Katia's 9th Annual Retreat 2011

Oh my goodness!  I'm so behind!!

Back in July, Katia of Boston hosted her 9th Annual Dance Retreat in Lakeville, MA.  This was my first time attending, though I had wanted to go in 2010.

It was a jam-packed weekend!  From Thursday to Sunday, we were dancing and learning and having a grand old time.  Over the course of 4 days, Katia taught 3 choreographies, and there was a show or gathering on every night.

Khaleegy Dance
Since I had a chance to learn some of Khaleegy through Meiver, I had already had a love for this style.  We got to learn a really fun choreography that had a couple of moves I was familiar with and some more that I was learning for the first time.

The interesting thing about khaleegy choreography is that you really have to pay attention to counting, especially if you can't hear the slightest changes in the music.  I found that I really had to keep counting the measures just to make sure I stayed on track.

But overall, it was a really fun choreography to do with a whole lot of us.

Moroccan Dance
Katia had taken a trip to Morocco earlier in the year, and we had the privileged of seeing some of her pictures and souvenirs as well as hearing about her experiences.  She even had a couple of folks model the variety of dress and style.

In the Moroccan Dance workshop, she explained the emphasis on hip movements and compared some of the movement vocabulary with ones we were already familiar with in raqs sharqi.  The emphasis in the music was also somewhat different from what we're used to.  It was interesting to see the different way of calling attention to the hips.

Classic Dance
The Classic Oriental Dance was one we worked on the most.  This dance involved a sheer chiffon fabric which we cut a large slit into and used as an entrance veil.  Having a sheer entrance veil was definitely something I had never thought of using before.  But it makes sense to dance during a long introduction, and to fill it with a little bit of drama and stage presence.

During this dance, I took it as an opportunity to practice working on my spotting during turns, as well as cleaning up my arms.  Katia talks a lot about character and carriage, both things that I need to work on.  The music she chose for this choreography really lent itself to creating a queenly persona, which seemed appropriate for working on carriage.

Friday Retrospective Show
This show featured some amazing performances from the Retreat participants, some of which were Katia's choreographies from past Retreats.  One in particular was dance 3 different times by 4 different dancers (one was a duet).  It was amazing to see the same song and dance performed in 3 different ways (to a 9 minute song, I believe).  It truly felt like a different dance every time.  The same 3 dances danced in different ways was a perfect example of exhibiting one's own character.

Saturday Show with Live Band
I had the pleasure of dancing during this show with some of the best musicians in New England.  Tony Chamoun, his father George Chamoun, and several other musicians came together to play some amazing music for the Retreat.  As we were preparing, I could tell that the other ladies were extremely excited to have those musicians play at the Retreat.  They talked about how nice they all were, and how they know how to play for dancers.

Compared to some other musicians and bands I've seen, I can honestly say that I agree.  From set up to the final notes of your performance, the band is not only considerate of the space of the dancer but also the dancer's needs.

I decided to go for a Classic Oriental piece with Akdib Aleik.  I was definitely extremely nervous about performing for my peers to live music.

It's always funny what runs through your head during a performance.  I was trying to remember all the things that Katia had taught us thus far, while also trying to sing the music in my head as a way to know when breaks might occur, while also trying to keep connected to the musicians.  I know I wasn't as good at everything as I could have been, but I did have a lot of fun dancing for everyone.

blurry but pretty picture taken by Nina

I felt honored to have spent the weekend with such an already tight knit group.  It was definitely a wonderful example of the kind of family feeling one can have in the dance community.  These ladies were true sisters, and they continue to welcome new members.

I am definitely planning to attend Katia's 10th and Final Dance Retreat in 2012.  In fact, I can hardly wait.

Amira Jamal's Student Recital 2011

I can't believe I didn't write about this already!  It's been quite a busy summer, indeed.

On May 7, 2011, Amira Jamal held her annual Student Recital at the Performing Arts Center of Metrowest.  Though her student recitals used to take up several hours, there were less performances this year so the entire recital was only about an hour.

From her advanced class in Boston, there were only 2 of us who were available to perform.  Amira has so many amazing students, and it's always been a blessing to be counted in that group.

Now that I recognize and know so many of the other dancers from other workshops and events, it's been great to see so many of them break out into solo performances.  Like me, I'm sure that they view Amira's student recitals as a wonderful place to try new things, even if that new thing is performing something on their own.

At this year's recital, I decided on dancing to "El Layali" by Nawal al Zoghbi, a more poppy tune.  Here's the music video for it.  So 90's!




It's a pretty fun song, and I chose to use the veil throughout the performance, making it more of an American Cabaret performance.  I thoroughly enjoyed this years recital, and I felt a lot more relaxed than I usually do about performances.  I hope that means that I'm also improving and growing in my dance.

2011 Goals - Mid-Year Review

Well, the 6th month of the year is upon us.   It's time to take a look at how I'm doing at my goals thus far.


Let's start from the beginning, shall we?


1.  Be better about practicing at home or outside of class.
Hmm...well, I've definitely done a little bit of practicing, but not nearly enough.  With taking on bootcamp on days when I also have dance class, it's definitely not easy to motivate to practice outside of those times.  However, I did win a bunch of DVD's in a raffle, so that is some extra motivation.

2.  Save enough money to attend all the workshops I want to attend this year.
Alright, well, I've definitely failed at this one, though for the most part it was out of my hands.  I did get a chance to go to Shimmies though I worked as  the stage manager for the show, and Faten Salema in April which was a great deal.  Mohammed Shahin's workshop was cancelled due to insufficient venue space.
Katia has a workshop in June, which I'm still a bit hesitant about because of my lack of funds.  But I know I will have enough for Katia's Retreat in July.  MassRaqs is in September, but I don't know if I'll be taking the workshops since I'll be working the event.   Since I do finally have some job opportunities, I'm hoping that I will have enough for Katia's workshop and Retreat.  But I also hope to continue with Najmat, and I plan on continuing with Amar Gamal.

