Welcome to My World....

Mahin's OPEN DANCE NIGHT

Mahin — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 04:38:26 GMT

Monday, March 24th 7:30 pm Oasis Cafe SW corner of Broadway & McClintock in Tempe Admission $2.00 per person at the door Open floor for social dancing, open stage for jamming.... Plus performances by Ana, Saida and more! There's still room for YOU or your music/dance group to perform - contact Mahin at mahin@cox.net.

Stick a Fork In Me....

Mahin — Sat, 01 Sep 2007 00:30:03 GMT

I'M DONE! I cannot take this heat anymore! If I at all possibly could, I'd refuse to go out in daylight till it cools off.... when will that be... October? It's like an ever-present evil just waiting for you to come out and pounce on you. It hits you like a furnace blast when you open the door. It's too hot to move outside... too hot to breathe even. My lungs are scorched. Hell doesn't scare me.... I live in PHOENIX!

Home from Vacation & Back to Work!!

Mahin — Fri, 20 Jul 2007 18:00:36 GMT

Vacation was great but it's time to get back to work. Beginner Tempe class sessions start on July 24th.... Open Dance on Thursday the 26th and the upcoming MECDA workshops in Sedona on August 25th but first - Performances this weekend.... FRIDAY, JULY 20TH Efes Turkish Cuisine SW corner of Guadlupe & McClintock in Tempe 7:00 & 8:00 pm with live music by Gabby Tawil & Tony Hajar Lamassu Mediterranean Grill Val Vista Rd. south of Elliot 9:00pm Cleopatra Cafe 27th Ave. south of Northern Ave. in Phoenix 11:00 pm SATURDAY, JULY 21st Cafe Istanbul Apache between Rural & McClintock 7:30 & 8:30pm Oasis Cafe (the original) Apache between Rural & McClintock too! 11:30 pm and 1:00am - open till 4am!

Sweet Reward

Mahin — Mon, 16 Jul 2007 14:41:25 GMT

Ahhh.... vacation on beautiful Long Beach Island

Cairo Carnivale Here I Come :-) !

Mahin — Tue, 08 May 2007 19:23:09 GMT

I had so much fun last year, I have to go back! Yesterday I booked my flight, hotel and workshops for Cairo Carnivale. Although I went last year, I decided to go too late to get a performance slot. This year I put in a request and forgot to mail back my contract because I was so busy working on the Tucson event... oh yeah... and going to school. I got put on the waiting list. I guess luck is with me this year since I got a call from the performance coordinator asking me if I wanted a spot with live music Sat. night. You bet I do!! So if you're going to Cairo Carnivale, you can find me on the outdoor Gypsy stage Sat. 7pm with the band. I'll also be volunteering as Stage Manager for the Bazaar stage Sat. 11:30-1:30. I hope I get a chance to meet some of my Tribe friends in person there :-)

Something To Consider....

Mahin — Thu, 15 Mar 2007 03:45:27 GMT

If we could shrink the earth's population to a village of precisely 100 people, with all the existing human ratios remaining the same, it would look something like the following: There would be: 57 Asians 21 Europeans 14 from the Western Hemisphere, both north and south 8 Africans 52 would be female 48 male 70 would be non-white 30 would be white 70 would be non-Christian 30 would be Christian 89 would be heterosexual 11 would be homosexual 6 people would possess 59% of the entire world's wealth and all 6 would be from the United States. 80 would live in substandard housing 70 would be unable to read 50 would suffer from malnutrition 1 would be near death; 1 would be near birth 1 (yes, only 1) would have college education 1 would own a computer. When one considers our world from such a compressed perspective, the need for acceptance, understanding and education becomes glaringly apparent. The following is also something to ponder... If you woke up this morning with more health than illness...you are more blessed than the million who will not survive this week. If you have never experienced the danger of battle, the loneliness of imprisonment, the agony of torture, or the pangs of starvation...you are ahead of 500 million people in the world. If you can attend church meeting without fear of harassment, arrest, torture, or death...you are more blessed than three billion people in the world. If you have food in the refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof over your head and a place to sleep..you are richer than 75% of this world. If you have money in the bank, in your wallet, and spare change in a dish someplace...you are among the top 8% of the world's wealthy. If your parents are still alive and still married...you are very rare, even in the United States and Canada. If you can read this message, you just received a double blessing in that someone was thinking of you, and furthermore, you are more blessed than over two billion people in the world that cannot read at all. Someone Said: What goes around comes around. Work like you don't need money. Love like you've never been hurt. Dance like nobody's watching. Sing like nobody's listening. Live like it's Heaven on Earth.

New York: Day 6

Mahin — Mon, 15 Jan 2007 04:26:28 GMT

Class started mericifully late today - 11:30. I especially appreciated that, since I had been out dancing till 2am! We started with our usual warmup and then reviewed the choreographies we had learned throughout the week. Following that, we had a lecture and question and answer session with Morocco.She discussed the roots of this dance and her own history and purpose in it. She addressed the differences between "authentic" Middle Eastern dance and good theater, the history of the term "bellydance" and her position on the use of this misnomer and her views on "bellydance" competitions. And through it it all she was her own irreverently funny self. I'm gonna miss that lady - and miss New York...

