New Session starts February 19, 2012
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Al Massraweay: The Real Egyptian Certification … Simply Put – A MUST Have for Any Dancer
(originally published in the international periodical Zaghareet)
Faten Salama. Her name rolls off the tongue with excitement and respect. Quintessentially feminine, supremely sassy and very lovable, she is known and revered across the world. Her performance vitae boasts of being a principal dancer for Egypt’s National Troupe, performing as both a troupe member and a soloist for royalty, dignitaries and audiences with several thousand attendees. As a teacher, she has taught beginners through professionals in six of the seven world continents, known for her fun-loving and nurturing style that blends just the right mixture of firmness to let you know she expects nothing but the best from you.
And … the belly dance scene is totally in luck.
This year, Faten Salama debuted her most recent masterpiece Al Massraweay: The Real Egyptian Certification. This 18-hour certification program combines history, firsthand experience, secondary research, culture frameworks, geography, dance theory and practical application into an intensive immersion that leaves participants with a solid education, a strong foundation of excellence in Egyptian style dance and the knowledge of how to apply folklore to Oriental dance.
Recently, I had the distinct honor to present Faten Salama and the Al Massraweay certification in Chicago. Nearly thirty (30) dancers from four states gathered to study with this dance master to become more educated and skilled in Egyptian style dance.
Debbie traveled from North Carolina for the workshop. “Before Faten’s certification, I had been studying belly dance for a number of years,” she remarked. “I was going with Raksanna to Egypt to tour and participate in the June 2010 Ahlan Wa Salan festival in Cairo. I felt Faten’s certification would help me prepare for the upcoming trip both as a person and as a dancer, especially because she offered so much in terms of historical and cultural information. I am happy to say that this program achieved this goal!”
A Labor of Love: More than One Year of Research, Writing and Compilation
It took Faten a little over a year to develop the curriculum. One of today’s foremost authorities on folkloric dance, Faten wanted to make sure to provide a strong foundation for dancers interested in Oriental dance. “In order to be a good Oriental dancer, it is critically important to know the folkloric movements, rhythms and cultural context,” she said. “Without this knowledge, a dancer can only go so far. Oriental dancers with the depth of folkloric knowledge stand head and shoulders above the rest because their vocabulary of movements and musical interpretation is rich, textured and educated.”
“Being Egyptian and having the experience of the National Troupe gave me many years of first-hand experience from which to draw,” reflected Faten, “but I still spent many hours of research, asking myself ‘why are things this way,’ ‘how does this fit into the big picture,’ ‘what is the meaning of this.’ When I did not have the answers from my own experience, I researched history books, academic journals, credible on-line sources and discussed ideas and topics with my colleagues to find the answers. Then, I incorporated the information into the program.”
Setting the Foundation: Culture, History and Education
As the name Al Massraweay indicates, this program is a deep dive into Egyptian dance. In order to give dancers the education needed to understand the dance, Faten presented a brief lecture of Egyptian history. She discussed the four great Egyptian civilizations and the manner in which each of the eras impacted our art form.
Then, her discussion moved to how the inner relationship of movements, costumes, tools, geographic environment, necessity of life, regional beliefs, environment, society and the inner aspects of a dancer, such as emotions, impact the dance. For example, she presented Sinai and Nubian dance, explaining how and where the people lived, the differences and similarities of daily life and then tied it in with dance by contrasting different movements, costumes and music, highlighting various elements and how they created a specific uniqueness to the dance.
Dance Theory: Starting with the Basics
If you grew up in dance lessons, such as ballet, chances are that your training includes Labonation, preserving dance steps and choreographies through writing. With more than four decades of teaching and performance experience, Faten knew the majority of belly dancers do not have the benefit of this type of formal dance training. She also knew how important this aspect of dance theory is to preserving Egyptian dance. So, Faten began her certification program with the basics.
“As I created the program,” said Faten, “I decided that it was important to build the theoretical foundation with dance essentials. That way, people can leave the weekend with the skills of how to write down each step, down to the smallest of details, in the way the choreographer intended. ” She lectured from the podium on how to write down directions, arm placements, movements, patterns and so much more.
