Thread: So tell us all about Fifi!!

I'm SO bummed I had to miss her this time but would LOVE to hear all about the fabulousness of a Fifi weekend!

Me too me too! Wish I could have been there...

Girls,

I had the opportunity to take her workshops and see her perform last time she was in Dallas. It must have been like it was when the Beatles landed in the US for the first time!! When she arrived, every dancer was on her feet applauding and cheering wildly - for what seemed like 20 minutes. Talk about elating!!

So here was my favorite part of the whole thing...at one point, I don't know if she meant to or not, she threw her cane across the floor - strode over to where it was bent over and picked it up and continued dancing - with more style than Valentino! So we copied her and threw our canes and tried to muster up the attitude to pull that one off - hmmm, not so much :)

She was every bit of greatness you'd expect!

It was fabulous as it was last year!!
THe Friday night show had about 30 dancers from all over and a live band during intermission!
I only stayed through Saturday but it was great! I can't wait to hear what others think!
My troupe performed to "Il Hantour" to welcome Fifi back to Dallas! We had a great time watching her reaction!
:-)
xoxo,
-NJ

Oh man.... I'm so tired, and I picked up a lovely chest cold in Dallas so I'm now coughing and hacking like a 30-year smoker. But it WAS AWESOME! What a great weekend. I'm too tired to relate details right now, but here's a link to the few photos I was allowed to take (yes, taking pics was all but prohibited):

Flickr: Search lucydances' photostream

The pics of my performance were actually taken by the official photographer -- I bought all of the images on a CD.

Lucy

OH -- I will say this -- Madame Fifi looked AMAZING. I wasn't there last year, but someone told me she'd lost almost 50 pounds since then. She also brought her husband (who was adorable!) and one of her daughters (who is GORGEOUS) with her this year, and it made me very happy that they got to see all of us just ADORING their wife/mom. :)

OMG, Fifi looks GREAT!!! Lucy, I love your dress. Thanks for sharing your pictures.
I'm looking forward to hearing all of the juicy stories to come.

Oh yeah Fifi did look great!! I just LOVE her!
Lucy I loved your performance too! How did you get picks of your performance sneaky girl?! :-)

Thank you!!! Nadirah, I can't believe I didn't meet you -- I was searching for bhuzzers all weekend! You should have come and said hello. :D

I actually bought the digital images of my performance from the official photographer. I think he calls himself the Sultan or something like that -- if you want, I can dig around and find his card. :)

I was there last year & I thought her both her performance & workshops were even better than before!

She did 4 costume changes in her show & ended w/ the hookah. It was AMAZING!!! I was able to get a picture of her from the Saturday night show autographed (& she probably thought I was a nut for bugging her for it).

The Friday night show was terrific, everyone was on their game (Lucy - I loved your performance & Vanessa did a slammin' double cane routine).

I got to open the Saturday night show & the DJ had problems w/ my cd ,f:: but a big fat thanks to everyone clapping - I was able to salvage the performance... And oh my, those Debka boys are so stinking cute it!!! My heart is still beating fast ..g.:

She did have a Birthday party last night over at the habibi cafe - I was to tired to go - but I'm sure it was a blast

Well - Thats it for me, back to reality...
Magz

Hello, maybe next year I'll get to go to Dallas, it sounds like the show and workshop were great! We live only 2 1/2 hours awa!

I put down my $100 deposit and forgot all about the show! So I not only missed out on the show but I gave away $100 buckaroos! I'm sad!

It was so great, I was sad to come home! It was seriously one of the best experiences of my life!

I opened the friday night show (scary!) after a Zeffah procession for the fabulous Fifi, who looked gorgeous, but at least I was able to get my nervousness over with and enjoy the rest of the show. The show was LONG, but good and a nice mix of styles. Stand-out performances for me were Vanessa's double stick (in high heels!), Shaunte, Roxanne, and a tribal duet whose name I can't remember but they wore black and light blue I think. I know there are more too, but I need to look at my program to remember!

I got some (brutally) honest feedback from Madame Fifi but it was almost all good and I was just happy that she remembered me and took the time to tell me anything!

Saturday morning started with a workshop with Dr. Mo Geddawi where he taught a choreo to Ya Helewa. Although I don't love choreography workshops, his choreographies are fun and he has a lot of knowledge that comes out in little bits while he's teaching.

Fifi's workshop on saturday-she said she was going to emphasize dancing with feeling (not her exact words, but my brain still isn't functioning fully!) so she danced, and we followed, to a Hakim song (I can't remember the name, but hopefully someone will) and El Enab and possibly one other song, geez my memory is horrible!

