Magic Really DOES Happen!
August 18, 2010
It has been said that life is not the collection of daily activity, but rather special moments that are savored in deep delight. This past three weeks has been an amazing buffet of mouth-watering, delicious moments of magic!
Hillbelly Raks 2010 featuring Raksanna and Mahsati, sponsored by Neran
Neran invited me back to one of my favorite places in America – Knoxville, Tennessee! She puts on a wonderful belly dance workshop and show endearingly called Hillbelly Raks. This year, the event was held at the beautiful, brand new Broadway Center of Performing Arts, owned and artistically directed by Cynthia Turnage (known in belly dance circles around the world as Shahira, a 25 year student of the legendary Ibrahim Farrah of New York City). Shahira recently celebrated the grand opening of her lovely center and it is a beautiful studio indeed.
When Neran first invited me for the workshop weekend, she shared that she was also inviting the beautiful Mahsati of Ashville, NC to teach a drum solo choreography. I have long admired Mahsati – she is a gorgeous dancer with a great style … and not only is she a fantastic dancer, she is a delight to be around! When Neran told me the great news, I was even more excited about the weekend!
I arrived in Knoxville on Friday night. My husband (David), Gilae (one of my senior instructors on my belly dance faculty) and I made the 12-hour road trip from Chicago to Knoxville and arrived at my aunt and uncles house in the wee hours of Saturday morning. We enjoyed some small talk and then promptly fell into bed for a refreshing rest.
Having fun with creative combos!
On Saturday morning, Gilae and I made our way to the studio. My schedule was jam-packed with private lessons. An exciting highlight in my artistic career had presented itself – I was commissioned by a Knoxville Troupe (Shabini) to choreograph a beautiful Oriental piece. When I was first asked, my heart swelled with joy – what an honor to be invited (and commissioned!) to create art for such lovely dancers! We worked from 10:30 am until about 2:00 pm, with Gilae assisting me in demonstrating formations and moves, and the dancers quickly learning the routine and putting it in their bodies. At the end of our session, I was quite impressed by not only how fast the ladies picked up the dance, but also how lovely they looked dancing it!
Following the commissioned choreography were two hours of privates with Johnna and Terri. They had driven about four hours for the workshop weekend and it was great to see them again. We had met last year in Atlanta, when Amani Jabril sponsored me for “Meow! That’s Hot!” Johnna and Terri are beautiful dancers and even more beautiful women with hearts of love and compassion. We spent the time working on technique and patterns that could be used in their choreographies or for training purposes. I was excited to see how much both Johnna and Terri embraced the routines and really took the moves in. When I put together the lesson plan, I took into account that both dancers are quite airy – so I created four specific sets of technique to assist with getting the earthy feel and style. The time was well-spent and every one left the session dancing on air (and earth)!
That night was the Gala show. About seventy-five people gathered that evening to share an evening of art and dance. I was very impressed with each performance – I could visibly see the growth in all of the dancers from the previous year; their hours of training has certainly paid off! One performance that really touched my heart was the interpretation by Sandy Larson and her troupe of the drum solo choreography I had presented last year. The troupe had practiced the choreography and adapted it to make the dance their own – I loved the accents, the energy and their love of the music and the choreography; I have to say that I was so touched by their performance that I had chills on my arms and a tear of joy in my eyes! Thank you, ladies, for your inspiration!
Sunday was the workshop day. Mahsati taught the drum solo choreography and the dancers loved, loved, loved it!!! I started my workshop out with some combinations that the dancers could use for their own choreographies. The patterns supplemented my new DVD, Advanced Technique and Playful Patterns, Volume 1, and included across the floor, traveling and stationary moves for entrances and “verses” of the songs. Then, we transitioned to Melaya Leff choreography. It is an original choreography that I developed after having spent time in Alexandria, Egypt. The music came straight from Alexandria, on a CD that my tour guide gave me as a present to remember the area and him.
David, Gilae and I left Knoxville around 5:00 pm to start the road trip back home. Both David and Gilae had to be to work the next day, so we made the trip straight through and arrived back home early Monday morning, tired but energized from the magic of the weekend.
To all the dancers who attended the workshop – and to Neran for sponsoring and Shahira for supporting the event – thank you so very much!
Mahmoud Reda – A Dream Come True
The next weekend took me from Knoxville to steamy Atlanta, GA. Amani Jabril sponsored the master legend himself, Mahmoud Reda, for a workshop and gala show weekend. I had looked forward to the workshop ever since Amani told me she was bringing him.
