Thread: Ahlan Cairo Nights Competitors - Trying to match real names with dance names

So, I was looking at the Ahlan Cairo Nights website and I notice she's listed the competitors. I recognize 3, my girl Amanda from Utah, sweetie Mariah from OH, and Amani Jabril from GA.

I notice she's used my regular name, so I'm assuming she's done the same to several others. Can y'all help me identify people's dance names from this list? Also do you know who else might be coming that she didn't list? (I'm sizing up the competition ..g.: )

Here's the list from her site:


Miriam Gamal (GA)~Deeta (CA)~Natalia (FL)~Elizabeth (FL)~Sha'ni (GA)~Shems - corrected here to my dance name (MD)~Jennifer (IN)~Anna (KY)~Amanda (UT)~Marisol (Mexico)~Yeli (TX)~Brittney (MO)~Lily (TX)~Sherazad (Canada)~Susan (FL)~Sinead (Canada)~Amani Jabril (GA)~Mariah (OH)~Lourdes (Mexico)

Sarabeth is Yeli here on Bhuz (and when she dances). Go Yeli!

Originally Posted by shems

(I'm sizing up the competition ..g.: )

Ha! Well I can tell you right now that after just figuring out a few names of the others competing, I'm feeling a little and hoping not to look totally unfortunate

I know others that aren't listed but I vowed not to disclose their names. The competition is going to be tough this year for sure!!!

Originally Posted by leenanyc

I know others that aren't listed but I vowed not to disclose their names. The competition is going to be tough this year for sure!!!

Such a tease! ..g.:

The competition is going to be tough this year for sure!!!

Fo Sho!! I know a couple on there too and yeah...good luck ladies!

Originally Posted by leenanyc

I know others that aren't listed but I vowed not to disclose their names. The competition is going to be tough this year for sure!!!

What! Hey that's not fair. ,r:; competitors, whoever you are hiding out there, if you are on bhuz, pm me, I promise not to tell. ..g.:

Originally Posted by mmouse1534

Fo Sho!! I know a couple on there too and yeah...good luck ladies!

Are you trying to make me nervous? ,f:: I refuse to be intimidated!

..l;,

Did she have permission to list people's full real names?

I dance under my real name, but first name only for privacy/security reasons. A couple of times I've been announced by my full name, and I felt a little violated.

Originally Posted by Lauren_

Did she have permission to list people's full real names?

I dance under my real name, but first name only for privacy/security reasons. A couple of times I've been announced by my full name, and I felt a little violated.

I don't believe she asked. I would've asked for her to use my dance name for sure. Now that I think of it, I should probably pop off an email...

Both real and last names were on the application... I have to say I was a bit surprised when I was listed by my real name. Thankfully the married name is pretty generic, but it's still not preferable...


And I want to know who else is competing too! :) No matter what, it'll be a good show, we'll all have fun, and I doubt someone knowing you're in it or not is going to make a difference at all...

hahah not trying to intimidate!! Just saying that it will be a great show either way...I would hate to be the judges!

ha ha, yeah, I have to admit that when I didn't recognize but a few names on the list, I was a bit relieved! but it will be great, I am really looking forward to performing and (hopefully) getting some good feedback from the current top dancers in Egypt. It's almost here! Yay!

Amanda B

P.S. I prefer to go by just Amanda, but oh well! As I (almost) have a studio in my home, anonimity is not much of an option for me.

P.P.S. come on, fess up if you are competing, what is the point of being secretive!

So no more IDs? or ideas on who the rest of these mystery ladies are? Well I guess I'm just going to have to wait and see.

Maria Parasson, aka Mariah, will be there dressed in armor with zills tightly in hands. Beware of Greeks bearing gifts ;)

I know that she used mostly names that came off of the Paypal accounts that were used to pay. She has listed my maiden name there and it is only on my paypal account, that's how I figured it out.

I wanted to see what the competition looked like to so I started googling people's names. A lot of "real names" hit and I could see video or websites.
I am not sure why it would be a secret who is compteing or not. Your name is posted for all to see on the website.
I don't think there should be anyone who doesn't want to be known....why would you be competing then?

I do see some stiff comptetition this year though!

From my googling, this is what I found:
~Elizabeth Clark (FL) - Elizabeth Clark
~ some hot dancer named Shems...anyone heard of her? ;)
~Amanda Borba (UT) - same name, from above I think, right Amanda? Teacher in Utah listed as part of Blue Lotus Egyptian Cabaret
~Maryam (I think)
~Yeli (me)
~Brittney Banaei (MO) - listed as Brittney, fusion teacher from springfield MO
~Lily Tsai (TX) - Lily
~Susan Molina (FL) - Susan, listed as the "Dina of Miami"
~Amani Jabril (GA) - Amani Jabril
~ Mariah

That's all I found!

You can search on Youtbue for videos of some of the dancers.
I don't think that my You tube video shows my best...I am trying to get more posted. The video was taken about a month after I got out of a leg cast. I think I went on releve like once in the whole performance!

