| This looks interesting |
[30th November 2009|01:39 am] |
From the TV Times site:
Margot
Monday 30 November
9:00pm - 10:25pm
BBC4
The last in BBC4's The Women We Loved series sees Anne-Marie Duff step into the often painful ballet pointes of Dame Margot Fonteyn, who became an international superstar when many considered her past it. This was thanks to her on- and off-stage partnership with Rudolf Nureyev (played by the brilliantly brooding Michiel Huisman), who joined the Royal Ballet in the early 60s. Yet while the Prima Ballerina Assoluta delighted audiences, the mask slips in the wings to reveal a lonely middle-aged woman, unable to choose between Russian toyboy and absentee diplomat husband. Occasionally, this is too arty for its own good, with Duff tearing down darkened corridors and spilling her heart to the camera. But it's still a searing performance from one of our finest actresses and there's a score to match.
It sounds deliciously camp. I will have to seek it out on iplayer. |
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| Rehearsal #3 |
[29th November 2009|05:31 pm] |
Another good rehearsal, I didn't need to do any calling out (mind, I try & give really obvious physical cues).
The YT video-clip learning aid idea is a keeper. I really need a decent camcorder and a tripod. |
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| Rehearsal #1 |
[27th November 2009|10:15 pm] |
This weekend is full of rehearsals, because everything is starting to get close.
Tonight was the Mirage rehearsal, for El Dooa. This is a well established piece, but we have several newcomers to it. I'm thrilled that we have 10 students taking part, though it's a bit scary, as I've no idea how big the stage area is going to be.
The dancing was good. We have a good entrance, and a good exit (I was channelling Reservoir Dogs). People were asking intelligent questions, about the technique and about the attitude of the piece. I was told that some of this piece is filthy. However, I say that's only other people's dirty minds! As far as I'm concerned it's just a bit cute and sassy, that's all.
One of my students was saying that she'd found herself missing the improvisation that we'd been doing in the summer, seeing as this term has been all about the choreography. She said she never thought she'd ever find herself saying that, but she did. I love that!
I also love how everybody is able to chat and mingle. It's very bonding.
Tomorrow is the Guildford group, doing Kahramana. Then Sunday it's Guildford doing Maigurakshi. Kahramana is my worst one, I'm not really fully into it yet, but I'm going to have a good practice of it at home, before the class rehearsal tomorrow afternoon. |
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| Caroline of Cairo |
[24th November 2009|11:52 pm] |
So I friended Caroline, and she was kind enough to accept me as a friend. And mentioned in the accompanying message that she would probably be visiting the UK next summer. So I asked her if she was likely to be teaching, and she says yes, she'd like to teach a workshop. So I have said that if I can help in any way, I'd be happy to.
But Yay! I *shall* go to her workshop.
And also yay for the online networking (coff*stalking*coff) facilities of FB. |
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| Learning |
[23rd November 2009|10:26 pm] |
I was just teaching a PL this evening, for a couple of students who are going to be doing the Fantasia performance and wanted an extra session on the choreography, outside class. They're pretty good, a bit underconfident maybe, but willing to work hard.
So it was really just an hour and a half or so of working on a single routine, which they already know, but don't feel very strong with. And because it was just the two of them and we could work on exactly what they needed, it was very productive, they were doing it just fine, and I think they are going to be even better at it tomorrow night!
I was explaining to them that the music really will help them, they just need to let it. They'd been so tied up with getting it all right, and had lost sight of that. I need to use that in my class teaching more. I know that when I'm choreographing, it's all about the music, so it should be when people are learning the routines. |
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| Also, I didn't say earlier, but... |
[20th November 2009|08:54 pm] |
The Guildford students *love* the ending to Kahramana- they were giggling like little girls! And I am priming them to do it for the Haflah in March, as well.
