What Keeps Me Busy, Sometimes...

DC-Trio Caliente at Maggiano's

Shadiyah — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 18:56:51 GMT

DC's fabulous Trio Caliente performs Gypsy Rumba and Latin jazz grooves, spiced with Flamenco pop, Bossa Nova, and Salsa! Come enjoy an evening of fabulous music and bring your dance shoes and help celebrate the first appearance of Trio Caliente at Maggiano's in DC (Chevy Chase area) Wednesday, April 23, 2008 6:30 PM - 9:30pm Location: Maggiano's - 5333 Wisconsin Ave NW, Washington, DC 20015 view map More Info: (202) 966-5500 www.maggianos.com/ Reservations are recommended and let them know you're coming to see the show! Catch this wonderful group with whom I had the privilege to perform with at the Kennedy Center Millennium Stage in August 2007! http://www.triocaliente.com/index.php

Amaya of NM in MD July 25-27, 2008!

Shadiyah — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 05:17:46 GMT

Sponsored by Cha L'Mar & Dancer, The Unusual Store Annual Workshop & Show this year featuring The Amazing Amaya of NM!! July 25-27, 2008 At Dancer Studio - http://dancertheunusualstore.com/ Dinner Show - July 26, 2008 at the American Legion Hall 259, Clinton, MD For Information call 301-856-2144 or email: dancerceo@juno.com For more information on Amaya - http://home.comcast.net/~mamaya1/

MD-Healing Horse Spirit Pow Wow April 12 & 13, 2008

Shadiyah — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 00:16:31 GMT

http://horsenethorserescue.org/calendar.htm Location: Mt. Airy Volunteer Firemen’s Carnival Grounds 1008 Twin Arch Road, Mt. Airy, Maryland (Corner of RT-27 & Twin Arch Rd) Healing Horse Spirit Pow Wow A TRADITIONAL INTERTRIBAL POWWOW TO HONOR THE EARTH, THE HORSES & EACH OTHER. A NON-PROFIT FUND-RAISER FOR HORSENET HORSE RESCUE. $5 donation to enter Gates open 10:00 a.m. - Sundown Grand Entry at Noon No Pets, Alcohol or Drugs Allowed MC: Keith Colston Head Male Dancer: Michael Nephew Head Female Dancer: Mary Milam Arena Director: Doug Hall Northern Host Drum: Eagleheart Singers Southern Host Drum: Blackbear Singers Invited Drums: White Oak, Black Horse Butte, SilverCloud, Iroquois Thunderheart Guest Performers: Louis Eagle Warrior, Vince Chapman, Jeff Ball, Shelley Morningsong, Michael Bucher, Jan Seiden Host Hotel: Frederick Travelodge 1-800-578-7878 (group rate = "powwow") Contact: Becky Tudisco discoark@hotmail.com 240-426-9588 Contact: Debbie Sweitzer deb1617@aol.com 443-474-6960 HorseNet Horse Rescue is a certified 501 (c)(3) nonprofit horse rescue and rehabilitation facility with two locations in Maryland. We DO NOT sell horses, but facilitate the rescue, rehabilitation and rehoming of those animals in our care. We do have some permanent residents, but strive to adopt out as many animals as possible to loving informed homes. We are 100% volunteer run and operate solely on donations. We specialize in the care of seniors and blind horses, but will accept animals from any state from private owners to state animal control facilities in any condition.

MD-Mamak Khadem In Concert April 19, 2008

Shadiyah — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 02:44:21 GMT

http://www.mamak-khadem.com/ Mamak Khadem In Concert Performing regional melodies of Iran, Turkey, Greece & Armenia Accompanying Mamak in these concerts will be Jamshied Sharifi (keyboard, accordion), Brahim Fribgane (oud, percussion), Chris Wabich (percussion), Hamid Saeidi (Santur), and Ole Mathisen (clarinet, saxophone). Saturday April 19, 2008 - 8pm Location: Winston Churchill High School, 11300 Gainsborough Road, Potomac, MD 20854 Tickets: Available at Persian stores Email: Mamak@yahoo.com Phone: 240-778-8847 Her latest Album - Jostojoo All arrangements by Jamshied Sharifi and Mamak Khadem except “Heydar” arranged by Omar Faruk Tekbilek, Jamshied Sharif, and Mamak Khadem Mixed by Scott Noll Recorded by Mrs. Somayeh Habibian at BAM studios (Tehran), Michael Brorby (N.Y.), and Jamshied Sharifi (N.Y./L.A.) Mastered by Andy VanDette at Masterdisk

