loves middle eastern music, wiggling along to the beat on the floor. He sleeps earlier now, and I find that's a great time to work with some videos, build my strength and flexibility with pilates and yoga, or simply work with some of my favorite pieces of music. I am losing weight almost effortless and my body is returning to a shape I recognize as each month passes. I even found that I was able to fit into most of my old costumes.

It has only been six months since Kai was born, and that hardly seems like a long time to have taken a break. I see now that I didn't really ever take a break from dance, because I need to have this in my life. But I don't think I needed to be nearly so afraid of losing it forever. That said, I don't think I'll be having another baby any time soon. One wonderful baby is just fine.

My performance at Za-Beth's Holiday Hafli (referenced above)

Two Weekends, Two Workshops

2009-10-11T17:36:00.001-07:00

It just so happened that two amazing workshops from two of my favorite instructors were offered this month, and so momentarily I returned to my past life as the kind of person who attended multiple workshops per month. As a new mother, it is no easy feat to get away – and yet it was extremely restorative to put my mind into dance and music again.

Amar Gamal taught last weekend. It was a choreography to We Darret Al Ayam, a classic. The choreography contained all the signatures of Amar Gamal, the Latin fusion she is known for, along with the Egyptian style dance steps. Badriya and I agreed though - it was lacking in Egyptian flavor if only because every moment was filled with something complicated - not a lot of contemplative moments. It did however have incredible musicality - the movements were timed to the unique accents of that song. Amazingly, she taught the combinations to different music, which they were still usually quite well-matched to. But it all fell into place when we started the choreography.

I have to admire Amar Gamal as a teacher - as she really observes her students. She adjusts the material for them, suggests adjustments for those falling behind the level of the class (and there were a few), makes individual comments, and even teaches in different ways in order to address different styles of learning. For example, rather than insisting "you must count" (as Suhaila does) or "you must only just listen to the music", she did both. Now, I'm a "listen to the music" kind of girl and hate counting, so it was wonderful that the choreography was so keyed to the music that I only had to listen to the music to know what happens next. Amar and I also had a nice conversation about motherhood, since she's expecting in December and I am the proud mother of a two-month old. She is carrying pregnancy so beautifully – and can still do those arabesques that so bedeviled me by the time I was in my sixth month.

Just as much as the first workshop was about dance, the second workshop was about music. Karim Nagi taught a three hour workshop filled with more Arab music information than you'd think could fit into that timeframe. Some of the concepts were familiar, but others really expanded my horizons. We began with Fakkarouni, and he analyzed every element of it with us - from the lyrics, word by word, to the structure of the melody, to the emphasis on dancing to the lezma's (can't pronounce/spell the actual plural of lezma) rather than the voice. Oum Kolsoum's voice calls for small movements, not competing with her, and the lezmas - when the full orchestra kicks in - albeit briefly - is where you accent and lock and pause before returning to the smaller movements. I will be listening to Oum Kolsoum's music in a new light, and will have to figure out how this applies to instrumental versions.

We then went on to Taqsims, first addressing the maqams - and I feel like I know more about maqams now - and then the structure of taqsims. I learned that taqsim means "division", and the division refers to the pauses between phrases. While working with Michael Gregian in Amira Jamal's class had prepared me to dance to taqsims adequately, I received even more insight from Karim's workshop. For example, we learned how they begin - and how they typically end. We were even able to distinguish the different maqams when mixed together in a single 2-minute taqsim!

The final segment was on drum solo. We learned about responding to the dums and teks, as well as variations in speed and volume. Finally we learned how to take cues from the drummer, as well as dictate cues to the drummer. Now I'm typically cautious about working with drummers. In my experience, drummers do not work with you. You follow them - or else you look stupid when you try to cue them and fail. One of the first times I danced to live music, I tried cueing the ending – as I had learned in a workshop – and the drummer just kept going fast and furious for another 3 minutes – after I had put my hand down and back up into a final pose. And yet, most good drummers that teach dancer workshops will tell you that they watch you and you can direct the direction of their drumming - and Karim taught us some ways to do that in particular with him - a body language that could also be taught to other willing percussionists. It would be interesting if this actually worked, an experiment best tried when not having to communicate your show's needs over loud club music.

I really love Karim's workshops, though I confess that I am so awed by his star power that I cannot bring myself to talk to him. So often I figure the workshop instructor is being mobbed by everyone else, and probably would just like to go on with his/her day without another fangirl. On the other hand, talking to Amar Gamal went so well, I might try to get over my shyness to talk more often. In fact, Amar remembered me from past workshops and a contest she judged - to my surprise since she must meet thousands of dancers. So, perhaps we fangirls are not so invisible or different from the dancers and musicians we look up to.

Baladi at a Beach Party

2009-06-28T18:57:00.001-07:00

It was so wonderful to perform for an audience again! I have been dancing in my studio alone for so many months, that I had forgotten the joy it gives me to connect with others when I'm dancing. The Bellydance Beach Party was one of the most fun haflis that I've attended in a long time, a perfect combination of social dance and conversation with performances of all kinds. I love the fact that a hafla provides the opportunity for us to see dancers who no longer perform in nightclubs, like myself - pregnant – or some of the more experienced dancers who still have all the skills and performance talent, but do not perform in nightclubs as much anymore.

Many women told me that they were amazed at how I can still dance at this point in this pregnancy, and even though I know I have slowed down a lot, I am proud of myself for doing as much as I have. I was glad to inspire some people. I hope my little baby enjoyed it too. As we watched the other dancers, I would drum the beat on my stomach – maybe he will pick it out and come out drumming – or dancing. Either one would be fine with me!

Thank goodness for stretchy baladi galabeyas – the only costume that still fits. I had told Zehara that I knew I'd be doing some kind of baladi – after all, it's the only costume I could wear! The crowd was great for baladi too – they really seemed to enjoy it, even with Badriya and I both performing baladi-style one after another. I loved the crowd today – could have kissed them. I had been so long without performing that I wondered if I had lost my ability to perform – it was good to see that I have not.

I performed the choreography I've been working on, Dr. Mo Geddawi's choreography to "Balady Yo'Kal". It is a super-cute choreography, and easy on my body. I also was able to make it mine, with expressions and nuances. I realized I was working with a semi-circular audience, so I worked in directional changes into the choreography. I must have had it memorized so well that I could do that, make eye contact, smile, express myself – and still not forget what I was doing. I think I only forgot one bit of choreography, towards the end, so I just did 16 counts of the next thing instead of 12 – and it was a travelling move so it gave me extra time to cover the stage. Normally when I do choreography, I feel it makes me more remote from the audience, unable to connect because I'm trying to remember the next step. The trick, I suppose, is practicing so much that the dancing goes on auto-pilot. It's been a great way to get my cardio workouts in – doing three repetitions of a 5 minute song. I've also spent HOURS with the DVD. To the point where when I see the dancers on the DVD (it's a live workshop film) make mistakes, I wonder "how could you forget that part – we've done it so many times." Then I remember – they are doing it for the first time live in the workshop but I've replayed this DVD dozens of times by now.

