You Don't Want to Miss This

There are some exciting and unique belly dance workshops and events coming up in Seattle in March. I will, without a doubt, be attending all of these.

Tamalyn Dallal Workshop: World-famous dancer, Tamalyn Dallal, is teaching a workshop on Samaii, Turksih 9/8, and Masmoudi Khabir. Tamalyn teaches classes, workshops, and retreats all over the world. Tamalyn has trained various dancers who have gone on tour as members of the Bellydance Superstars. She has also performed for numerous celebrities, including Madonna, Michael Jackson, and King Abdullah of Jordan. Workshop is on March 10th, 2pm - 4pm at the Ottoman BellyDance Studio in Bothell. Also, in July, Tamalyn will be teaching a week long belly dance intensive here in Seattle. Check out her website for more details.

Leila of Cairo Workshop: Another world-famous dancer in Seattle this month! Leila of Cairo will be teaching an Egyptian technique-based workshop, including the latest hot moves from the stages of Cairo and a section focused on Shaabi style. Leila has been a professional dancer and model since the age of 16. In 2002, she moved to Cairo and landed contracts with prestigious hotels. From there her career went on to include television commercials, music videos, and even movies. The workshop is on March 25th from 1:00pm to 4:30pm at the ARC School of Ballet in Seattle. To register for the workshop email me at alessandra@alessandradance.com and I'll put you in contact with the scheduler.

Saharan Soul Performance: This is a performance featuring eight esteemed and influential performers with over 25 years of experience each. Performances will range from raqs sharqi to dervish whirling to khaliji and raks assaya. Performers gracing the stage will include Mish Mish, Alfredo Gormezano, Feiruz Aram, Maria Morca, Marion Moat, Sahaila, Zaina Hart, and Zulaika. Performance is March 31st at 8pm at the Seattle Art Museum. Tickets can be purchased on Brown Paper Tickets.

 

Photo Credits: Middle photo of Leila from Leila's website at leilainegypt.com

Performance Opportunities for Amateur Dancers

Feeling ready to share your dance with the world, but don't know where to start? Then look no further. I have danced at all the events listed below throughout the years and they are all great stages for getting your feet wet:

1. Saqra's Monthly Revue: Hosted by Saqra, this event occurs the first Saturday of every month at Jimmy T's in Kent. Dancers of all levels are welcome. You can dance to either recorded music or try improv and dance with Saqra's RaqsBand. Very welcoming and encouraging environment for new dancers and a great place to hone your improv skills. Saqra's website has more details.
2. Med Fest: Seattle's biggest belly dance festival - two stages and two days of non-stop belly dance performances. First time soloists to world-famous professional dancers have graced the stages of Med Fest. Festival always happens in July. Registration for 2012 is not yet open, but here's the link for when it does. Claim your spot by completing the registration form and mailing it in.
3. Hasani's Hafla: Hasani hosts a quarterly hafla at the First Congregation Church in Tacoma. Her website has the future hafla dates for the next five years! Sign-up by phoning in once registration goes live.
4. Alauda: This event occurs the third Tuesday of every month at the Skylark Club and Cafe in West Seattle. (Psst! I'm performing at this event tomorrow!) Event is organized by Angela, Medea, and Katana. To register, email alaudabellydance@gmail.com. Insider tip: register early as this show fills up months in advance.
5. Leyl Al Arab: This event happens the third Saturday of every month at Enat's in Northgate, and is hosted by BreAnn and Trisha. Each performance includes one or two student dancers, one or two guest dancers, and a feature dancer. Check out the blog for more info.  
6. Delilah's Belly Dance Performance Class: Maybe not feeling quite ready to sign-up for an event yet? Then Delilah's performance class may be the thing for you. A legendary dancer and performer, Delilah will help you hone your performance skills and after six weeks of instruction, there is a student recital held at the studio that you can invite friends and family to. The recital at the end of this class series was my first solo performance ever!
7. And more! Other events come up throughout the year. And of course their are other instructors in the area who offer class series with recitals at the end. Sign up for BellyTalk, the Yahoo! Group for Seattle belly dancers, to stay in the loop as new opportunities come up. To sign up, you need a Yahoo! email account, then search for BellyTalk in the Yahoo! Groups section, send in a request to join, and a moderator will approve your request.

Now go forth and dance!

Online Resources for Belly Dancers

1. BellyTalk: This is a Yahoo! Group for greater Seattle area based dancers. Teachers post about new classes and workshops. Producers post about openings in hafla-style shows. As well as general announcements and discussions related to belly dance. One of the most memorable posts in the last year was famous dancer Tamalyn Dallal writing about her experiences in Egypt while the revolution was going on. Pretty interesting stuff. If you'd like to join, head over to the Yahoo! Groups home page. You'll need to create a Yahoo! email account if you don't already have one (it's free). Then search for BellyTalk and send a request to join.

2. eBay: One of the questions I'm asked most frequently is where is a good place to buy costumes, and my first response is always eBay. Whether a newbie dancer looking for something inexpensive or a professional dancer looking for a designer costume, this is my first pick. If you're just starting out, you can get hip scarves, veils, basic circle skirts, and other essentials at good prices. I've also purchased used designer costumes from other dancers, brands such as Pharonics of Egypt and Joharah, at a fraction of their original prices. A few tips for buying costumes online:

• Know your measurements and know the measurements of the costume. However, even if the costume isn't your exact size and you simply adore it, know that most costumes can be altered (within reason), just be prepared to pay pricey alteration fees if you don't know how to do it yourself.
• Read the descriptions carefully to make sure you understand what's included and what condition it's in.
• Feel free to ask the seller to email you additional photos to better see the item.
• Check the seller's rating and feedback to make sure they are reliable and their merchandise meets expectations.




• Many of cheaper items are massed produced in factories in Asia, and there's nothing wrong with these items, in fact I have some myself. The purple costume in the picture above is one such costume and only came to about $130 for the belt, bra, skirt, and shipping (note that I did add a few extra rhinestones of my). However, if you want something more original, try searching for used costumes only and you'll often find dancers selling pieces out of their personal collections, which is how I got the fabulous pink costume below (the picture doesn't do it justice).
• Understand the shipping prices and terms - if you need something right away you don't want it coming to you on a slow boat from China.

3. The Best of Habibi: Habibi was a print magazine dedicated to Middle Eastern dance that was published from 1992 to 2002. Just recently, the magazine created a website featuring some of its best content from its past issues. Great resource for dancers who want to lean more about the history of this art form, and the dancers who have shaped its evolution.

4. Saqra's Pacific NW Calendar: A local dancer, Saqra, keeps a comprehensive online calendar of monthly/weekly reoccurring belly dance events, one-time performances and festivals, and special workshops from visiting teachers for both the Seattle and Portland areas.

5. iShimmy.com: This is an online magazine with articles ranging from costume fashion trends and interviews with famous dancers, to book reviews and stage makeup tips.

6. Amazon.com: I buy most of the music I use in my classes and performances from Amazon.com. In particular, I like the Cd's by Belly Dance Superstars. (I would have listed their website, but their Cd's are generally cheaper on Amazon).