Hey, Aradeeya! That's funny I was just thinking this morning the Banat Tariq tribe has been oddly quiet lately.

I hear you are going to Argentina? Too cool!

Things have been quieter on the Banat Tariq front the last few months partly because Kathryn moved to Victoria (wah!) and Corrie had a baby (yay!) and Dorothy has been busy (boo) so we are down a few dancers. I have been grooming new dancers in the junior troupe, Desert Divas, so that we can keep our numbers up. :-)

We are preparing for our return to Dallas. Since we won the troupe category last year we get to be in the gala show this year. We need new choreography and costumes, so that's our big focus. We're looking into some fundraising ideas.

Before that is the workshop in Kelowna that we go to every year. This year I'm hoping that Desert Divas, will be ready to perform!

We have also been working on drumming and rhythms and we have such a nice drum (and sagat) section going we're looking into adding more instruments. That's fun!

We also have been working on tahtib with a couple of guys who are knights in the SCA with Middle Eastern personas. It's a guy's thing but the girls really like it and it's really going to get our raqs assaya rockin'! Once the guys are comfortable with doing it as a stage performance, I really want to bring them to Vancouver to share the fighting fun.

So we're still kicking. Hope we can make it down to the Lower Mainland soon!