A Belly Dance Diary 2008
Zorba at private performance (01/19/08)
2001-2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 Herein is chronicled Zorba's on-going voyage of discovery into the magical realm of Belly Dancing. Sometimes major events, more often just baby steps along the way. Presented here in reverse chronological order.
4 May 2008
Reprise of yesterday's performance. Same venue, same dances, same time. Different veil ("Greenie", my very first veil! 3 yard Kelly Green silk.) and Zills (King Tuts). This was the Smurf performance - we were all blue from cold! My rant on the topic of stupid male dress notwithstanding, I almost wished I were a Ballroom dancer instead of a Belly Dancer! Or maybe Eskimo folk dancing would have been appropriate...
Anyway, once we got moving, the performance went pretty well. I dumped my veil early in my solo as the wind was just whipping it around and I wasn't able to do anything particularly pretty or graceful with it.
3 May 2008
A performance with Janette's troupe at the local "TheatreFest" in Monterey. Did most of the troupe dances (playing my "Grecian" Zills). Also did a solo, "Veil-5/Dark Fire" with my 3 yard dark red polyester Chiffon veil (being that it was an outdoor performance). Janette's "Be in the moment" worked here, I was almost as ecstatic with this (recorded) music as I was with the live stuff in Seattle!
I was even able to wear those cool earrings I received yesterday!
2 May 2008
An epiphany. Janette has been trying to beat the concept of "Be in the moment!" into me in regards to my dancing and musical interpretation. Until tonite, I just didn't get it. My wife and I were at a "Brothers of the Baladi" performance where Janette, Jamaica, and Lana's troupe "Bellysema" were dancing to their music. I suddenly understood what Janette has been talking about all this time - it clicked for me. It connected with the ecstasy I felt during the my performance to live music at Saqra's show in Seattle on 8 March. Watching Janette dance to this live music, plus getting up and dancing to it myself during the "free dance" portion brought the concept home. This is the kind of connection I've always had with Classical music, and have had for years now with Greek music - now I understand the un-understandable and can apply it to ANY kind of music!
In other news a dance sister and instructor, Mariama, presented me with a VERY cool pair of earrings: 5 pointed stars over moons.
20 April 2008
A new picture from last week's performance:
A very minor update for 
Shemadan dance outdoors!Finished up my wife's skirt in a manner similar to mine, although this one was in way worse shape:
In fact its so minor, look for it bottom picture of 28 March 2008, page 2.13 April 2008
Pacific Grove's "Good ol' Days" festival, main stage. Danced with Janette's troupe, doing almost all the choreographies, including the new "corn dance". Also soloed "Solo-12/Shemadan 2" for the second time - and the first time with the Shemadan, playing my Zildjian Zills with it. This was also the first time I've ever danced with the Shemadan outdoors (but under a tent) - much to my surprise, the candles were all still lit when I was finished!
Being that we were the first act on (at 10:30 in the morning!), we went dancing through the festival ahead of time to scare up an audience, of which we ended up with a medium sized crowd. While we were dancing through the streets inviting people, I overheard something like "There's a male Belly Dancer. I never knew there was... "
Zorba and dance sisters dancing the "Story Dance".5 April 2008
A new entry in the Media page, plus a minor update to the previous (Feb '08) entry. Also added a wonderful poem someone sent to me.
29 March 2008
Casbah Cabaret. The Casbah Cabaret returns for 2008 as a once a quarter event, any time there's a fifth Saturday in a month, there will be a CC.
Absolutely standing room only crowd, the place was packed and better still, full of energy. I danced my "BellyGram 2" (short version) to an enthusiastic response. I used Cory Zamora's veil wrap (orange/red A'Kai silk veil) with better results than I've had with it previously, thanx to the workshop I took with her on 17 February.
I had some problems getting my Zills (King Tuts) back on for the finale, I had to "scold" one of the thumb Zills that wasn't in a cooperative mood - but otherwise the performance went well, and the audience was VERY responsive to both myself, and my dance sisters!
