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Raksanna Productions Receives 2011 Best of Aurora Award
NEW YORK, NY, October 25, 2011 – Raksanna Productions has been selected for the 2011 Best of Aurora Award in the Health & Fitness The USCA “Best of Local Business” Award Program recognizes outstanding local businesses throughout the country. Each year, the USCA identifies companies that they believe have achieved exceptional marketing success in their local community and business category. These are local companies that enhance the positive image of small business through service to their customers and community.
This is the first year that a business has qualified as a Four-Time Award Winner. Various sources of information were gathered and analyzed to choose the winners in each category. The 2011 USCA Award Program focuses on quality, not quantity. Winners are determined based on the information gathered both internally by the USCA and data provided by third parties.
About U.S. Commerce Association (USCA)
U.S. Commerce Association (USCA) is a New York City based organization funded by local businesses operating in towns, large and small, across America. The purpose of USCA is to promote local business through public relations, marketing and advertising.
The USCA was established to recognize the best of local businesses in their community. Our organization works exclusively with local business owners, trade groups, professional associations, chambers of commerce and other business advertising and marketing groups. Our mission is to be an advocate for small and medium size businesses and business entrepreneurs across America.
SOURCE: U.S. Commerce Association
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Note from Raksanna – this article was originally written in July 2007 and the thoughts still ring true. If you’re looking for a competition, another fantastic event that I *highly* recommend is Ahlan Cairo Nights: Queen of Raks Sharqi sponsored by Dee Dee Asad of Little Egypt. This event features Egyptian judges, fantastic workshops and gala shows that are as close to Cairo as you can get in North America.
As our beautiful art form continues to grow in popularity, dancers are faced with many opportunities to take workshops, attend haflas and perform in multiple venues. Among the performance opportunities are a plethora of competitions, as well.
Raksanna competes in Queen of Raks Sharki
Although I have been performing and teaching for more than a decade, I entered the competition scene in early 2006. Before I made the decision to compete, I had to make sure I truly understood my motivation for competing. After sincere introspection, I realized these were my top three reasons for competing:
Setting and Achieving a Goal
As a “type A” personality that is driven to do more than humanly possible – and to do everything to the absolute best of my ability, I’ve found that goals enable me to reach greater heights.
During a “normal” schedule, I teach classes and workshops and continue my own personal dance training on a weekly basis.
Deciding to compete gives me a target and helps me go to the next level of professional dance.
Competitions also enable me to concentrate my time and efforts on specific results. By identifying an event, there is a hard and fast deadline. This means that I have to
focus my energy and resources in a very specific way and manage my time effectively. It certainly would not do to be unprepared when on stage in a competition!
While it’s great to win – and to set your sights on winning – it’s important to understand and keep in mind that anyone who participates in a competition is a winner. The hard work, commitment and courage it takes to get up on stage and ask someone (usually, three or more people!) to judge you is in and of itself a feat to be recognized and celebrated.
Kindred Spirits: A Network of Beautiful Artists
One of the largest benefits I’ve found to competing is the wonderful network of like minded spirits. When I first started the competition route, I had many stereotypes of what kind of culture would be present at the events. To be candid, my preconceived notions were that the line up would be filled with cutthroat and vindictive diva’s.
The great news is that the stereotypes could not be further from the truth! My personal experience is that 98% of dancers involved in competitions are wonderful, warm women who love the dance. Backstage, dancers help each other to make sure that all of us do the best we can when we’re performing.
One example I can share is about Susan, a delightfully fun dancer from Oregon. I met her at the recent Belly Dancer USA competition sponsored by Mezdulene.
We were backstage, preparing for our event and she helped hook my costume together. As she was pinning my bra, she realized that the hook had come off. Susan gave me a quick lesson in emergency costume repairs (did you know that a safety pin can act as a solid pin to hook your bra eyelet and guarantees the bra will remain fastened for you?) and had my costume fixed in two minutes and ready for competition.
Susan also made sure that she was in the audience when I danced and she shouted her support for me. As I had traveled alone from Chicago to Canyonville, Oregon, Susan’s acts of kindness and support meant so much to me. It is this kind of bonding and camaraderie that I’ve enjoyed immensely throughout the competitions.
Keeping It In Perspective: Feedback is a Gift
Sometimes, when you’re a teacher, you don’t get a lot of feedback on how you can improve. After all, students look to the teacher as the expert and the source of knowledge. I’ve enjoyed getting feedback from the judges so that I can see myself from the outside in. Feedback truly is a gift – it provides you with insight that you may not have had before and, when taken in a spirit of reception and thankfulness, I’ve found that constructive criticism has really given me the tools to progress as a dancer and performer.
To illustrate, I am a curvy, voluptuous dancer with a full-figured body. Recently, I received a suggestion from two judges to try a different style of costume that would be more appealing to my figure. Rather than take the feedback offensively, I researched a variety of vendors and found a costume in the style suggested. I tried it on and – guess what? The judges were right!
The difference between the previous costume style and the new style was simply amazing!
Belly Dancer USA – A Must Do Experience!
Throughout the year, I participate in four to five competitions across the country. Most recently, I had the pleasure to enjoy Mezdulene’s annual Belly Dancer USA competition held at the Seven Feathers Resort and Casino in Canyonville, Oregon. (If you’ve never been to Oregon, it’s a state that you simply must visit. Complete with an ocean coastline, high mountains and lakes, there’s something for everyone!) Mezdulene and her husband, Don, are gracious hosts and sponsors and make every attendee feel welcome.
The event was well organized. When I checked in, the schedule was readily available and I had all the information I needed to make sure I knew where to go and when. The line up and competition was professionally run. When there was an occasional skip of a CD, the technical team took care of the issue promptly and with a friendly personality. The gala show was so much fun to watch! I had the chance to see dancers from across the country and experience their interpretation of the music we all love. The vendors had beautiful goods to sell and were easy to work with. I thoroughly enjoyed myself at the event and plan on participating again next year – hopefully, bringing a few of my troupe members from Raksanna’s Desert Flames to compete in the troupe category.
Competing is an experience that will help you grow, both as a dancer and as a person. By setting a goal and achieving it, receiving feedback that can enhance your dance and meeting wonderful women who will become lifetime friends, the competition circuit can bring you many great experiences to be treasured and cherished.
(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.
Greetings from the Shadows of the Pyramids! – June 29, 2010
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
NEW YORK, NY, October 25, 2011 – Raksanna Productions has been selected for the 2011 Best of Aurora Award in the Health & Fitness The USCA “Best of Local Business” Award Program recognizes outstanding local businesses throughout the country. Each year, the USCA identifies companies that they believe have achieved exceptional marketing success in their local community and business category. These are local companies that enhance the positive image of small business through service to their customers and community.