2019
Nearly at the end of January and I have suddenly realised that I haven't started a new out and about page!
The New Year saw a massive surge in popularity for Belly Dance, with a large number of people booking onto the first Beginners Crash Course of the year. Seeing so many people in my room gave me quite a shock on week one despite me knowing how many were coming.
As a result of the above, I decided to offer regular weekly beginners classes again which was really exciting. New students are always a joy, but being able to continue teaching the same students and watching them grow and develop is also very rewarding for me.
I am also looking forward to visiting Cairo in what is a very long overdue trip. I am going with dance friends and am very excited but also a little scared as it has been so long. I am sure to have a great time and will come back with lots of ideas (hopefully), but I can't help feeling guilty leaving the family behind.
I am once again looking forward to giving my talk again at several Women Institutes who have booked me this year. These are always fun and I look forward to doing them.
I also have my two haflas which I organise each year. The first is in March and will be a more traditional affair, having performances to purely Middle Eastern music for a change, whilst my second, held in October for Halloween, is the one where everyone can let their hair down and try something different. More details of these can be found on my Hafla page.
For now, that's me signing off, but you know where I am :-)
25th June.
Hmm.. it's been a while since I posted on here! Quite a bit has happened since I was last here, not all of it positive. On the down side my classes have folded temporarily in Penwortham and so I have been trying to find possible new venues which can be frustrating. I have managed to find some places which I am trying to get a new Crash Course going, so we'll see how that goes.
I also had to sadly cancel attending Penwortham Gala this year. Due to low numbers it wasn't going to be the visual experience that it normally is, and I didn't want to disappoint, so I called it off. The weather turned out to be really bad too, so perhaps it was the right decision in the end, but it was a very hard decision to make and it was not made lightly.
On the plus side I had a fabulous time in Cairo, as I knew I would, making new friends both from England and from Cairo, and meeting up with long-term friends. I'd forgotten just how welcome the Egyptians make you feel - they love the fact that we love their country! It's a Brucey Bonus when they discover we actually dance too! It was wonderful to get back there and to experience (again) that wonderful place and to revisit some of the old places (the museum for one), and visit new ones (The Blue Nile) for others. Being absorbed once again in the culture and the dance in it's original setting made me realize that we put so much pressure on ourselves in the West that we forget what this dance is all about. It was refreshing to know that actually I do know what I'm doing!
I've been busy in other ways too, being booked for a performance at a wedding anniversary party, and just this weekend celebrating a hen party with Natalie and dancing to Jai Ho by the Pussycat Dolls. They were a lovely bunch of ladies, and I even got to play with the kids, Amy and Charlie who just loved the veils.
I've been busy in other ways too, being booked for a performance at a wedding anniversary party, and just this weekend celebrating a hen party with Natalie and dancing to Jai Ho by the Pussycat Dolls. They were a lovely bunch of ladies, and I even got to play with the kids, Amy and Charlie who just loved the veils.
I also gave a taster session on Belly Dance at a Refugee Week event in Preston. The day was a celebration of dance and was a way of bringing people together from mixed backgrounds and getting them to try something new. It was good fun and lovely to meet so many new people.
"Thank you so much for volunteering your brilliant dance class on Thursday. It was a perfect start to the evening, putting us at ease & putting a smile on our faces."
Next on the agenda is my Bring and Buy event which I'm looking forward to. Although this is to sell second hand belly dance costumes there will be other things suitable for non-dancers too, such as jewellery and clothing that could be used for other things, not just for dance. It is also the perfect opportunity to catch up and have a chat with friends that you don't often get the chance to at other events.
18th July - Despite being very stressful (what with setting up stalls, refreshments and everything else), the Bring and Buy ran well. Admittedly it was quieter than I'd hoped for, but the people who did turn out made the day fun. The workshop given by Anne Kingston was brilliant as always, and there was some shopping done. Lots of eating cakes too (I'd been baking all day the day before!). I certainly learned a lot and it didn't put me off entirely as I am now considering the next one. Maybe this will be at Spookilicious........
We actually even made it in the Lancashire Evening Post - it's a shame this article appeared after the event, but at least we got in at all.
I am currently looking forward to performing at this year's Feast For Peace this Saturday (30th August). We had been unable to attend last year due to dates being changed, but it will be nice to go back again. We're on from 1pm so why not come down and say hello? There's free world cuisine, (donations welcome), free entertainment and it's a fun day out. Here's the FB link: https://www.facebook.com/events/434948670482842/
There is also my Spookilicious hafla in October which I always look forward to as it's the hafla where you can let your hair down.
Hope to see you soon xx
I am currently looking forward to performing at this year's Feast For Peace this Saturday (30th August). We had been unable to attend last year due to dates being changed, but it will be nice to go back again. We're on from 1pm so why not come down and say hello? There's free world cuisine, (donations welcome), free entertainment and it's a fun day out. Here's the FB link: https://www.facebook.com/events/434948670482842/
There is also my Spookilicious hafla in October which I always look forward to as it's the hafla where you can let your hair down.
Hope to see you soon xx