Now that I'm done with my last performance until I return after giving birth, I am going to focus on skill-building. I have two DVDs to work with – the new cheeky girls "combination nation" and Dr. Mo's melaya leff choreography DVD. I recently heard the new Saad El Soghayer album, which has a great song on it for melaya leff and I want to learn the style so that I can dance to that song at a future hafli.

I am writing this in Microsoft Word and I must tell you that it has no clue what to do with all these Arabic words or bellydancer names. Most of my blog post is highlighted with red for misspellings.

Review of World Dance New York “Love Potion” Bellydance Fitness DVD

2009-06-17T18:33:00.001-07:00

Love Potion from World Dance New York is the unofficial sequel to Luscious, a previous entry into the bellydance fitness market with the same instructors: Neon, Blanca and Sarah Skinner . Using American bellydance technique, they put together a drill session and workout. In addition to drilling the movements, the instructors make note of head angles, posture, and grace – the little details that make the dancer. As always, beautiful and flattering costumes are worn by the three instructors, varying by each section, and each of them trade off leading. The DVD is split into 7 different sections, each with a different inspiring name such as "Creative Flame" or "Goddess". There is a feel-good element to the DVD as well, little mantras uttered at the beginning of each section about loving yourself, talking about how shimmies give us joy. So, if you need a bit of a psychological boost, this DVD may just give you one. If not, these sentiments easily fade into the background.

It is more advanced than Luscious, as few movements are drilled consecutively and everything is mapped quickly into a combination. The viewer is expected to pick up on the combinations quickly and follow them, which is the reason why this is more of an intermediate/advanced DVD. There is, however, a beginner's practice flow, which goes through each of the sequences slower. I actually consider this to be a good thing, as the DVD will keep me entertained even if I repeat it over and over, which as a fitness DVD, I intend to do.

The movements themselves are not advanced – ranging from smooth moves like pelvic circles and infinity loops to hip accents and shimmies. You will get a core workout if you are utilizing proper posture, maintaining your core, and – as my teacher says – squeezing your princess. After the 40 minutes, I'm actually feeling it! For the cardio aspect, it's hard to gauge, since I'm 8 months pregnant and we don't seem to have the air conditioning on. I was sweating, but I don't know if the average person would. You might even see it as a "interval" workout, since the sections varied from undulating and circling movements to the more intense hip drops, accents, and shimmies, and back again.

The DVD is set to new-agey music. Most of it was OK. As a huge fan of Arabic music, the music on this DVD didn't really get going. It did make for nice backdrop music, but I wouldn't run out and buy the CD. The last section, where many of the combinations are joined into a dance, is set to a composition called "Goddess". I found myself feeling a little funny about the music – I just don't go in for this sort of thing, sung in English. It's very goddess-power type stuff. I don't object to the message, but it's not really my thing either. Luckily I was alone in the dance studio because otherwise I would feel pretty silly dancing around to "I'm a Goddess, Set me Free" if anyone could see me. That said, it's really nice to see the combinations and movements displayed in a dance, that was obviously connected to the music (as dance should be), and the dancers/instructors on this DVD display grace and, well, a goddess-quality when they demonstrate this section.

I should also mention that either of the two workouts on this DVD, Love Potion and Beginner Flow, can be done without voice cues, with the music only.

Overall, I got exactly what I ordered, a fitness dvd that works my core, drills my bellydance vocabulary, and keeps me entertained as I do it.

Dr. Mo’s Entertaining Balady Routine DVD

2009-05-19T18:47:00.001-07:00

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

2009-05-17T15:07:00.001-07:00

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

2009-05-16T08:34:00.001-07:00

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.

Ahlan Cairo Nights 2009 - Montreal

2009-04-29T20:51:00.000-07:00

I wanted to take one more big dance trip this year, and so I chose Ahlan Cairo Nights in Montreal. I was exactly six months pregnant and I found I was able to keep up with MOST of the workshops, although Randa pushed me beyond my limit. Gone are the days where I could dine on a single Larabar and keep dancing all day!

The biggest surprise of the weekend was the fantastic Dr. Mo, co-founder of the Reda troupe. At seventy years old, he is as strong and lively as a man half his age. He has a calm, kind teaching style, and doesn't hesitate to correct. I liked that he would get down on the floor, hold hands with someone struggling with a move and walk them through it. For each workshop he taught, we got through an entire choreography and they were easy to remember because he has studied how people's memories work. We learned each choreography in a series of blocks. He is also a fan of repetition, returning to something from an earlier part of the choreography. In fact, he told us - if you do something beautiful, you must repeat it - and if you do something complicated, you must repeat it immediately so that the audience can understand just how difficult it was.

He taught a classical oriental routine with Andalusian elements, where Andalusian dance is an imagination of the court dances of Moorish Spain, as there are no records of what their dance styles were like. He also taught a Sha'abi choreography to one of Saad's latest hits. The Sha'abi/Baladi choreography was my favorite - cute, fun, and sassy. But I did feel like a princess with all of the arabesques and turns of the Andalusian routine.

But it was more than the choreography . . . it was the advice he gave on the dance. One of my favorites: "We do not dance to impress - we dance to make people happy". I couldn't agree more. I wouldn't want to share all his secrets - for those, you can pick up a DVD from Little Egypt or attend one of his workshops.

Exhausted, but so Inspired

2009-04-05T17:29:00.001-07:00

I'm back from the weekend-long Yousry Sharif workshop in Mansfield, MA – with two new music CDs and a head full of beautiful choreography. It is the first time that I have enjoyed the choreography from a workshop enough to want to memorize it and keep it forever. I noticed that several others felt the same way. We learned seven and a half minutes of choreography in total, to the adorably named "Raqset Kitty!". It included everything from latin-inspired steps to khaleegy to the Robot. Yousry was a kind and clear instructor, who did not live up to his reputation of sternness. In fact, he smiled quite a bit and was fun. Don't get me wrong – it was a serious workshop – and serious hard work. I was thoroughly beat by the end and could barely lift a hip.

My friends and I also had the pleasure of going to the World Dance and Music Center in Pawtucket RI for a post-workshop show (not connected to the workshop). Lola put together a beautiful evening with four dancers (Ok, I was one of them) and the highlight for me was the band. George Rizk is an expert drummer, and I already knew that I enjoyed Mitchell Kaltsunas' ensemble. They played the most gorgeous version of Leilet Hob for me, and the drum solo was the best drum solo I've had live. There was none of the usual muddiness, only clear and crisp Dums and Taks.

