I’m still mentally and emotionally processing one of the most memorable events of my dance training life: my first private lesson with Suhaila to work on my personal choreography for the Advanced Performer Recital in December. Before the hour arrived, I was nervous. However, my goal was to remain open and receptive during the lesson; to do what Suhaila asked of me to the best of my ability without holding back one ounce of effort. My choreography, I knew, was not even close to brilliant, although I had put many hours of work into visualization, emotional perspective, isolation choices, foot work and stage patterns. It came as no surprise that Suhaila was able to look at what I had done and quickly inject a new level of life and power into my piece. I’m still sore several days later from the amount of energy and movement I tried to create in response to her suggestions!
This hour reinforced yet again why I have dedicated the past eight years to studying Suhaila’s format: there is always more. More depth, more range, more options, more freedom, more expression… What was also particularly exciting was the fact that this was my choreography (with my emotional perspective and interpretation), and Suhaila was helping me with adjustments to help ensure that the audience could feel what it is I’d like to express. In my opinion, I am a lucky dancer indeed to have had this kind of feedback. Watching video of myself and trying to make adjustments on my own would never have gotten me as far as we did in just one hour. I thought I was breathing... but I need to breathe deeper. I thought my movement had come from an emotional perspective and interpretation of the music… but I have to go even further and understand “the why” of every single moment / movement. There were a lot of other improvements as well in the areas of body positioning, technique, movement initiation, dynamics and sentiment.
What Suhaila really changed in that hour was not just my choreography, but my perspective, yet again, on me/dance/bellydance. For years, I have chased the intangible "how" to take a performance from OK to good; or from good to great. There is still a lot of work ahead of me to incorporate my newfound, yet heightened awareness of the principles Suhaila asked me to apply to my choreography. Not only am I more excited about this particular piece, but look forward to applying (or attempting to apply) these same concepts to future projects (including improvisation). Maybe one day I'll be able to live up to my own, new, higher expectations of myself. One thing is for sure - I'm going to keep trying.
--Stacey
Suhaila's blog about the L4 show: http://www.suhailainternational.com/blog/?p=408
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Sabaya Invited to the 2010 International Bellydance Convention of Canada
We are pleased that Sabaya has been invited to perform on the main stage at the 2010 International Bellydance Convention of Canada. The convention is held in Toronto on April 21 -25 and features bellydance legend Mahmoud Reda from Egypt as well as Jillina, Sera Solstice, Delilah, Yasmina Ramzy and other well-known instructors.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
What is Tribal Style Bellydance?
This short documentary film asks leaders in the tribal bellydance field to answer the following questions:
"How do you think your style differs from other styles of bellydance.
What is it like?
How would you describe it to a general audience?"
I found this video to be less valuable for answering the question "What is Tribal Style Bellydance" and a more insightful commentary about the interviewed dancers' personas off stage compared to their onstage personas as well as how they interpret their individual dance styles.
Enjoy!
Yasmin
"How do you think your style differs from other styles of bellydance.
What is it like?
How would you describe it to a general audience?"
I found this video to be less valuable for answering the question "What is Tribal Style Bellydance" and a more insightful commentary about the interviewed dancers' personas off stage compared to their onstage personas as well as how they interpret their individual dance styles.
Enjoy!
Yasmin
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Suhaila says it like it is at the L3 prep.
Reported by Yasmin
On doing your thang:
"You'll never be able to please the bellydance audience, so why even try?"
"Will they really get you? Who cares what they think. Do what you need to do."
"Don't you dare ever bellydance to please me---- ever!"
"When Mozart was criticized in his day, they complained that he played too many notes."
"Be innovative."
"I never present work knowing that people will get it. It will take 15-20 years before people get it. It took 20 years for people to get Dances of the Sultan. "
"You can get away with almost anything if you dance it with honest, integrity, intelligence.... and you don't suck."
"I say: let them hate me!"
