NCBellydance

Our Featured Sponsor of the Month: Nayna of Charlotte!

2012-01-31T15:27:00.010-05:00

Nayna is a multifaceted dancer who brings warmth, excitement, power and playfulness to every performance. She fell in love with bellydance in 2002 while learning from Yasmine (Charlotte, NC), and quickly progressed to the professional level of performance and teaching. Dedicated to continuously improving and evolving in her art, Nayna draws upon the influence of a diverse array of master dancers such as Rachel Brice, Saida, Bozenka, and the guidance of her mentor, Suhaila Salimpour. As a result, she is comfortable and proficient in the Egyptian, American Cabaret, and Tribal Fusion styles of bellydance. In addition to dancing, she has acquired a love for fire arts and enjoys fire spinning (poi) and incorporating other fire props (such as fire fans) into her performances.

While mesmerizing to watch on stage, Nayna's first love is teaching. New students find her classes to be productive and challenging while also fun and more importantly, non-intimidating. Her friendly but firm teaching style keeps classes engaging and students find themselves striving enthusiastically to nurture the power and beauty that bellydance brings out in every person.

Nayna is Level 1 certified in the Suhaila Salimpour School of Dance, danced 6 years as part of the the award-nominated Magic Hips Dancers, and is a founding member of award-nominated Spirit of the Lotus dance troupe.

When I asked her for her thoughts about NCBellydance.org, this is what she had to say:

I couldnt be more thankful for Haala and all she does for the bellydance community! The NCBellydance.org website is such a wonderful resource for those already involved in the dance or looking to get involved.

And as for Haala herself...I heart her!!!

A very nice sentiment from our Valentine's month sponsor!

For more information about Nayna, visit her website.

To see a listing of all our current sponsors, visit the NCBellydance.org sponsors page.

Last Minute Holiday Gift Ideas For The Bellydancer In Your Life

2010-12-15T12:19:00.006-05:00

Never fear - there are many gorgeous, thoughtful gifts you can still purchase at the last minute!

1. Bellydance accessories. Hip scarves, finger cymbals, veils, CDs, DVDs, and jewelry make great stocking stuffers, or go for the BIG Gift and get your bellydancer a brand new costume! The Belly Dance Shop in Pineville (a suburb of Charlotte) is our state’s best resource for accessories and costumes! You don’t even have to live in the Charlotte area to shop there – just visit http://www.thebellydanceshop.com. Shipping is very quick. There are other NC vendors listed in the Links page as well.

2. Workshops. Give your bellydancer the opportunity to study with an internationally famous dancer for a whole weekend! This experience of a lifetime will enrich their technique, self-confidence, and provide inspiration for years to come! Check http://www.ncbellydance.org/workshop.html for all the scheduled workshops in North Carolina this coming year. Some workshop sponsors may even be able to make you a gift certificate for the workshop that you can put under the tree. For example, Asyia is offering holiday gift certificates for the upcoming workshop with international superstar Bozenka in Raleigh in March. Visit http://www.asyia.com/bozenka.htm for more information.

3. Classes. Support their “bellydance addiction” by purchasing their next session of classes! This thoughtful gift will allow them to enjoy several weeks of instruction with their favorite local teacher. After you get the name of their teacher (be devious!), visit http://www.ncbellydance.org/instructors.html to look them up and find links to their website, list of class schedules, and more information. Many teachers offer gift certificates too! For example, if you live in the Asheville area, you can buy gift certificates from award-winning instructor Lisa Zahiya online at http://www.lisazahiya.com/giftcertificates.html

4. Bodywork. All that dancing and exercise can create a strain on your dancer’s body, and it is necessary to get regular bodywork to prevent injury and strain, promote flexibility and overall health and wellness. Some favorite methodologies include massage therapy, Pilates, Rolfing, chiropractic, acupuncture, yoga, and Feldenkrais. Heather Murphy teaches Pilates in Morrisville at World in Motion dance studio, and they offer holiday gift certificates for all their classes: http://www.worldinmotiondance.com. Or if you are in Salisbury, email Kalima at kalimatribal@carolina.rr.com about Reiki!

5. Pampering. Bellydancers love to be pampered with manicures, pedicures and other spa treatments; bath and body lotions, hair salon visits, makeup and hair accessories. Besides providing relaxation and pampering, these gifts are also essential to keep the bellydancer looking their best! Mention “NC Bellydance” to Sterling Bollinger in Winston-Salem and you’ll get 20% off of your Mary Kay order! Email her at SDBollinger@gmail.com for more info (and ask her about her special Belly Dance Beautiful Eyes package while you’re at it!)