DC "Free To Sing" The Story of the First African-American Opera Company - February 16, 2008

Shadiyah — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 06:30:48 GMT

"Free to Sing: The Story of the First African-American Opera Company" is a world premiere Strathmore production about the heroic story of Washington's "Colored American Opera Company," one of the first black opera troupes in the United States. The performance will take place on February 16, 2008 8:00pm at the Music Center at Strathmore in North Bethesda, MD. Commissioned by Strathmore, the original script charts the true story of some of Washington's most prominent African-American individuals, as they use their musical talent to raise money to build a Catholic church and schools for their children in the 1870s. St. Augustine Parish traces its heritage back 150 years to 1858 and the efforts of a group of dedicated emancipated black Catholics. These men and women founded a Catholic school and chapel on 15th Street. With a heavy emphasis on music and education, the church employed former Marine Band member (and John Philip Sousa's teacher), Professor John Esputa, to lead its chorus. Choir member William T. Benjamin and Professor Esputa went on to form the Colored American Opera Company. In order to raise money for a new church and for the education of children, the opera company launched a successful tour. In 1873, the opera company presented seven performances of Julius Eichberg's The Doctor of Alcantara to mixed race audiences. The opera company eventually raised $75,000 towards the construction of St. Augustine Church. "Free to Sing" focuses on the musical accomplishments of the opera company with an introductory narrative. The evening will conclude with the first major concert presentation of an important American operetta, Julius Eichberg's The Doctor of Alcantara, in almost 100 years. "Free to Sing," is directed by Emmy Award-winning director Scot Reese, and narrated by Helen Hayes Award winner David Emerson Toney . The concert performance features the Morgan State University Choir, the Post-Classical Ensemble, soprano Awet Andemicael, tenor Kenneth Gayle, Carmen Balthrop, Millicent Scarlett, and Gylchris Sprauve. For more information on "Free to Sing," call 301-581-5100 or visit www. strathmore.org. http://www.strathmore.org/eventstickets/calendar/view.asp?id=2656

Fazil's NYC - Last Dance: A Studio Tears Up Its Floors

Shadiyah — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 23:48:51 GMT

So sad to see a part of dance history gone...Don't miss the slide show as well. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/09/arts/dance/09fazi.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=fazil&st=nyt&oref=slogin

