JWAAD Summer School 2009
Experiences of a Summer School Virgin
by Holly Bowler
I’ve been taking belly dancing classes since January 2008, and as it turns out, I’ve been improving quite quickly and was in need of more serious training as this is what I love to do more than anything. So when my teacher, Katherine Caddick, asked me if I wanted to go to belly dance summer school at the Arts Educational School in Tring, Hertfordshire like she does every year, I jumped at the chance. For my pocket, the cost seems like quite a hefty sum, but it is comparable to a cheap package holiday and that would not include intensive belly dance training so it seemed like a bargain. I sent off my deposit and remainder early on so as to not spend it on something frivolous and have something new and exciting to look forward to near summer’s end.
Finally the week was drawing near, a full 7 days of intensive belly dance training, and I was madly trying to list all the items I would need. Accommodation and meals are included but for the most part, we would need to be self-sustaining and have all the ‘what if’s’ like plasters, tea bags and Gaviscon, but also a costume (in case one decides to perform at the show), a laptop for downloading photos when the memory card got full and, of course, for contacting worried husbands and such. But then there was the friend who insisted I would need 100 pairs of knickers!
It was teary good-byes to my hubby who I’ve never spend more than a weekend away from since we began our journey together, and then I was off to pick up my two companions and we were on our way. It was about a 2.5 hour drive and was fairly smooth sailing except for on some of the M6. We arrived near the beginning of check-in time, turning in Mansion Drive and following the tree-lined avenue toward the car park. An excited noob I was dancing with glee at the fact that I’d be rooming in the mansion! Woohoo! It was a hard job, getting all our stuff up a couple flights of stairs meandering through various rooms, but we made it. We were there! Our roomies, three very friendly girls from the West Midlands were already present and sprawled on our wee dormitory beds. We had time to get unpacked, have a quick walk around to look at the beautiful architecture of this 17th century mansion and have a meal of spaghetti bolognaise then attended the introduction with Jo Wise who runs the school followed by an 8-10pm class. I chose ‘Egyptian Boot Camp’ with Yvette Cowles to get my body primed for the workout I would be undergoing throughout the week. We all turned in early to get as much rest as possible before the onslaught of the classes to follow.
Saturday morning was a breakfast of cereal, toast, juice and tea, which became pretty much the staple every morning of the entire stay. I started out with another class by Yvette focusing on the Arms, Hands & Head. This was great for grace and balance and used some of the Aziza techniques I was familiar with. I skipped the 10:30 to 12 o’clock class to have a walk around the grounds taking in the beautiful vistas, the history of the site and the beauty of the multitude of butterflies feeding on the buddleias. After lunch, which was a vast array of salad items, breads, veggies, fruit and meat, I attended Mihrimah’s Ghawazi Gypsy class, which was a delight! Mihrimah is exceedingly knowledgeable about Ghawazi history and gave us much to take away including some excellent group dancing moves. This class was followed by the fabulous Margaret Krause’s ‘Expression Within Taqasim’ Class, which involved improvisation and some excellent feedback on our dancing. The evening was topped off with the Harem Night Party where the wine and the hips flowed freely. I took part in the evening’s Farida Dance fashion show sporting a beautiful Eman Zaki, which really wanted me to take it home, but money was too tight unfortunately.
Sunday for me was a double dose of Heather Burby in the morning, first a technique sharpening class then a Cairo Combinations class. The latter is a level 4 (for professional dancers) but Heather was very encouraging and said that dancers at lower levels should take higher level classes sometimes as a challenge to grow. Needless to say, I kept up with the fast Cairo moves and was positively elated by the end. Lunch followed and then a Baladi class with the beloved statuesque Kay Taylor who taught us about these ‘Egyptian blues’ and let us explore this style with fervour. There were bittersweet goodbyes to the dancers who were only there for the weekend and greetings to the 5-day newcomers, and I was excited about all that was to come. I finished both Sunday and myself off well with a ‘Modern Cairo Style’ class with Jan Piggott, which had us gliding across the Angel room. I was beat!
