MassRaqs 2010 - Part 2

I decided to cut the post, since it was getting a bit too long.  Now, where was I?  Oh yes, the final day of MassRaqs 2010.

Sunday Workshops

Sunday, September 26th

Sunday was going to be a jam-packed day with 4 workshops and a Gala show in the evening.  This day felt a lot more relaxed, interestingly.  Perhaps because we already knew what to expect for the workshops.  Also, knowing that Springstep's staff would be in charge of setting up chairs really took a lot of stress away.

Shadia - Double Cane Technique
I have very limited experience with the cane, though I have to say that doing the saiidi choreography with Meiver for Barka helped to make me feel more confident about using this prop.  But 2 canes?  Well, that's a completely new adventure.  Truth be told, this workshop was a huge wake-up call for me.  Shadia stressed practicing at least 5 minutes a day with a cane, and in both hands, would really help everyone's technique.

My favorite part of this experience was learning some new tricks with the cane.  There was one trick where we twirled the cane and caught it on the other end (hard to explain, but really cool to watch!).  I found it hilarious that everyone (including me!) was dropping our canes during the practice.  We all had a lot to learn, but we are eager to do so.

My least favorite part of this experience was that I completely forgot that I hid my canes during the Gala and I forgot them at the venue!  Luckily, dowels don't const that much, so I can easily replace them.

Shadia - Bedouin Styling
Shadia, a master in folkloric style, introduced many of us to the Levantine and Bedouin style which is a lot less hips and more hands and arms and shoulders.  We went through a combination of steps and movements that are characteristic of these folkloric styles.

Then she paired us by height and we did some debke line dancing.  This was so much fun!  First of all, it was hilarious to see how fast the tall group moved across the room, and how much slower it took for the shorter groups.  But the beat of the music and the fact that it's a group line dance just makes it feel like a party.

Boẑenka for Cassandra - Oriental Technique Tune-Up
Boẑenka took us through some modern oriental technique work, leading us across the floor with different combinations and different facial expressions.  In a way, this felt like an extension or a second part of her Arms and Hands workshop from Saturday.

It was fun to cross the room with so many of my friends, and it was nice to watch the other dancers in the room strut their stuff.  It felt like we were all really cheering each other on, and just plain enjoying ourselves.

Boẑenka - Drum Solo
Perhaps one of the most exciting parts about this workshop, aside from learning some technique from one of the most renowned dancers, was that we had a live drummer to dance with.  One of the local drummers who was performing with the band at the Gala helped us learn a little bit about how to connect with the drummer.  Boẑenka stressed that while it often feels that the dancer has to chase after whatever the drummer is doing, the dancer can do a couple of things to signify that she will be changing her movements.

She had us individually approach the drummer and signify when we would be finishing a phrasing.  It was fun to watch each person dance and learn what moves help to signal to the drummer.  Then, several of the attendees picked up some drums and each of us participated in a drum circle.  We each danced to a full drumming group, and it was fun to show what we had learned.

In total, I have to admit that Saturday's workshops felt more like a lot of hard work, whereas Sunday felt a lot more relaxed and fun.  This isn't to say that either day wasn't filled with both hard work and fun, but there was definitely more of one aspect present on one day versus the other.

Sunday Gala
Goodness.  I feel absolutely blessed to have started and ended the weekend watching such a huge variety of amazing dancers.  The performers were a mix of people I have watched several times and people I had only heard of.  The Gala really felt like a perfect bookend to an already inspiring weekend.

Let me start by talking about a little bit of trouble we ran into before the doors were even officially open.  One woman was extremely angry that we were unable to take credit or debit cards for admission.  She said that we should have advertised it, which is true, but there was no need to be extremely angry at us for not having the capability of card swiping.  That is definitely something to remember for next year's and any upcoming events.

The first set of the evening was the folkloric portion.  There was some cane action from Chantel as well as some debke line dancing from Shadia's Mirza Troupe, both of which made me sway along with the music.  Then Boẑenka performed a maleya leff, which is flirty and uses an embellished veil.  She looked like she was having such a fun time with the dance.

The second set of the evening was mainly raqs shaqi dances.  Watching Meiver and Najmat dance is always such an amazing experience.  Meiver with her amazing combinations and Najmat with her delicious gooeyness are enough to bring in a whole new group of belly dance enthusiasts.  Though Nina had performed at Baraka, I didn't get a chance to watch her move, so I was excited to get the chance during the Gala.  Local favorites Pheadra and Hanan also graced the stage, playing zills and twirling double canes, respectively.  I tried to pay attention to their technique, especially since we had worked on those two this weekend.