I have a hankering to make a load of organza circle skirts for them to wear, because the piece is really too floaty for my usual circle skirts, which are quite heavy, most of them, and also my Beginners will need to borrow a load of them anyway. Hmmm, I need to do some working-out... Fabricland do Sugar-Puff Voile, 145cm wide, for £1.29 per metre, or even plain organdie for £1.99 per metre, this could work. I wonder how much fabric I'd need for a treble layer circle skirt, or double layer.
Now I need to write it all up including the bit I changed from before, and post it in the Choreo Notes page of the website. |
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| Saqarah |
[20th November 2009|03:06 pm] |
I have applied for my students to perform at Saqarah, in May (or possibly June as back up date). I have warned them about this, and I'll wait & see whether they get in, and if so when, before I start worrying them about it. |
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| Another very pleasant afternoon of gossip and putting the world to rights |
[19th November 2009|10:57 pm] |
Despite both of us being cold-laden, and probably cross-pollinating and mutating our respective cold viruses, ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif) mellilah_dance and I managed to meet up. Also despite me carefully scanning around the whole of Café Nero, having Mel right under my nose and *completely not seeing her* (time to send for the men in white coats?). Thanks Mel, I really enjoyed it. Sorry that I got caught up in the stream of humans moving down to the tube station...
I had a lovely afternoon with her, and it was only spoiled by missing the fast train back to Gfd and getting stuck instead on the Stops-Bloody-Everywhere train to Gfd, resulting in being mildly late for classes, but the students were very understanding, and I'm going to be arranging a free rehearsal of the choreos for the Happenings show, so I'm not that bad.
I need to do some photoshop work (actually, Gimp work, because I am too much of a skinflint to try & buy potatoshop, when I can get Gimp for free, and also because I am silly enough to find the name amusing_ |
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| It's all go today |
[18th November 2009|11:12 pm] |
Leila asked me to be the Resident Dancer at El Layali!!!!
Excellent!!!
That means six months of performing, Yay for me!
PS, I should make it clear for all non-London, non-South-East-England flisties, that Layali is not a restaurant, but a monthly showcase in London. So it's not like a paying gig, but it will give me a monthly showcase spot, for 6 months, and a certain amount of profile-raising & kudos. And a chance to wear some more costumes. |
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| Booked it |
[18th November 2009|04:52 pm] |
My new classes will start on Wednesday 13th January, at the West End Centre, Aldershot.
Beginners 7-8
Intermediates 8.10-9.30
Wooop!!!!! |
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| And today... |
[15th November 2009|03:36 pm] |
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Squeee for an unexpected performance opportunity! |
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| Secret Habibi Break |
[13th November 2009|08:18 pm] |
I've done 29 emails. Hell, that's still 58 to go...
Time for food. |
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| Pfffttttt!!!!! |
[11th November 2009|06:12 pm] |
A mini-rant. Actually more of a scoff.
Someone on my FB flist posted: "Baladi veils :)" as an update.
Since when has any actual Baladi dancing included veils? Veils is Oriental. Veils is a Western gimmick imported into Egyptian dance. It ain't Baladi.
Blimey, this horse is quite high up. I may need to dismount, as I'm getting altitude sickness. |
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| Afternoon jobs |
[11th November 2009|05:37 pm] |
I have spent the afternoon slaving over a hot laptop.
Mainly typing up the finished Awel Marra choreo notes, for the students to download, updating the website with class info for the new year, updating my calendar and the events page and the list of all the workshops I have ever taken, ever.
And printing up 87 wishlists for the secret habibi, because that's a job that literally requires shuffling a lot of paper about, I can't do it on the puter, my brain isn't capable of that. Dear Lord! 87 of 'em! I thought it would be smaller this year, because everyone is tightening belts, but no, it's bigger than ever. |
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| StickworkI |
[9th November 2009|02:55 pm] |
I taught a Stickwork Private lesson today. Normally I'd do PLs at my house, but there isn't enough ceiling clearance to do stick here, but I was able to book a Unisport dance studio for it, which meant we had lots of room (and Laura didn't even charge me for it! woot!)
