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Belly_DancingCheck it out! Tribal Synergy has their summer workshop schedule up!
Don't miss out on this opportunity to work with Ariellah, Olivia from Zarifa Dance Company, and Ali of Nomadic Tribal!
Rhythm & Cues will be performing at their Hafla on the 16th of July!
Yes...I stepped on a zill, and yes, I bent over to pick it up. Mid performance.
Many thanks to Sandra for the video.
I have no shame! If there is not a glitch in your ATS/ITS performance, you did not have fun!
Robert H. gets a shimmying no-prize for bringing us a look at a troupe of Japanese belly dancers. Their choreography sure is different-looking, but I suppose I should expect that.
A Staten Island belly dancer jiggled her way out of a sweet deal with her ex-husband after he found pictures of her shaking it on the Internet, a judge ruled last week.Dorothy McGurk won a settlement of $850 a month for life and the couple's home by convincing a court three years ago that a 1997 car accident left her too injured to work.
Really? You are a belly dancer, not a spy. People will eventually find you out.
Last night I headed out to Tribal Cafe in DC and had to do the classic pix with O before each of my performances!
From the Bellydance store.
Great deal, costume does need some work that I can see, but I am crossing my fingers it will be worth it!
Oh yes... a reality show with belly dancers!
Funny thing... is that I personally KNOW some of them.
Yes, some of them get overly dramatic and emotional. No really. They do.
This photo just reminded me of a squid or octopus the way the bottom of her dress is flared out.
Makes the BEST dance costume for a certain girl in the house. The top, well, that is being worked on.
Ps...note the cat licking it's butt on the steps behind Olivia. Classic AMCGLTD content!
Go ahead, look 9/8 up and then appreciate it.
Who's hands? Mine... your AMCGLTD webmistress. Thank you.
I got the opportunity to photograph yet another dance halfa this month. Amustela of Va was a hoot. I really enjoyed her.
Not only did "O" get in for FREE ($10 door fee and table fee) she got a FREE SUPER BROWNIE ON STEROIDS ICE CREAM SUNDAE for Free! Thanks to Alf Laylah Restaurant in VA!
Hagan said a man asked him to step out of the way of his view of belly dancers on stage and then taunted him with offensive language.
She must have been really good.
R&C had the pleasure of being one of the groups to close out DC Tribal for 2009.
17 pounds of boa on your right arm up in the air for 3 minutes sucks. Danielle's little guy is under 10 pounds.
Did she just balance the sword in her butt?
Yes... according to Scott, "she is all that and a bag of chips." Chips?
The Sterling Police Department were really cool about photo ops! I promised to send the department photos for their community photo album.
We performed at Sterling Fest today. The local police department was having demonstrations and invited us to take photos with them.
We still managed to keep our mini mascot, Olivia with us!
This is my new dance tray, much lighter and dirtier than than the last one! That gives it a double thumbs up!
This is what happens when you have a poor stage, 102 degree heat and bare feet!
This occurred in the first 10 minutes of dancing. I totally sliced a part of my foot off.
We danced at a major festival in Virginia today. It hit 100 degrees today and we were NOT happy!
Here is the moment of us just before heading outside.
We even vended while we were there. I sold a few pieces of jewelry that I no longed needed. We still need to cull the heard with our supplies!
I think these dancers need a boob shimmy off!
The one in the green neon, "oh dear".
I had a good laugh. There is a HUGE difference between Middle Eastern T.V. and their dancers and those of us from US.
I cannot express how proud I am over a 4 1/2 year old knowing how to do veil work, let alone tell me how "I" should dance.
I cannot wait to get this girl on the stage with me!
Mike P. gets a no-prize that'll shimmy impressively in traffic for bringing us this story of a Belly Dancer and a highway sign. Kinda hard to hear those wossname-clanky-rythms* with all cars whooshing by, eh?
----
* B-dance-lingo-challenged-husband-speak for "finger cymbal patterns."
No, really, when furniture attacks. Ellen saw a slightly longer version of the clip somewhere else, an apparently she was OK. You'd think after the first time it leaned over she'd stop doing that.
Male belly dancers appear to be gaining popularity in Egypt. This article provides more depth than previous ones we've linked up, including a lot of historical background I didn't know about.
Troupe Arabesque was the last performance today at the Reston Multicultural Festival. Needless to say, O had to dress up too!
Believe it or not, this is a piece of artwork of me being done. This is just the sketch.
Cool huh?
