Shared Post: Amazing Egyptian Spa Themed Birthday Party

It's not often I use the "Share to Blogger" function on Google Reader but sometimes a post is so awesome that I don't trust y'all to click it when I post a link.
So check out this Egyptian Spa Themed Birthday Party from Hostess with the Mostess. This is a great idea for kids parties or you could do an adult theme with real spa treatments (you could upgrade the jewelry, but I'll be honest, I think the macaroni bracelets are awesome) or even make it more spa in concept for an outdoor soiree. So many awesome ideas that I just had to share. If you love it click through and give HWTM some love.

Amazing Egyptian Spa Themed Birthday Party:
Hostess with the Mostess®

This Egyptian-inspired “Cleopatra’s Spa Day” party that Bettijo of PagingSupermom.com threw for her daughter’s 7th birthday is – in a word – AMAZING!

Egyptian Birthday Party Highlights

Designed & styled with the help of her co-blogger Aimee, the Paging Supermom gals not only created a wonderfully unique and imaginative party atmosphere here, but they also put a huge emphasis on creative activities a for the kids…from “jeweled” Egyptian collars that the girls created using their fingerprints and paint (!) to a Sandbox table where they were encouraged to play and “exfoliate” before they were treated to manicures and Egyptian-inspired painting. There are so many more fun details to share, but one of my very favorites has got to be the downright fabulous DIY Gold Arm Cuffs that Bettijo made from empty toilet paper rolls, macaroni and spray paint. Oh. My. Goodness. I’m tempted to Page Supermom for my own birthday party! ;)


Read on for more fabulous party images + all the creative details…













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PARTY DETAILS, as told by Bettijo…
: 

When I started brainstorming ideas for an Egyptian-themed birthday party I immediately had an idea to build a big tent in the backyard. I ran the idea past my husband (who is used to my crazy elaborate party ideas by now), and being the darling Superdad that he is, he figured out a way to build a tent-inspired structure using mainly wire, fabric and safety pins! (See Faux Tent how-to below.)
The tent turned out amazing and definitely set the scene for the rest of our activities. My daughters’ other request was that this year be an all-girl party. With that in mind and pulling on my experience as founder of spa and bath brand, Bath By Bettijo , I centered on a Cleopatra’s Spa Day theme.
We divided the tent space up into 4 main areas: Food Table, Pillow Corner, Spa Table and Activity Area. Each space had it’s own functionality, but I wanted some way to unify all the spaces. I decided to collect the pieces for each space’s activity (except of course the food display) into matching wooden trays placed in each area. My husband built and stained these simple wood trays for under $5 each (See Wood Tray how-to below.)
PARTY FOOD:
My co-blogger Aimée and I tend to like minimalist and modern styling, but since the whole idea of this food table was a spread fit for an Egyptian Princess, we wanted to create a feeling of richness and abundance. This meant going outside our comfort zone a bit and piling things on the table to fill it up. We’re very excited with how the food table came together.
I baked six loaves of bread using this recipe. It is the EASIEST bread recipe ever – I baked all 6 loaves the morning of the party – that’s how easy it is! Not only is this bread as easy, but it also tastes wonderful and looks so natural and beautiful. Plus when baking vs. buying artisan bread, you save yourself lots of dough. Literally!
In keeping with the whole idea of “Spa” we tried to keep the food selections relatively healthy and natural but still fun and kid-friendly. We served whole dates, pears, chocolate coins and other fruits in pretty glass jars. Sliced bread, grapes, blackberries, olives, veggies and a selection of cheeses were presented at the guests fingertips, and the girls were invited to snack throughout the party.
I really loved the “Sand Cupcakes” made from the always delicious Krusteaz Cinnamon Streusal muffin mix. These are a breakfast favorite at my house, and one morning, a few weeks before this party, we were eating them, and I remember thinking how much the topping reminded me of sand. Aha! Sand Cupcakes are perfect for an Egyptian party!
Attalie thought a pyramid cake would be so cool, and I wasn’t sure exactly how to pull it off. Aimée came up with the idea of making a giant Rice Krispie Treat pyramid. We formed the base by making two batches and molding into a tapered square bowl I already had. The top portion was formed by hand using part of a third batch of Rice Krispie mix. I created the rough shape by hand and then pressed each of the four sides at and angle repeatedly on a wooden cutting board until we were satisfied with the shape. Then I pressed the top and base pieces together. To cover the seam and add a little sparkle, we finished the cake with white-and-gold, Egyptian-patterned ribbon. I mitered the ribbon’s corners so the pieces would fit right with the diagonal lines of the pyramid’s edge, and then I secured the ribbon in place with pins (which we were sure to remove before serving!)
PARTY ACTIVITIES:
When the girls first arrived at the party they were greeted by a fun sign on the door and then ushered through the house to the backyard where they met our “caravan.” We had them remove their shoes and change into socks and then each girl received a headband (made out of colored elastic seam binding like this). We began with a couple of gathering activities that would be easy for the girls to quickly join in on as they arrived. We had crayons and the Fill-in the Pharaoh’s Face Coloring Pages  set out on a table as well as a Sandbox for playing and “exfoliating” before their manicures.
Once all the guests arrived we began our first craft, Egyptian Collars adorned with fingerprint “jewels” made using red, blue, green and gold tempera paint. We set the collars aside and let them dry.
Next each girl made her own jewel bracelets, and during this activity we had the girls take turns at our spa table where they were treated to a royal makeover. First up was a pampering manicure including a Dead Sea Mud Mask; hand massage using Organic Whipped Shea Butter, topped off with gold nail polish. Then each girl was given Egyptian black eye liner and red lipstick. Finishing touches were a set of Gold Arm Cuffs that I’d made ahead from empty toilet paper rolls, macaroni and spray paint (See how-to below) and a giant gemstone ring.
After the girls completed their spa treatments we invited them to lounge in our Pillow Corner. I was trying to think of some simple activity to provide in this area that would be interesting but very unscripted and sort of quiet (since we were trying to create a spa atmosphere). My first thought was reading books, but that didn’t seem very partyish. Then I remembered how my daughter pours over the rock collection my aunt has in her backyard. Attalie is totally obsessed with rocks so I decided to surprise her by borrowing a bunch of my aunt’s rocks to set out at the party. I totally pictured all the little girls gathered around a tray of shiny, pretty rocks using a magnifying glass to “inspect” them — adorable in my mind, but I was sure it probably wouldn’t go over that way in person. BIG SURPRISE – it totally happened. Somehow the zen-like atmosphere rubbed off on them (or maybe it was the lack of boys?) but after each girl was done with her makeover, she joined the others in the Pillow Corner where they admired their bejeweled selves in a gold mirror, inspected the rocks and whispered and giggled. It was precious!
We gathered the birthday gifts in a wooden crate in the Pillow Corner and after all the guests had received their makeovers, Attalie sat on a bench and opened her presents.
PARTY FAVORS:
Each of the girls left the party decked out like an Egyptian Princess with her own pretty bottle of Cleopatra’s Milk Bath.
I knew we’d hit the mark, when just before leaving a couple of the moms remarked to me at how relaxing this party had been. (Yes – they thought a 7-year-old’s birthday party was relaxing!) Certainly it hadn’t felt relaxing to me at all (as the hostess it never is), but those words were the best compliment they could have given me!
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HOW TO MAKE THE FAUX TENT:
Our Superdad is responsible for this genius tent. Of course the specifics will vary based on your own location, but here’s some basic instructions to get you going. We started by setting three, 10-foot 2x4s into buckets of concrete and let dry for several days until solid. Next we attached three evenly spaced eye bolts to our back patio. We placed the center eye bolt 12 inches higher than the ones on the sides to give the tent shape. We also attached three eye bolts to the tops of the 2×4 posts. Then we placed the buckets on the far side of our yard, in line with the bolts on our patio. Since our yard is in the midst of a makeover, we didn’t mind digging holes to bury these buckets and make things more stable. We stretched tie wire (from the hardware store) from each eye bolt on the back of the patio to it’s corresponding eye bolt on the 2x4s. Pull it REALLY tight and secure well so it can support the weight of the fabric. We placed two perpendicular lines of tie wire to frame the front and back of the tent.
We purchased a total of 32 yards of white fabric (60-inch wide) and cut it into three lengths. We used a polyester fabric that reminded me of parachute material, but we selected it simply because the price was right (definitely a good time to check out the dollar table). We draped the three strips of fabric over the wire frame, overlapping the edges of each strip by about six inches. Then we let the ends hang down created the illusion of tent walls. We secured the fabric to the wire frame with safety pins. If your day is windy (like ours was) you’ll need to attach some kind of weights.
To dress up the tent I used inexpensive ribbon clustered onto a safety pin and easily attached to the wire frame. The colorful strips that created the back “wall” of the tent are courtesy of Aimee’s old living room – they are Pier 1 Imports window panels purchased several years ago.
HOW TO MAKE SIMPLE & RUSTIC WOOD TRAYS:
For the tray’s sides he used inexpensive pine 1x2x8s (you’ll need one for each tray) for the sides. Then he cut all three of the bottoms from one lightweight board, cut down to approximately 15×19 inches. He used small tack nails to attach the bottom and sides together, sanded and finished with a medium wood stain.
HOW TO MAKE EGYPTIAN GOLD MACARONI CUFFS:
This brilliant idea comes from my daughter’s first grade teacher. You need one toilet paper roll per set of cuffs. Cut the roll lengthwise on just one side so they create an open shape (resembling a cuff). Next cut each roll in half the other direction (perpendicular to your first cut) so you now have two separate cuffs. Glue elbow macaroni (using regular white school glue) as desired onto each cuff. This part could be fun to let the kids do themselves. Cover with gold spray paint and let dry.
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VENDOR CREDITS & RESOURCES:

