Author Archive
Oh my goodness, it’s the last week of classes for the Spring session, and I’m sooo happy to have made it through to the end. A recent medical emergency landed me in hospital, with a lengthy recovery period. Classes would’ve been cancelled, if not for the loving support of my good friends and fellow-dancers Wendy, Vera, and Zeevah, Bless you, ladies!!
Thanks to Zeevah, the students were taught one of her original two-part choreographies; incorporating lovely veil work, followed by a sassy little drum solo. This left me free to help out in class with warm-ups, cool downs, and offer lots of bossy advice, while Zeevah did all the tough stuff. Co-teaching is a delicate balance, since we all have the tendancy to like things our own way (they don’t call us divas for nothing!). I was super lucky to have someone so patient, fun, and creative to work with in my “hour of need”.
Anyway, the students worked hard, and I’m proud to announce that several of them will be performing with Zeevah at the upcoming Halyma’s Ottawa Centre Class Party, on June 17th, at the University of Ottawa. I’m also excited to have one of my BCA/Amala students, Zahara, performing a first-time solo at the show. She’ll be dancing one of Vera’s beautiful choreographies. Recently, Zahara was able to meet and practice with Vera, whose kind and generous spirit magically conveys to students the artistry and emotion inherent in Middle Eastern dance.
We’re celebrating the end of classes with a hafla party, on Friday evening, June 14th, at Canterbury Community Centre. Guest teachers and students will attend; we all get to show off our costumes and choreographies, socialize, snack, and be entertained by professional performances by Zeevah, Farasha, and Halyma…happy dance!!! 
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A great time yesterday with my awesome dancer friends, at the Breast Cancer Action fundraising event, at St. Paul University. I was nervous but happy to lead the warm-up for participants. Despite extreme humidity (which made my hair go poofy), the rain held off, and we provided entertainment for the gathering, to show our support. That’s one of the things I love about being part of the dance community here in Ottawa – women volunteering their time and talent for fundraising events, and making people smile. As a proud volunteer with Breast Cancer Action’s “Go With The Flow” fitness program, my mission is to share the love of dance, so survivors can have some girly fun while getting fit.
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Hello All: I attended registration at Canterbury Community Centre last evening, and will be there again on Saturday, April 6th, from 10 a.m. till noon. To my surprise and delight, the Tuesday evening class has already filled up, with 10 registrants…wow! Since I would hate to turn away anyone who wants to dance, my boss, (who is awesome), has generously offered me a second time-slot on Tuesday nights, from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m., to accommodate more students….so, if you’d still like to register, come and see me on Saturday morning, and sign up for some fun!! Oh, before I forget, there was a boo-boo in the Canterbury course calendar…my classes start next week, on Tuesday the 9th, not the 10th…have a great weekend, everyone! 
Well, spring officially starts in two days, although you’d never know it looking at my front yard! Just completed the winter session with my Canterbury and BCA divas, and had a wonderful time. A big thanks to all my students for their hard work, dedication to attending classes, despite some really awful weather, and their patience with me (experiencing some annoying health issues). I’ve updated my “Classes” page, with registration information for the spring session. If you’ve been considering a class, now is a great time to get your shimmy on, and join in the fun. Hope to dance with you soon! 
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njoyed a great first week of teaching for 2013, at Canterbury and Hunt Club/Riverside Community Centres. I’m very happy to welcome back a couple of delightful divas, and so pleased to welcome several new students to join in the fun. We’ll be using lots of slow drum music this session, to learn various rhythms and work on those basic isolation moves; but before long, we’ll speed things up with lots of hip bumps and shimmies. Looking forward to creating a new choreography, and introducing this enthusiastic group of dancers to the art of moving to music with beautiful, swirly silky veils…it’s going to be an awesome winter!! If you’ve been thinking about signing up for a class, it’s a great way to beat those winter-blues, and stay warm!!
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Best wishes for the Christmas and holiday season to everyone!! Happy to say that my proudest moment as a teacher came recently, when several students performed with Wendy and I, in front of 300 guests at Halyma’s Yuletide Ottawa Centre Class Party. Our group, named Jamaleen (beauties) was a diverse mix of women – different sizes, costume styles, and age. These ladies really rocked the choreography, and sparkled on stage with their colourful costumes. It was a wonderful experience for all of us, and an incredibly special moment in time for me. *** Congratulations and many thanks to Halyma, for hosting her 30th OCCP, and generously giving Ottawa dancers the opportunity to strut their stuff in style!
Winter session will be starting very soon, so check out my “Classes” page if you’d like to consider signing up for some fun. Hope to be shimmying with you soon….HAPPY NEW YEAR!
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My goodness, how time flies when you’re having fun!! Next week will be our last class for the Fall session at Canterbury, and I’m very proud of my students! In celebration, we’ll be holding a class party (or hafla, as it’s called) on Friday, November 23rd, from 7 – 9 p.m. I’m also excited to announce that some of my students are rehearsing to perform their choreography, Hearts’ Desire, at the upcoming Ottawa Centre Class Party, at Ottawa University…yay!! Nice to know the audience will be filled with supportive energy- teachers, students, professional performers, family and friends. My divas will get to share a wonderful experience, by taking part in an evening of fun and fabulous entertainment, that brings the dance community together, to recognize and celebrate everyones’ achievements. For now, practice, practice, practice!!
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Happy Hallowe’en to all you hauntingly lovely dancers! I must take a moment to thank my students for their patience and understanding; currently, I’m dealing with the miseryof several kidney stones, and waiting (not so patiently) for treatment. So, teaching is kinda tough these days. Luckily, I’m blessed with dance diva friends willing to help out with classes, like Zamira and Wendy…I luv you guys!! My students are benefitting from a variety of movement styles and teaching methods, and progressing wonderfully well. I’m hoping to be back to 100% shimmying style very soooon…wish me luck, eh? Oh, and stay tuned for the big show, happening in December – Halyma’s Ottawa Centre Class Party…details coming soon to my Events Page! TaTaForNow!
Enjoyed the first week of classes at Canterbury and Hunt Club/Riverside Community Centres. Despite low enrollment, It was really nice to welcome back returning students, and new faces. Combining level ones and twos into one class will present an interesting challenge – to ensure both groups get the instruction they need, while making them feel comfortable working with each other, and with me. This is going to be a fun session, and I’m hoping to eventually persuade this fine group of aspiring divas to consider performing with me at a later date. For now though, lots of bumps and wrist rolls and shimmies to learn!!
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Fat Cat Belly Dance 