Thread: who's going to be at Raqia's workshop in May? (MD/VA/DC metro area)

just paid for saturday, will try to squeeze in the second day...........

so who's goin?..g.:

I am! Does this mean I finally get to meet you in person?!

<bouncebouncebounce>

Suzana

Originally Posted by Zana

I am! Does this mean I finally get to meet you in person?!

<bouncebouncebounce>

Suzana

hell, we may have met at other events. and just don't recognize the handles(names)..l;,

i'm PSYCHED! (bouncing back atcha............i can be so goofy sometimes)

Um, last I saw, this workshop was in MD. Did it move??

Regardless, I will be there on Sunday, and just found out my buddy Habiba from Philly will be too. I'm psyched! I would be even happier if they hadn't moved the event to a weekend when I'm teaching on Saturday, though...

Let's all wear Bhuz buttons! We can all bounce around and frolic together! ..l;, And we'll have to get a Bhuz picture....

Originally Posted by bintbeled

Um, last I saw, this workshop was in MD. Did it move??

Regardless, I will be there on Sunday, and just found out my buddy Habiba from Philly will be too. I'm psyched! I would be even happier if they hadn't moved the event to a weekend when I'm teaching on Saturday, though...

Let's all wear Bhuz buttons! We can all bounce around and frolic together! ..l;, And we'll have to get a Bhuz picture....

yeah, oxon hill, MD, (typed it before the caffeine kicked in, my bad, i think BDL and VA springs to mind)......

i don't have a bhuz button (pout), but glad you'll be there...........i'm gonna try and squeeze out the reg for sunday too............

Plenty of time to order a Bhuz button, girlfriend! Hop on over to Cafe Press!

Looking forward to seeing you there....

I'll be there on Saturday, too!
Makeda

hehehe, i'll be hittin' u up in june for sparklies, when i bail my new acquisitions out, and thanks for the cafe press, never bothered to look at that.......duh (loser "L" sign against my forehead)

Oh, yay. This will be fun!

I'm just sorry that it now conflicts with WMFC's festival in DC. Only a month left to perfect that cloning/time travel thingie....

Also:
Anybody doing a private with Raqia?
Anybody done a private with her in the past?
Any advice on what/how to prepare, what if anything to ask for specifically, what to expect?

I tend to avoid private lessons in general out of shyness but have done myself out of some really excellent opportunities over the years, so I'm trying to break the habit. Pointers on not being eaten alive (or not expecting to be eaten alive) would also be much appreciated. I need a private lesson on how to do private lessons!

I know this could just as well be a separate thread but thought I'd start over here with the locals.

I studied with Raqia when I spent the summer in Egypt in 2000. She has a peculiar teaching style, which I like, of teaching you a chunk of choreography, then leaving you on your own for 5-10 minutes so you can get that part down before she teaches the rest. Other dancers have complained about this and felt that they didn't get their money's worth but I never felt that way. I had the luxury of having access to her over a period of time, which was super. If I were doing a one-shot lesson here in the U.S., I would try to go into it with a very good idea of what I wanted from her, and specific questions -- and also with the realization that the lesson might go in another direction completely.

Raqia will not eat you alive. She's very sweet. One time when I was having a lesson, I was exhausted from studying for a big Arabic test, and I was just not getting a sequence she was trying to teach me. She laughed, patted me on the head and told me my brain was too full from Arabic class and that's why I couldn't learn it. Then we sat and chatted and ate some great watermelon. I always learned a lot from just talking to her.

Latifa

Oh, thank you, Latifa! This is very helpful and reassuring. I really need to get over this absurd hangup, and it helps to have a good idea of what to expect going in so I can plan.

Watch out, though: if I do manage to start doing more privates, you're high on my list! You might also want to warn Lotus, Habiba, and Shems.

xo
Suzana

Ditto what Latifa said. I've taken several privates with Raqia in Cairo and definitely got more than my money's worth. LOVE her teaching style! She will critique what you're doing gently and with a sense of humor - she really wants you to really "get" what she teaches you.

I'm already going to the Hilderjezi Festival and an extra workshop on Rom with Reyhan - super-bummed they are on the same day. How did that happen?

Originally Posted by shems

I'm already going to the Hilderjezi Festival and an extra workshop on Rom with Reyhan - super-bummed they are on the same day. How did that happen?

Raqia was scheduled for April but then was in the hospital. I guess with her busy traveling schedule this was the only weekend available to reschedule.
With people traveling far sometimes maybe, too there is less flexibility. The Mohamed Shahin event overlapped the Jalsah event in January. I remember being totally surprised when it was announced in December.

Not enough hours in the day, not enough weekends in the year. It's disappointing -- I'd love to be able to attend both events in their entirety.

Originally Posted by Zana

Not enough hours in the day, not enough weekends in the year. It's disappointing -- I'd love to be able to attend both events in their entirety.

Same here. As it is I'm signed up for Raqia's Saidi workshop on Sunday and I hope to attend the Romani festival on Saturday...but I also have to work...and sometimes I even have to sleep. Never enough time! BUT we are also so lucky to have so many opportunities.

Amen to that!

Originally Posted by bintbeled

Um, last I saw, this workshop was in MD. Did it move??

Regardless, I will be there on Sunday, and just found out my buddy Habiba from Philly will be too. I'm psyched! I would be even happier if they hadn't moved the event to a weekend when I'm teaching on Saturday, though...

Let's all wear Bhuz buttons! We can all bounce around and frolic together! ..l;, And we'll have to get a Bhuz picture....

Got my calendar confused -- too much going on! I will be at the workshop on Saturday, not Sunday.

I would love to go Saturday, but I have 5 shows that night at 4 different venues so I think that might be pushing it. I would like to go Sunday, but I am not sure yet if I can. I really enjoyed her workshops the last time she was here.

Hi,

I'm going. I just need to figure out the best way to get from Boston to the workshop. ,r:; I'm taking both days!!!

Who's dancing at the show Friday night?

The NDC will be dancing, as will (if I remember correctly), Thalia, MiaNaja, Amartia (latriamou) ... the other names are failing me. Please chime in, folks, if you're dancing! Can't wait to see everyone.

Makeda

I'm dancing. Can't wait to see everyone! ..g.:

Just out of curiosity, is anyone doing cane?

Suzana

Wish I could go to the show! My troupe is dancing elsewhere that night.

We'll miss you. Happy dancing, wherever you'll be!

We're doing a cancer benefit. I try to arrange this at least once a year since we have two cancer survivors in the troupe -- three, if you count spouses.

i'm dancing............

Yay!

Originally Posted by Toya

The NDC will be dancing, as will (if I remember correctly), Thalia, MiaNaja, Amartia (latriamou) ... the other names are failing me. Please chime in, folks, if you're dancing! Can't wait to see everyone.
Makeda

I'm in the show as well. Wow! How many people are in it?