Thread: So, You Think You Can Belly Dance?*Contest Results*

Introducing a new and unique competitive experience for the discriminating
dancer, debuting at the 2010 Las Vegas Bellydance Intensive & Festival.

This contest is not for the faint of heart! You will be expected to excel in a
wide range of styles, dress to impress no matter what type of belly dance is
thrown at you, learn new choreography and perform it live on a professional
stage, possibly perform with props or improv to live music, and do it all while
expressing your charm, charisma, and talent.

Are you up to the task?

The winner will receive $500 & a solo spot at our Sunday Night "It's a Wrap"
Party.

Read more here: Bellydance Contest: Competition: Las Vegas: Think You Can Belly Dance?

Happy Dancing!!

sounds exciting!
the only thing that would hold me back... I would be so busy with preparing for each night's special performance, that I wouldn't get anything out of the other workshops offered over the weekend.
Would I even attend the other workshops?

Originally Posted by caasious

sounds exciting!
the only thing that would hold me back... I would be so busy with preparing for each night's special performance, that I wouldn't get anything out of the other workshops offered over the weekend.
Would I even attend the other workshops?

The Intensive offers so many options regarding the weekend, that we can't possibly assume what would make it your own unique experience. Some people attend for workshops. Some people attend for the shows. Some people attend for the festival or the shopping. Now we are offering a contest as well. It kind of just depends on what you want your overall experience to be.

My recommendation for contest participants would be to just purchase select classes via the a la carte option (which will open in January). There would be plenty of time for a couple of classes, but probably not a full package.

It's been a great year to negotiate for room rates here in Vegas! We are
especially excited to have secured a large room block at the FLAMINGO at rates well under the norm for the next 3 years.

Our 2010 guestroom rates are as follows:

Deluxe Rooms--Weeknights $59/Weekends $89
GO Deluxe Rooms--Weeknights $99/Weekends $129

As I am sure that most of you know, these are exceptional rates for being on the world-famous "Strip".

I have had a number of concerned attendees contact me to say that the 2010 weekend at the Flamingo is already sold out. This is true; however, we have a guaranteed room block, so there is nothing to be worried about at this point in time!

Click on the following link for more information and photos of the rooms.

Intensive Guestrooms

We are gearing up for another stellar year. I am so excited about all the great things we have in store for you.

Happy Dancing,

If any of you haven't found on on facebook, be sure to join our fan page too.

Facebook Fan Page for the Las Vegas Bellydance Intensive & Festival

We will post updates about the contest as well.

That is so intense and awesome! Yay!

We are on the verge of announcing the full 2010 schedule for the Las Vegas Bellydance Intensive & Festival. Those who are already registered will be allowed to choose their classes in the next day or two.

Once our shopping cart goes live on January 1st, the price for the full package will increase to our early bird rate of $475. Register before January 1st to lock in the lowest rates of the year. Attend the 2010 event for only $415, or opt to take advantage of our payment plan and make 9 payments of $46.67.

Headlining at the event: Princess Farhana, Asharah, Fahtiem, John Compton, Aradia, Moria Chappell, and Uncle Mafufo. Additionally, we have a plethora of amazing featured instructors this year...including Samira Shuruk of DC (on Bhuz), Hannan Sultan of North Carolina (on Bhuz), Carrie Konyha of Sedona, Karen Barbee of Texas, Lotus Niraja of DC (on Bhuz), Amaya of New Mexico (on Bhuz), Artemisia of Belgium (on Bhuz), and many others. Visit the website for the list of instructors: 2010 Instructors at the Las Vegas Bellydance Intensive & Festival

Don't forget that we have an entire track devoted to drumming this year, with at least 4 classes geared towards drummers & dancers working together.

Looking forward to 2010!!

Happy Dancing,

Samira Tu'Ala, Organizer

We are excited to announce that the International Raqs Congress, in Brussels,
Belgium, has generously donated a full package to their event (March 2011) for the winner of our new Think You Can Belly Dance? Contest being held at the Las Vegas Bellydance Intensive this year.

More details about the contest can be found:
Think You Can Belly Dance? Contest Page

More details about the event in Belgium can be found:
International RAQS Congress

Happy Dancing,

this sounds like so much fun! too bad I can't make it. maybe next time.

We are excited to announce our panel of celebrity judges for the new "Think You Can Belly Dance?" Contest that will be held during the Las Vegas Bellydance Intensive & Festival. Whoot!! Each of these ladies will give live feedback during the competition.

2010 Celebrity Judges

We are excited to have such an outstanding panel. Join us as an audience member or as a competitor in Vegas, baby!!

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9CgwBkhNKVY]YouTube - 2010 Las Vegas Bellydance Intensive & Festival promotional video![/ame]

We would like to thank Mher of the Hollywood Music Center for giving us the music rights to this fabulous piece of music by Dr. Samy Farag. Visit Hollywood Music Center to purchase the CD, Midnight Magic.

We are very lucky to have Cera Byer joining us as a member of the choreography team. Cera will be teaching the contestants the fusion choreography for the contest as well as helping run the auditions on Thursday night of the Intensive.

Cera Byer holds a degree in Dance from SFSU and has taught at high schools, studios, workshops, and retreats around the US and abroad. Her technical approach comes from continuing exploration into Graham, Horton, and Dunham techniques, alongside Kathak, Persian, Bellydance, Hip Hop, Funk, and Afro-Caribbean traditions, but her choreography is anything but a dry academic approach to fusion. Cera's work has been called "a hot sweaty tribute that will have audiences and dancers alike moving and moved by the material", and "organic evolving studies into the biospheres of human emotion". Cera owns and operates Shoebox Studio in San Francisco and is the founder and director of Damage Control Dance Theater.

