Cairo Caravan 2011 recap

My how time flies when you're locked away in a writing cave. Has it really been nearly two weeks since Cairo Caravan? Hardly seems possible. The whole weekend was amazing.

On Saturday morning, I had a lot of fun talking about the Ghawazee dancers who performed at the 1893 Chicago World's Fair (dim lighting made it an intimate affair) and talking to everyone who stopped by the table I shared with my friend and fellow author Shauna Roberts.

I saw so many old friends, met Facebook friends in person for the first time (I'm looking at you Liliana!) and made quite a few new ones, too (Mindy, Kareenah, CheriMarie, Nichole, Marguerite, Darleen, Nanette, Denell, Arlene, Lonnie, Veronica with her darling daughter, Lana, Tammy, Marianne, Cindy, Stephanie, Lisa, Jolie, Melisa, Sherree, Vivi, Pamela, Aruba, Toni, Monica, Jocelyn, Trish, Betty, Denise--maker of the amazing "Prop Transporter," Ma*shuqa, Antoinette, Amy, Amber, Connie, Jennie, Carol, the fabulous Penny Rose, Poppy, Oscar and JoAnn!).

I spent so much time gabbing, I didn't get in nearly as much shopping or see nearly as much dancing as I would have liked. So I was extremely happy to get an email from Lee Corkett with a link to his gorgeous photographs. You can see them here: http://leecorkett.com/blog/http:/leecorkett.com/blog/photography/cairo-caravan-2011-3/

So if you missed this year's event (or were too busy shopping, or gabbing like I was) be sure to check them out.

Keep and eye on MECDA's website for news on next year's event.

Friday Night at Cairo Caravan

My Friday at Cairo Caravan:

* Drive to Queen Mary.

* Check in with the festival organizers.

* Find authors table (second level, awesomely renamed "Thebes Level" for the festival).

* Find my friend and tablemate, Shauna Roberts.

* Set up the authors table.

* Move authors table to a spot with a view of the stage (and the terrific dancing!)

* Set up the authors table again

* Find the Boiler Room, where my morning lecture is taking place.

* Wait for eyes to adjust to the room's darkness, search in vain for additional lighting, and -- finding none -- seriously consider changing focus of talk from the belly dancers who performed at the 1893 Chicago World's Fair to belly dance ghost stories or something more suited to a scary dark place like the Queen Mary's Boiler Room.

* Sell first book of the night -- of the festival! -- to the lovely and talented and vivacious and darling and -- well, you get the idea -- Ansuya. This Bellydance Superstar has always been a superstar in my book, and I finally had the opportunity to tell her how inspiring I found her Santa Monica classes to be waaayyay back when BDSS was just a glint in Miles Copeland's eye. (Yes, this was a big fangirl moment for me, hence, the goofy grin in the picture...)

* Meet Liliana, a Facebook friend I have never had the pleasure of meeting in person before, who stopped and chatted and let me sign a book for her.

* Meet and sign books for several sweet and delightful ladies who stopped to chat and share our chocolate.

* Drive home, exhausted but happy, to rest up and be ready to head back in the morning.

Still wondering about those ghost stories, too...

Booksigning at Cairo Caravan 2011

MECDA's Cairo Caravan -- the biggest annual belly dance event in Southern California -- is just around the corner, and I'm pretty excited the organizers asked me to come and talk about my debut novel, The Belly Dancer.

If you have a copy, bring it, and I'll be thrilled to sign it. If you don't, I'll have copies for sale throughout the run of the festival, thanks to the wonderful independent bookstore folks at Laguna Beach Books.

The 3-day event at the Queen Mary runs from 4 to 9 p.m. Friday (with a promised special surprise for Friday night attendees until 11 p.m.), 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday.

It'll be a full day of shopping, performances, workshops and food. Tickets at the door are $5 for MECDA members with card/$18 for non-members per day, or $10 for members with card / $35 for non-members for the weekend.

This year, my friend and fellow author Shauna Roberts will be reading from and signing copies of her novel, "Like Mayflies in a Stream," a story of ancient Mesopotamia and retelling of the epic Gilgamesh, at 4:30 p.m. Friday as part of the free lectures series.

My discussion, reading and signing will take place at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, also as part of the free lectures series.

If you can't make the lectures, I hope you'll stop by the booth Shauna and I will have. We'll be signing (and selling) copies of our books. I hope you'll stop by and say hi.

Need an incentive? I'm giving away free bookmarks and chocolate :-)

For more information about the festival, visit www.MECDA.org/cairo.

O.C. Belly Dancer Spotlight: Marlena Shaw

Falling in love with belly dance is a vivid memory for Marlena Shaw. It was two decades ago, on the first day of a community college dance class in Irvine.

And she’s never been the same.

Her instructor’s soulful dancing and the rhythms of the Middle East and North Africa immediately connected to a lifelong passion for artistry and music that she had inherited from her parents as a young girl, according to her website (www.marlenadancer.com). She immersed herself in the dance form, and soon moved from student to performer and instructor.