Leila Haddad In the Trail of the Ghawazee - DC & US TOUR

Shadiyah — Sat, 02 Feb 2008 19:24:36 GMT

Leila Haddad Gypsy dances from Rajasthan to the Nile Sponsored by World Music Institute https://worldmusicinstitute.org/event.php?id=465 TICKETS NOW AVAILABLE for DC SHOW on March 19, 2008: Leila Haddad (Tunisia & Egypt) And the Musicians of Luxor University of the District of Columbia - 4200 Connecticut Ave NW - Washington DC 20008 General Admission: $25 Online purchase at: instantseats.com -- http://www.francophoniedc.org/concerts.htm March 2008 CONFIRMED TOUR DATES Thursday, March 6, 2008: NEW YORK, NY Friday, March 7, 2008: NEW YORK, NY Saturday, March 8, 2008: NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ Wednesday, March 12, 2008: ANN ARBOR, MI Saturday, March 15, 2008: SEATTLE, WA Wednesday, March 19, 2008: WASHINGTON, DC Saturday, March 22, 2008: LOS ANGELES, CA Leila Haddad is recognized as one of the world's premier oriental dancers, performing Raqs el Sharki, commonly referred to as belly dance. Born in Tunisia to a Berber family, and now living in France, Leila has studied many of the Arab world's dance forms by traveling from village to village. The dance performance Leila will be touring in the US, In The Steps Of The Ghawazee, is a beautifully staged event with exquisite handmade costumes, nuanced lighting and sophisticated technical direction. In this new work Leila creates a dialogue between two ancient dance traditions - the Ghawazee (Gypsy) dances of Upper Egypt and those of the Kabelyas of Rajasthan, India. She is joined on stage by the renowned Ghawazee musicians of Luxor, Upper Egypt who play a variety of instruments including the rababa (two string fiddle), arghul (double reed clarinet), mizmar (oboe) and tabla (goblet drum). These instruments are remarkably similar to those played by the Langas, Kabelyas and Manghanyars of Rajasthan, the original home of the Gypsies. Leila long fought for, and has won, the recognition of oriental “belly dance” as a noble art form and has successfully freed it from the degrading connotations of its past where it was associated with male-only night clubs and cabaret acts. Her exploration of village folk dances builds bridges between past and present and Middle Eastern and modern. She wanders the Rom (Gypsy) paths from India to Egypt with stops in the Mediterranean and beyond: Turkey, Greece, Iran, Lebanon, Bulgaria, Spain and North Africa. While the main route of the Rom people was through the Balkans into Eastern Europe and finally to Spain, a branch found its way through the Arabian peninsula to Upper Egypt. Here the dances drew deeply on the mythical Nile as a source before moving on to nourish the roots of all the world’s secular dance forms – including modern dance. The acclaimed In the Steps of the Ghawzaee is challenge between dance and trance. While the musicians reach the ecstatic trance state known as tarab, Leila follows the music’s twists and turns with choreography that shifts like the spirit of the moment.

She'Endra II - An Afternoon of Oriental World Dance

Shadiyah — Sat, 16 Jun 2007 22:37:12 GMT

Nadirah Nasreen & Shadiyah Present She´endra II - "Romani for “Sister by Oath” An Afternoon of Oriental World Dance! Showcasing a diversity of dance styles by some of the Washington Metro Area’s finest Egyptian, Greek Oriental, Lebanese Oriental, Turkish, Persian, Tribal Fusion/Experimental professional performers Sunday, June 24, 2007 Taste of Morocco, Silver Spring, MD Doors Open at 12:00pm, Lunch at 12:30pm, Show Starts 1:00pm Enjoy a full traditional Moroccan multi-course meal, soft drinks, desert, mint tea & the show! Featuring: ‡ Amustela ‡ Ebony ‡ Hala Hanin ‡ Kaihea ‡ Katayoun ‡ Kostana ‡ Naimah ‡ Nadirah Nasreen ‡ Shadiyah ‡ Tanya ‡ Toria ‡ Zareen ‡ Live Moroccan Music by Ahmed Domia! Reservations required. Tickets may be purchased by visiting Taste of Morocco for $30 per person in advance, $35/door (space allowing) or by calling the restaurant at 301-588-4003 For further information contact: Shadiyah at 301-633-9446 or email Hafla@ShadiyahDances.com www.ShadiyahDances.com Taste of Morocco (currently featured in the June 2007 issue of Washingtonian magazine) 8661 Colesville Road, Silver Spring, MD 20906 (Inside City Place Mall) www.tasteofmorocco.net *No Refunds*