Both events were significantly far from my house, but I would drive that far again for either experience. For now though, I am going to rest my tired body.

Review: Ranya Renee’s Two Disc Instructional DVD on Baladi

2009-03-21T08:20:00.001-07:00

My favorite new DVD has got to be Ranya Renee's first in a series of three DVDs on Egyptian Dance, this one on Baladi. I have longed for a video or workshop about baladi, not just a choreography demonstration, but something that explained the essence of baladi. Baladi, in terms of this DVD and Egyptian dance, is a specifically Egyptian dance performed to their baladi (or country) music. Ranya explained that baladi can mean other things in the surrounding Arabic countries. It is commonly done at weddings and parties, by both men and women, but Raks Sharki performers will often do a baladi section to their full routine. The DVD is all I hoped for, and then some. It is actually a two DVD set, containing 3 hours of material.

The first DVD focuses on the baladi music, and movements stylized for baladi. She spends the first 30 minutes explaining the music, with live musicians, one of whom grew up on Mohammed Ali Street in Cairo. He demonstrates on the accordion how the baladi is different in Alexandria, Upper Egypt, at a street wedding, or a nightclub. Ranya Renee also had the drummers demonstrate the different rhythms you will hear in the progression, and how they play off the accordion. She demonstrated the differences between a women's street baladi, men's street baladi, and a nightclub baladi. Then, she demonstrates each style, in costume.

On the second half of the first DVD, she teaches techniques for each section of the baladi and demonstrates how to make them more "baladi" style. The drills are separated into movements for each musical section, the taqsim (musical improvisation) that starts each baladi, then the call & response section, the maqsoum rhythm – slow and fast – and the 2-beat Ingerara. The ingerara section (the fast section at the end of a baladi progression) was a challenge in the past for me. I always felt like I couldn't dance that fast and didn't have enough "fast moves" to fill the time. I would look for baladi progressions with a very short Ingerara. With Ranya Renee's DVD, I am no longer limited, except my own endurance!

The technique section begins with posture and even an advanced dancer should not skip over it. First, it is taught in a most charming way using props to demonstrate. The use of the amusing props, such as a miniskirt to show how your muscles are tight but fluid around that area, or the zipper up the pelvis to show how you are "zipped up" through those muscles, brought the points home to me in a new way. I have talked to several others about this DVD and all have remarked on this section, how it made them feel very different. Given these postural changes – and understanding the muscle mechanics – I feel I am getting a juicier look to my abdominal isolations.

With all this in mind, she talked about framing. She demonstrated the hows and more importantly the whys. I was thrilled that Ranya showed that you can in fact use your arms in baladi to express the music. I had a private lesson where I was taught not to use them as much, and I found it a little restrictive. It is just a matter of understanding how to use the arms. The abdominal core and hips are still the main focus of musical expression in the body. Ranya also talked about making it personal, letting the music sing through your body. As this music has always moved me to dance, I felt freer hearing this – I had let other people's hang-ups about what you should and shouldn't do creep into my mind until I became insecure dancing baladi. I loved the way she described this dance as one where you feel confident in yourself, your body – proud and strong.

While the movements she teaches in the instructional section will all be very familiar – aside from a new type of "jewel" that I had not seen before – the student may find they feel entirely different when engaging the muscles as instructed in the postural section. The fluid taqsim moves were quite delicious with that sense of holding and fluid tension in the core! The ingerara section could serve as a workout in itself – Ranya has endless energy.

The second DVD focuses on improvisation, as baladi is an improvisational dance. Ranya talks in general about improvisation in baladi, and then leads the student into drills. There are three baladi progressions on the DVD for improvisations. For each one, she discusses the music, danced through it twice, and then goes into the drills. It was not clear to me if the dancing section was intended for the student to watch, follow along, or dance alone to the music. In the drills, Ranya loops sections of the music over and over and you can follow along with her, although there is no voice instruction. You also have the option to flow into the music and dance your own improvisation. However, I found it instructive to "follow the bouncing butt" so to speak, and follow what Ranya chose to do – to try to capture the essence of it into my own body.

In summary, this DVD is extremely economical for everything you receive with it. I am looking forward to the next in the series – on Modern Cairo style.

Review of 1-2-3 Drum Solo with Bahaia

2009-01-18T21:43:00.001-08:00

This is a review of one of the newest releases from Cheeky Girls Productions - 1-2-3 Drum Solo with Bahaia.

This is one of the best beginner drum solo DVDs I have seen. Bahaia has a sweet voice and demeanor, and is enjoyable to watch. She does an excellent job of describing and drilling the movements, and then the simple choreography is demonstrated in 6 sections, each with 3 opportunities to practice. This drum solo choreography includes three different types of shimmies, and creative use of directional changes to spice up the hip and chest articulations. Best of all, the choreography is very adaptable. I learned the initial choreography and have already come up with some advanced variations and ornamentation, so that I could use this choreography in my own shows.

The DVD begins with technique practice. Bahaia explains the muscle dynamics and body positioning needed to execute the movements, and then the student has ample opportunities to practice it to movements, with variations. This section contained 9 different techniques, including the Saidi hip drop, the choo-choo shimmy, and the 3/4 shimmy. Next, the choreography put these movements together, with Bahaia facing towards a mirror, so you could see both the front and the back of the movements. The DVD ends with a live performance in costume. Because of the way the choreography was taught, I have it completely memorized only having done the video once. I loved the fact that the full choreography itself was repeated three times. Often, a dancer completes an entire choreography video and only has the chance to do the whole thing once - or even not at all on some videos.

Cheeky Girls Productions is known for their excellent video-graphy and this video is no different. The camera angle choices and panning made it very easy to follow. As dancers themselves, the producers understand that the audience can't get enough practice, and that we love to see costumed performances by the instructor we're already inspired by. This DVD also contains a number of extras, from a delightful performance by Bahaia to an Oriental composition, to descriptions and demonstrations of the drum rhythms used in this drum solo. There is also the opportunity for extended practice and drilling of the technique without the instruction.

I would not shy away from recommending this video to beginner students. For advanced students, the vast majority of the instruction would be review, although the choreography is cute - and the DVD footage of Bahaia is a nice to have. Intermediate and Advanced Students may also enjoy Michelle Joyce's Pop, Lock, and Shimmy, which shares a similar format, but has more advanced combinations and movements.

Snake Dance Theater

2008-11-14T09:46:00.001-08:00

I am joining Snake Dance Theater as a company member. I just got my e-mail back from Johara, and it sounds like I have an OK to join the troupe. I am excited because through the last two shows where I was a guest dancer, I had a lot of fun with the ladies in this group. It sounds like the company is going to start working on some folkloric pieces, Saudi and Saidi. That's right up my alley. I checked with my family to make sure I could commit to more time outside the house dancing – and until we have kids, I have carte-blanche to do more. Once we have a kid, I'll have to see how I can balance it all. However, I don't know when I'm going to have a kid, so I'm not going to put my life on hold in anticipation of something that hasn't happened yet.

