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After months of broken promises from the American University regarding its very unsuccessful move to the new campus, the majority of international students have decided to move out of the temporary housing – before they move us to yet another location. My friends and I have found an amazing apartment in Zamalek, 5 minutes from the corniche, and right above a grocery store. What more could you ask for?
In other news, this week the AUC folkloric dance troupe started rehearsal. We are currently learning a beledi routine that is 10 minutes long. This is a sort of audition process. The choreographer is a very well established dancer and choreographer here in Cairo, and he is kicking out butts! The technique for Egyptian style taught by Americans is different enough, let alone learning from an Egyptian! It’s a completely different aesthetic, body posture, and movement from the tribal style I have become comfortable with over the last three years. It’s becoming painfully obvious how much raqs sharqi I’ve forgotten…nothing like six hours a week of practice to help me remember!
Before these rehearsals started, I had a private session with Astryd Farah before she left for the States. Her choreography was beautiful, and I appreciated the attention to detail of the lyrics of the song. Hopefully she will be coming to Atlanta in the future for a workshop. Besides her session and the session with Raqia, trying to contact instructors here is hard because everyone is teaching workshops in Europe or North America at the moment.
My music lessons are going very well. We learned Sidi Mansour this week in class. Dr. Wael also gave us a paper on the Early – Islamic era of oriental music. He will be giving us papers on all five of the eras of oriental music. We have to write summaries on each section, I will post them here for all of my scadian friends ☺ I’m going to start taking qanoon lessons twice a week instead of one to learn as much as I can before I go back.
As far as traveling goes – my friends and I are planning to go to Sharm el Sheikh in the next weekend or so and I’m going to Dubai!!
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6 comments:
Yummy! Pictures of the new pad? Songs you're learning choreography to?
Songs I've learned so far in music class:
Tiry Tiry
Longa Farah Faza
Ya Ana Ya Ana
Sidi Mansour
Ghareeba el Dari
Tel'et ya Mahla Norha
Random Egyptian military song
Ah ya Zein
Songs I've learned or are learning choreography to:
Mali - Fadl Shakr (complete!)
Gana el Hawa - Abdel Halim Hafez (10 minute choreo with folk troupe)
Akdeb A'aleik - Raqia choreo not finished
Majda, I just now stumbled on your blog after telling my friend to take belly dance lessons from you. And wow, it sounds like you're having an incredible time in Cairo! I really wish that I could do what you're doing, it's so awesome. And I'm glad that you've been able to travel around the area and meet your relatives, I think going to India next year will be the same way for me. Stay safe chica :)
Man, I am so jelouse you must share what you have learned when you get back
oops got so excited spell jealous wrong, hope this is not a test.
YES WE WANTS THE NOTES!
And you're not committed to teaching this stuff at Pennsic. :)
It's good to hear you're basically over the hump, though.
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