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Global Dance Collective E-newsletter
Welcome to the Global Dance Collective e-newsletter. Global Dance is a collective of instructors of world dance, primarily Middle Eastern dance, located in Springfield, MO. The e-newsletter is published 6 times a year and includes information on world dance, music, culture and more!
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Al Salaam a'alaykum
The year is already half way over and we have had a lot of fun so far! We just wrapped up our One Year Anniversary Hafla. If you were able to attend, we hope you had a great time! The date is already set for the 3rd Student Showcase, September 27, if you are looking to add that to you calendar.
Global Dance Collective Website
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From the Editor
I hope everyone is doing well this year so far. Summertime always brings many performances and a lot of fun. Thank you to Red Moon Tribe for extending their invitation to dance at Shakespeare in the Park to other local troupes. If you missed the dancers from the Collective at any of the events this year so far, check the calendar on the website, www.globaldancecollective.org, and in the newsletter for upcoming events. Don't forget the 3rd Student Showcase in September.
Any questions, comments or submissions can be sent to jemina@dreamdancers.org. I hope to see everyone soon!
Happy Dancing!
Jemina Shikany
Editor
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Fifi Abdo Workshop Review
Review
By Jemina Shikany
On the weekend of April 18-20 Little Egypt hosted a workshop featuring Fifi Abdo and Dr. Mo Geddawi. This was the second time Fifi has taught and danced in the United States (the first time was last year hosted by Little Egypt also). Fifi said that last year when she came to Texas it was the first time she had danced in 5 years.
The Friday night show started with a zeffa procession (typically done at weddings) with several dancers leading Fifi into the room where she danced with everyone surrounding her. The show was wonderful and it included many dancers from around the country and one from Russia, a live band with an Arabic singer, and several opportunities for everyone to get up and dance. The show was very long with all of these aspects and ended after 1pm.
On Saturday Mo taught choreography. He is the type of instructor that just makes you feel comfortable, you feel like you could talk to him about anything and he is always willing to answer questions.
Liliana was also there with her "new" (the 3rd issue) Middle Eastern Dance magazine. "Belly Dance - A Raqs Sharqi Magazine" which she told me was going to be carried in Barnes and Noble stores soon - which I thought was wonderful. The magazine website is http://www.bellydancemag.com/
Little Egypt changed the schedule so that instead of 2 hours with Mo and 3 hours with Fifi it was 3 hours with both instructors for the same price, which was nice.
On Saturday Fifi said she was going to focus on feeling the music. Everyone had a lot of fun dancing together with Fifi, she teaches the same way most dancers from the Middle East teach (although in recent years some have been teaching with more choreography and structure since that is what many dancers in the US and UK want and can understand) which is her dancing what she feels to the song, improvising, it coming our differently every time and you follow her and ask questions when you want a step broken down. I love this style of teaching. I get so much out of it. After so much fun dancing with Fifi, one workshop participant referred to it as "Fifi's dance jam," we were all excited about the Saturday night show featuring Fifi!
The Saturday night show was a blast! Before Fifi danced she had 2 opening acts, one was a debke group who really got the crowd (the ladies especially!) going. When Fifi came out she looked stunning! She did 4 costume changes and every one of her costumes was beautiful. The last song she did her "hookah dance" which everyone enjoyed. Fifi gives off so much energy when she dances, it is amazing. Truly a once in a lifetime show.
The whole weekend was amazing. Dee Dee from Little Egypt is a warm and kind woman who really knows how to put on these events and every time I go down there I am amazed again. I would highly suggest anyone who has any interest in Egyptian dance, and is at minimum an Intermediate level dancer, to attend at least one of Little Egypt's events. See the link below to check out their web site.
Little Egypt has been nominated for "Vendor of the Year" 2008 in Zaghareet's Golden Belly Awards! Vote Here for nominees by August 15: http://www.zaghareet.freeservers.com/poll.html
Little Egypt's Web Site
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Reviews Rating
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Art of the Drum Solo
Rating: 3 Lamps
Skill Level: Beginner
Review by
Angela Belle Shikany
If you’ve just started dancing you may be infatuated with the idea of dancing a drum solo. Many beginning dancers feel this way because the drum solo is dramatic and often uses sharp simple movements Americans raised on Western music can understand.
This Belly Dance Superstars DVD, released in 2005 (with and excellent CD included), is one of the few I recommend when beginning dancers ask for something they can study at home.
Sonia is weak on technique but she’s a lovely dancer. Issam accompanies her on the drum as she does a little warm-up, teaches basic steps, puts them in a choreography and then performs in costume.
Issam illustrates the most basic drum syllables: Dum, Tek, and ka then teaches the rhythms by saying the syllables and playing on the drum. He doesn’t go into any detail and does not mention any of the patterns often used in drum work or explain further drum sounds such as rolls, grabs, slaps, pops, etc. which he uses freely while playing. He keeps it all very simple until his hands hit the drum!