3.  Technique:  Work on my spins and my shimmies.
Luckily, we have some spins in Amar Gamal's choreography, so I get to work on my spotting there.  It's tough to do it in my apartment with the kitties running around.  But I'm still working on it!
As far as my shimmies, I feel like they come and go.  I need to work on all my shimmies, from the earthier ones to the vibration.  I usually do a bit of shimmy practice before bootcamp as a way to warm up while no one is there yet.  I might also check out some more DVD's on shimmies, especially Amar Gamal's shimmy DVD.

4.  Props:  Work on fan veil and Isis wings.
I got me a pair of Isis wings! Yay!  But I just gotta practice with them.  Again, this is really dependent on me taking time to actually get out there and practice.

5.  Buy a new costume before the year is over, and take 2 dresses to Shadia to turn into dance costumes.
I'm hoping that the second half of the year will prove to be much more fruitful in terms of my cash, so that I can at least give 1 dress to Shadia.  But otherwise, this one is on hold until the finances are in better shape.


I've definitely slacked a bit on these goals.  But, it's good to get some perspective while checking in about these goals.  Now, it's time to refocus and get on it.

Faten Salama's Al-Massraweya Workshop

On Saturday, April 30th, I went with a friend to a workshop hosted by Za-Beth that featured Faten Salama, a wonderful Native Egyptian Master Instructor.

Faten presented her Al-Massraweya Workshop, which not only featured the basics of certain styles but also a historical background to the dances.  I felt like the workshop moved so quickly, and we really could have spent much more time on each of the topics she taught.

We started with Nubian, which is from the southern part of Egypt and Sudan.  She stressed the importance of knowing the history of the dance, especially since Egypt and Sudan were basically the same country hundreds of years ago.  This dance style was quite earthy and is similar to Khaleegy, but it seems more appropriate to perform it with a group since it is folkloric.

We then did a little bit of cane in a more Ghawazee style.  It's actually quite interesting to me that this style has come up for me quite a bit in the past couple of months.  In one of Amira Jamal's classes we focused on cane, Amina Goodyear's class focused on cane, and now Faten taught us more of the basic Awalim style of using the cane.  While most people think about doing tricks with the cane, it's really about mimicking the male posture and pride.  Whereas, with the Saidi style of using the cane is a lot more playful.

After a bit of a lunch break, we returned to learn more about Melaya Leff.  I had realized that I totally had a more appropriate veil, but I just didn't pack it!  Still, practicing some of the moves she taught us with a silk veil helped, though the feel of it would be completely different with a heavier Melaya.  It was fun trying to wrap ourselves in the Melaya and then twirling it in our hands.  Melaya is such a playful dance!  I could definitely learn more about it.

Throughout the workshop, Faten would play various styles of music including pop music and would dance to them while we followed her.  It was an absolute pleasure watching her dance, and I could feel myself feeling absolutely joyful as we danced along with her.  I realized that we probably should have stayed for the show just to watch her dance, but the night ended up going in a completely different direction.

I really feel like each section of the workshop could have lasted much longer.  It was unfortunate that the day went by as quickly as it did.  Also, the space was a bit too small for the large amount of workshop participants.  We had to be careful with our canes and our Melayas, just to make sure we didn't smack someone in the face.  Hopefully, she will come around again and will have an even bigger space.

I'm definitely inspired to learn more about the styles she introduced to us.  And clearly, I need to think about using the cane a lot more, since that's what the belly dance universe seems to be trying to tell me.

Faten Salama Workshop and Participants
 It's a bit blurry..but there were a lot of pictures being taken,
and I didn't want to force it.

Dancing With The Georges Lammam Band at Peña Pachamama

As I was planning to drop in on Amina Goodyear's Thursday night class, she invited me to a Friday night "open mic" to dance with the Georges Lammam Band at Peña Pachamama, a South American restaurant.

Georges Lammam is an extremely talented violinist and singer.  I mean, absolutely amazing.  I would definitely recommend going straight to You Tube to hear some of his music.

What's funny is that while I knew I recognized his name, I didn't realize why or from where I knew him.  But I'm so glad that I didn't realize it until later, because I'm sure that I would have been way too nervous to have actually said yes to this opportunity!

So, on Friday, April 22nd, I went to dinner at Peña Pachamama with two dear friends who had never seen me dance before.  I tried to stay calm, but I could feel the anxiety building.

There were 5 of us dancing that night, and we each had 2 songs to dance to.  I asked to dance to Aziza and Betwanes Beek.  I went second.

When Georges introduced me, he mentioned that I was a guest from Boston, and truth be told, it made me feel super special.  I'm definitely proud that I've had the training and inspiration of the dancers in Boston.

One of my friends tried to take a video, but he was promptly told that videos weren't allowed.  So, I took some screen shots from the video instead of posting the video here.  Not the best quality, but it's something.

I am really very proud of myself for going for it!  When Amira first asked me, I asked one of my fellow belly dance friends what she thought.  Of course she said, "Of course you should do it!"  So, I knew that if I asked anyone else, they would say exactly the same thing.

I kind of thought that perhaps it's a too-good-to-be-true type thing, so perhaps it just wasn't going to happen.  But it happened; my first time really participating in an open-mic event without relying on the safety of my teachers.

I'm really very proud.

Dropping In: Amina Goodyear of San Francisco

Since I was planning on being in San Francisco for 4 days, I figured that I should look for a teacher who might have a class I could take.  I found out through Shira.net about several teachers who seemed to be a good fit, but I decided that I would check out Amina's Performance class.

Amira Jamal's classes have had a focus on performance, so I knew that I could feel comfortable if we had to dance solo.

Since I was still learning my way around San Francisco via Muni, I made sure to plot out my trip to make sure I could get there early enough to introduce myself.  When the bus dropped me off, I couldn't believe how steep the hill was!  I'm not really sure why Google Maps insisted that I got off at that particular stop when there was a stop closer to the bottom of the hill and not too far from where the location was.  But the view was spectacular!