But it meant that I spent last night reading though all (and I mean *all*) my old Stick workshop notes, and I remembered each one! I have had so many excellent teachers. But today I found myself focussing mainly on Nadia Hamdi and Yasmina, and stuff I had learned from them. Both of them very generous teachers.
And I am resolved that I will make sure I keep up my workshop notes again, because they are far too valuable a resource to waste. |
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| YouTube |
[8th November 2009|01:07 pm] |
What has happened to all my ratings? I had various four, four-and-a-half and five stars. All are now reduced to half a star. Either someone has been targetting me with zero stars to bring down my average, or somepinks wrong.
Hang it, I might just disable all ratings. (But will it stick at a measly half a star? Or reduce all ratings to nil?) It's not like I'm afraid of bad ratings, but that just looks odd.
Maybe one of my kind flisties could give me a dummy 5 star, to see if that changes anything? |
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| Layali (the event formerly known as Shahrzad) |
[8th November 2009|12:57 am] |
Of the nice...
I enjoyed most of it. There were some nice performances including two of my Foundation Course Students. I really like Sarah Malik, she dances like she really means it. And
One of the dancers, having danced in the first act came up to me in the break, and said that since I was a Master Teacher (what?!), could I give her some feedback on things to improve. I told her I'd been watching for enjoyment, not for critique, but I'd watch more carefully when she was on in the second act. I admire her for asking. I think I pointed one thing out that she already realised, and one thing she hadn't really thought of, but as soon as I did point it out, she understood exactly what I meant.
Leila was pleased to see me, which was good, I don't want her to think I'm being snotty or diva-esque. It's a good showcase, and I'm very happy to support it.
Shouf is a really nice restaurant, as far as I can tell (we were in the basement bar). I had some of their mezze, which were very tasty. I fear the room is a bit small- I was late, I'll admit, but I had to spend most of the night sitting on the floor. It's a good job I'm supple, isn't it? I will definitely have to make sure I get there more promptly next time, or take a cushion. It was dead easy to get to, so I have no further mutterings on that score.
There were three people taking photos, which seems a tad excessive, but hey... I'm looking forward to seeing them online in the next few days.
Of the bad...
I guess this isn't objectively bad, but it tweaked my WTF sensors. A tribal fusion dancer, wearing regulation tribal bra & belt with melos (stripey ones, I am jellus) doing typical TF, to Tango-based farty robot music. With no discernible tango references at all. She was wearing a black fedora (and this is really only for raziaraks), but it would have been better with a black fedora! She wasn't doing TF terribly well (oh yeah, like I'm any kind of judge), it was all too soft and isolation-less, half-arsed popping & locking. And no Tango! Grrr!
Sunny. I know he's a sweetie, and boy can dance. I wish he'd use his abs more than his lower back, because he'll regret it when he's older. But, hey, that's up to him. This was the first time I'd seen him perform. His costuming is terrible. It's worse than terrible. It's cheap and tacky. It looks like it was cobbled together from something else, though I can't imagine what. And it shifted. When it's in exactly the right place, it just about covers the essentials. But when it twisted round, I got a full view of the Sunny arsecrack, and I had to studiously avoid looking anywhere near his hips when he was facing in my direction. Don't forget I was sat on the floor, so I was right at arse (and crotch) level. Not good. At all. In fact, very very bad.
It's not like there are no options for male dancers. There are some very good costuming options. And a set of dance briefs that holds everything securely and covers properly can't cost that much, surely?
There was a dancer there who seemed to be top of the bill and had come up from Oxford. Her intro said she was training with JWAAD, which I took to mean, teacher training. If so, I'm astonished. She might have done the foundation course (which is about safety, rather than about improving your technique dramatically- that's covered in the Diploma Course), but her technique was sloppy and I wouldn't have graded her as more than an Improver2, and that would have been generous. You have to be Intermediate to get onto the Diploma course. I can't believe she'd be on it. Of course, she could just mean she goes to classes with a JWAAD teacher, but that doesn't constitute training with JWAAD, and frankly it makes JWAAD look bad, if she's claiming she's part of it. I may have a word with Yvette about it, and see what she thinks.