– Design & Styling: Aimee Lowry & Bettijo B. Hirschi of PagingSupermom.com
– Invitations, Party Flags, Jar Labels, Signs: Supermom Co-Op
– Photography: Michelle Gifford of Jasper and Josephine
– Giant Gemstone Ring: Oriental Trading 

Hostess with the Mostess®

Music Mishaps

I was in a show recently where my music cut in and out. I kept dancing. Whenever the music came back on, I was in the right place. I felt confident enough with how well I new my piece to just power through.

The only bad thing is the stress of "holy crap, what happened to my music?" shot my adrenaline up and then I crashed before the song was over. A combination that I struggle with on a good day looked like udder crap because I just didn't have it in me. But you know after all that, having only 16 counts off in an otherwise perfect performance - I'll take it.

After the show, I heard nothing but compliments on how I handled the music mix up and that's what I want to talk about.

#1 - I was at a show with Raksanna when her music did not play. 

This show was in an intimate setting. The dance space was at floor level with seating on two sides. Raksanna had already entered the dance space and was face to face with the audience when her music failed. After several tries she signaled her husband to go sort things out with the sound guy.

She then said that while they were getting that sorted out, why didn't we play a game. She divided the audience into groups and arranged is in sort of a clapping game so that we clapped out a rhythm. She then did a bit of improv to our clapping until the music got sorted. 

The way she dealt we a music mishap was graceful, fun and you know what? I remember it for all the right reasons.

#2 - I was a little involved with the backstage of this show and I recall that the CD player lacked a time signature. Somehow during the middle of a dancers piece, something happened to stop the song. She stopped, looked annoyed and told the sound man to go back to a certain part. He had to restart the song and forward it where everyone could hear it every time he stopped to let her listen if that was the right place. She got further frustrated and stormed offstage to yell at him. He reaction wasn't pretty, and those audience members setting so they could see behind the curtain on stage right (quite a few people actually) saw her continue to berate the poor sound man until her got it right. A lot of people remember this and still talk about it. 

I let both these instances be a lesson to me a long time before I myself ever had a problem onstage. Unfortunately, like wardrobe malfunctions, music mishaps are something that we have to prepare for. Here are some suggestions on how to handle it.

Music skips - Sometimes, like in my case, the music skips a little but then gets back on track. I chose to keep dancing. The first few skips were only a few seconds so I chose to hold on until they got too bad, and it actually got better by the 2nd half of the song. 