Zerlina, a dancer who came to Oriental dance with a dance background, remarked that “Faten’s presentation of Labonation is an absolute necessity for any dancer. Oftentimes in the West (America), belly dance is not seen by other forms of traditional Western dance, such as ballet and jazz, as being on the same level or having the same credentials. Faten’s incorporation of Labonation and dance theory raises our art form exponentially because it raises the level of professionalism of any belly dancer who takes the course, understands the theory and applies it. We can talk the same language as ballet and be taken more seriously. ”
Exploring Egypt through Dance
Once Faten set the educational foundation for dancers, she moved into the different folkloric dance styles. In total, she presented more than eight different genres: Zar, Saidi, Shamedan, Nubian, Philahe, Eskandari (Melaya Leff), Bedouin and Simsameya (Suez Canal). She also touched on Kahleegy and dances from both the North and South Sinai region of Egypt. In addition to the styles, Faten discussed costuming and cultural aspects to each genre.
The dance portion of the certification included a regional overview, a demonstration of the movements, and a presentation of the specific music, followed by folkloric dance patterns and technique. Once dancers had a good grasp on the technique and movements, Faten then explained how to apply the folklore movements to the Oriental dance – and taught dancers how to do so.
Erika Ochoa, a prominent dancer based out of Chicago, was attracted to the certification not only because Faten is someone she greatly admires, but also because of this aspect of the certification program.
“I have trained in both folkloric and Oriental style for many years,” Erika said, “and firmly believe that for any dancer to be a great Oriental dancer, he or she must know their folklore roots. It is where Oriental dance originates – the movements, context, culture. Faten did a fantastic job of presenting so many different folklore styles and then applying the technique to Oriental dance. I feel I am a much stronger dancer – both in folklore and Oriental – because of this program.”
Monet Parker is a dancer from central Illinois. She just started belly dance and decided to take the certification program so that she could start off in belly dance with a solid education. “I am so happy that I committed the money and time to this workshop,” said Monet. “While I have danced professionally in other dance genres for many years, I am a baby belly dancer. This program gave me the knowledge in my body and the education for my mind that is a solid, authentic foundation to build upon. Faten is a delightful teacher and I recommend this program to anyone who is interested in taking their experience to the next level.”
Creating Her Legacy
When I asked Faten her inspiration for creating the program, she paused for a moment and then quietly said: “There comes a point in each artist’s life where you ask yourself what you can give back to the art, what you want your legacy to be and what you want to be remembered for. As I searched my soul for the answer to these questions, I realized that to me, the most beautiful dancers are the ones with the ones who have the education and knowledge as well as the movement in their bodies.
“Artistically and personally, I became aware that I wanted my contribution to our art to be a comprehensive program that is both broad and in-depth, providing the background, history, cultural meaning and context of Egyptian dance to preserve the art form of Egyptian dance – so that dancers who invest the time and money in the certification walk away with both the physical movements in the body and the education in their minds. By doing so, the art form is elevated by the creation of educated, well-informed dancers who understand and embrace the true spirit of Egyptian dance.
“Al Massraweay became a labor of love, the result of a lifetime of experience, research and cultivation that I drew upon. It took over a year to consolidate, create and develop … and as I roll the program out, I am overcome with joy and am humbled by the great extent to which dancers from across America have embraced this program, absorbed the knowledge and allowed this knowledge to live on through their dance.”
What Makes Faten Salama’s Al Massraweay Certification a MUST for Any Dancer?
As a professional Middle Eastern dance artist and educator, my continued education and training has taken me across the oceans to different continents and throughout our beautiful nation to workshops and certifications too numerous to count. Each of these programs has its own specialty and uniqueness, providing value and benefit to any dancer who completes these courses.
What makes Faten’s certification different from the rest and simply a MUST DO?
- Faten is a native Egyptian. This fact gives her program an authenticity that other Egyptian style certifications taught by non-Egyptians can never have. To make an analogy, if someone who was born and raised in Chicago moved to Egypt and lived there, at the core, this person would still be an American with an American perception and filter. It does not mean that the American does not have a great wealth of information and expertise to offer; what it means is that Faten can teach the nuances and cultural context as only a native can. For dancers seeking to fine-tune and enhance their Egyptian dance, this native authenticity is an essential ingredient for a strong foundation.