While these are all good gift suggestions, your own bellydancer might have some ideas too!

So...

Bellydancers: post your Bellydance “wish list” in the comments section below and then send a link to this article to all your family and friends. Maybe you’ll get what you really want this year!

Of course, I've already received a special gift this year - your support in keeping the site going and up-to-date. As I prepare to celebrate Christmas with my family, I want to thank you for being a part of the NCBellydance.org family this year, and wish you love, joy, health, and lots of shimmies!

Discounted BD Superstars Tickets for Durham 10/29/10 Show!!!

2010-10-14T09:16:00.005-04:00

NCBellydance.org is proud to once again partner with the Carolina Theatre of Durham to offer discounted tickets to the Bellydance Superstars show on Friday, October 29!!!

From the Bellydance Superstars' official website:

With 6 years of touring performing over 700 shows in 22 countries the Bellydance Superstars have earned the accolade given them by the Sunday Times of England “ the most important dance troupe in the world.” They have taken an ancient art form previously seen in clubs and restaurants and turned it into a mega show to compete head on with the likes of Riverdance and Stomp. They have also added to the interpretation of Bellydance much as Cirque de Soleil has added to the interpretation of the Circus. They have given bellydancers worldwide the confidence that their dance art can now present them with the opportunity to dance in the world’s most prestigious venues just like any primo ballerina. The BDSS has in fact opened doors and invigorated the art of Bellydance beyond recognition. And they are just beginning!

This year's tour theme is Bombay Bellywood, featuring Indian dance styles in an evening of great music, fabulous costumes and a few surprises.

Discounted ticket prices are only $17/$27. You may sit anywhere in the theater that you wish -- all seats in the theater are eligible for this discount! We won't sell out of this special offer until all seats in the theatre are sold out.

Order from the convenience of your home, and choose whether to pick up your tickets at Will Call or to have them mailed directly to you.

The landing page is: http://www.carolinatheatre.org/ncbellydance
password = bellywood

If we get at least 50 tickets sold through NCBellydance.org, then everyone can enjoy a fun post-show reception in one of the theatre's lovely ballrooms! Everyone is still talking about how much fun they had last year!

This awesome offer expires on Monday, October 25, so order now!

Enjoy an inspiring evening watching the Bellydance Superstars, then dance, network and socialize at the post-show reception, all while supporting NCBellydance.org!

See you there!

2010-09-14T09:11:00.004-04:00

5 “Steps” for Lifelong Dancing Feet

A few simple things you can do to keep your feet flexible and in good health

As dancers, we put our feet through a beating on a regular basis. Though we rarely think about it in these terms, every step, balance correction, or leap puts strain on our feet. Over time these stressors can add up to some major problems unless we work to maintain or improve the health of our feet. In this article, we’ll discuss several simple self-care tactics for creating and maintaining strong and adaptable feet and ankles.

Your feet contain over 1/4 of the bones in your entire body, making them capable of a high degree of articulation. However, between shoes, uneven surfaces, and careers that often have us stationary or off our feet, our feet are prone to becoming stuck or weakened in a variety of ways. Like anything else in our bodies, feet need to be moved and stretched in all directions to truly maintain their full range of expression. The following exercises can help keep your feet moving at their full potential:

1 - Wiggle Therapy

It will help to have a picture of the bones of the foot for this exercise. The general idea is to take hold of the bones on each side of an articulating surface in the foot and then wiggle the bones back and forth against each other. Start with the first joint of the big toe, take hold of the bone on each side of the knuckle and gently wiggle the joint for 10-15 seconds. Then release and move to the next joint. You can wiggle in a variety of directions so long as you don’t try to force the joint in a particular direction.

When you get past wiggling each of the joints of the toes, move on to the bones of the arch, heel and ankle. This is where a picture of the foot will be particularly helpful. The more you do these exercises, the more it will become obvious where different bones are, but it may take some trial and error at first to find them. You can also get some motion by pushing up through the arch of the foot moving the bones slightly towards your knee, and by grabbing the entire arch and rotating it from the ankle. The heel can be loosened by grabbing the heel bone with one hand and the ankle with the other, then wiggling.

After wiggling one foot, try walking around before wiggling the other. You should find that your feet move more readily and make more contact with the ground than they did before. You may also become more aware of how your feet differ and are not completely symmetrical in their shape or motion.

This exercise helps to loosen the ligaments that hold all the bones of the foot together, allowing it to act with greater flexibility. It also benefits your nervous system by providing your body information about where it can bend and reminding your body which parts are muscle and which are bone.

