Back
to Nizana's home pageOngoing:
Mas-Uda presents Rhythm Circle first Sun of the
month, 4:30-6, and Belly Dancing every Sunday at 6:30 & 7:30 pm in
at Great Cuisine of India in Olympia. mas-uda.com
The Belly Dancer Forum will be held monthly at: Kalia, 4520 200th Avenue SW, Lynnwood, 98036, 425-771-6422, first Wednesday or Thursday of every month same time, same place, 7pm-??? Space is limited so please sign up in advance. For more info contact Janice at janice@oz.net
Belly Dancing at Marrakesh Moroccan Restaurant Every Fri/Sat Shows at 6 and 8 pm. Reservations highly recommended. Please call (206) 956-0500. Marrakesh Moroccan Restaurant is located in Seattle's Belltown at 2334 2nd Avenue (2nd & Battery).
1st Sat of every month at 6:30-9pm Saqra presents an open dance night at The Moonraker in Kent, WA! Dance to live music or own music. Contact saqra@saqra.net to dance! All ages welcome! $5 cover.
West African, Afro-Cuban and Middle Eastern Drumming with Michael Moon Bear in Spokane- New studio! West African Dancing, drums and miscellaneous for sale by appt. Contact him at 509-624-7573.
Rhythm Circle at MAS UDA Studio in Lacey, WA 2nd Sun of each month -For info: mailto:berube@comcast.net 360-459-3694 Bring drums, tambourines, &/or zills. Fun for dancers AND musicians.
Hands of Kali is proud to sponsor a monthly bellydance halfa at the Patti Summers cabaret lounge in the Pike Place Market. Seattle.Typically the last Thursday of each month mailto:info@handsofkali.com
Open Belly Dance Jam 2nd Friday of every month, from
7-10, Shoreline. www.RaksRafiki.com
Pyramid Lounge, Seattle. First Monday of every month
has a featured dancer. raqsserpentine.com
Belly Dancing and Live Music w/Arabesque at "It's a Beautiful Pizza" SE 34th and Belmont every Wed night in Portland. http://www.tiffanybellydancing.com/
Tony's in Seattle has bellydancing every Fri and Sat
evening.
On the 4th Sat, there is a guest night with 3 - 4 dancers. If you would
like to sign up, please call Zorina at 206-241-8705 or email her at zorina_dc@hotmail.com
Ottoman Trading Co in Bothell holds monthly hafla last Sun of the month, 2-5 pm. 425-368-0369
2008
JULY '08
July 5-6 Aziza in workshop and show in Portland.
rachel@rachelbellydance.com
July 5-6 Helene Eriksen in Turkish Roman workshop. Seattle.
mail@helene-eriksen.de
July 8-13 Cairo Tour to Ahlan Wa Sahlan Festival w/Morocco.
www.casbahdance.org
July 11-13 Two Old Bags present 13th Annual Wiggles of the West
Contest. Reno, NV. 775-673-6032 wigglesofthewest.com
July 13-20 Kajira Djoumahna's Last Maui Intensive. Maui, HI.
www.blacksheepbellydance.com/
July 17 Habib in Bhangra workshop. Seattle.
visionarydance.com/bhangraburner.habib.html
July 19-20 21st Annual
Mediterranean Fantasy Festival in
West Seattle sponsored by the Babs. Workshops sponsored by Jaleh &
Siham: Jamilla al Wahid &
Fatima al Wahid. Dancers from all over the Pacific Northwest and
beyond. Vendors galore! babylonianensemble.com
July 20-25 Yousry Sharif's 11th Annual Gala w/Tito, Lubna Emam,
Nevein Hussain. Master classes and workshops. New York, NY smarttix.com
egyptianacademy.com/index1.htm
July 25-27 Hala's Teacher Training Seminar. Santa Clara, CA.
http://www.haladance.com/
July 25-27 3rd Annual Midwest All Star Belly Dance Weekend
f/Sahra Saeeda & Zanbaka. Columbus, OH www.habeebas.com
July 26 H.O.T.'s release w/music & dancing. Seattle.
http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/35420
July 31-Aug 3 Dallas Little Egypt presents Ahlan Cairo Nights
& the Queen of Raks Sharqi Competition. Dallas, TX
www.littleegypyt.com
AUG 08
Aug 1-4 Morocco's Fabulous Four Day Folk Feast! New York City,
www.casbahdance.org
Aug 1-3 Gypsy Caravan presents Karim Nagi. Portland, OR.
