NCBellydance.org Annual Fundraiser October 2010

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!

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!

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

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

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

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

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!