Hello, dance fans. It's been too long, but as you know, my belly has been busy with Baby #2. Nevertheless, I am fresh from a wonderful experience with some very talented music students, and I am full of dance spirit just ready to burst forth.
Saturday night I had the pleasure of appearing at Thunderpalooza V, the Out-of-Door Academy's annual talent show. To my great honor, I was accompanied by Upper School music students, including some dazzling string players, very enthusiastic drummers, and amazingly enough, an accordion! The whole show was full of all kinds of remarkable talent - gifted singers, an adorable juggler, a hilarious comedy routine - and people were very kind and generous with their interest and compliments regarding my own performance.
Which brings me to my next point: enough people have expressed interest in learning Middle Eastern dance that I have put together a class that will meet in Lakewood Ranch. Starting June 11, we will dance every Saturday from 11:30-12:30 at the
Arthur Murray Studio at Crowder Plaza,
2531 Lakewood Ranch Boulevard. Cost is $35 per month, or $90 for 12 consecutive weeks. Students should be attired in yoga pants or leggings and a snug-fitting T-shirt or tank top, with dark socks or ballet slippers on the feet, and should bring something to tie around the hips, like a large scarf. Eventually students should expect to purchase a decorated Egyptian-style hip scarf. I had given up hope that the durable, beautiful glass-bead crochet ones would ever return, having been supplanted by cheaper plastic-beaded models in recent years, but I was very happy to discover that
Sharifwear is selling my old favorite in several shapes and sizes for about $54. Cheaper version are available through many vendors, but I bought my first glass-beaded hip scarf more than 13 years ago, and it still looks great and hasn't lost a stitch, so I really do swear by their quality. (And no,
Nourhan Sharif does not give me a cut for saying that - it's straight from my heart. Hips. Whatever.)
Email for more info - hope to see you there!
