| Autre temps |
[5th February 2010|03:50 pm] |
Today I need to film myself dancing Scheherezade for students, i.e. with my back to the camera, so that I can load it up to YouTube for them, and put the link on my site.
Honestly, students don't know they're *born*!!! When I were a lass (and this was all fields) you'd have to learn the choreography yourself, with no handy notes provided by the teacher, with no learning aids at all, and usually without the music. And the teacher was more than likely to change it the next week, because she'd forgotten it herself. |
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| I'm not dead yet |
[2nd February 2010|01:13 pm] |
I'm still here, but with no internet at home I'm reliant on the Library's none-too-generous 2 hours max per day.
This weekend was fairly dance intensive. Saturday morning was the free screening of Afrita Hanem at Wandsworth, which was lovely. It as rather a poor turnout, but that meant that we all got to sit in the front row (actually about three rows back, so you didn't have to crane your neck). I put in more than I really should have in the Charity tin, because there were so few of us! It was fab seeing it on the big screen. I'm now really really looking forward to Mother of the Bride, at the end of Feb, with Tahia Carioca.
Then I popped by M's and stayed the rest of the afternoon & evening with her, and we watched SYTYCD together and were complete armchair dance critics.
On Sunday I visited Mum, and found her in good spirits, which is nice. Still bonkers, but happy bonkers. And then in the evening, I tootled down to Brighton for Bellylicious, with the divatastic and very funny Galit, along with 8 of my students, who all really loved it. We have decided that next time we go to Shisha Oui, we're going to have a shisha! |
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| (no subject) |
[27th January 2010|12:28 pm] |
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As I was walking into town today I noticed that the *other* pub across the road from me (there are three pubs within spitting distance!) appears to have a huge ballroom/function room. Also they have salsa classes there. Hmmm.... possible class/workshop venue? I may need to investigate further. |
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| Glittery eyes |
[27th January 2010|11:51 am] |
When I am richer, I am going to buy a shedload of stuff from these people:
www.makeup4dancers.co.uk
But in the meantime, I am spending my Boots voucher on Barry M. |
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| *satisfied sigh* |
[24th January 2010|10:11 pm] |
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Paperwork done! Also mahoosive website update! I rule! |
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| The Dreaded Paperwork |
[23rd January 2010|06:43 pm] |
I need to sort out the paperwork. I do find that, while it is one of those daunting jobs, once I get going on it, it's not too bad, and actually I get all inspired and actually it does make life a lot easier in the long run.
So that's the job for tomorrow. |
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| I know I'm very late with this, but... |
[19th January 2010|06:00 pm] |
The Hipnotic Cheese-Fest
It was a delightful LJ meet-up, with Ellariaal, wooglethealien, evil_spice and diva_c all in attendance. The board was laden with cheese, of many flavours and varying pungency! We got to see fabulous dancing and some complementarily fabulous costumes. Diva’s Mandy sunset is to die for (I really must try & wheedle Mandy into making something for me some time). Woogle’s furball is wonderfully over-the-top-crazy.
I had a lovely time. Another great event. |
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| Another Choreo post, sorry... |
[16th January 2010|08:31 pm] |
I've decided that I will do the two current Bhuz project pieces, Tahtil Shebbak and Zay el Howa. Tonight, I also fell in love again with Ahlam, which is magnificent, and I really need to do it proper justice.
So those are the plans for 2010. Definitely. |
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| Bhuz Project 2010 |
[15th January 2010|04:25 pm] |
So yes, I will do the bhuz Project for Tahtil Shebbak. I will even try the Zay el Howa, but that depends on being able to sort out how to download it in some way. I'm internetless at home at the moment, and the public library doesn't generally allow downloading. |
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| The Joy of Improvisation |
[14th January 2010|12:52 pm] |
I had a Revelation of the Blindingly Obvious the other night, when I was coming back from Shisha Oui. A couple of the other dancers had been saying they were doing a well-used routine, rather than anything new, and they clearly felt a bit guilty about it.
And while I was using Amint Billa as a stick piece, which is one of my Old Favourites, it was completely improvised, albeit with a good knowledge of the music. So even though it was an old piece, it was all new…
And Enta Omri, again, mostly it was improvised and the way I felt it that night was completely different from how I was feeling it when I was doing the Bhuz clip (Delia had seen the hissy fit version!) so it came out much more lyrically this time around.
So while I often feel guilty for improvising rather than using choreography, which I consider would be more prepared and more structured and more professional of me, I do still love the fact that with improvisation, it will always be different and true to the music, as I feel it.
