Last night, I had another open mic slot at the Red Fez (three cheers to Erzulie for continuing to organize these events). Because of gentle prodding from one of my teachers, I decided to try to perform in heels. I’ve been intermittently practicing in them, but it was still strange to actually perform in them. [...]

Running a weeklong training, taking my first comp, dance, and simply trying to enjoy the all too quickly passing months of summer, something has to give which was this blog. So here’s a quick rundown: My first comp, which was a 4-hour essay, I believe went well. As one may figure, I do a fair [...]

Raks Nativity was lovely, as to be expected. I hope that the Ahlam-Selene dance company will continue this tradition for years to come (it feels like they began) and that I can continue to be a part of it. The show last night kicked off what has now become a busy week for me. In [...]

Like last year, Raks Nativity has some terrific live drummers and several of us, including yours truly, gets to dance to them. I have a small confession: unlike many of my dance friends, I have no experience dancing to live Middle Eastern music of any kind outside of Raks Nativity. I’ve never had a teacher [...]

Interested in the cast of Raks Nativity? Nepenthe started a blog, complete with interviews from members of the cast. Check it out here! I just sent something in, so maybe mine will appear soon. Share on beboBlog this!Bookmark on DeliciousDigg this postRecommend on FacebookShare on favesShare on FriendFeedshare via RedditShare with StumblersTumblr itTweet about itSubscribe [...]

Raks Nativity, the Christmas story told through Middle Eastern dance, is in its second year and is being held at the Cambridge YMCA on Dec. 11th from 7-8:30 PM. The show is an interesting use of Middle Eastern dance and acting and features a nice mix of dancers, including yours truly. There is a cane [...]

Fall is already gearing up to be busy, busy, busy. Here is a small sampling of events that I plan on attending: MassRaqs – Sept. 9-11. Workshops by Hadia, Karim Nagi, Katia of Boston, and Meiver, as well as two shows and two panel discussions. I’ve mentioned before I work for this event (many of [...]

MassRaqs registration is open! Volunteering for MassRaqs is one of my big activities here in Boston. I’m really excited to have reached this stage in the process of the event. An incredible amount of work from many people has been involved with getting the event to this stage. It’s incredibly rewarding to meet each milestone. [...]

Performance makeup is its own beast. In best case scenario, the dancer looks unfinished, unpolished, and unprofessional. In worst case scenario, the facial features of the dancer are lost. All eye movements, smiles, frowns, whatever can’t be seen by the audience. Even if you hate wearing makeup, it is important to invest in it. Because [...]

This past weekend was filled with one things: Raks Nativity (well, that and a paper due Wednesday). Raks Nativity is Nepenthe’s interesting idea to tell the story of Jesus’ birth through Middle Eastern dance. The experience was interesting, because most of the people acting and dancing are not religious people, and I don’t think any [...]