My Blog

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

KatyaFaris — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 06:03:42 GMT

Check it out and let me know what you think! K xoox http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S3ErZbd2HT8

Mosaic III Drum Solo with Karim Nagi video on Youtube!

KatyaFaris — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 17:31:02 GMT

Check it out, and rate it, please! Thanks! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dxnZD0Kh9LE

New Video from Chicago's Alhambra Palace Restaurant!

KatyaFaris — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 11:57:48 GMT

Mohamed Shahin Showcase, June 22, 2008 www.alhambrapalacerestaurant.com http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nR1K1MBbK8E

Mosaic III and Katya on Youtube!

KatyaFaris — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 20:32:25 GMT

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!

KatyaFaris — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 06:12:21 GMT

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!

KatyaFaris — Sun, 23 Dec 2007 19:48:18 GMT

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

KatyaFaris — Sun, 16 Sep 2007 02:35:13 GMT

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

KatyaFaris — Thu, 30 Aug 2007 14:31:58 GMT

Our concert is now posted to the Waldron Arts Center website: http://www.artlives.org/things_to_do/performance_series.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

KatyaFaris — Sat, 02 Jun 2007 19:43:03 GMT

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: http://www.mazdapub.com/BookDetails.aspx?BookID=29 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!"

KatyaFaris — Fri, 25 May 2007 18:44:57 GMT

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

The Egyptian Hookah Restaurant in Broad Ripple, Indianapolis

KatyaFaris — Sun, 25 Mar 2007 21:16:31 GMT

I've worked so hard in Broad Ripple for so long, and finally we have a quality hookah restaurant! I've waited for ten years, and paid my dues, and finally it's here... http://www.theegyptianindy.com You can see pics of me dancing there on their photo page :)

Myspace.com

KatyaFaris — Sat, 24 Mar 2007 18:58:45 GMT

Hey everyone! I *finally* got my profile updated over at Myspace.com! Check it out, and come and say hi! www.myspace.com/katyafaris

I got accepted!!!

KatyaFaris — Thu, 08 Mar 2007 17:16:17 GMT

Yes, that's right, I got accepted into graduate school in the Folklore/Ethnomusicology Dept. at Indiana University/Bloomington, for next Fall!!! I'm so excited, I can hardly think straight... This will be the last summer to myself for a long long time, so I'm going to make it count!!! :)))) Katya xoxo

Bloomington Belly Dances Festival on March 3rd!

KatyaFaris — Sun, 18 Feb 2007 03:23:01 GMT

www.ddbd.org/workshops/ This is an event put on by Margaret Lion and the Waldron Arts Center/Bloomington Area Arts Council; Roger Merideth is the director. I will be teaching at the workshops, so come out! I am teaching a technique class, and a choreography class in modern Orientale style with veil. The workshops will be at The Dance Center, and the show will be at the Buskirk-Chumley Theatre.

Mohamed Shahin is coming next week!

KatyaFaris — Fri, 26 Jan 2007 15:35:22 GMT

I'm so excited that he's coming back to Bloomington! He's updated his site, it's hot; check it out! www.mohamedshahin.com We're getting all the ads out for the show now; this is the first children's show I've done in awhile, and my daughter will be there!! How cool!!! Don't forget about his workshops on Saturday, Feb. 3rd!!! He's teaching Melaya Leff, and Raqs Sharki; email me for the flyer!!! Come out and support this brilliant artist! Katya xoxo

The Mightiest Oak in the Forest was once just a CRAZY NUT that stood its ground!

KatyaFaris — Fri, 24 Nov 2006 23:09:29 GMT

That is my current favorite quote. True, eh?

Sticking my head above ground for the first time in awhile...

KatyaFaris — Wed, 11 Oct 2006 15:18:08 GMT

How's everyone doing? I've been so busy working and trying to stay afloat, I haven't had time for fun stuff like this. Just wanted to say hi to all my friends here! I haven't forgotten about you, just trying to survive! Love...Katya xoxoxoxo

It's my Birthday today!!!

KatyaFaris — Tue, 11 Jul 2006 10:10:26 GMT

Happy Birthday to me...:) Yes, another year has passed. Hard to believe, it seems like a year ago was so long. So much has happened this year, but for the better. I'm happy to turn over a new leaf, though :) Onwards and upwards!!! This is a pic of me when I was 3 yrs old; I can't believe how much Athena and I look alike!!

8 Things--Here goes!

KatyaFaris — Wed, 21 Jun 2006 23:41:14 GMT

OK, I can't lose face here...so here goes my 8 things....:))) 1) today I got the same fortune TWICE today in my Chinese fortune cookies!!! It said, "the mightiest oak in the forest was once just a crazy nut that stood it's ground". Hmmm...makes you think, eh? 2) I lived in Pusan, Korea for 1 year immediately after I graduated college. I taught English Conversation. 3) I still hold the record for the fastest swimmer in the butterfly 32 yds. for the 8 & under age category at Anderson Country Club in Anderson, IN! I think it's like 28 seconds or something...I'll have to go look again! 4) I have a heat allergy; when I overheat I get hives around my elbows and knees and face! How attractive... 5) I have a mole behind my left ear that's quite large; I guess if I lived during the Inquisition I'd be burned as a witch! 6) My mother is/was a jazz singer. She was doing Diana Krall style jazz before Diana was even born! She doesn't play piano, though. 7) The pinkie toenail on my toes is almost non-existant; I found out this is indicative of people with Black Dutch heritage. 8) And lastly, I don't want to dance for the "rich men" of the world, I want to be one. Well, a rich woman...lol... OK< how many people do I have to tag, five? I"ll have to do that next.... Enjoy! K xoxo

