Just An Update....

Almost forgot about to blog, its not because of my laziness but the time constraint, it was so limited. Been busy for  the  competition, show, workshop  preparation, and additional class practice ….The more I do, the less time I had.... ! Right here it would be a great time for me to spend a few minutes to expel the things that I want to type for a few words....

Well, these days there's nothing outstanding happens but it just about busy  marketing Serkan Tutar’s workshop.  I think my hard works was rewarded, only  2-3 space left for the workshop, 22 days to go…so I am still  pray for the best! Show time is on 16 September,  I do not have any opening dance as some of  my students not able to  travel to Kuala Lumpur,  but I have the  simple and great thing to ‘wow’ Serkan. I have around 8-10 students are going for  our troupe/solo dance, and their parents will support!  I am so proud of them.

3^rd MODF,   The students are ready and we are coming….!!!! Very excited!  click here for the  program details  : Programe List . Good luck and all the best for all  the contestant!!! Stay tune for our  results!! 

I recently asked  an expert in online marketing for businesses, I asked a lot of questions about making businesses work on the Internet. He sent me  an e-book of Marketing Art. Reading through a few pages, I know this was what I was looking for! It shows a range of typical problems that most people in business have. It delivers practical steps that you can apply to overcome them. It is great to learn from someone else’s problems. I need to print out to read so I can  enjoy reading slowly. Eyes strain and blur vision if spend too much reading on the screen! Once I finished reading,  will share it with you!

Thumps Up For Cow Girls Belly Dance

What a crazy jam packed for the last weekend, high energy and hot weekend that was! WOW is all I have to say,  I had an amazing weekend last week plus the energy that came from the crowd during the dance performance at  KEAT HWA SCHOOL'S 100TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION on  29 Sep 2011.

 For the  100th years anniversary celebration of the school event, the  Keat Hwanians really  made it very very grand. And honestly, I’m pretty pleased with how it turned out. I’m sure you don’t want to  miss it if you are in Alor Setar. There were many volunteers in the event, some ex-students came all the way from other state  to help out. That was a fabulous thing because the school has become a pasar malam/promotion/gathering/performing area, and all of sudden, the quiet school turn into crowdy and noisy environment.

Belly dance was part of dance event. We were only allowed to perform in 6 minutes. We combined our Cow Girls Belly Dance and Tribal Fusion. So getting the Cow Girls Belly Dance costume together is not very hard. No sparkling costume this time -  It’s a simple style costume we dressed up for a  fun-loving cow girl. So a pair of an old jeans, a simple leather belt with an oversize buckle , checkered western shirt, boots and hat.  The best part about being a cow girl is we need nothing at all fancy, just  simply to brighten up our costs. Thanks to Li Pin, Ly-Ann, Siew Kiang, Carolyn and Grace Heng, you all  put a lot of work into your performance  and we really made a great show. I appreciate  your positive attitude and desire to improve - keep working hard, Thanks all, and get some rest our next rehearsal start soon! !  Upload some pictures to share, visit my facebook to view. 

 

 

Grace Heng Performed My New Tribal Fusion Choreo - 09-10 July 2011

It’s only been in the past few years that my lovely student Grace has really begun to make a name for herself in the belly dance community, Bravo!!! She’s been dancing when she was 4 years in ballet lessons. At 8, she began taking lessons in other genres including Latin and Ballroom. Then again, her mother enrolled her to my belly dance class at 9. Beside Latin and ballroom dancing, her second love is belly dancing. Due to her busy school schedule, she would choose her private classes with me based on how well that I would fit her busy schedule. For private classes that I accepted,  all  classes are taught in the context of a course. A course has a set length of hours and I conduct them professionally. 

Music : Maduro Sekmetron - This is my 3rd piece of Tribal Fusion choreography I did. Although for the most part, we agreed that Tribal Fusion choreography is characterized by sudden and quick changes of tempo, dynamics, deep back, side bends, breaks, pops, locks and etc…and there are no limits to Tribal Fusion as far as mixing styles. I didn’t have a lot of big move in all my tribal fusion choreography, it was just a genre based on the moves and aesthetic of ATS but incorporating ideas from many other dance styles. To add the dynamics bend and drop, I have to go through many stages to mimic my mentors. I went through many years of that, but I sometime I cant find my own voice. It just not easy ! As to avoid of sprain injury, I consider internal anatomy is most important because we want to dance for whole life. This knowledge became an integral part of my dancing life because I learned the basics of belly dancing from a qualified instructor, Hadia’s course!! She has a wealth of knowledge and some of it is knowledge that no one else can offer you. 