gypsycaravan.us
Aug 9 Hasani's Un-Hafla w/Fusion Fan workshop sponsored by
MEAI. Tacoma. hasani.net and
http://www.middleeastarts.org/UNHAFLA-FANFUNworkshopinfo.html
Aug 9 2nd Annual Lilies of the Valley Competition. Ridgefield,
WA http://bellyrolls.com/competition.html
Aug 12-19 Dr. Laurel Victoria Gray in workshops in
Seattle.
visonarydance.com
Aug 14-17 Yaa Halla,Ya'll: A Gathering of the Stars in Texas.
www.isisandthestardancers.com
Aug 16 Ottoman Trading Co presents Hula Hafla & Workshops
w/Alexandra. Bothell, WA asiyadance@hotmail.com
Aug 21-24 Emerald Sanctuary Belly Dance. Grand Coulee Dam,WA
indigodance.com
Aug 21-24 Aziza's BirthdayBash, Orlando, FL
andrea@babylonbreeze.com
Aug 25-31 Tamalyn Dallal and Helene Eriksen in weeklong A to Z
workshops in Seattle. tamalyndallal@yahoo.com
Aug 25-27 15th Annual Women's Weekend. Breitenbush Hot Springs,
OR. www.gypsycaravan.us
SEPT '08
Sept 5-7 6th Annual Belly Dance Intensive, Las Vegas,
featruing Ava Fleming. bellydanceintensive.com
Sept 5-7 Tito in workshops and show. San Jose and Redwood City,
CA http://www.haladance.com/
Sept 5-7 Amira al Amir presents Momo Kadous of Egypt in 3 day
seminar and gala show. Durham, NC. www.medls.org
Sept 5-8 Mezdulene's 19th Annual Retreat. Bridge, OR.
http://www.jareeda.com/Mezdulene_retreat.htm
Sept 9-13 Annual Wiggles of the West. (new!) Las Vegas.
www.wigglesofthewest.com
Sept 13-14 Karim Nagi. Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Info: Hala
780-430-1536
Sept 14 Desert Silk Dance Co & Troupe du Soleil at Spokane
Co Fair. home.att.net/~nizana/home.htm
Sept 14 Ottoman Trading Co presents Semi-Private Workshop &
Belly Dance Party w/Hasani. Seattle, WA. asiyadance@hotmail.com
Sept 27 Halima & Barakha present Sahara and Leslie in show
and workshops. Tacoma, WA. halimasdesigns@msn.com
Sept 27 Dancing Poetry Festival. San Francisco, CA.
dancingpoetryl.com
Sept 27-28 "Tribal LA." Workshops and performances.
www.bellydancesuperstars.com
OCT '08
Oct 4-5 Nadiyahs sponsors Margo Abdo O'Dell in Spokane.
Lebanese pop workshop. nadiyahs.com
Oct 3-5 MEAI sponsors Yousry Sharif in workshop & show!
http://www.middleeastarts.org/
Oct 8-12 Oasis Dance Camp w/Cassandra, Vashon Island, WA.
www.oasisdancecamp.com
Oct 12-19 Rakkasah East. Weeklong workshops w/incredible
instructors. Lots of dancing and vending. Somerset, New Jersey.
www.rakkasah.com
Oct 14-19 Dalia Carella as dance artist/choreographer in Long
Island, NY.: "In Search of a
Goddess - Inspirations of the Divine Enchantress Ruth St. Denis."
http://www.daliacarella.com/
Oct 19 Souk 2008- Belly Dance Bargains! Janice
206-363-8763/Hasani 253-858-2755
Oct 21-28 4th Annual Shimmy at Sea. Start
at Galveston, TX. shireemsbellydance.com
Oct 25 Sabah Performing Arts presents annual Halloween Hafla.
Wenatchee. magiccitycostumes.com
Oct 25 Halima & Barakha present Sabura and Mezdulene in workshops/show. Tacoma. WA halimasdesigns@msn.com
NOV 8
Nov 8 Hasani's Hafla. Tacoma. hasani.net
Nov 9 5th Annual Belly Dance Cruise
f/Karen Barbee Atkisson. 1-800-725-3353.
DEC 2008 Merry
Christmas! Kala Christouyenna!
(Greek),
Cristmas-e-shoma mobarak bashad! (Farsi) Idah Saidan Wa Sanah Jadidah!
(Iraqi)
Dec 5-7 Carolina
Nericchio (FCBD) & Megha Ghavin (Devyani) General Skills for ATS.