2 - Kneading Carpet

The following exercise is designed to be a coordination and strengthening exercise for the toes, arches, ankles, and calves. The idea is to lay a piece of clothing or fabric on the ground, or just work with the carpet.

Start by setting your foot flat on the fabric and using your toes to pull it under your foot and towards you. Rather than thinking about contracting the bottoms of your toes, think about using the tops of your toes to scoop down into the fabric and push it from above. This will activate the flexors and extensors in your toes to work together. As you gain comfort with this, begin to work on the idea of the movement of your toes beginning near your knee. Imagine a bicycle chain running the length of your calf, with one gear near your knee, and one at the toes. As you turn the gear near your knee, if moves the chain, causing a rotation in the gear at your toes to flex them. The flexors and extentors of the toes ultimately attach to the bones of the calf near the knee, so getting the leg involved in moving the toes will not only strengthen the entire muscle, but will also provider greater benefits when using the toes to aid in balance.

When you have finished pulling the fabric in, use the same techniques in pushing it back out. Think about contacting the fabric and extending the bottom of your foot to push it back out, and use the same bicycle chain image, now turning the gears in the opposing direction.

3 - Tennis Ball Massage

An old stand-by of self-care, tennis balls can be an excellent way to do some basic self massage without wearing out your hands. You can use tennis balls as is, or you can put them in the freezer for a cooling massage to help with inflammation. You can also substitute racquet balls for a bit harder, deeper self massage.

To massage the bottoms of your feet with tennis balls, place one on the ground and put one foot on top of the ball. Step down onto the ball, letting your body weight create the pressure. You can regulate the pressure by moving more of your weight over or off of the ball. With weight on the ball, allow yourself to roll around on the ball, paying particular attention to the arch of the foot.

4 - Stretching Toes

In a normal foot, the widest width will be at the toes. However, if you look at most shoes, they are widest at the ball of the foot and begin to narrow to the toes. This tends to compress the toes together, which inhibits their ability to help us in balancing. Fortunately, stretching your toes back open is a fairly simple process.

If you have some form of the Yoga Toes product feel free to use it, but the most adaptable tool for stretching toes, is your own fingers. You can create a stretch between the toes by sticking a finger between two toes, similar to how spacers are used between the toes during a pedicure. For less of a stretch, turn your fingers so the fingerprints are facing a toe, making the spacing narrower. For a bigger stretch, turn the pad of the fingers to face the ankle, creating a bigger spacing. Hold for at least 30 seconds on each side.

It can also be helpful to gently massage the soles and tops of the feet while holding the toes open. While the toes are the most vulnerable piece to being compressed together, they typically involve the tarsal bones as well, causing more of the foot to tighten and lose flexibility.

5 - Barefoot Walking

Now that your feet are loosened up, it is always helpful to take them for a walk. For best results, go barefoot on some sort of uneven surface. Before the advent of shoes and concrete sidewalks, our feet developed to travel barefoot over all manner of different terrains. Walking barefoot over uneven surfaces helps to provide a good counter balance to our tendency to dance in studios and on stages with smooth even floors. Outdoors generally fits the bill for this best, and it can be as simple as taking a few laps around your lawn. Notice how much additional sensation you feel and information your feet can pick up about the ground you walk on when they are not cramped into shoes.

If you are not used to barefoot walking, it can be uncomfortable at first. If it is too much, work your way up to it by starting in socks or a thin soled shoe. Try different surfaces to keep feeding new sensations to your feet. The more your feet and ankles are challenged to adapt, the more your body will learn to support itself and maintain balance through different terrain.

In all of the above cases, the exercises will work best when used as a bodily exploration. Pay attention to how your body moves and reacts to each activity. Experiment with different images or find your own to figure out what works for your body and how you perform various actions with less effort or more efficient use of energy.

Jason Sager is a Certified Rolfer and owner of Raleigh Rolfing. He routinely travels the country to dance and help educate other dancers about how to better care for their bodies. To learn more visit www.raleighrolfing.com.

NCBellydance.org at Bellydance Superstars in Durham!

2010-08-25T10:47:00.004-04:00

Last year NCBellydance.org teamed up with the Carolina Theatre in Durham to offer discounted tickets and a post-show reception in their lovely ballroom.

This year we’re back with even more options!

See the email below from Carolina Theatre, but here are some highlights:

We’ll have our own private ordering page where you can pay for your tickets yourself and receive them in the mail

$5 discount off the public admission price

You’ll be able to sit anywhere you like!