New York: Day 5

Mahin — Mon, 15 Jan 2007 04:08:11 GMT

I think this day was one of the best I've ever had - or this evening to be specific. On Thursday Tarik Sultan taught the choreography to Asena (actually a souped up version of Ana Fi Intizarak). It was a really fun choreography but I was coming down with a cold and a sore throat from the NY weather and I stayed only till lunchtime. After that I chose to go back to the hotel and rest up for the evening show at the Lafayette Grill. The show was wonderful - all the workshop ladies did a beautiful job. There were first-time performances and veterans with 20 years of experience and everything in between - and they were all unique and fabulous. In addition to the workshop participants, we also got to see our instructors perform again. For my own part in the show I danced to part of Set El Hosen with a live drum solo. Morocco graciously allowed my friend and favorite drummer Majdi to accompany me for my show slot. We had a great time (thanks Majdi!) After the show Bruno came by and took us to Tagine to see live Berber music. He told us a mutual friend, Rachid Halihal, was also in town and would join us there. The evening just kept getting better. Tagine is cozy and full of decoration everywhere. The Berber music was a unique and interesting change from what we usually hear. When they were done Bruno got up to play violin and Majdi joined in and I was asked to put on my costume and dance. Bruno didn't even have to ask what song I wanted most <wink>. After a break Bruno switched out with Rachid and more music and dancing ensued... till 2am. If I could have wished for anything, I never would have even thought to wish for something as wonderful and these three musicians and friends and to dance with them together in New York City.

New York: Day 4

Mahin — Mon, 15 Jan 2007 03:49:36 GMT

Wednesday was cane day!! I love cane... give me a good heavy Saidi with lots of mizmar and I just can't sit still. Along with the choreography Morocco gave us lots of background on the style and it's origins and how it came to the cabaret stage and answered lots of questions from us... her "duckies". The afternoon session was Delsarte technique. I had never heard of this before but it was really a poweful experience. It was amazing to see the difference a change in posture, a tilt of the head or direction of gaze brings to simple movement. Joe was a very patient and genuine teacher that clearly believes in what he does and how it makes each dancer's performance more powerful. On Wednesday evening I met up with musician friends also staying in the city and we went back to Sahara East. I'd had two iffy outings (Le Caire and Casbah Rouge-company not withstanding) and I just wanted to go where I was sure to have a pleasant evening - and we did. Moroccan lamb couscous... yummm.

New York: Day 3

Mahin — Mon, 15 Jan 2007 03:43:41 GMT

Things got busy and internet connections got iffy so I'm finishing this up from home... Tuesday was part two of the Oriental routine (I stand corrected Auntie ;-) )It's a really great rountine and that's a good thing since I KNOW I'll never forget it - I've done it so many times. She told us it would get into our DNA....I think I am now genetically altered. On Tuesday evening 7 of us packed into two taxis to go to the Casbah Rouge to see a show. We arrived only to be told there was no show tonight (despite 2 phonecalls to confirm it).Not knowing where else to go we stayed for dinner. The food was good but the service was lousy and the staff very difficult. But hey - I'd rather have good company in a bad restaurant than bad company in a good restaurant. What happens when you put 7 dancers together at a table? LOTS of story swapping. We did a lot of laughing that night

New York: Day 2

Mahin — Tue, 09 Jan 2007 05:29:32 GMT

Today was our first day of classes with Morocco herself. I now know why we were warned. She worked us into a continual daylong sweat. Our project today was a beladi choreography. After a 45 minute technique warmup we got into it. Her method of teaching choreography is to teach a section, then do it four times. She adds the next section and then repeats from the top 4 times. Each section gets tacked on in the same way with four practice repeats - from the top. By the end of the afternoon many of us were losing our place from the endless back to back repeats. Something about this brings to mind Chinese water torture LOL! The choreography itself is fun and has lots of good stuff to take away from it in terms of combinations, musical interpretation and transitions however so I am thoroughly enjoying it despite the method. Anyone who is either on the MED list or has read one of Morocco's numerous articles knows she is one opinionated woman with a very *out there* personality. She is even more so in person. She's a real cut-up in class and full of information that she delivers via humorous stories from her adventures. What people don't get from her writing (or at least I didn't) was that she is really super-nice too. Her sense of humor, individuality and abandon are really infectious. To top it all off she seems to have boundless energy despite being "straight off the ark" in her own words. Morocco danced EVERY repetition right along with us and never showed a sign of fatigue - amazing! One of the best things about travelling to workshops for me is meeting new dancer friends. I've made two new ones - one from Indiana and one from Maryland and we're having a good time both in class and out. We went out shopping this evening and to Sahara East for dinner and a major gab session. I don't even want to think about this week ending..