June 25, 2007 - Drum Dance & Dream for Peace

Shadiyah — Thu, 17 May 2007 02:31:11 GMT

On the National Mall, Washington, DC http://worlddreamspeacebridge.org/drumming/index.htm The largest drumming circle ever created on the planet... You are invited...In honor of our children, we proudly present this international gathering with the native children of the Americas. We extend our heart beat to the heart of the drum to raise a prayer -- that for the children of the world, peace will no longer be just a dream. THE CEREMONY Drum, Dance and Dream for Peace will be begin at high noon, Monday, June 25, 2007 with a brief Native American Ceremony. Tribal people from the United States, Canada, and Mexico are expected to attend. The Clan Mothers from the Four Directions of the Rainbow Medicine Blanket Council will honor the four directions. Clan Mother Elk from West (California) will offer the Ojibwe Peace Pipe of her grandfathers. FREE & OPEN TO EVERYONE, Especially Children This is an opening event of Peace & Leadership Day of the World Children's Festival sponsored by the International Child Art Foundation (ICAF) Can't atend? Join a participating drumming group in your area. Log onto the Event Discussion Board at http://www.worlddreamspeacebridge.org/drumming THIS EVENT IS HISTORY IN THE MAKING! HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE! Sponsored by the World Dreams Peace Bridge and the Rainbow Medicine Blanket Council

You Can't Curry Love!

Shadiyah — Thu, 03 May 2007 18:18:01 GMT

Looks what's opening in DC tomorrow & around the country!! Americanizing Shelly film! http://www.americanizingshelleythemovie.com/ http://www.americanpridefilms.com/index1.php AMC Dupont 5 - 1350 19th Street N.W, Washington D.C. 20036 - (202) 872 9556 AMC Shirlington 7 - 2772 South Randolph St, Arlington , VA 22206 - (703) 671 0978 SF/SAN JOSE METRO Cinemark Century Berryessa - 1171 North Capitol Avenue, San Jose , CA 95132 - (408) 926 7091 SAN DIEGO METRO AMC Palm Promenade 24 - 770 Dennery Rd., San Diego CA 92154 - (619) 662 2698 NASHVILLE METRO Carmike Thoroughbred 20 - 633 Frazier Drive, Franklin , TN 37067 - (615) 778 0775

