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.

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.

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

MassRaqs 2010 - Part 2

I decided to cut the post, since it was getting a bit too long.  Now, where was I?  Oh yes, the final day of MassRaqs 2010.

Sunday Workshops

Sunday, September 26th

Sunday was going to be a jam-packed day with 4 workshops and a Gala show in the evening.  This day felt a lot more relaxed, interestingly.  Perhaps because we already knew what to expect for the workshops.  Also, knowing that Springstep's staff would be in charge of setting up chairs really took a lot of stress away.

Shadia - Double Cane Technique
I have very limited experience with the cane, though I have to say that doing the saiidi choreography with Meiver for Barka helped to make me feel more confident about using this prop.  But 2 canes?  Well, that's a completely new adventure.  Truth be told, this workshop was a huge wake-up call for me.  Shadia stressed practicing at least 5 minutes a day with a cane, and in both hands, would really help everyone's technique.

My favorite part of this experience was learning some new tricks with the cane.  There was one trick where we twirled the cane and caught it on the other end (hard to explain, but really cool to watch!).  I found it hilarious that everyone (including me!) was dropping our canes during the practice.  We all had a lot to learn, but we are eager to do so.

My least favorite part of this experience was that I completely forgot that I hid my canes during the Gala and I forgot them at the venue!  Luckily, dowels don't const that much, so I can easily replace them.

Shadia - Bedouin Styling
Shadia, a master in folkloric style, introduced many of us to the Levantine and Bedouin style which is a lot less hips and more hands and arms and shoulders.  We went through a combination of steps and movements that are characteristic of these folkloric styles.

Then she paired us by height and we did some debke line dancing.  This was so much fun!  First of all, it was hilarious to see how fast the tall group moved across the room, and how much slower it took for the shorter groups.  But the beat of the music and the fact that it's a group line dance just makes it feel like a party.

Boẑenka for Cassandra - Oriental Technique Tune-Up
Boẑenka took us through some modern oriental technique work, leading us across the floor with different combinations and different facial expressions.  In a way, this felt like an extension or a second part of her Arms and Hands workshop from Saturday.

It was fun to cross the room with so many of my friends, and it was nice to watch the other dancers in the room strut their stuff.  It felt like we were all really cheering each other on, and just plain enjoying ourselves.

Boẑenka - Drum Solo
Perhaps one of the most exciting parts about this workshop, aside from learning some technique from one of the most renowned dancers, was that we had a live drummer to dance with.  One of the local drummers who was performing with the band at the Gala helped us learn a little bit about how to connect with the drummer.  Boẑenka stressed that while it often feels that the dancer has to chase after whatever the drummer is doing, the dancer can do a couple of things to signify that she will be changing her movements.

She had us individually approach the drummer and signify when we would be finishing a phrasing.  It was fun to watch each person dance and learn what moves help to signal to the drummer.  Then, several of the attendees picked up some drums and each of us participated in a drum circle.  We each danced to a full drumming group, and it was fun to show what we had learned.

In total, I have to admit that Saturday's workshops felt more like a lot of hard work, whereas Sunday felt a lot more relaxed and fun.  This isn't to say that either day wasn't filled with both hard work and fun, but there was definitely more of one aspect present on one day versus the other.

Sunday Gala
Goodness.  I feel absolutely blessed to have started and ended the weekend watching such a huge variety of amazing dancers.  The performers were a mix of people I have watched several times and people I had only heard of.  The Gala really felt like a perfect bookend to an already inspiring weekend.

Let me start by talking about a little bit of trouble we ran into before the doors were even officially open.  One woman was extremely angry that we were unable to take credit or debit cards for admission.  She said that we should have advertised it, which is true, but there was no need to be extremely angry at us for not having the capability of card swiping.  That is definitely something to remember for next year's and any upcoming events.

The first set of the evening was the folkloric portion.  There was some cane action from Chantel as well as some debke line dancing from Shadia's Mirza Troupe, both of which made me sway along with the music.  Then Boẑenka performed a maleya leff, which is flirty and uses an embellished veil.  She looked like she was having such a fun time with the dance.

The second set of the evening was mainly raqs shaqi dances.  Watching Meiver and Najmat dance is always such an amazing experience.  Meiver with her amazing combinations and Najmat with her delicious gooeyness are enough to bring in a whole new group of belly dance enthusiasts.  Though Nina had performed at Baraka, I didn't get a chance to watch her move, so I was excited to get the chance during the Gala.  Local favorites Pheadra and Hanan also graced the stage, playing zills and twirling double canes, respectively.  I tried to pay attention to their technique, especially since we had worked on those two this weekend.

Then, of course, the Gala closed with another performance by Boẑenka.  She is just amazing!  If you ever get a chance to learn from her or to watch her move in person, it is something you really want to strive for.  But, let me not forget to mention her AMAZING costume!

Boẑenka's gorgeous costume

I'm pretty sure even the band members were mesmerized by her movements.  Her costume only helped to accentuate how amazing she is.  It's always very interesting to watch dancers of such popularity live in action.  She really exudes confidence and a love for the dance - something we are all striving to naturally exude.

In Conclusion
MassRaqs was really a complete success.  Sure, there were some unhappy folks about Cassandra's absence, and I'm sure that not everyone was completely happy about the weekend.  Sure, there could have been a lot more tightness in the event implementation and organization and time management.  These are all things that we will be aware of in terms of future event planning.  Some things worked, and some things didn't.

With the New England belly dance community recently having experienced some negativity in the form of undercutting and gossip, this weekend (which also featured a tribal event organized in Boston) was really needed.  Starting the weekend with an open dialog about what makes Boston and New England such a stronghold for the belly dance community, filling in workshops that could only enhance everyone's dance, and ending with beautiful dancers just felt cohesive and inspiring.

Considering that I woke up this morning feeling like I just wanted to keep dancing and then reading about other people's feelings about the weekend on Facebook, it just means that MassRaqs 2011 (Save the Date: October 21st-23rd) is just going to be better in every way.