"The only way we are going to raise the level of the dance is to raise the expectations visually and physically."
"Represent the music, don't just make patterns to please the audience."
"I want you out of the box and not safe."
Personal choreography techniques to help a dancer push through barriers:
Take out all bellydance movement from the choreography.
Take 2 choreographies, change them, and mash 'em up.
Find 2 pieces of music and dance the same way for each song.
Dance the entire song in one spot. You can turn in one spot around yourself, but no traveling.
Hum the song.
Dance without the music and count it outloud.
Exhaust all angles of possibility, even if you go back to your first version of the piece.
Physicalize a taste. How would you dance the emotion of food, for example.
Tell the story.
Listen to the music and physicalize what you hear.
Watch a piece as if you were looking down from the ceiling. Notice your floor patterns.
Understand where you are within your dance
Isolate what you are doing and identify the level at which you dance.
Identify the level of other dancers that you watch.
Dance above your level for your mentors. Dance below your level for your paying audience.
Meisner Acting technique:
"Observing somebody is not the same as experiencing them."
"Taking classes with Meisner changed my life."
Question to Suhaila: What is your favorite choreography from your repertoire?
Suhaila: I don't like any of them. But that is not the point. I love them because they represent a moment in time. A moment in my life.
On doing your thang:
"You'll never be able to please the bellydance audience, so why even try?"
"Will they really get you? Who cares what they think. Do what you need to do."
"Don't you dare ever bellydance to please me---- ever!"
"When Mozart was criticized in his day, they complained that he played too many notes."
"Be innovative."
"I never present work knowing that people will get it. It will take 15-20 years before people get it. It took 20 years for people to get Dances of the Sultan. "
"You can get away with almost anything if you dance it with honest, integrity, intelligence.... and you don't suck."
"I say: let them hate me!"
"The only way we are going to raise the level of the dance is to raise the expectations visually and physically."
"Represent the music, don't just make patterns to please the audience."
"I want you out of the box and not safe."
Personal choreography techniques to help a dancer push through barriers:
Take out all bellydance movement from the choreography.
Take 2 choreographies, change them, and mash 'em up.
Find 2 pieces of music and dance the same way for each song.
Dance the entire song in one spot. You can turn in one spot around yourself, but no traveling.
Hum the song.
Dance without the music and count it outloud.
Exhaust all angles of possibility, even if you go back to your first version of the piece.
Physicalize a taste. How would you dance the emotion of food, for example.
Tell the story.
Listen to the music and physicalize what you hear.
Watch a piece as if you were looking down from the ceiling. Notice your floor patterns.
Understand where you are within your dance
Isolate what you are doing and identify the level at which you dance.
Identify the level of other dancers that you watch.
Dance above your level for your mentors. Dance below your level for your paying audience.
Meisner Acting technique:
"Observing somebody is not the same as experiencing them."
"Taking classes with Meisner changed my life."
Question to Suhaila: What is your favorite choreography from your repertoire?
Suhaila: I don't like any of them. But that is not the point. I love them because they represent a moment in time. A moment in my life.
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Suhaila Level 3 Prep Weeklong
Reported by Yasmin
But I'm not ready!
I dreaded going quite frankly. I had completed my assignments and was training regularly with the online Suhaila classes but I still didn't feel prepared. Perhaps one never feels prepared enough. With the money down on the workshop fee, my flight booked and a commitment to share the rental car and hotel with Stacey, there wasn't much choice but to go. And when I left the workshop a week later, my eyes were opened.
The first morning, Suhaila gathered us to one corner of the Berkeley area studio to introduce the workshop philosophies. The studio doors were locked and late comers were forced to wait outside for a good 15 minutes. This was our first lesson: Respect the teacher, respect your time, respect each other's time. Commitment means being on time, which from Suhaila's perspective means being 15 minutes early.
There were about 25 dancers in the workshop and perhaps a third of them had taken a Level 3 class before. A third might have been Bay area regulars. The rest came from as far away as Hong Kong, Canada and Italy.
