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Love, Hugs and Happy Wishes…
Kathreen
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Delilah
The old fashion belly dance, the way I learned it, was not by choreography. It was live in a cabaret environment. The party atmosphere made things come up spontaneously that made choreography not very realistic. Sometimes the dance would stay on the stage and other times it was someone’s birthday and the dance moved around the room. Audience members made song requests and sometimes would sing low yearning poems into the microphones during my dance. The audience loved when the dancer came out into the audience and interacted with them. Most of the parties and restaurants I danced in hosted families and little kids were encouraged to put tips in my waist band. Many performances were sacred sacraments of divine grace under a mirror ball and some, down right rowdy and profane, with Greek sailors showering dancers with hundreds of dollar bills. In the 70’s I danced for 45 minutes per show. There was not one hair on my head that wasn’t soaked in sweat. My stamina was incredible and I felt like a cosmic astronaut, rocketing into out of this world trance spaces. In tribal society the trance is a big part of the dance. Dance is a means of prayer from the beginning of time. The tarab is divine ecstasy the listener gets into as part of the experience of the music. The dancer is a vessel; a container of the human interface.
This unique experience is valuable and transfers something vital to our soul experience. Today’s technical world is sadly lacking, as we sit addicted to our physically passive computer screens.
You use what you know and you create your dance in the moment. You can do this effectively if you know 5 moves or 500 moves. To me, this wildness is an exceptional opportunity in dance that should be revered and held on high. Not that it negates choreography. It’s just that at this point in society we have many dances that are contained and choreographed and fewer options that are un choreographed and free. Improvisational dance holds essential skills that benefit our life experience in important ways.
Improvisational dance doesn’t mean you don’t study rhythms, music, learn moves, develop your skill set, practice combos, condition the body and work to increase flexibility and endurance. It doesn’t mean you don’t have an intended destination either. You just navigate differently. Your moves become your paints. When we as the audience watch an improvisational belly dance, we are witnessing the painter painting. The dancer shares the live creative process with you. She listens carefully to the music and opens her heart and soul to be like a tuning fork and resonate with the vibrations in the air, using time and space. With each breath she is inspired to unfold the next movement in time. The spirit provided the force behind the motion. We call this dynamics. We all are individuals and this is an opportunity for individuality to shine. The challenge is to be relaxed enough to allow the exhibitionist to step forward. There lies the hitch. We are told at an early age not to show off. Don’t indulge yourself. This comes from our old puritan roots. However all artists are indulging the stuff that makes up their lives. We call this expression. The “don’t touch your own body policy” is just a stupid lack of appreciation for the marvelous gift of life you have been given. So check to see if that’s in the back of your brain and get rid of it, if you want to really dance. Whether you are dancing for yourself or for an audience or both, you must be open and susceptible to your emotions. Available, vulnerable and shameless.
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Shahraman Of LebanonThe beautiful and talented Shahraman dances in the classic Lebanese style!
Her presence is elegant with a feisty edge that is accented by her gorgeous costumes, many that she designs herself!
Recently, I had a conversation with Shahraman and asked her some questions about her dancing career.
Here is a snippet of our conversation!
Beautiful and Fluid!
Here is a little bit about Nathalie… Read the rest of this entry »
Pack your Bags…Let yourself out to play…Give yourself a few moments of Hot! Hot! Hot!…
We’re going to Istanbul, Turkey….Who’s HOT in Turkey?????
Didem!!!!
Didem Kinali became famous on Ibrahim Tatlises’s ‘Ibo Show’ ! Here is what she said recently about her sudden fame…
“All of a sudden, I found myself in Ibo Show. I stand witness to how a person’s life changes in one day. What I was yesterday, what I am today, what I will be tomorrow…”
Here she is putting a VERY different spin on Classic Om Kalthoum Music!!!!
Amazing!!! And don’t you LOVE that costume????
If you want to stick around and find out about Didem…Here is an interview from Wiki…after she broke her Talk-Ban imposed by “Mr. Ibrahim”….