Male belly dancing appears to be growing in popularity, at least in Turkey. Ellen's come across a few male belly dancers on youTube over the years; maybe this guy is one of them.
Oh don't you worry folks, I won't be exposing pale skinny Scott-belly any damned time soon.
Thank You, Thank You! I'll be serving dinner off of it at 10!
Ok here are some more pixes of the show. A friend's Dad took these pixes so they are a bit blurry. Our REAL photographer apparently did not do a good job and all of the pixes are way too dark. Another dancer is trying to fix them since she does video work. :/
So enjoy, even though they are blurry.
The first photo is of a song called BARRA BARRA
Me and Annie doing Mata Hari.
ATS (American Tribal Style).
Me and Shirin
Group ATS
Japanese guys looking to fight fat are getting into belly dancing, according to Shukan Bunshun,
Read asinine article here.
Never have liked male belly dancers, never will. Find your own damn thing to do and stop trying to be a woman.
Ok ok, why African American braids? Let alone Micro Minis? WHY NOT? THEY ARE HOT!
All I have to say is that all of the ladies in the salon thought I was 'da bomb' with them (being the only Caucasian girl there), and actually pull the look off rather well. I am "exotic". I was actually asked if I was part African- American (no...), was I Indian(noo...). I am part Italian, does that help? It's close to those countries? YES YES!! That must be it.
I personally thank my self-tanner.
Yep, yours truly is dancing with a 15 pound brass food tray complete with grapes on her head!
Olivia decided that she needed to be a belly dancer like her Mom tonight. So we got her costume out and put a DVD in for her. Note the hands!! She is copying the DVD! I am so proud!!
Mark gets a shimmying no-prize for bringing us the "straight dope" on the origin of a well-known "exotic" song and its relationship to belly dancing's introduction to the United States. As with most songs which seem to have been around forever, the actual origin is hard to pin down, but there are a few good candidates.
I'm in the blue skirt. We were asked to help out with a B-Day party (b-day boy in the scarf on the right) since we were doing ATS formations.
It is just their second class, but the Unity College students who signed up to learn belly dancing are finding more fun, and pain, than they had bargained for.
Read more here. I found it boring, but hey, got to archive!
I got inked again today! Hopefully this whole piece will be complete before June. It will be a mirror image on both sides.
Last night I performed at Tribal Pura in VA with the Troupe I belong to. Here is one of the photos. Yes, yes, thats Pokey and Cornbread.
And it's only 11:30!
See? Bud Abbot should do so well. Hello? Abbot? As in '& Costello'? Anyone? Anyone? Buehler?
Good friend Mark over there on the right. You'll see him a few more times as we post things up. Think of him as the world's best straight man, sort of thing .
A pix from earlier today at the Reston Multicultural Festival. My instructor, Wendy on the left, me in the middle and of course O!
It was a request from my teacher that any of us in Troupe to please have our own websites for promotion of our abilities.
Here is mine so far.
This is one of my dearest friends, Katina, who had her first belly dance show in Maryland this past week! I could not be more proud! Katina and I always discussed dance and went to dance CE together. *Sniff* Now here she is dancing in a venue! Go Tina!
Leave it to the Japanese to take it up another notch.
and
this.
I find it rather funny that most dancers out there (not me) get very uptight about this kind of 'defilement' to the dance community. Or is it that the ones that complain need to retire or dance with a bag over their entire body?
Either way, enjoy the vids!
On a happier note. I bought this shirt for Olivia at 'Cleopatra's Closet' in Alexandria this weekend. The great thing is that she knows how to shake her booty.
Listen, my friends, undulating midriffs are Satan's playgrounds.
The article really does not make sense but then again do those people really make any sense?
Especially if we are "brazen women with veils and finger cymbals and foreign music — music that'll lead your sons and daughters into the clutches of animal instinct."
Joshua came out last night to take pixes of me dance at Tiger Cafe. Scott and I liked this one quite a bit and we wanted to share it. Many many thanks to BlueLens for the pix!
Don't touch the hair. Never the hair.
You will get this if you understand belly dance and the Persian culture.
I worked at Tiger Cafe last night- my first real resturant gig. The manager was most happy with me. He says I know how to work a crowd and it helps very much so to get people involved.
BUT... the DJ was a FUCKING ASS! He played this continous shit that sounded like a UFO whirling overhead the entire time. The DJ was apparently informed that I would be dancing that night. But not the time. I was told to dance at 10PM. So at 9:45 I go to the managers office to change and lo and behold...the DJ is talking frank smack about me.
