Lucy's Saidi Tableau

Last night in Intermediate we were dancing to a song that quoted a bit of Saidi music and we did a some Saidi-inspired movements. I told my students that I would play a clip of belly dance Saidi so they could see some of the things I was talking about.

Long-term readers may remember this clip because I’ve played it before. It’s a classic performance by of one of Egypt’s most famous and most beloved belly dancers, Lucy. I hope you enjoy it. I love everything about this.

Lucy and her orchestra with singer Raafat, at a party for actors .

I will share more Saidi clips next week as we will continue to work on this in class!

In the meantime, I also recommend this past post I wrote about the Egyptian belly dancer Lucy, which features more clips of her dancing in different styles. Her feeling and musical interpretation are so beautiful to watch.

Just a reminder that Carnival of Stars is right around the corner! Two days packed full of belly dance, with performances on two stages, live music, shopping and food. It’s a wonderful experience if you can make it. I am performing on Saturday, July 20th at 4:50 PM to live music on the Cafe Stage and again on Sunday, July 21st on the Main Stage at 1:20 PM. But you will see great performances any time you go. Be sure to get a program so you can know who is performing when. Let me know if you have any questions about this fantastic festival!

I look forward to seeing everyone next week!

xo Alisa

Casbah Night At El Morocco

I am very pleased to be part of Khalil Abboud’s Live Music and Belly Dance Show this Sunday, June 23rd. I recommend this show to both those who know and love Arabic music and dance as well as those newer to the scene- beginning and intermediate students of belly dance who’d like to experience a live show :).

If you’ve never been there, El Morocco has beautiful ambience. You feel like you’ve entered another world as soon as you walk in. The food is delicious and it’s a really fun night. The band always plays extra songs for group audience dancing and this is an easy way to get up and try dancing to live music in a zero-pressure situation if you’ve never done it before and are dreaming of performing one day.

I hope you can join us!

Khalil Abboud Presents Casbah Night at El Morocco

Khalil Abboud Presents Casbah Night at El Morocco

Summer 2019 Belly Dance Classes in South San Francisco

Hello Dancers!

Registration is open for my Summer Belly Dance Classes in South San Francisco!

Summer2019BellyDance.jpg

Click here to register online! It’s simple to register using the South San Francisco Parks and Rec online system. If you type “belly” in the “Filter” box at the left-hand side of the page both classes come up. Register today and you’ll be ready to dance your way through the summer :)

Beautiful Veil Dance

I want to share this clip today because it beautifully illustrates some of the movements we have been working on in both Beginning and Intermediate classes. The background here is very simple, making it easy to focus on her movements. Students will see many familiar movements and hopefully notice her beautiful way with the veil and how she travels through the space- all things we have been talking about.

Egyptian Belly Dance Legend Taheya Carioca

The dancer here is the beloved Egyptian belly dance star Taheya Carioca (as always, there are different ways of spelling it in English, given how Arabic works). This is a clip from later in her career. She has retained her grace and musicality and it is a lovely way to see how the basic movements of belly dance can be put together into a mesmerizing performance. I hope you find it inspirational!

* * *

Just a reminder- Registration is open for the Summer Session of belly dance classes at the South San Francisco Parks and Rec. Classes will run from July 10th- August 7th and you can register online anytime through their website. Registering early is always the best :)