Belly dance update: hafla's, solo and group performances

[mekyria]

Brwosing back through my journal I noticed that I haven't written about belly dance for a while. Being a bellydancer is like having a lifelong partner: at times I remember the first time we met and how I madly fell in love with belly dance. At other times, we don't get to spend quality time together, or I wonder if I am still interested and in love after thirteen years. In the past couple of weeks, I was having a resurging feeling of love for the dance, which is good!

here's a longish update, with pictures and video material.

May 21th: Laudie's student hafla in The Hague
We (Fakyma) gave Laudie flowers and chocolates for mothersday because she is our dance mom. She found it very amusing, and she told us that she feels slightly guilty for not having the time to work with us because she is busy with reopening the theatre and trying to earn enough money to keep it open. She is in New York for the Theatrical Belly Dance Festival btw, if flisties are there too you have a chance to meet this amazing woman.L

Laudie wants us to get more stage experience as a group. We did a folklore performance, starting with Melaya leff (dinga dinga), followed by Tunesian (lots of twist and it includes wool tassles). The Tunesian was pretty bad, though we managed to make the same mistakes at the same time so it was hardly noticable! I did my Fakerni solo as a bonus, this time in my red Eman which was a good choice.

May 25th: Hafla in Utrecht
I did a two year course for becoming a pro dancer and this hafla was to celebrate the ten year anniversary of the course. All performers have done or are curently enrolled in the course. Sense of Bellydance (Utrecht BD teachers) did the Muwashahat that was inspired by Farida Fahmy's workshop. We practiced but ended up being confused on stage all the time. Not our best performance, but it was okay and peple loved seeing muwashahat because it is a rare treat. Also, our blue costumes are adorable. Since the program had a couple of last minute cancellations, I did Fakerni as a solo which went well. More dynamic then previous times, better balance of energy and overall fun. Pieter commetned afterwards that he loved how I am completely there when I am performing, both in the
music, in emotion and with the connection to the audience. He totally made my day. He did a manly saaidi improv to Rakset el Assaya, the song that my students have been working on for the past year. I was happy that they were there, and that they got to see so many good performances and range in styles.

May 29th: opening of De Nieuwe Regentes!
The home base of The Oum Kolthoum Project, of the LAT project, of the Asli Sharqi festival and of Fakyma. It previously was a public swimmingpool and has been transfered into a theatre. We were scheduled on the small stage and this time we did our oriental set. It went well, the lights were a tad more blinding then usual and the stage too small to fully do the floorpatterns, but we managed. I noticed that I tend to make my steps big which comes in handy when you dance solo, not so good when you're in a group in a narrow space. Before our performance we hung out in the greenroom and chatted a bit with De Regahs, a Dutch band that performs Flamenco songs in the The Hague accent. They are a funny bunch.

Here we are, wearing swimming pool stuff and pasted into a picture of the building when it still was a swimming pool

June 2th: Student recital Utrecht
Our bi annual recital was early this year, we still have two more classes to go.The beginners did one song, the intermediates did three group performances and one solo. It was the first time in two years that I arrived early! We rehearsed, did a quick run through in the theatre room and then it was showtime. The new jazz/modern dance teacher had a 10 minute performance, we took slightly longer because a couple of the dancers did a quick costume change inbetween. I managed to video the whole thing with my brand new HD camera and put some clips online. Unfortunately my computer is too old to edit HD video material so it is regular avi quality. Will look into getting a new computer after the summer so I can do some proper editing and put new material online. Here is a clip of the first two songs. I also have the clip of the second part online, but youtube muted the sound due to possible copyright infrignement *sigh*. The dancing is better in the second part.June 2th: Student recital Utrecht
Our bi annual recital was early this year, we still have two more classes to go.The beginners did one song, the intermediates did three group performances and one solo. It was the first time in two years that I arrived early! We rehearsed, did a quick run through in the theatre room and then it was showtime. The new jazz/modern dance teacher had a 10 minute performance, we took slightly longer because a couple of the dancers did a quick costume change inbetween. I managed to video the whole thing with my brand new HD camera and put some clips online. Unfortunately my computer is too old to edit HD video material so it is regular avi quality. Will look into getting a new computer after the summer so I can do some proper editing and put new material online. Here is a clip of the first two songs. I also have the clip of the second part online, but youtube muted the sound due to possible copyright infrignement *sigh*. The dancing is better in the second part.

They did well and had fun! I am very proud of them and I look forward to teaching next semester. I wonder how long the cultural center will continue to hire their teachers: I suspect somewhere in the next two years they might change their business model to teachers hiring roms insted, in which case I am screwed. I'll worry about it when I get there.

Comments

[khalidad.livejournal.com]

The theatre is saved? oooh! That makes me REALLY happy to hear :) Looking forward to seeing you 'live' again in just a few weeks! x

[mekyria.livejournal.com]

I'm looking forward to DBC too! Will keep you posted on the theatre, the first year they'll receive some oney from the cityc ouncil, after that they have to earn enough to take care of themselves.