Thread: Safti's Dance of Egypt Seminars

I'm planning to attend one of Safti's Dance of Egypt Seminars next year. The program is incredible! Top quality instruction all around and the classes are limited in size so as to provide lots of individual attention. Imagine studying under Mahmoud Reda, Farida Fahmy, and other living legends of Egyptian dance! I am so excited!!

Have any Bhuzzers attended one of Safti's seminars? Would you please share your experience?


Shukran!

Khalida

BTW, the website for the Cairo seminars is:

"belly dance Seminar, belly dance workshops, belly dance classes, Egyptian belly dance Seminar, Egyptian belly dance workshop, Egyptian belly dance classes.


(When I pasted the URL, several headings came up in the preview, but clicking on them takes you to the right site.)

i'd be interested in hearing about anyone else's experiences. That sounds like something i'd be more interested in than ahlan wa sahlan. it was a great festival and i'd go to the opening and closing shows again but the classes were too big for my taste.

I went and it was AWESOME!!!!!

Hi Namiradance!

Thanks for your reply :) Would you have a moment to share more of your experience at the seminar? What made it awesome for you?

More details, please!

Khalida

I know that 3 dancers from the Chicago area have attended. Sonya of Arabesque Chicago, Na'ama Rose and Khezna ( I think I speled that wrong).I know that Sonya is on Bhuz, maybe she wll answer?

I know some dancers think the Reda style is too theatrical and almost not real Egyptian dancing. I had a few questions about this myself. But everybody who does Melaya Leff owes to Reda, same with most hagallas, etc., in fact if an oriental dancer wants to do folkloric stuff it's guaranteed to be pretty theatrical! As Nesma (one of the instructors and a former pro dancer in Cairo) said, you don't have to DO Reda style dancing instead of oriental - what you learn is the structure, the footwork, the flow and Reda's (to me) masterful choreography. Once you have these tools, your oriental style will just be stronger.

This is very helpful, Ouroboros, thanks! I'm focusing on spins and turn combinations these days in order to prepare for the seminar.

One of the obvious advantages of such small classes is, in addition to increased individual attention and feedback, that we become better acquainted with the teachers on a more personal level.

This is my first trip to Cairo, and I'm thrilled!

I just heard from Mahmoud that these seminars are cancelled for the future....he did not elaborate. Does anyone know if they will pick backup?

From what I've learned from the organizer, Safti, the seminars are on hold for now. I would check his site from time to time and/or ask to be notified if there is a change.

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(Remainder of post moved to new thread on the Teacher/Dancer training offered by Prof. Dr. Hassan Khalil at his studio, ISOC, in Cairo.)

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Khalida

I will be interested to hear more about this program. As you had considered the one with Mahmoud Reda before, I think that you have studied with Mahmoud enough to understand his style and how he teaches. how would you compare Mahmoud to Dr. Khalil?

While I was at the Nile Group Festival in April, I was talking with a woman who just raved about him but I didn't have a chance to take one of his classes there. I looked at his schedule and it doesn't seem that he gets anywhere near the States during his touring around this year.

LOL, I did Mahmoud's folkloric style "technique" class . . . where he taught a choreography as usual . . lol, I was hoping for "technique" and I should know better by now.

Khalida,
Please tell us more! I'd like to know more about the content, structure of classes (how much lecture, how much dance), etc.
Thanks,
Nisaa

Marhaba!

.........

I've moved this reply to a new thread. . . .

Khalida

I don't know why Reda's seminar in February was cancelled, but I know why he's currently not teaching them.

He is completely involved in creating a very important show which will be performed in Alexandria titled "The World Dances with Mahmoud Reda." The women in the show are from all over Europe, and the men are Egyptians. It's being sponsored by the famous Library of Alexandria. It will be televised, and I've heard a rumor that Mubarak (President of Egypt) intends to be in the audience.

He canceled this year's U.S. tour because of this. Rehearsals are currently underway and consuming his attention on a full-time basis.

I have no idea whether he will resume his Safti Craft seminars after the show is over. And I don't know whether this project was already beginning in February when that seminar was canceled. I don't know at this point when the show is scheduled to be presented. I just know that he has put other stuff on hold for now so he can give the show his full attention.

Shira, if you can read spanish better than I can . . . I found this item ( Cursos de danza del vientre en madrid Danza del vientre en madrid Danza oriental en madrid ) by going to Nesma's site. She's the dancer in Spain who produced Mahmoud's 75th birthday Gala show . . . a show of his choreographies which is on DVD. There is a show, 1-5 July, 2008, at the library in Alexandria that is mentioned on this website - "The World Dances with Mahmoud Reda".

I am sure course would offer any instructor you ask for both folkloric and oriental, for example Liza Laziza, she is one of the best teachers now.

I saw some cute costumes on Safti`s homepage.