Mornings
Mornings were filled with extensive warm-ups followed by hours of Level 3 drills. We also practiced dance movement and folkloric fusion. To me, drilling is like executing math equations in my body. Lots of mental energy at the onset and if I get it easily, my body relaxes into a smooth motoring machine. If the equation doesn't fit my body immediately, the internal mental energy picks up and my phsycial body careens on the edge, slightly out of control. Often times I just need to get out of my own way and all the pieces click into place. There seem to be different "states" of drilling based on a number of variables such as level of drill difficulty, level of fatigue, protein and water in my body, my mind's attempt to control my body, physical limitations, level of focus, and more.
Afternoons
Afternoons were dedicated to presenting personal choreography to Suhaila in front of the class. This was my favorite and most terrifying part. Actually, I take that back. The Sanford Meisner acting exercises were the most terrifying and opening experience for me that week. It was the last exercise on Thursday evening and emotions in the room were already simmering strongly from the hours of drilling, personal choreography, and Suhaila choreographies. Tears, shouts, disdain, anger, silliness, love and raw emotion came tumbling from our bodies. It was authentic. It was vulnerability like I'd never seen before. For the next few days after that experience, my senses were heightened to this almost vibrational level. I could clearly see people and most of them seemed to be emotionally half-dead.
After personal choreography feedback, the second part of each afternoon was dedicated to learning the L3 Suhaila choreographies: L3 Finger Cymbal Drum Solo, Maddah, and L2 Finger Cymbal Drum Solo with L3 increases. Soon there will be choreography kits that students can purchase to prepare themselves ahead of time. This will allow students to be able to focus exclusively on the emotional preparation, acting techniques, and personal choreography topics of Level 3.
Evenings
Evenings were spent working late into the night on our individual homework assignments. Stacey spent the evenings teaching the dance studio classes as part of her Level 5 preparation, which is focused on becoming a certified teacher within the Suhaila format. This gave me private time in the hotel room to evolve my personal choreographies, prepare my training plans and practice the L3 choreographies. I would pick Stacey up each evening around 10pm and we would go find dinner, recap the day, wind down and then head back to the hotel for more study.
Personal Feedback
As for my personal feedback from Suhaila, she thought I had made some break throughs. For one thing, I was opening up and getting out of my head. Her advice for me until I arrive in L3 next year is to take singing lessons to learn breath control patterns, projection, and pacing. This was the last thing I expected as a take-away from a dance workshop but upon further reflection it makes aboslute sense. When one sees a dancer working in unison with her breath, one sees integrated complete dance movement.
But I'm not ready!
I dreaded going quite frankly. I had completed my assignments and was training regularly with the online Suhaila classes but I still didn't feel prepared. Perhaps one never feels prepared enough. With the money down on the workshop fee, my flight booked and a commitment to share the rental car and hotel with Stacey, there wasn't much choice but to go. And when I left the workshop a week later, my eyes were opened.
The first morning, Suhaila gathered us to one corner of the Berkeley area studio to introduce the workshop philosophies. The studio doors were locked and late comers were forced to wait outside for a good 15 minutes. This was our first lesson: Respect the teacher, respect your time, respect each other's time. Commitment means being on time, which from Suhaila's perspective means being 15 minutes early.
There were about 25 dancers in the workshop and perhaps a third of them had taken a Level 3 class before. A third might have been Bay area regulars. The rest came from as far away as Hong Kong, Canada and Italy.
Mornings
Mornings were filled with extensive warm-ups followed by hours of Level 3 drills. We also practiced dance movement and folkloric fusion. To me, drilling is like executing math equations in my body. Lots of mental energy at the onset and if I get it easily, my body relaxes into a smooth motoring machine. If the equation doesn't fit my body immediately, the internal mental energy picks up and my phsycial body careens on the edge, slightly out of control. Often times I just need to get out of my own way and all the pieces click into place. There seem to be different "states" of drilling based on a number of variables such as level of drill difficulty, level of fatigue, protein and water in my body, my mind's attempt to control my body, physical limitations, level of focus, and more.