"Who the fuck is this belly dancer. How fucking dare she dance during my show." Your show? No one is up and dancing or anything. Just chilling at the bar.
This is where I walked around the corner and literally tore him a new ass. I told him he was incredibly unprofessional, his music was the same song over and over again and he was not moving the crowd. I turned to the manager and said, "Your choice, I dance or I don't, but you will still pay me full rate."
I got to dance. And I had the crowd moving. 30 minutes flew by and the DJ went right back to playing his UFO shit.
I got paid- several free drinks and invited back for Friday nights :)
So Mr. DJ- FUCK YOU.
I had a last minute gig offer tonight (3 hours notice, and we had to cut a cd!), and here is the costume I used. Ron was nice enough to chaperone me to the party.
Money? Yes! I made quite a bit! But the FUN just over-rides it!
A must! Check out the ugly belly dance costume gallery!
Psstt...the bat bra? I bought that one for a certain GOTH friend out there one year! HEEEE!!
Just click the link for the full image.
I am not putting it on the front page in case it may cause sudden blindness.
Goblin did not appreciate being a super hero's sidekick!
Note to self: Cats do not like to be tossed like a lightning bolt.
My first attempt in making a belly dance belt
More to come as the belt gets more elaborate
VERY COOL! Do not pass it up!
Apparently this are Thomas Edison movies!
Catch the entire Wikipedia article here.
Two years ago, the government banned foreign dancers from performing, but has recently done a U-turn and allowed them back.One of the country's former belly dancing divas, Nagwa Fouad, is now calling for the establishment of an academy to preserve the art.
Read entire article here.
Check out the wedding dress! No one out there seems to know if this is a real wedding or not.
Those of us in the belly dance community pretty much know this is a bra/belt set from a dance costume.
Smoke em' if you got em' right?
Ok, I'll admit it. I like the dress.
Rob E. gets a shimmying no-prize for bringing us news of a new angle on belly dance costume design:
Boeing engineer Jared Rodgers has his eye on belly dancers. But it's not what you might think. Rodgers is applying his knowledge of vibration and material design to creating costumes for belly dancers.
Strangely, he doesn't seem to have a website, so we can't look at any of his work. Ellen's got a lot more resources than I do, maybe she'll find it when we get home tonight.
Here is a picture of my raw costume for Amber and Ron's wedding!
The costume consists of:
Bra
Belt
Necklace
Bracelets galore!
Gold skirt and burgundy skirt
Burgundy veil
Pretty neat huh? Soon I will post pixes of me in it. Got to iron out the skirts first.
How many belly dancers does it take to screw in a lightbulb?
Five. One to screw it in, and four to stand around saying, "I can do that...better".
I splurged! I finally bought myself a a costume for Amber and Ron's wedding.
From the majority of people I have spoken with, they are happy with their costume. Hopefully I will be happy with mine.
I got to meet most of the cast from The BellyDance Superstars on November 23rd. Sorry if the pix isn't good. But it was 11 pm on a work night.
Note: How good the dancer looks in this pix, she isn't washed out like me. Thats because they literally have to spackle makeup on in order to see it on stage. What a cool night!
I'm the dork on the left, while Ansuya is on the right if you could not tell that already.
A pix of me and Rachel Brice
Scott and I have not been to a real show since before O was born.
Tonight I just purchased 2 tickets to The Bellydance Superstars.
I'm totally excited!
Ok. I like swords. They're cool, ok? You know what's better? Don't you read this site? Swords on fire!!!
Even better are poi. No, not those things you eat, fire poi. Of course, one cannot just start dancing with flaming pots on a chain. Well, unless one wants to learn all the names of the fire department anyway.
Ellen: "Can I get practice fire POI? They're flags to simulate fire."
Scott: " You're gonna play with fire in the house?"
(*Cricket chirping...* *CREEEEKKKK! CRIIIIIKKK CREEEEEEK*)
Ellen: "Here's your sign..."
