This past weekend, Lotus Niraja and the Niraja Dance Company (NDC) hosted a workshop weekend with the incomparable Ava Fleming of Phoenix, AZ. The weekend began with a meet-and-greet on Friday evening, held in the lounge area of the lovely Embassy Suites Hotel in Linthicum, MD. Dressed in “Shimmilicious” t-shirts (to view and/or purchase, go to www.lotusniraja.com), the new members of the Niraja Dance Company greeted guests and made them feel welcome while we all waited for the arrival of Ava Fleming, our guest of honor and workshop instructor for the weekend. Ava arrived to applause and zagharoot, looking as beautiful in person as she does in her pictures. Guests snacked on hors d’oeuvres and sipped drinks as we all got to know one another, taking a calm moment to prepare for the whirlwind weekend ahead.

Saturday morning, dancers arrived, bright and early, eager to begin. Workshop participants ran the gamut from those who had absolutely no Middle Eastern Dance experience to dancers and teachers like Latifa and Nadirah Nasreen, who are already well-known and greatly experienced. We all stood around, some stretching, others perusing the lovely costumes laid out by the vendors, waiting for Ava to appear. And appear she did, ready to get the weekend started! Saturday’s workshop was focused on the cabaret dancer. Ava offered us techniques designed to help us with our isolations, teach us how to use our muscles to execute a move rather than producing it in a skeletal manner, and gave tips on how to facilitate an exchange of energy with your audience. We even followed along in Ava’s daily ritual of push-ups and squats. We ended the session sore, but immeasurably better dancers.

That evening, folks gathered to see Shimmilicious! the show. All were treated an evening full of awesome bellydance of every kind. Lotus Niraja and the senior members of the Niraja Dance Company – Ameenah, Jahzaal, Sehar, and Yashawini – delighted the audience with their Bollywood rendition to “Shakalaka Baby.” The first half of the show also included Caleena Janay, wearing the coolest python-print and leather costume, dancing a gothic/techno-flavored tribal fusion. She proved why she is a rising star in this area. Brandy, a new NDC affiliate from New York, in her Maryland debut, favored the audience with dance using Isis wings, while wearing the most gorgeous cream-colored bedlah and skirt. Mia Naja, another NDC affiliate member, did more Egyptian and Lebanese stylings, complete with an energetic drum solo. Latifa danced a perky saidi dedicated to her husband, known as “Mr. Latifa.” Shadiyah did a tray dance, showing her incredible flexibility and presence in moves that made the audience gasp. Ava Fleming rounded out the first half with a tribaret performance. She popped and locked and moved in ways that seemed humanly impossible.

In the second half of the show, the audience was treated to other out-of-town guests, Sha’ni of Atlanta and Dameshe of NYC, who was on-hand all weekend, selling the delicious costumes by Sahar Okasha. Naimah, the tall tribal wonder, did a slinky and mesmerizing sword routine. Nadirah Nasreen in her fabulous red costume, zilled her way into the hearts of the audience. In their Baltimore debut, the new members of the Niraja Dance Company – Amartia, Makeda Maysá, Sirena and Thalia – along with two of the new affiliate members – Jewel and Princess Eternal – did a sassy group piece to “El Mashrabia”, with each dancer performing a short solo piece, displaying her personal dance style. And then … Ava Fleming, this time dancing a cabaret routine with veils and a wonderful drum solo in a beautiful green costume. She proved to the entire audience why she was previously given the title of Bellydancer of the Universe. Her movements are precise and intricate. She manages to reel the audience in and hold them in her grasp. One cannot take one’s eyes of her when she is onstage. She is a sight to behold. At the end of the show, Ava and Lotus had a little mutual admiration society where they encouraged the dancers to applaud for the other.

Sunday, Ava gave a treat to all the Baltimore-area tribal dancers who came to her tribal technique workshop. Again, Ava did not teach moves or combinations, but offered the dancers tools to make their performances so much better. The students in the tribal workshop were given an exercise in which they had to learn how to interact with three other dancers to create a “living, moving picture”, if you will, arms and legs and hips moving at the same time, but independently. Ava, in a short lecture before dancing began, explained that, to her, tribal bellydance is about freedom – freedom from traditional rules. She talked about how she got her start in tribal dance – actually, in tribaret dance, which is a mixture between cabaret and tribal – and gave short history of tribal bellydance in America. Workshop participants, particularly dancers who’ve had no previous experience with tribal bellydance, asked questions and tribal and cabaret dancers were able to share a free exchange of ideas. Once again, participants left sore and exhausted, but happy. One can only hope that Ava will be back again … and soon!