Greetings from the Shadows of the Pyramids

Wow! It has been such an amazing trip to Egypt so far! My friends and colleagues in the dance world are here and it is so good to see everyone again. My heart is filled with joy and love – and I know the special feeling of magic that is part and parcel of Egypt is what calls to my spirit and brings me across continents and oceans to be here on such a regular basis. I love this country and I love belly dance.

 

The girls who came with me have had an amazing time! Debbie, Lynn and Joy went on so many excursions – from visiting Alexandria on the Mediterranean Sea (where they saw the catacombs, the world famous library, the light house and ate lunch by the sea) to visiting the Pyramids and the Sphinx, as well as Saccarra, to a day trip to the Egyptian Museum and then the Old Church world, their days during the first week were absolutely complete!  My camera has no more charge, so I will post photos when I get back to the States.

 

Lynn stayed for only a week and enjoyed the tour part of the package. She was such a treat! Lynn picked up a college course on tape of ancient Egyptian history so she was able to put all of the excursions and sights into context. Our guides from Ahlan Wa Salan travel have been the utmost professional and knowledgeable – as always! I have come to Egypt many times and the people who make up the travel company – Yassir, Bassem, Sameul, Mustofa, Regaey and all – are among the finest tour groups in the world. I always feel safe with them and have never experienced any problems whatsoever.

The dance festival began last Friday. The gala show was fabulous, as always!  The show opened with a great band that featured five Tanora (sp??) dancers – these are the male dancers that spin for what seems like forever. The crowd went wild!!! It takes such amazing control and grace to be able to spin and NOT get dizzy and fall down! 

 

After the Tanora dancers came this really cool Nubian ensemble. There was a live band and dancers that both danced on the ground – as well as about four men that dances on STILTS that were at least ten (10) feet tall! Complete with dancing horses (people dressed up like horses), this show had everyone out of their seats and shimmying along.

 

A new designer, Fernando from Argentina, followed with an amazing display of his new costume line. He creates beautiful modern costumes and I have to say that each and every one is absolutely gorgeous! With the World Cup going on and a strong showing of dancers in the festival from Brazil, one of the top hits was his Brazilian-inspired costumes – very beautiful!

 

Katia from Russia followed the fashion show. She is a nice dancer and set the tone for the evening. Her costume was very nice and she did a very good job with her dancing. It was nice to watch her performance – I have taken several of her classes over the past several years and it was my first time to see her in action with her 19 piece orchestra.

 

Sorraya from Brazil followed with her 23 piece orchestra and was FABULOUS! She certainly got the crowd up and involved – she is known for her shimmy and she certainly exceeded all expectations!!! Check her out on You-Tube and you can see just what a little dynamo this lovely woman is!

 

Dina from Egypt (yes, the famous super star) closed the show with her 29 piece orchestra. She was really amazing that night. Dina performed for about an hour and had four costume changes. Her dancing was strong and she connected with the crowd on a spiritual level that was felt by all. It is easy to see why Dina is considered the top dancer in all of Egypt.

 

On the first day of the festival, I taught my class. My students included dancers from Spain, Belgium, the United States, Morocco, Argentina and Croatia. One of the many beauties of our dance is that the language of our movements cross all cultures and language and what could not be understood through English was understood though the body. I taught an exciting drum solo that kept the dancers in high energy and lots of movement, and then followed with an hour of technique and patterns from my new DVD, Experience the Magic (TM) Advanced Technique and Playful Patterns, Volume 1.

That evening featured the Teachers Show. I had the amazing honor to open the show and am so thankful to Madame Raqia for making my dreams come true. With six of the seven continents represented and dancers from more than 35 countries, I danced to Nancy Ajram’s “Be Patient With Me” and a drum solo. The crowd was so receptive – their clapping and cheers inspired me so much that I was floating on air for the next three days! I will always remember that evening as one of those moments that is frozen in time because of the passion, the excitement and the experience of living a dream!!!  Madame Raqia – thank you, thank you, thank you. I will post video footage of the dance when I return to the States as I am experiencing some difficulties with the power and my computer here.

 

The next few days were filled with workshops and of course, shopping! I took Angelika Nemeth’s “Passion and Drama” workshop – she taught an amazing choreography to a new song from Tarkan, a very popular Turkish singer. It was my first time studying with Angelika and she is an excellent instructor. She clearly breaks down movements and patterns, provides individual feedback to dancers in the class and has a fun, engaging teaching style.