I also just bought a beautiful new silver cane from Susi. Finally I have a cane that's long enough for me.

Arab Dance Seminar

2008-11-11T09:16:00.001-08:00

After meeting Karim Nagi at the Las Vegas Bellydance Intensive, I knew I had to learn more from him. So, rather than going up to Montreal this year for Ahlan Cairo Nights, I decided to stay right here at home – for the Arab Dance Seminar was taking place only 15 minutes from my house. I did not know what to expect. I had a misconception that folkloric dance could be boring, but I knew that I would enjoy the Debke, the Saidi, and the Raks Sharki portion of the weekend. I did not know that I would fall in love with Khaleegy dance, or participate in a mock Zeffa procession! I knew that Zaar involved a lot of hair tossing, but I did not know that it would be a transportative, transcendant experience.

The first day took place at the YWCA Theater. It began with a lecture on Arabic weddings, a participative lesson on the rhythms we would focus on that weekend, a lecture on Arabic music as it pertains to weddings – including a sing-along!, and some video footage. During this time, there was the opportunity to do henna and I think that if I had had more energy, I would have stayed longer. I had come straight from work and was completely exhausted and ready to sleep by the time the evening concluded. However, it was extremely valuable to attend this first session, especially for the cultural information. The Arabic language is important too but for those of us who had studied it before, it was a review. I didn't mind though as my pronunciation really needs all the help it can get.

All of the instructors were well-spoken and educated in their field of knowledge. The weekend was very scholarly, and yet it was very physical and we experienced what we learned. We staged a mock Zeffa procession to understand all the roles people play in the zeffa. We learned how a bride should behave, and how the family behaves, and what kinds of dancers are hired and how they would act. With live drumming, we sang the Zeffa song we had learned and clapped along.

One of my favorite sections was the Khaleegy dance taught by Kay Hardy Campbell, an expert on Khaleegy dance who has lived in Saudi Arabia. I was so glad that I had purchased a thobe for the event and felt like a beautiful Gulf princess in it. A few of us fell in love with Khaleegy that weekend and I hope to be involved in some Khaleegy group performances soon.

Cassandra Shore is a gem from Minnesota, and it was a privilege to have her in Boston. Her dancing at Saturday night's concert brought me to tears, her style reminding me of Sohair Zaki, her connection to the music during the taqsim, and of course, Leilet Hob played and sung live. I know that was just a string of phrases rather than a sentence. She also taught Raks Sharki, and I just wish we had gotten further with the choreography but I think there were many varied experience levels in the room. Najmat's instruction prepared me well for what we learned. Her saidi class was inspirational, with new moves I hadn't seen before – that I used the next time I did Raks Assaya. I would love to spend another day learning from Cassandra.

Amel Tafsout taught Bedouin dance and led the Sufi spinning section on the final day. She's also a fascinating woman and I enjoyed listening to her stories throughout the weekend.

Karim taught a completely different Debke class than the one I had had before, so I learned more variations on debke steps. It's still a challenge to integrate all those aspects that would come naturally to an Arab person, but I am learning and I find it easier to do debke now when I'm at the Arabic restaurants.

The final hour is difficult to write about. It would be difficult to understand if you had not attended. With Karim drumming, Kay, Amel, and Cassandra led a meditative session with breathing, spinning, and Zaar. The experience left a big emotional impact, and was a powerful way to conclude the weekend.

The whole experience left me renewed in my passion for Arabic dance.

Las Vegas Bellydance Intensive

2008-11-11T08:49:00.001-08:00

It has been almost two months since I returned from the Las Vegas Bellydance Intensive, but I suppose it's not too late for an update – especially for those considering going in 2009! I could write pages and pages, but I will hit the highlights.

The event was extremely well organized. From the very first morning at the Station Landing to the last day, there were Intensive staff available ensuring not only the logistics of getting hundreds of dancers into the right conference rooms for workshops, but also making all of the out-of-towners feel welcome.

Workshops

My highlights were:

A full day of workshops with Ava Fleming – she is a darling, and taught some fun oriental combos.
Karim Nagi's debke workshop – energetic, fun, a great way to start a morning, really explained the principles of debke, the music, the feeling.
Aradia's drum solo workshop – the choreography was creative and her teaching is very clear – I found it very easy to follow
Leyla Amir's Egyptian Entrance choreography – the music was so great that I've started to use it in my own shows, and she had a lot of good info. I just wish there had been more time with her!

The workshops ranged from wonderful to not so wonderful, but I got more than my money's worth for a full weekend. It is exhausting to dance every day for eight hours, plus all the evening activities. I recommend bringing a full bottle of Advil and plenty of Luna bars as the hotel does not have much in the way of healthy food. Take a notebook, sit down, and take notes if your body has exhausted itself.

Evening Activities

The organizers put together two great shows with both the local and the featured dancers (Kami Liddle, Karim Nagi and Ava Fleming). Saturday night's show was my favorite, as it featured a hilarious comedian introducing the acts. Saturday night also had a cocktail party. Friday, it was fun to get all dolled up and take a stretch limousine to the theater. Afterwards, we hopped out and went to a great restaurant, then a lounge and a nightclub all in one big casino – the Bellagio. Saturday night for me was the official after-party at a really cool nightclub, where the local dancers took us out on the town, garnered us some free admission and front of the line status at one of the hottest nightclubs in LV. Somehow, after all that, we managed to get to the tiger habitat on Sunday afternoon. If I went again, I'd definitely stay longer to see more of Vegas itself, as the weekend was jam-packed. There was hardly time to sleep. I should add that the hotel had great hot tubs and much time was spent recovering there, soothing our sore muscles.

Welcomed Back

2008-11-10T18:34:00.001-08:00

I had a pretty special class with Amira Jamal, so I wanted to write about it. It was the sort of night that you dream of having. I have just come back from a few months of hiatus from class. I had been very stressed by my day job and going to a 2 hour evening class where you have to improvise a performance, not just drill movements, was a bit difficult for me. But lately, things have been going better and my schedule has cleared up, so I decided to return. I was in a great relaxed mood when I arrived.

Our drills went by quickly, even though I haven't done them in months – all the movements I used to struggle with actually seemed to come naturally and easily.

So, this semester, we are working on classics of bellydance music. Tonight, Amira Jamal put on a 5 minute version of Masha'al. Now, I've never danced to it before, but I've certainly heard versions of it. We were all improvising as a group and I was just loving every minute of it, although still feeling out the newness of this song to my ears. After our first run-through, she asked me if I would perform alone in front of the class. She said that I had really seemed to grasp the musical phrasing and she wanted the other students to see my interpretation so that they would have an easier time dancing to it. And she said to particularly notice my facial expressions.

