janaki

Dear A'isha,

Many many thanks for your reply and great explainations!!! Now I get the picture of how this dance has evolved. Your posts are phenomenal. Tks again. When I come to US I would like to learn from you. Hope you will have time for me.

Cheers
Janaki

Outi

Simsimeya is one of the folk dances in Egypt, around the Suez canal.

It's actually an instrument, but the same name have been given to the dance, too. In Port Said area the dance has name bambouteiya.

Here is the instrument:


Here is the dance:


Some spoons:


Hope this helps!
Outi

Aisha Azar

Dear Janaki,
Thank you and it would be my pleasure!!
Regards,
A'isha

janaki

Donya, and A'isha thanks so much!!!

Cheers
Janaki

Madeline

A’isha, will Mark be teaching any workshops further west?

Aisha Azar

Dear Madeline,
I don't know. You could email him and ask, or get in touch with him to sponsor him. My dance company is sponsoring him in Spokane, WA in September (15th, 16th). For more info go to Barharat!! and look in the events section. He is leaving for Lebanon the following week for an extended stay there. If you live close to Spokane, or are willing to travel, it would be worth your while! Mark is a great dancer.
Regards,
A'isha

Madeline

Hi A’isha!

Unfortunately, that’s too far away for me. I’m very interested in Lebanese dance, and I’d love to learn more from someone as knowledgeable as Mark. (I’ll admit that I’m a little bit jealous of him getting to go to Lebanon… ) Is it expensive to sponsor a workshop?

Thanks!
Madeline

Aisha Azar

Dear Madeline,
I'm sorry that you can't come for the event here, but maybe he is going to be somewhere near you. You can certainly email and ask him. He is really a nice person on top of being a great dancer.
Re sponsoring people: My dance company does what I call "Bare Bones" sponsorship. We have our productions in an affordable venue and do it up simple. We have used the same performance venue for the last 3 years and we have a financial arrangement with the owner that works out well for both all parties. We do two professional shows and 3 student nights there every year. There is nothing fancy about it, but we have a good sound system, great food, good wait staff, dance floor, private dressing area and a sort of unofficial "Greenroom" area for the dancers to wait in where they can see the others perform. We do the workshop in a dance studio because there are mirrors,and this gives us limited space so we do not usually invite vendors unless the star sells things. We rent the place for 3 1/2 hours. Years ago I did some research because of my own experiences with marathon workshops and found that 3 hours is the optimum learning time for most people in most learning situations, so that is how much time our workshops always run for. (I keep my own to that same time period when I go out to teach workshops because I believe that the workshop is about the student and I want to provided the optimum learning experience in every way that I can. It also means that the sponsor does not have to go into debt to sponsor me for 5-6 hours for one class.)
We offer the star the same amount that I charge for both show and workshops, and thus far everyone we have asked has been positive about operating within our budget. Usually they have done okay, but have not gotten rich.
You also would be responsible for travel arrangements, feeding and housing the guest star, and other stuff that comes up. I guess what I am trying to say is that it is not cheap to sponsor people by any means, and often people do go into debt to do it. But if you are careful you can do it. Especially if you understand that you are doing it for the love of learning and not to get wealthy. USUALLY the company makes enough for each of us to get a free workshop and a little bit for our personal pockets, and also some for the company coffers.... but we have had one event where we lost about $30 after all expenses, including our own workshops.
Regards,
A'isha

Madeline

Hi A’isha!

Thanks for all of the information on workshops! I really appreciate it, and I like your “Bare Bones” affordable workshop idea. I’ll email and ask Mark if he’s coming to my area anytime in the future.

Thanks again,
Madeline

P.S. I just noticed that you’re listed in the directory of “The Bellydance Book”, and it mentions a costuming business under your name. Do you still do that?

Madeline

Oops, I posted the same thing twice! Can someone please delete this post?