If the problems make the music undanceable then take a bow and walk off stage. You can ask the stage manager/organizer if they want you to get a back up of the music right away or go on later in the show instead.

Music stops - If you are near the end or it was a long piece anyway, its okay to make a face that says "this wasn't the end but oh well" do a big finish and take a graceful bow. 

If you are near the beginning or it is a very short piece, there is nothing wrong with starting over. You worked hard on your dance and the audience appreciates that. They want you to get to do it start to finish as much as they want to see it start to finish. 

Music won't play at all - I know organizers are busy, but there is no reason not to check all the music on the sound system before hand. Without taking breaks the music is never half as long as the show. Just let it play and listen for problems. Delegate it to the sound person. It also let's them become familiar with the equipment and music. 

But things happen and that's why we always bring back-ups. Again, exit the area and find out if they would like you to fetch your back-up while they stall or just squeeze you in to a later place in the show.

Or like in Raksanna's case where she was the headliner, she knew she had someone to get the back-up and get it handled so she did her own stalling.

They play the wrong music - Smile at the sound person and shake your head no. Or hold your pose/position  back stage in a way that says - that's not my music.

There is never a reason to get mad, and really never reason to get upset. I take exception to students and beginning performers whose nerves may be shot after a mishap. When that happens there is nothing wrong with gracefully walking off stage and telling the organizer that you just don't feel like your nerves recovered from the music problems and you will instead enjoy the show from the audience.

The only thing you can do is prepare yourself mentally and be prepared with music back-ups. Personally, I always go to a show with the three things. 

1. A CD with just my song. I burned it and tested it in my car and my very cheap CD player as well as my computer. I find cars and cheap players to be the most finicky of playback devices when it comes to homemade CDs.

I also label in BOLD sharpie marker

'Azraa

Bluegrass Bellydance

Title/Artist

Time Signature

This helps me and the people running the show to keep it from getting confused.

I also keep all these in one box in my dance room so I don't have to burn more than one if I use the same number several times.

2. My iPod. My iPod has all my music. I know not every sound system can play one but just in case.

3. A couple of back up songs. I have never used one yet but better to prepare for the worst.

I would love to hear about any music mishaps I didn't mention or any scenarios where you learned from another dancer both what to do and what not do when there is a problem.

Bellydance and Finances

So one of my 2012 goals, both personally and professionally, is to do a better job at accounting. This is funny if you know me in real life where I run a small business, have an MBA and spend most of my days bookkeeping. I think this is why I slack off after hours, I am burnt out!

To kick this goal off, I have made a few simple changes that will help me get in better control of my finances.

Paypal: Paypal has sent notices to several of colleagues who have business accounts and receive money as "personal." Sending money this way avoids Paypal's fees and I think they have caught on that some people use this type of transaction even if they sell goods. I do a lot of personal shopping with my Paypal but usually have a balance because many of my students use it to pay for classes. For this reason, I have opened a 2nd personal account. Paypal let's you have one business and none personal account and I am going to take advantage of this. They won't let you duplicate funding sources but I have a business checking account and a credit card dedicated to dance.
In doing my end of year reporting, I saw how much I paid in Paypal Fees last year. When I first started taking Paypal for classes, I chose to eat the fee so the cost was the same for students no matter how they paid. Now that I have seen how much that cost me I decided to add the fee into the cost of paying online. I know many other teaching and businesses that do this.

Outright.com: Since ,until now, I had been mixing personal with business on Paypal and my credit cards; doing my end of year finances were kind of tedious if I didn't sort things out pretty regularly. I was using Quickbooks Simple Start (I use Quickbooks Pro at work so it made sense to me). QB Simple is easy but is not really more than an electronic check register that will total things for you. There is also only a check register and credit card register so adding in Paypal was difficult. All this prompted me to look for something better. Enter Outright.com. I found a review and recommendation from PCWorld, and then checked a few other reputable sources.
Here's why I like it. It can import transactions from most major banks, credit cards, and Paypal. It will actually import sales info from sources such as Etsy as well. If you have ever used Mint (something else I recommend), it is very similar. One of the best features is that not only can you add custom categories, one of the preset categories is Personal Expense. Once you mark something as a Personal Expense (or Personal Income) it gets removed from all the reports. It also separates out the Paypal Fees, which is how I came to the conclusion above.

I have also set up a Square account so I can take Credit Card payments in class. I am going to add on the 2.75% that Square charges into my rate.

I feel really positive about all of this. My life seems easier already :)

The Cost of a Good Education

I read a lot about performance undercutters on various message boards and online groups. Performers then often discuss the hidden costs of performing. Costumes, lessons, make-up, music, travel time and many other factors affect the cost of hiring a professional performer.

Here a few articles on Bellydance Performer's rates:
Shems: Behind the Rates
Mary: The High Cost of Rates
Shira: Why do you charge so much for only 15 minutes of dancing?

But today I am talking about the true cost of teaching a bellydance class and how I set my rates.

So students want to know why Bellydance classes aren't as low cost as other fitness classes, or don't come free with gym membership.

Well, for one bellydance is just that, dance. It is not a fitness class where an instructor can do the same basic steps over and over for the advantage of caloric burn (there are classes like this but they should supplement a regular dance regime). Being a bellydance instructor means a lot more than just showing up to class and leading a session of follow the bouncing butt.

An instructor spend on average 3 hours outside of class time for every hour of teaching. This time is spent selecting music, choreographing, writing notes, watching videos, making videos and training.
There is also a financial and time commitment of the instructors own continuing education. Bellydance does not have a finite end point. There isn't a book, that when you get to the end you know every thing there is to know about bellydance. There are countless books, dvds and workshops to be studied. I find it easy to attend at least one major workshop per month within driving distance. Because this dance comes from a historical and geographical context, it is important that good instructors study dance history, world history and keep up with how the geopolitical factors of today affect bellydance.
Even if you are only teaching one specific style, you owe it to your students to know enough about other styles that you can recommend good instructors and give them some sort of context of how your style differs and relates.
Aside from these exhaustive costs and time commitments, there are the direct costs of studio rent, liability insurance and advertising. For those instructors lucky enough to own their own studio then they pay more in utilities and higher rates on business and liability insurance.
All this goes into what an instructor charges for his/her classes.

