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.

New Term: September 2011

If you fancy trying bellydance, my classes are fun and friendly, and I do my best to cate for all fitness levels and all abilities.

All you need is a desire to dance! Beginners classes will teach you the technique safely, give you some understanding of a range of Middle Eastern dance styles, and get you into the groove of Middle Eastern music. Hopefully along the way you'll use new muscles, make some friends and have a laugh.

We dance in our bare feet. Bring a drink of water with you, and maybe a notebook and pen to help your memory. If you want to wear a scarf around your hips, feel free to bring one.

• The Fisherrow Centre, Musselburgh: Thursday 7.30pm from 1 September.
• Dancebase, Thomas Morton Halls, Leith: Friday 6pm from 16 September.
• Dancebase, Grassmarket: Wednesday 6.30pm from 14 September.

If you've danced before, my Improvers classes might be up your street. At Dancebase, I cover dance styles in more depth (saidi, baladi, oriental), use a wider range of music, and look at polishing your dance especially if you're thinking of performing. The class assumes you know basic bellydance moves and are comfortable with them.

At Fisherrow, the Improvers class focuses much more on performance. It's the home of the Helwa Hurdies, a dance group who perform at festivals, weddings, parties and suchlike. You don't have to perform if you don't want to, but a lot of time in class is spent getting choreographies ready to perform. It's lots of fun and lovely atmosphere, and new dancers are made welcome!

• Dancebase Improvers: Grassmarket, 7.30pm on Wednesdays from 14 September
• Fisherrow Improvers: 8.30pm on Thursdays from 1 September.

For classes at Dancebase, book your space at the Dancebase website. For Fisherrow classes, just turn up and join in.

It would be great to see you soon - please get in touch if you have any questions.

 

Come dance with me!

Time for a new term! And a busy, exciting one for me. I hope you can come and dance with me at the Fisherrow Centre, or either of the Dancebase venues.

Wednesdays: Dancebase, Grassmarket
6.30-7.30 Beginners
Learn basic belly dancemoves, get shimmying to Egyptian music and enjoy the energy and elegance of belly dance, modern Cairo style! We will learn basic hip-work, fabulous foot patterns and rudimentary rhythms. This moderately energetic class will work your body all over. Please wear loose, comfy clothes.

7.30-8.30 Improvers
In this class you will learn different styles of Egyptian belly dance, as well as improving your technique, travelling, interpretation and confidence. There will be new moves and an emphasis on modern Cairo style belly dance. Later in the term you will need to bring a veil. Please wear loose, comfy clothes.

Each class costs £73.50 for the term (12 January - 6 April), please book at Dancebase.

Thursdays: Fisherrow Centre, Musselburgh. 
7.30-8.30 Beginners/open level
8.30-9.30 Improvers/performance
Fun, friendly community dance classes.
New dancers, come and try before you buy. If you're not sure which class suits you best, then try them both. The term costs £54 (£45 for senior citizens, students, unwaged), or £95 (£80) for both classes. NB No class on Thursday 3 March, but there will be a class in school holiday week.

Fridays: Dancebase, Leith
5.30-6.30 Beginners
Learn basic belly dancemoves, get shimmying to Egyptian music and enjoy the energy and elegance of belly dance, modern Cairo style! We will learn basic hip-work, fabulous foot patterns and rudimentary rhythms. This moderately energetic class will work your body all over. Please wear loose, comfy clothes.
£73.50 for the term (12 January - 6 April), please book at Dancebase. 

I'm really looking forward to lots of great dancing this term - please email me if you have any questions about the classes!

Autumn Term 2010

Autumn term at The Fisherrow Centre, Musselburgh, starts on Thursday 2nd September (not 27th August as previously advertised - that's what I get for trying to be organised and tell you the dates before the end of last term!)

7.30pm- 8.30pm Beginners/open level.
This will be a moderately energetic class, teaching you the basic belly dance moves. We'll use lots of Egyptian pop music (funky, catchy and fun), there will be lots of dancing and not too much talking, with routines focussing on getting to grips with basic technique. If you've not danced before, it will give you detail on the moves. If you've done a term or two already, it will give you practice in the moves, help you listen to the music and get you moving, improving your muscle memory.

8.30pm - 9.30pm Improvers/performance level.
If you're ready to move on from the basic moves and want to get to grips with 'dancing' rather than 'practicing', this is the class for you. We'll learn combinations and put them together to music. We'll learn entire choreographies with a view to performing them, and we will polish choreographies the class has learned in previous terms. Nobody will ever be pressured to perform if they don't want to. This class is the home of the Helwa Hurdies.

• All women are welcome to each of the classes. They are fun and friendly. 
• Please wear something comfy (joggers and a t-shirt is fine, but please don't wear anything too baggy  - I want to be able to see your moves so I can help you improve - and or too tight - which might impair your movement or your breathing! 
• We dance in bare feet or dance shoes, or else non-slip socks (like Toasties) if you feel the cold.
• Autumn Term lasts for 14 weeks, with a holiday on Thursday 21 October, and the last class is on Thursday 9th December. 
• The cost for the term is £63, or £53 concessionary rate (senior citizens, students and income support). 
• If you've never come to the classes before, you can try before you buy, and pay for the term in week 2 instead of week 1 (ie, if you try it *in week 1* and don't like it, it was a free class).

Autumn Term at Dancebase, Leith
I will be teaching Bellydance for Beginners at the new Dancebase centre in Leith (formerly the Thomas Morton Halls), on Friday evenings, 5.30-6.30pm. This class has to be booked through Dancebase. All the details are in the Dancebase brochure. Classes start on Friday 1st October.

Magic for Mums bellydance class is back!

Magic for Mums belly dance classes at Leith Community Education Centre

Wednesday morning, 9.30-10.30am

Starts Wednesday 21 April. 

A fun, drop-in, pay-on-the-day class for all women, but especially good for mums looking for some me-time while the weans are at school, nursery or playgroup.

The classes cost £4 each, or £3.50 for jobseekers, senior citizens or students.

New students are welcome any time. We learn the basic moves of belly dance, putting them together to  Egyptian pop music. Wear comfy clothes are bare feet, or dance shoes if you prefer. 

I haven't yet been able to book the room for the whole term, so until the end of April this will be on a week-to-week basis. So if you're coming along please get in touch to check the class is going ahead! Hopefully by the end of April the Management Committee of the Community Centre will have met and decided whether or not I can book the room for the whole term.