::more than somewhat::

The lively song, Tales of the Sahara by Ibsan el Munzer from the Bellydance Superstars Vol 3, seems to have been made for a group dance. It’s pretty and full of varying tempos. Shaia Farid has an equally lively choreography set to this piece of music. And she shares it with other dancers. Here it is

Choreography by Shaia to “Tales of the Sahara”, 5:29

Groups 1 through 4

:00 – :17 – Intro, offstage

:18 – Group 1 enters from stage R: Triple step RLR, LRL, RLR, LRL, reach/turn L (facing front), L (facing back), L (facing front, L foot out), R (facing front, feet together)

:25 – Group 2 enters from stage L: Triple step LRL, RLR, LRL, RLR, reach/turn R (facing front), R (facing back), R (facing front, R foot out), L (facing front, feet together)

:32 – Group 3 enters from stage R: Triple step RLR, LRL, RLR, LRL, reach/turn L (facing front), L (facing back), L (facing front, L foot out), R (facing front, feet together)

:39 – Group 4 enters from stage L: Triple step LRL, RLR, LRL, RLR, reach/turn R (facing front), L (facing back), R (facing front, R foot out), L (facing front, feet together)

:47 – All: R hip drop/foot release x 2, step R in front, step L in back, step R in front; (over L shoulder -) L hip drop/foot release x 2, step step L in front, step R in back, step L in front to face front.

:54 – R hip drop/foot release x 2, tabletop arms/small hip circle R, R
L hip drop/foot release x 2, table top arms/small hip circle L, L

1:02 – All walk forward x 4 and backward x 4 doing chest 8s (R, L, R, L, etc)

1:09 – R hip drop, un-du-late, un-du-late

1:13 – R hip drop/foot release in circle around self to L

1:21 – R leg back hip shimmy, both hands facing L diagonal

1:23 – Grapevine combination: Sweep arms together and cross over R ft, L ft down, R ft behind, L hip lift (soft), step L/R/L in R circle, R hip drop/lift; 2 small hip circles to face front, 3 figure 8′s up.

1:33 – Grapevine combination: Sweep arms together and cross over R ft, L ft down, R ft behind, L hip lift (soft), step L/R/L, backward R hip circle; 2 small hip circles to face front, 3 figure 8′s up.

1:43 – 3 double backsteps w/arms over head and down; turn L to face back.
3 double backsteps w/arms over head and down; turn L to face front.

1:53 – Crescent R, L; big hip circle to R.  Fig 8 up L; fig 8 up R; step back L, R; double undulation, little shoulder shimmy

2:03 – Grapevine combination: Sweep arms together and cross over R ft, L ft down, R ft behind, L hip lift (soft), step L/R/L in R circle, R hip drop/lift; 2 small hip circles to face front, 3 figure 8′s up.

2:13 – Grapevine combination: Sweep arms together and cross over R ft, L ft down, R ft behind, L hip lift (soft), step L/R/L, backward R hip circle, 2 small hip circles to face front, 3 figure 8′s up

2:23 – Facing inward, R & L sides trade places – step R&R, L&L, R&R, L&L

2:28 – 1st Khaleegi step: R forward, L back, arms following feet, around self in R circle

2:38 – Step-touch side-to-side, arms overhead w/head slides

2:48 – All: Saidi front kick R, L, R, step RLR turning L; Saidi front kick L, R, L, step LRL turning R (shoulder bounces throughout)

2:58 – 3/4 shimmies around self to R

3:05 – R hip push (look R), L hip push (look L), R hip push (look R)

3:08 – Facing inward, R & L sides trade places – step R&R, L&L, R&R, L&L

3:13 – 2nd Khaleegi step: R arm extended front, L hand on R forearm, R hand waggle, step forward/back around self in R circle

3:23 – Step-touch side-to-side, arms overhead w/head slides

3:30 – All: Saidi front kick R, L, R, step RLR turning L; Saidi front kick L, R, L, step LRL turning R (shoulder bounces throughout)