Issam is one of the best Doumbek (Egyptian Tabla) players in the world today and he understands belly dancing and belly dancers very well.
He illustrates seven important Middle Eastern rhythms and Sonia shows basic steps that are useful throughout a performance whether or not it’s a drum solo. All Belly Dancers should know these rhythms (as well as others he doesn’t teach) and strive to recognize them in the music they dance to. In Egyptian dance the malfouf, maksoum, saidi, and fellahi rhythms are integral to the dance as a whole. Wahda kabira and karatchi are prevalent in drum solos. The Kuwaiti rhythm is as exciting as the hair tosses Sonia uses with this rhythm.
Again, there is little depth of information. I think a few seconds could have been spared to explain hair tossing and Khaleegi dance as well as other things I think are relevant when we approach rhythm training: but perhaps it is best to keep it very simple for beginners.
My favorite part of this DVD is a special feature, "Sonia and Issam go to Cairo." When I first watched this 3 years ago my daughter Jemina was in Cairo at the same time. I found it especially interesting to follow them as they shopped for costumes, drums, scented oils etc. just as Jemina was.
The insights into Raqia Hassan’s teaching methods as Sonia takes a lesson with her and Issam translating a song for her so she can feel the music are especially interesting.
If you are truly interested in the dance this DVD is a good place to start your research in rhythms. I advise both my drum and dance students to keep notes on rhythms they learn and compare how different teachers present them. These seven rhythms are a great place to start
For more articles and reviews by Angela Belle Shikany visit the Dream Dancers website listed below...
Dream Dancers Website
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Upcoming Events
Includes events held by the Global Dance Collective or where members of the collective are performing.
September 27 - OTC Multicultural Festival - Hand in Hand
September 27 - 3rd Student Showcase
The Global Dance Collective is hosting the second Student Showcase featuring students and teachers of the Collective. 7:30pm. GA. Tickets are $5.00. For more information visit http://www.globaldancecollective.org/events.htm
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Global Dance Collective
3165 S. Campbell Ave. Suite C-7
Springfield, MO 65807
417.881.4477
www.globaldancecollective.org
email: jemina@dreamdancers.org
Editor and Publisher
Jemina Shikany
P.O. Box 4581
Springfield, MO 65808
417.881.4477
All contents are Copyright 2008 Global Dance Collective and Jemina Shikany
Disclaimer: Any articles or reviews in this newsletter do not represent the views of Jemina Shikany or the Global Dance Collective. Articles written by Jemina Shikany also do not represent the views of the Global Dance Collective. The opinions are solely that of the author.
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Dance Supplies!
Come by the studio and check out our belly dance supplies including hip scarves, cds, veils, zills and more!
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Did you know?
Nadia Gamal was credited as the first dancer to perform zar within an Oriental choreography.
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T-shirts
Global Dance Collective t-shirts are available now! We have sapphire and purple shirts available in sizes Small, Medium, Large, XL, 2X and3X. Shirts are $20 + tax. Come get yours today at the Global Dance Collective.
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Classes
Global Dance Collective
Dance Studio and Supplies
3165 S. Campbell Ave. Ste. C7
Springfield, MO 65807
(417) 881-4477
Middle Eastern Dance, Belly Dance, Middle Eastern Rhythms and Drum class and more. All ages for most classes.
Classes offered six days a week
For complete class listing, call 417.881.4477 or check out the link below...
globaldancecollective.org |
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DVDs Available
DVDs are still available from the Global Dance Collective Grand Opening and the 1st and 2nd Student Showcases. DVDs are $15 each + tax.
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Local Events
These are events, workshops and shows that are being held in Springfield or the surrounding areas by friends of the Global Dance Collective that you may want to attend.
Arish Lam Dance Workshop July 19, 2008 - Sedalia, MO presented by Judy's Creative Costuming. visit
http://www.angelfire.
com/mo3/judycreative
costume/page2.html
Virginia Workshop August 2-3, 2008 - St. Louis, MO presented by Simone's Seventh Veil. visit
www.simonesveil.com
21st Annual Bazaar and Dance Workshop with Angela Belle Shikany, Ashiya, and Naajidah September 13, 2008 - Sedalia, MO presented by Judy's Creative Costuming. visit
http://www.angelfire.
com/mo3/judycreative
costume/page2.html
Read My Hips Workshop October 11-12, 2008 - Springfield, MO presented by Red Moon Tribe. visit
http://www.redmoontr
ibe.org/index.php?pr=Belly
dance_Workshop
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Subscribe
If you saw this newsletter on our website or had this forwarded from a friend and you would like to subscribe, sign up here: Global Dance Collective Newsletter Subscription Page
"I am NOT a belly dancer. I have never been one, and never will be. What I do is not what Hollywood vulgarly calls "belly dance", but it's art. I have traveled the world to prove that my dance is not a dance of the belly but a refined, artistic dance full of tradition, of dreaming and beauty. Oriental dance is primarily an expressive dance, in that resides the beauty."- Nadia Gamal, interview with Scoop magazine page 70.
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