| Saqarah last night |
[18th October 2009|09:39 am] |
It's always nice being in a show with ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif) raziaraks. She is so damn cool, and such a delightful dancer. She had a big fanclub in the audience! Her shimmies were luscious. Leila from Layali (the event formerly known as Shahrzad) was there, and we had a chance to chat. She seems to be really excited about the new venue, being more central. I was polite and didn’t whinge about it being more inconvenient for me! She's planning on moving out my way, some time, so I said when she does we must meet up properly. Everyone backstage was really nice and friendly.
It was good fun. A small audience, but they were very appreciative. Nafiseh said some of them had come specifically because they’d seen Razia and me at Congress. So that made me feel good for the Saqarah team, it's good to feel you're helping them by being a draw! And of course it made me feel good too. One lady came up & gave me a big hug in the Ladies loo/changing room (yes we all have to get changed in the lavs). And her friend said afterwards it had made her day. Always nice to be appreciated!
I had a chance to talk to Vashti, who knows EVERYBODY. I had a chance to ask her about Mervet and apparently there are two Mervets. The one I met, who owned the Cleopatra Club, with whom I once did a workshop, is not the one on the video clip. The one on the clip was more known as being a singer, rather than a dancer. So there you go... |
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| And on an entirely Congress-free note |
[29th September 2009|10:25 am] |
I've got to get my Saqarah performance information in this week, and I've no idea what to put forward. I want to do two pieces, and I have to use different costumes.
Also, I'm going to have to sort out an external cd burner, I can't trust this one.
Eek! |
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| Saqarah- or should I say, Mersin Night |
[13th September 2009|11:53 am] |
Written on the train home, and probably edited with the benefit of a decent night's sleep.
Public transport is all very well, but it does mean you have to push off unsociably early. Normally, if I were driving up, I'd be there till packing up time, chatting, schmoozing, networking, gossipping, catching up. But I had to be back at Waterloo by midnight, or I'd turn into a pumpkin.
I got to the club in good time, in fact I was a bit early but that's ok, because I could get in the back door and nobody minded. It meant I could park myself somewhere where I could see the stage. After a while I was joined by Vashti (and a bit later, Tara). Vashti had splurged on a bottle of fizz, in an ice bucket, which was actually very reasonable, and quite drinkable (nowt special, but what do you expect for a tenner?)
Eshta & Lorna were running late on account of Lorna having taught workshops all afternoon, so the show ran a little late, so Vashti, Tara & me had time to chat. I'm adding Vashti to Project Bother All My Friends. She's definitely another one for tales of the Glory Days. And Tara was telling us about the Il Ham show- she's so enthusiastic about it, and has such a clear vision for it.
Saqarah tonight was mostly Mersin. There were six, count 'em, SIX Mersin solos, and one group dance. I am not going to single out individuals. They do all dance very well together, which is one of the joys of a group where you do all rehearse and perform a lot together.
They all have the same sort of dance style. And dance to the same sort of music. Hells Bells, if my troupe had SEVEN GOES, then I'd definitely want to impress people with the breadth ad variety of styles we do. But it was all very samey. S's daughter did Tribal Fusiony stuff, but the rest of them and the group dance were all Americanised Oriental. Some with strong ATS influences. Which is just my way of complaining that they aren't doing any bloody Egyptian! They used that 'orrible Said Mrad remix of Alf Leyla. I do have to say that I am pretty gosh-darn impressed that they managed to get six of them on that teeny tiny stage for the group number.
Apart from Mersin, there was Valerie Romanin doing her barefoot flamenco (who it turns out is from a town in Vendée really close to where my grandparents lived). She's a fabulous performer. Really knows how to project herself to the very back of the room. I do prefer flamenco with a bit of stamping though! There was a group of Nafiseh's students doing a nice Sa'aidi cane number, and a girl called Ashley doing Tribal Fusion, which as far as I can tell she did well.
Eshta did two numbers as this is going to be her last Saqarah for a few months, as she's off on her Big Adventure shortly. She wore her gorgeous Hoda Zaki bedlah that I lusted after last time I saw her in it. All beautiful ruching and very tactile. Eshta is a lovely strong dancer.
And of course, Lorna. Who I haven't seen dancing for about 10 years. In many ways she's the same as I remember. She's become a lot more Egyptiamafied. There are a lot of Dina-isms, and the technique is all Modern Cairo Style, but the essential Lorna-ness remains.
I can't remember what she danced to first- I don't think it was a song I know. On her second set she was dancing an Abdel Halim song, that I know I know, but I'm buggered if I can remember the name of it, and then went into Enta Omri, the Hossam Ramzy version which remains my favourite arrangement. The thing about Lorna is she moves a lot. My favourite bit was the Enta Omri, because she allowed herself some stillness. I think she could have done with even more, but I know it takes a lot of performance courage to be still and have the audience holding its breath for you. The other thing that I felt she could have done, was not to rely so much on the Dina-esque palm-to-jaw thing. It's fine when you're being all cute and Dalla, but Enta Omri is not a song to be cute to. It's too real and passionate!
I was wondering if I should have gone to the Lorna workshops. Or rather, if I would have gone to them if money were no object, and if I'd already known what her dancing is like now. I think I would. Because I'm sure I would have plenty to learn from her. I really like the flow of her combinations and the way she puts steps together, and her technique is really powerful. I suspect she would have kicked my butt. Storing the information for future retrieval.