3:43 – 3/4 shimmies around self to R (8), then (4) moving backward

3:50 – R hip push (look R), L hip push (look L), R hip push (look R), bend front to floor and curl up; walk backward 8 steps (as soloist moves forward and does figure 8 combinations and undulations), figure 8s up LR, LR, LR, LR; left Nile hand down

4:30 – Solist: step behind RR, LL, RR, LL; 3/4 moving backward R, L, RLR
Others: 3/4 walk forward 8 counts

4:38 – All:  Form two circles; triple step (R/L/R) in clockwise circle, 1 slow R turn (now step on L foot to change weight); repeat

4:51 – 8 diagonal camels toward audience with level changes (up, down, etc.)

4:58 – 6 figure 8′s up, R side first

5:03 – 8 walks backward

5:10 – Push hips R (hands L), L (hands R), R (hands L), turn R to face back
Push hips L (hands R), R (hands L), L (hands R), turn L to face front

5:17 – R big hip circle

5:19 Front row R turn with R arm over head back to front,
Back row L turn with L arm over head back to front,
All 1/2 turn R raising arms into pose, sinking into pose, R foot on ball (use the full 5 notes to sink and raise your arms in pose)

Tags: General by Mala
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I don’t know what it is about this song, but it makes me cry.

Perhaps it’s taking me back to my school days – but which school, for heaven’s sake; I went to 9 of them! I don’t remember having an awfully good time at any in particular either, because I never stayed long enough. Ah well, maybe it isn’t that. Maybe I really loved my childhood, only I don’t know it.

Or maybe this song is taking me back to my years in college. Wonderful friends and classmates, amazingly interesting subject to study; psychology. And the most incredible teachers. If there are any teachers I would want to thank, it’s those that taught me at LSR.

When I first joined LSR, it was to study psychology and absolutely nothing else. But no one was letting me! Owing to my incorrectable weak eyesight, they just didn’t really want me in the psych department. Why didn’t I just take History? Or Philosophy? Or English? Anything! Problem is I really didn’t want anything else. I firmly believed I was a “natural” psychologist and that it was my calling in life and that was that.

I kept going back to the psychology lab and begging them to let me in, but they wouldn’t. To prove to me that I would have a really difficult time of it, I was asked to try a few psychology experiments; something that made you stare a long time at something and made your eyes water. I don’t understand why I would have a particularly tough time with that, but I was adequately spooked. Almost giving up, I listened to my father when he said “Go back and tell them there are blind surgeons in this world”. I don’t know where I got the courage to say that, but I held my chin up and said it.

Somewhere along the line, the teachers at the psychology department got together and decided they hadn’t really seen that degree of interest and passion in a long time. What were they doing keeping me out? And the next thing I knew – I was in!

And I did have no end of trouble. I couldn’t see the blackboard, I couldn’t see my stopwatch, I sometimes even couldn’t see the class I had to sit in! Oh yes, I did once go in and sit in the wrong class. That was amusing. But that’s another story. I had a dreadful time making sense of physiology and statistics all over the board, but hey, I loved every minute of it. You see, from the day I joined their department, those teachers were on my side. They didn’t single me out for extra help; they didn’t call out stuff to me from the board, they didn’t let me take longer at things.

They just enveloped me with a wonderful unconditional warmth. A soothing balm of warmth that stays with me right into today.

That acceptance made everything safe and okay. I didn’t have to kill myself proving anything. I didn’t have to keep worrying about doing better than everyone else. It didn’t matter. All that mattered was that I could learn a subject I loved – with the nicest people.

And yes, that’s why this song makes me cry.

Or maybe it’s just a pretty song…

The time has come,
For closing books and long last looks must end,
And as I leave,
I know that I am leaving my best friend,
A friend who taught me right from wrong,
And weak from strong,
That’s a lot to learn,
What, what can I give you in return?

Tags: General by Mala
7 Comments »