URGENT PETITION
For NON-Montgomery County Residents
TO: COUNTY EXECUTIVE, DOUGLAS DUNCAN, THE MONTGOMERY COUNTY COUNCIL, PARK AND PLANNING COMMISSION, BETHESDA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, MARYLAND STATE REPRESENTATIVES, LOCAL AND NATIONAL ARTS COUNCILS AND ORGANIZATIONS:
We, the undersigned are concerned about the unanticipated displacement of key arts organizations and the resulting negative educational, artistic and economic consequences caused by impending demolition of the existing retail building located at 7702 Woodmont Avenue, Bethesda, Maryland. That building houses certain educational arts organizations, including Joy of Motion Dance Center (JOM) and The Academy of the Maryland Youth Ballet (MYB). Both institutions are self-supporting nonprofit organizations that have grown to become Montgomery County’s largest centers of learning for dance and movement arts. Together, both centers serve 10s of 1000s of adult students and 1500 child/teen students annually within its Bethesda studios. The undersigned are seeking your support to locate appropriate alternative space for JOM/MYB to lease on a long-term basis or build in conjunction with other planned development projects in close proximity to its current Bethesda studio. JOM and MYB seek to create a state-of-the-art facility in Bethesda that supports its building and expansion plan as a premiere educational dance institute in the area. Your immediate assistance is required if JOM and MYB are to remain operational in Montgomery County and in Maryland. Therefore, we respectfully request your immediate assistance and support in this matter.
For more information, please visit:
HERE.
Sincerely,
The Undersigned
Now what are you waiting for!!! Go click on the link and SIGN on the petition!
Washington's belly dancers rival Elvis with their ability to shake a body part to a crowd's delight. Or at least they did Sunday during a performance presented by Sahara Dance that showcased an array of enthralling, sensuous Middle Eastern dance styles.Raqs Sahara, a dance company housed in Sahara Dance's studios and directed by Rachel Kay Brookmire and Saphira (all dancers but Brookmire listed only stage names), filled much of the show at the National Museum of Women in the Arts. Saphira enraptured the audience in "Rannet al Tabla," her arms beckoning the audience to join. Saphira, then Brookmire in "Zay al Asal," put their bodies in conversation with the music.
Read entire article here. Free reg, blah...blah...blah...
OK, I'm totally bummed there is NO belly dancing class for 6 weeks! There is NO summer session. What the hell am I going to do with myself?
For now, enjoy a belly dance article.
I am Neferteri and the cute guy wrap around me is Seiti. He is an Albino Green Burmese Python, approximately 5 years old and about 5.5’ long. Seiti is my baby and he loves the camera.Read entire article here.Seiti is one of 33 snakes that I presently own. Why in the Goddess’s name would make anyone want that many snakes? I need one for each costume I have! Just kidding.
See more of Neferteri and check out the rest of her articles!
Mid floor spin.
Here are a few pixes from my solo at my recital last night. All went well. I got 4 applauses during my performance. I was the only one that got applauded during their performance too. Enjoy!
Sword balancing
Belly flutters and rolls with sword.
I danced to Godsmack's VOODOO. Made it through several sound problems, never dropped the sword, had bitchin' makeup and costume. I just have BLURRY pixes!
Carrie gets a leather-spiked no-prize for bringing the Metal Goddesses to our attention. Looks like they combine belly dancing with hard rock, which is one helluva combination. Considering Ellen's choice of dance music, I wonder if they have an opening?
Interesting belly dancer meets goth crowd type story.
I cannot wait for the comments!
Probably the best site right now to check out free downloadable zill patterns.
You can even get the CD and instruction book! Here's the link to the homepage.
Here's a site that breaks it down per finger.
Check them out!
I totally forgot to post this back in December. I misplaced my issue of The City Morgue magazine for the weblink.
Of course I'm all for local B-dancing groups. So go check out Martiya Possession's site. Lots of pixes and bios!
~Enjoy!
CAIRO (Reuters) - A Cairo court has rejected an appeal by Russian and Australian belly dancers against a ban on working in the country they consider the home of the dance.Read entire article here.Oriental dancing is big business at Cairo night spots, from four-star hotels for tourists to cheap smoke-filled bars in the seedier parts of the city.
Weird!
Her creator, Jimmy Or of Waseda University in Tokyo, Japan, said he gained inspiration watching Lucy Liu sashay her stomach in the film Charlie's Angels. The sight prompted him to sign up for dance lessons of his own.Watching his instructor bend and sway, Or was struck by her similarity to his other object of affection, the lamprey - a primitive eel-like creature that scythes through water like a snake. "I decided to combine the fields and work on my idea secretly," he says.
Read entire article here.
I normally don't make New Years Resoloutions, mainly due to the fact they tend to last only a little longer than Olivia's diapers. But this time around I felt I was going to do something for myself for once and stick to it. It's not dieting.
Well, ok it is dieting. Well, it's supposed to be dieting. But it's dancing too! Belly dancing!
I found a new teacher in our new neighborhood and began my classes more than 2 weeks ago. Turns out having a cannon ball strapped to your belly for four months actually doesn't give you "muscle memory amnesia." Good thing too... can't look like a dolt on the first day. Well not much of one.
