Mosaic III Balady Taqsim with Cane, and Pop with Zils video is up!

Check it out and let me know what you think!

K xoox

www.youtube.com/watch

Mosaic III Drum Solo with Karim Nagi video on Youtube!

Check it out, and rate it, please!

Thanks!

www.youtube.com/watch

New Video from Chicago's Alhambra Palace Restaurant!

Mohamed Shahin Showcase, June 22, 2008
www.alhambrapalacerestaurant.com

www.youtube.com/watch

Mosaic III and Katya on Youtube!

I've got two great pieces of news! First, we will be holding Mosaic III at the Waldron Arts Center in Bloomington on August 30-31, www.artlives.org. Our special guest artist will be Karim Nagi, www.turbotabla.com. Show is Saturday, August 30, and the workshops are Sunday, August 31. I will have the registration flyer done next week, so if you are interested in attending, please email me at katya@katyafaris.com!

Second, I got my videos finally uploaded to Youtube! Check 'em out, it is a Raqs Sharqi set I did with Salaam at their Gala last October: www.youtube.com/katyafaris.

Also, my website is finally *done* for now...I have some more videos to upload, but at least I have a photo gallery and video links to Youtube there! Check it out: www.katyafaris.com.

Whew...back to work!

Love...Katya xoxo

My Website's Back UP!

Yeah!!!! It's not edited yet, but that's what I'll be doing the week after the concerts...we're putting on Wordpress, so now I can do all the updates myself! Whew...finally, and I will get my new videos on there, I promise! The ones from last Fall's Gala with Salaam, and from these new shows coming up, too!

Don't forget, Mosaic II, April 4 and 5! www.artlives.org

Katya xoxo

Merry Christmas!

Yes, I know I've been absent for awhile here, but it's been for a good reason! I just finished my first semester of grad school, and I did very well! I ended up loving my ethnomusicology transcription and analysis course after all! Once I was able to apply what I was learning to the music that I'm interested in, I saw things that I would've never seen if I hadn't done that work. So, it's been a very enlightening semester!

I just got some new photos taken! Take a peek, and let me know what you think!

Happy Holidays everyone!!! I'll try to keep more in touch here!

Love...Katya xoxo

Salaam's Middle Eastern Gala, October 27th

Salaam has hired me to direct the dancing for the Gala this year! It's nice to work with them again :) I've posted a pic above from the very first Gala we did back in '99; hard to believe that was eight years ago!
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

announcing . . .

Salaam's 8th Middle Eastern Gala!
Saturday, October 27th, 2007

at the

Buskirk-Chumley Theatre

Show starts at 7:00pm (Doors Open at 6:00)

Salaam’s 8th Middle Eastern Gala will transport you to the dance clubs and music halls of Egypt , Turkey , Syria and more! Salaam will be joined by local and international guest singers, dancers and musicians. This feast for the senses will also feature fine Middle Eastern cuisine available for purchase in the theatre lobby.

The Gala is a celebration of peace and Middle Eastern culture!

Artists include:

Dena El Saffar, violin, viola, joza, vocals

Tim Moore, percussion

Amir El Saffar, vocals, trumpet, santoor

Gaida Hinnawi, vocals

Victor Santoro, 'oud

Joe Donnelly, ney, clarinet, saxophones

Raja Hanania, shebaba, percussion

Kevin MacDowell, guitar

Katya Faris of Bloomington, IN, dance

Alexandria of Chicago, dance

Ana Lucia of Brazil, dance

Please join us on Saturday, October 27th at the beautiful Buskirk-Chumley Theatre, located at 114 E. Kirkwood Ave. (1/2 block east of the courthouse square), in Bloomington, IN. The music starts at 7:00pm, but the doors open at 6:00, so come early to enjoy some food!

Ticket available online at bloomingtonarts.info or at the Sunrise Box Office, 114 E. Kirkwood Ave. Open every day from noon-5:00pm. Also by phone with Visa/MC at (812) 323-3020.

$20 general admission / $16 in advance

$15 students, seniors and youth / $12 in advance

For more information, e-mail: tim@salaamband.com

"Mosaic II: A Tapestry of Middle Eastern Dances", a part of the Performance Series at the Waldron Arts Center

Our concert is now posted to the Waldron Arts Center website:

www.artlives.org/things_to...eries.html

There are a few additions:

-Salaam, a Middle Eastern band, from Bloomington, IN will perform with a few soloists, myself included, live improv!

-Ozan, a Turkish male folkdancer, will perform; he is a fellow graduate student of mine in the Folklore/Ethnomusicology Dept. here at Indiana University

I hope to see as many of you as possible next April 4-5!

Katya
www.katyafaris.com

**New Book: "Bellydance", by Anthony Shay and Barbara Sellers-Young

This is wonderful, a new book on Belly Dance in Academia!!! Probably a good read, too, as Anthony Shay is a part of it; I just love reading his stuff. He's so witty and insightful.

It's called, "Bellydance: Orientalism, Transnationalism, and Harem Fantasy". You can purchase it at the publisher's website:

www.mazdapub.com/BookDetails.aspx

I will definitely use this book in my graduate studies next year! It's hard to find things specifically about Oriental Dance. Thanks, you guys!!!!

Katya xoxo

"The Pioneer Woman: Ploughing Through Life...One Calf Nut at a Time!"

You know your Mom's from Oklahoma when your cousin's website is titled, "The Pioneer Woman: Ploughing through Life...One Calf Nut at a Time"!! You gotta see her website, it's fabulous: www.thepioneerwoman.com. And I thought I was a Desperate Housewife!! Geesh....at least Target is only 25 mins. away; hers is 1.5 hrs away!

Also, when I get dressed to dance my husband tells me that I have "Oklahoma hair"! In other words, a big ass hairspray styled do.

I love Oklahoma. I miss it...I guess I'm just an Oklahoma Girl at Heart ;-)

Time to try some calf nuts...lol...and darnit, aren't those cowboys CUTE???

Katya xoxo