I also ran into an ex-dance sister who had come to watch us. She got up and danced during the "open dancing" after the show - and was utterly beautiful. I strongly encouraged
her to come back to dancing. I really hope she does, we all miss her!
I'm tired, off to bed!
28 March 2008
Two whole pages worth of work on
9 March 2008
The other two workshops with Naheda! First was a Salsa/Oriental fusion piece. I'm not much into fusion, but I like this number. Like yesterday's drum solo, I'm tempted to use this choreography - and I came home with a DVD and CD of the music and instruction so I can put it together if I so wish. Cool.
The second workshop was a Double Veil workshop. I'm always looking for new things with veils. It was no less than THREE HOURS LONG!! The choreography was vaguely similar to one that Janette has been teaching us in class - but different enough that I had plenty to learn technique-wise.
The first couple of hours went pretty well - I was able to pick up what she was teaching and dance it well, experienced veil dancer that I am. But sometime in the third hour, my arms "fell off" and I started floundering - badly. Partly because there was a veil wrap-up thing that I didn't have enough veil length for (with my large body), but mostly because I was just drop dead tired! Stuff I'd been doing earlier on in the dance like an old pro I was blowing. I learned a lot and had a lot of fun even if I did crawl out to my sister's car afterwards...
8 March 2008
Workshops with Naheda, followed by a performance with and by her in Seattle.
Saqra (also of Seattle) had invited me up to perform in the show:
Poster for the show.The workshops were great. The first was a drum solo choreography. Longtime readers of these pages will no doubt recall that I dislike choreography - however I'm quite tempted to utilize this one - I like it that much. "Someone" was filming the workshop and something was said about getting all the participants a copy. I hope so.
The second workshop was a Turkish folk dance. Despite my years of dancing vaguely similar dances from Greece and elsewhere, I was pretty stymied by this class - as were a lot of my dance sisters! It was pretty complicated.
The evening show was fantastic, both from a personal standpoint as well as an overall standpoint. All the performers were terrific! It was a bit of a milestone for me - prior to this show, I had only performed to live music twice, and on a big stage thrice (and never both at the same time!). Dancing to Saqra's Raksband (live), I performed with both Zills (King Tut), and veil (A'Kai four yard red/orange) on a HUGE stage. It was utter magic - Saqra and my sister (who was in the audience) told me I was utterly ecstatic. I believe them, I definitely lost myself in the music - what a blast!
Utter ecstasy!Look for a video of this performance soon!
7 March 2008
At a Greek restaurant in Seattle, I was able to introduce my sister to my artform. We watched a Belly Dancer perform during dinner. The gal appeared to be an advanced student, my sister seemed to think that she was blushing a little bit as she came out - but she responded favorably and relaxed as I gave her Zaghareet and clapped and smiled and encouraged her. She did nice veilwork and - a credit to her teachers - she played Zills!
2 March 2008
A workshop from The Mighty Siwa! Prop balancing! A good workshop, I had two questions/issues on the subject - she was able to answer/help with both. As much help and encouragement that she's given me over the years, it was nice to finally actually take a workshop from her.
29 February 2008
New video review, Tribal Fusion Belly Dance. Yoga, Isolations and Drills: A Practice Companion with Rachel Brice.
20 February 2008
Picture from the Cory Zamora show last Saturday, thanx to Sharif.
Shows off the Kohl around my eyes rather well, don't you think?
17 February 2008 
The Cory Zamora workshop! A lot of fun, some useful stuff, and I finally figured out what I've been doing wrong with the "Scarf Tie" veilwrap! Janette, Siwa were among the luminaries present - and Jamaica put in a surprise appearance!
16 February 2008
Performance at the
Cory reminds me of why I love Belly Dance - she did pure, old fashioned American Cabaret Belly Dance in all its glory, beauty, grace, and power - complete with floorwork, seen so rarely now. Ethnic style Belly Dance is cool, and fun, and all that; the new stuff is a lot of fun too - but my first love is classic Cabaret.
