time for a new aziza thread!

[artemisia_danst]

just found this on youtube

first minute and a half is aziza, some amazing veil poi (oh, i so want to be able to do that), the lovely fusion number in the blue dress, and the wraauw costume to finnish it off. ;-). i've seen all of these in action at various occasions, and cant wait for the Duisburg Gala!!! the workshops too, but the show is the thing i look forward to most of all!

also have to go and bother Nuriyya with questions about the dvd from the Brussels show last march (there is one right???)

we want more! we european girls need us a new aziza-dose, quick! and whatever she's wearing she will be fabulous

(waving at aziza 'stress' 'stress', ;-))

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JlwnCaySHiU]YouTube - Cairo Nights with Aziza[/ame]

Artemisia

[perizaad]

Ahhh, she's so gorgeous- those legs in that blue dress!
What I love about her voi- she's still dancing, not just spinning it around. I think this prop has high potential to get gimmicky, ya know what I mean? We'll see what happens as more people start using it...

Lots of great troups on this clip too!

[SamarDahab]

yeah Aziza is wonderful. I know what you mean Perizaad. I like the veil poi but I can see how it can become the whole dance. i really enjoyed how she wore something different. i'm interested in clan lines in costumes.
i have not been to a show where i saw so many good troups. thats great

[Bellydancingcaroline]

I would just like to plug my January event in Edinburgh with Aziza, come on in the water's lovely ! check out www d0t bellydancedivas d0t co d0t uk

[azahara]

anyone know if the show dvd is for sale? and who has it for sale?

[acmcgraw]

Does anyone have a link to the Aziza clip "how to bellydance" the cute and cheeky one?

I can't find it on Youtube anywhere, I hope it wasn't removed, I *loved* it.

Adrienne

[Khalida]

I think it's been removed from youtube unfortunately :-(

Theres a fuzzy version here: [ame="http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xb5t0_aziza"]Video Aziza rockin' the casbah - belly, dance, arabic, liban, oriental - Dailymotion Share Your Videos@@AMEPARAM@@value="http://www.dailymotion.com/swf/2TdaH38SgZM9g2bt2"@@AMEPARAM@@http://www.dailymotion.com/swf/2TdaH38SgZM9g2bt2[/ame]

Khalida

[acmcgraw]

Yay! Thanks. I so need that DVD.

[veritate]

Thanks, Khalida, for posting the new version of that Aziza clip ("So you want to be a belly dancer...").

I first discovered that video on YouTube over two years ago, and it's what inspired me to start studying the dance! When I discovered it had been removed from YouTube, I was quite sad, so it makes me happy to see it out there still (though that clip is shorter than the one on YouTube used to be).

I'm so excited - Aziza is coming to my town in February. She's totally my hero and I get to meet her! I can't wait!

[Khalida]

Hi Veritate, welcome to Bhuz

When I found the original videoclip on youtube I played it over and over and over again, its AMAZING

Thats so cool you're meeting Aziza!! She was in Germany this November.
Say hi to her from me ..g.:

Best wishes,
Khalida

[artemisia_danst]

foir me it was the 6th awards by iamed. i bought that and i just watched her over and over and over again. it was like "yeah, this is what i want'...

i am so happy i got to meet her, and take dozens of workhops from her. definitely my biggest inspiration..

the do you want to be a bellydancer is one of my favourites too...

oh, and the veil poi one on one of leyla's dvds.

say hi to her from me too!

Hi Veritate, welcome to Bhuz

When I found the original videoclip on youtube I played it over and over and over again, its AMAZING

Thats so cool you're meeting Aziza!! She was in Germany this November.
Say hi to her from me ..g.:

Best wishes,
Khalida

[vron]

anyone know if the show dvd is for sale? and who has it for sale?

I sent an email a while back and never got a response. I hope some day Aziza puts all her live stuff on a dvd. I think she's even better live. And there's just not enough of her out there on video or youtube imo.

[Razia]

Love Aziza!!!!

[tigerb]

I was just dancing to her Ultimate Practice Companion today, in fact, and cursing her endurance in the last half of the TWENTY MINUTE shimmy section... geez, she is awesome!

[kiyaana]

Spent Saturday and Sunday with Aziza at workshops in Newport News - fabulous, as always!!!!

Not only was she AMAZING in the show Sat. night, she was wearing an incredible new Bella. Vivid raspberry red with chartreuse/lime accents. Oo la la!

[artemisia_danst]

i'm always happy when someone updates this thread!

[jenlindseys]

whats up with the boy short group on this video?

[Jaseena]

The trio with the feather headdresses? That's Ooh-la-la (I think that's what they are called.).