So steep! Cars have to park at a 90 degree angle!

Amina's class is in the basement studio of her house, which was really neat!  Considering how much studio rentals can cost, this was a great space to have.

There were about 5 of us in total, and it seemed like they had all been taking Amina's classes for a while.  I'm so used to the teacher leading the stretching, but Amina and her students seemed to be stretching mainly on their own depending on what their body needed at the time.

Amina then lead us through several run-throughs of several songs.  We would mimic her dancing and try to keep up.  She would redirect us when we weren't doing specific movements correctly, but for the most part we just followed along with her dancing.

I realized that this was somewhat of a middle road between my two main teachers in Boston.  Amira Jamal has us work on movements based on a warm-up drill, but we also do a lot of free dance, which has helped me hone in my improvisational technique.  Najmat goes through several short combinations which we would drill, and she would help us hone in on the specific muscle movements and steps.

Amina was right in the middle.  She was having us follow her movements, but they weren't necessarily choreographed.  It was quite a different experience, but I enjoyed the challenge.

She then showed us a video of ghawazee dancers with canes, pointing out that while they were dancing together they weren't necessarily doing the same exact movements.  A second video showed us two male dancers using larger canes in a tahtib, which is mainly danced by men and simulates martial arts.  The raqs al assaya would be the dance that is mainly done in a dance set.

We were then instructed to each dance with a cane, but not to do any of the tricks associated with it, such as spinning or twirling the cane.  After each person danced, we were giving a critique.  After all 5 of us danced, we danced a second time as a chance to improve based on the critique.

It made for a much longer lesson than I anticipated.  Nonetheless, it was quite a valuable time!

Amina pointed out that I have the tendency to not make enough eye contact with the audience - which is definitely true!  In an effort to connect with everyone, I quickly run through each person as fast as I can.  Instead, I need to learn to linger a bit longer to make the person feel like I'm dancing just for them.  My boyfriend would love for me to look at him a bit longer, so I've heard this critique before.

She also said that I have the tendency to move too quickly.  I need to feel the beat more than be 100% on the beat, if that makes any sense.  I do end up scribbling a bit, especially if I feel nervous or unsure about what's coming next in the music.  But I know I need to slow down a bit in my movements, add some more gooeyness in it (as Najmat would say).

Overall, it was a great lesson.  I enjoyed meeting all these Bay Area dancers and seeing the talent the West Coast has.  Though her style was different from what I expected, Amina has a lot of experience and expertise in the dance.  It was definitely a pleasure to take a lesson with her.

"From Tassels to Sequins" - Review for Belly Dance New England

For the complete article with images, please visit:
http://www.bellydancenewengland.com/sequins.html

*************************************

If you are completely new to the world of belly dance, then hopefully you made it to the "From Tassels to Sequins" event at Moody Street Circus in Waltham, MA, on Friday, April 1st. Showcasing dancers from all facets of belly dance, Baseema Moirae and Melina of Daughters of Rhea organized an entertaining and exciting show that could have acted as a great introduction for all that is belly dance.

If you have yet to visit the Moody Street Circus, drop what you are doing and make your way there immediately. The studio is beautifully laid out for both dance and circus classes, and it turns into a wonderful show venue for the many events that take place there. The posters of past events that cover the walls are only a sampling of the excellent events that have yet to be produced at this wonderful venue.

This event, preceding a weekend of workshops, featured Oregon-based dancer Sabine. She is known for her tribal-style moves and double-sword wielding abilities; the focus of the workshops. Considering that she and her two scimitars were the finale of the evening, the entire show was extremely strong from beginning to end. Every performer and troupe that walked onto the dance floor was high-caliber, the top performers of the New England area and then some.

Shimza, a new American Tribal Style (ATS) collaboration between Baseema and Sara Ford, opened the show by staying true to their name (Gypsy word for joy or happiness) and set the example for the joy that one should feel when dancing.

Bellybeat once again impressed the audience with their visually appealing formations. Their fusion-style choreography and movements were akin to sirens calling out to the audience to join them.

When Aurel walked onto the stage, she commanded everyone's attention as she balanced a tea tray on her head while descending to the floor. There is humor and a down-to-earth quality to her cabaret style that is refreshing, and there is no doubt that she has abs of steel under all that beading.

Ombellyco then brought us back to the ATS part of the belly dance world. It honestly blows my mind that ATS is mainly improvisational, but that all the dancers in a troupe understand the cues well enough to follow along. Ombellyco's formations not only exemplified ATS, but it also reminded me of a fractal, where each part is a copy of the whole.

Najmat is basically glamour personified. Her Egyptian-style dance is ever-captivating, and even though the wrong tracks played for the second part of her performance she never fails to impress.

We then had the pleasure of a sneak peak of Sabine's talent when her troupe, Tribalation, performed. It was clear in their dance that Sabine and Kathryn truly love the dance and have found true sisters in each other.

Denise, a member of the Boston-based Vadalna Tribal Dance Company, seemed to slither onto the dance floor. There was something about her dancing that almost made me want to rub my eyes in disbelief – her movements were so graceful yet sharp that I was almost convinced that I was watching a CGI instead of a real person.

When Kaylin stepped out in her beledy dress and whipped her veil around her effortlessly, I was absolutely mesmerized. There were so many instances during her performance when I took mental videos to bookmark for later practice.

Jaylee impressed the audience with her precise moves. She hit every break and every accent without fail. You could see the audience trying to keep up with her, but her pops and locks were much too quick for the human eye.

Sara Rodrigues Cabral graced us with the beautiful artistry of her piece entitled "Jewelry Box". There is so much imagination in her pieces, it is clear that she has been dancing and creating as long as she has been on this earth.

Before Sara could leave the stage, Melina's husband Sasha walked onto the stage. As they pretended to flirt with each other, Melina, the Mistress of Moody Street Circus herself, floated onto the stage and "caught them in the act". As she pulled out her dagger and her sword, you knew that she was not one to mess with. I personally could never tire of watching Melina balance the sword on the dagger she's holding in her mouth. Her Greco-Turkish style of belly dance is just so full of energy and surprises; you can't help but bow down to her.