Then, of course, the Gala closed with another performance by Boẑenka.  She is just amazing!  If you ever get a chance to learn from her or to watch her move in person, it is something you really want to strive for.  But, let me not forget to mention her AMAZING costume!

Boẑenka's gorgeous costume

I'm pretty sure even the band members were mesmerized by her movements.  Her costume only helped to accentuate how amazing she is.  It's always very interesting to watch dancers of such popularity live in action.  She really exudes confidence and a love for the dance - something we are all striving to naturally exude.

In Conclusion
MassRaqs was really a complete success.  Sure, there were some unhappy folks about Cassandra's absence, and I'm sure that not everyone was completely happy about the weekend.  Sure, there could have been a lot more tightness in the event implementation and organization and time management.  These are all things that we will be aware of in terms of future event planning.  Some things worked, and some things didn't.

With the New England belly dance community recently having experienced some negativity in the form of undercutting and gossip, this weekend (which also featured a tribal event organized in Boston) was really needed.  Starting the weekend with an open dialog about what makes Boston and New England such a stronghold for the belly dance community, filling in workshops that could only enhance everyone's dance, and ending with beautiful dancers just felt cohesive and inspiring.

Considering that I woke up this morning feeling like I just wanted to keep dancing and then reading about other people's feelings about the weekend on Facebook, it just means that MassRaqs 2011 (Save the Date: October 21st-23rd) is just going to be better in every way.

MassRaqs 2010 - Part 1

What an amazing weekend!  I wanted to write about my MassRaqs experience as a participant and as an assistant in the process.  I was more than happy to share my skills to help this event, and I feel like I've learned a lot about the process as well.

First of all, MassRaqs was created as a way to bring the New England belly dance community together for a weekend of discussion, learning, and performing.  In that respect, I believe that the event was a complete respect.  But, being the first year the event took place, there is definitely much for all of us to learn from.

Panel Presentation and Performances
Friday, September 24th
The first event of the weekend took place in Green Street Studios in Central Square.  It's amazing how one of the studios is able to change from a regular looking studio into a beautiful performance and show space.  One of the drawbacks, however, is the poor air circulation - when it's hot, it's hot!

As an event assistant, I knew that we had a limited amount of time to organize the space before the event could begin.  There were definitely enough hands, and we even got some help from one of the audience members.  Unfortunately, we did get started a bit later than scheduled, and we definitely ended a lot later than scheduled.

Perhaps it would have been useful to delegate exactly what needed to be done to the specific people who were going to be there to help.  That way, everyone could focus on their specific task and help anyone who might need extra help when they're done.

My approach to event organization is definitely one of multi-tasking.  Even if you were the one delegating tasks, you need to be moving around and helping with things as well.  "Floating" doesn't mean just standing around while everyone is moving.

As a participant of the event, I though the discussion and video sampler of Amy Smith and DeAnna Putnam's "Aziza!" was wonderful.  There were conversations about the changes in the New England belly dance scene throughout the years, thoughts on preserving the past as well as the present, and hopes for the future of the community.

I have to admit, I was enthralled by the conversation.  I felt proud to be part of the New England belly dance community, considering that the American belly dance scene really started in Boston.

After the panel, difference dancers from all over New England (from Connecticut to Maine, Rhode Island to Vermont, and everything in between) performed their different styles of raqs sharqi.  It was a pleasure to watch the dancers, many of whom are my friends.  I have to admit that my face hurts from the joy of watching them.

After the event was over, there was, of course, the break down part of the event.  Again, while it seemed to take less time to take everything down and put everything back, it still would be useful to have delegated tasks.  Also, the event should have been planned down to the second.  Dancers arrive at a specific time, panel ends lasts a specific amount of time, etc.  Overall, though, the first event of the weekend was a success.

Saturday Workshops
Saturday, September 25th
Saturday featured 3 workshops from 3 different teachers.  Unfortunately, Cassandra had an injury and was unable to come to Boston for the weekend.  I know that many participants were eager to learn from her, and many were disappointed that she wasn't able to teach her workshops.  However, I do think that Meiver did what she could at such short notice, and considering that Boẑenka was the replacement teacher, I think that we were lucky to still have the workshops available to us.

Obviously, it would only benefit us to be exposed to a variety of teachers.  Though, on the other hand, I think it would have also been awesome to extend Boẑenka's already assigned workshops.  I mean, who couldn't use more work on their Hands and Arms?

As a event assistant, I was mainly charged with preparing registration sign-in forms and making sure the vendors had all they needed.  I definitely went into event mode the second I stepped off the bus.  The vendors were one of the first to arrive, and I helped to get them set up on their tables.  I also helped to set up the registration table, prepared with signage and tons of pens.