Afternoons
Afternoons were dedicated to presenting personal choreography to Suhaila in front of the class. This was my favorite and most terrifying part. Actually, I take that back. The Sanford Meisner acting exercises were the most terrifying and opening experience for me that week. It was the last exercise on Thursday evening and emotions in the room were already simmering strongly from the hours of drilling, personal choreography, and Suhaila choreographies. Tears, shouts, disdain, anger, silliness, love and raw emotion came tumbling from our bodies. It was authentic. It was vulnerability like I'd never seen before. For the next few days after that experience, my senses were heightened to this almost vibrational level. I could clearly see people and most of them seemed to be emotionally half-dead.
After personal choreography feedback, the second part of each afternoon was dedicated to learning the L3 Suhaila choreographies: L3 Finger Cymbal Drum Solo, Maddah, and L2 Finger Cymbal Drum Solo with L3 increases. Soon there will be choreography kits that students can purchase to prepare themselves ahead of time. This will allow students to be able to focus exclusively on the emotional preparation, acting techniques, and personal choreography topics of Level 3.
Evenings
Evenings were spent working late into the night on our individual homework assignments. Stacey spent the evenings teaching the dance studio classes as part of her Level 5 preparation, which is focused on becoming a certified teacher within the Suhaila format. This gave me private time in the hotel room to evolve my personal choreographies, prepare my training plans and practice the L3 choreographies. I would pick Stacey up each evening around 10pm and we would go find dinner, recap the day, wind down and then head back to the hotel for more study.
Personal Feedback
As for my personal feedback from Suhaila, she thought I had made some break throughs. For one thing, I was opening up and getting out of my head. Her advice for me until I arrive in L3 next year is to take singing lessons to learn breath control patterns, projection, and pacing. This was the last thing I expected as a take-away from a dance workshop but upon further reflection it makes aboslute sense. When one sees a dancer working in unison with her breath, one sees integrated complete dance movement.
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
By Dancers For Dancers Vol 6~includes Stacey Lizette!
Sabaya sista's could not be happier for Stacey. Her performance will be in the By Dancers For Dancers Vol.6 to be released in November!
Monday, August 10, 2009
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Sahara Nights 4 Year Anniversary
After all the adrenaline of a show is over and you are ready to hit the sheets, you can't help but be thankful! You think of all the people that make your event happen and, of course, the people that appreciate your efforts.
Sahara Nights started in July 2005 with Lily, Maribel, Rania, Stacey, and Yasmin. Our aspirations were simple: to have a venue to dance both as a group and as soloists, to have control over the arrangement of our music, and to present a monthly staged show of quality belly dance that Austin can appreciate.
Achieving this "simple" aspiration meant committing to weekly rehearsals for the next four years to present group choreographies, nearly daily correspondence to plan a succinct show that we enjoy and that appeals to the general audience, monthly flyer design and distribution, online marketing charges, newsletters, organization of lights, decor and stage props, coordination of complimentary food, managing logistics of special musical guests, and regular check-ins with management to make sure all expectations are met, i.e. profits for the club and market our show to all of Austin!
The responsibilities that we took on to achieve a successful monthly club night revealed each of the hats we wear to make the business of Sabaya "work." Our most celebrated result of this common project is the friendship and respect we continue to grow for each other and for the group. A sampling of some of the mutli-tasking responsibilities we each perform include:
- Creative graphic design by Rania
- A professionally designed website by Yasmin and Lily
- A monthly newsletter written by Yasmin and edited by all
- Effective marketing by Maribel
- Rehearsals led by Stacey, who keeps us all on point
With Austin being the live music capital of the world, one would think we could easily find Middle Eastern bands, DJs, and drummers. Not really... After realizing that our show would have to be a fusion of Middle Eastern music, we explored the various musical styles available to us. We formed a partnership with Austin's favorite world music band, Atash. We were able to explore Jason McKenzie's Sunray Project with Indragit, the sitar player. We were able to work with el John Selector, the percussionist from Thievery Corporation and, most recently, the musical talents of Jef Stott for our 4 year anniversary celebration. Special thanks also to Sean Mecredy who contributed his time and talent to the show.