The Magnolia Devi Dance Company from Maine then showcased their ATS skills. They were exciting to watch, especially when they slinked down to the floor. However, perhaps because of the seating arrangement, it was somewhat difficult to see what was happening when they were doing floor work.

Di'ahna Restry is a dancer who knows how to entertain. It was fun to watch her interact with the audience while combining a slow song with a fast song, her movements echoing the emotions and sensations of love, the subject of both songs.

Finally, Sabine's scimitars were placed on the stage. Truly, I could have watched her maneuver around and over the swords for much longer than she did. She moved effortlessly on the stage, while balancing not one sword but two. I could imagine a "Do not attempt this at home" disclaimer underneath her. She is truly a master at the Raks al Sayf, and the swords are merely an extension of her arms.

As someone who is more accustomed to the sequins aspect of belly dance, it seemed that there was a bit of a skew towards the tassels in this show. However, considering that the headliner represented ATS, and represented it gloriously, the tassel skew was appropriate and not unwelcomed. The variety in performances left me feeling inspired to try some new things in my own dance practice.

Congratulations to Melina and Baseema for a wonderful show and thanks for helping to enhance the belly dance landscape of New England!

Amar Gamal's Classes in Bridgewater

For the past several months, Amar Gamal has been in Massachusetts teaching beginner and continuing classes at the Maha Yoga Center in Bridgewater, MA.

Firstly, Bridgewater is extremely far from Boston.  With traffic, it's even further.  Luckily, I'm going down to Bridgewater with a friend, so the ride is a lot more enjoyable.

At an extremely reasonable price, it would have been crazy to say no to this opportunity to take weekly classes with a Belly Dance Super Star.  I'll be honest, I couldn't help but feel a bit star-struck.

She is an amazing dancer.  Absolutely graceful, poised, and precise.  Being in her class really makes me extremely aware of what I'm lacking or not doing right.

We're doing a series of combinations and then putting them all together.  Interestingly, I find myself able to pick up the combinations fairly easily.  However, I know I need to really clean up the moves and transitions.  I am proud of myself for keeping up with the lessons, though!

I am glad to have had such a diverse background in terms of dance teachers.  I feel like each one of them has helped to give me a strong foundation.  I'm excited to have Amar Gamal's teachings as part of my foundation as well.

Silencing the Noise

As someone who doesn't necessarily considers herself as a "professional dancer," in that I'm not really in high demand to do anything, there's still a lot of negative thoughts that still float through my head once in a while.

I know that I've come far in the past several years, showing more confidence in my performances and just generally having more fun.  But I still get really nervous right before a performance.

It's kind of funny what kinds of negative thoughts will flit through our heads in times of nervousness.  I think about whether I'm doing the dance justice, if I'm wearing the right kind of costume, if the costume will do something unexpected, if the music does something unexpected, or if I'm entertaining enough for the audience.

I have learned to push those thoughts away just as I'm about to step on the stage, but I wish I could learn to push them away during practice.

A couple of weeks ago during Amira Jamal's class, she lead a conversation about being present.  While we should be aware of what our bodies are doing (are our arms and hands full of energy? are we tucked? are we smiling?), are we able to ascend being physically present to being mentally and emotionally present?

During the undulations portion of our warm-up drills, I somehow became extremely disconnected with myself.  My undulations weren't doing what they usually would be doing, and Amira noticed it as well.

I remember thinking, "What in the world? This doesn't feel right..."  But I just kept going instead of stopping or really trying to figure out what was wrong.

Amira asked, "So, you were aware of the fact that something was wrong.  What could you have done to fix it?"

Seriously, she asked me a question that is basically defining my life right now.

I told her I couldn't answer that question, as it's literally been something that's weighing on me.  The more I thought about it, the more emotional I could feel myself getting.

Being in this state of unemployment with no direction has really been difficult for me.  At my last full time job, I was able to thrive because I was able to put a lot of my own ideas, and thus a lot of myself, into the work.  Because I was able to get out most of my ideas or even just be able to talk about them and hash them out, I think I was able to let the rest of my creativity flow through my dancing.

Does that make sense?

So, because I've been basically stagnant in my professional life, it's starting to affect my dance and my health.  It's almost like once I realized that I was blocking myself from creative expression, my body reacted to it by stuffing my sinuses and giving me a sore throat.  And honestly, I'm so angry at myself for letting it get the best of me.

Meditation and Chakras

I think what I'd like to do in the next couple of weeks is to sit quietly or with some soft music playing.  I would like to learn how to meditate and really quiet my ever-moving mind.  I will try to make sure that if any ideas do surface, that I write them down or draw them out. 

Holding on to it all hasn't been productive, and I need to try something new.

What has stood in the way of your dancing?  Is there a zone or a frame of mind that helps you to be creative?  What techniques do you use for silencing your mind? 

Shimmies V: Peace Love and Shimmies

On Saturday, March 12th, 2011, the ever-amazing duo of *Samantha* and Baseema Moirae hosted their fifth Shimmies (previously known as Shimmies For A Cure) entitled Shimmies V: Peace Love and Shimmies.

The day was jam-packed with workshops and a show featuring amazing local dancers.  This year, I had the pleasure of being the Stage Manager for the show.

It was great to see so many familiar and brand new faces from the New England belly dance community.

Workshops
Ooey Gooey with Najmat
One would think that having weekly class with Najmat is enough to build up some strength.  But in the following week, she will help you find muscles that have basically been dormant since you were born. 

This workshop was no exception.  Najmat taught us how to "milk it" and stressed the importance of "squeezing your princess" as you do so.  We worked through several movements that really focused on making sure that our ab muscles were always engaged.

As always with Najmat's classes, time flew by.  But I would be lying if I didn't say that many of us breathed a sigh of relief at the thought of being able to relax for just a short amount of time.