Throughout the day, I stayed relatively vigilant about who was coming in through the doors and elevators, even though I tried to focus on participating in the workshops.

Meiver - Exciting Combinations for Modern Oriental Style
Having studied and learned some Modern Oriental style with Meiver for the Baraka event, I was proud to know that I was probably a little more advanced than some of the others who were new to Meiver's style.  Considering that I found the Modern Oriental to be the most challenging, I knew it would only benefit me more to take this workshop.

Part of the combination was similar to the choreography we learned for Baraka, but the changed in the choreography were just as challenging as learning it the entire choreography the first time.  Honestly, I think Meiver's choreography and combinations are beautiful and exciting.  It takes some serious skill to produce choreography in the graceful way that she does.

Boẑenka - Arms and Hands: Technique for Fluid Arm Movement and Emotive Gesturing
I think that part of what made me fall in love with belly dance was the snake arms.  I know, however, that it's something I need a lot of work on.  Boẑenka worked us all very hard!  There was definitely a lot of movement repetition and keeping our arms up.  I was scared I was going to be extremely sore the next day, but I wasn't.

You definitely need some serious arm and shoulder strength to help you get to the point of having gorgeous arms and hands.  But Boẑenka's stretching suggestions were also extremely helpful.  I know that I don't really think about stretching my hands and wrists very often, but now I will be more conscious of doing so.  Watching her move her arms and hands really made me feel inspired to keep working on my own technique.

Boẑenka for Cassandra - Beledi Stylings
I heart the beledi.  It's so earthy and fun.  Boẑenka reminded us, however, that while it is an earthy dance style, it is still a very proud dance style.  Earthy does not mean that technique gets lost, but that it is a different feeling added onto the technique.  She taught us a bit of combinations and then took us through some zill/zagat work.

It was interesting to see how she taught the finger cymbals.  Most of my instructors have focused on alternating the hands, so that both hands are used.  But Boẑenka stressed that the right hand (or your dominant hand) kept the beat while the left hand inserted little accents.  I have to admit that it was difficult to change to that way of playing after having played a different way for so long.  But it was an interesting way to think about the zills.

By this final workshop of the day, my feet were achy and I was tired from getting very little sleep the night before.  I was excited to go home and rest for the final day of MassRaqs.

Coming Up Next:  Sunday Workshops, Gala, and Final Thoughts

Upcoming Events!

Athena's Events:

Sunday, September 19th, 8pm
Sex, Drugs, & Juggs Trivia
Bra collection for the Athena's Cup
The Savant Project
1625 Tremont St
Roxbury (Brigham Circle, On the E Line)
Bring bras you don't want/need anymore to help us break the world record for the most bras hooked together!
Prizes for Best Team Name, Raffle for Donating Bras, and Grand Prize of Items for Winning Team

Saturday, October 2nd, 2pm-6pm
Bingo For a Cure
Bingo, dranks, and more bra collecting!
Lir Pub & Restaurant

903 Boylston Street

Boston (between Hynes and Copley on the Green Line, I believe)
$10 for 10 Bingo Cards
Over $500 in prizes are given out to Bingo winners

Friday, October 8th, 9pm-11pm

Air Sex World Championships
Started in the Grand Ol' State of Texas! This is a 1 year old event that looks so ridiculous, but quite hilarious!
The Middle East Upstairs

472 Massachusetts Ave.

Cambridge (Central Sq on the Red Line)

There's still room for people to compete!
Tickets are $15 and available here.


Belly Dance Events:
Raks Spooki
Sunday, October 17th, 4pm-7pm
The Regent Theatre Underground

7 Medford Street

Arlington, MA (I believe there are several buses that come from Harvard Sq)
Basically, this is a gothic/fusion dance show that is really quite entertaining! I'm not dancing in it, but I'm definitely planning on enjoying this show.
Tickets are $12 and are available in advance at http://www.badriyaboston.com/raksspooki.html

Raks Nativity
Saturday, December 4th, 7-9:30pmChelmsford Old Town Hall,
4 North Road,
Chelmsford MA
I don't know yet how much the tickets are, but I will keep y'all updated. It's a benefit for Cradles to Crayons.
This one is far in the future and far away, I know.  BUT, it's basically the Nativity Story told to Middle Eastern Dance.
AND guess who's playing the VIRGIN Mary???

The "Doctors"

I've caught several glimpses of this afternoon show while at nail salons.  But today, I just needed to take a look at an episode.