Monday morning was a Wakey Wakey session with Gwen who had us doing Suhaila-style ab and glute exercises for an hour, a real challenge. From here-on out I joined the daily sagat (finger cymbals) ½ hour class taught by the fiery Raphaelle Masson, a no-nonsense lady with a fantastic system for helping us play these elusive instruments while dancing. Raphaelle also taught the following ‘Saidi Stick’ class, the first of three that taught a fun choreography to be showcased in the Wednesday night show performances. After this, I took a Figure-8s class with Debbie Phillips who managed to teach us some fantastic combinations while simultaneously undergoing her JWAAD diploma class assessment. What a woman (and she passed!) The evening activity was the Zar trance dance in all its glory - aromas of frankincense, a steady pounding rhythm, hair flying - oh, it is definitely an experience all summer school noobs should try.
Tuesday started with Shona’s ‘Taqs, Hits & Pops’ class, which I just loved. Her joyful demeanour is infectious and she manages to convince you that all these percussive movement are in fact fun! That morning we found out that the theme for Thursday’s Fancy Dress Party would be 1920s flapper so Katherine and I were off to the charity shops where we scored some great finds including dresses and gloves. More sagat work and the second saidi class with Raphaelle topped off my day. I turned in my form at dinner that says I would be performing a solo in the main show on Wednesday night...was I crazy?!!! I and some of the girls on our floor spent the evening relaxing in our common room watching a witty & sexy television period drama and enjoying each other’s company.
Wednesday found me doing Modern Cairo Technique with the adorable Shona and learning some great Randa moves. There was more training with sagat and a dress rehearsal for our saidi class. I had bought a lovely pink galabeya from Farida to wear and it looked great! Rehearsals for our solo performances were after this and I started getting really nervous. My teacher and I were practicing in the Oak Room and I had finished early and come upstairs. The next thing I know is my teacher and dear friend Katherine was all flustered and in pain as she had hurt her ankle in practice and it was swelling quickly. How disappointing for her as she could not dance and disappointing for us that we would not get to see her dance! Thanks to the roommates though, we managed to at least get her some ice, big hugs, some food and rest. Then it was showers and the getting ready for the big show. There were so many wonderful performances that evening and it was all a big deal for me. It was my third solo performance ever and I did ok despite having my heart in my throat the whole time. Our saidi dance went beautifully and Raphaelle has kindly given us permission to teach it to our class...thank you Raphaelle! There were so many talented people performing that I can’t mention them all, but for me the most memorable performances were from Mihrimah with her world class peacock performance and Raphaelle who danced to her own version of ‘Trust in Me’ (what a voice!) I am looking forward to getting the DVD of the show in a couple of weeks!
On Thursday, Jan Piggot was keeping our minds and bodies working hard with her Hagallas and Egyptian Walks class. Then, thanks to Jo letting me attend, I was able to take part in the live (as opposed to dead?) musicians professional level class on interpreting famous songs. It was just amazing to take part in this and try out some improv to the live instruments. Floating from this class I went straight into the last sagat class where I was finally starting to feel I can clap, ring and move my legs and arms at the same time! Then luckily, I was one of six people to attend Kay Taylor’s ‘Power of the Pause’ class as almost everyone else was attending another class. It was filled with some amazing advice, personal attention, correction and critique - just what I needed, and gave me something to really take home and work on. In the evening, the Red Room was transformed into a 1920s parlour and there were fabulous costumes, singing, dancing the Charleston, visits from the first Pharaoh and his followers, from Matahari, dances from the Angels (ladies who had worked hard all week to make sure everything went smoothly) and a very special silent movie skit. It was a great night!
By Friday, we just couldn’t believe it was all almost over. Raphaelle helped us in the morning to work on our shimmies, arms and figure-8s. Then Shona had us learning a lively fun jive fusion dance to ‘Great Balls of Fire’. Then the packing and goodbyes began, lots of promises to connect on Facebook (most of which have already been kept) - there were hugs and tears and all sorts. It was a fantastic week to say the least and was, I feel, essential to my development as a dancer, and I hope to be able to go again next year. Thank you to all the teachers, angels and friends who made it what it is and for helping me on my journey. And thank you to my husband who greeted me with flowers, a clean house and a re-furbished 1953 Harmony Archtone guitar. I love you!