- Faten’s dance credentials. There are only a handful of artists in the world whose resume can compare or even come close to Faten Salama’s. With more than forty years as a professional dancer that includes being a principal dancer for Egypt’s National Troupe, Faten’s life has been dedicated to the dance. She has lived and breathed it every day of her life and this perspective is an invaluable resource for any dancer.
- Historical and cultural accuracy. With the goal of preserving Egyptian dance, Faten not only drew upon her personal experience as a native Egyptian, she also spent countless hours researching numerous sources to ensure that the information she presents was well grounded in history facts and culturally context. This scholarship gives even more credibility to her program because the content is supported by academic research, intellectual publications and expert authorities that are outside of the dance world.
- Depth and breadth of information. Faten provides a global view of Egypt by presenting the big picture – a map of the country, the different regions of Egypt and the associated culture and customs of each region – and then dives into the details of each section of the country. By presenting the entire picture and then providing the details behind each area, participants leave with a holistic understanding of Egypt and her dance.
- Translation from Folkloric to Oriental dance. Arguably, the majority of belly dancers are focused on Oriental dance as their primary style. One of the many beauties of this program is that Faten teaches the folkloric dance – an absolute essential part of any educated dancers portfolio – and then applies it to Oriental so that dancers can expand and intensify their own portfolio and dance movement vocabulary.
I, for one, am extremely grateful to Faten for taking the time to develop such a course that gives so much to dancers.
Thank you, Faten Salama, for preserving the beautiful art form of Egyptian dance and enabling it to live on throughout time … like the Pyramids themselves.
2nd Annual “Got Hips?” Awards Banquet and Masquerade Ball
2010 was full of great shows, and wonderful opportunities of growth for Raksanna’s Production Company and our students. We enjoyed learning new dances and meeting internationally renowned masters while pursuing excellence in our shared passion for the art of Egyptian belly dance.
We welcome our friends and family to join us as we review the years accomplishments on February 5th, 2011 at our annual “Got Hips” show and banquet followed by a grand masquerade ball.
5:30 pm – 6:00 pm Cocktail Reception (cash bar)
6:00 pm – 8:00 pm Dinner and Show
9:00 pm – 1:00 am Masquerade Ball
Tickets are $99.00 per person and can be purchased either here or from Raksanna directly. A block of hotel rooms are available until January 14th, 2010. They are $89.00 per room and can be purchased here.
Catching Up! Momo Kadous, ChicagoRaks (TM) and more!
So much has happened in the past several weeks that it has been a whirl wind of events! In mid-September, Momo Kadous returned to the Windy City for my annual workshop and gala show weekend, ChicagoRaks ™ 2010, my parents celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary and I was featured at a workshop and show in my home town of Las Cruces, I was hired by LifeTime Fitness (a prestigious health club I’ve had my eye on for 10 years), my job at the doctors office is really ramping up, I turned 40 years old, my son turned 21 years old and in October, I headed to NYC to audition for the Belly Dance Superstars! Things are amazingly wonderful!
Rather than write about all of these fantastic experiences in one blog – and then not blog again for several weeks (life is busy!), I decided to write a blog on each one and I’ll post each week. That way, you can spend some free moments with me, if you’d like!
ChicagoRaks ™ 2010 – Featuring Momo Kadous
Gilae at the ChicagoRaks (TM) 2010 show
This year marks the fourth annual year for ChicagoRaks ™. My vision for this event is to bring Egypt to Chicago in an intimate setting where dancers from across the globe can study with a world-renowned Egyptian dance artists and showcase their talents for the artist in a fun setting. In addition to limiting the number of dancers to only thirty (30), I host dinners in my home or cocktail receptions to create a highly personalized experience where dancers can get to know the artist on the individual level, a rare opportunity in today’s world of mega conferences and festivals.
I first met Momo in Cairo about seven years ago. I had returned to the Land of the Pharaohs for Raqia Hassan’s Intensive Teachers Course, an amazing intensive where you immerse yourself in all aspects of the dance for ten days straight, dance eight hours a day and enjoy lectures in the evening in Cairo, Egypt. Momo, of course, is a featured instructor for this course.