New York: Day 1

Mahin — Sun, 07 Jan 2007 23:47:32 GMT

Last night's show was really nice. Morocco's troupe, the Casbah Dance Experience performed as well as some of the other instructors for this week -Ayshe, Medea Maldavi and Tarik Sultan. After the show i went to catch a dancer's show at a hookah place. Some people think Oasis is tiny!! The joint I was in last night would fit 3 times in Oasis! It was wall to wall people so the dancer did her show on top of a table -really!! The shisha was *the worst* I've *ever* had but on the up side I landed a paid gig for this Friday night. I got up to tip the dancer and danced with her briefly- we chatted afterwards and she asked me to sub for her at another club. I'm excited :-) Today we had class from 9:30 this morning till 5:00 this evening with an hour for lunch. The morning instructor was Ayshe teaching wings. I thought about skipping this one because I don't have wings and I find myself disliking veil more and more the past few years. But as fate would have it, there were a few loaner pairs and I had a great time with them - a new toy! This afternoon we did Persian style dance - another first for me. That was really interesting and the instructor was a native Iranian that travels and performs there 2 or 3 times a year. She was also very sweet and a very effective instuctor. Tonight it's off to check out another club and squeeze in a couple hours of sleep before Rocky gets ahold of us tomorrow. I've been warned about her - but that's what I came here for ;-) Bring her on....

New York City & Morocco's Weeklong Dance Intensive

Mahin — Sat, 06 Jan 2007 23:24:16 GMT

I just arrived in NYC and got settled into my hotel in the Chelsea district. Tonight is Morocco's opening concert which will be followed by 6 full days of dance classes by Morocco and her teaching staff. I am so excited to be here - I've wanted to study with her for years! If you'd like to read more about it - check back in to my blog later :-) Off to dinner and a show!!

The Results Are In....

Mahin — Tue, 12 Dec 2006 16:51:13 GMT

... and the statistics project is done! Thank you to everyone who sent me data to use :-) Here's what I found out.... The average professional dancer owns 12.42 costumes The average student dancer owns 5.72 (Hmmm.... .42 costumes must be one of those skimpy things) So there's some trivia to toss around at the next hafla - thanks again!

AZ MECDA Chapter LEVANT AL SONORA Kick-Off Event

Mahin — Wed, 08 Nov 2006 01:54:39 GMT

On November 3rd Arizona's MECDA chapter - Levant al Sonora started off with a bang! We had a full evening of music, dance, fahsions and vending at the lovely Layali Restaurant in Ahwatukee. The event was completely sold out and the all proceeds will provide seed money for other events in our dance community. Thank you so much to everyone who made the evening so fabulous..... Our Performers.... Bedouin Tribe, Carrie, Natium, Black Opal and Helena Vlahos Our Musicians.... Abdou Abdullah, Joe Borik and Dave Gill Our Emcee... Leah Polasik Our Models and their helpers led off by Kymana who did a fab job running the fashion show Also Nissa & Brad, Karra Lawrence, Tom Pettijohn, & Jazmine for their help with the many other things that needed to be done. A very special thank you to Carrie & Three Trees for coming down from Sedona, providing a spacious dressing room tent and sound system and performing too! We look forward to many more fun events from our own MECDA chapter. If you'd like to get involved or join MECDA you can find more info here - www.mecda.org Look for notice of a planning meeting in early December to discuss events for 2007 - you are invited to get involved!!

This Weekend's Performances

Mahin — Fri, 28 Jul 2006 20:05:43 GMT

Nov. 10 & 11... off to Los Angeles!!

Been Tagged by Sasha...

Mahin — Tue, 13 Jun 2006 22:53:53 GMT

She got me! OK 8 things about me... 1. I'm a very private person so this is kinda tough.. 2. My favorite color is purple. 3. My least favorite food is American (hamburgers, hot dogs, meatloaf....) particularly fast food. I'd sooner starve than eat McDonalds. Only exception-*real* Philly cheesesteaks. 4. I love to cook :-) I grew up in my grandmother and great-grandmother's kitchens. 5. I am very disturbed by America's trend toward chains and big corporations . I am a member or Arizona Chain Reaction - an organization of independent and family owned businesses. azcr.org 6. Unlike most humans, my brain isn't between my ears... it's in my Palm Pilot. (May the technology Gods always smile on me...) 7. No one should attempt communication with me in the morning till I've stretched and had my tea. 8. I love to travel - my wish list of places to go could keep me busy for a few lifetimes. I do not intend to spend the rest of my life living in the states. Hmm, who to tag next?? 1. Amunet 2. Brian 3. Dave (Wade) 4. Fatimah 5. Joe 6. Meena 7. Syreen 8. Ishara If you are on this list post 8 things about yourself in your Blog so others can get to know you and then tag 8 of your friends and send them a message to do the same.