Well, long story short, I'm so happy for Grace and I'm glad to have watched this video. As she grew, she began to fell in love Tribal Fusion, and interested in it!

Centenary Celebration Event

Well, Just a quick update.  These past few days have been very busy and exhausting. There is  a July biggest dance celebration event  - SMJK Keat Hwa 100 Years Anniversary Countdown event on 30/7/2010.  Most all  Keat Hwaians will come back  for the  Centenary Celebration. For this anniversary, a series of celebration has  been organized the whole year, culminating with events from 28th till 31st July 2011. The celebrations include a music concert,  all kind of dance activities, grand parade, a grand dinner which is  expecting for  2500 people together and Chinese traditional cultural activities.

We are also invited  to participant for the dance event. Yesterday was the first time meeting with the committee members and the local reporters! I found that there were too many parties involve and there were too much information, too much conflicting advice out there. The dance event will be held on 29 July,  12.30 noon at the open space, right after the parade and grand opening ceremony session. Hot day Hot day!!!! Although there were problems with the organization.  I still enjoyed myself and met some interesting  people, got to know other interesting people more, and honestly, I’m pretty pleased with how it turned out.

Now serious rehearsals start in preparation for the Centenary Celebration show. We run through the practice and overall I think we did pretty well. Counting down the day for the  “SHOW ”!  

 

Unique Originality.....Don't Copy Me Sis!

Oh and please don't copy my work or reproduce it without my permission. Hiaz….But there's nothing that can be done. I don't want to see my choreo on stage unless it's my students,  or hear that it's being used somewhere else. It's weird seeing my own work being produced on stage. Why???  If you want me to create a choreograph for your company, CALL ME! I'm poor and would love to choreograph more for you! Hahaha….

Sis, it’s easy! It's one thing to take an 8 count phrase and get inspired by the movement and expand on it using your own style. It's quite another to transpose choreography and call it your own. Close your eyes and think of the most beautiful thing or of the most sad thing and listen your heart, that's what I did in that song and that's what came up of it, and you will dance with your feeling, conveys emotions to audiences through the combination of dramatic elements and technical skills in dance, and well-contrived costumes. That’s a feeling that people can see and understand.  If you want you can copy my choreography little by little you will learn some things, I tell you something, I didn't have a teacher too. In fact I  warned by a teacher not to use her choreo (sad and hurts) !! And after this I started learn with a foreign Teachers. I learned it by myself and slowly I managed to learn.

Here I want to say…"Sis, don't you have enough ideas of yourself? Don't you get inspired from what you see around you to make your own choreos? I'm so sorry for you! Lucky I can still come up with my own new ideas."

Everyone is unique, there is nobody like you, you just need to realize this now, that you are not just special or different, you are unique. If you can't get a move, a piece of the choreography, etc. Try relaxing, if it doesn't work, MOVE ON, TRY IT! Focus your attention on something you're good at it!

Today I want to say : if I find someone copy me, that mean they think I am great, and maybe unique. So copy is the best compliment to me :) Why it Matters? 

Rockin’ Raqs Sarqi Gala Show 2011

Mercedes Nieto Workshop & 4th Annual Exotic Raqs Sharqi Gala Show!!!!

From 18 November to 20 November 2011.

We had our new costumes measurement taken in the studio last night!! So happy to see my students were so excited! Yay…! They will look stunning in their sparkle belly dance sets soon! Especially any of my troupe, because I know how hard they work and practice. I want to give them a performance opportunity, and not because I feel I have to prove anything to myself or anybody else, or justify myself in any way. What I'd really LOVE to see is pics of all you ladies in your absolute FAVORITE costume--the costume that fits perfectly, look terrific, and inspires you to dance your best every time you put it on! I am very thankful that my dance troupe also love it’ And same to me, I am thrilled for my brand new solo costume too, the new style look so simple, I love it!!!!! Whatever the reason, with this show I feel that I finally have the confidence to say, this is the theme for the show  I want  to name it “Raqs Sarqi Gala Show 2011”.  I feel confident with it and confident to give my 4th annual dinner show that title. And maybe this will sound odd, but with the confidence has also come a deep feeling of humbleness and gratefulness to everyone and everything that has come together to support, and our performances are PACKED! Stay tuned for all  details, list of teachers/guest performers will be published!!!!!!!!!!

I found my solo piece music on a CD that I purchased at a workshop. What a joy! And more joy – I love the music. Again, the artist/title were not listed. When I heard this music I was instantly transported away into movement. Sometimes you hear a song and you just know, in that instant, that you are going to create something around it. This was one of those. I was very excited to create to this piece.

