Shimmies for a Cure Quatro - Workshops and Hafli

I feel like I've gone through a long hiatus of belly dancing.  Though it's mainly been a time and money issue, I knew that I needed to push through some of the stress and continue dancing.  So, I've been continuing classes with Amira Jamal on Mondays, as well as with Najmat on Tuesdays.

But this past weekend, on March 27th, I was able to participate in the Shimmies for a Cure Quatro workshops and hafli.

Shimmies!

Baseema Moirae and *Samantha* are an organizing super team!  It was truly an eventful and awesome day, and really a great way to get more fully involved in the art form.  All of the funds went toward one of the organizer's involvement in the PanMass Challenge, which is a cycling event that benefits the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

I had the pleasure to take part in 4 fabulous workshops from 4 master teachers.

Lots of ladies taking workshops!

Bolly Bellies with Jesi
Jesi is awesome!  Super high energy and funny, she lead us through an intro course in Bollywood style dance. It was a great way to warm up in a somewhat chilly room.  We all sported our flounciest skirts and tried to keep up with her fast-paced choreography.  Though we were only given an hour with her, Jesi was able to teach us all of the steps.  Granted, it was difficult to get every step perfect, but she really helped us feel the energy and drama that's associated with the popular Bollywood movies.

Raq Like and Egyptian with Najmat
Oh, Najmat.  I love this woman!  As one of my current belly dance teachers, she really knows how to help you hone in your technique.  We worked on a set of moves that really worked on our posture and muscle control, as Egyptian style is generally more controlled.  We worked on large hip circles, figure 8's, and pops.  And just when your body is starting to feel pain from all the repetition, she switches to the other side.  And then she puts a shimmy on top of it!  She really proves that practice makes perfect.

Balkan Beat Box à la Melina with Melina
Melina, from the Daughters of Rhea, got us to be silly and have fun with her choreography.  A mix of Turkish, Greek, and plain old good times, the choreography had us all laughing and enjoying ourselves.  Though we weren't able to get through all of the choreography she had planned for us, she seemed to mainly focus on feeling ownership over our bodies and our style, no matter how silly it may look to others.  I must admit that I had a really fun time during her workshop, and finished the workshop with a little bounce in my step.

Techniques for Stage Presence and Performance with Ela Rogers
Ela is one of the premiere tribal performers in New England.  She asked us to stand in a circle, and for each of us to walk around the inside and make eye contact with every other person.  Then, we were to stand in the middle, turn our head to look at one person then follow with turning our bodies.  Eye contact is so important in performance.  So it was interesting to see who really made eye contact with every single person, who skipped people, who took really quick glances, and who was able to linger.  We also worked on a short combination that helped us use what we learned about eye contact.

Goodness!   I would most definitely love to take a class or workshop with all of those fabulous ladies again!  Four hours worth of workshops later, I'm feeling pumped to do some shopping (which I did...a LOT of!) and watch some of my favorites light up the dance floor.

Sidebar:  Oh, the shopping!  But the one item I do want to highlight is the new Sassy Sparkles Eye Kandy color created in honor of this event.  With a name created by one of the dancers and voted on by the guests, "I Dream of Gaia" (gold, green, and brown) premiered at the Shimmies for a Cure Quatro.

I Dream of Gaia

Below are the "good" shots that I got of the performances.  It was difficult, I must say, without a fancy schmancy camera.  I tried not to use my flash so as not to blind the dancers, but I unfortunately didn't get the best pictures possible nor was I able to get decent pictures of all the performances.

Nepenthe, dancing to Mashaal

*Samantha*, tribal hip-hop fusion

Jemileh Nour, my gorgeous friend dancing for the first time in 2 years

Jesi, bringing down the house with her bhangra

Badriya al-Badi'a, an ode to the OG Egyptian dancers

Najmat, her moves and beautiful costume speaks for itself

Nikki, one of Boston's Best balancing a sword

Troupe Moirae, jazzy fusion

Melina, balancing a sword on a dagger in her mouth, yo!

Aepril Schaile, the Snow Queen graces us with her presence

Ela Rogers, closing the evening with a memorable performance

I feel absolutely blessed to have been a part of the Shimmies for a Cure day.  I'm feeling inspired not only by the wonderful talent I was surrounded by, but by the amazing community that was able to raise close to $4000 for the PanMass Challenge!

Congratulations to Baseema and *Samantha* for another top notch Shimmies for a Cure!

Point of Views on Middle Eastern Dance - "Civilization" Video Game

This lazy Saturday morning, my boyfriend is trying out some new games he's acquired.  I wake up to see him playing Sid Meier's Civilization Revolution.

Taking over the world...one culture at a time...