Today she is an in-demand performer with a busy schedule of private events who still makes time to participate in local festivals and showcases. She’s also a popular instructor who teaches all levels of Egyptian-style belly dance at the Bea Hive Dance Studio in Garden Grove and Westminster Performing Arts Center, as well as private instruction.

Her next appearance is scheduled for Saturday, June 4, at MECDA’s 34th annual Cairo Caravan. You can find her at 12:22 p.m. on the Luxor Stage.

1. How would you describe your style of belly dancing?
Classical Egyptian

2. How long have you been belly dancing, and how’d you get started?
I took my very first belly dance class in 1991 at Irvine Valley College with an instructor named Kahena. When I heard the music and watched the way she moved, I was fascinated with the soulfulness she had and never saw anyone dance like that before. It almost seemed like the music was coming from her movement of her body instead of from the stereo. I was instantly eager to learn more about the culture, music and dance.

3. Who are your favorite or most influential teachers?
My most influential teachers were, of course, Kahena, with her knowledge and soulful expression. Then Fahtiem who was playful and feminine. Later I discovered Angelika Nemeth and studied with her for about four years, taking her college course at Golden West College and at an international studio in Santa Ana. I studied with several master teachers over the years, taking workshops and classes to keep up with what's new and to learn more in-depth knowledge and technique. I would have to say that the instructor that has been most influential for me (as there are so many) would have to be Sahra Saeeda. I have completed two of her Journey thru Egypt intensives and probably have spent the most time in her workshops trying to soak up all that she has learned in her extensive history of Egyptian dance.

4. What is your favorite place to dance?
My favorite place to dance would have to be at any event with an Egyptian audience. They truly appreciate the music and internal expression of the dance.

5. What music do you most like to dance to?
Anything classical Egyptian and, of course, I like the Oum Kalsoum songs. I also love Abdul Halim Hafiz music and all the classics. I love dancing to the qanoon, oud or the nay during a taxim. The most wonderful is, of course, dancing to live music!

6. What was your most memorable performance?
There have been so many memorable performances. One that comes to mind would have to be during a retreat in Idyllwild a few years back with Zahra. That Saturday evening, the band drove up so we could dance to live music. I remember dancing to Gamil Gamal, and feeling like I was floating the whole time. Then, the drum solo was so fun, dancing while Gorkem Somer played the drum. I was standing right next to him and playfully communicating with him with my hips. There is nothing greater than performing to live music.

7. What is your dance regimen?
My dance regimen changes all the time. I teach two nights a week and dance at a regular restaurant gig as well. I spend a lot of time preparing and thinking about class, especially when I am choreographing. I listen to a lot of music, picking just the right piece and then going over it with different combinations of movement. When I am performing at an event, I pick my music and then listen to it in the car while I drive and dance to it in my living room/studio. If I am not performing, I will put in a DVD and follow with the instructor to keep my technique up and stamina. My most favorite time to practice is putting in a DVD of a classical old Egyptian style dancer like Tahia Carioca, Fifi Abdo or Soheir Zaki, and try to imitate them. I also have a trampoline that I bounce on with weights in my hands early in the morning before I get ready for work, along with sit-ups and stretching.

8. To you, what separates an accomplished dancer from an amateur?
Honestly, I would have to say that to me an accomplished dancer you would have to have an understanding of the rhythms in the music and to be able to recognize the instruments in a piece of music. Some understanding of the different styles. Good technique and posture are very important. Accomplished dancers would mostly have to be confident in their ability to improvise, their skill in using props such as a veil, cane or sword. To me, one of the most impressive skills is to be able to connect with people while they dance, have a healthy balance in dancing for yourself and dancing for your audience.

9. As there is always room for improvement in dance (just as there is in all art forms), what are you still working to improve?
I'm trying to learn some more modern Egyptian moves to add some "pizzazz" to my repertoire. I watch some YouTube videos and try to pick up some new moves.

10. How long have you been in Orange County?
For most of my life I've been right here in O.C. My family is from the South Bay area (Torrance), but we moved here to Westminster when I was in middle school.

If you would like to know more about Marlena, or check out her performing and class schedules, visit www.marlenadancer.com.

Cairo Caravan 2010 Recap

Oh, Saturday at Cairo Caravan was awesome. So much shopping, so many great performances. Wow. There were so many stairs, too -- but there's no getting around that when you have an event in the three-story event space at the Queen Mary in Long Beach. Here were some of the highlights for me:

The main floor

Oh-so pretty costumes at the Turquoise International table

This year MECDA introduced this film & lecture space. I wish I could've spent more time here -- it's such great idea.



The lovely lady in red is Joni and she runs An Added Touch, a belly dancing supplies company based in San Diego. I found some pretty-pretties here. :-)



The Left Coast Trading booth -- found a great pair of pants here (same ones worn by the hanging mannequin)


And here's Alane buying her own pair of pants (yes, we'll match!) from Herb of Left Coast Trading.