But yes, mostly it's of the good. |
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| Samia Gamal was Sex on Legs |
[6th November 2009|11:35 am] |
I've been looking for a Kahramana clip, as inspiration, and to pass the link on to my students.
I found this clip, which includes a couple of minutes of pre-dance dialogue. And while I may not be able to understand the Arabic language, I can sure as hell understand Body language. The way she's wriggling when she is lying down on that divan, I would defy any man to resist. She's sexy in that insouciant, not-even-aware-of-it way, that I wish I could emulate!
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| Class tonight |
[5th November 2009|11:54 pm] |
I really enjoyed, despite thinking I might not.
We had to focus on Choreography, for both classes, because we have the Happenings Show taking place on 5th December. That means we only have four more classes before the show.
I have worked out a disgustingly twee ending to Kahramana. It's so sweet, it would give you diabetes. However in all other respects Kahramana is being a right bugger to choreograph. It's only got three tunes in it, with a heck of a lot of repetition.
Thank heavens for easy-peasy Maigurakshi. We've got all of it except for the walking and spinning section, which is easy, but a bit hard on the balls of the feet. They might want information about ballet shoes and foot-undeez. |
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| Bugger, bugger, bugger! |
[31st October 2009|04:48 pm] |
Shisha Oui is off for tonight- they are fully booked! Wahhhhh! Last time we were the only ones in... How dare they be so popular? I'm convinced it's because raziaraks is in da house. In which case a huge Yay! for her, but a great big Booo! for me & my students.
:-(
At least this means I can watch Strictly for the first time in ages tonight. |
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| If I did... |
[30th October 2009|08:08 pm] |
Another entry in the occasional series.
If I did Balkan-Cancan-Tribal-Fusion, then I would certainly pick Rachid Taha's Barbes to do it to.
Furthermore, if I were to add a Charles Trenet Chanson/Rai fusion to my repertoire, it would be with his Douce France in mind. |
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| Johara |
[28th October 2009|11:44 pm] |
I should have posted about this a few days ago. I got an email, as presumably did many people, telling me that Johara (Jo Wise's troupe, made up of her Advanced Students, to date) is recruiting. Auditions will be held.
"We are looking for dancers with excellent bellydance skills and an interest in at least one fusion or alternative dance style. We need versatile dancers who have a good memory for choreography and who work well in a group. You will need to be able to commit to Johara Dance for a minimum of 12-18 months for a full season of rehearsals plus a theatre tour.
Johara Dance rehearses every Wednesday evening in North London, and up to one Saturday afternoon a month. Members also help with practical aspects of running the company."
Hmmm, I'd fall at the first hurdle, not being in the slightest bit interested in any kind of fusion!
And I wonder who is thinking of dropping out, if they are recruiting new dancers? I may need to have a gossip with Margaret. (I need to get out of the house a bit more, Project BAMF has been slacking of late.) |
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| Le Weekend (which by the way, you have to say in a French accent) |
[26th October 2009|11:17 am] |
I had a super-duper weekend. Saturday was spent celebrating evil_spice's birthday, which involved champagne, pub, very nice home-made burger, cake, excellent conversation with cool people, and Egyptian coffee. I had had a ridiculously long lie-in on Saturday morning, so the long drive home was no problem (esp after said coffee!) and I was still wakeful long after the clocks changed.
Sunday started off with me visiting Mum, who spent the whole visit talking in French, I'm not sure if this is a one off or if she's lost it badly enough to forget that she can speak English. I'm hoping it's just that she's got another infection, which always sends her more doolally than normal.
But then it was on to raziaraks's Combinations workshop, which was fun, and interesting. I always like to see how other people put their combos together, and it meant I got to be a student for a while. This led on to a very kind invitation to dinner, which was yummy and it meant I got to chat to M more than I've really had the chance to before now. So another excellent day, with cool people!
And today is nice & sunny, I might go for a little walk into town. |
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