Hmmm… As I am cleaning out my storage, I want to sell my old costume, those were in the days when all the embroidery was hand stitched! Those are carefully designed, one of a kind creations. Due to it being too big and too loose for me, so I really want to sell them. Be sure to contact for purchase as I don’t want to upload the picture here because I also got a ton of mails asking for price lowering , can you take detailed pictures of this part and blablabla…. and later this part will be “oh I'm not interested anymore etc & etc” ARGH…….. But hey, it’s common... can't complain too much right? 

Belly Dance Fever - Upcoming Workshop!!!!

GREAT year for workshops - and you don't even have to leave your homeland to learn!

August 27 – 3rd MODF Competition coming! Enter now, or purchase a ticket to watch the show.

Venue : Berjaya Times’ Square Hotel, Kuala Lumpur

September 16, 17 & 18 – Serkan Tutar’s  Show & Workshop  You will learn  impressive choreographies  with a good mix of Turkish and Arabic techniques and combinations. You will have fun learning and dancing while the audience have fun watching.  See Event Page here for more info. ONLY 10 SEATS LEFT for the Workshop. HURRY! Hosted by me www.arabesquebellydance.com.my.

September 23, 24 & 35 – Yousry Sharif  is back to Singapore!  He is world-renowned as a master of Egyptian dance.  He is master choreographer, he is the one to give you fresh ideas. He has been teaching workshops and coaching professional belly dancers all over the world.  I really wanted to go!!!!  I am actually looking for people  to go with,  but there are so many workshops coming up.   Hopefully I can make it!  Hosted by Claribel’s Raks Sharki

October 21 & 23 - Egyptian Master Teacher Wael Mansour  He is New to me I am not familiar with! Wael is a choreographer and solo dancer of Egyptian folklore, and modern and contemporary dance. Click here for more www.orient-addicts.djamila.pl/teachers.   Hosted by Brancy Nekvapil

November 18, 19 & 20 - ‎Mercedes Nieto is coming to Malaysia to kicks off her show and workshops in Alor Setar. Don't miss it! She is a wonderful dancer and  I love her!  She will be teaching 3 workshops - how often do we get her  so close? Jump on it, ladies! If you are not familiar, watch her  troupe – Mercedes and her Nymph Company  on youtube and make sure you like what is going on there before you make your decision!  It's gonna be a blast! More info at Mercedes Nieto Workshop & Raqs Sharqi Gala Show  Hosted by me  www.arabesquebellydance.com.my.

November 26 & 27 -  Mercedes Nieto moves down to Kuala Lumpur for workshops. Don’t miss the emotion and power in her interpretations...leaves me breathless...seriously!! A lovely dancer and person, and now an international name in belly dancing. Hosted by me  www.arabesquebellydance.com.my

I am a workshop taker. Most of the classes in town cost the same. I know some can be expensive...but sometimes it's worth it. I'm not sure of any other workshops coming to this area anytime soon. Does anybody know of any more? 

Baladi Workshop

Super busy and I keep loosing weight!!!!! First thing is no home-made/cooked food and eat outside, sometime eat biscuits, and I do cook some instant noodle to solve the hunger, and worse come to worse, cup noodles! Now, I will collapse, cause I'm officially dead !!!! 

I'm already back from Katerina Shereen workshop (on last Saturday). It was the classic style Baladi workshops. Thought her style, I fall in love with her dance. What can I say, she is a beautiful dancer!!! I love her hands, she had the beautiful hands I have seen in a dancer. An experience just to see her dance and to see how she interpret the music. I tried to follow best I could but was not in the top of the class, hehehe. The choreo was fantastic and not demanding, a real beautiful Baladi! I remember she emphasized the importance of being relaxed and not cramming all tricks here and there. She said the Egyptian audience will hate you if you try to please them too much so you should just enjoy yourself on stage and they will love you. What else…? Oh yes, We listen to the MAWAL and Shereen  explained to it. So far I know what is Mawal, but it was a bit boring because I really cant understand the vocal Taqsim in a song.  Mawal  is similarly to an instrumental Taqsim. There are sometimes words that make sense. Sometimes random words of expression, So most of  times Mawal is improvising!  Mawal lets the singer show off the beauty of the human voice, show off the storytelling and improvisational skill as well as vocal abilities. Shereen said if you dance to Mawal part, it’s better understand the meaning of the vocal before you dance. Hmmm… this may not a great explanation from me,  but this is the best knowledge I picked up in the workshop! This is the Baladi workshop I got most out of I think, for becoming a better dancer. Thank you Shereen! 

Sadly can't attend her Shaabi and Saidi Workshops. I was just too busy to stay for the Sunday workshop.