I’ll be making another announcement as soon as the ordering website is ready (soon) – for now save the date! And please pass this email on to your family, friends, and other meetups and newsgroups.

Regards,

Haala

http://www.ncbellydance.org

From: Richard Hess [mailto:richard@carolinatheatre.org]
Sent: Tuesday, August 17, 2010 2:36 PM
To: haala@ncbellydance.org
Subject: BOMBAY BELLYWOOD at the Carolina Theatre

Greetings!

The Carolina Theatre is proud to welcome the Bellydance Superstars back to our stage to present “Bombay Bellywood” on Friday, October 29^th at 8:00 pm. Here’s a link to the Bellydance Superstars describing this all-new show: http://www.bellydancesuperstars.com/content/article_3390.html.

As we did last time they visited, the Carolina is working with Haala & NCBellydance.org to make sure local fans & dancers can not only get great seats at a group discount for the show, but also have a pre- or post-show reception in one of our fabulous ballrooms. We can provide a ballroom with no rental fee if there are a total of at least 50 in your group.

We’ll be sending along more information on how you can get involved soon; in the meantime, please feel free to get in touch with me directly if you have any questions, or if you want to go ahead and grab seats now! You can reach me by phone at 919/560-3040, ext. 237, or by email at richard@carolinatheatre.org.

Thanks so much for supporting live performance at the not-for-profit Carolina Theatre; we look forward to sharing a spectacular evening with you!

Best regards,

Richard Hess, Group Sales

Carolina Theatre of Durham

309 West Morgan Street

Durham, NC 27701

www.carolinatheatre.org

Preview the rest of our 2010-2011 Star Series at www.carolinatheatre.org/stage

Tickets: 919/560-3030

NCBellydance.org Annual Fundraiser October 2010

2010-06-17T13:47:00.005-04:00

We're very excited to announce that the annual NCBellydance.org Fundraiser will take place on Saturday, October 2, 2010 in the Triangle area.

There will be a workshop featuring Deirdre during the day, and a fundraising show in the evening featuring a variety of talented area performers.

Net proceeds after expenses for both the workshop and the show will be donated to NCBellydance.org!

For more information and to pre-register, please visit http://www.ncbellydance.org/ncbd10.html

Help us promote this event by printing and distributing fliers! Just click on this link to open the flier.

A big thanks to Moorish Gypsy and Happy Hips for sponsoring this workshop and show!

We'll see you there!

Welcome our new NCBellydance.org Interns!

2010-03-19T11:06:00.003-04:00

It is with great pleasure (and gratitude) that I announce the very first short-term interns for NCBellydance.org!

Lynn Hoffman (Azadi) will be our Website Guru, responsible for all website and calendar updates. She has extensive experience creating and maintaining websites and google calendars. She performs with Torque and teaches at the new Twisted Dance Studios in Greensboro.

Ruhiyyih Walters will be our Financial Advisor, helping me with all areas of business and finance, including doing research on non-profit institutions. She received her Bachelor's degree in Banking and Finance from Fayetteville State University in 2009, and recently relocated to the Triangle area of NC.

Please join me in welcoming them to the NCBellydance.org family! I am so grateful that they can help me maintain this valuable resource.

(BTW, I will still be active in the site, handling the blog, advertising, social networking, and email. You'll still send your updates to me and I'll forward on to Lynn.)

Thanks again Azadi and Ru!

Short-term NCBellydance.org Intern Needed!

2010-03-04T10:05:00.004-05:00

NCBellydance.org is offering an internship to assist with HTML updates to the website.

The internship would run from the present time until mid-June.

The time commitment is approximately 3-8 hours per week, depending on how many updates are needed on any given week.

Requirements: Good working knowledge of HTML, excellent organizational skills, self-motivated, able to work independently, ability to interact with the dancers in a diplomatic, pleasant and professional manner. Prior experience maintaining websites is a plus. Trustworthiness and dependability a must!

Duties include:

Updating existing listings for Performers, Instructors, and Class Schedules, and also creating new listings as needed.
Formatting ads to fit the dimensions required by NCBellydance.org and adding them to the website within 24 hours of receiving them.
Updating the Sponsors list accordingly when donations are received (I will email you the info for that)
Maintaining NCBellydance.org Google calendars for workshops and events.
Maintaining the photo gallery.
Interacting with the dancers to clarify information in the updates they send, and to notify them when their updates have been uploaded.
Creating and maintaining backups of all files.
(Optionally) updating and improving code structure as needed.

