We have had a recent influx of new members! Let's hear from you.
Browse the threads, and let us know what you think!!! Or start something new :)
Katya
Browse the threads, and let us know what you think!!! Or start something new :)
Katya
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Indianapolis
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Re: New Members, Speak Up!
Fri, March 17, 2006 - 6:56 AMHi! My name is Ana Gabriela! Im a belly dance student in Costa Rica. Belly dance here, start to grow up very much, and a lot of people love this dance and a lot of costarrican girls are learning too!!! Is really beautiful to find this kind of places, where you can find people who loves the same things as you. Im doing now a photo documental about belly dance in my country, so im looking for some references to know about more and more about it. I couldn't see the videos on Amani web site, and i couldn't hear the music, somebody has a small video clip that you can send me?? or a song??? i will appreciate this help!! I have also my tribe here called "bellydanceincostarica", and i invite you to see my teacher web site www.alebellydance.com . Happy shimmies to all of us! -
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Re: New Members, Speak Up!
Fri, March 17, 2006 - 11:56 AMBeautiful, Ana!!! Welcome aboard!!!
Try Amani's site again; sometimes the server is down.
Good luck, and let us know if you get to see it!
Katya xoxo -
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Re: New Members, Speak Up!
Mon, March 20, 2006 - 2:49 AMHi I am new my name is Patricia.
How are you Katya?? Are you planning to go to Lebanon this year?
Glad to join you
take care
Paty -
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Re: New Members, Speak Up!
Mon, March 20, 2006 - 9:38 AMHi Paty! Welcome!
I am trying to get to Amani's festival, inshallah!!!
Do you dance there?
Katya xoxo -
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Re: New Members, Speak Up!
Wed, March 22, 2006 - 2:01 AMI'm 1 of the Amani's management team for the festival. As I'm also a dancer in her group.
Hope to meet you in the festival.
See you
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Re: New Members, Speak Up!
Mon, March 20, 2006 - 11:56 AMHello everyone,
This is Tamra-henna from California. I saw Amani dance when I was in Lebanon in the late 90's. I had just arrived a month or so before, and a friend of a friend was attempting to get me a job at a club. It turned out that the club had just contracted a dancer, but they wanted to meet me anyway and so they invited me to the show. It was Amani. She had just started there, and it was off season in Lebanon so there were only 2 tables there, including mine. I definitely got to see her show up close and personal!
My reaction at the time was mixed. I had just come from 3 years of performing in Cairo, so I was used to the Egyptian shows. The first thing I remember thinking was " This is one of the most famous dancers in Lebanon and she has only 5 musicians?!" Yes, I was actually THAT spoiled! I realized later that, unlike Cairo, most dancers in Lebanon do not have their own band at all. They work with a house band most of the time. Also, she didn't seem to use a lot of isolations in her interpretation, which I was used to. She did, however, have amazing stage presence, grace and could execute this most difficult turns with precision and ease. She ended one song with about 45 seconds of flamenco style turns (their name escapes me at the moment), the kind where the top half of your body is leaning forward. She kept doing them faster and faster and then came to a precise stop in her signature final pose! Breathtaking! Additionally, she did a lot of dances that were regional character sketches. This added a variety to her show that I did not see in many Labanese dance performances.
One thing that I admired about her show was the thought that went into it. Her choreographic ability and dedication to her art were quite evident. If any dancer from the Arab world were to be able to create a successful theatrical show of Middle Eastern dance, Amani would be it.
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Re: New Members, Speak Up!
Mon, March 20, 2006 - 4:51 PMAhlan Wa Sahalan, Tamra-henna :)
Those "flamenco style" turns you speak of are called barrel turns :)
As choreography was always something that I struggled with until relatively recently (dyslexic!!), I have always admired others who can execute it and make it not look like choreography. She fascinates me that way. I had to figure out how she does it! So, Amani has become a mentor to me. Now, I must go see her. It is time.
Welcome aboard!
Katya xoxo -
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Re: New Members, Speak Up!
Mon, March 20, 2006 - 9:00 PMAhhh yess....BARREL TURNS! Thank you, that's been bugging me all day :-)
Tamra-henna -
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Re: New Members, Speak Up!
Tue, March 21, 2006 - 10:31 AMHave you seen the movie/documentary, "Latcho Drom"? The Rajasthani dancer does them "gypsy" style with her back almost perpendicular to the floor!!! It's amazing, you gotta see it....we Oriental chickitas do them more at a 45 degree angle to the floor, not a 90 degree! My Egyptian coach, Faten Munger, is also an accomplished Flamenco dancer, so I've had this pummeled into my brain since day one. LOL... -
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Re: New Members, Speak Up!