The Saturday night show was AWESOME!!!!! Fifi was gorgeous in all of her costumes and her personality just shot off the stage and hit you like a tidal wave. She is so joyful, sexy, flirty, passionate and just a little bit o' naughty mixed in and seeing her live and up close was an experience of a lifetime. I truly hope I get to see her again because it was incredible and I can't think of another performance that will ever top it, unless its another performance by her!

Sunday I am sorry to say that I slept through Dr. Mo's workshop so I'll be interested to hear how it went from others.

Fifi did Saidi to a song written for her, I think the name is Aguib Aguib or something? The first part of the song with cane and then she taught us some of her original moves for the second half of the song. Funny, lighthearted and cute stuff! Honestly, I could have sat there and just watched her dance through both of the workshops and been perfectly happy!

I had to leave right after her workshop to catch my plane and am SO SAD to have missed her bday party, and can't wait to hear about it.

I met a couple of Bhuzzers and some other nice ladies, and had a great time. Coming back to real, boring life after last weekend is such a let-down!

Yay Fifi!

XOXOXO
amanda

Magz:

That trouble with your music SUCKED. I felt so bad for you!! The static was just unbearable.

Amanda:

I still can't believe that you made that costume. So "Pebbles" and fun! As far as the song goes, I know Fifi called it something else but I've seen it called "Ala Nar" on all the CDs. The version she used was off of a Horatio & Beata Cifuentes CD.

lucy

Originally Posted by weese17

Magz:

That trouble with your music SUCKED. I felt so bad for you!! The static was just unbearable.

lucy

That was terrible - it just kept getting worse. Jim thought it had someting to do with the cables. I had tested that CD on a bunch of different types systems & it work on everyone except the show system... Oh well, what can you do. The upside was you guys were great & I got through it

I thought so too. It sounded like a bad connection.

Hmmmm, I'll provide some fun details - fellow witnesses please jump in if I've remembered something incorrectly...
At the Saturday night show:
Fifi costume #1: silver bedlah w/green accents, black body stocking and black chiffon skirt - Fifi looked great but at the end of the number looked like she couldn't wait to get out of it and peeled off one arm band while still on stage :) (I think she was ready to get into something really comfy and GET DOWN);
Fifi #2: Gorgeous turquoise galabiya with matching hip scarf and head wrap and big turquoise hoops;
Fifi #3: She danced Saidi cane in a black dress and black assuit headdress;
Fifi #4: Out came the famous white galabiya paired w/hot pink hip scarf and headscarf for the shisha dance.

I saw her last year and have thought a lot about what makes her so damn watchable. For me - besides her great beauty, technique (she could shimmy the plaster off the walls), etc. I think it is a heady cocktail of fearlessness, femininity, humor, and power. I don't get the "laid back" vibe from her - for me she is like this shimmering mass of energy that you can't take your eyes off of - a force of nature.

Yeah, she was great.

Christine

Fifi was amazing! And yes, she has lost a lot of weight since last year and looks great. She seemed so much more confident this year and her performance was terrific! Tears in the eyes, lump in the throat terrific.

I went to the birthday party for her at Habibi Cafe last night. The really great part about that was watching a table of young (in their 20's) patrons look over and realize who was sitting there. They started nudging each other, and finally came over and talked to her and took pictures with her. Not sure if they knew she would be there that weekend, or if it was a total surprise, but they had star struck eyes and it was really nice to see.

I would write more, but I am exhausted!!

Lucy,
I know!! It was a whirlwind cause I wasn't thtere the whole weekend. I unfortunatly had to leave after the Saturday Dr Mo workshop! :-(

I wish I could have seen the Sat show though, it sounded awesome! Pooh!

xoxox,
-NJ

Oh and Damiena so jelous you got to celebrate Fifi's birthday! ;-) How fun!

awe darn, i had to miss it this year! soaking up the essance of fifi!!! aaahhh... she is amazing. i will forever in my heart remember when I got to meet her...last year!

Originally Posted by weese17

Amanda:

I still can't believe that you made that costume. So "Pebbles" and fun! As far as the song goes, I know Fifi called it something else but I've seen it called "Ala Nar" on all the CDs. The version she used was off of a Horatio & Beata Cifuentes CD.

lucy

Thank you, I really love that costume and am pretty proud of it!

Ala Nar, good to know. I think I have at least one version of that song somewhere, I will have to try and find it.

I was trying to remember and I think the Hakim song was called Khalem Fi Khalem or something...does anyone know?

