My first workshop was at Cairo Nights 2006. I had been dancing a little over a year so I was still pretty new. Not only was it my first workshop but it was my first exposure to true Egyptian dancers/instructors. The first thing that popped into my head was, "Where are the mirrors?"

The first instructor was Randa Kamel. She was a wonderful instructor. She really broke everything down and kept us interested and moving. She also took the time to answer questions and make corrections. I was very surprised by the amount of ballet in her dance.

The second instructor was Nagwa Fouad. She was the headliner for the event and everyone I talked to said I had to take classes from her. Let me start out by saying that Nagwa Fouad was a beautiful and soulful performer and a joy to watch. In true diva form, she was almost an hour late to the class. I found out later that this is pretty common when you are working with Egyptian Belly Dance Stars. Her English was pretty limited so Faten Salama came in to help translate. Having Faten there really helped me and at the end of the day I felt like I learned a lot from her.

In retrospect I think I would have learned more from Nagwa as a seasoned dancer. It was a little more frustrating as a new/baby dancer because you need details. It seems that a seasoned pro/instructor sometimes just feels the dance and it's up to you to break it down. Plus I think once you take from an authentic Egyptian dancer, you know what to expect and you realize that it's just a difference in cultures.

These are just my thoughts, memories and insights and I hope I have not offended anyone :)