My new belly dance teacher is named Bambi. No, really! I'm not making this up! She even made a joke in class... "Follow the bouncing Bambi" (ok, so having a cute name doesn't necessarily mean you can tell a joke... work with me here.) All I can say is she is a nice teacher, super enthusiastic and always on 'fast foward.' She also has a huge dance background in ballet and other dance techniques.
First class was fun, I met 6 other new people, and I'm the only one who's taken belly dance before. Go me! No more belly dance equivalent of "twinkle twinkle little star"!
I remember shimmies, singles, doubles, triples, and some traveling movements. Bambi makes it lots of fun. I don't think I've ever caught on to traveling movements so fast.
Third week begins Monday, and I find myself obsessing over class. Sometimes it's the only thing I can think of all day. Yeah, I know, but belly dancing doesn't sit on my couch, drink beer, and stick its hands down its pants. Neither does it wake me up at three in the morning with an empty stomach and a full diaper. Belly dancing is civilized. I want to pop in a cd and practice till I puke.
One day when I grow up I'll make sure I get to call myself a professional.
Recently I recieved an email from Michelle of this group saying how much she enjoyed the site, to which we really appreciate those kind of comments.
Being the belly dance fan I am, you all need to go check out Farfesha and see what they are about.
Not only is it a site about them, but you get awsome and useful articles, as well as a bazaar and neat links.
So what are you waiting for? Go check them out!
CAIRO (Reuters) - Foreign belly dancers are appealing to the Egyptian courts to overturn a decree that stops them working in the country they consider the home of the dance, a performer and her lawyer said Thursday.Read entire article here.Tickets fetch 200 Egyptian pounds ($35.52) for performances by top dancers in Cairo's luxury hotels, where the mixed-sex audiences often throw generous tips onto the dance floor.
One thing I cannot wait to do after I have the baby is to start exercising like I normally did again.
Hopefully that may include going back to belly dance class on one evening a week.
One of the great things about going to dance class is that you DO meet great people, have fun and actually get out on your own for a bit.
Another 8 weeks of dance class is comming up! Guess what! I still suck! -well not as much.
I still can't do hand circles right holding my egg, it feels funny! AARRGHH! I suppose I'm not one of those right side of the brain ppl that tend to be artistic. Or is that left? I dunno. *laughs*
Graceful? whats that? I trip over carpet on a regular basis. Last week I tripped over the sidewalk and nothing was there to trip over. Turning is also a NO NO for me. I get dizzy.
At least I have a good time. I get out of the house. Meet nice people. Learn somthing new. *I have kept up with my New Year's Resoloution*
I know... practice, practice, practice.
*My mind sees one thing, my body does another- too bad it doesn't do it right!*
DOH!!!!!
Middle Eastern Dance Reflections: A Bridge Across Time and Place
by Bonita Oteri, M.A. International Relations
As our world struggles to evolve into a truly international community, rewards as well as challenges present themselves along the road to peace. Committed governments and national leaders strive bravely to make this dream a reality, often at the risk of severe political censure in their own countries. If this dream is ever to manifest as reality, we all must play a role in pushing aside road blocks, burying prejudice and sharing the common, shining spirit of humanity that has the power to transcend cultural differences.
Middle Eastern Dance, born of ancient traditions, presents a bridge across generations and cultures. My personal experience is a case in point. How did an Italian girl from Boston becomes a professional Middle Eastern Dancer? What fabulous cultural islands do I visit during my ongoing Odyssey? What does Middle Eastern Dance bring to the diverse cultures I briefly visit on my journey with what gifts of wisdom do I sail away? The answers to these questions, woven like colorful threads bind the Middle Eastern Dancer and the audience into a rich tapestry. Middle Eastern Dance affords us a trans-cultural bridge between our two worlds. The key to how this mystery happens, lies somewhere in the rich beauty, grace and rhythms of Middle Eastern Dance that captured my heart from the first, and has the power to call equally to international audiences, regardless of cultural origins.
The true spirit of the dance is to be found in traditional family celebrations, villages and cities throughout the Middle East. In America, this spirit thrives at places from New Jersey wedding receptions to the family partys in California. The dancing at these family festivities, joined by everyone from toddlers to grandparents, expresses that spirit of pure joy that all races and cultures instinctively know. This expression is a soul deep knowledge that in spite of life?s problems and tragedies there is something wonderful and magical about the love, light and laughter God has gifted us with this on the Earth.