Now I am not trying to make you say," oh 'Azraa, how committed you are to your students." The thing is, I love teaching.  Nothing makes me happier than when I see a student execute something I thought them, or recite a bit of history that I know they learned from me.
I just want people to understand that we, the dance teachers, aren't in it for the money. We can't be. To do all this, and to really work hard to be the best you can be and to make your students the best they can be well, you have to really be committed and practically commit-able.

It would also be a lot easier for me to say, "well, I make enough at my day job that I can teach for free." Sure I would have people lined up outside to take my classes, but that devalues the product we are trying to sell. A good quality dance education is worth something, until you make it worthless. I must also consider my fellow artists and instructors who do make their living from performing and teaching. Charging business sustainable rates means that all instructors whether part-time or full-time can support their business. So not only am I giving value to my classes which are definitely worth value but setting a standard so that other artists/performers/instructors can compete.
"But 'Azraa," you say. "why would you want competition?" Well, in truth, I don't. But I also don't want to drive competition away because I am the cheapest in town. That works for big box stores and corporate conglomerates but I am an artist and an educator. If I am going to drive the competition away it will be by being the best. And as long as the market is not over-saturated, a little competition is healthy. In this business , it is great to have other instructors and dancers who you can work with to put on events, have as guest artists, refer gigs to if you are booked up....there are plenty of reasons to be thankful for a bellydance community of more than just one. Granted, this only counts if you community is made up of reputable and well educated dancers, but that's a blog post for another day.

Borrowed Post: Glitter Gives Back

I don't often use the share on your own blog feature of google reader but what better way to make sure everyone sees this post from Najla at More Than a Mirage. I wanted to re-post this for two reasons. 1. Dance camp attendee or not, you might want to give 2. If you love this but would rather donate close to home then consider starting your own charitable organization like the Aria Dance Foundation and share the joy and giving nature of the bellydancers in your life with your community.

Original Post from More than a Mirage - Glitter Gives Back:

Although we are in the heat of the Texas summer, I know that I’m already dreaming of cooler weather and cabaret dance camp this fall. For those of you who don’t attend regularly, this is (in my opinion) a must-attend event for belly dancers. Not only do you have the opportunity to study with amazing and talented instructors, but you also have the chance to bond and share time with other dancers in a beautiful, serene environment. The Texas hill country has always been the perfect setting for our women’s-only retreat and this year I’m pleased to announce that Bahaia and I are teaming up to organize our first community service project for camp, called “Glitter Gives Back”

We will be making and delivering care packages for women and kids who are victims of domestic abuse and battery and are living in a shelter. We have the luxury each year at camp to enjoy the beautiful surroundings and wonderful companionship and love of all the women who attend, and I want to take this same love and support and share it with women who are in need. So, I chose Hill Country Cares, a non-profit association that has been around since 1986 and serves five counties in Central Texas to be the recipients of our service project.

They provide prevention, intervention, and recovery services for women in need, not only for women who live close to our camp, but often for women who travel much further and are sent there to escape their abuser. Our goal is to create 50 care packages containing basic hygiene products for women and 15 care packages for children. These packages will not necessarily be used for women who are currently living at the shelter, but will be handed out to incoming women and kids over the next few months. Originally my plan was for 50 packages (one for each camper), but after talking with the volunteer coordinator about their needs I’m upping the ante a bit and adding some bags for kids.

Blank bags, all ready to decorate. And for you with the wild imaginations, it's a green toothbrush holder ladies!

Our care packages will be delivered in canvas tote bags that can be used to store their supplies. The fun part is that we will decorate all these bags the first night of camp, along with our ritual t-shirt decorating. I already warned the shelter that there may be a plethora of glitter and sparkles in our bags and they were tickled by the idea of having something fun to share with these women and kids.

We will also have cards to sign (and add personal comments if you wish), and we’ll be taking photos share. My hope is that we can bring a smile to someone’s face and let them know that despite their immediate crisis, we are sending them strength and love. I struggle to imagine how someone would feel to flee their home because of violence, and end up at a shelter without their own toothbrush. So, the goal is to make sure women will have some basic products including shampoo, conditioner, deodorant, razors, toothbrush, toothpaste, soap, and body lotion to call their own.

Basic supplies for the womens' bag

For the kids, the shelter asked for kid-friendly products like toothpaste in fun flavors, bubble bath, and kids’ shampoo. A basic bag for women will cost around $25, and for kids $15, but with some smart shopping, and creativity I hope we can do more than just a basic bag for everyone, I’m hoping we can add some extra treats! To see a list of the basic items we’ll be providing, as well as suggestions on additional items to include check out this file.

Basic supplies for kiddos...any ideas on other things we can add?

If you’re a camper, would-be-camper, or just love the idea, here’s what we need you to do! We’ll be putting up a link to a PayPal account very shortly where you can donate, or ask friends, family and co-workers to assist. You can:

• Sponsor the cost of an entire package for either a woman or child.
• Collect financial donations to help off-set costs. (maybe get creative and do some fundraising)
• Collect product donations (for example, ask your dentist for extra toothbrushes), although this may only work for those of us living close by. We wouldn't want you flying in with a case of deodorant…that could cause all sorts of problems during the pat down!
• Consider throwing an extra tube of toothpaste, bottle of shampoo, or deodorant into your shopping cart over the new few months.
• Check your house for unopened, products that could be added in addition to the basic needs. (Keep in mind we’ll have limited space in our bags). For these little additions, sample sizes will work, we just want to make sure the basic needs are not trial or travel sized.
• Consider bringing a small keepsake or memento that you can add to a bag. Think about what would make you smile if you found it among your bag of goodies.
• Brainstorm on ideas for kid’s bags, take up donations from other families in the area, or if you have kids involve them in the process of collecting supplies. (I’m not a Mom so my ideas are limited.)