Some people need to get a life

Shadiyah — Thu, 03 May 2007 04:41:56 GMT

Having this judge disbarred should only be part of the repercussions...If he thinks like this, what kind of decisions is he making in his court room? What has this world come to? Where is the justice? It a shame as all the anger/bitterness will come around to haunt him. So much wasted energy and for what purpose? Why do people have to hate? -------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.ajc.com/opinion/content/printedition/2007/04/30/edsuit0430.html By Marc Fisher - Washington Post - Published on: 04/30/07 When the neighborhood dry cleaner misplaced Roy Pearson's pants, he took action. He complained. He demanded compensation. And then he sued. Man, did he sue. Two years, thousands of pages of legal documents and many hundreds of hours of investigative work later, Pearson is seeking to make Custom Cleaners pay —- would you believe more than the payroll of the entire Washington Nationals roster? He says he deserves millions for the damages he suffered by not getting his pants back, for his litigation costs, for "mental suffering, inconvenience and discomfort," for the value of the time he has spent on the lawsuit, for leasing a car every weekend for 10 years and for a replacement suit, according to court papers. Pearson is demanding $65,462,500. The original alteration work on the pants cost $10.50. By the way, Pearson is a lawyer. OK, you probably figured that. But get this: He's a judge, too —- an administrative law judge for the District of Columbia. I'm telling you, they need to start selling tickets down at the courthouse. Oh, where to start: How about the car? Why should Ki, Jin and Soo Chung —- the family that owns Custom Cleaners on Bladensburg Road, North East —- pay Pearson $15,000, so he can rent a car every weekend for 10 years? The plaintiff, who says he has devoted more than 1,000 hours to represent himself in this battle, says that as a result of poor service at Custom, he must find another cleaner. And because Pearson does not own a car, he says he will have to rent one to get his clothes taken care of. Back to the beginning. In 2002, Custom lost a pair of pants that Pearson brought for cleaning. One week after the error was discovered, Custom gave Pearson a check for $150 for new pants. A few days later, the Chungs, Korean immigrants who own three cleaners in the district, told Pearson he was no longer welcome at their store. That dispute was eventually put aside, and Pearson continued to use the company. Move ahead to 2005, when Pearson got a new job as a judge. He needed to wear a suit to work every day. He dug out his five Hickey Freeman suits and found them to be "uncomfortably tight." He asked Custom to let the waists out two or three inches. Worried that he might be up against his Visa card limit, he took the suits in for alterations one or two at a time. According to a statement filed by both parties in the lawsuit, Pearson dropped off one pair of pants May 3 so he could wear them to his new job May 6. But on May 5, the pants weren't ready. Soo Chung promised them for early the next morning, but when Pearson arrived, the pants weren't there. At this point, I should let you in on the subject of hundreds of pages of legal wrangling. Custom Cleaners at that time had two big signs on its walls. One said "Satisfaction Guaranteed," and the other said, "Same Day Service." Pearson relied on these signs. Deeply. He was not satisfied. And he did not get his pants back on the same day or, for that matter, on any day. This, he says, amounts to fraud, negligence and a scam. A week after that routine mishap —- pants go astray all the time at cleaners —- Soo Chung came up with gray trousers that she said were Pearson's. But the judge said he had dropped off pants with red and blue pinstripes. Pearson's first letter to the Chungs sought $1,150 so he could buy a new suit. Two lawyers and many legal bills later, the Chungs offered Pearson $3,000, then $4,600 and, finally, says their attorney, Chris Manning, $12,000 to settle the case. But Pearson pushes on. How does he get to $65 million? Washington's consumer protection law provides for damages of $1,500 per violation per day. Pearson started multiplying: 12 violations over 1,200 days, times three defendants. A pant leg here, a pant leg there, and soon, you're talking $65 million. The case, set for trial in June, is on its second judge. The Chungs have removed the signs upon which Pearson's case rests. "This case shocks me on a daily basis," Manning says. "Pearson has a lot of time on his hands, and the Chungs have been abused in a ghastly way. It's going to cost them tens of thousands to defend this case." A judge in the case has admonished Pearson about his take-no-prisoners tactics. When Pearson sought to broaden the case to try to prove violations of consumer protection laws on behalf of all residents in the district, District of Columbia Superior Court Judge Neal Kravitz said that "the court has significant concerns that the plaintiff is acting in bad faith" because of "the breathtaking magnitude of the expansion he seeks." Pearson has put the Chungs and their attorneys to work answering long lists of questions, such as this: "Please identify by name, full address and telephone number, all cleaners known to you on May 1, 2005, in the District of Columbia, the United States and the world that advertise 'SATISFACTION GUARANTEED.' " In the world? The answer: "None." In a closet of a lawyer's office in downtown Washington, there is a pair of gray wool pants, waiting to be picked up by Roy Pearson. "We believe the pants are his," Manning says. "The tag matches his receipt." > Marc Fisher is a Washington Post columnist. His column appears occasionally. -------------------------------------------------------- AND http://abcnews.go.com/print?id=3119381 The $67 Million Pants Washington, D.C., Lawyer Sues Dry Cleaners for Lost Trousers By JIM AVILA, CHRIS FRANCESCANI & MARY HARRIS ABC News Law & Justice Unit May 2, 2007 — Is somebody getting taken to the cleaners? A $10 dry cleaning bill for a pair of trousers has ballooned into a $67 million civil lawsuit. Plaintiff Roy Pearson, a judge in Washington, D.C., says in court papers that he's been through the ringer over a lost pair of prized pants he wanted to wear on his first day on the bench. He says in court papers that he has endured "mental suffering, inconvenience and discomfort." He says he was unable to wear that favorite suit on his first day of work. He's suing for 10 years of weekend car rentals so he can transport his dry cleaning to another store. The