Hi all !!!
I think it have become kind of a tradition to review for NileGroup Festival lol
So here it goes.
As usual it is personal point of view, and kind of crazy with a greek feeling
NileGroup Festival June 2008
.... and here I am at middle of May wondering.
I had missed for first time after 6 in row festivals, April's one.
And so much regreted it, since Aisha Azar was there !!!!!!!
So I realize that I dont have time to go to June Festival, November seems too far away, and I need my festival shot lol, addicted case here.
But the festival dates are so un-convinient since on 28 we have the Summer show of our studio, and i'm still between rehearshals and other shows.
I check the program of the festival everyday, I know it by heart till now...
And I decide it, i'll go even for 4 days, and actual on Thursday as I really want to study with Yousry Sharif !!! and I dont see my self traveling to NY !!
This time we will be less greeks, as June is a busy month for all of us !!
I will travel with my good friend Ira and we are staying at a hotel near by Pyramissa, as the hotel of the festival was full booked months ago !
Everthing is ready, and planing to leave on 18 June for Cairo, my friend is already 2 days ago over there, she is sending me SMS and i'm already wondering why didnt I went earlier lol
I'm at the airport, waiting to check my ticket for Cairo.
Infront of me in the waiting line is an egyptian family with 2 small kids, mother, father, grandfather. And suddently the problem.
They want to send the kids to Alexandria, they are imigrants in Greece and have to work harder, so the kids will stay with the rest of family for some time at Egypt.
But... the company says that the kids cant travel alone, as one of them is under 5 years old. They start crying and wondering what to do, asking people in line if someone is going to Alexandria, all to Cairo.
At one point they speak to me in Arabic, and the grandfather recognize me from a show. So yes !!! I did the crazy thing, and they changed my flight from Athens - Cairo to Athens - Alexandria and someone will drive me to Cairo when we go there.
(i'm crazy i know)
So I get the 5 and 3 year old kids that i have never met again, from a family that dont know their names, and they dont know me, to go to Alexandria (i'm still wondering about me lol).
The trip was smooth (1 hour flight) and we land at Alexandria.
And from the stails of the plain i see this group of 50 people at 4 am, waiting for the kids and me, that they had never seen the kids since they were born in Greece!! I will NEVER in my life forget the feeling of kindness these people had, and the hospitality, and we were all crying, between, arabic, greek english attempts for conversations.
They drive me to Cairo and I reach Pyramissa just 20 min before Yousry's class!!!
So the night was like, 11 going to Athens airport, 1 am flying, 2 at Alexandria, and 5 hours driving to Cairo, with a huge traffic jam from a accident !!!
But Yousry is the reason i'm here... and have to say that every hope I had in mind, was nothing comparing to his workshop !!!
A true ARTIST!! I was in shock !! he is genious !!!
After his workshop I couldnt attent the next one, i felt that had to stay with the things he tought us !!
Meeting all the old friends, teachers, vendors, students was great as always
Being with Ira was the biggest laugh of my life !!
Same night was the Gelebia Party at the usual last years place!!
Have to say just one thing.
FIX the music !!!
The poor folklore group that was performing had all the time problems with jumping music and at some points even stoped playing
We all had a blast dancing so much to fall down at the end and sleep to the return back !!
Next day I had workshops with Zahra and Lubna Eman!!
Both of them was in a different way AMAZING!!
Zahra's workshop was "Expression for Oum Kolthoum"
We did Lissa Faker 1 hour and a half and same time for Ana fintizerak.
Her teaching style was different.
She told us never to do a choreo for Oum Kolthoum, we spoke about her, about the psycological approach to her songs etc.
She had prepared for each song different versions and we danced to them, following her all the time, during the repetitions, (not choreo's just a road to dance the songs), she gave us teqnick also.
Lubna gave us a classic choreo, so strong, classy and woman power !!!
I just adore her !!!
The night was the competition and for first time I took place !! With Ira we did the Saidi Duet from previous show. We really enjoyed it
Some very good dancers was in the competition, both groups and solo's.
And actually the ones we liked were the ones that won (the results was announced on Saturday night but this is another story
)
And the competition had a BIG surprize !!!
Khaled Mahmoud performed !!
First set oriental with 4 supporting dancers and second... the famous Fifi Shisha dance !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Also Randa Kamel came !!!! and yes i have a photo with her
For the first time didnt bought anything for me, just got 10 saidi dresses for the dance school that had ordered from March... and around 40 cd's and DVD's !!
Saturday morning and i'm freaking as realize that the days just flow, and have many things more to do.
Nubian with Ousama Eman !!!!!! he is a smiling Tazmanian Devil !!!!!!
He kicked us lol and we loved it !!!
Right after had workshop with Ahmed Fekry, that we hosted in Athens 1 month ago, saidi with him, but I was sooooooooooo tired, that just took notes again (it was the same workshop he tought in Athens at my studio).
I decided to kidnap Ira to go to some friends and Pyramids.
We didnt made it to the Pyramids and we missed the night at the Festival (it was show night with students dancing with CD and band, and the results of the competition) and finaly we finished from family and friends at 5 am !!!! and we had lesson with Zeina drum solo at 10 am!!!
I really dont know how I woke up, went to the class... and sat there almost sleeping !!! Zeina is one of my favorites and she have a great method of teaching. So I was just standing and dancing when she was teaching the teqnicks part and couldnt consentrate with the row of the choreo.
At one point she speaks to me ans say: Where where you last night??????
I was like huh !!! she goes, you won a price !!!!! Awwwwwwwww and I wasnt there !!! So yes I won the price for supporting Egyptian dance
and this is the first time they gave something like that !!
and the price was also... a costume from Aida Nour !!!!!!!
I got an amazing red/gold dress, like a gelebia with gold bra showing from inside and gold belt !!!
The closing gala at the night was amazing !!
El Hantur !!!!!!! and the singer Amina was there to present it, she is the one actual singing it
This is Amina and the song
The place was on fire, Amina had 30 !!!!!!!!!!! supporting male dancers, dancing sha'aby style, that was mixed with the people and their work was to make us dance... did they forgot that it was a bellydance festival?????? 500 people dancing !!!!!!! and screaming !!!
And then came Ashmahan !!!! wow, she is such a show woman !!!
She did 4 sets. Classic, Sha'aby, folk and modern.
I really loved her in her military costume !!!
After Liza Laziza performed beloved old egyptian songs and wow her red dress was soooooooooooooo sexy with all the cut-outs !!!
The taxi came to pick us at 2 am from Pyramissa to go to airport and I returned yesterday in Greece full of dance and happiness!!!
I missssssssssss Cairo already and miss NileGroup !!!
November seems far away lol
Some highlights
Met some old friends, and made new !!! Saw Virginia of Miami dancing and was WOW !!! next time i'll be in her class, also heard the best about her workshop. Its always fun hunging around with Gaby Shiba he is such fun !!!
Kazafy's daughter Farah is amazing, she was dancing at the closing gala on stage, and Kazafy was watching her crying with proud and all of as was crying also. We know her from 5 years and boy she is a PRO !!! at her 8 now !
We had fun also with Maya Mayory Brazilian living in Italy.
I loveeeeeeee Seif, Goma, Tamer, Tarek !!! my vendor family lol
I have to add that I will never forget this festival, also because was with Ira !!
Some of the most crazy things happened!!! and also the most funny, but... I cant share them... I can only say... fen Asmarani??????
photos and video to be posted
Maria Aya