Ballet for Belly Dancers with Aurel
If we knew how much more of a workout we were going to get in the second workshop, we probably would have wanted a longer break!  I was personally excited to take a workshop with Aurel, a gorgeous dancer/singer/performer.

I have very minimal experience with ballet.  For middle school, I attended a performing arts magnet in Los Angeles, and we were required to take a dance class as opposed to regular gym.  So, I know about pliés, arabesques, and basics about the feet positioning.  Aurel stressed the importance of the form and the lines that ballet hammers into its dancers, especially about pointing the toes and hiding the heels.

My thighs were burning after the workshop!  It actually made me want to do a bit more practice on my own to work on the beautiful form that ballet can give to belly dance.

So You Think You Can Fuse? with Neylan
I have only watched Neylan perform, so I was interested in taking a workshop with her.  It was great that she started with talking about the importance of knowing the origins and basics of the dances that you are fusing.  It would indeed be strange to try to fuse Filipino traditional dances, let's say, with belly dance without knowing the moves and music of each.

She then taught us 2 short choreographies which we danced through several times using different types of music.  We got to play around with making the movements go faster and slower, depending on the music she played for us.

I have to admit that my mind wasn't fully at this workshop.  With the show soon after, my brain was wandering over to my stage managing duties, and I kept glancing at the time to make sure I had enough time to do all that I needed and fit in a tiny bit of shopping before I needed to refocus my energy.

Shimmies Show!
The show featured about 19 dancers from the New England area, including the 3 wonderful workshop instructors.

There were many new acts that I had never seen perform before (such as The Belly Dance Collective and OmBellyCo), and some acts who were debuting for the first time (such as Serpenour and Shimza!).  And of course, there were so many of my favorite performers gracing the stage.

For the most part, even though I was managing the staging, I got to see the majority of performances.  As stage manager, I was in charge of keeping track of the music and relaying the information to the DJ's (who were late and not very accustomed to belly dance shows), making sure the performers and their props were prepared, and keeping track of the time.

I'd have to say that the Shimmies Team did a pretty great job.  For the most part, we were running on time with room to spare!  At some point, however, we took too much time to get the raffle distribution started, so the final set of dancers had to wait a bit longer than scheduled.  At the end, we ended a half hour later than originally planned.  Really, not a bad thing at all.

Truth be told, I thought the show was amazing.  There was such a great variety of performers and styles.  It never felt like a dull moment, though of course my feelings are heightened because I was helping out.  But the audience, who filled up the house, really seemed to be enjoying themselves.

To further prove how much fun people were having, when the DJ's started playing music that was more akin to a wedding reception, so many people were on the dance floor.  From the Cha Cha Slide to I Will Survive, the night ended as though we had been partying all day.

Thanks to *Samantha* and Baseema's ingenious organizing and event planning skills, I think we really all were having the time of our lives.

"A Maiti Voice" Presented by Johara & Snake Dance Theater

I had the pleasure of attending "A Maiti Voice" presented by Johara and the Snake Dance Theater on Sunday, March 6th at the YMCA Theater in Cambridge.

The event was a benefit for Maiti Nepal, an organization that helps to prevent child trafficking and provides services for survivors.  Truly, it's an important cause even in these times.

Really, the awesome part about this show is that it was more than just a belly dance show.  For many of the belly dance events, there is usually a variety of performers and even within the same genre of dance there is variety.

This event featured not only the belly dance pieces that I'm familiar with, including tribal, fusion, and Egyptian-style, but also some traditional Nepali dancing.

The show was amazing, really.  So much variety, and the Snake Dance Theater had amazing pieces and costume changes.  I particularly enjoyed the performance to Laylet Hob with tea trays and a shamadan, as well as the 2 Nepali dance pieces.

In truth, I had never seen Nepali dancing before, but it definitely made me think a lot about the origins of the dance.

Because of my limited experience with Nepali dancing, it reminded me a lot of Indian dancing, which geographically makes a lot of sense.  The music and many of the dance moves were somewhat similar, especially in the singing along to the songs.

It made me think a lot about the origins of belly dance, traditional Filipino dances, and other indigenous dances around the world.  What path did they follow?  While it makes sense that cultural traditions such as dancing followed the path of migration, I wonder if there was more to it.  How did they then evolve?

Do any of you know of any books that talk about this?  I'm sure I could Wikipedia the information, but it seems like there's more of a history of Western dance.  A good and informative book about dances and cultural wear around the world definitely beats that.

21 Shimmies and 1001 Variations with Lelya Jouvana

As part of my 2011 dance goals, I know I need to work on my shimmy.

In Najmat's class, she makes us work on our shimmies a lot, which is both awesome and exhausting.  But I know I need to do more outside of class.

In this cold, shimmying while waiting for the T has been quite helpful in keeping me warm.  But I decided to pull out the 21 Shimmies and 1001 Variations DVD that I've had in my library to further my work.


To be perfectly honest, I've not been very good about practicing at home.  I used to do a lot more with the DVD's I have, but since the kitties prove to be an obstacle I've stopped practicing in my living room.

So, though I've had this DVD, I haven't actually gone through the entire routine.  But yesterday seemed to be a good day to do it.

I've always enjoyed the first hour of the DVD.  I think it's really neat that Leyla and her husband are working together to produce a really fun and comprehensive DVD.

After going through the whole DVD, I know I have a lot to work on.  On the list of shimmies she worked on, I need to work on the rotation shimmy, vibration shimmy, Egyptian shimmy, flutter, and African shimmy.

Not too bad, you might say.  But you weren't watching me lose control of the shimmies!

I am definitely adding this DVD to my general workout routine.

2011 Dance Goals

Happy New Year!

I figured that if I was making goal lists for my personal and professional development, I really needed to create a list for my dance development.

1.  Be better about practicing at home or outside of class.
For the most part, I practice choreography at home and once in a while I use a DVD.  But since I've been mainly focusing on weight loss, I've put the dance DVD's on hold.  Though, really, I should do my workouts and then do some work with the DVD's.  To get me more motivated, I think I will write in my datebook at the beginning of the week about some things I want to work on.

