Hello! (UK belly dancer)

[Sujhata]

I should probably introduce myself.

I'm Kim, I'm 22, japanese/scottish and I live in Glasgow (UK). I took my first belly dance lesson when I was 17 back in Aberdeenshire, moved to Glasgow the same year and took lessons with a teacher in Edinburgh for three years. After that I got private lessons from a Spanish girl who happened to go to my Uni as well. In total I've been dancing (with some gaps) for five and a half years.

I can't exactly say why I got into belly dance...many reasons. I have some interest in middle eastern culture, my father worked in the middle east/north africa a lot so I've heard many stories while growing up. The melodies in the music have always fascinated me. I also have bizarre vivid memories when I was in Germany aged 7/8 of little belly dancers the same age doing camels on the TV, I think that stuck. I have always loved all forms of dance and self-expression, so when I found local classes I grabbed the opportunity!

I had my first performance back in march and I'd definitely like to get more serious about it. Dance was but on a back burner due to University and a minor knee injury, so I really need to focus now! Lot of workshops for me! I'm also looking for regular intermediate/advanced classes as well, hopefully with someone who will push me very hard!

I have studied mainly Egyptian style and at the moment I'm saving up for an extended trip to Cairo at the end of '08/beginning of '09 (2009?! How scary is that?).

My username is Sujhata (although I prefer to spell it Sujata). It's actually an indian name that my mum wanted to call me (my family are buddhists and my parents met in India, Sujata has strong 'buddhisty' connotations). Um, nothing much else to say.

So hello! x

[beafarhana]

Hello Sujata

There are a fair few Scottish bhuzzers, so you're in good company. Welcome to bhuz!

[deelybopper]

Hi Sujata! Welcome to Bhuz

[LarryH]

Welcome, Sujata!

I was checking out records of Ravi Shankar at the local public library when I was twelve or so...thought the music was cool, complex, and different to what everyone else was listening to...

Is it hard to obtain CD's and such of this style of music over there?

See ya!


Larry

[Emma]

[Sujhata]

Hello! It depends where you look. Sadly I can't really compare it to anywher else because I haven't been shopping elsewhere in the world for CDs. In biggere cities like Glasgow/Edinburgh, the larger music stores will stock a small world music collection that will contain something generally related to bellydance/arabic music but you can't find anything that specific (I've seen quite a few Khaled cds, not much more of anything else). There are a couple of arabic specific shops that sell music, as well as a belly dance store in Edinburgh that I know of.

But with the internet just about anything is easy to get a hold of nowadays! I tend to shop online mostly because it's cheaper anyway and you can find what you want in little more than an instant.

Yes, Ravi Shankar, I do remember a lot of his tapes sitting in my dad's collection, along with a lot of mediteranean style music (which often bleeds into belly dance music). There's just something about it though - it's irresistible. The melodies wrap you in their emotion and the rhythyms make you want to dance. I find it hard to listen to anything else.

Originally Posted by LarryH

Welcome, Sujata!

I was checking out records of Ravi Shankar at the local public library when I was twelve or so...thought the music was cool, complex, and different to what everyone else was listening to...

Is it hard to obtain CD's and such of this style of music over there?

See ya!


Larry

[Egyptianangel]

Hi Sujhata, and a warm welcome from a fellow european.
Just a word of warning - Bhuz isn't good for you. You'll get hooked, trust me. I get nothing else done around the house.

[lizajuk]

Welcome to Bhuz, the land of the obsessed.

[wigglewhiz]

Ahoy, fellow Weegie! Well... currently resident Weegie, via many an interesting side route, it sounds like!

Are you going to the hafla in Glasgow this Friday? I'll be there if you fancy saying hello!

[Sujhata]

Originally Posted by wigglewhiz

Ahoy, fellow Weegie! Well... currently resident Weegie, via many an interesting side route, it sounds like!

Are you going to the hafla in Glasgow this Friday? I'll be there if you fancy saying hello!

There's a hafla this Friday? One bad thing about not taking regular classes is you get sooo out of touch - I think I'm living on Mars. I've been googling for events and I couldn't find anything for Glasgow (actually there's something on tribe. but tribe is down).

I'll have to look that up, do you know where and when?

[Egyptianangel]

Also there's Fantasia on the weekend of the 8th December. Who's going? I am, yipeeeeeeee.

[Sujhata]

Originally Posted by Egyptianangel

Also there's Fantasia on the weekend of the 8th December. Who's going? I am, yipeeeeeeee.

Is that the one in London? Jealous! I'd love to take a workshop with Fereshteh.

Anyone going to Egyptian Moonlight in March? I'll be booking in December when I have money...I'm just a little worried about getting to Littlehampton! I have bad experiences of going to places from London, it can take much longer than you think.

What about Aziza's workshops in Edinburgh?

[Bellydancingcaroline]

Yes Aziza will be wonderful ! Plug, plug (I am the organiser). Book online soon as places are selling out www dot bellydancedivas dot com

[Bellydancingcaroline]

yeah, it's not so easy to find out about things happening is it. I consider myself pretty plugged into the scene here, but I didn't know about the Glasgow Hafla either...

[Sujhata]

Originally Posted by Bellydancingcaroline

Yes Aziza will be wonderful ! Plug, plug (I am the organiser). Book online soon as places are selling out www dot bellydancedivas dot com

Definitely going! My boyfriend booked them as a Christmas/birthday present (yay for lovely supportive SOs). Does it look like all the classes are going ahead? I have a feeling my body might pack in with the intensity.

It is really hard to find out about events, a lot of them seem to be by word of mouth or through teachers/classes. I still have no idea where the hafla is! I think it's because everything is so diffused. I can find a good deal of information about events on several sites, but never all the information in one place. I wish it could be a bit more centralised! Not sure how that would be managed though.

[beafarhana]

Sujata- your icon looks vaguely familiar- are you on Livejournal? I'm getting an impression that I've seen you on the bd comm there (of course, it could just be me getting premature flashes of senile denentia!)

[Sujhata]

Originally Posted by beafarhana

Sujata- your icon looks vaguely familiar- are you on Livejournal? I'm getting an impression that I've seen you on the bellydance comm there (of course, it could just be me getting premature flashes of senile denentia!)

Indeed I am on there! I post occasionally on the forums. I recognise you from there too! There's quite a few people on here I recognise actually.

[Emma]

Originally Posted by Sujhata

Indeed I am on there! I post occasionally on the forums. I recognise you from there too! There's quite a few people on here I recognise actually.

*Looks furtive*

Caroline, I can't find your website...

[Bellydancingcaroline]

Emma - if you google bellydancedivas it will come up.

Sutaja - yes they are all going ahead!

[Emma]

Originally Posted by Bellydancingcaroline

Emma - if you google bellydancedivas it will come up.

Sutaja - yes they are all going ahead!

Found it! I really wanted to do Hands, Arms and Poses with Aziza, if I hadn't spent so much on the Croydon workshops I'd be looking up flights to Edinburgh right now.