Experiences of a Summer School Virgin
by Holly Bowler
I’ve been taking belly dancing classes since January 2008, and as it turns out, I’ve been improving quite quickly and was in need of more serious training as this is what I love to do more than anything. So when my teacher, Katherine Caddick, asked me if I wanted to go to belly dance summer school at the Arts Educational School in Tring, Hertfordshire like she does every year, I jumped at the chance. For my pocket, the cost seems like quite a hefty sum, but it is comparable to a cheap package holiday and that would not include intensive belly dance training so it seemed like a bargain. I sent off my deposit and remainder early on so as to not spend it on something frivolous and have something new and exciting to look forward to near summer’s end.
Finally the week was drawing near, a full 7 days of intensive belly dance training, and I was madly trying to list all the items I would need. Accommodation and meals are included but for the most part, we would need to be self-sustaining and have all the ‘what if’s’ like plasters, tea bags and Gaviscon, but also a costume (in case one decides to perform at the show), a laptop for downloading photos when the memory card got full and, of course, for contacting worried husbands and such. But then there was the friend who insisted I would need 100 pairs of knickers!
It was teary good-byes to my hubby who I’ve never spend more than a weekend away from since we began our journey together, and then I was off to pick up my two companions and we were on our way. It was about a 2.5 hour drive and was fairly smooth sailing except for on some of the M6. We arrived near the beginning of check-in time, turning in Mansion Drive and following the tree-lined avenue toward the car park. An excited noob I was dancing with glee at the fact that I’d be rooming in the mansion! Woohoo! It was a hard job, getting all our stuff up a couple flights of stairs meandering through various rooms, but we made it. We were there! Our roomies, three very friendly girls from the West Midlands were already present and sprawled on our wee dormitory beds. We had time to get unpacked, have a quick walk around to look at the beautiful architecture of this 17th century mansion and have a meal of spaghetti bolognaise then attended the introduction with Jo Wise who runs the school followed by an 8-10pm class. I chose ‘Egyptian Boot Camp’ with Yvette Cowles to get my body primed for the workout I would be undergoing throughout the week. We all turned in early to get as much rest as possible before the onslaught of the classes to follow.
Saturday morning was a breakfast of cereal, toast, juice and tea, which became pretty much the staple every morning of the entire stay. I started out with another class by Yvette focusing on the Arms, Hands & Head. This was great for grace and balance and used some of the Aziza techniques I was familiar with. I skipped the 10:30 to 12 o’clock class to have a walk around the grounds taking in the beautiful vistas, the history of the site and the beauty of the multitude of butterflies feeding on the buddleias. After lunch, which was a vast array of salad items, breads, veggies, fruit and meat, I attended Mihrimah’s Ghawazi Gypsy class, which was a delight! Mihrimah is exceedingly knowledgeable about Ghawazi history and gave us much to take away including some excellent group dancing moves. This class was followed by the fabulous Margaret Krause’s ‘Expression Within Taqasim’ Class, which involved improvisation and some excellent feedback on our dancing. The evening was topped off with the Harem Night Party where the wine and the hips flowed freely. I took part in the evening’s Farida Dance fashion show sporting a beautiful Eman Zaki, which really wanted me to take it home, but money was too tight unfortunately.
Sunday for me was a double dose of Heather Burby in the morning, first a technique sharpening class then a Cairo Combinations class. The latter is a level 4 (for professional dancers) but Heather was very encouraging and said that dancers at lower levels should take higher level classes sometimes as a challenge to grow. Needless to say, I kept up with the fast Cairo moves and was positively elated by the end. Lunch followed and then a Baladi class with the beloved statuesque Kay Taylor who taught us about these ‘Egyptian blues’ and let us explore this style with fervour. There were bittersweet goodbyes to the dancers who were only there for the weekend and greetings to the 5-day newcomers, and I was excited about all that was to come. I finished both Sunday and myself off well with a ‘Modern Cairo Style’ class with Jan Piggott, which had us gliding across the Angel room. I was beat!