During his workshop, Momo taught a mouthwatering Oriental choreography that was quintessentially his style – deep layering, interpretation of the grandest and the tiniest of details and utterly magnificent. I was completely inspired. Both his teaching style (demanding of our best, accepting no excuses and expecting the discipline typically found in a traditional ballet class) and his artistry touched me deeply on the soul level.
At the end of the Teacher’s Course, there is an opportunity to dance for our teachers. I decided to perform my award-winning choreography, Alfrec: An RE
Momo Kadous and Raksanna enjoying a relaxing moment
G Medley, that evening. With modern music that fused the many different folkloric styles to techno instrumentation, a brief taxim and a playful drum solo, I thought it was a perfect fit that showcased my personal style.
Momo, of course, was in the audience. He watched with thoughtful eyes and at times, I caught him nodding his head in approval and smiling. I was excited! That night, as I made my way back to my room, I passed Momo in the hallway of the hotel. He caught my eye and said quietly to me, “Raksanna, you have something very special. Please continue to train and develop. I look forward to seeing more from you in the future.” He nodded and quietly walked away.
I will never forget that moment – it was touching, humbling and oh, so exciting!
Fast forward and I found myself producing ChicagoRaks ™. My first year, I sponsored the delightful Faten Salama and she was such a win! For the second year, I decided to bring Momo – and it was fabulous! The girls LOVED him. Year three showcased the lovely Fahtiem from Los Angeles.
When I saw Momo in Cairo last December, we talked about what a great experience everyone had had when he had visited us. We both decided that it was time for him to return to Chicago and quickly made the appropriate arrangements. He agreed to teach his beautiful Oriental choreography and then have some fun with a drum solo and a modern pop song.
Dress rehearsal - the Shamaden dancers opened the 15-minute production number, an original Raksanna choreography that honors the beautiful genres of Egyptian dance
As registrations started coming in, I was so excited to see that we had dancers representing five States (Indiana, Illinois, Georgia, Wisconsin and California) and seven countries (Canada, Ireland, Japan, Poland, Thailand, Mexico and the United States) participating in the weekend festivities!
There was a special dinner for Momo at my house on Friday evening and then a cocktail reception with him on Saturday, prior to the show. Guests had the chance to meet Momo one-on-one and get to know this extraordinary legend and dance master on the personal level. In class, Momo kept dancers challenged and on their toes (literally) with amazing choreography, tantalizing technique and musicality that is top notch.
Ariel of Chicago performs a beautiful fan veil dance at ChicagoRaks (TM) 2010
Saturday’s gala show was held in an eclectic theater near downtown Chicago called The Viaduct. The lineup was a wonderful mixture of solos, duets and group numbers. Erika of Chicago kicked off the evening with an energetic Sha’abi dance; Diana the Dancer from Wisconsin performed a beautiful dance to “She,” Tammimi of Japan danced to a gorgeous Oriental number and Amani Jabril delighted the audience with a lovely wing piece. My professional competition troupe, Raksanna and the Desert Flames, performed our award-winning number featuring swords, veils and wings to Dr. Samy Farag’s Habipti.
My production company had been hard at work over the spring and summer perfecting one of my original choreographies that was a tribute to Egypt. The sixteen minute number started off with Shamaden as a nod to the Pharonic times then moved to Alexandria for a Melaya Leff number. A soft, spiritual number came next to feature the Zar, followed by the joy of Nubia. A traditional Saidi stick dance came next and the piece culminated in a rousing drum solo. I dedicated the number to both Momo Kadous and Faten Salama for their deep inspiration to me.
The girls rocked it! My heart swelled with pride as Momo’s eyes lit up throughout the show – and in the end, when we presented him with a Chicago cap and a photo of us all, his remarks brought tears to my eyes. “Tonight, I have seen my country, Egypt, on the stage. The passion and the spirit of these dancers show this art is not just about the body … but this art is about the soul, about touching the audience with your spirit and bringing us each closer to our humanity.”
Momo Kadous and Raksanna, Sept 2010
Momo, thank you. Thank you for your inspiration, for those words of belief so many years ago and for your own spirit that brings me closer to my own humanity, allowing me to dig deeper into my own artistry. I will see you in a few weeks, back in the shadows of the Pyramids, as I study with you again.
Hugs and shimmies to you all,
Raksanna
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