We’ll be posting more information as we go, and sending out updates on what we have and what we still need. I have to say that this project really excites me. I have been blessed in my life because I have never suffered abuse, violence or rape. However, I do know many women who have had to deal with these circumstances, and it breaks my heart to know that this happens to women on a frequent basis. I think that as belly dancers, we understand the strength of our community and our dance and I look forward to sharing that with other women who need that love and support. I have faith that we can all make this project a success and that our Glitter Gives Back program becomes a well-loved tradition at camp and beyond!

What you get out of a workshop

I often tell of how as a beginning dancer I only wanted workshop with choreography. Not combos but full out choreography, because then I felt I had something I can use. This is extra funny since I don't think I ever once used one of these choreographies until I pulled out two 4 year old workshop notes recently.
Now I find it is the opposite. Unless I am studying with someone who is truly a master of choreography like Yousry Sharif then I am not interested in it. I want technique, history, methodology, and anything else that will advance my dancing be it improv or choreography.
But then the question becomes, when do we use this? Is it a waste if you spend $200 and two days of your time on a workshop and don't come home dancing like the instructor or growing your own dancing in leaps and bounds.
I think of each class, each workshop, each instructor, and each topic like a drop in a bucket. The bucket is all the things you have at your disposal when you dance. Each workshop may only add one new drop or it may add a spoonful, either way every drop is worth something. As our buckets fill so we grow as dancers, teachers and performers.
I never feel like I need to remember or assimilate everything I learn, just add a few drops here and there. It makes learning more fun and it makes me want to travel around and get splash or new ideas from here, there and everywhere.

Organizing Your Belly Dance Notes

After I posted the "Hoarding" confession regarding my bellydance media and notes, dancer Naima asked:

So what is your recommendation on sorting notes? I have workshop hand outs, workshop choreos, my choreos, my notes, zill/music, etc. I just can't seem to decide how I want to organize them. Everything is in a big binder in order I obtained them only. I tried sorting once and got overwhelmed because I couldn't decide how to sort them.

That is an EXCELLENT question, and I would love to address it. Please keep in mind I am NOT the most organized person on the planet by ANY means, and what works for me may only confuse other people! But I've tried a few systems before, and I'll give you the rundown on five of what appear to be the most common. I personally actually use a combination of systems, with multiple copies of notes in multiple places, and organized mostly by subject matter, so I sort of blend all of them.

(FYI - When I'm discussing notes, I'm talking about printed copies. I'm very old-school and don't like searching the computer for digital versions of my notes. I like to see them printed out in black and white. However, a more eco-friendly approach would be to scan and digitize all those notes and organize them in your computer using one or more of these systems. That keeps the clutter down, prevents you from spending a month's pay on sheet protectors, and allows you to search your files by keyword, which I imagine would be infinitely helpful! Don't forget to back up your files or save them to Google documents, where you can access them from any computer.)

First let's talk about the types of notes we're dealing with:

1. Class handouts describing what you're learning in class that week.
2. Workshop handouts given by the instructor to either help you remember concepts or to give additional reference material to what she/he is teaching.
3. The almost mandatory "list of bellydance moves I've learned" that every student at least attempts to create at some point in her education.
4. Notes you've taken by hand at workshops or during classes
5. Notes you've taken on DVDs (instructional or performance) or on live shows you've seen.
6. Notes you've taken on your own performances or videotaped practice sessions, or from private lessons or other suggestions.
7. Choreography notes: either yours or someone's else's.
8. Notes you've taken on non-dance subjects, like music, culture, language, costuming, song lyrics, etc.

If you've never considered taking written notes on any of the above, now is the time to consider doing so. You can learn a lot from disecting and analyzing a videotaped practice session, or from taking notes at a show, or from making that "list of moves" that we all seem to acquire during our early years of education.

Now how to organize them? Let's look at a few different approaches:

1. Chronological
2. Instructor-based
3. Subject-based
4. Combinations and movements only
5. Personal practice system only


1. CHRONOLOGICAL SYSTEM

Any student who has been taking class for more than 6 months or so probably has a fistful of class handouts, maybe a few workshop notes, and that "list of bellydance movements." Keeping a file folder or binder full of those notes in chronological order is probably the first "system" that most students try. This works great for a few months or years, but at some point it becomes a lot of work to go back through those notes to find a meaningful bit of information.

Personally, I still have all the original notes I received in class or in workshops, (and also printed copies of the handwritten notes I took during those workshops) stored chronologically in a couple of binders, but really more for sentimental reasons. I think of it as my dance scrapbook, more than an actual USABLE resource. While I do believe that thumbing through your "dance scrapbook" can be a healthy experience, letting you see what you've learned and how you've grown over time, it's probably not the BEST system for making use of your notes, especially if they have expanded into larger and larger binders, or even into multiple binders (or in some serious cases, into their own room in the house!)

If you choose this system, I would recommend the following:

• Separate the pages into years or months or decades -- whatever works for you. Use divider pages to keep the sections clear.

• Make an INDEX page for the beginning of your binder. Don't feel the need to get overly specific, but general notes like "Stage presence and dynamics, see pps 12, 189, 200" or "Dancing for Lebanese Wedding -- see pps 34, 56, 78." Or "Saidi dance/music pps 12, 18, 145" (or if you don't do page numbers, you can use colored sticky tabs for each topic, or mention the instructor and the date/year.)

• Make friends with paper flags, post-it-notes, highlighting, and any other attention-grabbing devices, and use them. Flag the important stuff (or what you deem important today.) Highlight the stuff you want to remember.

• READ your notes! It seems obvious, I know, but who wants to read a bunch of notes when there's dancing to do! Seriously, get a cup of tea and some cookies and just sit down and read through them on a regular basis: once a week for relatively new students; once a month or once every two months if you have more experience, or as your note collection grows. Read through them daily if you're super-motivated or need ideas for your daily practice material.

• If you attend a workshop or class, take hand-written notes on the material. This is a general rule and applies to all systems. TYPE OUT YOUR NOTES (or at least rewrite them) VERY SOON AFTER THE CLASS IS OVER. This is key -- don't be like me and wait until almost a year later to message your dance partners and ask "What was that funny Reda step thingie we did in Sahra's class last spring right before lunch, do you remember? I can't read my notes." They will usually not remember, or if they do, will get tired of you asking. Rewrite the notes no longer than a week after the class. Place the rewritten notes in chronological order in your binder, alongside any handouts you got at the workshop. (Many times your notes will help you make sense of the abbreviated notes on the handouts, so you'll want to keep them together.)