Having very limited knowledge of video games, though I will admit that I dabble once in a while, I was at first shocked to see the representations of different cultures.  But as I was still rubbing the sleep out of my eyes, my boyfriend told me that he was currently playing as Saladin, "a Kurdish Muslim warrior and self-proclaimed Sultan of Arabia."

If you take a look at the website, there's 16 different cultures you can represent, from Aztec Nation to Zulu Nation.  Each leader is accompanied by historical background, all factual.

So, from what I've gathered, you can use different tactics to win game - technology, culture, economic, and warfare.  But I'm assuming it would be beneficial to use all the tactics in one way or another.  But, as my boyfriend had already built up some culture points, there was a hall in the capital that featured acrobats, dancing bears, and belly dancers.

I managed to grab some video of the dancing, and thought it would be neat to share.

Not bad, really.  I see a couple of figure 8's, undulations, Egyptian hip hits.  I tried to find some information on the music, but I couldn't really find much of anything.  If anyone recognizes it, please let me know in the comments!

In general, it does seem like the game tries really hard to be true to history, so I didn't find myself too offended after watching more of the game play.  I did appreciate the presence of Middle Eastern dancers, and the fact that they weren't completely "Hollywood-ized."

Fair Warning to Whipper Tickler Lovers

Got a kitty?

Caught in the act!

 My new kitty, Yoni, got a hold of my Whipper Tickler...

It's hers now.

Original Wedding Expo - First Expo Experience

This past Sunday, March 7th, I joined another Goddess at a Wedding Expo.  I just happened to be on the Happy Buzzing message boards, and a Goddess needed a replacement for her.  I was a little hesitant because I was afraid I wouldn't be prepared, but I decided it was time to push myself a bit more.

Though I've done bar events and I've done expo-style events, this was definitely a first for me and my business.

Before I write about how the expo went, I feel that I should get a couple of things off my chest.

2009 really left me burnt out on weddings.  Granted, I managed to have a good time at each of them, I feel like weddings are a huge money-suck.  For those who can afford it and who feel like they want to enter the contract of marriage in that way, that's great.  But it just isn't really for me.

blergh

Don't get me wrong.  I used to want a ginormous wedding.  I even had a groom in mind.  But, after the heartbreak and the reality check, I just feel like I've overgrown that ideal.  Of course, if and when I get married, the party will still be awesome.  But I don't need the frilly detailed bits.

I knew I had to mentally prepare myself for all the women who very much believe that THIS IS THE GREATEST DAY OF MY LIFE, and that every detail has to be absolutely perfect OR I WILL KILL SOMEBODY.

Also, a week before this expo, there was supposed to be another Bridal Show in the Hynes Convention Center in Boston.  However, it turns out it was a huge scam that cost vendors and brides-to-be a pretty penny.  Luckily, the organizers of the Wedding Expo I attended were allowing those scammed to attend for free.

So, not only did I have to prepare for the overly hyped-up brides, I felt that I also had to prepare for the pissed off brides who got scammed.

Can you tell that I'm a bit jaded about weddings?

The boyfriend and I laughed at my helping at the Wedding Expo, especially since we both feel the same way about weddings.  But we both also knew that this would be a great experience for me.

Luckily, Goddess Nikki, who I joined, was a pro at expos.  She had been doing at least one expo every year, and it kept her list of contacts fresh.  I felt much more relieved knowing that she knew the ropes.

Now, I'm about to start gushing about why I love Athena's.  Man, do they take care of us or what!!  Not only does the office provide us with 50 catalogs and some large items from our Learning Resource Center, but they also help us with our display.

Bomb display setup!

Though Nikki and I brought in products from our own demos, the Ramp, Wedge, Silky Throw, Athena's Cup promotional material, and back drop were all provided by our amazing Home Office.  It's nice to know that the company will really help take care of us and help us out when need be.

For the majority of the time, we were pretty prepared with the amount of influx.  Tons of ladies (and a couple of guys labeled with tuxedo stickers) stopped by our booth.  By the end of it, we had distributed all the materials we had prepared and then some.  We must have collected more than 100 names to add to our contact list.  I had at least 2 girls interested in becoming a Goddess, and I booked 3 party dates!

I would also like to report that since I was a representative for a specific niche, I didn't have to hear too much about wedding details.  It was nice to see so many women walking around and getting excited about another detail taken care of.  Though the expo has the potential of overwhelming a bride, our booth helped to provide that whole reminder of relaxation and self-care that we're so good at.

Hamming it up...

Would I ever do this again?  Most definitely.  While I don't necessarily want to have the stress of being the main person on the contract, it's a really fun experience and great for building your contacts.

Would I ever go to a Bridal expo as a bride-to-be?  Probably...but mainly for the free food samples!