The show was put on and announced by Janelle, who was a sweetheart as always. Imzadi made a surprise appearance in the audience, and my dance brother
9 February 2008
Empowerment. The commonly found "Gypsy" skirt is made of rather diaphanous cotton in three tiers. They're famous for pulling apart at the seams. The way to fix one is to sew ribbon or other trim over the seams, both hiding the problem and providing reinforcement. So - this was my largest sewing project to date, by far! Aside from doing every stupid thing possible while sewing the 28 yards of ribbon this took, it came out quite well.
My wife has an identical one, but red, with the same problem. Its next!
Midway through. A *lot* of ribbon to sew!As promised, there are a couple of pictures from Kalisa's 82nd Birthday at the bottom of a re-vamped Gallery 2
3 February 2008
A new entry in the Media page!
Pictures coming soon from the 1 Feb. performance, stay tuned!
1 February 2008
The magic was back - if for only one night...
Kalisa's 82nd Birthday party which was held, for the first time in living memory, in a location other than Kalisa's La Ida Café; which is no more.
It was held in a new venue, a place called "The Tea Room" that is within spitting distance of the old La Ida. Many familiar faces that I hadn't seen since the closure last year. Brought back much of the old feelings.
I did two dances - the class cane choreography with Nadia Gamal's cane "#2", and a solo to music I'm calling "Shemadan 2", even though I didn't dance with the Shemadan. Instead, I danced while balancing a round tray on my head that I've had for years that I'd never performed with before - on top of it was a large slice of Birthday cake with the number "82" on top (lit number candles!). I still haven't figured it out yet, but somehow Wiggle Woman (Janette) talked me into doing this act. I don't recall telling her "yes", but there I was! I'm told it went well and looked good - all I know is that I didn't dump the cake! The crowd really loved it that I knelt down to present the cake to the "Queen of Cannery Row" herself! I then finished my dance playing my King Tut Zills.
Many dance sisters who I haven't seen in quite a while were there, including the fantastic Jamaica whose performance reminded me of why she's still my #1 dance idol.
There is a possibility that this may become the "New Kalisa's" and be a regular or at least semi-regular venue for us. Last year's attempt with the various "Kalisa's Cabaret at the Vet's Hall" is now officially dead. Too far away in a very out of the way location killed it.
In related news, I drove down to the old La Ida on my way in. It has been totally remodeled, new windows, new walls inside, etc. Even the old staircase leading upstairs is gone (There is now a new window where the bottom of it was, and inside taking its place is an ATM machine). The place looks nice - and they totally killed the last of the "authentic" Cannery Row. The only thing left that's recognizable is the front door, which was retained much to my surprise. Goddess only knows what has been done in the back and the upstairs. Incongruently, it was closed - something that would have NEVER happened on a Friday nite when it was the La Ida. Just another tourist trap.
19 January 2008
Private performance at a party in Florida. I did "BellyGram #2", using my Zildjian Zills, and the four yard multi-colored chiffon veil. As I didn't want the hassle and risk of transporting a cane, I "made" one there from a 3 foot oak dowel. A bit on the heavy side, but workable. As an encore, I performed "Solo-5/Goddess Dance" double veil with my beloved A'Kai silk half circles.
The performance was a smash hit - it was outdoors in a lanai area of a large home. Good thing too, it was raining and I was just under the roof. The audience loved me! I tried Cory Zamora's veil wrap once again. I was able to get it to unwrap better this time, and even play peek-a-boo with the veil.
Pictures can be seen at the bottom of Gallery 3.
5 January 2008
The first video mini-review for 2008: By Dancers For Dancers Vol 1.
1 January 2008
Another year in dance has come and gone - and Q1 2008 has some very exciting things on the horizon! So keep checking back here! The rest of the upcoming year is, as always, as uncertain as Schrödinger's cat. We'll see what it brings...
Its now officially 90 years old, so there is an update for
Lost?
Site MapCopyright and Terms of Use Home