We are very thankful for the opportunity to bring beautiful music for everyone to dance to at Sahara Nights. Sabaya thanks all our friends who make Sahara Nights special:
Silvio Ramos (Copa Operator), Vance Strickland (photography), Kelly (Ararat Middle Eastern Cuisine), DJ Avatar, Atash, el John Selector, Sunray Project, Jef Stott, and all our friends who consistantly come to share this special night with us.
Looking forward to sharing another exciting year with you!
Love,
Sabaya Bellydance Collective: Lily, Maribel, Rania, Stacey, Yasmin
Sunday, July 12, 2009
It is never too late for a fresh start
From desk job to professional dancer...... at 50!
http://fittoboom.msnbc.msn.com/?source=msnspotlight>1=25054#/home/video/8/0
http://fittoboom.msnbc.msn.com/?source=msnspotlight>1=25054#/home/video/8/0
Monday, July 6, 2009
Sahara Nights::4yr Anniversary July 11th
Sahara Nights
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Sabaya/Copa 4 Year Anniversary
We hope that you will join us for our four year anniversary party as we fly in our musical guest, Jef Stott (http://www.jefstott.com), from San Francisco. As some of you in the bellydance community may know, Jef Stott is an accomplished oud player and electronic composer, fusing the powerful traditions of the Middle East with breaks, dub and electro.
Bellydance Class 101
In honor of our 4 years at Copa, we will also be opening up the club in the early afternoon to teach a crash course in Bellydancing 101. For those of you who have always wanted to try this dance form, we invite you to this very informal, fun, and lively 2 hour class. Sabaya dancers will teach belly dance basics with inside tips to achieve the best isolations by Stacey, classic Egyptian stylization by Rania, tribal basics by Lily, and strong long lasting shimmies by Maribel. You may even learn a short set of combinations to perform as a group in the Sabaya show later that evening.
So! Whether you want to grab a group of girlfriends for some fun together, whether you are curious if bellydancing is for you but haven't wanted to commit to a course of instruction, or whether you know someone who has secretly wanted to try bellydancing, spread the word about this crash course and then send a registration email to info@sabayabellydance.com. We will send specific information about the class to you via email.
Here are a few clips of Jef Stott in action! www.jefstott.com
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xP2wjB5qVpI
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Bellydance Workshop w/Sabaya July 11th
Join Sabaya members as we teach you:
Isolations by Stacey, Tribal basics by Lily, Egyptian stylization by Rania, and shimmies by Maribel. This workshop is geared to all the dance enthusiasts that are curious about taking a lesson but never find the time to commit to a class series. Invite your girlfriends and make it a day of it, with the workshop during the day and show off your new moves at night at Sahara Nights at Copa Bar & Grill.
$20 for 2hrs. plus free admission to Sahara Nights in the evening.
Register via email info@sabayabellydance.com
Monday, June 29, 2009
Sabaya and Atash at Dougherty Arts Center, June 27, 2009
Here are photos of Lily, Maribel and Stacey dancing to Leilet Hob with Atash. I took these photos from the wings with my iphone. Unfortunately, Rania was unable to perform with us due to a sprained ankle.