So I danced through it, with my arabesques and my reverse circle turns and shimmies over figure 8s and all the things I do in the different parts of the song, just trying to respond to the music, stepping lightly where it seemed light and playful, hip-dropping into the heavy baladi section, emoting through the taxim. I played to each classmate like they were an audience member – and for some reason tonight it was easier. I guess it was because of all those restaurant patrons – you know you occasionally get the ones who don't want to smile at you and you just make 'em smile.

Afterwards, one woman said that watching me, she understood how the music worked. Wow, what a compliment. And to such complex music.

So all those long hours of practicing those really hard choreographies – the ones that started to make me doubt myself and wonder if I was getting any better? It is subtle but effective. I _was_ struggling with Randa's choreography and Hadia's "Layali Zaman", and still do. But with all that struggle, I was able to perform Masha'al and translate the music with my body – which ultimately is the goal of dance.

Right now, I feel pretty good. I know I won't get to be the star every time, but it does feel great when it happens.

The Bellydance Intensive and What’s Next

2008-09-08T18:33:00.001-07:00

I just returned from the Las Vegas Bellydance Intensive. It was wonderful to spend a few days completely immersed in my art form, meeting other people who share my love of Middle Eastern dance, and learning. Also, Vegas is a pretty fun city, as you may have heard. I really enjoyed the full day of workshops with Ava Fleming. My favorite workshops with Vegas locals were Aradia's class on Drum Solos and Leyla Amir's "Staging a Classical Egyptian Performance." Leyla is a gem who knows so much about Egyptian dance, and sadly, she was only given an hour within which to impart that information. Aradia taught an lively drum solo choreography, and I'm impressed with her DVD, which covers details of styles from Lebanese, Turkish to Egyptian. Karim Nagi, a fellow Bostonian, was another headliner (along with Ava and Kami Liddle) and his Debke class probably put me in the best mood while wearing me out the most. I couldn't wait to get back to the Middle East restaurant to join the debke line with the new steps I've learned.

It was expensive, however, especially when I ended up with a new costume. So I have decided not to travel to Montreal this year for Ahlan Cairo Nights. I can only hope that Randa and Lucy return someday to this continent for workshops.

Instead, I will be attending a local weekend, the Arab Dance Seminar. It's a combination of Arabic language, culture, music and dance classes, lectures and performances. Considering that there are three days of information, the cost is low – and of course I will be able to come home and sleep in my own bed at night.

Overall, I have come back from four wonderful days realizing that I love this dance so much, and I am so lucky to have found it and to have it in my life.

Wash Ya Wash Vol. 7

2008-08-28T10:47:00.001-07:00

Yousry Sharif has released another compilation of music composed for Raks Sharki. Lovers of the series will not be disappointed. For me, it usually takes me a few listens to become enamored of a song – and it was on my third listen-through that I really started to hear this new music. I thought I would make a post about the compositions on this album. I wish I knew more about music so that I could be more specific and I welcome contributions and discussion on the music for others that have listened to it.

Layalina Raks Sharqi & Finale Layalina Raks Sharqi

If the name sounds familiar, it should be. Yousry Sharif released Layalina as an instrument composition on a previous Wash Ya Wash release. This one is different because it has vocals, a lovely female singer. The chorus sounds lighthearted and playful, adding interest to what might be a monotonous introduction. The first two and a half minutes are the same upbeat pop sound. The three-minute mark does begin a slower section, followed by a juicier musical interlude. Many of the sections are repeated frequently. At five minutes, a chiftetelli clocks in with a nay and then accordion taqsim. It is long enough to fit in some floor work if you were so inclined. Then, it returns to an electrified repetition of the introduction. Some people might feel that a song that clocks in at 7:49 needs to cover a lot more ground. For those of us who have short sets, we might prefer a version with half as many repetitions of the sections.

Tango Arabeka

As you might expect, there is a bit of a tango feel in this song. I don't know much about tango, but I imagine you could do some actual tango to the steady beat, with some Arabic stylings to the melody overlying it. This is a relatively short song, under 4 minutes, that could be good for a Argentinian-Arabic fusion piece.

En Continuasse

Dum, teka tek teka teka teka tek – I believe this is called the Waheda rhythm. This song starts out slow with that rhythm with some female vocals singing "oohhhhh". Then it gets a bit more up-tempo, following the same melody. A little baladi sound enters at the 1 minute mark, with interesting drums. It's not exactly a baladi progression, but it has that feeling with the instrumentation and the accompanying drums. This transforms into a very up-tempo repeat of the original melody with a lot of musical ornamentation. A woman sings a vocal chorus in the following section, which is repeated for the meat of the song, before returning to the original slow and wave-like melody that began the composition.

Alf Layla wa Layla

This is not the Alf Layla Wa Layla you might be expecting. I'm not sure if it comes from a different part of the same Oum Kolthoum masterpiece, but it bears no relation to the song that most bellydancers are familiar with. It's extremely orchestral, with some Western orchestral instruments to be heard. It is definitely a grand piece of music, and quite beautiful. I'm not sure if I would be driven to dance to it, or just listen to it. It is full of drama.

Haneen Raks & Haneen Raks Finale

I have most definitely fallen in love with this song. It has a big orchestral prelude before a slow and melancholy waltz-like section, and then finally kicking into the malfouf after the one minute mark. The songs contains so many different sounds, from baladi, to saidi mizmars and rhythms, to chiftellis with taqsim. The accordion baladi taqsim begins at 3:20. This song would really give a dancer the chance to show off all of her skills and folkloric knowledge. Everything mentioned came in small bits but it is there.

Wadah Howak

This composition sounds like a modern balady, with singing that reminded me of Adawaya.

Shagalounee

This is definitely a fun song. It seems to have a bit of the Spanish-Arabic fusion thing going on, stronger than Tango Arabeka. Heck, it starts out with flamenco castanets, stomping and callouts of Ole and Arriba. It also has a strong Arabic foundation in the melody that begins around one-minute. Then there is a section starting at 1:45 that sounds like a celebration or a carnival, very much arms around each other swaying back and forth.

Ya Nessene

This composition begins with the sound of a lone violin, soon joined by other instruments. It reminded me very strongly of Western classical music. The song wanders in and out of this slow tempo, into an only slightly more uptempo melody. What it conjured in my mind was one of those classic Disney movie scenes where the heroine is waltzing along pretending that she is with her prince. It does speed up towards the end. There is potential in this song to create an internal storyline to enhance one's performance. The section that begins at 4:04 seems to have a fiddle rather than a violin. It's definitely very Western influenced, and classical for that.