Reimbursement: In return for your help keeping this valuable resource updated in a timely fashion, we would like to offer the intern a variety of free services and perks for each month you work on the site:

Free ad on one of the calendar pages for a workshop or event
Free teacher ad in the Class Schedules section to spotlight either you or your teacher
2 private lessons or small-group workshops with Haala in Cary
Special recognition on the Sponsors page
The love and adoration of all the belly dancers in North Carolina!

The retail value of these perks is: $105 per month!

If you would like to apply for this internship, please send a resume, cover letter and optionally examples of your work at your earliest convenience to haala@ncbellydance.org.

Valentine's Day 2010 Weekend Recommendations

2010-02-12T10:11:00.004-05:00

Valentine's Day and bellydance go together like chocolate and caramel - the romance and sensuality of bellydance are the perfect way to celebrate this loving holiday (and a great way to show love for the most important person in your life: YOURSELF!)

Here are some tantalizing workshops this weekend in North Carolina:
You can find more details on all of the workshops at the NCBellydance.org workshops calendar) Daliana is teaching a special Valentines Day workshop in Greensboro tonight (Friday, February 12) for all levels of dancers - half of the proceeds will go to Haiti relief!

On Saturday, February 13, Sharifa Asmar will be teaching a Desert Romance choreography in Fayetteville, and Shahzaadee will be teaching a Sexy Bellydance choreography in Durham. Ooh la la!

For those who wish to brush up on their veil skills, Asyia will be teaching an advanced veil workshop in Cary.

Looking for somewhere romantic to go this weekend?

On Saturday, February 13 in Durham, Safiye will be dancing along with piano performance by Jim Laing, fine dining and drinks.

(More information on this at the NCBellydance.org Special Events Calendar.)

Know of any other bellydance events or workshops going on this weekend? Please feel free to leave them in the comments section.

And if you'd like to wish NCBellydance.org a Happy Valentine's Day you can leave your x's and o's in the comments section also.

Happy Valentine's Day from NCBellydance.org -- I love you all!

Site Updates 2/3/2010

2010-02-03T13:37:00.002-05:00

I should be all caught up now!

What's New at NCBellyDance.Org?

Wednesday, February 3, 2010

* Added the following Workshops to the calendar: Feb 13 Desert Romance Special Valentine's Day Choreography w/Sharifa Asmar, Feb 27 Kitiera, Amr 27 Alexandria, May 1 Covering Your First Bellydance Bra w/Shahzaadee, May 22 Aziza Nawal, May 29 Costuming with Kalima.

* Updated the following Workshops: Feb 6 Ariellah, Feb 13 Advanced Veil Workshop w/Asyia, Mar 27 Rachel Brice/Mardi Love/Zoe Jakes Workshops, Apr 17 Souhail Kaspar and Yasmine, Aug 7-8 Mahmoud Reda.

* Added the following Upcoming Special Events: Feb 6 Bellydance Night @ Pia's, Mar 5 Portrait Party
by Woodland Willow Photography, Apr 16 Damhsa Gasra at Earth Night Out, Aug 6 Mahmoud Reda Welcome Hafla, Aug 7 Mahmoud Reda Gala Show.

* Updated the following Upcoming Special Events: Feb 6 Winter Solstice featuring Ariellah, Feb 13 Sweetheart Flea Market.

* Added the following Ongoing event: Triangle Bellydance Showcase in Durham.

* Updated class schedules for: Shahzaadee, Amara Al Amir, Nandana, Haala.

* Updated Instructor and Performer listings for: Amara Al Amir

December Events in North Carolina

2009-11-30T10:50:00.004-05:00

December is the time when classes begin to wind down and teachers take a much-needed break.

It’s also the time when holiday and winter-themed bellydance events begin to light up the cold December nights!

The best way to keep warm this month is to shimmy over to these festive bellydance events all around the state

(visit NCBellydance.org for more information on each of these events below)

Saturday, December 5: Haala and her students perform at the Ole Time Winter Festival in downtown Cary. This annual event features home-made crafts, refreshments, and performances all day, culminating in a tree lighting ceremony in the evening.

Saturday, December 5: Colorful Waves sponsor the Evening Oasis Holiday Hafla in Durham. The evening will feature holiday-themed performances, tasty refreshments, and an optional gift exchange!

Saturday, December 5: Daliana and Troupe Bellysima (pictured at the top of the page) present True Bodies, Truly Beautiful in Greensboro. Dazzling performances by women of all ages, shapes and colors weaving their diversity into a beautiful tapestry of music and movement.