I took the trip to Atlanta with Susan, a fantastic woman who has studied under me for about seven years and become a close personal friend as well. We flew American Airlines (my favorite and preferred domestic airline!) to Atlanta and then roomed together in the La Quinta. On Saturday, we arrived to the workshop early in order to get a good spot in front. Mahmoud began the day with technique and floor patterns that were elegant and sophisticated – and a ton of fun! Then, after lunch, he presented a heartwarming choreography to a song called “The Best People.” The lyrics speak of the people from different regions of Egypt such as Upper Egypt (Saidi), Alexandria and a port of call on the Suez Canal. The choreography was exciting, challenging and such a delight to learn. Mahmoud seemed pleased with the progress of our class and he was such a great teacher! We all left feeling like we had learned and accomplished a great deal.
Raksanna and Mahmoud Reda share a moment after the Gala Show
The show was that evening. It was held in a really nice, cozy theatre and the lineup featured soloists, duets, trios and troupe numbers. It was a great blend of Mahmoud Reda choreography, oriental and fusion style belly dance. I performed in the second act, right before Amani closed the show. It was a new piece that I started working on this summer with bold, dramatic music. The audience was so warm and responsive – I truly felt their love as I danced and I gave my heart and soul that night! The icing on the cake was when Mahmoud and I had our photos taken and he said he enjoyed my performance. I felt like the clouds had lifted me up and I was dancing on air!!! What a magnificent dream come true!!!
Sunday was the continuation of the workshop with Mahmoud. He had found out that some dancers had to leave early due to travel plans (myself included), so he switched up the day to start with choreography and end with technique. He presented a dance to the song “Khan el Kahlili,” named after the famous market in Cairo. The kanuun played like liquid magic, the tabla kept the rhythm underneath and the steps were absolutely perfect – I was transported back to the market where the merchants entice shoppers, the smells of hookah and Arabic coffee tempt diners and visitors are taken to a place where it seems time stands still. Each time I visit Khan el Kahlili now, I will think of this music and this dance and I am sure that my heart will swell with the same joy I felt that Sunday, learning the dance and training with the master himself.
From Belly Dance to Pilates
In addition to my wonderful dance career, I am also a certified fitness professional/personal trainer/Pilates instructor. I owned my own studio for about 8 years and last year, due to the economy and a personal transformation, closed the doors of my studio and moved operation to the YMCA. As part of the transition, I launched a new series of “Train the Trainer” workshops. This past weekend, I had the great fortune to train eight instructors on my award-winning Pilates curriculum. We focused on the Reformer equipment and Level 1 and 2 of the curriculum. It was a full day of training, running from 8:00 am until 4:00 pm with only a half-hour for lunch and the instructors were really excited! Their passion for learning and their love of fitness was so inspiring! I am excited that the Y is taking my program under their roof and launching it this fall for their members.
After the Pilates training, I made it to Elmhurst, a suburb of Chicago that is about an hour and a half away. I had been commissioned by Sojourner-Douglass College, a private institution headquartered in Baltimore, MD, to present an interactive workshop on belly dance to approximately thirty (30) young ladies from across the world.
Enjoying a moment with thirty girls from around the world at the recent Sojourner-Douglass College workshop!
These students come to the United States to earn college credits toward their college degrees. When I first arrived, the class was a bit shy at first. Very quickly, however, the beautiful Arabic beats and fun dance moves soon had everyone dancing out their hearts and shimmying in good fun. Because the workshop was educational in nature, I introduced movements from across Egypt – from Saidi to Nubian to Oriental and offered commentary on the geography and culture to the origination of the movements and music. The girls were so sweet and everyone had a great time! I look so forward to working with Angela again when students from Sojourner-Douglass return to the Windy City!
The Magic Continues …
The next couple of weeks are going to be equally amazing for me. My professional dance company, Raksanna and the Desert Flames, travel to Orlando to participate in Stellar Advantage’s “Ultimate Belly Dance Intensive” and compete in the “Pro Troupe Challenge.” We’ve been working on an outstanding original choreography to an exciting piece of music; I can’t wait to showcase it with these beautiful dancers whom I admire and deeply respect.
After the competition, I travel to Dallas to teach a workshop with Little Egypt – very fun!
And on September 8, I celebrate my 40th birthday! I am so excited about turning 40 – this decade in front of me is sure to be a fantastic whirlwind of positive energy, magical experiences and love!
I’ll write soon and let you know how things are going!
Hugs and shimmies to you all,
Raksanna