Thread: Cairo Caravan

It's about time to start a Cairo Caravan meetup thread. Who's going? Who's dancing? I'll be there sunday and 2 costumes I just made are having their premiere that day.

I'm dancing at 3:30 on Saturday, then racing back up to Glendale to dance at the Miss Asia USA pageant, then coming back down to spend the night on the Queen Mary. I'm hoping to catch Bahaia Sat a.m. if I can get up early enough. ;)

.w.:Just got an email I am on Sat at 3:31pm and I did not even know! I have nothing prepared and my custom order from Audrena that I ordered in Jan is not ready Don`t know what to do..w.:

Jody, we're on at the same time! different stages, I guess? I'm on the Valley of the Kings stage...and I'm hoping that my custom Eshta just miiiiight be ready by then. ..g.:

I am on at 3:13 and you are on at 3:30, so about 15 minutes apart. That is if I even do it. I don`t even have music selected!
I am sure you have considered camping out at Eshta`s doorstep and peering through her window to make sure she working fast enough!

I am going and taking my student troupe - Baraem Jamila. Our request is in but haven't received our stage time yet.

First year I just watched, 2nd year I danced solo, 3 year with my partner... this year with my troupe of 5! :-)

I hope to meet some Bhuzzers there!

Mahin

Jodi wear that hot pink costume of yours that I am lusting after!
I also have not heard if I am dancing =(

Originally Posted by nasila

Jody, we're on at the same time! different stages, I guess? I'm on the Valley of the Kings stage...and I'm hoping that my custom Eshta just miiiiight be ready by then. ..g.:

Oh girl! I am sorry to say that there is no way yours will be ready by then. Yours will be done around the mid/end of July. I still have to finish 3 costumes in time for cairo caravan. Yikes!.w.:

Well, darn. I guess I need to spruce up that emerald green one then, eh?

I have a dancer schedule for Sat but haven't heard anything about Sunday. Have they not sent out the Sunday schedule yet??

BTW, the dancer line-up email came from a name I did not recognize and had an ambiguous subject line...I think it even came to my spam box. So look closely before you delete!

uhhh....I just realized that I'm immediately after Shoshanna.

Maybe I should pick a song now and start practicing.

wear your purple dress. I love that one =)
They do have a sunday line-up but it seems incredibly disorganized this year.

I'm planning a one-day outing to the show on Sunday. How many stages are there? What's the layout like?

I think there are 2 stages and they have photos and a rough map of the festival areas at Mecda - Home Page

Originally Posted by eshtabellydance

Jodi wear that hot pink costume of yours that I am lusting after!
I also have not heard if I am dancing =(

I had to email MECDA directly to find out. The email addy is on their website. Otherwise, I would never have known.

Just got our stage time...

Mahin & Baraem Jamilah
Saturday 7:16pm
Valley of the Kings Stage

Here is the Sunday Luxor stage: can anyone else post what they have so we can figure out what we want to do at the festival in spite of the dis-organization?
Veronique
11:00

MAHALAH MINJAREZ
11:09

Mirage in Motion
11:18

X-otika of the Desert
11:26

Babylon Mood
11:40

Makk Rhana
11:52

Westside Belly Dance Project
12:03

Elissa
12:15

Cleopatra's Court
12:24

Mara
12:48

Taji and Marlena
12:57

Kamar and Jewels of Fire
1:06

Touch of Kasbah
1:18

Katerina & the Kabuki Dolls
1:32

Mesmera
1:46

Ya Harissa Bellydance Theater
2:00

Elisheva
2:14

Lila~Licous
2:28

Celestia
2:42

Jamali
2:49

Cynthia
3:01

Troupe Sahira
3:10

Alexiis and Glindas Girls
3:24

Baheyya El-Ghazal
3:48

Bella Oasis Dance Company
3:57

Girls of Alexandria (duo)
4:06

*Jennelah
4:15

Azari
4:23

Nikita
4:32

Nicoliana
4:39

Bahaia
4:47

Here's the Valley of The Kings Stage Saturday schedule:

Thea and Raqs Euphoria 12:00
Desert Divas 12:14
Iridescence 12:23
Mariama and Amis Doré 12:32
Desert Mirage Dancers 12:45
Parri 12:59
Sabrina 1:08
Jewels of the Nile 1:17
Zeyna 1:31
2 Hip Tribal, Laura, Jimena and Kazuko. 1:40
NINA SOFIA 1:54
Jewels of the Dance 2:02
Estrella & her Troupe Nujum Al Raks 2:16
Hayal ("Hi-El") 2:24
Olu 2:33
DaVid of Scandinavia 2:42
TWISTED GYPSY 2:51
Celia 3:03
Gypsy Moon 3:12
Shoshanna 3:22
Nasila 3:31
Dance Mosaic 3:40
Princess Farhana 3:54
Desert Lotus Tribal 4:05
Jenza 4:19
J.J. & the Habibis Laguna Beach Belly Dancers 4:28
EGYPT'S EDGE 4:42
Mandala DanceWorks 4:48
Shirin 4:58
The Cleopatra Club 5:07
TWNN (Tribal Fusion Troupe) 5:21
Kassandra 5:32
The HOOP UNIT 5:40
Cris! Basimah 5:54
Ah Ya Helu 6:05
Scimitar Dance Company 6:13
Fatima and the Butterflies 6:27
Ana Belly Dancer Extraordinaire 6:41
JR. DESERT STARS 6:50
DESERT STARS 7:02
Mahin and Baraem Jamila 7:16

thanks---soon we should have the whole schedule.

Thanks for putting part of the schedule up. It's kinda frustrating not having it as reference. See everyone there.

Anyone else have part of the schedule? We have to arrange our weekend with plenty of time for shopping!!!! and watching our friends and other famous people dance.

Mecda Caravan 09 This link shows all the performers---Saturday and Sunday---alphabetical order---no idea what stage they are on---but at least it's something.

I seem to miss this every year!! June is my busy workshop month where I'm scheduled mainly on the east coast, so I will be teaching in Virginia Beach that weekend!! Have a great time everyone!!

Why all the organization problems this year?!!!!! I have emailed them so many times with no response. Now they are emailing me everyday asking me what my name is and telling me that they are working hard and not having any organization problems but still no info and can't actually answer any of my questions. And now I find out I am on the list on their website but with no time? What gives?!!!

Yay, I'm dancing at the Luxor stage at 12:15 on Sunday. Kinda nervous since it's my first time performing a solo EVER in front of other dancers. At least my dance partner and my dad will be there ,r:;
I'm also planning to wear Ezma's seafoam green Bella....

you'll be great!!! everyone starts somewhere--and just think----when you do a solo-----you can do what you want without having to match someone!!! Have fun!!

I think they are understaffed and unorganized. I emailed them several times about volunteering, then got an email asking me for info I had already given them, then they finally gave me some info on my assignment, but then I had to email them again weeks later to get the rest. They just got back to me a few days ago. Yes it was frustrating. And sorry but I feel it is too expensive. To take a 1 1/2 hour workshop it cost $50 plus $15 admission, I just don't think it is worth it. Plus from where I live it is over an hour drive, and maybe we have to pay for parking too (wouldn't surprise me). Well, we will see how it goes, I do want success for the event of course.

yes---the parking is $8-----i hope the event goes ok and that most of the bugs have gotten worked out.

Here's the schedule for the Luxor Stage on Sat. (as of 5/8 anyway--this is NOT the final schedule!!):

12:00 Loretta
12:09 Morrigan
12:18 Tahiya and the Staggering Goddesses of the Omphalos
12:32 June
12:41 Darylin & Suzanne
12:46 The Velvet Plume
12:57 Moonshadow Dancers
1:10 Meryem Vani and Troupe Zaghareet
1:24 Roz and Dancing Sands
1:38 Almase Arabesque
1:47 Farrah
1:56 Tahma
2:02 Sa'eeda and Troupe Baraka
2:11 Najma (that's me! ..g.:)
2:18 Marie Elena
2:27 Shahira & the Saiidi Dancer
2:41 Sababa
2:50 Tribe of Astarte
3:04 Casey
3:13 Jody
3:21 Leela with Salome Jihad
3:38 Glitter Gypsies
3:47 Antoinette
3:53 Melissa
4:02 Azyetunnamed
4:14 Jessica of Ojai
4:28 Troupe Melangees
4:36 Zoe
4:43 Blue Lotus Dance Company
5:02 Jewels of Miehana
5:16 Alamkara
5:32 SaJa Middle Eastern Dance Co.
5:46 Aruba Ala Nar
6:00 The Om sisters
6:12 Sol Y Luna set up (Live music)
6:29 Hiplash
6:43 Kashmin
6:57 Sol Y Luna take down
7:14 Elysium Dance Theatre
7:30 Fahtiem
7:42 Sherri Wheatly
7:56 Bahaia
8:02 Rachel Brice

I think they're going to lose money on it with the cost of using the Queen Mary.

The cost of workshops, admission, and parking is also very high compared to other events.

http://www.mecda.org There is now a link to order dvd or VHS of your show---finally!!!! tell your dance friends---one less thing to worry about this weekend.