Dans Satam Midsummer Hafla
I need to be more organised. I decided this while I was combing out my hairpiece in Rangers carpark on Saturday evening. This was further brought home when I discovered that the wrist pieces on a costume I haven’t worn for 2 years needed a safety pin, and the bra didn’t fit. Being more organised will also enable me to find the time to write some reviews! So here’s this one.
Dans Satam host a fundraising hafla each year at Winterton Rangers. This year our chosen charity was Help for Heroes, and you will be happy to learn that with the help of our lovely audience we raised just over £500 for them. Organising this bash is always a learning experience. This year we had to deal with compulsory buffets. Well, not compulsory per se, but if we wanted one at all (which we did) we had to have theirs. We like Rangers. The buffet was a tad pricey we thought but turned out to be worth it, and they are very accommodating. I can’t think of many places that will let you have the place in the morning for practice and decoration, then close up for the afternoon and let you back in at 6! So we all bowled up at 10:30, decked the hall with sequins and balloons, rearranged all the tables, did a sound check and a quick practice and then went home to do all the things you do in the afternoon before a hafla. Well, I do shopping and laundry and fake tan, and last minute costume decisions and some more practice, don’t know about anyone else. I always do last minute practice before a hafla, with a choreographed routine you find out if you do know it, or you need to follow someone else! My unchoreographed solo’s never turn out anything like how I practiced them though. Perhaps it’s the unquantifiable audience addition that makes a solo better in real life than it was in the kitchen with just the cats for company. So thank you my audiences. The men may be terrified half the time but at least you’re not bored!
We had a full programme which kept us busy all evening. Karen brought her souk, and Pauline and Asif brought theirs and the henna. I always mean to get another one done, but never seem to have the time. I need to be more organised you know! Dans Satam performed the Algerian Celebration and Marco Polo. We had Shimea and her dancers, Malikah with their new fan and skirt dance which was lovely. I didn’t get to see it this time, but I did see it at the Banat el Raqs hafla a couple of weeks ago. Wynne and her girls danced for us. Andraste, all dressed up as Captain Jack, were very loud and lively and then drummed for us. They have come on amazingly in just a year. Pauline and Asif did their turn, amazing as usual! Rania oozed for us, looking good there Dani! Siobhan donned her heels and danced Lebanese style which I think suits her beautifully. Fay sang a Vera Lynne tribute. I shimmied at people and frightened the menfolk, and Sadaaqah made their official debut with big sticks and shiny dresses. We’ve been working on that for a few weeks, and it turned out very well we thought. The evening was rounded off with Dans Satam’s wartime medley (big thanks to Elly Dolan for letting us use the music!) complete with washing line, singing and humour. Our lovely audience was kind enough to ask for an encore, so we did it again. The traditional ending of Ticky was only enhanced by the antics of John and Robert at the back. There is talk of shemags next year. Will they set themselves up as rivals to the famed Nigel “Bollywood” Johnson? I wait with bated breath.
So another midsummer hafla over we just have to say thank you to everyone who attended, audience and dancers alike, Lee for running the music and playing his guitar for us and Rangers for the buffet. I actually got to eat something this year and it was fabulous. The pork pie was especially wonderful apparently. And BIG thank you’s to Wynne and Janet for all the running around they do to make this happen.
Trish Champion 21 June 2010
I need to be more organised. I decided this while I was combing out my hairpiece in Rangers carpark on Saturday evening. This was further brought home when I discovered that the wrist pieces on a costume I haven’t worn for 2 years needed a safety pin, and the bra didn’t fit. Being more organised will also enable me to find the time to write some reviews! So here’s this one.
Dans Satam host a fundraising hafla each year at Winterton Rangers. This year our chosen charity was Help for Heroes, and you will be happy to learn that with the help of our lovely audience we raised just over £500 for them. Organising this bash is always a learning experience. This year we had to deal with compulsory buffets. Well, not compulsory per se, but if we wanted one at all (which we did) we had to have theirs. We like Rangers. The buffet was a tad pricey we thought but turned out to be worth it, and they are very accommodating. I can’t think of many places that will let you have the place in the morning for practice and decoration, then close up for the afternoon and let you back in at 6! So we all bowled up at 10:30, decked the hall with sequins and balloons, rearranged all the tables, did a sound check and a quick practice and then went home to do all the things you do in the afternoon before a hafla. Well, I do shopping and laundry and fake tan, and last minute costume decisions and some more practice, don’t know about anyone else. I always do last minute practice before a hafla, with a choreographed routine you find out if you do know it, or you need to follow someone else! My unchoreographed solo’s never turn out anything like how I practiced them though. Perhaps it’s the unquantifiable audience addition that makes a solo better in real life than it was in the kitchen with just the cats for company. So thank you my audiences. The men may be terrified half the time but at least you’re not bored!
We had a full programme which kept us busy all evening. Karen brought her souk, and Pauline and Asif brought theirs and the henna. I always mean to get another one done, but never seem to have the time. I need to be more organised you know! Dans Satam performed the Algerian Celebration and Marco Polo. We had Shimea and her dancers, Malikah with their new fan and skirt dance which was lovely. I didn’t get to see it this time, but I did see it at the Banat el Raqs hafla a couple of weeks ago. Wynne and her girls danced for us. Andraste, all dressed up as Captain Jack, were very loud and lively and then drummed for us. They have come on amazingly in just a year. Pauline and Asif did their turn, amazing as usual! Rania oozed for us, looking good there Dani! Siobhan donned her heels and danced Lebanese style which I think suits her beautifully. Fay sang a Vera Lynne tribute. I shimmied at people and frightened the menfolk, and Sadaaqah made their official debut with big sticks and shiny dresses. We’ve been working on that for a few weeks, and it turned out very well we thought. The evening was rounded off with Dans Satam’s wartime medley (big thanks to Elly Dolan for letting us use the music!) complete with washing line, singing and humour. Our lovely audience was kind enough to ask for an encore, so we did it again. The traditional ending of Ticky was only enhanced by the antics of John and Robert at the back. There is talk of shemags next year. Will they set themselves up as rivals to the famed Nigel “Bollywood” Johnson? I wait with bated breath.
So another midsummer hafla over we just have to say thank you to everyone who attended, audience and dancers alike, Lee for running the music and playing his guitar for us and Rangers for the buffet. I actually got to eat something this year and it was fabulous. The pork pie was especially wonderful apparently. And BIG thank you’s to Wynne and Janet for all the running around they do to make this happen.
Trish Champion 21 June 2010