2.  Save enough money to attend all the workshops I want to attend this year.
Gosh.  There's Shimmies in March, Yousry Sharif in March, Faten Salema in April, Mohammed Shahin in May, Katia's Retreat in July, and MassRaqs and September.  So far.  And that's not even counting classes with Amira Jamal and Najmat.  Nor is it counting any other events that might come up throughout the year.  Unfortunately, this is really contingent on me getting a job.

3.  Technique:  Work on my spins and my shimmies.
I'm not really the best spinner.  I don't get too many opportunities to practice that at home, what with the kitties.  But, I know I really need to work on that.  My shimmies in general always feel messy.  I need to work on being able to have more control over my shimmy.

4.  Props:  Work on fan veil and Isis wings.
Okay, first I should probably own a pair of Isis wings.  But I would really like to work more with these props so that I can feel more comfortable using them and performing with them.  I've had this idea of using the fan veil in a fusion piece with traditional Filipino dance.  But I feel like I need to work some more on my fan veil technique before really being able to combine the two dances.

5.  Buy a new costume before the year is over, and take 2 dresses to Shadia to turn into dance costumes.
I really only have several costumes in my closet.  I would really like to continue adding to my arsenal of costumes.  It makes me feel like I'm able to do more performing if I'm able to show up in different pieces.  Don't ask me how that is in any way logical.

All in all, I feel like this is going to be an extremely exciting year in general.  I feel like all kinds of new things are going to happen and I will really grow in my skills as a performer.  So, here's to a sparkly and shimmy-fabulous 2011!

Dreams/Radiance Student Recital

On Sunday, December 12th, Najmat's Tuesday night students performed at Melina's Moody Street Circus as part of the Dreams/Radiance Student Recital.  Students of Melina, Yael, Hanan, and Najmat - all teachers in the Boston area - performed and the teachers had their solos as well.

With 15 different performances, the show itself went by fairly quickly.  It was great to be part of a relaxed recital, and also to be part of a group that was more advanced.

I definitely saw myself in the "younger" dancers, and I marveled at how far I've come.  Though I know I have a lot more technique and style to hone in, it felt good to be at a place where I felt more comfortable than nervous.

Especially considering that we had only finished learning the choreography the Tuesday prior and Najmat had changed the very end of the piece that very day!

I love Najmat's style and I love watching her dance and I love taking her class.

But choreography is not her strong suite.  So, there were definitely moments when the group was struggling a little bit,.  But it felt nice to know that while she wanted us to look good, she wasn't too worried about how we would do on the night of the performance.

We danced to Saad's "El Enab," which is a fun sha'abi (Egyptian pop) song.  By the time the show came around, we were thoroughly tired of the song, and (I kid you not) it was actually making my Zune crash every time I would try to replay it!

But, I know that I will definitely have some fond memories now attached to this song.  With that, I leave you with the music video featuring the ever-beguiling Dina.

Hired for a Birthday Party

On December 4th, after being part of Raks Nativity, I drove down to Jamaica Plain because I was hired by a friend to dance for her birthday party.

I was honored to be asked to be part of her birthday party in this way, and I was excited to have an opportunity to dance more that evening.

This is my first ever dance gig that I was hired for, and I was excited that they even considered me.

I had prepared about a 15 minute long performance, and wanted to make sure that I got the birthday girl up there as well.  Considering that I hadn't had a lot of time to prepare for the gig since they had just asked me the previous Wednesday, I chose songs that I was already quite familiar with.

My playlist featured:  "Samra Ya Samra" by The Morgador Band, "Khawet Serena (Serena's Step)" by Hossam Ramzy, and "Enzal ya Gameel" by Walid Toufic.

There's always this little voice inside that causes me to get a bit nervous.  It usually says, "What if you mess up? What if you don't keep their interest long enough? What if what if what if...?"

I do have to remind myself that I was the belly dancer hired or chosen or whatever to be dancing there.  There's really quite a possibility that no one else knows how to do what I do, and not just concerning the dance style but also knowing the music and knowing how to improvise and work a room.

The guests stood in a circle around me, and I danced around in the middle of that circle.  There were definitely some things I became keenly aware of during my performance. 

I was suddenly very aware of the men in the room.  It felt very different from any recital, where there are also men.  But, it definitely felt that I was being watched almost a little too closely for my own comfort.  I made it a point to mainly make eye contact with the women in the room.

After my performance, I ran back into the bathroom, and changed back into street clothes.  When I returned, a lot of the guests were complementing me on my dancing.  It was nice to hear so many positive things.

At one point, one of the guests who was leaving asked me if I was Middle Eastern.  I must say that that is the first time I've ever been asked that!  The woman, who was Palestinian, said that I looked a lot like her cousin, but that she thought I might have been mixed with another Asian background.  But she said that I danced really wonderfully.

I have to admit that having someone Middle Eastern complement my dancing is a true highlight.

I'm really proud of myself for having just completed an amazing night with tons of highlights.  It felt great to be acknowledged as good enough to deserve a fee.  Truly, this experience will be a reminder to help me build my confidence as a dancer.

Raks Nativity 2010

On December 4th, a groups of belly dancers and their friends descended upon the town of Chelmsford, MA, to present the first production of Raks Nativity, the Christmas Story told through Middle Eastern Dance.

I was very excited to be chosen to play the Virgin Mary, which is really quite an honor coming from a Catholic family.

Publicity
On the night of the dress rehearsal on December 3rd, I received a copy of the Chelmsford Independent with the article on Raks Nativity right on the front cover.

There's me!

I'll be honest.  It was quite daunting to see that picture of me.  I really wasn't sure if I would be able to do the character justice, as I'm not really much of an actress.  But, I just kept telling myself to breathe.  All my peers were extremely supportive, and really helped to build me up.

What's a show without obstacles?
A week before the show, we learned that Amira Jamal would not be able to play the role of Anne, Mary's mother.  Her and I had practiced our part together several times already, but she was having a lot of trouble with her legs and knees, and I wouldn't have wanted her to hurt herself any further.