Embracing that joyful spirit, I try always to carry it to my audiences. While living in Europe I studied with teachers of many cultures, including Arabs and Europeans. Europe also affords the opportunity to perform for many cultures. The German audiences studied the dance with the deep seriousness of classroom students. Their respect for the dance was evident although I often felt like a university professor and almost expected them to take notes! Danish audiences, melted the bitter coldness of northern nights with their immediate acceptance and the warmth of their laughter. My fellow Italians, of course never need an excuse to be a loud, happy and enthusiastic audience. Spaniards, intensely passionate, related easily to the dance and music, perhaps due to the influence of Moorish-occupied Spain, and its echoes across the centuries still found in fiery, vibrant Flamenco music and dance.
I returned to America, fearful of American audiences and their preconceived notions of Middle Eastern Dance. I knew it would be challenging for a simple, ancient dance of happiness to capture the fleeting, complex attentions of stressed out business executives, soccer Moms and a generation raised on MacDonald's and MTV. However, even in this ultra-modern society, the trans-cultural bridge of Middle Eastern Dance served to cut across misconceptions.
In America, I have danced for elementary school students through senior citizens. The children saw a twirling cane dance as fun as their afternoon play in the snow. As I looked into their eyes, I saw that the senior citizens shared with the children the same light-hearted eternal youth that Middle Eastern Dance can bring out in all ages. The United States also presented opportunities to dance for Arab-American audiences for the first time. From Henna parties to New Year?s Eve celebrations, it is a delight for the dancer to fly on the enthusiasm of parents teaching their children to clap out the correct rhythm and enjoy the music. Like Middle Easterners, Indians have an ancient tradition of dance. These audiences were initially reserved and sometimes concerned that Grandma might not approve of Middle Eastern dancing. But again the dance bridged cultural communication gaps as a baby broke the ice by laughing uproariously when I played my zils under his nose. Cuter than the baby was little, Grandma, who having enjoyed the performance more than anyone, gave me a big hug at the end of the show. Conversely, Korean audiences had no such concerns of restraint. The men charged up to dance with me punctuating the rhythm with Tae Kwan Do chops and martial arts grunts. As I said Good Night the traditionally-dressed, embarrassed hostess confided, "These people are normally very shy, you know."
Finally, I must end the brief highlights of my continuing adventures with a special thanks to the Arab-Americans who brought this tremendous gift from the old world to the new. Whether Middle Eastern Dance is performed professionally or by the happy people I have seen at local family and church festivals, its inherent healing laughter and joy will long continue to be a bridge across time and place.
-- Bonita Oteri is a professional belly dancer and instructor in the Washington D.C. Metro area.
OK! Its here! I want ALL the names of the girls eventually on the site, but hey, if you want to remain annonymous thats cool.
Bonita's Belly Dance Extravaganza
Please let me know if there are any mistakes and whether or not you want your photo taken down.
One reason I had Scott create the site was for everyone to be able to share it all with your family! ENJOY!
OK! Finally got all the piccies back from developing *woohoo*
Just so all you ladies know, the web pages for the recital are under construction!! We hope to have it up and running by mid next week ~the latest~! Our GOAL is to have it up and running tonight or tomorrow! Then you will be able to tell friends and family to go check out the piccies of the recital. Right now we are being totally nit~picky on the layout and making the site look more interesting, but yet, as Scott would say, "kind to other computers".
I will make it a permanant bit on our website. *not me, Scott will -hehe-* Please keep comming back to check to see if it is up! It will be a fixture on the right hand side of the homepage to AMCGLTD. KEEP CHECKING!! :) ~Ellen
I did it! I didn't mess up either.( I thought I did,but everyone that saw said I looked really good). Got ooodles of piccies. Scott will have to help me scan them into the puter and we will put some up on the website in its own catagory.
Yes, I got a video of it too. Miss Amber (my trusted cat sitter) got it all videotaped for me. She will be making copies for me. *don't worry mama, she is making you one too!*
My costume turned out well. Even my makeup looked neat also (had the Cleopatra eyeliner happening)*just like the chick in El Clon* Ok, Ill even admit I did the sultry belly dance posing shots for my piccies too!
Scott was our music changer(DJ). He did very well. One of the tapes was started too soon, but hey, he had to take charge of 10 different dances. Kudos to Scott!!!
I will do the next recital also. I don't know when it will be, but I will do it again. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.
My teacher, Bonita, also did her professional show after all of us. This time she wore red vs the blue las time. I got LOTS of piccies this time!