Damage Control Dance Theater :: Beyond Bellydance :: World Fusion Contemporary Dance Company
Damage Control presents Looking Glass

Kewl! I'm excited...

Our hotel room block is filling up. Additionally, our cut off date is August 6th. My understanding is that the hotel is completely full the weekend of the event...except for our room block. So if you don't book your room in a timely fashion, there won't be rooms available.

If you are planning on staying on-site, please book your room(s) asap. Here's the link:

Las Vegas Bellydance Intensive Flamingo Hotel Room Block Information Page

Well..how that works?
Is a belly dance contest..but other ppl choreography?
I mean..Id love to participate..But no fun..If I have to dance someone else choreo..to win the competition..
there's no other options?

Originally Posted by habibah2

Well..how that works?
Is a belly dance contest..but other ppl choreography?
I mean..Id love to participate..But no fun..If I have to dance someone else choreo..to win the competition..
there's no other options?

This is not your typical belly dance contest.

This contest is based more on the "So You Think You Can Dance" model. The winner of this contest will need a variety of skills. They will dance to 2 different choreographer's material as well as do some live improv. The winner will need to be well-rounded as an entertainer, not just in their own style of belly dance.

We just sold our inside front cover premium ad for the Event Program; however, there are many other opportunities to be in this publication ranging in price from $10-$300.

We are running a special on non-business related "Vanity Ad"--only $20--which is a great way to thank your teacher, students, friends, or family. Our deadline is coming up on August 1st. Visit our page below for all the details.

Event Guide Advertising Information

Cera Byer just gave me an update today that the choreography that she has created for the contest is done. She's very excited about working with all the dancers. It's going to be a great audition process.

Originally Posted by Samira_dncr

Cera Byer just gave me an update today that the choreography that she has created for the contest is done. She's very excited about working with all the dancers. It's going to be a great audition process.

I am SOooo looking forward to it! ..g.:

Just giving you a head's up that our room block at the Flamingo is technically FULL. I am doing my best to secure more rooms and will post here should that happen. If we cannot secure more rooms at the Flamingo, we should be able to get rooms across the street at Bally's. I'll post an update as soon as I have one.

The Flamingo has given us a small extension on the room block. Please book now. Reservations Office at 1-800-835-5686 (on or before the cut off date of Monday Aug. 6th), and identify yourself as an attendee of the Bellydance Intensive using Reservation ID "SFBI10".

It's amazing to be more than a month away from the Intensive and to have nearly filled our festival performance spots. Even with expanded hours, there is still not enough time in the day.

If you would like to perform at the 2010 Las Vegas Bellydance Intensive & Festival, then please do not delay. We are very near to closing our performance registrations.

Our cut off date for the room block is tomorrow. Please book your rooms now.

I ordered the Award Plaques today. Whoot!

The award plaques are here, the music cd prizes are here, all 3 certificates for event packages are here, the grand prize money is in hand, the ballots are printed, the pencils are here, the judging sheets are here, the tyvek contestant numbers are here....whew I think we are ready to go! I can't wait to see who wins.

Online registration for the contest (as well as classes & tickets) are going to end today. Once the shopping cart is closed, those who want to still enter the contest can register on-site until noon on Thursday. $25 to audition + $50 if you make it into the contest.

See you next week!

The journey was fantastic to watch unfold. The "So, You Think You Can Belly Dance? Contest" at the Las Vegas Bellydance Intensive & Festival was a tremendous success and we are proud to present the winners:

1st Place--Aurora Ongaro, Canada (Edmonton's best Belly Dance Classes and Professional Performers)

* $500 cash
* 2 Music CDs from Hollywood Music Center
* An engraved award plaque
* A full package to the 2011 Meditteranean Breeze Festival in Morocco.

2nd Place--Alisha Lee, South Korea

* 2 Music CDs from Hollywood Music Center
* An engraved award plaque
* A full package to the 2011 Raqs Congress event in Brussels, Belgium

3rd Place--Dahab, Columbia & Canada (www.dahaborientaldance.com)

* 2 Music CDs from Hollywood Music Center
* An engraved award plaque
* A full package to the 2011 Yaa Halla, Y'All event in Dallas, TX

Additionally, we were excited that there was a story in the Las Vegas Sun about the contest as well. You can see the photos that were in the paper here: So You Think You Can Belly Dance? - Las Vegas Sun

A profound thank you to Ashtalea & Cera Byer, the contest choreographers. These ladies set the tone and atmosphere for the entire contest experience, and it was a powerful journey for everyone involved.

Additional thanks to our exceptional judges: Fahtiem, Princess Farhana, Carrie Konyha, Moria Chappell, Lee Ali, and Karen Barbee. Your keen eye and understanding of the dance certainly helped choose the winners.

And lastly, thank you to the voting audiences. Your participation gave this contest a very real and exciting element that certainly influenced the outcome. The final results were so close that we counted the ballots twice to be sure they were accurate.

We look forward to seeing where this contest evolves to next year. If you are excited and ready, we have already opened up the audition registration for 2011. The cost of the Thurs. Sept 8 audition is only $25 and can be paid via paypal on our Super Early Bird Registration page. The cost for the audition may go up, but currently we will honor the 2010 prices.

Registration, September 8-11, 2011, Las Vegas Bellydance Intensive: Belly Dance Classes, Workshops, Lessons, Party, and more

Thanks again for a fabulous year. We look forward with great anticipation to 2011.

The winner of the inaugural "So, You Think You Can Belly Dance? Contest" which was held at the Las Vegas Bellydance Intensive & Festival this last September was featured in a segment on Alberta Prime Time.

Aurora Ongaro is a chiropractor by day and a belly dancer by night. Her television feature includes clips from the SYTYCBD contest. Here's the link:

http://tinyurl.com/AuroraOngaro

Enjoy!