Diva Pageant details

2008-08-24T13:01:00.001-07:00

I suppose I have not written much in here lately. Rest assured, I will have much to write about soon. Next weekend is the Diva Pageant, where I am entering as a soloist, and with my duet partner, Lilya. In two weeks, I will taking my zills and veil to Las Vegas for the Vegas Bellydance Intensive, a weekend-long event of workshops and shows.

People have asked me about the Diva Pageant, so I will decipher Za-Beth's flyer and post the relevant information here.

Diva Pageant with 3 categories of contestants – The Grande Dame (soloist), Troupe Choreography, and Fusion

Show Time 5:30 PM
Courtyard by Marriot, 700 Unicorn Park Drive
Woburn MA 01801
Pageant Tickets: $20

Don't quote me, but Suhaila Salimpour may be performing as well, and rumor has it that Issam Housham is teaching workshops – I wouldn't be surprised to see him on the stage. We'll see.

Men in Middle Eastern Dance

2008-07-03T08:34:00.001-07:00

Have I mentioned how much I enjoyed the workshop I took with Tarik Sultan? A New York dancer, well-known as the protégé of Morocco but an artist in his own right, Tarik taught a choreography to Saad's "Il Abd Lilah" in the Sha'abi style of Cairo. He sold a CD of hard-to-find Sha'abi music, which I have been enjoying immensely. In fact, I was just listening to it on my Ipod. One song is called "Weeka", but to me it always sounds as if they are singing "Weekend!", which is what I'm looking forward to right now!

After that workshop, I looked Tarik up on Youtube and discovered that there are several men working in Middle Eastern dance. Not nearly as many as the women, but there are quite a few. I have had male friends ask me about whether men can belly dance and whether men DO belly dance, so I've created this Youtube playlist to demonstrate that not only do men dance, but they choose to do so in a variety of ways. It must be a challenge for them: finding costumes, finding a teacher when so many belly dancer teachers only teach for women, learning how to adapt the movements into a style that fits their body, and of course, crossing gender boundaries when most people in the Middle East and America think that belly dance is for women, at least in the public performance arena. Folkloric dances on the other hand often involve men. For example, Raks Assaya is derived for a male dance/martial art called Tahtib. Some male dancers seem to stay in the realm of folklore, or become choreographers and teachers, but do not perform Raks Sharki (the traditional bellydance solo performance). I recently took an assaya (cane) workshop with Mohammed Shahin, a former member of the Reda folkloric troupe in Egypt. I haven't found any Youtube performances of his that aren't folkloric. Besides Assaya, I have also seen him perform the sailor role in a melaya leff tableau, and he is also famous for his tanoura (skirt-spinning ala Sufis). I have also taken a workshop with Jim Boz, an American dancer who definitely performs both raks sharki and fusion bellydance. He is a LOT of fun. This playlist includes all the dancers I've mentioned and more.

When I was in Egypt, I was talking to a jeweler there about dance and dancers, and he asked me if I knew about Tito. Well, of course I know about Tito! He's absolutely amazing. This man agreed, and said that in fact he would rather watch Tito dance than a woman. He said to me, Tito is better than any female dancer in this country. Of course, while Tito defies gender stereotypes by dancing professionally, he doesn't defy the societal rules for men. Men are permitted to be in public life. It's not shameful to watch another man dance, and your wife isn't going to be upset about it. Or so I would suppose – I am not a sociologist, but I know enough to know that I can't make statements like this. However, I've read a lot of articles about men and Middle Eastern dance, and my conversation with the Egyptian jeweler seem to dovetail nicely with the sentiments in those articles.

Happy Birthday

2008-06-18T18:15:00.000-07:00

No, it's not my birthday - I'm a December baby. I'm talking about the song "Happy Birthday". As bellydancers are frequently hired for birthday parties, it's useful to know where you can find a copy of the Birthday song, one with a bellydance flavor.

In my research, I have discovered the following bellydance birthday songs:

On an unknown Jehan album, there is a routine that starts with the Happy Birthday song.
On a children's album by Madonna (the Arabic Madonna), there is a version.
Walid Toufic's Greatest Hits album has Happy Birthday in English, Arabic, and French!
The album "Bellydance Party" by Isis and the Star Dancers has a short and sweet version of Happy Birthday.

If all else fails, this youtube video has a very silly, possibly Turkish, Happy Birthday.

What Nepenthe is listening to, right now

2008-05-04T12:04:00.001-07:00

Because I listen to Middle Eastern music all the time, I thought that I could have a recurring topic on this blog – what I am listening to right now. I go in phases, listening only to Egyptian baladi progressions for a few weeks, then drum solos, then maybe I'm listening to just Shaabi. Right now, I have discovered a new secret treasure cave within my IPOD, full of music that I had downloaded, but not really listened to yet.

I am seriously digging Dr. Samy Farag. I had just downloaded a few songs from Emusic after seeing Virginia dance to Gawaher on video. Most of his songs start out really exciting, and they all have a lot of changes. I really like the full routine Gawaher because it starts out with a really fantastic entrance, and then moves into a short baladi progression, and a drum solo. It has it all, but at 15 minutes, I probably can't use it in any of my shows. So the song I currently adore and will use in my next set is Rakasni Ya Habibi. I love that it's got the fast exciting entrance, slow juicy parts, and even a fun section with singing.

I thought he was Lebanese because the first song I heard of his, Moghram Ya Leil, was labeled as "Modern Lebanese". And another song he does is "Set El Hosen", which I thought was a Lebanese classic. However, I just now learned (thanks to the Internet), that he's an Egyptian living in Hollywood, CA. But it just doesn't sound like classical or even modern Egyptian to me. His music has a lot of the same elements that I like in Mohammed Ali compositions or the Wash Ya Wash albums, by which I mean the complexities and changes and variety. But it's also very different from those things, to my ear. It has more of a Vegas Showgirl sound to it. I just asked about this on an online bellydance forum so I'll update this post when I get the answer.

A lot of his albums are available on Emusic, and on Itunes. The songs I have been listening to have been from: Dunia El Raks (Set El Hosen, Towam Rouhi, Moghram Ya Leil), Midnight Magic (Gawaher), and Masters of Bellydance Music (Rakasni Ya Habibi).

whee!

2008-05-03T21:47:00.001-07:00

I had a wonderful night performing at the Red Fez. I did two sets with the live band. The usual band (the Arabian Nightingales) had another arrangement, but the sub band was great too! I recognized the drummer from shows at the Middle East, so we had a rapport. Because of the dance space, we had more room to interact than we did at the Middle East and I really enjoyed it. One time, we actually level-changed down to the floor and it was like a competition to see who could stay down longer! I gave up - my knees aren't that good. I ended up playing my finger cymbals through my entire second set. I guess I can be comfortable with my finger cymbals, when the music is so good that it transports you into another place and your fingers with you! At any rate, I really enjoyed the band and had a wonderful time dancing and interacting with all the patrons of the restaurant. I really understand what people mean when they say there is something special about live music, something you can't capture with a CD. I do love dancing to a Cd, especially since most bands don't play some of my favorite songs, but there was a true connection tonight, and an energy that suffused the room from the live music.