[Vasha_Hatal]

I dont know... Aziza gets a lot of hype and ive never really understood why. Shes a good dancer but I have never seen anything outstanding about her.

[Khalida]

Hi Vasha,

If you've only seen Aziza on video then seeing her live might win you over ..g.:
She has amazing stage presence and dances with 'flow', and on top of that she is a very generous and enthusiastic teacher.

[artemisia_danst]

blasphemy Vasha, blasphemy ;-) :-)

no, seriously, everybody likes different things, and looks for different things in dancers. for me, i like aziza, cause
- the first time i saw her (on dvd), i was like "yes, THAT's what i've been looking for, this is belly dance for me, that's how i want to dance, this is what i want to do/learn/be". it's a combination of technique, "funny", her stage presence, her smile, mostly, mostly the humour for me. it was like "oh, it's ok, you can do that then?". seeing her gives me "permission", to try and look for things i didnt believe until than i could do on a stage. (i have that same feeling with ava fleming by the way, not for humour, but for choice of music/interpretation). oh and her arms!!!! and veil work!!

- the frist time i saw her live i was like "OMG OMG, this isnt happening" (leyla's studio and she was like four feet away from me)

- the second time i saw her perform, was a stage show in germany, and there was this same 'yes, this is IT' feeling, also a deeper understanding for my boyfriend who spends a load on seeing his fav band in a live concert. i was like, yes, this is why you need to see dance (and prob music too) Live. and why you'd want to see the same performer again and again and again. to see someone create something this beautifull right in front of you, and be able to be a part of it. to know that it happened just then, not today or tomorrow, you saw the magic, and then it's gone again, but you share that moment.

for me she is THE bellydancer. ha! but i dont mind if not everybody gets it, more room in the workshops ;-)

[artemisia_danst]

and everyone who saw bozenka's show in brussels knows what i mean to, she had a "magic moment" on stage, were the audience reaction pushed her on and on into her drum solo. that was just amazing.

anyway, back on topic: azzzzizzaaaa

[laura 2]

I am so excited about the workshops in Chicago this weekend, I can hardly stand it. The first one is called "Conditioning for a Dancer's Body", and the name alone both thrills and scares the poo out of me!

[kiyaana]

Are you ready for the 21 minute shimmy? ..g.:

I am so excited about the workshops in Chicago this weekend, I can hardly stand it. The first one is called "Conditioning for a Dancer's Body", and the name alone both thrills and scares the poo out of me!

[elisagamal]

Hi Vasha,

If you've only seen Aziza on video then seeing her live might win you over ..g.:
She has amazing stage presence and dances with 'flow', and on top of that she is a very generous and enthusiastic teacher.

ditto that! in the interest of full disclosure (and apologies for name dropping) aziza is a very, very dear friend of mine, I've known her for a VERY long time, I've seen her dance a hundred times at least, and we're close enough that I'm going to be matron of honor in her wedding this summer... :)

that aside - I really want to emphasize aziza's expertise as a teacher. I've taken a LOT of workshops in the last 20 years and aziza surpasses them all. she is knowledgeable, generous, effective, consistent, inspiring, nurturing, and she really, really cares about what she is doing. this is her passion, this is her life! she is able to capture and engage a studio full of students from the minute she starts teaching. you are dancing and having fun and learning from beginning to end. she can simultaneously teach multiple levels from beginners to pros and all leave her classes refreshed and inspired. it is not uncommon for students to come up to her after class litererally in tears, they are so moved and overwhelmed from the awesomeness of it all.

on top of that, she is shockingly humble, incredibly kind, hysterically funny (if you get a chance, ask her about tractor ballet or the time the family pygmy goats went mistletoe hunting on christmas eve) and not only a dancer's dancer, she's a girl's girl and a person's person!

a little behind-the-scenes info on some of her studio performance videos: I never realized that often times the dancers don't get to choose the music. the producer gives them a cd and says 'you will dance to this' (it's kind of the same thing with the BDSS cds - the dancers that 'choose' the songs are given by the producers a short list of 2 or 3 songs. they select the one they like best, and that one may or may not be stuck on the cd with their name on it) and they get a brief period of time to come up with an act. for the on fire dvd, aziza did not get a choice in the music. when taping, she had to do the whole dvd in one day. it was exhausting. there weren't really any chances for retakes, and she didn't have any control over the final cut (or the still photos lifted to put on the cover). isn't that crazy??

[kiyaana]

Yes, yes, and yes!!!

