Sunday, May 09, 2010

Bellydancing Blogging LIVE

well it doesn't get any more live than this........ I am writing this from my changing room onboard the Golden Pharoah boat in Cairo. I have performed 2 shows, and have one more to go before the 'work' part of the night is over.So here we are, you and me.... Bobbing about on the Nile!

I decided there was way too much time wasted in my life sitting about at work in between sails... so i bought an internet USB and plan to start trying to clear my outstanding emails and keep my lovely readers as up to date as you can possibly be, without actually being here in my changing room with me... !!!

I love going to see dancers perform and i don't do it enough! However, having a couple of London bellydancers staying with me this week has been a good excuse to go to the Nile Maxim to see Randa Kamel and also the the Marriot hotel to see Suraya. Fabulous.

Randas wore a stunning gold bedla which was edged in tons and tons of feathers- about 3 feather boa's worth! The photos don't seem to have come out very well- but if my friends got better ones I'd add them later! My complaint about the whole show was that it was too short. This is the problem with shows on boats (as I well know after doing the same job for over 3 years). There were only 2 costumes... the gold feather and then a green trouser saaidi. The crowd were a thursday night party crowd who wanted to get up and dance on the stage with her and have their photos taken... which she did with grace... but frustrating for us when we want to just watch her dance. I love the way that randa put fantastic timing into her dance... creating space by holding a pose- and then... only then.... hitting the beat with a move. Very powerful. I just wish i could see a whole hour long show again... I miss the days when she performed at the Marriot. Thats stage was big enough for her... the Nile Maxim just isn't.

It was interesting conversation too- chatting with the London dancers I was there with and another pro dancer who is currently working in Dubai. I know nothing about work in the gulf and it was interesting to ask her how it all works. Seems much easier in lots of ways than here... but you don't usually get your own band- just work with the hotel band wherever you go... which i guess has benefits and downsides too, like little rehearsal time!

Suraya last night was inspiring as always. Wasn't very impressed by the costumes though. A samba suit to start- for the enterance dance and some Egyptian classic songs... it just looked wrong! Then a turkish trouser outfit, in flesh colour with lots and lots of tassles... which was different... but unfortunatly her black knee support bandage was very obvious through it and somewhat distracting! The a black dress, that i liked but the others didn't. She finished her show on an Om kalthoum... which was my favourite dance of the night- I LOVE her violin player! i would have liked to see her drum solo though. Lots of intricate tight moves that I have already found dancing tonight influencing me a bit! My drummer Magdy is doing a good job keeping up! I even put in a new ending instead of my usual kiss to the hips... which was Suraya inspired... but nothing i actually saw her doing- if that makes sense!!!

ok... i can hear the zeffa outside.... i guess we have a bride onboard tonight. i better go touch up my make-up and get myself stretched out to get onstage!!! Happy to be onboard blogging!

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