Yasmin
Yasmin
Thursday, June 25, 2009
A Dancer's Perspective
by Maribel
June is hot, hot, hot! Despite the heat I'm still revved up about continuing my exercise regime by accomplishing it in the morning. June is a reflective month for me as it marks the middle of the year, which means if I don't reflect now on my fitness goals I won't think about it again until the end of the year when it's too late to make it count for 2009. Fitness has always been important to me since the early years of my youth when I was an aerobics instructor in the early nineties or should I say "group exercise instructor" as they say now. No I didn't wear dental floss, it wasn't my style. Instead of teaching cardio class, I now teach belly dance classes. I often get comments from audience members in awe of Sabaya's strength and stamina to dance a full hour show. Indeed, there is a mix of dance training, cardio work, and strength just like any dance form to make a 5-15minute dance performance look effortless. However, having access to specialized classes like belly dance, Pilates, and yoga for example can add up. Not to mention your gym membership. Luckily, Austin has a variety of FREE classes to help you reach your fitness goals. What do I do? Here's my breakdown. You are all welcome to join me as follows.
Monday:: Run 3mi. Townlake/ 7am usually with Stacey Lizette
Tuesday:: Teach BD intro 6:30-7:30pm, take Stacey's Drill Class 8:15-9:30pm
Wednesday:: Run 3mi. Townlake or Rosedale/ 7am w/Stacey or Carolyn
Thursday:: Practice my own dance routines for upcoming shows 1-2 hrs.
Friday:: Pilates at Eastside Balance, only $35 a session vs. $65 a session.
Saturday:: Run 4 or more miles with Stacey, Townlake. 8ish am of course.
Sunday:: Swim or Yoga or both/ Practice Dance routines.
FREE OR SUGGESTED DONATION FOR YOGA & CORE CLASSES.
Outdoor Yoga: By donation yoga classes for all levels held daily in Butler District Park. Butler District Park is located at 1000 Barton Springs Rd. (78704). The suggested donation is $5.00. Visit www.OutdoorYoga.org for more information and class times.
Full Moon Yoga: FREE yoga class held outside at different locations each full moon. This class is lead by Charles MacInerney. Visit www.yogateacher.com for more info.
Ruta Maya Yoga: With a purchase from the cafe enjoy a complementary yoga class. Ruta Maya is located at 3601 S. Congress Ave (78704). Visit www.RutaMaya.net or www.PamelaBrewer.com for more info.
Yoga in Shipe park: By donation yoga classes for all levels held on Wed. at 6:30pm in Shipe Park (off of 45th str. & Ave.F). Visit www.YogainthePark.net for more information.
Kundalini Yoga: By donation classes lead by Tom Woller every Tuesday from 7:00 - 8:30 pm at the Tara House. The Tara House is located at 610 Highland Drive (78703). Email Tom at thomas.woller@amd.com to let him know you are coming and to confirm the class times.
Lululemon Athletica on 6th Street: FREE yoga held in their store every Saturday morning at 8:30am. Sign up for their newsletter to be informed of other specialty classes such as a free belly dance class from yours truly~ Maribelly.
Yoga Vida on W.7th Street next to the Khabele Studio. FREE Yoga Happy Hour - Fri at 6:30pm
http://www.yogatoday.com : FREE online yoga classes posted daily. All classes are held outside! View classes at www.YogaToday.com. I personally have used these classes and love them.
http://www.yogadownload.com This is great yoga on the go. Download on to your MP3 player. You can print diagrams of the classes to have by your side in case you don't know what an eagle pose looks like for example. Classes are as minimal.
Core Class & More- FREE If you are in the market for an intense hour-long core class, look no further than the parking lot at Jack and Adams. Held on Monday and Wednesdays at 5:30 p.m. (give or take a 10 minute lag time), you'll do a mix of planks, push-ups and crunches that will leave you crying. Bring a mat, some water and a prayer book-this workout is tough. They have other classes such as running and cycling.
Cross Fit Nation- http://www.crossfitcentral.com/ FREE cross training this weekend there are several free workouts for you to choose from! These workouts are open to everyone so bring your friends and family. Just print this Waiver and bring it to the workout of your choice. I think I might have to try this instead of running this Saturday.