My Beloved Lucky is Gone Today :(

KatyaFaris — Wed, 07 Jun 2006 21:15:55 GMT

My old, dear, sweet cat, Lucky Fella Zephyr, died today. I had to put him to sleep at the vet's. It's so sudden, I'm still in shock. He had the feline FIV, basically HIV for cats. It's so sad, I can't believe it. He was 12 years old. And today is my daughter's birthday. I'm so glad that we had her party on sunday. She played with coloring books in the doctor's office while I held Lucky during his final moments. He was like a human to me. I just held him and told him over and over how much I loved him, and that he could come visit us anytime, and that we would see him in Heaven, for sure. That cat gave me so much love when I was single and so lonely. When I got married and had Athena his health declined; I though he was just getting old. But I think he had FIV all along, and it didn't come out until he was under stress. I feel guilty. My baby is gone. But there is nothing they can do about this virus; he probably got it at birth. It's a miracle he lasted this long. I know his spirit will come and visit me before he moves on. I'll be looking for you, Lucky guy :)

We conjured the Djinn....*

KatyaFaris — Sat, 06 May 2006 04:00:53 GMT

Yes, that's right, our show was so powerful last saturday that we conjured the Djinn (genies, fairies, etc.) Alex and Ishara were sleeping in my living room on our couches, and the door flies open, and the alarm goes off at like 4am!!! I hadn't shut the door completely, but I turned on the alarm. There was a front blowing through with some rain in it and it just blew the door open! I swear it felt like the spirits were trying to tell us something!!!! I always pray before I dance that the spirits dance through me, so they get a chance to shine and have some fun, too. Well, they really had fun with us that night!!!

Mohamed Shahin is coming to Bloomington SOON!!!

KatyaFaris — Tue, 04 Apr 2006 15:48:26 GMT

Yes, the time is drawing near, and we're all rehearsing our bodies and minds for this show! I'm so happy that Mohamed is going to be dancing in our show, "Mosaic: A Tapestry of Middle Eastern and Spanish Dances" on April 29th! The Middle Eastern Dance Club of Indiana University will be presenting our group and solo pieces, directed by yours truly; other performers will include: Alexandria of Chicago; Ishara Gamal of Champaign, ILL., and the students of Faten Ali Munger in Indianapolis! Dances will include: Lebanese and Egyptian Raqs Sharki; Baladi; Mexican Salsa (as opposed to Cuban Salsa), Iskanderian (Melaya Leff), Tanura, Saiidi Tahtib and Cane, and real Spanish Flamenco, and more! It's going to be a great night, come out if you can! And don't forget about the workshops on sunday! Mohamed is teaching two mini-workshops of 2 hrs each, folkloric in the morning, and classic oriental in the afternoon. The registration flyer can be found at: www.katyafaris.com/events.htm I got a radio interview with Mohamed on WTIU 103.7FM, as well! It should air within the two days prior to the show on April 29th, as we are doing the taping on the 27th. I'll post it once I get the time. This is my first big show, and I have a lot to do, AND I have to dance great!!! Wish me luck...and come out to support us:)))

Why are there NO Arabic or ME Nightclubs or Musicians in Indianapolis???

KatyaFaris — Tue, 21 Mar 2006 04:06:20 GMT

I'm frustrated. I want musicians, and a club! Where are the musicians??? I know there must be out of work ME musicians in Indy, but there is nowhere for them to play! This is ridiculous. Chicago is so close, you'd think the culture would've spilled over onto us by now. I think within the next ten years we might have these things in Indy, but by then I may be retired! Help! Calling all musicians!!!!

Amani DVD Review by Katya Faris in the Gilded Serpent !

KatyaFaris — Sat, 21 Jan 2006 17:48:15 GMT

It's there!!! http://www.gildedserpent.com/art34/KatyareviewAmaniDVD.htm

The BIG Move

KatyaFaris — Wed, 30 Nov 2005 03:55:41 GMT

OK, we're doing it...getting a Uhaul truck for thursday. Yup. Finally going to spend the night at my new house!! It only took us a month to get moved in... The down side is that it looks like I will have to get satellite DSL, as my phone company doesn't offer it as far as we live in the country. And we can't get it through our TV satellite provider, either, as they have to have the phone company's support; it has to come from a separate company, probably will be Direcway. However, it ain't cheap; it will run about $100/mo. So, until that is hooked up and running, I will most likely be MIA for a bit. Mercury goes direct on friday, so I am hoping that I will have high speed internet sometime next week!!! I just can't do dial-up anymore...I'm spoiled, what can I say :) So, if you're wondering where I am, I'm in Hindustan unpacking my house!!! I'll be back... Love...Katya xoxo