Truth be told, I was really saddened by the news.  I consider Amira my "belly dance mom," so it felt right that she would play my mom in the show.

However, when I learned that Najmat would be the official understudy, I was extremely excited!  Considering that we had joked back and forth about how she should be playing the Virgin Mary, it was all too appropriate for her to play my mom.

Debut
When December 4th arrived, I could hardly believe it.  I joked during the tech rehearsal that it would be over in 2 minutes, and we'd be wondering how we got there.

As show time closed in, I started to feel extremely nervous.  All my doubts suddenly flashed through my mind.  Behind the wings, I became intensely aware of my heartbeat.  Najmat assured me that I would do great, and I thought back to all the student recitals and performances I've been part of.  I even thought about how I had another dance gig I was hired for later that night.

I know this may sound silly, but the mere fact that I knew that acting (and serious, not being silly acting) was involved made it feel more important for me to do well.  I just didn't want to let anyone down.

Then the music started.  I took a deep breath, took one more look at my cast mates in the wings, and erased all those doubts from my mind.

As the first act came to a close, I felt myself breathe out as though I had been holding my breath the whole time.  It was great!  It felt great!  The audience seemed to enjoy themselves, and I hadn't fallen off the stage.

After some reapplication of makeup and readjusting of the costume, it was time to prepare for the second act.  I got to catch up with a couple of belly dance friends in the audience, but mainly tried to stay out of sight.

At some point, we were waiting in the wings during the second act, and I looked at the same people I was with during the tech rehearsal and said, "See! In like 2 minutes it's seriously over! How did we get here?!"

In preparing for the final scene, I sat in my chair and tried to channel a new mother's spirit.  I looked at the fake baby doll in my arms (though it was so real looking, it was kind of freaky!), and thought about what it must feel like to have just given birth and holding your new baby.  Then I thought how every mother must feel that their child is just as special as the newborn baby Jesus might have been.

On a side note, I know that I am definitely not prepared for motherhood, and this is why:  During rehearsal, I would constantly forget about the baby doll!  It was left on a table, or downstairs in the dressing room, or somewhere else.  But man, I am not prepared for babies!

The curtains opened and the final scene began.  This was perhaps one of the easiest parts for me, since I literally just had to sit there and look extremely happy.  But, in all honesty, I was extremely happy. 

The person playing Joseph (who I had only met the night before) and I were second to last to take our bows, and the drummers, Johara's Snake Dance Company, followed after us.

We did it!  We pulled off an amazing show, and each one of us were eager to talk to our friends in the audience to hear their feedback.

Reflections
Looking back at the event, I am still feeling this wonderful glow about me.  It's strange, really, playing such an important religious character but not being at all religious.  I can't help but feel a bit more spiritual and even more into the Christmas spirit after the show.

It was so lovely to see so many friends in the audience.  I remember at one point, noticing the light reflect off my boyfriend's glasses in the audience as I danced.  I get a bit nervous knowing he's there, mainly because his opinion is really important to me.  And at the same time, it's extremely comforting to know he's there because his opinion is really important to me.

They all said that I did a great job and how I was really expressive.  I had been much more concerned about looking pregnant, more than anything else, so I'm glad that I was able to accomplish both.

I now know that I do have the capacity to act as well as dance, and maybe even both at the same time.

As the pictures were published on Facebook, I felt like I was reliving the show all over again.  I honestly could have done it again, even 2 nights in a row.  Considering that it was about an hour of action and that it was a full house, we probably could have packed in another show.

All in all, I am so proud to have been part of this production.  I am proud of Nepenthe for being so creative with this vision, and I thank her for allowing me to be a small part of it.  Whatever she ends up doing next year, and if she does this again, I am so down!

For pictures, please check on my Photo and Video blog: Cecilia of the Sea

Chillaxing with Belly Friends

This evening, I went to Khayyam in Brookline to watch one of my favorite people in the whole entire world dance.

At some point after her performance, some girls in the crowd (who brought wine) wanted for us to get up and dance with them.  It was fun and all, but there was definitely a moment where I thought, "I've already had so much fun tonight, and not a single one of us in the group had anything alcoholic."

I feel like there's something to be said about that.

There's a potential for a reality t.v. show that would probably get horrible ratings for being so reasonable.

What do you get when you put together a bunch of confident, straightforward yet friendly belly dancers in a room together?  A lot of good times with a shimmy on top.

This Goddess Gets Virginal

In the past couple of months, I've had the pleasure of working with many of my belly dance classmates towards a fabulous show called Raks Nativity.

Raks Nativity, conceptualized by Nepenthe, is basically the Nativity Story told to Middle Eastern music.  From the Facebook page, it's "a new take on the Christmas Pageant. While the plot remains the same, this pageant depicts each scene with dances from the Middle East and fusion “bellydance”, including Saidi, Baladi, and Wings of Isis."

Well, ladies and gentlemen, I am blessed and honored to be playing the Virgin Mary.

Back in September, I attended the auditions thinking that I would try out for one of the more minor roles.  But then I was told to act/dance through Mary's introduction scene, and they said that they imagine her to be kind of like a Disney Princess.  Pppsshhhhaaawww!  Well, snap.  I can do Disney Princess.

So, here I am, preparing to play the Virgin Mary.  Believe me, the irony is not lost on anyone in the cast.  But, luckily, we all have a healthy sense of humor and know that we need to keep some things discreet.

But it just gets better.

Back in October, I was doing a party.  I pulled out my vagina puppet, which I use for the anatomy portion of my demo.  One of the guests suddenly exclaimed, "Is that the baby Jesus?!?"

I cracked up!  Before explaining why I almost died laughing, I said, "You have no idea how funny that is to me!"

I told some of the organizers and staff, and promised that I would bring the puppet to one of the practices.

Unfortunate (or fortunately), I happened to bring it when there were official photos being taken.