Friday, June 12, 2009
National Geographic Video on Cairo Bellydancers
It seemed like so long ago since Sabaya went to Cairo. We had a blast... taking private classes with world famous instructors, shopping at the Khan El Khalili, getting custom couture bellydance costumes made by Egypt's top designers, dinner with our Egyptian family friends... We're planning to go back soon. You can find our Egypt trip photos in our Gallery page.
Here is a video clip from National Geographic on Cairo Bellydancers. We saw Soraya live!
With lots of hips,
Sabaya
Here is a video clip from National Geographic on Cairo Bellydancers. We saw Soraya live!
With lots of hips,
Sabaya
Monday, June 8, 2009
ABDC 2009 Thanks
I'm still processing everything the phenomenal weekend we just had at ABDC with Yasmina Ramzy and Suleiman Warwar. What a whirlwind! Until you've been in the shoes of an event producer, it is difficult to comprehend all the little details which need attention. So, I'm sending gratitude and love to everyone on staff, in the audience, in attendance, working the controls, providing services or just plain sending us good vibes.
Special props to Bahaia, founder of ABDC; Rox, Mar, Phillip for thier continued dedication to customer service and "getting it done"; and of course Sabaya for being true dance sisters and supporting me every step of the way. ~Stacey
Special props to Bahaia, founder of ABDC; Rox, Mar, Phillip for thier continued dedication to customer service and "getting it done"; and of course Sabaya for being true dance sisters and supporting me every step of the way. ~Stacey
Friday, May 22, 2009
Nurturing Creativity
As artists, we sometimes go through spells of fear and disappointment. We fear that what we've put our energy and heart into may be rejected. We may be disappointed with the result of what we've created. There is also the pressure of continuing to create something new and inspiring.
Elizabeth Gilbert, author of "Eat, Pray, Love", gives a 20-minute, funny, and heart-warming talk about creativity. We hope you find her talk as inspiring as we did.
Keep showing up,
Lily
Elizabeth Gilbert, author of "Eat, Pray, Love", gives a 20-minute, funny, and heart-warming talk about creativity. We hope you find her talk as inspiring as we did.
Keep showing up,
Lily
Saturday, May 2, 2009
A Dancer's Perspective by Rania
It's May and I turn 39 next week. I bet you didn't know I was 39. I firmly believe that bellydance has kept me looking and feeling young.
I attended my first bellydance class when I was 30. Yes, 30! Most women would never dream of taking up a dance form at that age because they think it's too late. It's never too late with bellydance and I'm so happy I attended that class. It was one of the best decisions I ever made and changed my life forever.
From my first dance class, I fell in love with this art form and I don't plan on retiring any time soon. Most of the belllydance legends that I love to watch are nearing 60 and still dance and teach to this day. One of these dancers is Aida Nour from Egypt. In 2006, I and my other bellydance sisters from Sabaya visited Egypt and had the great honor to take classes from her. I watched this 60 year old woman dance and wished I could move like her. What an inspiration!!
Bellydance is one of those art forms that easily spans generations and can be shared from grandmother to mother to daughter. This is most obviously seen with the Salimpour legacy of dance in which Jamila Salimpour taught her daughter Suhaila and both of them are teaching Isabella, Suhaila's daughter. Isabella is eleven years old and has performed to a live audience with her mother countless times.
With practice and dedication, bellydancing can be the ultimate expression of a woman's internal and external beauty, regardless of shape, size or age.