Doctor Actors

After watching this episode, I've decided that I really dislike the lot of them.  I'm sure they have medical degrees based on the fact that they're wearing scrubs and lab coats, and I wouldn't be surprised if they are just the figureheads for the actual less-attractive doctors who provide the real information.

So, today's show was mainly a recap show about laughter and how good it is for you.  I'll agree with that statement.  But the majority of clips from previous shows were about sexual health and body image issues.

They showed several clips with Dr. Ruth, who I think is pretty awesome.  She brought a couple of toys to show them, and they all had a good laugh.  They also brought up that there are some foods that would boost your sex drive and  would help give you orgasms.

One recipe was an "Orgasm Smoothie" which is a blend of blueberries, bananas, peaches, milk, flaxseed, ginger, honey, and nutmeg.  If you know anything about food, you know that these ingredients are generally great for anyone's diet since they're full of antioxidants and vitamins.  The other food item was some "Viagra-like" ice cream.  Dr. Ruth then pipes in, "You don't need ice cream!  You need to feel attraction to your partner and know what feels good!"

Amen Dr. Ruth.  Amen.

Then the clips turned to "trimming the hedges," as they called it.  They shared their own opinions about how much hair should be "down there," also sharing that trained professionals should handle any waxing action.  I do wish, however, that they addressed manscaping!  Taking care of yourself or doing personal maintenance is mainly a personal preference.  Nonetheless, I think it's also not something that should be focused on any specific gender!

After this segment, I was ready to start throwing things at the television.  The conversation about pubic hair removal then "naturally" moved on to the one thing I really hate right now...vajazzling.  It worried me that the only female doctor seemed to be somewhat approving of vajazzling.  But it made me feel almost less angry that the men were just quite skeptical of glittery vaginas.

I have to admit that the entire show is extremely frustrating.  It's hard to take any of them seriously.

I'm sure there have been studies that show that people are more inclined to trust or listen to someone when that person is considered "attractive."  But this makes me trust them less.  The fact that the "Doctors" all look like they're also actors makes me feel worried and nervous.  The fact that the majority of the show is really an hour long commercial for a variety of products makes me feel like there are hundreds of thousands of people being duped.

I guess in the scheme of things, it's better that some of the information is getting out to the masses rather than people living ignorantly.  I just hope that the information is more correct than anything else.

Athena's August Sales Meeting

It was about due time that the Goddesses gathered once again at our beloved Sales Meeting.  On August 21st, the Goddesses descended on Woonsocket's Stadium Theater, bringing with them their positive spirit and go-get-em attitude.

This was the first sales meeting that Adonis Alan, my downline, was a part of, and I was excited to share that day with him.

Team "Sirens and Satyrs"

We drove down with Goddess Jenny Serratore, one of my "sisters," and we were all happy to be spending the day together.

The second we received our packet of information about the day, I immediately looked for information about where the Goddesses were heading to on the Goddess Get-Away 2011 trip.  I was delighted to see that the Playa del Carmen area of Mexico was the destination!  Jenny and I had talked earlier this year about how we should really try to go on the trips, and that we would definitely be going next time.  So, we gave each other a knowing look, and agreed to go.  Little did Jenny know what was in store for her this day.

Most of the morning half of the meeting is about updates to the website, updates to the business, and recognizing Top Sales, Top Recruiters, and Top Leaders.  While that part is definitely exciting, especially when Team Members are getting recognized, we were all eager for the second half.

The second half is where "the action" is.  The second half is where we get speakers from different companies. The second half is where we meet the new products.

I'm really quite pleased to announce that we had quite a bevy of special guests at the meeting to talk about their companies.  But I have to admit that I was most excited about...Scott from Wet!

I was so excited about Scott...I couldn't get a good picture!

I'm a huge fan of Wet and their products.  I personally think their lube has a better feel to it, and it doesn't get too sticky after sex and after demos.  Well, Scott introduced us to their ground-breaking lube that's fresh off their factory line.

Wet Synergy, in Regular or Cool & Tingly, is a hybrid lube.  It is 40% water-based, 30% glycerin-based, and 10% silicone-based.  It lasts 3x as long as regular water-based lube AND it's safe on silicone-based toys.  Wet Synergy is also paraben free, making it super safe for all skin types.  The hotter the action is, the better it will feel!

Wet Synergy - $20 for 7oz

But all good things do come to an end.  Scott couldn't stay for much longer, but it was a pleasure to see him as always.

Our next guest was Georgine from EB Labs, the makers of all our fabulous hemp-based products.  She came to announce two new products that Athena's Goddesses themselves requested.  I think it's such a cool thing that companies listen to our feedback and really show us results.

Georgine was proud to present a new addition to our already popular line of soy candles:  Grape!

