What is it that attracts us to this Powerful Dance?

Oriental Dance is purely feminine…there is no question about that!!!  That exquisite feminine movement calls to the natural rhythm of our ‘creature-hood’ as female.

The deep and powerful beats and the heart-centered melodic movements of Arabic music elicit  a primal, yet ethereal, body expression.

It is as if our deepest ‘self’ recognizes a perfect expression of beauty! It is our highest vision of ourselves.

The experience is, at once, empowering and transformative.

Those of us that have lived our lives with dance as our ‘center’, as  a constant ‘touchstone’ of our Joy, Beauty and Power KNOW that it has been bestowed through the Gift of Grace. Our greatest Joy is to Dance!

As a young woman I was awakened in and through this dance. I had truly ‘fallen in love’…I was consumed! I even had my Dance Teacher say “it is only dance’…

but that was because he was a male…he could not KNOW the Primal Passion of the Goddess! Yet, he felt the Power of the Dance and understood it.

Now, after all of these years, I can reflect and SEE how pivotal it was to embrace this dance. In spite of the resistance I encountered, on so many levels.

I do KNOW that it has been the instrumental, if not, central aspect of my personal and spiritual development.

I know, or at least imagine, that I share that with countless women.

The greatest beauty of this dance is that it is for ALL women…All ages…it is a source of Joy and Power wherever and whenever the music plays…

Even in the kitchen!!!

Thank You Maria Aya..You are Fantastic!!!!!

OK Ladies! Let’s Dance!!!!

Here we are in 2010!

 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 »

Wishing All You Beautiful Dancers……

Merry Merry Christmas, Eid Mubarak,( a bit late) Happy Hanukkah, ( also a bit late) and to ALL…

Happy New Year! Dancing the Dream in 2010!

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!
Read the rest of this entry »

“ Children Are Our Teachers”

When I was living in Lebanon it was always purely delightful and an education in movement to watch a little girl get up and dance. In family parties, there is always, it seems, a ‘little bright star’ that just loves to dance. The adults encourage her and everyone becomes totally inspired!

Usually one of the women gets a scarf and ties it around her hips..and off she goes!  The ‘Natural Movement’ of these little beauties is pure joy!

Here is a fantastic clip from an old Egyptian movie of a ‘Family Party’ with a ” Little Star’ that ‘gets the party started’ .. And Ends it!

What Fun!

After all that is what this dance is about..Fun…Joy…Beauty! That is the essence of dancing! Children are naturally in the spirit of dance.

This next clip was filmed by someone attending the Ahlan Wa Sahlan Festival in Cairo. This young girl got up on stage between the shows to ‘play around’… watch and learn! Read the rest of this entry »

To Understand Baladi is to feel the heart of Oriental Dance!

I have often been asked over the years to explain  Baladi ….

The word Baladi…also transliterated as..Beledi..Balady..etc…literally means ‘My Country’ yet refers to not only the country but also the village or region of origin. As people left their villages to go to cities for economic reasons, they still held  ’baladi’  in their heart.

Baladi is also a ‘Style’ of dance. It is the dance of the people. In Egypt, Baladi is the type of dancing you will find in village and urban weddings and parties. It is also classically part of the Raks Sharki show.

  The costume is usually a ‘dressy’ form of ‘Thobe’ or Gallabiyah’ which is the long straight robe with sleeves and often slits on both sides. A scarf or belt is worn over it at the hips. The variations on this theme are limitless and each one is beautiful and expressive of the ‘regional culture’ of the music and dancer. 

Here is a short clip of Egyptian Superstar FiFi Abdou doing a ‘Baladi’ section of her show in an outdoor venue in Ismallia Egypt. Fifi was known in the beginning of her career as a ‘Baladi’ Dancer or as often quoted, ” a dancer for the people”. In this show she comes out with the ‘malaya’ a heavy,usually black, wrap that is a prop used in ‘Malaya Leff ’ a  “street dance ‘ of Iskandaria ( Alexandria) Egypt….( you will see it on her exit) and then she picks up the cane (Assaya)…Just a taste of Baladi, Fifi style… Read the rest of this entry »