 

Momo Kadous, one of my personal friends and mentors, taught a gorgeous Oriental choreography yesterday. Momo is such a fabulous artist and musician – he is so talented with bringing each nuance and element of the music to life! The room was jam-packed with dancers and every person walked out feeling fabulously inspired by his work. I look very forward to bringing him to Chicago from September 15-19 for ChicagoRaks (TM) 2010, where he is the featured artist teaching a 30-hour intensive workshop. For details and information, please check out the event under Events and Workshops. This is one workshop that is a MUST HAVE for any dancer who loves our dance and wants to develop him or herself. Momo will teach 5 new choreography’s, have a special section on drum solos and go in-depth on rhythms and musicality. The intensive is complete with a show that is certain to be a great experience!

 

Okay – you’re probably wondering about the … SHOPPING!!! Well, I can tell you that it has been a wonderful time so far. From a belly dance perspective, it is great to see Hanan Mahmoud, my primary costume designer. She is a wonderful woman and her family has been my friends for years. Hanan and Mamdouh (her husband) are a lovely couple with three children and one on the way very soon! They are good people and Hanan’s costume are extraordinary high quality, great designs and excellent prices. She has a new line here and as always, is absolutely wonderful. I have about 12 of her costumes (can you tell I love her!) and my professional dance company, Raksanna and the Desert Flames, are dressed in her lovely work. I think I spent half my mortgage payment with her on costumes!! (Shhhh! Don’t tell my husband!)

 

Hanan’s brother, Mohamed, just started his own line of costume designs. His style is reminiscent of Hollywood Glamour and is so sophisticated and beautiful. His hallmark is the “less is more” and I can tell you first hand with my gorgeous new costume, that he is someone to watch. Mohamed, like his sister, provides top line quality at great prices. His fabric is from Italy and all of the work is hand-made. He uses real stones, not plastic beads, and when you put on one of his costumes, you simply feel like a princess!!!! I can’t wait to choreograph a new piece and then dance in this costume!

 

Another designer that is an up and comer is George of Paris. His hallmark is a contemporary modern style that incorporates classic elements with the modern feel. His prices are excellent and he is also one to watch. My suitcase is bursting with yes, another costume that I cannot wait to dance in!

 

Outside of belly dance, Debbie, Joy and I have visited Khan El Khalil, the ancient market, that has not changed since its inception in the 1300′s. Shop after shop after shop features knicknacks and souvenirs – and of course, there is the world famous Mahmoud, whose three-story building is filled with belly dance treasures from Shamedons to Isis wings to hip scarves that are unique and top quality. We also visited a jewelry store that featured Egyptian gold at great prices, a carpet factory where the workers demonstrated how the beautiful Oriental silk rugs are made, to a cotton store for textiles and linens created out of the finest Egyptian cotton and more. There was also a stop to a perfume shop for great smelling perfumes at a fraction of the cost that you will find in the States, or elsewhere in the world.

 

One very special stop for me was a visit to Mr. Ibrahim at Atlantis Oils. Atlantis Oils is a healing center that has been operating for four generations. Mr. Ibrahim and his brother run the shop and they have a beautiful organic “farm” of flowers and plants located in the Baharia Oasis, about five hours from Cairo, in the midst of the Bedouin community and near the Crystal Desert. The flowers from the Oasis are brought back to the shop in Cairo (on Pyramids Street) to be pressed for their oils in the purest of forms. Each flower and plant has a specific healing purpose – and of course, can be used for perfume, if desired. In addition to the oils, Mr. Ibrahim and his brother are healers – meaning that they do massage therapy, chakra healing, Reiki and other energy work. As a Reiki master teacher myself, I can tell you that Mr. Ibrahim is authentic. I indulged in a much needed full body massage and a chakra healing – and left so grounded and energized that I felt as if heaven itself had touched my soul. Debbie and Joy enjoyed a foot massage with reflexology, a method that dates back to the ancient Pharonic times. Please, if you come to Cairo, please do yourself a favor and visit Atlantis Oils on Pyramids Street. You will be very pleased, I absolutely promise.

 

Well, it is off to the festival for me. Please keep an eye out for updates – my connection is rather limited here, but I promise to write at least once a week and fill you in on all the details!!!

Hugs and shimmies,

Raksanna