• Keep your "list of moves" in the front of the binder, and don't be afraid to add to it on a regular basis, or abandon it as you see fit. (I made a spreadsheet on the computer and after the thing grew to over 3 pages, I abandoned it. But it was a great reference at first, and probably could be pretty useful if I ever would go back and rethink it.) But more on that later.

2. INSTRUCTOR-BASED SYSTEM

This could be a pretty useful system if you spent a lot of time studying from or attending multiple workshops with a handful of teachers, or if you enjoy training in multiple "styles."

I worked with this system for a while, and I still use it to some degree. I had individual binders for Suhaila Salimpour class, workshop, choreography, and general notes; Shareen el Safy workshop, choreography, and dvd notes; Ansuya class, workshop, and dvd notes; Tribal workshop notes -- etc. (Alternately you can section off one big binder into compartments for each "style.")

Currently I have a big binder that's all notes on "Egyptian Style" from instructors like Tito, Dina, Raqia, Shareen el Safy, Sahra Kent, Ranya Renee, Faten Salama, and my teacher Nashwa. (I suppose I should actually create a sub-section of the binder for just Reda Troupe technique, and maybe I'll get around to doing that someday.) I read through this one about once a month, and try to work through the concepts and practice the movements at least once a month.

The advantage to this system is that you keep all of your notes regarding special "techniques" or "methods" all together. This can help a lot if you are trying to focus on or specialize in a particular technique at that time. Having a binder for Tribal and a binder for Egyptian style makes it easy to create a personal practice session based around one concept or the other. I currently have one binder for Suhaila/Jamila material (and nothing but Suhaila/Jamila material) so when I feel inspired to work with her method, I pull that binder out and practice whatever I turn to.

The disadvantage to this system is that if you don't do extensive study with any one method or any one instructor, then you'll just end up with a bunch of mostly empty binders. Also, it can be difficult reconciling what two instructors tell you when that instruction differs. I have movement notes from one dancer that say "never start in the front" and notes from another dancer that say "always start in the front." This system is best left to the student who understands the variances in the "continuum" of a chosen style or method.

My recommendations for using this system:

• Don't try it if you are a very eclectic student, studying from multiple instructors and in multiple styles or disciplines, unless you really really really want to be able to focus on each system individually.

• Make use of that index page. Instructors like Shareen el Safy often teach choreographies and include detailed information about the music and the composer, or the first dancer to dance to that piece of music. You don't want to lose this info, so make a note of it on your index page.

• Consider adding additional notes, comparing and contrasting different instructors and different methods. (Learning Reda technique is good. Comparing Reda technique to general Oriental dance technique, looking at what was changed and stylized, and anticipating what Reda would do with movements and choreographies you've already learned is even better!)

3. SUBJECT-BASED SYSTEM

Sorting by subject can be a relatively organized system, but it's also the most unwieldy system when you're dealing with a lot of notes. I use a modified version of this system, with multiple copies of notes in different locations: I have a file cabinet full of individual file folders on subjects from Algerian dance to Zeffa, and several binders devoted to specific subjects: choreographies, Egyptian dance, personal practice notes, performance analyses, etc.

Consider the following when putting together a subject-based system:

• Keep separate binders or files for subjects like costuming, ethnic or region-specific dances, music theory, music lyrics, Arabic language, and Middle Eastern culture. These subjects can easily grow into very very large stores of information, and if you can separate them out, it will help you access all the material more easily.

• Keeping a binder solely devoted to choreographies can be a great resource when you need to plan a show or work on a piece you learned two or three years ago. I like to thumb through mine every now and then for an old choreography to "resurrect" for a hafla.

• Make friends with someone who owns a photocopier. Or scan your original note sheets and print out as many copies as you need in order to file those notes in all of the appropriate places. I have Habiba's notes on Andalusian dance choreography in three places: once in the original chronological "dance scrapbook" binder, again in the file on Andalusian dance, and again in the binder full of choreographies.

• Subject-based notes can be great for concepts and ideas that maybe you don't think about during every practice session. I have a binder I've named "Performance Study Guide" and in it are copies of all my notes on stage dynamics, presentation and performance skills, choreographic theory, improvisation, and anything I feel I need to consider when preparing a new dance for performance. Another binder is all notes on concepts that I want to include my classes: ideas on how to vary the texture or dynamics of a movement, exercises for improvisation, classroom games, etc.

• Although you can make one binder for all of your "Notes on DVDs" it's probably more helpful to break down those notes into individual subjects too. If the DVD focuses more on concepts in dance or movement rather than specific technique tips, you might get more use out of the DVD and your notes on it if you filed those notes in your "Performance Study Guide" binder, or your teaching binder.

• Don't let this system get out of hand. If you have a file cabinet or big book shelf and are comfortable with 100 individual files/binders on 100 individual topics, then great! But if you find yourself overwhelmed by multiple files/binders full of information you're not even sure what to do with, then consider just picking a topic or two and focusing on those for a while. It's not necessary to keep a detailed separate binder on Tunisian rhythms if you aren't currently working on Tunisian dance. Keep those notes in the original binder or folder, (or make one big file of "stuff to work on later,") put that binder on the shelf (or put the file in the cabinet) and come back to it when you feel ready. It is actually possible to over-organize. Don't let that happen!

4. COMBOS AND MOVEMENTS ONLY

This is the least helpful system to most advanced dancers, because at some point we realize that the list of moves we started during the first week of class has either (a) gotten way too ridiculously long, or (b) pretty much topped out at a total of 10-25 by just describing the movement shapes. For a new student, it's a great resource. But don't stop there.

Some instructors suggest that students make notecards of their movements, sorting them by "sharp" or "soft" or "traveling" moves. I think this is a great approach for learning choreography and improvisation. We do tend to grow out of a need for this after a certain amount of experience, though, and we want to explore more facets of the dance other than just movement.