So lots of thanks to my teacher for teaching me somthing new, and getting me out of the house every monday night. I really look foward to each class. I've met lots of great people so far in my class. Everyone is super friendly and supportive. I have found somthing that makes me happy.
Yeah, ok, I'm NeRvOuS~ I know I'll do ok. Iv'e practiced several times with the girls. Hopefully we will get it all right.
Scott is our DJ tonight. He has to change all of the music for the performances. Yes, I'll take piccies and post them up on the site. (got to get scanner out)
We will post an after show blerb. Just so you all know how it went. Piccies will be up prolly next week.
Kudos to these ladies who I recenlty purchased a new hip scarf from on Ebay. Now I acutally have a hip scarf that accents and compliments my fuchia skirt and top for my recital on sunday. South Florida Belly Dancers
In case you wanted to know more details. I got a purple irridecent hip scarf with gold coins on it. It looks really really good with the skirt.
Thanks ladies!
Please join us for a scrumptious Moroccan Buffet, savored in a Festive atmosphere featuring Entertainment by talented student dancers and Bonita.
Sunday, 19 May, 6-9 PM
Casablanca Restaurant
1504 King St, Alexandria, VA
Reservations for Bonita's Recital
Call (703) 549-6464
Buffet Price: $15.00
Children Under 10- $10.00, Under 5- $7.50
Drinks, tax, tip not included
Any information other than reservations call Bonita
(703) 569-8506
OK, I've told you all I have a dance recital comming up next week. One of the dances the more advanced girls are going to do is by a turkish artist called "Tarkan". Can u say "HOTTIE"? Good. This is a dance I am currently learning (its fucking hard!!)
The song they are going to is called "Sikidim". Otherwise translated to "Dirty Dancing-Is this all yours?"
But you have to listen to the music! I won't tell you the lyrics! :)
The ENTRIE album is great! Especially if you are looking for some bad ass dance music. ENJOY!~
Just so you all know, Bonita is my dance teacher I write and speak to you about after each class I attend. Bonita is just too kewl for words. You should see her students that have been with her over a year, very impressive. I think half of my problem in class is that I love to watch just as much as trying everything out. But then again, you all know me as the girl that trips over carpet on a regular basis.
Please join us for a scrumptious Moroccan Buffet, savored in a Festive atmosphere featuring Entertainment by talented student dancers and Bonita.
Sunday, 19 May, 6-9 PM
Casablanca Restaurant
1504 King St, Alexandria, VA
Reservations for Bonita's Recital
Call (703) 549-6464
Buffet Price: $15.00
Children Under 10- $10.00, Under 5- $7.50
Drinks, tax, tip not included
Any information other than reservations call Bonita
(703) 569-8506
This was a nice little article I found on Dreaming of Jeannie.com website. Go to articles and then click on "students say", then you want the article "The 6 Keys". Which is about 6 keys on how to enjoy yourself in class.
You also may just want to hang out on the article section and check out what they have written. Everything is very much down to earth and the articles are a short read so you won't get bored. I enjoyed the entire site.
As always, Enjoy~
Possibly the BEST belly dance site to get goodies from! I placed an order this wednesday to this site...and got it TODAY! I was told I would get my goodies sometime next week. How awsome is that!????
A wonderful lady runs this site and is too nice for words. Once you mention who your teacher is, she is more than willing to get you what you need right away.
THANKS Chandra!
I went out to dinner last night. I took Scott and invited several people from my work to go out and eat *moroccan* food at the Casablanca, in Old Town, Alexandria. PLUS! my Belly Dance teacher *Bonita* performed.
The Casablanca was a very *ethnic* resturant. I guess it would have to if you were to eat moroccan food in a moroccan homestyle resturant vs somthing that looks like a mom and pop joint. It had very intimate lighting, and the walls were all done up in green and red. You even get to sit at a couch to eat.
First of all, I have NEVER eaten moroccan food. Apparently they don't use untensils. This was a very new expericence and quite fun at the same time. You get to eat off a giant GONG! *well it looked like a gong*, only about knee high. As I said earlier, you sit at a couch with LOTS of pillows on it and if you wanted a chair, there was a chair to sit at. This gives you, the viewer a good view of the dance floor.
I think the people that run the Casablanca got a kick out of our group. NONE of us knew what to pick off the menu, how to eat it ect. Our waiter was most amused and actually liked telling us how to eat our dinner. First of all, they make you wash your hands before you eat. They pour warm/hot water over your hands in a brass basin and give you a white towel for your hands to dry on and to use as your napkin.
