Rak’in Chicago with ChicagoRaks!
Rak’in Chicago with ChicagoRaks!™ | By Val Peinovich, member of Raksanna’s Desert Flames | Published in Zaghareet!
The great city of Chicago shimmied and shook last fall (September 2007) when Raksanna hosted her annual ChicagoRaks™ weekend in the beautiful Double Tree Hotel in the Chicago suburb of Oakbrook, Ill. The fantastic event was filled with exciting workshops, shopping from premiere belly dance vendors and a dramatic gala show featuring international icon, Faten Salama, dancers from Raksanna’s Academy of Dance and workshop participants.
“The weekend was an absolute fabulous experience,” said Wendy of Aurora, Il. “I made new friends with other dancers, had a blast learning great choreography and enjoyed a gala show that I’ll never forget!”
Nearly 100 dancers from across the Midwest donned sassy hip scarves and started the weekend at 9:00 am on a gorgeous Saturday morning. The day started off with a great warm up that included lengthening stretches to warm up the muscles, combinations designed to get the heart pumping and technique to prepare dancers for the day.
Sassy, Drum Solo Cheryl, a senior faculty member of Raksanna’s dance academy, kicked off the Master Classes with an amazing 2 ½ minute drum solo. Her teaching style was fun and nurturing and she took the time to break down the advanced choreography with clear instruction, providing less challenging options for those who wanted a modification.
“What a great, fun dance!” remarked Jeannine of Naperville, Il. “It was just the right blend of challenging combinations, hip articulations and technique. Cheryl did a nice job of teaching the dance in the two (2) hour time frame. I can’t wait to perform it!”
Featuring Faten Salama! After a brief lunch break, dancers gathered back in the ball room to begin training with guest artist, Faten Salama. Originally from Cairo, Egypt, Faten is known around the world for her vibrant style, soulful emotion and feminine grace. She started dancing at the age of 11 and has traveled around the globe, performing for heads of state, ambassadors and royalty.
“Sponsoring Faten Salama was such a wonderful experience for me,” said Raksanna. “The combination of her professionalism, high energy and delightful personality make Faten a joy to work with! I am honored to be able to continue my commitment to excellence in our art form. Bringing the best belly dance masters to Chicago with important artists like Faten is a great opportunity. She truly is one of the best!”
Faten taught two Master Classes over the weekend: a playful Saidi Stick (Raks Assaya) routine and a flirtatious Melaya Leff routine. Both pieces were choreographed to traditional Egyptian music and brought the essence of Egyptian dance to life!
Susan of Detroit commented, “Wow! What a fun time! I learned so much from Faten – the technique portion of her workshop was filled with great patterns and the choreography for both dances was just fantastic.”
Fabulous Shopping and Dazzling Gala Show Raksanna prides herself in sponsoring first class events with attention to every detail. She invited premiere vendors such as Audrena, Magda and Nijali to showcase their beautiful costumes, accessories and more for the dancers’ shopping experience. Another vendor was Susan from Living Young, who enhanced the shopping experience with essential oils.
The Gala Show started off with an award-winning three course dinner. Guests had the choice of chicken or surf and turf, accompanied by a cup of mouthwatering soup and a fresh dinner salad. Desert was a tasty Crème Brule and coffee or tea.
After dinner, the show featured an excellent variety of soloists, duets, trios and group numbers as well as students from Raksanna’s Academy. Dance routines included Modern Egyptian, Tunisian, Raqs Sharki, Turkish Gypsy, Raks Assaya (stick) and much more.
The closing number was the sensational Faten herself. She delighted the audience with her friendly presence, drew everyone into her emotions and touched each and every person in the room. Her feet danced on air and she brought the house down when she invited all the dancers who performed back up on stage to dance with her.
“Faten danced for an amazing 23 minutes – and it felt like 5!!!” said Sharon of Wichita, Kansas. “When the show ended, I wanted more … I just could not get enough of her!”
ChicagoRaks™ – An Annual Event Raksanna offers sponsors ChicagoRaks every year. In 2008, she is hosting a weekend long workshop featuring another Egyptian Dance Master: Momo Kadous. The weekend kicks off on Friday, September 12, with a huge show and is followed by two days of workshops, great shopping with Turquoise International and Magda and, of course, the opportunity to meet great friends from across the country. For more information about ChicagoRaks™ or other fantastic workshops sponsored by Raksanna, please visit: www.raksanna.com or call 630-689-3611.
As for me, you can bet I’ll be there!
About the Author Val Peinovich, a professional belly dancer, is a member of the Desert Flames. She has been dancing for over five years, is the mother of three beautiful children and has one grandchild. She loves belly dance and one of her favorite magazines to read is Zaghareet. She resides in Plainfield, Ill., with her youngest daughter, Leah, and Jersey, her dog.