At any rate, I can definitely recommend the Red Fez for its food, atmosphere, drinks, service. If that place is always as good as it was tonight, it well deserves more of my business. Don't even get me started on the grapeleaves - best I've ever had!

Music, Improvisation, and Choreography

2008-04-18T07:28:00.001-07:00

I had the opportunity to spend time in a near-two hour interview with a ethnomusicology student, interviewing bellydancers about their relationship with the music. It was great! I really enjoyed being able to articulate my thoughts. I really feel strongly about the importance of Arabic (or Turkish) music to this dance form. I have danced to other genres of music, but as I become more experienced, it is harder and harder to do so. Music from that region of the world just tells you how to dance. Western dance music makes you want to get up and shake your booty; Arabic music actually informs the type of booty-shaking you will do. I was explaining in the interview, there are many elements in the music that help a dancer improvise. The instrument can tell you how to dance, the shimmer of a qanoun echoed in a shimmer of the hips. The rhythm can tell you what to do, directly when a drum roll is a shimmy, or inspired by the folk style where the rhythm originates, as in saidi, khaleegy, or haggalah. The genre of music, from orchestrated classical Egyptian to baladi to sha'abi, can tell you what your style and general demeanor should be. One of the things I love about Arabic music is the frequent changes, so that I never get bored of listening and responding to the music.

I am an improvisational dancer, although I will spot-choreograph an entrance. I "choreograph" by repeatedly improvising to the music until certain combinations crystallize, particularly if there are dramatic accents.

Yet, I take a lot of choreography-based workshops. Choreography workshops focus on learning a choreographed dance to specific music, rather than learning technique or styles. Why would an improvisational dancer take so many choreography workshops? I know some people who hate choreography and avoid choreography-based workshops. I just see it in a different way. I am not learning the choreography so that I can perform it on my own. Even if I could replicate what I learned in my own performance, it wouldn't be "me". Instead, I am learning, through the choreography, how someone puts a dance together, what movements they choose to put to what music, and occasionally new moves and combinations. I can remember the exact workshops where I learned certain moves, such as traveling with an undulation while raising the arms slowly above the head. I learned that from Amar Gamal. From Yasmina Ramzy, I learned a sassy grande hip circle, accented by little bumps on each of the 4 corners. From Yasmina Ramzy, I also learned to snap my fingers Arabic-style!

I really enjoyed the workshop I took from Katia this weekend, on Nagua Fouad inspired choreography. I learned so much about Nagua Fouad. Although I have been studying her videos, it was not until Katia pulled out her specialties (beautiful arms & hands, for example), that I realized I had noticed the same things in my video studies. I also learned the right way to do a hip drop-kick with coordinating arms, apparently a move that Nagua was known for. The music was beautiful and elegant and it was a pleasure to be studying the classical roots of our dance. Often people try to keep it interesting with workshops on folkloric styles, pop music, or some kind of fusion. To be dancing pure Raqs Sharqi style was a delight!

Easter Show, Underbelly, Upcoming Schedule

2008-03-24T14:21:00.000-07:00

Easter at the Middle East was a blast! All of the regulars were there, and the Egyptians were back! Usually they show up after the dancers, but this time they reserved a table and were there all night. One of the guys jumped up and did my entire drum solo with me. I bet he would like to be a belly dancer himself! Jemileh, Susi and Alicia were also on the schedule, and we got a table together after our sets. Social dancing was fun last night too. I danced to Bel Arabi with a guy who must be learning his dance moves from Saad El Soghayer himself. He really had it down! I am starting to get over my shyness. I started dancing there a little over a year ago, and I could hardly look the audience in the eye when I performed. Last night was probably the most audience participation of my life, not even counting drum solo guy. I just love the holidays there.

I caught the Boston premiere of Underbelly, a documentary about punk rocker, burlesque performer and bellydancer Princess Farhana. The movie was entertaining and touching on many levels. There is a bit of crassness though, so sadly I don't think it's a suitable movie for kids. Every belly dancer should see this movie because so many things are echoed in each of our lives.

In other news, I should announce that I will be off on a business trip until April 9th. When I get back, I have a very busy schedule if you check out my Performances page. I am performing in one of Johara's pieces for her newest show, Emergence. Then, I'm performing in Amira Jamal's student recital, both as a soloist and a duet with my friend Lilya. I'll also be at the Morocco workshop/birthday show. Then of course, I have my regular dates at the Middle East, and my newest venue - the Red Fez. It will be a very busy spring! I love dancing though so I am looking forward to it. Life is short, so we should spend it doing what we love!

Good Press

2008-03-18T11:56:00.000-07:00

The latest NBDA event - the People's Choice Awards 2008 - were written up in the Boston Globe. The writer did a really good job of representing our dance form, in all its variety! I know he interviewed a lot of dancers, but he chose his quotes and story structure to create a very cohesive article about belly dance. I've been interviewed for the press before and it doesn't always come out this well!

Be It Styles or Backgrounds, bellydancers like to shake it up
http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2008/03/16/great_shakes

old times and new times

2008-03-18T11:36:00.000-07:00

I love love love this article on the Gilded Serpent.

Nina writes about the old cabaret clubs of eighth avenue New York and talks about how things have changed:
http://www.gildedserpent.com/art43/ninacab2dj.htm

This article made me a bit wistful. I can't imagine what it was like, and yet I have heard so many stories from my teacher, Amira Jamal. She was a dancer in the New York clubs in the seventies, and she has mentioned these musicians, even dancing alongside Ozel Turkbas. Back then, she tells us - the dancer's set could last over an hour. I can always imagine her as a young woman in a blue velvet bedlah, doing sultry floorwork to a slow chiftetelli or taxim in a smoky club, one hand undulating out towards the audience to the tune of a mournful clarinet. I am happy to be alive now, but I would love to time-travel back to these eighth-avenue clubs!

As the author laments the end of these clubs, I do feel lucky in Boston. Not only do we have several clubs (the Athenian Corner, the Middle East) where you could hear live musicians accompanied by dancers; but we also have some new Lebanese supper clubs where live bands play for some of our city's best dancers (like my other teacher, Najmat). On top of that, we have the dancer's community, the haflis and dancer's events. There seems to be an opportunity for anyone to perform in some way or another. I think we are also lucky here to have preserved that old Turkish, Armenian and Greek music - thanks to our musicians (like Michael Gregian, who co-taught a workshop last night on live taxim).

