I am SO GLAD I went to Finland

[Bellydancingcaroline]

I've just got back from Finland, from 11 delicious hours in a class with Randa. It is hard to name an exact highlight, the whole thing was fabulous, now excuse me as I have to lie down.

[outi]

Oh, you went there after all!
Sorry I missed you this time...

[Bellydancingcaroline]

<gets up> yes ! I do like your country. I thought it was funny, as when I arrived, WTF was written on all sorts of leaflets and magazines. Turns out it stands for Welcome to Finland.<lies back down again>

[wigglewhiz]

I hate you. <- me green and sick with envy.



What did you do? What did she wear to class? Did you do choreo or technique? Both? Tell me everything! <geekity geek>

[heinakuu]

She was absolutely the hardest trainer I have had for a long long time, and you know, I have seen many! I am going to post pics when I receive them but she really liked to teach here. On the first day, we did alot of high level technique, special Randa steps and actually, runs. Hard to describe, but she has her own specific way of moving around. It seems easy when you look at it, but when you try to follow her, you move like an old cow compared to her.
She really RUNS also backwards. On the second course we learned a completely new choreo, her entrance dance called Randa Dance and a very, absolutely sexy song with some crazy words. she made it very clear that we have to use all parts of the body when dancing, the head, the neck, the eyes, the eyebrows, toes, lips, everything.

Also she wanted us to keep the body straight at all times, even when sitting and when sleeping (Caroline nearly asked how does it happen). And all the time she got to remind us that hands are extremely important and she wants to see them also straight, always, everywhere, and the lifts to be determined and focused, when you move you move, and when not, then just stay.

And all the way she was working with us, going from one to another, helping with posture, hands, timing. She wanted to finish the whole choreo and gave us a free 45 mins in the end to complete it. We loved that, loved her, and she also seemed to enjoy. In a few cases she laughed to my expressions because I was overdoing it, and we giggled like small girls together. She also talked good english, even translated the dirty song to us and we laughed even more. And her drummer, too, nearly fell down when laughing with us
(caroline, remember when Randa asked him to shut his eyes, when we practiced the "certain" movement.....!!!)

What was the best thing I think was the small size of classes, we really got to know her and had space to move. She was wearing white socks and a black unitard for the class (Caroline, hopefully you can describe it better, and the pics will of course).

The show was also fantastic, you know, she had a driving energy, and I liked that she put everything there -her charisma, her body - to let us enjoy. The orchestra had an excellent singer and Raed, the derwish, amazed also everyone. He does to turning with such a pleasure that he seems to be dancing. Actually,I later heard that he is a good folklore dancer, too.

After the event, I had to travel to India in business so it took me this long to
come back to bhuz, but I'll post more later.

I knew it was going to be a great event but it really was at least ten times more better in many ways that I expected.

[kiyaana]

I love this! My brain now thinks, "Welcome to Finland," every time I see WTF.

Originally Posted by Bellydancingcaroline

<gets up> yes ! I do like your country. I thought it was funny, as when I arrived, WTF was written on all sorts of leaflets and magazines. Turns out it stands for Welcome to Finland.<lies back down again>

[Bellydancingcaroline]

Hello ! I am slow coming back to this thread, it didn't show up in 'new posts' so I didn't think to check back...

She taught 4 classes each was 2.5 hours long, I went to all of them ! As Heinakuu said, she wore a shiny catsuit, that stopped at the knee, it was slightly open around the bellybutton area, and had a little bit of beading on the bottom of the legs. It wasn't lycra shiny, it was a thicker material, maybe a lycra polyester mix.

She didn't warm up, at all, and for 1 class she did technique, which consisted of very small combinations, often reduced to one move. for example, really fast chonks, done around in a tiny circle, and a body wave movement - then reverse it the other way and repeat until you feel like you are getting an asthma attack. so it was like chonks x 8, body wave, chonks x 8.

OK, then for the other class she did a simple choreo, the same one that she did in London at Fantasia. Then she did the complex 'professional level' choreo. Which was one of the most aerobically challenging thing I have ever done. And I have walked down the grand canyon & I cycle 16 miles most days. After literally 5 minutes, people were bent over, huffing puffing, taking drags on their inhailers. We were grateful for any breaks that came our way.

So, the choreo. Was. Amazing. I admit, I never really 'got' her before, as when I met her in Oslo 3 years ago I did not get along with this style. Randa has evolved as a teacher, and I have become a little better so that I was able to meet her in the middle this time.

The choreo was mainly small combinations that repeating to different refrains in the music. Lots of kicking (high horse style), and sharp turns, sharp head movements, hand flourishes with each movement. every. time. Lots of balletic arabesques, spins and always she was saying "bigger, bigger, more more !" to the movements, to the shimmies, to everything.

I am a total and utter convert ! Though I am still not sure about the 'pulling rope' movement. Oh, I to mention, she does glute squeezes with almost every movement, and this was the move she got the drummer to look away when we practiced. Squeeze/relax/ squeeze/relax etc. She never used the term 'glute squeeze'.