Friday, December 11 - Saturday, December 12: Sharifa Asmar and Qarisma Dance perform at the World Holiday Festival in Fayetteville, which will feature performances from all over the world, foods from different countries, and cultural items will be available for purchase.

Saturday, December 12: Haala and John Price of Halo Bellydance present a Holiday Student Hafla for all the area students and teachers in Cary. This annual family-friendly afternoon event gives local students a supportive environment to perform for each other and celebrate the season together.

Sunday, December 13: Blue Fusion Tribal presents a Holiday Vending Open House in Durham, with year-end sales and specials you don’t want to miss!

The rest of the month, North Carolina bellydancers will be performing at various holiday parties, New Year’s Eve events and other occasions.

Are you planning an event this month? Consider adding the joy of bellydance to brighten any occasion!

No matter what holiday you are planning on celebrating this month, we at NCBellydance.org would like to wish you peace, love and joy!

Haala of Halo Bellydance and NCBellydance.org performing at last year's Holiday Student Hafla in Cary.

Photo Credit Megan Freeman

2009 NC Halloween Bellydance Events

2009-10-21T09:26:00.006-04:00

Sashi and Nandana from Blue Moon Dance Company at Haflaween 2008
(Photo Credit: Megan Freeman)

Judging by the number of Halloween-themed bellydance events that have cropped up in recent years, you could almost say that Halloween is the unofficial National Bellydancer's Holiday!

It's not hard to see why -- we love to dress up, to become a different personality for a night, to try something new and different, and of course to eat sweet treats! Halloween gives dancers a chance to channel a different part of our personalities as well -- to become more spooky, more silly, or just more extreme.

No matter where you are in North Carolina, there's a Halloween bellydance event nearby:

Saturday, October 24 - the Concord Area Bellydance Meetup will be hosting Haflaween at Diversity Den Cafe, 16- Concord Commons, Suite D1, in Concord.

Saturday, October 24 - The Gypsy Sun in Surf City will be the location for Haunted Haflaween.

Saturday, October 24 - Blue Moon Dance Company presents their popular Haflaween at Extraordinary Ventures, 200 South Elliott Rd., Chapel Hill. (This event is already sold out).

Friday, October 30 - Colorful Waves Dance Troupe presents Monster Mash - a Halloween dance party and costume contest at Triangle dance studio, 2603 S. Miami Blvd. Durham (near RTP).

Saturday, October 31 - Rising Sun Tribe presents the Darkside of the Sun Hafla, Mountain View Rec. Center, 645 First St., in Morganton.

Saturday, October 31 - Bellydancers Night Out: All-Hallows Eve, Fig Cafe and Hookah Lounge, 253 Westwood Shopping Center, Fayetteville.

Sunday, November 1 - The Happy Hips childrens dance troupe will be hosting a Halloween Hafla at Barriskill Dance in Durham. I have included their ad below because I just love the image of the pumpkin with a hipscarf!

To get more information about all of these events (as well as other non-Halloween events this month), visit http://www.ncbellydance.org/upcoming.html

Please post in the comments and let me know where YOU are planning to spend your Halloween this year!

2009 NCBellydance.org Sponsors

2009-10-13T10:06:00.003-04:00

I spend a fair bit of time working on the site each week, usually while paying to have the kids in preschool or daycare, and so I really appreciate your continued support to help keep it going! It’s really turning into its own little job at this point :)

So I’d like to take a moment to recognize everyone that has contributed to the site so far this calendar year. I just updated the NCBellydance.org sponsors page accordingly.

If you are a performer or instructor listed on the website and you are NOT listed on the 2009 Sponsors list below, please kindly consider making a donation for this calendar year to help me keep helping you. I will be sending out individual emails to you all later this week.

Ok – here they are – let’s give them all a big zaghareet!!!!

2009 Financial Sponsors of NCBellydance.org

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Almas (Diamond Level): $500 or more

The Carolina Theater (Durham)

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Yaqut (Ruby Level): $300-$499

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Zumurrud (Emerald Level): $150-$299

Sharifa Asmar (Rockingham/Sandhills/Fayetteville)
Blue Fusion Tribal (Cary)
Baraka Mundi (Asheville)

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Amber Level: $75-$149

Amara Al Amir (Raleigh)
Blue Moon Dance Company (Cary)
Gypsy (Winston-Salem)
SamiTe' (Asheville)

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Fayruz (Turquoise Level): $1-$74