As always, our soy candles are $18

Now, I'm a HUGE fan on their Bath and Shower Gel especially since it comes in Skinny Dip.  But that is the only scent it comes in.  Georgine was proud to present Zing! Tingling Body Wash to our line.  Zing! creates that refreshing tingly feeling because of the mint in the ingredients.  Just thinking about it makes me feel fresh and clean!

Zing! Tingling Body Wash - $13.50 for 8oz

Our next guest speaker is new to the Athena's Sales Meetings, but is probably going to be a new favorite for many in the audience!  Matt from Liberator Shapes came to show us a new shape we would be carrying called Jaz.  Jaz has more curved edges to than the popular Wedge, and it is easily disguiseable as a laptop table.

Jaz - $69, appropriately of course

Then, Matt introduced us to a set of eggs.  At first, we had no idea what they were about.  Here's a picture from the Athena's website of The Egg.

For all 6 Eggs, $11

What the heck are they, right?  Well, then Matt did this.

!!!!

The Eggs are masturbation sleeves!  The pictures on the packaging of each egg show you what the texture is like on the inside.  Each egg has its own sample of lube packed inside.  If each Egg is cleaned and taken care of, it can be used several times before discarding it.  Still, I think it's an interesting and innovative idea, but also very strange.

Matt was the final speaker for the day, though Tony from Cal Exotics was also present to witness the Sales Meeting.  It seemed that each speaker was a hot guy or girl for everyone in the audience!

Then our Mother Goddess Jennifer Jolicouer and Warehouse Manager Ed Boucher graced the stage to share more new products.

A new addition to our Body Care line has perhaps the best name.  Fresh Balls and Fresh Breasts do just that:  keep normally sweaty areas more dry.  Though it goes on line a lotion, this talc-free product really helps to keep the testicles and under-boob from feeling like they're in a sauna.

Fresh Balls and Fresh Breasts - $17 each

For our Body Eaters, we have two new additions.  The first one is for your lips.  The Delicious Kisser comes in Devil's Food Cake and Angel's Food Cake.  It has Vitamins E and C, and creates a tingly sensation that plumps up your lips a bit.

Delicious Kisser - $7

The second addition is for the nips.  Nipple Nibblers are already a popular product, both for tingly pleasure and for practical use as a lip gloss.  Well, going along with the Grape Soy Candle, the Nipple Nibblers are transitioning into a lip gloss tube.  It is possible that the other flavors will be following suit.

Nipple Nibblers in Grape - $4

But now let's move to the toys, yes?

For the guys, we have a new masturbation sleeve that is quite snug with textured ribbing.  The Gripper has a realistic vulva opening, and the sleeve has a protective plastic cover so that your guy can really have a good grip.

The Gripper - $48

The O has a tiny vibrator with an attachment that fits on your finger.  It's waterproof and made of IntraMed, an environment-friendly material.  The tip of the toy is almost like a fast little tongue, so it would really get you to that O fast!

The O - $30

This next toy provides an interesting flexible experience.  Its 3 speeds are super quiet, and the shaft is slender, ribbed, and phthalate free.  Set on Stun is deceptive in its looks, but quite mighty in its feel.

Set On Stun - $40

This next toy got all the Goddesses in a tizzy!  We were all extremely excited that someone in production has finally caught on to the needs and wants of the consumers.  The Remote Controlled is a more reasonably priced toy than the Exotic Remote Controlled Panties, and it's really the main item that people would want.  So Kudos to the Cal Exotics folks!

Remote Controlled - $47

The Spicy Innuendo is a portable and phthalate-free vibrator.  The vibrator at the tip of the shaft provides strong G-spot stimulation, and the clitoral stimulator has 3 ticklers.  You can take this 3-speed toy with you on many travels and in the water.

Spicy Innuendo - $55

Finally, I would like to introduce you to the Maserati of toys.  The Lone Star Lover has 5 different speeds for 5 different combinations for the shaft, and 5 different speeds for 5 different combinations for the clitoral stimulator - each controlled separately.  Now, you know math isn't my strong suit.  But even I know that those numbers mean there are 625 different combinations of vibration for this toy!  It's also waterproof, phthalate-free, and compatible with water and silicone lube.

Lone Star Lover - $99

With that, I'd like to leave you with this video of the best Sales Meeting I've been to thus far.  Keep watching, and in the end and you'll see Goddess Jenny S. win the trip to Mexico!  I teared up from excitement at seeing her win such a fabulous trip.  Alan, Jenny, and I were feeling this unbelievable high all the way back to Boston.  I definitely can't wait for the next Sales Meeting in January!