THE FOOD: Appetizer-cold cucumber/potato/carrot/eggplant salad. They also served a filo dough filled with lamb/cinnamon and other spices. It was sweet, almost like a dessert.* I gave this filo dough stuff a thumbs up!* Main course- *really spicy* chicken and beef kabobs. Dessert was mint tea! They pour it in a very elaborate style too. *about a foot above the glass-yes glass, no mug!* Overall, the food was really good. I'd go there again to eat*cept that I don't think I have ever eaten so much damn bread in my life!! Flat bread too!*. BUT, its not for people that are in a time crunch. It took 3 hours to eat the dinner. The time between courses was great, and you did not get rushed about eating ect...
THE SHOW!!!! My teacher, Bonita, was the first to perform. She did turkish/egyptian style dance. She wore a turksish style turquoise dress with LOTS of fringe! PLUS, she wore shoes. *from what I have read from a belly dance FAQ, turkish dancers always wear shoes* It was a really neat costume. Her first dance was a routine she has been teaching us in class. Dancing to SUERTE , by Shakira. *VERY COOL* Other music was an arabic (might have been persian) version of Tequila (!), and other egyptian and turkish music. Linda, one of my friends at work, recognized one of the songs from Quebec since it was in french. Bonita also did routines with canes, veil and sword. The sword dance was really really impressive. She balaced a scimitar on head and proceeded to bend backwards with it still on her head, not moving once. *COOL!* Her performance lasted a good 1/2 hour of basically non stop dancing. Everyone was impressed by all the shimmying, stomach fluttering. Everyone in my group gave Bonita a double thumbs up!!
There was also another dancer that did not dance with any props. She did wear a green and gold glitsy outfit that had 2 cutouts on the side to show some skin. It was a one piece dress. She was also barefoot. Everyone in my group kept commenting that you must have to have a large head of curly hair to be a belly dancer. Both Bonita and this other dancer have LOTS of hair, and it is very curly.
Did I tell you my teacher spotted me? She also came out after her routine to say hello to the 4 students *out of 20 somthing* that showed up. Sat down next to me and asked why I did not get up and dance. "So my little bambina, how come you did not get up to dance with me"? *blank look on face, afraid to talk- "um...I dunno, I'm not very good at this. -I even have a hard time looking at my teacher in the face, and she is nice! GAK!! there must be somthing wrong with me* Small chit chat* did I get my new flyer in the mail from the City to sign up for the next beginner advanced class- NO, fucking city has not sent them out yet and they won't let you register by mail!* Hopefully they will be in this week. That was it. She also said I was a good student, and was ready to go to the beginner advanced *woowoo!*
Other than that, that was the night in a nutshell. Everyone had a great time. I'd go again..
ps.. In May, there is a dance recitle for the beginner advanced class...I'll keep ya posted.
I get to go to a 90 min ZILLS class *finger cymbols* at my teachers studio on the 26th of this month. HOPEFULLY one day I'll actually be good at this. I mean, I suck at this...well not SUCK SUCK, but I'm not wonderful either. Anyway.. I wanted to share some more links with you all. Have fun.
Aleena's Belly Dance Gallery *PICCIES!!* This is what the majority of costuming looks like.
Enjoy!! I reallly like these sites.
PS. I'll keep you posted on the classes
Ok, my "zills" came in today. For all of you that don't know what they are, to put it simply. FINGER CYMBALS! They are totally kewl! My southern mama (Scott's mom) got them for me as a gift. All the way from Turkey! They are so neat. They sound like champagne glasses clinking together. *Clinkity, cLiNkiTy, ClInKiTy CLINK!* ---the cat's, especially Magrat, does not like them. Scott says I need to get zill mufflers for them now. :)
I STILL cant' walk and shimmy at the same time...
OK, why oh why can't I relax during class. You are supposed to be loose, not tight like me. Let it all hang out and relax. Tightness is a NO NO.
I STILL can't walk and shimmy at the same time. I'm going to have to practice my shimmies at work when I'm on the phone or somthing. My teacher also does not break down the steps for you in an easy way. She expects you to know it w/in 3 times showing you.
I also don't like her hand circles. They MAKE me want to be tight. You are supposed to hold an imaginary egg between your fingers . and then circle your wrists bakcward as if you are wiping out a jar. * you MUST be fluid in order for it to look right* If not, you look just plain dumb.
*Practice, Practice, Practice*
I DON'T even want to talk about traveling steps....