”I’m Under Protection Courtesy of Mr. Tatlises
Didem, known by many as the belly dancer of Ibo Show, raised much curiosity due to the talk-ban issued on her by Ibrahim Tatlises. Widely known by her smile while dancing, contrary to the serious expression worn by many others, Didem decided to breach the talk-ban and answered many questions about her for Yeni Aktuel Magazine. Read the rest of this entry »
”While I Dance I cannot Judge,
I cannot Hate
I cannot Seperate Myself from Life.
I can Only Be Joyful and Whole.
That is WHY I Dance”.
Hans Bos
There is that ‘throbing’ place in each and every one of us, that contains all of the beauty we can imagine. It is there.. ALWAYS… if we allow it. It is the Heart set Free!
This beautiful dance we share is a “Fiery Chariot” that allows us to let loose of that ‘little self’ and soar passionately into the Beautiful Being that we Are!
To me, Valentines Day is a day of Beauty… as Love and Beauty are One.
What Beauty we have in the World of Oriental Dance!
So… to all of the Sweet Hearts… A song I LOVE!!! “Ya Tayeb Al Qalb’ ( Your Sweet Heart)………
Originally sung by Abdul Majeed Abdullah from Saudi Arabia.
The lyrics of the chorus are as follows..(A loose translation)…
“Oh, One with the sweet heart…
Where are you?
It is wrong to leave your lover.
I miss you….Oh, My Life.
Maybe your tenderness will bring you back.
Oh, My eyes long for your eyes.
Oh, the One with the sweet heart…
Where are you?”
Here is ‘Our beloved Egyptian Dancer FiFi Abdo’ on Lebanese TV..dancing to a Saudi song…in a cocktail dress! You Gotta love it!!!
And here is the music video of Abdul Majeed Abdullah singing ‘Ya Tayeb Al Qalb’..
Saudi Style!!! Wonderful!!! Read the rest of this entry »
What will be our Focus, Passion and Experience in this New Year?
What is ‘trending’ in the Global Orbit of Belly Dance…Oriental Dance Styles and costuming… as well as ‘Alternative Dance Styles’?
Where are the Creative ‘Hot Spots’ ?
What countries are experiencing a Belly Dance ‘Explosion’???
Why do we DANCE and are we truly Dancing with Joy?
If we are not experiencing ‘True Joy’ in our dance…What is ‘Blocking’ it?
How do we ‘Release The Genie’ ???
What kind of ‘Learning’ experiences are we looking for? When we go to a workshop or a class, what do we want to learn and experience?
What inspires us and How do we stay inspired?
Is Belly Dance the ultimate ‘Feminine Movement Mediation’????
Oriental Dance East and Belly Dance West…is there a difference..Really?
Dancing From the Heart…A Radical Personal Transformation!
These are just a few of the topics I am inspired to ‘Blog’ about here with you in the coming year!
What are some topics you would like to see covered ?
Please join in and leave your feedback…
Together, we can enrich our Personal and Collective Joy in the Feminine Art of Belly Dance!
We all want to hear from YOU!
Here is a ‘Cup of Inspiration’ for today!
Today, we embrace the current ’ Shinning Star of Egypt’ Randa Kamel! In her Modern Egyptian style, Randa is a Powerful Expression of Arabic music in motion! Her love, passion, innovation and dedication to her dance is ‘front row center’ in this performance! Randa shines in this show from ”Spectacle Tanyah’, France~Paris!
Enjoy!!!! Read the rest of this entry »
Merry Merry Christmas, Eid Mubarak,( a bit late) Happy Hanukkah, ( also a bit late) and to ALL…
I am looking forward to seeing you all here in The New year…we have all been so Blessed with this Life and Soul Affirming Dance…It is wonderful to share our experiences and insights!
I just have to share this delightful video I found…it is not the highest quality..since it is a home camera…it is of a young lady dancing at a home Christmas Party in Cairo, Egypt!
I was so moved and inspired by the natural and skilled quality of this young dancer… What a Star!…the video it seems was posted by her cousin…
The Dancer’s name is Yasmine Gamal!
Enjoy!
Here is one more of my favorite…’right from the comfort of your home’ Oriental Dance Stars…This is Zulaika…from Spain…she improvises and posts her dances on YouTube…and says she learns from YouTube Every Day!
She is adorable…Enjoy!
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