Photo by Dreamer's Realm Photography
Can you guess what was sitting in as the Baby Jesus?

I'm honestly really excited about being part of this show.  It's just going to be a lot of fun, and really a great way to bring different people of different denominations, beliefs, and experiences together.

Then I learned that the Chelmsford Independent, their local newspaper, printed an article about the event using the promotional image.  Except, they cropped the middle image.  Here's the screen shot of the website.

holy...moly...

Okay, so this is where I'm starting to freak out a bit.  Truth be told, I knew what a responsibility it is to play the Virgin Mary.  I did grow up with a Catholic family.

But it wasn't until I saw that website that I realized what a responsibility it is to play the Virgin Mary.  Sure, the Nativity Story is mainly about Jesus' birth.  But, really, that's just the climax (that's right, I went there).

The story is really about Mary's experience.  From the Annunciation to the Presentation, Mary is the actual driver of the story.

I know that I'll do the story and Mary proud, but I'd have to say that I'm a lot more nervous after seeing the press this event has received.  There's a part of me that knows about all the other better dancers out there, all the other better actors out there.  There's the little voice of doubt that has suddenly appeared.

But, for this first Raks Nativity production, I know that this is my Mary.  And I'm going to be the best Virgin Mary that this Goddess can be.

Goddess Thankful

In this Goddess' life, there's so much to be thankful for.

Today, we are all reminded to count the blessings, no matter how small.  For sometimes, it is the small blessings that truly make a difference.

I am thankful for the boyfriend (who's forehead kisses always make me feel better).
I am thankful for the kitties (who keep me on my toes, wake me in the morning, and allow me to love them).
I am thankful for my friends (near and far, who remind me every day even if we don't speak that day about where I've come from and where I'm going).
I am thankful for our tiny, filled-with-crap, 1-fuse-box, stompy-neighbors apartment (complete with comfy bed and "princess" chair).
I am thankful for my feet (which have helped me express myself through dance, taken me to distant lands, and sometimes remind me to take care of myself).
I am thankful for my voice (which reflects my moods, energy levels, and love of cheesy music).
I am thankful for my family (which continues to grow and evolve, reminding me that I will one day be responsible for my own).

I am thankful for my business (which has allowed me spread the message of better and healthy sex).
I am thankful for the opportunities Athena's has offered us (which really provide constant rays of sunshine and hope every day..even on the hardest of days).
I am thankful for my Athena's families (which provide me with unending support and laughter).
I am thankful for being a Goddess (which is truly an enchanted life indeed).

Belly Basics from a Baby Belly

On Friday, October 15th, I was invited to do an Athena's Party at Girl Power Fitness in Hyde Park, MA.  The Hostess and owner of Girl Power Fitness is a friend of one of my close friends who teaches Zumba, and soon got word that I am also a belly dancer.  Since the night was also going to feature a strip tease lesson, she asked if I would be able to teach a short belly dance lesson.

Truth be told, I don't think I'm necessarily qualified for the job.  Though I've been studying for about 8 years, I've only taken my commitment further in the past 3 years.  I don't necessarily plan on becoming as professional as some of my friends who are dancing at restaurants, but I absolutely love this dance.

Luckily, I had seen a fellow dancer, Ma'isah, the night before and told her about my upcoming lesson.  At that point, I had no idea what my lesson plan was, and I was too nervous to really think about it.  I am extremely lucky that she had a clearer head than I did, and she helped me break it down and feel more prepared.

I knew I had to start with the basic history and background of belly dance, starting with the term raqs sharqi.  I explained to the room full of women that the dance was more about dancing for other women and less about dancing for a man.  I stressed the importance of why it should be more about enjoying the dance, rather than just performing.

I knew I had to go quickly through various moves, but that I wanted to touch on a lot of the basics.  After my brief history lesson, I talked about the importance of posture and demonstrated the "right" and "wrong" ways to stand.

In My Goddess and Belly Dance wear

I started with hip and rib circles, moving slowly then a bit quicker.  I made sure to give the room ample time to practice, while also being aware of the time.  I touched on horizontal figure 8's and vertical figure 8's.

Then I moved on to undulations, starting with the hip then the ribcage.  In the theme of undulations, I moved on to snake arms and noted how difficult it was for many in the room to grasp.  I tried various ways of explaining it, though I knew that the time allotted would not be enough for everyone to really hone it in.

Then we moved onto the faster movements, namely shoulder and hip accents and shimmies.  The shoulder accents gave way to shoulder shimmies, and the ladies really seemed to enjoy that.  I then moved to hip hits going up and hip hits going down, focusing on one side at a time.  I also introduced them to the Egyptian Hip Hit and the Drop Release movements.

I had index cards with notes, just like when I had my very first party as a Goddess :)

Finally, we moved on to the shimmies.  I started with the basic knee shimmy, then the hip shimmy, and finally the 3/4 shimmy.  After going through the basic moves, I put on Betwanes Beek and I led them through the various movements I taught them throughout the song.

Afterward, I thought of all the various things I didn't get to tell them.  I touched on layering, but I didn't really show them an example of it.  I talked a bit about placing your arms in a way that frames your body, but I forgot to end the final song with a pose.  I got so nervous, that I didn't even suggest that I could dance a bit for them while we were waiting for the next portion of the evening.  I didn't get to talk about level changes, smiling and facial expressions, or using the movements to move across the room.  I know it's silly, considering that I really only had enough time to go through the basics.  But I just like being thorough.

Nonetheless, the women seemed thoroughly excited and happy with my quickie lesson.  They said that they were surprised at how hard some of the movements were and how much they were sweating during the lesson.

I had created a list of teachers in the area to hand out to the girls, encouraging them to seek out lessons with some of the top performers and teachers in the area.  It felt encouraging to hear that some of them enjoyed my lesson and would have also enjoyed continuing lessons with me.

Again, while I don't think I'm necessarily qualified to teach beyond a beginner level, experiencing being a teacher was incredibly insightful.  If anything, it helps me to be a better student.