Tue, March 21, 2006 - 10:32 AMErrr...I meant 135 degree angle to the floor....lol -
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Re: New Members, Speak Up!
Tue, March 21, 2006 - 11:38 AMYes, I saw "Latcha drom." I love that turn! It's so dramatic! If my memory serves me correctly, Amani did get lower than a 135 degree angle, but definitely not 90 degrees.
-Tamra-henna -
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Re: New Members, Speak Up!
Tue, March 21, 2006 - 1:31 PMYes, she does go lower...but not totally...must be a Lebanese thing ;-) -
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Re: New Members, Speak Up!
Tue, April 18, 2006 - 11:26 PMHi my name is Leila. First my English is bad so please forgive me
I am an old dancer I was dancing in Lebanon before the war time in the 70’s
Now I am not dancing I have children and live in Egypt and I am grand mother too
I watch dancers on TV and see good and bad one.
Amani is the best and I remember old golden days when I see her, she know how to give new in dance. She is one of the divas since she was in her 20’s, for me now she is the best diva, the new legend ( I see her dance in Amani around the World DVD).
Before we use to dance not long time on stage like now, we use to dance 15 minutes to 20 min max. some use to dance 10 min. only. Too much singers and dancers in the same night in one program night. Too much nationalities too
About the turns , Amani did first, this is not a lebanese thing . first time i see this turn was Amani doing this
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Re: New Members, Speak Up!
Thu, April 20, 2006 - 8:55 AMGreetings Amani fans!! I fell in love with Amani at first sight.. even before I ever saw her dance. I saw her image on a cd & asked my teacher Zahra Zuhair about her. When I finally saw Amani dancing on video, I felt her passion & warmth, & witnessed her irresistible charisma in action. Not to mention her fabulous costumes & overall gorgeousness!!!!! Maybe someday I will get to see her dancing in person. Does Amani ever travel to the US to do workshops? Will she tour anytime in the future? -
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Re: New Members, Speak Up!
Thu, April 20, 2006 - 3:37 PMHello, Hajjara and Leila!!!
It's funny, Amani makes us all feel that only we alone love her the most!!! She is very special...a real Angel sent from Heaven!!!! I swear...what I love about her is that she is so *real*...nothing fake about her!! She is straight from the heart, and really cares about people learning.
Patricia, are you on Amani's DVD??? Which one are you?? How lucky you get to study with her and be in her troupe!!!!
Leila, you MUST tell us some stories from "back then"!!! How wonderful that you can share with the younger generation...ah, once my baby is older, I will just travel all the time!!! And write books...:)
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Re: New Members, Speak Up!
Thu, April 20, 2006 - 10:32 PMYes, you can see me in Festival 2005 video but not in Around the World ( BTW ,it is almost ready). I was no in yet -
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Re: New Members, Speak Up!
Fri, April 21, 2006 - 8:30 AMSo, you are in the upcoming video to be released, and it is from the "Festival 2005"? When will it be out? Will we be able to get it from Dahlal, www.dahlal.com? I know that a lot of people had a hard time at first getting the "Around the World" DVD in the US.
I can't wait to see you! What pieces are you in?
K xoxo -
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Re: New Members, Speak Up!
Fri, April 28, 2006 - 10:31 AMHi - I'm new to this tribe! :)
I live in Vancouver BC and I've been dancing for just over 6 years. I fell in love with Amani when I first saw her on a vid that my teacher lent me. I'm here to learn more about her, and more about Lebanese style of dance - I'm pretty much "strictly" Egyptian (but how "strict", I'm not sure! LOL!) But yes, Amani's barrel turns are what floored me - I'm just dying to get my hands on more and hopefully one day I'll get the opportunity to study with her.
She is truly a lovely and unique dancer. I don't know much about her but I'm looking forward to spending LOTS of time here! -
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Re: New Members, Speak Up!
Sat, April 29, 2006 - 11:13 PMWelcome Aradeeya to the tribe!
You can check out Amani's website : www.amanionline.com to know more about her
Hope you can join us to Lebanon one day and study with Amani too.
Have a nice week end! -
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Re: New Members, Speak Up!
Thu, May 4, 2006 - 8:57 AMA few years ago, after I had been taking bellydance classes for 6 months, one of my friends made me a video tape of her favorite dancers. There was one clip of Amani in a white costume with blue chiffon tail, dancing to Zay el Hawa with a live band. I didn't know who she was at the time, but I had to find out from my friend. She was beautiful, elegant but powerful, and very different from the others on the tape. Ever since then, she's been an inspiration for me.
In 2005, I was lucky enough to finally meet and take a workshop with Amani in London. Thanks for hosting her, Beverley! -
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Re: New Members, Speak Up!
