Twelve Months, Twelve Sentences

2012 was the most amazing bellydance year I've ever had. This year when I was lucky enough to be part of Club Bellydance and got the dance with the Baladi Blues Band, and entered my first ever bellydance competition. Can I summarise it in twelve sentences?! 

January didn’t bring any bellydance workshops my way, but I enjoyed going to my first ever hooping workshop, taught by the brilliant Ann McLaughlin; and I spent a LOT of time dancing to Alf Leyla Wa Leila, because in...

 

In February I was lucky enough to perform with the Baladi Blues Band, my first time ever dancing with a live band which I LOVED, as well as being invited to compere the Edinburgh University African and Arabic Dance Society’s hafla, and starting work with The Peacock Project.

I worked so hard for this performance and loved doing it!

In March, the wonderful Lorna of Cairo came to Scotland and I was to dance at her classes, organise a performance for her and generally hang out.

The Beautiful Lorna of Cairo, in Leith. With me.

 April brought another hooping workshop with Ann, and I had an excellent weekend of rehearsals with the Peacock Project, working towards and completing the choreography for our entry to this year’s Shimmy in The City competition.

May was amazing, when I rehearsed hard for and performed in Club Bellydance at The Pleasance, with the Bellydance Superstars, the biggest Bellydance gig I’ve ever been involved in, which was a brilliant experience for the dancing, the learning and the new friends I made. Oh and I ran the Edinburgh Marathon two days later! 

In June (deep breath) I taught 2 bellydance sessions for children at the PLU festival, which was really interesting and fun; I performed sha’abi style at the GFAD hafla and got a good response; organised  & performed at the rather splendid Leith Festival Hafla, which was very successful; and organised, ran and compered the Musselburgh Hafla, which was a really good event.

July brought the Big Dance weekend, which was also rehearsal weekend for The Peacock Project, and I organised an amazing flashmob in the National Museum of Scotland as well as preparing 3 of my 4 classes to perform. I also organised a performance night for Lorna of Cairo at Mimi’s bakehouse, where we all had cake for dinner!

In August I returned to full-time study after 16 years away, as I began to study for an HND in Fitness Health & Exercise at Edinburgh College. 

September was the culmination of the year’s work for the Peacock Project as we competed at Shimmy in the City, in London, which was an amazing, challenging, growing experience, and I survived the terrible disappointment of not winning.

By October I was back to teaching four wonderful classes, in Musselburgh and Dancebase, with lots of wonderful women and a lovely man. 

In November I danced with the Helwa Hurdies at a Halloween hafla and enjoyed expanding our repertoire; I compered and performed at a charity hafla at The Quay, organised by one of my students Sara Gollan, which was a brilliant night; and did lots of preparation with the Dancebase Improvers class for the Dancebase Christmas show, including extra rehearsals and costuming.

The Helwa Hurdies in Halloween dress, I Dream of Jeannie style! (if you're too young, Google!!)

December brought the brilliant Dancebase Christmas Show, where both of the classes I teach performed and did really, really well.

The lovely ladies of the Dancebase Improvers, just before taking the stage for their Golden Era tribute dance.

Wow. What with studying full time now, I don't expect to have a 2013 as jam-packed with bellydance goodies as 2012 was. But it was such an amazing year and I'm so thankful.

Club Bellydance comes to Edinburgh!

Just eight days to go until Club Bellydance - it's going to be an amazing, massive-deal of a show! and I cannot WAIT!!

Club Bellydance is an offshoot project from the Bellydance Superstars, sort of like their outreach project. They say it gives them a chance to engage better with local bellydance communities, and in Edinburgh, they will put on a show along with local teachers - including yours truly.

The first half of the show will be performed by local talent, and the second by BDSS. In Scotland, the local talent is great:

Kerimeh Irvine
Moyra Banks
Suraya Ahmed
Sarah Pulman
Nicola McLaren a.k.a Nicki
Elspeth Alexandra
Sarasvati Tribal: Laura Monteith (Troupe Leader), Stef Scott, Alison Kilgour, Amanda Robertson a.k.a Tigerlily
Katra Tribal: Susan Tonner
Elaine Hughes: ATS (American Tribal Style)
Paula Sana: Urban Belly Dance

And here we all are, looking awesome:

We've spent the last few months in rehearsal, challenging ourselves in so many ways - working with new dancers, putting together new choreographies, not to mention my personal bugbear, sewing, aargh!!!  It's been an amazing journey and the best bit is yet to come!

After last week's rehearsal we visited the Pleasance Theatre to see the view from the stage and check exactly how far the curtains are from the changing room. It's made the whole adventure even more exciting (and just a tiny bit more nerve-wracking!)

Please come along to the show - I'll be dancing baladi (in a beautiful new dress by Celia Buchan, woop!!) and I would love to hear a ton of noise from the audience when I perform! You can get tickets from The Pleasance, but remember if you buy them on the night, they'll be £15 and not the £12.50 you'll pay in advance.

Off to rehearse!

Summer term 2012

Get dancing with me this term!

 
Classes will resume in the week beginning 16th April. New students are welcome at classes at Dancebase and at the Fisherrow Centre, Musselburgh!

Wednesday evenings, 6.30 for beginners, 7.30 for improvers at Dancebase on Grassmarket, Edinburgh. Please book through Dancebase for these classes.

Some of  Fisherrow Improvers, aka the Helwa Hurdies

Thursday evenings 7.30pm for beginners and 8.30pm for improvers/performers at The Fisherrow Centre, Musselburgh. There are only 8 weeks of classes in Musselburgh so the term costs £38 (£35 concessions).

This term we have two haflas (belly dance parties) coming up so there's lots to work towards (although nobody *has* to perform if they don't want to, but it *is* fun!). On Thursday 3 May we will be raising money for The Moonwalk at The Meadows Hotel, and on Thursday 28 June it's the annual Musselburgh Hafla at Musselburgh Rugby Club.

Club Bellydance - get your tickets now!

There's no class at Musselburgh on Thurday 24 May because I will be performing in Club Bellydance at The Pleasance Theatre, Edinburgh, along with other local teachers and some of the Bellydance Superstars. I hope you can come along, support me and enjoy the show!

The albums I've chosen for this term are available on iTunes. Students will not need to buy these, but if you'd like to practice or get into Middle Eastern music, these will be the tunes I'll be using in class.


10 Songs Every Bellydancer Should Know - Various Artists
Virginia Presents Khan Al Khalili - Al-Ahram Orchestra
Now That's What I Call Arabia 13 - Various Artists

If you're new to bellydance, have a look at my About Belly Dance section. In class we wear comfy clothes - leggings or joggers are fine - and dance in bare feet, dance shoes, or non-slip socks. Sparkles and sequins are very welcome too, as is wearing a scarf around your hips.

Looking forward to seeing you there!