I need more videos up but my husband keeps turning the camera on the side while video taping me and you half to lay down to watch the right way on youtube!

[QUOTE=yeli;212438]From my googling, this is what I found:

~Amanda Borba (UT) - same name, from above I think, right Amanda? Teacher in Utah listed as part of Blue Lotus Egyptian Cabaret
QUOTE]

Yep, that's me. I looked at your YouTube and I think we met backstage at Ya Halla Ya'll last year. I did a solo in a polka dot mini skirt costume and danced with my troupe, Blue Lotus in sparkly nude costumes...

oh here we are, backstage, I'm 2nd in on the right

l_53a09d561ba1061e8b8094290510b3cc.jpg - Image - Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

Yes!!! Didn't you have little cherries on the costume too? I think I remember that...or I am just smoking crack possibly ;)
I also think I remember helping to heavily pin one of your girls into her costume! She lost weight or something like that and it kept slipping?

Originally Posted by yeli

Yes!!! Didn't you have little cherries on the costume too? I think I remember that...or I am just smoking crack possibly ;)
I also think I remember helping to heavily pin one of your girls into her costume! She lost weight or something like that and it kept slipping?

Yep, little cherries, and that was me getting pinned into my bra, my boobs were too big for it and the hooks popped right off, so embarassing!

Originally Posted by yeli

I wanted to see what the competition looked like to so I started googling people's names. A lot of "real names" hit and I could see video or websites.
I am not sure why it would be a secret who is compteing or not. Your name is posted for all to see on the website.

I love that you are as obsessively curious as me... I will meet you soon in Texas. Yay..l;,

Originally Posted by Lauren_

Did she have permission to list people's full real names?

I dance under my real name, but first name only for privacy/security reasons. A couple of times I've been announced by my full name, and I felt a little violated.

I'm with you Lauren. We dance under stage names or assumed names for a reason. It just seems a bit like internet stalking to hunt people down through their real name versus stage name. Due to professional reasons several of us would rather not have our real name published.

Originally Posted by zahena

It just seems a bit like internet stalking to hunt people down through their real name versus stage name.

Seriously? We are being accused of stalking someone by finding out who they are by looking up their publicly posted names and youtube videos? I think that's a bit harsh. Stalking would insinuate that I mean harm to them...not that I am curious about the talent I am up against in a bellydance competition.

It doesn't seem practical that someone would be that protective of their identity and then go and enter a huge dance competition where the results will be publicly announced and published many different places....maybe even the Star Telegram newspaper or Dallas Morning Paper. If someone REALLY was concerned about their safety of anonymity I am sure that DeeDee or Nora would remove their names from the front page of their website.

Well, Yeli, you and I can be stalkers together.. he, he, he.

I agree, the word "stalking" seems to imply a different intent than ours.

But I understand the discomfort people have with real name and dance thing, because I share it. I actually requested that DeeDee change the listing on her site to my dance name or take it down. I don't like having my real name associated with my dancing for numerous reasons. But it seems that the occasional association is unavoidable, particularly because when I first started dancing I did use my real name and there seems to be an irremovable fingerprint of that still floating about on the internet.

So I'm guessing some people don't want the real name -> dance name mapped out as we've done here... Maybe we can take a second edit our posts and scratch the real names and just leave the dance names we know...I'll go edit my initial post.

I think of bhuz as kind of our own little small community, but I guess some of it is open to the public...Is this forum?

okay, I've changed the original listing to just dance names or first names. So if DeeDee gets around to changing, updating or removing what she put on her site then, this will be one less spot that the association can be googled.

ps. I just checked and Dee Dee did change my name to my dance name as per my request, so I'm sure she'll do the same if anybody else requests it of her. <3

Originally Posted by shems

I think of bhuz as kind of our own little small community, but I guess some of it is open to the public...Is this forum?

I think anyone can read the forums. This thread, for instance, has only 26 pots (several of them by the same small group of people) but it's been looked at over 285 times! It's tough to remember sometimes, but Bhuz is a VERY public place.

Originally Posted by zahena

I'm with you Lauren. We dance under stage names or assumed names for a reason. It just seems a bit like internet stalking to hunt people down through their real name versus stage name. Due to professional reasons several of us would rather not have our real name published.

Publicizing real names without permission seems wrong to me.

But I disagree about the 'stalking' part -- the names have already been publicized, the people trying to look them up are just trying to clear up the resulting confusion. Language like 'stalking' and 'hunt people down' seems a little strong here.

Okay, maybe 'stalking' is a bit harsh but to go find them out and then publish it is a tad far.

I'm sure Dee-Dee didn't think about that when she published the list. She's not got a mean bone in her body.

I don't think it's confusion so much as wanting to know your competition, which would seem natural, but it is a public forum and some people do need to keep their street name seperate from their dance name for many reasons.

For me personally I have to keep my two "lives" seperate because of my second job and the rammifications of dealing with conservative Texans.

Good luck to all who are competing!