Thu, May 4, 2006 - 3:20 PMThanks for your speaking up! Yes, she is truly unique, a one of a kind gem!!!
Feel free to browse the posts, and add anything you'd like!!!!
Katya xoxo -
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This is the maximum depth. Additional responses will not be threaded.
Re: New Members, Speak Up!
Wed, August 9, 2006 - 7:04 AMOK, we have several new members in the past few days, so let's hear from you!!!!
K xoxo -
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Re: New Members, Speak Up!
Thu, September 28, 2006 - 12:03 PMHello all,
My name is Jahn. I live in Seattle and recently started studying belly dancing. I found this tribe and liked the myriad of different discussions goin on. I started belly dancing to enhance my contact juggling skills (the neat trick David Bowie did with the crystal ball in the movie Labyrinth) but have found I enjoy belly dancing for belly dancing sake. Maybe one day the contact juggling will enhance the dancing.
namaste -
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Re: New Members, Speak Up!
Thu, September 28, 2006 - 12:27 PMHallo! I live in Maine and I've been hearing a lot about Amani lately and just happened to pick up a video of her out of a "free" bin! Looking forward to learning more about this inspiring woman. :)
Jahn, the contact juggling is so cool... and that would be quite a fusion with belly dance! Would love to see it. The fellow who did it in Labyrinth is amazing... and he had to do it blind b/c he was behind David Bowie's back... nifty. -
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Re: New Members, Speak Up!
Sun, October 1, 2006 - 4:53 PMHi ladies!!! Nice to hear from you :)
What is contact juggling? I don't know the movie reference...enlighten me! Sounds cool...
K xoxo -
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Re: New Members, Speak Up!
Wed, October 4, 2006 - 4:29 PMThe movie in question is a Jim Henson movie.
Here's a link
www.imdb.com/title/tt0091369/
Here's the definition from contactjuggling.com
What is Contact Juggling?
Contact Juggling is the skill and art of moving a ball or balls from one place to another while keeping them in contact with your body.
Contact Juggling has several other names as well including, Sphereplay, dynamic manipulation, crystal manipulation. But Contact Juggling has the easiest definition for the average joe, bob ,jane or nancy. Contact Juggling is juggling in which the ball or balls maintain contact with the body.
Contact Juggling consists of 2 main forms
Rolling and Spinning
Often termed Body Rolling and Palm Spinning
By taking out the words body and palm you take away boundries that can be placed there.
So spinning can be done on the back of the hand.
And rolling can be done with a prop.
This site will usually refer to them as Ball Rolling and Ball Spinning to help clarify what is spinning and what is rolling.
There are several elements that are part of Contact Juggling.
They include isolations, curls, holds, flourishes, and stalls.
So you can isolate a spin or isolate a roll. The same would be true of each of the other elements.
Brief History of Contact Juggling
Contact Juggling is a term coined by James Ernest in his book of the same name.
James Ernest credits Michael Moschen with inspiring him to learn Contact Juggling.
Michael Moschen was very upset at this book when it was released.
Mr. Moschen created a routine and was doing a routine. He had no intentions of others learning, expanding, and then teaching other how to do Contact Juggling.
Contact Juggling's roots go back centuries. China has had metal spheres for quite some time. These spheres have been used for spinning for quite some time.
Rolling of a ball has been around for quite some time as well.
One of the best ball rollers of the last century has been Francis Brunn. Mr. Brunn has shown the world his ability to roll the ball from his foot up his leg and back over his shoulder to his hand. Quite an impressive move.
The Harlem Globetrotters have been doing Contact Juggling for years as well in there RazMaTaz section of their show. They do arm rolls, behind the neck rolls and several other moves that are Contact Juggling -
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Re: New Members, Speak Up!
Fri, October 6, 2006 - 12:51 PM"The Harlem Globetrotters have been doing Contact Juggling for years as well in there RazMaTaz section of their show. They do arm rolls, behind the neck rolls and several other moves that are Contact Juggling."
Ah ha...that really brings it into focus. I have found childhood memories of seeing them perform, and WOW....amazing...like magic!!!
K xoxo
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Re: New Members, Speak Up!
Fri, October 6, 2006 - 12:52 PMfound=fond
I really shouldn't post when I'm this tired...it's like driving while drunk...lol... -
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Re: New Members, Speak Up!
Fri, November 3, 2006 - 4:02 PMOK, we've had several new people join us, so let's hear from you!
Katya xoxo -
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Re: New Members, Speak Up!
Sat, February 24, 2007 - 9:04 AMAlmost everyday, people are joining this tribe!!! Yeah!!! Let's hear from you!!! Please, tell us why you are here; what is it about Amani that you love?? Tell us how you feel!!!
Katya xoxo
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