Susan's Blog

Wednesday, March 14, 2007

Just Beautiful


I want this costume. I want it so badly. It is just exactly right. It is pink, it is silver, it has just the right amount of coverage, it is a flattering straight skirt, and it looks like something a Bellydance Superstar would wear (that is Petite Jamilla you see spinning her double veils, on the website. She is one of my favorites. Double veil is incredible to watch; one of those things that is mesmerizing, and looks fun and easy, but just try it…!) Or this is something someone in Cairo would wear (is there any other city name that is as exotic and sophisticated sounding as that?).

Tonight I practiced for an hour. Our “homework” from my new class was to find three drum solos, listen to them, and pick out each time the beat changes. We did this in class, and we also improvised solos as we listened. So tonight I picked out some from my old teacher, whom I miss because she was so sweet, she taught in a circle, and she was a real joyful character. I also listened to some from the Sonia and Issam DVD, which has a bonus CD of drum solos.

These Issam solos were perfect; they were only a minute and a half, which is still long when you are constantly popping, shimmying, and undulating. All while staying lifted, of course. And trying not to look like you’re in pain.

By the end of my dancing tonight I was so loose that I could actually do a really nice choo-choo shimmy with twisting hips and even a chest lift every now and then for accent. It helped to imagine my new, friendly class and my teacher, and how psyched she would be that I am this into it. I even got out my zills and tried a little of that, but, not so much. Zilling while doing all that other stuff is very hard, but I did succeed a bit last night.

The recital for this class is May 12. There will be a group dance and solos. I think I will either do a short drum solo, or my favorite, the Misirlou, with veil and maybe, just maybe, zills.

Just kind of resting now, in my pink jammies, post-dance, warm and sleepy, dreaming about future performances and waiting for my guy to come home (he’s at Guys’ Night Out). He said he’d be home in time for Jon Stewart. Always worth staying up for (both Ned and Jon Stewart).

2 comments

You are really reminding me of myself right now! Maybe all bellydance addictions start the same way. 🙂

I love the costume. It looks like a Madame Abla. Are you going to buy it? Have you been to Dahlal.com? That’s another place that I could spend all day drooling over. I just ordered a Pharaonics Great Loop from them, but it’s going to take 4 months to arrive.

I like Miserlou too. Jemileh is my favorite veil song. My first recital, I did Sahra Saeedi as a drum solo (the one we did in class). If you could find a short drum solo and a short version of Miserlou, maybe you could do both! I am going to use a song called Raqs Leyla.

Amira Jamal teaches double-veil from time to time. I wonder if she’ll do it this semester.

— added by Shannon Brooke Davis on Thursday, March 15, 2007 at 10:28 am

I just went to Dahlal.com!!! OMG, you’re killin’ me!

Well, if I ever become a BD star, that’s where I’ll head for my gear.

I will look up Raqs Leyla and listen to it.

— added by Susan Senator on Thursday, March 15, 2007 at 10:32 am