Aw many thanks Dani!
I lose my hair from time to time so I use 3/4 wigs,clipin extensions and just cut down my own-short hair actually hide bald spots better and a half wig looks better than ratty permanent extensions.
About the trip:
I loved Istanbul and will definitely return.
Anyone will love it too if they enjoy going to Balkan,North Africa or the ME.
The city has enough historic sights,clubs,shops and events to keep a visitor busy until exhaustion.
Exotic elements like fresh juice,the "inshallah" factor and sinister military police PLUS "just like home" cash machines,taxameters and timetables!
All signs written after the 1920:s(and price tags) are in the Latin alphabet,so it´s easier for a westerner to find your way,read menus or go to a beauty salon.
About the music:
Beautiful and interesting live music is everywhere.
Much of the music played,both classical and pop,are in even Arabic rythms but with Turkish lyrics(so even Cairo-centric girls will feel at home
)
Rock bands and gypsy orchestras may play at the same venues;the music scene is very diverse.
Great movie tip:
http://www.crossingthebridge.de/
See the trailer on the website...this movie made me cave in and get there!
About the dancing:
I think Kay Taylor pretty much said it in her interview with Leila for the GS:
"I would say Turkish dance is more gypsy or gymnast based. The girls use far more floor work and are more overtly sexy.
I find it more showy – it has a feel of its own which I find very different to Egyptian dance. I find Egyptian dance is more sensual than sexual. Both are skillful but the Turkish style relies on more razamataz whereas the Egyptian style relies on the technical skill and interpretation of the individual.
Saying this, I am not an expert on Turkish dance but this is the feel I get.
I love the Turkish folk dance from the different regions – but that is completely different."
It does not "rock my boat" when a pretty young girl in a bellydance costume wiggle it with unidentifiable movements to a rai song,so...the only two bellydancer or "oryantal danzös" I truly enjoyed seeing was Hale Sultan and Reyhan(last years winner of "Oryantal Star".Reyhan danced Roman style at the celebration of Hidrellez festivities.)
http://www.hidrellez.org/english.asp
(Of course I sat in clubs and returants and waited for a dancer like Eva Cernik or Artemis Mourat to sweep in-but that didn´t happen...so American Turkish dancers are way more worth watching to me than the average Turkish dancer I saw.)
As Hale understands references to popular bellydancers from both yesterday and today,trains hard and travels around the word,(often holds workshops and performs in Asia+works on contract for Toroz in the ME)I would not say she represents what you are likely to see on stage in Turkey.
I took a workshop with her and she squeezed in two choreos;one to a pop hit by an Armenian singer and one to "Rakkas"(Bellydancer)by Sezen Aksu.
She speaks excellent English.
http://www.halesultan.net/index.html
There are many,many styles of amazing folk dances,and the troupes I saw were all very professional and well rehearsed with beautiful costumes.
I went there with Ülkü Holago of Raqs el Hawanem and Helene "Shehrazat" Skaugen.
Both Ülkü and Helene speaks Turkish and were wonderful to have at my side,here are some links:
http://www.hawanem.nu/bilder.html Unfortunately no English page,but a nice gallery!
http://helene.no/ (click on the "english" button to read more about Helene.)
The group "Divas of Bellydance"in which Helene is a member:
http://divasofbellydance.com/en-index.html
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