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
A Dancer's Perspective by Yasmin
I gladly take any opportunity I can to brag about the Sabaya dancers. I could go on about each of the dancer's unique styles, personalities and dance achievements but because of a timely event happening this month for Stacey Lizette, I offer up an exclusive snapshot of her dedication to the art form.On Wednesday, April 8, Stacey Lizette will be honored by the Women's Chamber of Commerce of Texas as a finalist for the 2008 Texas Blazing Star Award. She achieved this recognition through her double life as a certified IT Project Manager in the day and a bellydance leader in the evening and weekends. She has been an active member of the non-profit Austin Bellydance Association for the past 14 years, a member of Sabaya Bellydance Collective for the past 5 years, a dedicated student of Suhaila Salimpour for the past 9 years, a teacher for the past 4 years and has recently taken over the reigns as sponsor for the Austin Bellydance Convention, an annual event that brings dancers from across the US to Austin. These accumulated achievements have given her the opportunity to support various local communities by performing in support of charities and cultural events and through teaching women of all ages the power and fitness of Middle Eastern Dance.In all of her work, as an IT Project Manager, dancer, sponsor, and dance instructor, Stacey exercises the professional values of communication, prioritization, and positivity. She communicates to alleviate misperceptions and heighten awareness about the art form. She facilitates a positive attitude in herself and in others, which is especially important due to the demanding physical coordination and self-image challenges addressed in belly dance. By exemplifying these core philosophies, Stacey has become a role model and mentor for many dancers in the Austin community. I can attest to the fact that nearly every evening after work and most weekends, one can find Stacey either teaching, organizing dance events, working on costumes or rehearsing. In essence, her life is a delicate balance of two full time pursuits and I congratulate Stacey on her well-deserved recognition by the Women's Chamber of Commerce as a Texas Blazing Star finalist.
Sunday, March 1, 2009
A Dancer's Perspective by Lily
In April, I am heading off to New Zealand again. This time, it's specifically for dance and for one week only. It feels like a dream... to be invited as the guest Interntional teacher for a national belly dance festival. I am still pinching myself to make sure this is really happening!Currently, I am preparing to teach six tribal fusion style workshops and one advanced bellydance workshop to be taught in the span of three days. The topics of these workshops range from floorwork to technique to choreography. During the MEDANZ Festival (Middle Eastern Dance Association New Zealand), there will be other workshops presented by local teachers and a guest drum teacher from Australia. The Kiwis really know how to have fun because not only do they have a stage show but they also have a hafla as part of the 3-day festival.
Also, in April, I will be graduating from the 200-hour hatha yoga teacher training I started in September of 2008. The past 7 months have been an inspirational learning process. It's a very exciting time in my life right now... full of growth, change, and the art of movement. Thank you for being a part of it!
Monday, February 2, 2009
A Dancer's Perspective by Stacey Lizette
Sometimes I think I overdo things just a bit. My schedule is so full that my only "downtime" is when I sit to write my next to-do list! I can't help it. There are so many amazing aspects to belly dance: performances, rehearsals, creating new movement and choreography, the music, collaboration, teaching classes, workshops, traveling... What underlies it all is sharing experiences, laughs, inspiration and creativity. My motivation for sponsoring Suhaila Salimpour and bringing her to Austin is so that other dancers can share in the experience of the inspirational impact that Suhaila wields. I've traveled to California too many times to count to have that experience myself, and love to share the passion that I have for Suhaila's format with other dancers that are open to the experience. So, Suhaila will be here at the end of March, and I'm sure that we will all walk away at the end of the weekend with strengthened friendships and a renewed sense of motivation on some aspect of the dance personal to each of us.
I'm looking forward to contributing to the belly dance community in ways this year that I hadn't expected. Some of you may already know that I am "accepting the torch" from Bahaia as sponsor of the annual Austin Belly Dance Convention in June. Am I over doing it? This is the year that I am scheduled to test for Level 4 in Suhaila's format, which means about 10 months of projects, performances and rehearsals. Working a full time day job to boot, this really is enough to keep the schedule mega-full. I can't help it! The Austin Belly Dance Convention (ABDC) is a chance to facilitate a professional endeavor that brings dancers together for inspiration.
Regardless of how crazy I let my schedule get, I am constantly reminded of reasons that I love this dance form, and that keeps me going and going.
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