Andalee (Durham)
Asali (Charlotte)
Sara Beaman of The Devoted and Blue Moon Dance Company (Chapel Hill)
Aziza Fadwa (Roxboro/Cary/Chapel Hill)
Galia Goodman (Durham)
Nahla Hamad (Greenville)
Deirdre Hilal (Carrboro)
Mahsati Janan (Asheville)
Khahari Dance Collective (Triangle Area)
Khalida (Lillington)
Mara of The Moorish Gypsy Tribe (Cary)
Asyia Mas'ouda (Raleigh)
Nandana of The Devoted and Blue Moon Dance Company (Apex)
Anush Pele (Raleigh)
Raq Mundi (Wilson)
Samra (Mt. Airy)
Shahzaadee of Colorful Waves Dance Troupe (Durham)
Shaiya of Happy Hips Dance Troupe (Cary)
Lindsey Taylor (Charleston SC)
Torque (Greensboro)

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2009 "In Kind" Donations to NCBellydance.org

Ahzsmaralda (Fayetteville)
Baraka Mundi (Asheville)
Sara Beaman of The Devoted and Blue Moon Dance Company (Triangle Area)
Audra Evans (Raleigh)
Khalida (Lillington)
Megan Freeman (Raleigh)
Galia Goodman (Durham)
Mara of The Moorish Gypsy Tribe (Cary)
Nandana of The Devoted and Blue Moon Dance Company (Apex)
John Price (Cary)
Sashi of Blue Moon Dance Company (Cary)
Shahzaadee of Colorful Waves Dance Troupe (Durham)
Hannan Sultan (Durham)
Andy Von (Raleigh)
Yasmine of Magic Hips (Charlotte)

Thank you and a big zaghareet to everyone that has made a donation so far this year! If you would like to join this illustrious list, then just click on the “donate now” buttons on the main page or sponsors page, or message me for the address to send a check. I will also be at the ACCMED meeting on Friday if you want to make your donation in person.

Regards,

Haala

http://www.ncbellydance.org

September 2009 NC Workshops & Shows

2009-09-01T16:49:00.002-04:00

Workshop Pick of the Month:

Kalima Tribal is presenting a very exciting Tribal Sampler in Salisbury on September 12, featuring a host of familiar names from the state: Studio 318, Torque, Midnight Magnolias, and Abu Zouz. The all day workshops will feature Tribal Improv, costuming, fire, makeup and hair, swords, burlesque, poi, zills, hoops, dark fusion, zills, and how to dance to live drumming. What more could a tribal style dancer ask for?! That evening will feature Tribal Frolic, an entertaining show featuring the instructors and local performers.

Torque (one of the many performers at Tribal Frolic)

Other workshops this month:

The sold out Ava Fleming professionals intensive weekend takes place in Asheville the weekend of September 11-13.

Anush Pele’s Ancient Healing Power of Belly Dance Workshop in Raleigh, Saturday September 12

John Price presents an Arabic Drumming workshop in Durham on Saturday, Sep 26.

Aziza Fadwa returns for her popular Saturday workshops in Durham on Saturday, September 26.

To see more details on all the workshops going on this month, visit http://www.ncbellydance.org/workshop.html

Event Pick of the Month:

The Matthews Alive Festival will take place on Saturday September 5 and Sunday September 6, and will feature performances by Moonsister, Secondhand Gypsy, and members of Magic Hips and Beledi Beat!

Secondhand Gypsy

Other events this month:

Damhsa Gasra present a dancing and drum circle in Salisbury on Friday, September 4.

Asali presents An Evening in the Orient 3 in Dallas on Saturday, September 26

To see details on all the events going on this month, visit
http://www.ncbellydance.org/upcoming.html#special

Back to Bellydance School

2009-08-15T14:15:00.017-04:00

(Zhaleh Fereshteh teaching a workshop in Raleigh NC in 2008)

There’s a different feeling in the air this month – the lazy days of summer are drawing to a close, and the pace of life is quickening as students prepare to go back to school.

Why not take advantage of this momentum and go back to bellydance school by trying something new – attending a workshop, getting back into classes if you’ve stopped studying, or trying a new teacher to get a different perspective.

Most successful dancers still consider themselves to be ‘eternal students’, and they are committed to bettering their technique and knowledge of the dance, as well as getting inspired to new heights of creativity.

I recently put out a call to the NCBellydance.org community about this topic, and this is what Anna Maria Sophia from the Coastal area of NC had to say:

I'm a terminal student of belly dance, so for me continuing education is essential. I'm not a professional, I perform for the love and thrill of the dance, and I will not be entering the realm of instructing, so ongoing classes and workshops are my passion and a necessity for me.