lawsuit is based in large part on Pearson's seemingly pained admission that he was taken in by the oldest and most insidious marketing tool in the dry cleaning industry arsenal. "Satisfaction Guaranteed." Pearson did not return numerous calls from ABC News for comment. It's the kind of lawsuit that makes liability reform advocates' temples throb. "People in America are now scared of each other," legal expert Philip Howard told ABC News' Law & Justice Unit. "That's why teachers won't put an arm around a crying child, and doctors order unnecessary tests, and ministers won't meet with parishioners. It's a distrust of justice and it's changing our culture." The civil trial, set for June, has the scope of a John Grisham courtroom thriller and the societal importance of a traffic ticket. Pearson plans to call 63 witnesses. Defending themselves against the suit -- for two years running -- are Korean immigrants Jin and Soo Chung and their son, who own Custom Cleaners and two other dry cleaning shops in the Fort Lincoln section of Washington, D.C. The ABC News Law & Justice Unit has calculated that for $67 million Pearson could buy 84,115 new pairs of pants at the $800 value he placed on the missing trousers in court documents. If you stacked those pants up, they would be taller than eight Mount Everests. If you laid them side by side, they would stretch for 48 miles. Fort Lincoln neighbors are enjoying what they consider the comedy of it all. "The whole city is aware of this lawsuit," said Bob King, who represents Fort Lincoln on the Advisory Neighborhood Commissions. "Everybody's laughing about it." Everybody except the Chungs, who have spent thousands of dollars defending themselves against Pearson's lawsuit. "It's not humorous, not funny and nobody would have thought that something like this would have happened," Soo Chung told ABC News through an interpreter. Her husband agreed. "It's affecting us first of all financially, because of all the lawyers' fees," Jin Chung said. "For two years, we've been paying lawyer fees. & We've gotten bad credit as well, and secondly, it's been difficult mentally and physically because of the level of stress." Later, Soo Chung broke down in tears. "I would have never thought it would have dragged on this long," she told ABC News. "I don't want to live here anymore. It's been so difficult. I just want to go home, go back to Korea." "I've been in the dry cleaning business for 14 years, but this has never ever happened before. If anything happened to our customers' clothing, we would always compensate them accordingly and fairly," Jin Chung said through a translator. The problems date back to 2002. Pearson says in court papers that he took a pair of pants into Custom Cleaners in Fort Lincoln that year, and the pants were lost. So Jin and Soo Chung gave Pearson a $150 check for a new pair of pants. Three years later, Pearson says he returned to Custom Cleaners and -- like some real-life "Groundhog Day" nightmare -- his trousers went missing. Again. It was May 2005 and Pearson was about to begin his new job as an administrative judge. Naturally, he wanted to wear a nice outfit to his first day of work. He said in court papers that he tried on five Hickey Freeman suits from his closet, but found them all to be "too tight," according to the Washington Post. He brought one pair in for alterations and they went missing -- gray trousers with what Pearson described in court papers as blue and red stripes on them. First, Pearson demanded $1,150 for a new suit. Lawyers were hired, legal wrangling ensued and eventually the Chungs offered Pearson $3,000 in compensation. No dice. Then they offered him $4,600. No dice. Finally, they offered $12,000 for the missing gray trousers with the red and blue stripes. Pearson said no. With neither satisfaction nor his prized gray pants, Pearson upped the ante considerably. The judge went to the lawbooks. Citing the District of Columbia's consumer protection laws, he claims he is entitled to $1,500 per violation. Per day. What follows is the beginning of thousands of pages of legal documents and correspondence that, two years later, have led to a massive civil lawsuit in the amount of $67 million. According to court papers, here's how Pearson calculates the damages and legal fees: He believes he is entitled to $1,500 for each violation, each day during which the "Satisfaction Guaranteed" sign and another sign promising "Same Day Service" was up in the store -- more than 1,200 days. And he's multiplying each violation by three because he's suing Jin and Soo Chung and their son. He also wants $500,000 in emotional damages and $542, 500 in legal fees, even though he is representing himself in court. He wants $15,000 for 10 years' worth of weekend car rentals as well. After enlisting neighbors and fellow customers, he sought to expand the case into a class action suit, but was denied, angrily, by District of Columbia Civil Judge Neal Kravitz. "The Court has significant concerns that the plaintiff is acting in bad faith and with an intent to delay the proceedings," the judge wrote in court papers. "Indeed, it is difficult to draw any other conclusion, given the plaintiff's lengthy delay in seeking to expand the scope of the case, the breathtaking magnitude of the expansion he seeks, his failure to present any evidence in support of the thousands of claims he says he wishes to add, and his misrepresentation concerning the scope of his first amended complaint." The case will now be heard by another judge in June. Both Kravitz and the new judge declined to comment on the case to ABC News. Ironically, less than a week after Pearson dropped off the missing trousers in 2005, Soo Chung found them, she says. She tried to return them to Pearson but he said they were the wrong pants. The Chungs say they are certain they have located the missing trousers. "So these are the missing pants, huh?" Avila asked the Chungs' attorney, Chris Manning. "These are," Manning said, holding up a flimsy pair of gray trousers. Manning's argument is based on both the receipt and the telltale "three belt loop situation," as he explains it. "When the pants were brought in, Mrs. Chung noticed the three belt loop situation and in finding them realized that they were Mr. Pearson's pants based on that." He also said the receipt tag on the pants "exactly matches the receipt that Mr. Pearson has." Manning is angry with Pearson, saying the judge has terrorized the Chungs for spite. "They came to the United States hoping for the American dream," Manning said, "and Roy Pearson has made it a nightmare." Copyright © 2007 ABC News Internet Ventures