Seattle. http://skindeepstudios.net/
JAN 2009
Jan 17 4th Annual Bellyfest 2009 in Spokane.
nadiyahs.com
Jan 17 Halima & Barakha present Amy Sigil in workshop/show. Tacoma, WA halimasdesigns@msn.com
Jan 24-Feb 2 Delilah's Hawaii Retreat
w/Princess Farhana. http://www.delilahs-belly-dance-retreat.com/
FEB 2009
Feb 14 Hasani's Hafla. Wells Hall.
Tacoma. hasani.net
Feb 21-22 Belly Dancer of the Universe
Competition Long Beach, CA. bellydanceroftheuniverse.com
Feb 28 Raq the Boat III Belly Dance
Cruise. Bahamas and more. www.princessfarhana.com
MARCH
2009
March 14 Troupe du Soleil presents Sadie
in workshop/performance. djimmah@hotmail.com
APRIL
2009
April 4-5 Mas-Uda 's annual Candlelighter fundraiser w/Riskallah Riyah and the Riskallah Riyad Dance Theater in workshops and show. Olympia,WA. mas-uda.com
April 10-17 Delilah's Hawaii Retreat
w/Amy Sigil. http://www.delilahs-belly-dance-retreat.com/
MAY 2009
May 9 Hasani's Hafla. Wells Hall. Tacoma.
hasani.net
May 15-17 23rd Annual Powers of Belly
Dance Conference in Yakima, Wa. 509 966-2365 thepowersofbellydancing@yahoo.com
JULY 2009
July 18-19 22nd Annual
Mediterranean Fantasy Festival in
West Seattle sponsored by the Babs. Workshops w/Shoshanna. Dancers from
all over the Pacific Northwest and
beyond. Vendors galore! babylonianensemble.com
SEPT 2009
Sept 20 Bollywood Workshops w/Neena or Veena. Spokane.
nadiyahs.com
NOV 2009
Nov 14 Hasani's Hafla. Wells Hall. Tacoma. hasani.net
Bonus Section: This will be
made up of Nizana's writings- reviews and dance related articles! Check
back for new additions!
May not be reprinted without the author's permission, thank you.
Review of Mediterranean Fantasy Festival (aka Medfest)
Just
got back from West Seattle from the 19th Annual "Babsfest," an event I
have attended for many, many years. This year, Tina Sargent & MEAI
sponsored the fabulous Maleeha for the accompanying workshops, tieing
it in to the "Maleeha Seattle Summer Series." I was able to attend the
Fri night workshop, and having studied with Maleeha several times
before, knew I would enjoy "Conceal & Reveal" with the veil. The
class also included technique, footwork, tips for making movement look
better, and drills to the music. (And of course, a little history,
which I really appreciate.) I always get a lot out of her classes to
enhance my dance.
Medfest got so big they had to add
a second (indoor) stage this year. Nizana performed her solo there, a
veil piece to "Jemilleh" by Pangia, followed by a drum solo. Desert
Silk Dance Co performed a Turkish kashlama inspired set
choreographed by Nizana on the main stage later that day. There
were some really great performances (I always enjoy watching Tribal
Infusion,) and audiences were attentive at both stages! There were lots
of vendors
carrying all sorts of treasures and services (but I really missed my
ankle
henna tattoo from Aleedra this year!) The weather cooperated
wonderfully, and there were lots of familiar and new faces. I think a
great time was had by all, thanks Saroya, Circe, Sian, Charanni, Ken,
etc!!!
Review of BDSS Show and
Workshop-(Spokane, March '06) by
Nizana
Bozenka,
of the Belly Dance Superstars, taught a
workshop to accompany the Raqs Carnivale tour while in Spokane. The
majority of the troupe and I attended Bozenka's workshop the next day
following the show on March 24th, 2006, and thoroughly enjoyed
both. Bozenka is a lovely, expert instructor and performer. While
the flyer indicated she would teach shimmies, locks, and hip techniques
for drum solos to help you unlock your dance personality, that wasn't
the sole concentration. The emphasis was more on refining technique,
layering and a some very useful combos. Bozenka's instruction was very
clear and easy to follow, and I thought this was one of the best
workshops I have attended. She addressed different levels of learning
with ease. I actually walked away with things that I can use, and
actually remember!
Now, at first, I was disappointed that many of the
dancers had changed in the lineup. Not to worry!!! There were some of
the same wonderful performers from the last tour, and some wonderful
new ones! I know I've been a big Jillina fan ever since I saw
her and her troupe at the International Conference in Costa Mesa, but
again, Jillina, her choreographies, her dancing, and her personality
was outstanding!! A really special person was chosen to be the main
choreographer and artistic director in Jillina. One thing I remember
reading about Jillina a long time ago is that she has studied many
different dance forms, and expected her troupe members to have done the
same. It is evident that she has other dance forms under her belt
that blend beautifully with Middle Eastern dance, and did so in Raqs
Carnivale. I think this was especially effective for the American
audience.