Originally Posted by damiena

I went to the birthday party for her at Habibi Cafe last night. The really great part about that was watching a table of young (in their 20's) patrons look over and realize who was sitting there. They started nudging each other, and finally came over and talked to her and took pictures with her. Not sure if they knew she would be there that weekend, or if it was a total surprise, but they had star struck eyes and it was really nice to see.

This is awesome to hear, I am so sad that I had to go home!

Wow! What a weekend!!! I got home last night and am still recovering from this entire weekend. The entire weekend was amazing. I agree with Magz, everyone was definitely on their A-game in the Friday night show.In the first half I loved Amanda's performance and she did a great job opening the show-really set the tone. Lucy, I told you already, but I really loved your performance. Vanessa did an Amazing stick dance. It had the power and precision of the male stick dance yet it was still very feminine. There was a fabulous shamadan performance. I don't have a program and unfortunately I can't remember her name. Catherine's performance was fabulous and really got the crowd going. In the second half Roxanne did such a beautiful performance to Ahmed Adaweya's Salamat. Ahava (my "twin" , I got several compliments that weekend that were meant for her, lol) did an amazing beledi performance that I know Fifi really loved. Shoshanna's performance was so beautiful and those turns, wow! Damiena did such a lovely show in her beautiful Sahar.

The Saturday show was AMAZING. I welled up when she came out to Princess of Cairo in that gorgeous beaded dress and veil! There was a costume malfunction with the zipper (It happens to even the Legends) that, I think but am not sure, cut the oriental part of her of the show short. She then returned in a gorgeous turquiose galabeya and entered to the same song that I performed to the day before, Min hob fik yaghari from the Sukarra CD. That gave me chills! Then she did an amazing Saidi routine and finished with her infamous shisha show!!

I love, love, loved the workshops!!! The difference from last year in her workshop was this time she made it a point to talk about technique and the correct way to do some of her signature moves.

Her birthday was Sunday night at Habibi cafe. It was surreal...The entire weekend caught up to me from not eating at all that day, just being exhuasted and the shisha that made me a little dizzy it was just hard to grasp how absolutely amazing it was to be there in that moment. Fifi's gorgeous daughter and husband were there but left early because she wasn't feeling well.

Another fabulous event produced by Dee Dee and the rest of the Little Egypt Family!!

Originally Posted by liying

Hello, maybe next year I'll get to go to Dallas, it sounds like the show and workshop were great! We live only 2 1/2 hours awa!

I talked to Dee Dee and it sounds like she will be bringing her to Canada next year.I've never been to Canada before but there's not a place on the planet that I wouldn't travel to see her.

Originally Posted by magdelenam

That was terrible - it just kept getting worse. Jim thought it had someting to do with the cables. I had tested that CD on a bunch of different types systems & it work on everyone except the show system... Oh well, what can you do. The upside was you guys were great & I got through it

I think you did a fabulous job handling it!

I had problem with the sound before, they had it so low it sounded like elevator music and it definitely threw off my momentum off a little.

Originally Posted by Shaunte

I talked to Dee Dee and it sounds like she will be bringing her to Canada next year.I've never been to Canada before but there's not a place on the planet that I wouldn't travel to see her.

Oh sweet, field trip to Canada!

I agree, the whole weekend still feels surreal, like a "did that just happen?" moment and now I'm back reality.

Both shows were great, and I think I liked Fifi's cane portion of the workshop the best.

An extra bonus for me was our fun excursion on Saturday night where I got to meet new friends and hang out with girls that (even though we live close by) I don't ever get a chance to hang out with.

Also, I felt the size of the workshop not too bad. She had an elevated stage and there was more than enough room to dance.

The hotel was really nice too. Our room was small-ish, but that didn't bother me.

And geez, the poor organizers had a hell of a time policing people who just insisted on video-taping. I watched one lady who was filming the workshop with her camera, was told not to, then pull out her phone and continue recording. C'mon...

Originally Posted by amanda_raqs

I was trying to remember and I think the Hakim song was called Khalem Fi Khalem or something...does anyone know?

I believe it is on his latest album and is called "Kalam be Kalam" - 'Words'
A link to download is here with a short listening section.
Hakim Kalam-Be-Kalam__MezoSoft.Com - Song - MP3 Stream on IMEEM Music

Yasmin

Originally Posted by Shaunte

I talked to Dee Dee and it sounds like she will be bringing her to Canada next year.I've never been to Canada before but there's not a place on the planet that I wouldn't travel to see her.

WOW!!! ..g.:
I hope DeeDee will choose Montreal so I can be there!

Yippeee! Can I stay with you when I come to Montreal, Carol? ;-D