However, lately at haflis around here, and at national events like Rakkasah, I have noticed there is a trend towards non-traditional. It seems fewer and fewer dancers are interested in using Arabic music. Even the Arabic pop is giving way to American hip hop. I can appreciate the tribal-fusion stylings, and there was a time when I saw so much novelty that I preferred them to the traditionalists. But it seems like we're losing decades of knowledge. Although I meet many dancers online who care about Middle Eastern music and dance styles, I see in our events many new dancers who do not seem to know or care to learn about these things. They would rather do something cool, hip, new and ultimately American. I discovered this dance on a trip to Istanbul, and I feel even more strongly about representing the culture after my recent trip to Egypt. I know I will always have an American accent on this dance, but I also feel like it's my responsibility to learn as much as I can about middle eastern culture, and stay respectful to the grandmothers of this dance form.

Because of my teachers, I have been exposed to the traditional styles of dance and music. Thanks to Amira Jamal, I have learned about the early traditions of American Cabaret, that smoky nightclub dancing in the article. Katia has taught me about folkloric dance, and the importance of respecting it. Najmat spends as much time as she can listening to live Arabic music, and has created her own dance style by watching how Arabs dance - and she brings that to class. Then there is my dear friend Badriya, who is equally if not more obsessed with learning authentic middle eastern dance, and the great discussions we have. I count myself lucky because of these people, and even though I am young in this dance scene, I do feel strongly about tradition and keeping this beautiful Middle Eastern/Mediterranean dance form alive. This post is something of an homage to them, as well as to the author of that interesting Gilded Serpent article.

2008-03-07T17:41:00.000-08:00

On online communities, belly-dancers buy and sell costumes in a flurry of mad commerce, regardless of the state of the economy. Dancers with regular gigs must change up their costumes frequently, and there are always times when you made an expensive mistake, buying something that doesn't fit or suit. Unlike retail fashion, the wonderful thing is that we can resell. And probably only other belly-dancers keep track of the famous labels, popular designs, and latest styles!

When I bought my first Pharaonics costume from Audrena, she advised me that they have great resale value. It didn't seem important to me at the time, but it was definitely an experience to see how quickly it sold, compared to other items I've tried to pass on! Pharaonics are known for being well-made and holding together, and I've found that to be true. There is a bit of a thrill in knowing you had a really great costume. But there is also a bit of nostalgia, wondering how it might have been if you had gotten it to work for you. In this case, it was simply too long and after owning it for six months, I had only worn it once. In the same time, I had worn my silver great loop dozens of times.

So here is one last picture to remember it by - my apple green Spiraling Jewels....

NBDA People's Choice 2008

2008-03-03T02:26:00.001-08:00

The NBDA "People's Choice" awards was very successful, raising over $2,000 for the Transition House Boston. I thoroughly enjoyed the event, and even won "Best Costume" for my new pink Pharaonics 1001 Nights. My prize was two tickets to Layaleena, and I'm excited to go see some top-notch Boston bellydancers.

I was interviewed for the Boston Globe, and I may be in next Sunday's issue. I never trust newspapers, because you never know what exactly will be quoted. I talked to him right after my performance, and all I remember saying is "You can't be just a dancer, you also have to be a star!" Star is my keyword lately for being an entertainer. And it's true - it's the whole package. Not only do you have to be a great dancer, but you have to project your energy and engage your audience. Having an inspiring appearance doesn't hurt either. At the same time, Fifi Abdo can wear a simple white galabeya and bring an audience to its knees. But I'm not Fifi Abdo, so I put 110% into my costume and makeup. Some of the fun in performing is getting to wear more glitter and sequins than you could ever get away with in "real life".

What I learned in Egypt about bellydancing

2008-02-24T03:37:00.000-08:00

The tour leader from the German tour group that we shared our Nile Cruise boat told me the things he felt all belly dancers must have, if I understood him correctly:

you must be beautiful
you must have long hair (he pointed at my long hair and showed how it should be much longer)
you should wear a little curl near your face
You must have red lipstick
You must wear glittery body lotion
You must have soft-looking feet
You must have no body hair, not even on the arms

Cairo's dancers must work very hard to maintain their beauty. It is very dry in Egypt and ones hair and skin quickly shows the effects. Not only that, but it seems that the beauty standards in Egypt are much higher than in America.

I also learned that all Egyptians love Fifi Abdo and Sohair Zaki, but not a single one likes Dina. One or two admitted she was a good dancer, but a few said "But she doesn't do belly dance!" (i.e. Raks Sharqi, but they call it belly dance when talking in English). One person said she was ugly. Another person told me that she was a very bad influence on Egyptian society. If all these people don't like Dina, then who is paying $300 to see her performances? I still like Dina, but I learned to say that my favorite dancer was Sohair Zaki.

Other Egyptians I spoke to about dancing expressed how important it was to express the music. "To be the eye of the music", was how one person put it. I completely agree with this statement.

I did end up performing in Egypt, on our Nile cruise ship. We had been stranded at the Esna Lock for over 24 hours, and cheer was much needed for both the crew and the tourists. Luckily I had my costume that I had purchased in Cairo, and I was able to glam up a bit. I had packed (just in case) a set list from one of my restaurant performances. It was a wonderful venue - with everyone seated around the room on couches with tea, and a big dance floor with lights in the middle for me to dance in. I really enjoyed myself and could see that other people were enjoying themselves too. After I got changed into my regular clothes, I came upstairs again and they were playing Shik Shak Shok, followed by Habibi Ya Eini, and Sohair Zaki Fi Baladi, so I danced some more.

I know I still have a lot to learn and I won't let this go to my head, but many Egyptians came up to me and told me that they loved my dancing and that I am a very good dancer. Some were telling me that I should move there and start dancing on the different cruise boats in Luxor. However, it was funny that they seem to have a hard time believing that I learned how to dance in America, and from non-Egyptian teachers. They would always ask me how I learned it, and I would explain about taking classes on Mondays and Tuesdays and practicing every day.

Leaving for Egypt Tomorrow!

2008-02-11T07:57:00.000-08:00

I can hardly believe I'm leaving for Egypt tomorrow! To be in the land of my dance, to breathe in that dusty air of the pyramids, to see shisha smoked in coffee shops. If I thought I learned a lot from spending a weekend with an Egyptian bellydancer (the Dina workshop), I am sure that Egypt will teach me so much more. I will be back on February 23rd, and will be sure to post pictures.

I have been practicing Egyptian Arabic in the car, using the Pimsleur method. I have to say it has been far more effective for conversational Arabic than the class I took at the CCAE. However, I'm glad I took the class at the CCAE just to learn the alphabet. Since I've started to study Arabic, I hear more and more snippets of it in songs. It is great to finally get an idea of the lyrics.

Last night's show at the Middle East was great, despite the small crowd due to the weather. I set up 4 more dates for the next two months - March 9, March 19th, March 23rd, and April 20th. March 19th is a Wednesday and I look forward to dancing with a live band again.