I've spent 11 workshop days with Aziza - 1 day in 2003, 4 in 2004, 2 in 2005, 2 in 2006, and Sat/Sun this weekend were the 10th and 11th days. I keep going back for more! And I don't necessarily go to lots of workshops . . . A weekend (or week-long!) learning from Aziza in classes and watching her perform recharges me. She gives so much that I wonder how she has energy left after just two days. I have high regard for her teaching methods and absolutely love watching her perform.

This past Saturday my husband finally had the chance to see her perform live and he was entranced. He said he was impressed by how engaging she is and how her whole body seems involved in all movements - in a very fluid, organic way. (Those were really his words!)

that aside - I really want to emphasize aziza's expertise as a teacher. I've taken a LOT of workshops in the last 20 years and aziza surpasses them all. she is knowledgeable, generous, effective, consistent, inspiring, nurturing, and she really, really cares about what she is doing. this is her passion, this is her life! she is able to capture and engage a studio full of students from the minute she starts teaching. you are dancing and having fun and learning from beginning to end. she can simultaneously teach multiple levels from beginners to pros and all leave her classes refreshed and inspired. it is not uncommon for students to come up to her after class litererally in tears, they are so moved and overwhelmed from the awesomeness of it all.

on top of that, she is shockingly humble, incredibly kind, hysterically funny (if you get a chance, ask her about tractor ballet or the time the family pygmy goats went mistletoe hunting on christmas eve) and not only a dancer's dancer, she's a girl's girl and a person's person!

[artemisia_danst]

this fangirl is scared to say outloud how many workshops she's taken with aziza, for fear of being called a stalker ;-) ;-). i follow her around europe :-). those weekends are my mini sabaticals, or belly dance retreats, to load up my batteries again, give me new inspiration, and push me to keep going.

but yes to everything elisa said ;-). and adding: she has also been, outside of class a great friend and so generous with her advice on all things considering the life of a professional dancer. and yes, so humble. i've had my share of diva's lately, and she is just so cool in how she's not. she knows what she's worth, and where she is (at the top), i hope she knows, but at the same time, you know, she is just doing her job, without any diva attitudes, still aspiring to get better still and work at it (i'm fed up with teachers who claim they dont need classes themselves... i've seen aziza take workshops with the other guest instructors at a festival, i thought that was great, that's one of the first top name instructors i saw do that).

but most of the american dancers i've met (also the BDSS) are like that,... pretty down to earth.

i just wanted to emphasise the "dancer part" of her when i posted earlier. whether or not she is a good teacher is just beyond debate for me. the dancer part i realise people may not like her (though it's beyond me...), it's a style/personality thing too though... like i really dont get some tribal dancers everybody else raves about... or even some top name oriental dancers either, cause their style doesnt click with me. never mind!

that said, my boyfriend does NOT like watching bellydance, except for me... and aziza. that's like the ONLY time he volonturarily goes to a hafla. the fact that he thinks she's very nice helps too eh. so i do think there is something about her as a dancer that touches mostly everybody

Artemisia

[khalilaNZ]

welllllll...... I attended Aziza's workshops in Singapore and have to say that she IS as amazing as everyone says and I could go on and on... I was actually moved to tears by her live performance. Really.
Anyway, a little bit about her fabulous personality!! At half time ('interval' for those who don't follow rugby) Aziza came out into the audience to have a few pictures taken with a few people who had missed out after the workshops and a couple of other people, you know, just a few photos. Now, I don't know if it is the same everywhere, but in Singapore, people love to take photo's. LOVE to!! So, imagine Aziza's surprise when she looked up and saw half of the audience lined up with their cameras waiting to have their picture taken with her!!! To her credit, Aziza smiled her 1000 watt smile and dazzled every single member of that audience with the most divine graciousness. I thought that as the 300th ( I am not exaggerating) person (mums, dads, granddads, aunties....) sidled up to her she would finally say 'that's all folks', but, no. She went the distance. At one point she turned her face back and worked her poor aching face muscles and then swung back with her never-say-die dynamite grin.
If I had to make a comparison, she is like the Diana of the bellydance world. (crikey, that might come back and bite me in the butt, ah well!!)

[laura 2]

Are you ready for the 21 minute shimmy? ..g.:

Oh, sh*t.

If I don't make it, bury me in my blue and green Pharonics! ..l;, Seriously though, that's why I'm going - I need a good old fashioned butt kicking.

[kiyaana]

..l;,

Bring a hand towel to wipe off the sweat!!!!

Oh, sh*t.

If I don't make it, bury me in my blue and green Pharonics! ..l;, Seriously though, that's why I'm going - I need a good old fashioned butt kicking.