Katerina Shereen

I am still considering whether I should go to Katerina Shereen’s workshop ? My private workshop with Katerina Shereen  was a  year ago.   After workshops with her I'm more addicted in oriental dance!  But this time, at this point I will admit that does not seem likely because of my tight teaching schedule.  I only kept this up until my last-minute decision. Click here for  the workshop’s  description below :

Yousry Sharif is back in Singapore in September 23^rd and 24^th, 2011. Workshops will be held in Claribels Raks Sharki Studio.  Yousry Sharif workshop is a must to me ! 

Price Of Suscess

Being home is luxury!  I’m home for my  laundry, repack, catch up on e-mails, go to class for rehearse and get ready for the next event.  It’s not as relaxing as I’d like, but there is something about it that helps me regroup. One of my best  friend told me she noticed  “the price of success” in me!  But to me I say “the price of success” strikes me as too high to pay. The energy, time, effort  and money! Most of the time I wake up with sore muscles and a feeling of being hungover without the alcohol. Needless to say, SUCCESS - I've a long long way to  go.... Some people dream of success while I wake up and work hard at it.

Wow! It's June! Time flies by! How can it be we are already into the month of June? Aha….I feel like I blinked and missed a few months. For past 2 months my life has rushed past, leaving me feeling buffeted. I want to throw the breaks on but I cant. Do I need an assistant? Someone that can help me to return calls and update websites, edit and upload videos and photos so that  I can focus on dance. I have to tell you something,  I am not prepare my own solo dance  well because I was just making stuff for the event most of the time.  I do have to admit to having some severe nerves about my upcoming show.  I've experienced my nervous jitters.  To be completely honest, I still get them and the mistake is not the end of the world.  Oh well, this too will pass through the experience,  I guess.  I hope. Beyond the roles of dancer or choreographer,  the stage management, costume and lighting design are also involve in planning.

For this coming June to August, I am gearing up  to start selling the Fantasy Oriental Night tickets. I feel a little more comfortable, a little more confident with each show I organise. Although  word of mouth is extremely valuable, but Serkan Tutar greatest fans is one of the need concrete reminders of upcoming shows. He deserve it and he  is  lovable simply because he is! Don't forget we also have a wonderful opportunities for exploring different kinds of dance, for experiencing intensive technical development and for networking. A lot of you have emailed me about the Serkan Tutar’s show and workshop.  Yay… I am  excited! So like I said it should be an interesting night of  belly dancing. 

Where Creatively Comes From ???

In just the last 2 weeks, one of my dance friend questioned me why I have so much money for workshop and costume? Can I be a creative person if I attend more workshop? Can you teach me how to be a creative dancer? (She believes her creativity doesn't come from within herself.) It was funny to get questioned about this? But her questions really boosted my spirits. We then spent an enjoyable hours for coffee talk of this topics. We start talking about things that money cannot buy, such as family, friends, love and happiness. 

What do I believe about my creativity and where it comes from? So, how do I explain that experience? There I go again. I told her I am here because art brought me here, inspiration, determination and refined craft and I came! Many of us wish we were more creative to make our own arts. The spark, the life, the essence. Can this be taught? I have come to believe that creatively is an experience, inspiration and mystical things we create come from hidden aspects of our inner well. The  creativity is the act of dredging the soul and bringing the beautiful secret aspects of our humanity to light. So do what intrigues you, explore what interest you, think mystery not mastery. In a sense, your creatively is like your blood. This is what I believe about my creativity. I believe it truly comes from inner beings. I do all the creative work, and I get all the credit.

Money – it comes and goes. I would say money is important but certainly not the most important thing in life. To me, attending workshop is self-nourishing. For the past 6 years, I’d never had a teacher to teach me how to be a creative choreographer. This was where I have lingered on, maybe knowingly or unknowingly. But this is not a reason that should keep me from enjoying what I love to do, and that realization came much, much later and it change my life. What do I have to learn what I learned the way I learned it, all by trial and error.

I read an The Artist’s Way I’m sure that most people have heard of the book, at least people in the creative arts field. A truly amazing system that creatively could be taught. I was touched by Julia Cameron’s personal story of how and why she started down the artist’s way. I encourage you to buy this book and read it,  it’s something you must give the time and focus it to deserves! Trust me, this book will work for anyone who wants to try anything creative! Learning to let ourselves create is like learning to walk, and before we walk, we begin by crawling, practice the baby step progress.  This is what I did and I finally feel comfortably with my own art. As this same to me, behind the scenes of a dance - that is always inspiration, hard work and discipline. The excitement of movement motivates my creativity and I found the greatest potential for expression through the unique elements of dance. To sump a word, creatively are like marathon training, and always trust your process, look beyond “result”.