If you ONLY keep notes on movements, you're missing out on the music and the culture and the real spices that infuse our dance and keep it fun and exciting. Consider keeping those workshop handouts too. Consider taking notes that aren't centered around the movements themselves. You'll be a much more well-rounded dancer in the long run, and you'll get a lot more out of your classroom and workshop experience.

If you like to keep notes on combinations, do you find yourself ever actually going back and reviewing or USING those combinations? If not, consider making a simple practice choreography using only the combinations from a particular DVD or from a single workshop. See if you can vary and change up the combination enough to make it really fit the music like a glove. That's what your instructors want you to learn from those combo workshops and DVDs. Don't collect combos like baseball cards -- USE THEM!



5. PERSONAL PRACTICE ONLY

This one works for some people, but not me. Basically this theory is to throw away old notes on stuff you already know and only keep the notes on things/movements/concepts you haven't yet mastered. I hesitate to throw any notes away because I never know what I might forget (and also because I'm an information hoarder.)

So I modify this. I have my "Personal" binder, wherein I keep my notes on personal practice critiques, my analyses of videotaped performances of both myself and the classic dancers, personal practice goals, copies of notes taken on DVDs I'm working with (like Ranya Renee's Balady DVD and Nadia Jamal's Improvisational Tooklit), and notes relevant to whatever concept or choreography I'm currently working on. It's my "to do" list, sort of. But I still keep all the other notes in their original forms. I just can't bear to throw them away!!



So as you can see, I use modified versions of most of these systems. Yes, it means a lot of paper and sheet protectors. Yes, it means a whole file cabinet of notes and book shelf full of binders. But I like being able to go into my study and pull out the binder on Egyptian Musical Studies, for instance, and have access to all my notes on music in Egypt. I like to look through the binder on Suhaila method for inspiration in creating a Suhaila-style finger cymbal drum solo. I like being able to grab the "Egyptian style" binder to compare modern Egyptian dancers with my notes on those from the Golden Age, or to contrast all the variations of the "Jewel" step. And I like to thumb back through the years of workshop notes in my chronologically-ordered "Dance scrapbook" if only to giggle over what was just SO HARD in those first years, and puzzle over why I ever thought Hadia's "Tales of the Sahara" choreography was too complicated for me.

Anyway, this is what I've gathered over the years on ways to organize my dance notes. I hope this information is of some value to you dear readers, and especially to Naima, who inspired this blog post. And please, if you have a different system or found a way that works for you, leave me a note in the comments section!

Confessions of a Belly Dance Hoarder ...

Hello. My name is Amanda/Aziyade. And I'm a belly dance hoarder.

Not the costuming kind -- I have 6 costumes, I think, and that's just because I needed more folkloric looking ones for some of our troupe dances. I'm the information hoarding kind. You know the type.

I have every issue of Arabesque, all those of Habibi I could get my hands on, years and years of magazines like Belly Dancer, Chronicles, Jareeda, Aramco World, and anything else I could find on ebay or at swap meets. I have read them, taken notes on them, and filed those notes in a 4-drawer filing cabinet, organized alphabetically by both concept and country of origin.

Books -- got everything on ME dance, music, and women's culture that was commercially available, except Nelly Mazloum's book, which is $75 and somehow I draw the line there. Again, read ALMOST all of them, made notes, and filed those notes.

YEARS of old MEDance mailing list posts are archived (but not actually organized) on a separate hard drive, along with selected posts from tribe, oriental dancer, bhuz, and some of the lyrics forums. I'm not sure exactly what to do with some of this information -- do I really need the list of the "Top 40 songs on the radio in Cairo in 1995" ? Do I need to keep those ancient (although recurring) debates on where shimmies come from, or how to do a "jewel," or the analyses of hip drops we've often gotten into on the forums? YES -- I have to keep all of that until I can find a good reason to throw it away!!

Now let's keep in mind that INFORMATION is taking up less and less space these days :) I have pdfs of almost every article in 2 volumes of the Garland Encyclopedia of World Music, but they're all on one DVD. All those forum posts are in word documents and pdfs on another dvd. (The books and magazines take up the most space, sure. But they have pictures!) So it's not like this stuff is piling up in my house! Well.. then there's the media library...

I did a physical inventory of my Instructional (not performance) DVDs and Videos last month. Ya'll ready for some crazy? I have 381 instructional dvds and vhs tapes. Well actually, I have more now since I just ordered Nadira's Improv Toolkit 2 and bought a couple of newer Raqia Technique dvds off another dancer. But last month I had THREE HUNDRED EIGHTY ONE of the buggers!! How the heck did that happen????

(That isn't counting the 200 + performance dvds and videos. I have so many of those, and they're spread out all over the house and with my students, that I haven't yet gotten around to counting them all. I think some of the old bootleg footage is probably repeated here and there so sorting these is going to be more work than sorting the instructionals.)

Some of them are beginner instructionals that have little to no value to most dancers. But I bought them because I thought as a teacher I could learn from them -- new ways of describing movement, new little tips and tricks. Most of the older out-of-print ones I bought off a dancer who was quitting dancer, and many of them I got when vendors decided to quit vending and sold their stock 1/2 off. (Almost my entire collection of Little Egypt videos came from a vendor retiring.) Of course, I used to vend for Dahlal also, so I took the opportunity to use my 15% off and bonus money to expand my inventory. And ebay was a great source for used older tapes and dvds for a while.

I bought a lot of them because I didn't have access to a weekly class and because I was somehow incapable of creating a decent practice session for myself without the structure of the video. I'm much better at that now, but I admit I'm still inclined to just throw in a dvd when I'm feeling intellectually lazy. (Or do an online class -- which I don't count in my inventory.)

So those tapes and dvds have their own bookcases and shelves, and they probably take up the most room. Unless you count the now over 500 Middle Eastern, Turkish, and Flamenco CDs in the library ... :O

Music is one place where I just can't give in and go all digital. I HAVE to have the original liner notes. I can't stand downloading full albums from iTunes because I need the security of the liner notes and the jewel case (wherein each CD has a big post-it note with my personal notes for each song. If you ditch the case, where do I put the notes???) (Plus I swear I can hear the diff between an mp3 and an aiff file). I haven't been able to toss the cases and put the individual CDs into binders. I just can't!!!!! So yeah, those are sort of leaking over into the rest of the house. And the garage. And the studio at work. ...