Having spoken with Delia about the Bhuz project, I decided I would try & film myself doing Tahtil Shebbak, so that I can revive that thread. I think we need it back, and it will give me something else to focus my personal work on. At least that would be a good & positive zombie thread. |
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| I really must sell some costumes |
[12th January 2010|04:35 pm] |
I’m trying to fit my stuff in the limited storage space I’ve got and, in keeping with my aim to make my life a bit more balanced and not let dance take it over completely, and also in keeping with my determination to try & keep my new flat presentable at all times, I decided it is high time I sold some costumes.
The ones I’d be selling are older ones: the navy/silver one (I’ve lost the gauntlets for it), the pinky/purple one, the purple Mme Hekmat and Blue Velvet, also a Hekmat. I’m going to sell them fairly cheap, because they are old, and because there’s going to be a limited market for them, size-wise.
Wish me luck! |
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| Dream Island |
[7th January 2010|07:39 am] |
My niece Sophie (dammit, she's going to be 18 in a few weeks time- how did that happen?) was telling me about her Dream Island and asked me about mine...
My Island wouldn't be particularly big, you'd be able to walk around it in about half an hour. It would have to be a typically tropical island, palm trees and coral beaches and pretty tropical flowers and fruitbats. It would have my house, with staff to take care of all the boring housework stuff that I don't particularly enjoy doing. The house would have a good sized dance studio. It would have a small airport, with a runway out into the ocean, because that's always fun, and of course I would have a private jet at my disposal with some kind of ecologically sound form of fuel, so that it wouldn't matter if I was swanning around the world on it, or using it to have my friends over. I'd have a boat, with a glass bottom, so that we could see the tropical fish and coral when we went out.
There would be plenty of accommodation in my house for family & friends, but also independent little bungalows and houses on stilts over the sea, for people to live in if they want a bit of personal space. We'd have a little club place in the house, with a proper stage, with twinkly lights and a glitter ball, so that if we want to we could have a show. And we'd get Fifi and Randa and Raqia and Dandesh and Suhair and Mona and Asmahan and all the other dancers I love to come over and party with us (not all together- it may be my Fantasy, but even in fantasy there are some things that just cannot be!).
Sophie asked what shops I'd want- I said I didn't need shops, I could just phone MAC and ask them to fly me in a couple of their finest artists and a sackful of cosmetics, and we'd have an enormous girly makeup party. Maybe two or three good shoe shops. As for costumes, I'd obviously jet out to Cairo, because it's more fun costume shopping there. |
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| Walking in the Air |
[29th December 2009|07:47 am] |
I went to see The Snowman yesterday, with my sister and all her children (11, 9, 6 & 4). I'm staying with her, and her husband was going to the football, so she had a ticket going spare. I honestly don't know how she manages to keep track of all four of the children on her own!
I honestly didn't have the first idea what to expect, because I have not read the book, neither have I seen the film. It was ballet, and it was very sweet. Maybe a little Pantomime-ish, but given the age of the target audience that's not desperately surprising. The little lad who plays James didn't look that much older than nephew Ned (the nearly 7 year old). He was very good. The flying was well done, but probably not as spectacular for the adults to see than the children! My favourite was Jack Frost. It's the story of my life- I always go for the Bad Guy! He was all spiky and had the coolest costume. I wanted his jacket. |
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| Big thanks to everybody |
[19th December 2009|02:35 pm] |
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Thank you all my lovely flisties, for your kind birthday wishes! |
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| (no subject) |
[18th December 2009|02:05 pm] |
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No more dancing till 9th January :( |
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| Ruthlessnesslessness |
[16th December 2009|06:32 pm] |
In doing all the chucking out for the move, I *was* going to be horribly ruthless about binning my fabric stash. Indeed I was utterly without ruth. I was assisted in this by darling niece/god-daughter, Sophie, who really is ruthless. But then I realised I'd decided that one of the things I wanted to do in the New Year was make a costume. So I needed to save something.
So I retreived the sugar-puff voile bits, so that I can make something wafty and Golden Agey, which is all in various purples & baby pink. I retrieved some white slightly sparkly see-through lycra, which would make a smashing pair of see-though trousers. And I retrieved some pink/purple liquid hologram-y stuff (not lycra, two-way stretch only). It's all lightweight and it all co-ordinates.
So yeah, not *completely* ruthless.
Now I need some major inspiration for *what* to make. |
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