I saw a recent
dancer online conversation about when
is fusion and blending of different disciplines and all too much.
When it is done tastefully, and with beauty, grace, energy, and
passion, in my opinion, then be as creative as you want. I may not
always care for it, but I believe the creativity, when well done, can
be very exciting, and unique. Explain it for what it is and
present it in the right forums, maintain respect for the cultures, and
keep an open mind to other styles besides your own. Having said that,
yes, for the purists, there were not any folkloric pieces to speak of.
Yes, there were gymnastics, a Polynesian number, some hip hop
combinations, and some East Indian and ballet moves in this
event. Yes, the Spokane venue did not sell the tickets it should
have, and the lighting was too dark. However, this was a highly
enjoyable and entertaining event. I could barely contain myself in my
seat on some of the presentations. My eyes were glued to the stage, as
were most everyone's around me the entire time, and the BDSS earned a
standing ovation at the end of the show. It was dazzling; the costumes,
the transitions, the interaction between dancers and drummer, between
dancers and dancers.
Ok, as for things I
might've liked better, I heard
we missed the Assistant Director's (Stevie) dancing on stilts as the
stage at the Met would not accommodate that. That would have added to
what I thought could have been more play on the theme Raks Carnivale.
The Tribal Flamenco costumes didn't do much for me, and I would like to
see other tribal styles represented. I also would like to see a little
folkloric representation, which can be done on the big stage for an
American audience. I know that dancers had to do some really quick
changes right
off the wings, which, as a dancer, I know is not
optimum.
Some of the things I appreciated most included
Jillina's drum solo, playing off of master percussionist Issam Houshan,
which was really cute, and she danced ON A DUMBEK!!!! Ok, I've seen
dancing on goblets, but this was so cool! And then Petite Jamila danced
with DOUBLE double veil, something I hadn't come across in many years
of watching dance. Adora's somersault with the veil flip was incredible
as were the shimmying undulations they all did! I absolutely adored the
use of the different dancers coming in and out and changing soloists or
groups of dancers during group numbers. It was very smooth, and
dramatic, and while some of the costumes were not some of my favorite
colors (orange, yellows, greens), these were absolutely fabulous
looking, and went well with what they were doing. The blue group
costumes they started the show with were particularly stunning, as
were, well, almost all of the costumes for Egyptian, American Belly
Dance and Tribal were awesome! Then of course, I was really impressed
to see, again, the dancers taking part in the band, especially when
they put band costumes as opposed to dance costumes on. Ok, yes, I
really enjoyed the show, and again, the workshop, so am glad the BDSS's
came through town once
more!!
More Performance Preparation by Nizana
In addition to checking your packing list for
costumes, accessories, props, jewelry, makeup, water, etc, there is
also ensuring labeled, cued music (with backup music), and all kinds of
other things to get ready for a performance.
Right before a performance, there is double checking everything to be sure you are all in place. Is everything straight, are undergarments showing, or is your eyeliner smudged? If you're in a troupe, you can do an "everybody check everybody" before show time. You can use the mirrors, and ask other dancers, but be aware, it's your responsibility to make sure everything is ready to go as they are also busy and may overlook something. You can also make sure you give yourself enough time to get ready, to set up your little dressing space, and get things together with time to spare. Sometimes you may be asked to go on early, so it's helpful to be prepared in advance, also making you appear all the more professional.
Then, there's a
quick warm up of stretching and/or
grounding exercises. Get a good warm up in if you can, and if you know
ahead of time that there's no time or space, try to do a good one prior
to going to the event, and do a quickie one before your performance.
Some good leg stretches, ankle, wrist and shoulder rolls, and some
finger stretches can all be done in a small space. Be sure to do some
deep breathing to get your oxygen running through your blood stream for
more energy.
Then, in advance of a performance is practice!!! Lots of concentrated practice on technique, presentation and routine is necessary. Ensuring your costuming, music and dance movements are in sync with the style is also important. Knowing about use of the stage, entrances and exits, and dance etiquette are also topics you should be very familiar with.
And are you
taking care of yourself as well? Dancing
is good exercise, which is one way to take care of yourself. Another is
to eat healthy foods, drink enough water, and practice wellness.
Are you managing your stress? Are you deep breathing and finding time
to relax? Are you having fun as you deal with the rigors of life?
Balance in life is important, and dance helps provide that balance. So
take care of yourself, be prepared, and keep dancing!