Aren't these gloves from Calamitous Costuming pretty? I'm saving up for a pair.

How cool is this outfit? It's from Firefly (see the banner in the background?)

A very cool sign at the Melodia booth.

And another one.

And another one.

Tribal Bazar -- oh I've spent so much time browsing (and buying) from this wonderful retailer.

The young dancerd and drummers from Roz & Dancing Sands of Ontario.

Tracy opened the Mandala Danceworks set with a solo that was amazing.

The 11 dancers who performed for Mandala Danceworks are a very talented bunch. They really rocked the whole Gothic fusion belly dance thing.

Sabrina of La Habra always puts on a great show.

And speaking of show -- this was how Valentina and the Hoop Unit's performance began.

And this is why they're called the "hoop" unit!

It was such a great show and a very tough act to follow, but then...

Troupe Zaghareet came out to perform this crazy good belly dance adaptation of "Through the Looking Glass." The belly dancing was really good, but judging by the roar of the crowd, the street dancing by the Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum (the guys in purple and black striped shirts) stole the show.

The lovely Leela with Alane, who is modeling her new purchase -- the fabulous fairy Leela tank.

And let me tell you, Leela knows how to entertain a crowd. Check this out: She and her troupe -- Salome Jihad -- started with this Bollywood-inspired number, did a quick costume change for...

this fun-fun-fun version Michael Jackson's "Thriller." Did another costume change for...

This snazzy number to Black Eyed Peas "Boom Boom Pow" (I think that's the name of it anyway...)

Then, another costume change for ...

This number set to "Chicago's" thoroughly entertaining "He Had It Coming."

And then, yup, another costume change for ...

this number from the Chorus Line. Wow. How did they end, you ask? By pouring bubbly into Dixie cups for the audience. I think the bubbly was sparkling apple cider, but I didn't have any so you can think what you like ;)

So that would be a very tough act to follow, wouldn't it? But these ladies -- Troupe Amara of Midnight Mirage from Farmington Utah -- did an excellent job. But then, would you expect anything less from this award-winning group?

And then, as if you needed more proof that these performances were hot, they set off the fire alarm! Everyone had to evacuate so officials could figure out what set off the fire alarm. Crazy huh?

Some of my lovely finds...

And one more. I love this necklace! I even wore it to dance class the next day.

For much better event photos, check out these sites.

http://www.renaissancefaire.net/Cairo-Caravan.htm
http://archive.weathervaneimages.com/c/weathervaneimages

(They aren't up yet, but they will be soon!)

Cairo Caravan 2010

Oooooh, it's almost here.... :-)

For more info, visit www.mecda.org/cairo.

More on Cairo Caravan

Here's a pic of my friend Ed Lee (left) playing the frame drum for an impromptu performance by Rachel Brice at the Cairo Caravan drumming tent. Also drumming is, from left, Josh Fint and Donavon Lerman, while Andy DesChenes looks on.

You can also see a bunch of really great photos from the event at Lee Corkett's Weathervane Images site. Here's a peek at the gallery with a link at the bottom (thanks, Lee!):


090615-Cairo-#Highlights - Images by Lee Corkett

Cairo Caravan 2009

Cairo Caravan -- formerly known as Cairo Carnival -- made its debut at the Queen Mary in Long Beach this weekend after spending the past few years at the Santa Anita Racetrack (and before that at the Glendale Civic Auditorium, and before that at Rio Hondo College in Whittier... which to me is still the best venue ever). It's the biggest and best-known local belly dance festival, and this is the first time in years I've missed it. Having a newborn at home took precedence, though (BTW, Chloe turns 1 month old today! Yay!)

Anyway, I was disappointed to miss the event, but I received this great photo from my friend, the fabulous dancer Marlena Shaw, who performed a duet with Taji, another fabulous dancer, on Sunday just before 1 p.m. on the Luxor stage.

I asked her to share her thoughts on the new venue:

Well, the positive comments I have is that because it was on three levels, you weren't so tired at the end of the day from walking. However, it seemed like the vendors on the top floor got the most business. The bottom floor did great too - possibly because these floors had a stage. The middle floor didn't have a stage and it seemed not too many people were walking about that level. The stages were nice, the MCs were great. The dancing was great, good variety of styles.

The price to get in for non-members was too high. I think it was $18 as opposed to $5 for MECDA members. The food was bad, really bad. Sandwiches and salads. The dressing rooms were okay except the carpet was so gross your feet stuck to the floor - ugh! We just kept our sandals on until just before our time to dance. Also, the escalators were down and people who had any physical limitations were have difficulty.

I guess on a scale of 1 to 10, I would give it a 6 or 7.

I've heard from a couple of other people who attended that they thought the price was a bit high, too, considering people had to pony up something like $8 to park in addition to the entry fee. But everyone said they were impressed with the stages and general set-up. All in all, it sounds like it was mostly a success for its first time in the new location -- with maybe some room for improvement if MECDA decides to stay there next year.

And I'll be there next year no matter what. (Maybe Chloe will even be able to shimmy by then!)