My friend says my home studio (where most of this stuff is stored) is like the Library of Alexandria but without all the Romans. :) I laugh, but then I look around and wonder when it's all going to fall over on top of me (metaphorically -- I really don't have stacks of DVDs lining the walls. Well, not anymore. Not since we got more shelving.)

If information hoarding is a crime, take me to jail. Slowly but surely I'm organizing and digitizing as much as I can, and trying to figure out a way for all this stuff to be put in a searchable database on the computer, instead of in manilla file folders and plastic binders. (Did I mention I have all of my workshop and class notes in binders? And all of the online class notes? And all of the notes I've taken on various instructional and performance dvds? Yep, all in binders in the bookcase with the Habibis. I DO get those out and read through them a lot, so it's not like the information is forgotten.)

So, I'm a hoarder. But I use MOST of my hoard. I write little articles about music for my student newsletter. I study my notes and create class exercises and educational material out of them. I share that with other instructors who ask for it. I share as much as I can -- with the caveat that I'm always learning and refining, so be prepared for me to revise what I once told you.

Am I crazy? Maybe. But you know something: I never get bored. And I am very rarely "uninspired." Some days all I have to do is just flip through a few CDs, or pull out a random DVD or file folder, and I'm energized and excited again about dancing, music, practice, performing -- whatever. Knowing I have access to some of the world's greatest authorities on our dance -- well, that's pretty darn inspiring, you know?


Oh and by the way: that necklace with the series of half moon shaped pieces that you often see the Ghawazee wearing? It's called a "kirdan" (according to Habiba/Barbara Siegel.) Didn't know that? Now you do. Welcome to my obsession :)

Workshop Review: Sahra Saeeda and Roxxanne

I admit that I have gotten out of the habit of doing workshop reviews. Why? Because every one I go to is awesome, and I feel like my readers will be bored hearing about another awesome thing I went to. But I realize even if the reviews are all "Loved All The Things", telling you what those things are might help you decide if you can't attend every workshop ever (and who can).

I have studied with both instructors twice now. I would study with either of them 100 thousand times, in fact I would move in with them and cook their meals in exchange for the knowledge (hint, hint).

If you pass on a chance to study with Sahra please send me your address so I can come to your house and SHAKE YOU! Talk about knowledge. If you want to know about Egyptian dance and particularly if you want historical and cultural insight, then this is the lady you need to see. Sahra applies here degrees and experience in cultural anthropology (that may not be her exact area of study but close) to really delve into the history of bellydance in Egypt. She takes you through all the famous dancers of Egypt from Reda to Dina, supplying you with not just their movements and styling but their motivation for choosing those movements. As in instructor, I find it invaluable to tell me students about Samia Gamal, show them how she danced and have the background to tell them where she came from and why she danced this way.
Sahra also shares with her students the stories and perspective that only someone who spent the time training and working in Egypt as she has can. My long term goal is to attend her entire Journey Through Egypt series. Location and timing wise, it has not her been in the cards for me. If I haven't found a way to attend in the next year then I will plan on going to one of her regularly scheduled classes in California. That will be the farthest I have ever traveled for a workshop.

I first met Roxxanne at last year's Camperet. She is just a really fun person. At Camparet, she taught classes on Debke and Khaleegi. I just want to give a shout out that those classes were awesome. I also took a private lesson with her on Lebanese style which was very insightful.
This past week-end her workshop focused on dancing for an Arab audience and putting together a traditional show/set. If you don't know about Roxxanne, her father was Lebanese and she grew up in his night club in California (where Sahra was a regular performer). The first part of her workshop was lecture and Q&A. She gave us all valuable tips including dos and no-nos. She was very open, honest and not afraid to hurt someone's feelings in they did not like what she said (luckily she didn't at this class). I even resigned myself to be more open to performing in shoes. We went through what sort of questions to ask of the people hiring you, how to work with a band/drummer, and a whole list of better safe than sorry plan ahead ideas.
In the second half we listened and dance to some traditional opening piece songs and talked about how to choose music that is right for you and how to set the tome of your show.
The workshop went well over time and no one cared. We have a 4.5 hour drive home and still would have stayed several more hours to pick Roxxanne's brain.

Both these women are amazing dancers, and amazing educators. If like me you are a nerd first and dancer second then I can't recommend enough that you get yourself to one of their workshop.

And finally - a shout out to Kira's Oasis. Located in Dayton, Ohio, Kira's Oasis is the nicest studio I have ever been in. Every time we took a break I fantasized about one dance owning my own studio. It is clean, gorgeous and just really perfect in every way. The location is also really nice. It is in a suburb near a large mall with plenty of places to stay and eat. I also think it is an easy part of town to get around and very close to the interstate. I think despite the long drive, I will keep an eye on her schedule and try to attend some more events up there.

Roxxanne, 'Azraa and Sahra

Let's play the alphabet game

This was actually Amanda's idea, but I am going to blog it anyway.

How many letters of the alphabet can you fill in with the name of workshop instructors? Here is mine:

A - Ava Fleming, Ansuya, Ahmad Hamad, Amani Jabril, Aziza
B- Bahaia
C-
D- DaVid
E- Elena Lentini
F- Frank Farinaro
G- Gina
H-
I-
J- Jim Boz
K- Karim Nagi
L- Leila Gamal, Linda
M- Malin, Momo Kadous, Mohammed el Hosseny, Michelle Joyce
N- Nourhan Sharif
O-
P- Princess Farhana
Q-
R- Raksanna, Roxxanne, Ranya Renee, Ruby
S- Samara, Shahira, Shana of Little Rock, Sahra Saeeda
T- Tito, Theresa Tomb
U-
V-
W-
X-
Y- Yousry Sharif
Z-

Not bad. I am attending Bahaia's Camparet again this year and will be able to mark off C and Z with Conchi and Zafira.

Play the game. Leave your alphabet in the comments.