Other data for future retrieval: as manky as Aldershot may be as a shopping centre, it does have plenty of ethnically and culturally diverse food shops, where interesting food and drink may be purchased. Including some very good baklava. |
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| Saqarah tonight |
[12th September 2009|04:07 pm] |
I'm off to watch Lorna. And to say the official so-long to Eshta who is off on Dance Adventures for a while.
I had originally been going to ask Nafiseh if she would be a guest dancer at my haflah, but then I had a Duh! moment, when I realised that of course she couldn't, because it was a Saqarah night, as Woogle had reminded me, earlier. So I'm humming & hahing about whether to invite anyone else, or to keep that spot free. I'd really love to have another good soloist. Will ponder more. It's not like I'm in a tearing hurry.
Will report back, natch. |
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| Saqarah and chocolate |
[4th September 2009|01:19 am] |
I have applied to dance at Saqarah next year. I'm conscious that they're getting more & more popular, and they need to keep their shows varied, and I like the upfront statement that you can only dance there twice a year. With their new online system, I think they'll get masses of applications, so all of my UK flisties who fancy performing there some time next year, you'd best get your skates on. (International flisties who may be passing through, you should check them out, they do very fun evenings, whether you're performing or watching.)
I asked for June, with February as a second choice date. If I could, I'd have preferred the April or May dates, and that would make sense, 6 months or so since I'd have last danced there. But March is the day of my Haflah, April is the weekend of JoY, which I'm booked for, and May I might have to be available to teach on the Diploma Course. I probably wouldn't be needed for that one, but it's been in my diary for months, and it got first priority. So, hopefully I'll be hearing from the gals shortly. I think they know I'm a good dancer and would be an asset to their programme! And they know I support them big time.
So that's a wait & see. I've still got my October date for them.
Oh yes, the chocolate....
I was on FB and Diane Cox was posting about the Christmas Godiva Haflah. My first thought was "Oooooh a Chocolate Haflah! What a brilliant idea!", but then I did a quick reality check and remembered that actually it's more to do with it being in Coventry, home of Lady G, rather than anything to do with chocolate (although Bourneville can't be that far away).
But that immediately got me thinking about how you could theme a Chocolate Haflah. There's Fry's Turkish Delight (full of Eastern promise), of course, and at least two Shokolata songs that I know of. Come dressed as your favourite bar of chocolate or your favourite Quality Street. A mendeel with marshmallows for pompoms. All suggestions gratefully received. I'm really quite up for giving the Bentley Haflah a Chocolate/Generally Confectionery-based theme! |
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| The Weekend |
[20th July 2009|09:55 am] |
A long one, hence numerous cuts
( The Bentley Fete )
( Saqarah )
( Hipnotic )
So all round an excellent weekend, filled with lovely people and plenty of dancing. Who could ask for more? |
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| Class last night |
[26th June 2009|10:21 am] |
I was pretty pleased that my Guildford students remembered about the flow for Enta Omri. Even though it was two weeks ago. And they did it. Yay!
The Ava Fleming Belly Button Twin is slightly concerning me, she's not really improvising, she's mostly copying me, which is ok, I stressed that it was about letting the music guide the *way* you move, it wasn't about technique or 50,000,000 ways to do a hip drop. It's maybe because she's not done any improvising before. I think I need to have a little word with her to find out more about her background. I'm pretty sure she's a ballet girl, from her posture and movement.
This class is usually quite transitory- there's usually a core of regulars, and a range of people who'll sign up for one or two terms only. And that's fine, but it means that I have a better rapport with those regulars, and I know more about them. So maybe I need to focus more on the others, and get to know them a bit better, find out what they expect from the classes and why they're there. But it's hard in just one hour a week.
Because there was class last week, I'm having to add it to the end of the term. Which means I can't get to PE next month. Or at least, I can but I'll get there really late, and only catch the last half of the second act. Which is a bit of a bugger, but I still want to go. There'll be Daphne as the star, and various others who I'd like to see (Ziba, Nafisah).
And I decided I'm going to Saqarah this weekend. I want to see other dancers, and be inspired. |
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| Tired bunny |
[16th November 2008|12:36 am] |
I was at Saqarah tonight. Enjoyed the Tribal stuff from Moirai. A lot of the other stuff, which I should have enjoyed more, I found a bit meh.
The main reason, I decided was: good moves but terrible posture.
A close running secondary reason was: feeble (in every sense) arms.
Something else to consider: letting the music run before you come on works if you give it 15-30 seconds. Any more than that and we're wondering if it's time to go to the bar. Once the music starts playing, you want to be seeing a dancer.
I'm on a Posture Trip at the moment. I keep seeing bad posture in dancers. And it really makes their dancing weak and disappointing. I can understand it in students who aren't that bothered about getting good. It's appalling in a dancer calling herself professional. Which a lot of them were tonight. And they're teachers too, which moves it all from appalling, through unforgivable and on into Smiting in Hell territory.
There was a certain amount of WTF dancing tonight, where M was saying, only partly in jest, "What is it?". It was quite sweet and engaging, but that's as far as I'll commit myself.
This is not me being grumpy, this is me being disappointed. |
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| Saqarah update |
[17th September 2008|03:32 pm] |
It looks like I will be performing there in April next year, and also in October 09. |
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