Monday morning was a Wakey Wakey session with Gwen who had us doing Suhaila-style ab and glute exercises for an hour, a real challenge. From here-on out I joined the daily sagat (finger cymbals) ½ hour class taught by the fiery Raphaelle Masson, a no-nonsense lady with a fantastic system for helping us play these elusive instruments while dancing. Raphaelle also taught the following ‘Saidi Stick’ class, the first of three that taught a fun choreography to be showcased in the Wednesday night show performances. After this, I took a Figure-8s class with Debbie Phillips who managed to teach us some fantastic combinations while simultaneously undergoing her JWAAD diploma class assessment. What a woman (and she passed!) The evening activity was the Zar trance dance in all its glory - aromas of frankincense, a steady pounding rhythm, hair flying - oh, it is definitely an experience all summer school noobs should try.
Tuesday started with Shona’s ‘Taqs, Hits & Pops’ class, which I just loved. Her joyful demeanour is infectious and she manages to convince you that all these percussive movement are in fact fun! That morning we found out that the theme for Thursday’s Fancy Dress Party would be 1920s flapper so Katherine and I were off to the charity shops where we scored some great finds including dresses and gloves. More sagat work and the second saidi class with Raphaelle topped off my day. I turned in my form at dinner that says I would be performing a solo in the main show on Wednesday night...was I crazy?!!! I and some of the girls on our floor spent the evening relaxing in our common room watching a witty & sexy television period drama and enjoying each other’s company.
Wednesday found me doing Modern Cairo Technique with the adorable Shona and learning some great Randa moves. There was more training with sagat and a dress rehearsal for our saidi class. I had bought a lovely pink galabeya from Farida to wear and it looked great! Rehearsals for our solo performances were after this and I started getting really nervous. My teacher and I were practicing in the Oak Room and I had finished early and come upstairs. The next thing I know is my teacher and dear friend Katherine was all flustered and in pain as she had hurt her ankle in practice and it was swelling quickly. How disappointing for her as she could not dance and disappointing for us that we would not get to see her dance! Thanks to the roommates though, we managed to at least get her some ice, big hugs, some food and rest. Then it was showers and the getting ready for the big show. There were so many wonderful performances that evening and it was all a big deal for me. It was my third solo performance ever and I did ok despite having my heart in my throat the whole time. Our saidi dance went beautifully and Raphaelle has kindly given us permission to teach it to our class...thank you Raphaelle! There were so many talented people performing that I can’t mention them all, but for me the most memorable performances were from Mihrimah with her world class peacock performance and Raphaelle who danced to her own version of ‘Trust in Me’ (what a voice!) I am looking forward to getting the DVD of the show in a couple of weeks!
On Thursday, Jan Piggot was keeping our minds and bodies working hard with her Hagallas and Egyptian Walks class. Then, thanks to Jo letting me attend, I was able to take part in the live (as opposed to dead?) musicians professional level class on interpreting famous songs. It was just amazing to take part in this and try out some improv to the live instruments. Floating from this class I went straight into the last sagat class where I was finally starting to feel I can clap, ring and move my legs and arms at the same time! Then luckily, I was one of six people to attend Kay Taylor’s ‘Power of the Pause’ class as almost everyone else was attending another class. It was filled with some amazing advice, personal attention, correction and critique - just what I needed, and gave me something to really take home and work on. In the evening, the Red Room was transformed into a 1920s parlour and there were fabulous costumes, singing, dancing the Charleston, visits from the first Pharaoh and his followers, from Matahari, dances from the Angels (ladies who had worked hard all week to make sure everything went smoothly) and a very special silent movie skit. It was a great night!
By Friday, we just couldn’t believe it was all almost over. Raphaelle helped us in the morning to work on our shimmies, arms and figure-8s. Then Shona had us learning a lively fun jive fusion dance to ‘Great Balls of Fire’. Then the packing and goodbyes began, lots of promises to connect on Facebook (most of which have already been kept) - there were hugs and tears and all sorts. It was a fantastic week to say the least and was, I feel, essential to my development as a dancer, and I hope to be able to go again next year. Thank you to all the teachers, angels and friends who made it what it is and for helping me on my journey. And thank you to my husband who greeted me with flowers, a clean house and a re-furbished 1953 Harmony Archtone guitar. I love you!
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