Shahzaadee of Durham also places an importance on continuing education:

I feel no one could ever learn all there is to know about bellydance. There are so many styles and then on top of that, within different Countries, there are different stylizings, you could never get bored with bellydance education.

Sure a professional may go to a workshop and feel like ‘I know this move and that cultural tidbit’ but also, most likely, leave with at least one new (or renewed) move, combo, idea. It is wonderfully refreshing to go back to bellydance school.

Kalima of Salisbury explains the difficulty of balancing teaching and personal growth:

I think that ongoing training is very important as a teacher and a dancer... I started teaching within the last year and find that preparing for and teaching my own classes leaves me little time for attending regular weekly classes. But if I stop learning I stop being a good teacher. As a result I try to find at least one workshop a month so I am always bringing new things to my students, or improving on old things.

Luckily, there are a large number of workshops and classes taking place all over North Carolina this Fall, so teachers, professional performers, and regular students will all have plenty of opportunities to learn something new!

Your own ncbellydance.org webmistress will be taking Karim “Turbo Tabla” Nagi’s dance and drum workshops in Charlotte (sponsored by Yasmine), and Mohamed Shahin’s dance workshop in Durham (sponsored by Hannan Sultan). I can’t wait to learn Egyptian dancing directly from the source!

Meanwhile, Kalima looks forward to Triboriginal in Asheville every year:

Because lodging and food are provided there on site you can be totally immersed in the dance round the clock without worrying about finding food, or getting back to the hotel... And besides actual dance classes there are business classes, costuming classes, music classes, and hard to get classes such as fire performance. I often wish there were two of me so I could attend more classes while I’m there. I’ve been every year since the first and hope I don’t ever have to miss.

If you're looking for inspiration to continue your dance education, just visit NCBellydance.org's workshops calendar or view class schedules for your area.

Enjoy the last few weeks of your summer – it’s time to go back to school!

NCBellydance.org August 2009 Newsletter

2009-08-02T19:30:00.000-04:00

Hello everyone,

I thought it might be helpful to do a monthly newsletter highlighting the best upcoming workshops and events in North Carolina, as well as filling you in on any site developments. Let me know what you think!

August 2009 Workshop Highlights

There are twelve workshops taking place all over the state of North Carolina this month! Topics include moves and combos, drum solos, introductions to bellydance, props like sword and veil, and even learning how to play Middle Eastern percussion. There is definitely something for everyone!

There are two workshops I'd like to spotlight this month:

The first is a Veil Creation Workshop with Beth and Vicky in Concord on Saturday, August 22. It's not often that we get a chance to learn how to make these beautiful props!

And also on Saturday, August 22 in Asheville, Baraka Mundi presents Rakadu Gypsy from Lexington Kentucky for a weekend of workshops for every style of dancer and musician.

You can find out more information about all the upcoming August 2009 NC workshops here:
http://www.ncbellydance.org/workshop.html

August 2009 Events Highlights

August brings several area showcases, haflas, an open-mic event and other happenings all over the state.

The spotlight for this month focuses on one busy weekend, August 21-23:

Moonlight Diva Emporium will be vending in Fayetteville, The Association of Central Carolina Middle Eastern Dancers (ACCMED) will present Carolina Casbah in the Triangle area, and the coastal bellydancers will be having a fun Beach Belly Bash in Topsail Beach.

You can see a list of all the upcoming August 2009 events in NC here:
http://ncbellydance.org/upcoming.html#special

August 2009 NCBellydance.org News & Notes

Today we implemented the first part in our year-long project to upgrade and improve the website.

This was a "behind the scenes" re-organization and cleanup of the code, so the site should not look outwardly different when you visit it (But please contact me if you notice any broken links or other bugs).

We have a small team of dedicated volunteers currently working on creating some pleasing new templates and photos to improve the look of the site, as well as some significant code changes to improve the functionality. This will roll out gradually over the rest of the year.

In the meantime, I'll continue to update content each week, so send in your class schedules, calendar listings, and bio updates to haala@ncbellydance.org!

Teachers - remember that the Back to School fever applies to your classes too, so take a moment to review your instructor profile and class schedule listings to make sure they are up to date. Also consider taking out an ad in the Class Schedules page to really make yourself stand out from the crowd!

You can see an example here:
http://www.ncbellydance.org/class.html#class_tri

Triangle Area students - if you visit the link above, you will see a new ad for the Triangle Bellydance Scholarship fund! Click on the ad to apply for a need-based scholarship.

That's all for this month!

Thanks for your support of the site -- tell the NC teachers, performers and advertisers you heard about them on NCBellydance.org!

- Haala, your NCBellydance.org webmistress