MD-Tony Marcho LIVE at Taste of Morocco, Friday May 4th

Shadiyah — Wed, 02 May 2007 16:42:23 GMT

For those of you not attending Spring Caravan this weekend in NJ and looking for something to do outside your regular plans in DC? In their ongoing event series, Taste of Morocco in Silver Spring is having another special event on Friday May 4th as they present, Tony Marcho Live! Come enjoy a wonderful authentic Moroccan meal and live music by Tony! Regular belly dance performances at 7:00pm & 8:30pm showcasing Zareen! Tony's show will start after her performances! Reservations are required for Tony's show as seating is limited. Please contact the restaurant directly for more information and to purchase tickets $20 in advance/$25 at the door - space provided. . 301-588-4003 - www.tasteofmorocco.net Enjoy!

Cazbar Baltimore, MD Dancer Schedule!

Shadiyah — Wed, 02 May 2007 15:06:03 GMT

We've got some wonderful new additions to the Cazbar family plus some favorites coming back for performances in May & June! All are welcome to join us for a fabulous ME/Turkish meal & great drinks and celebrate the diversity of dancers & talent from the Baltimore, MD, DC & VA areas! Show times are 9pm & 10 pm. May 5 - ROMKA May 12 - Amirah Azhar May 19 - Najwah & Ancient Rhythms Dance Company May 26 - Antonia June 2 - Shadiyah June 9 - Grup Nazer & Kostana - Live Turkish Music! June 16 - Jahzaal June 23 - Damiena June 30 - Nesma http://www.cazbarbaltimore.com/ Cazbar - located at 316 N. Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 410-528-1222

Santi Budaya - March 11th in DC

Shadiyah — Wed, 28 Feb 2007 16:15:13 GMT

Join the Calmes Triplets for an exciting afternoon of dance in DC!! TWO SHOWS!! Santi Budaya Performs Classical Indonesian Dance With Guest Performers Representing Classical Dances from Egypt, Persia, India, China, Mongolia, & Japan Sunday, March 11, 2007 12:00 p.m. & 4:00 p.m. Dorothy Betts Marvin Theater The Marvin Center / George Washington University First Floor, 800 21st Street, NW, Washington, D.C. Foggy Bottom-GWU Metro Station (Blue and Orange Lines) Street Parking and Area Garages FOR TICKETS: Visit Ticket Master at www.ticketmaster.com http://www.ticketmaster.com/ Ph: 202-397-SEAT Box Office Located at The Marvin Center Ground Floor Monday to Friday 9:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. Saturday & Sunday 9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.

Jazzman Revives Iraqi Traditions

Shadiyah — Tue, 27 Feb 2007 19:29:03 GMT

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/6361471.stm By Matt Wells, BBC, New York Amir ElSaffar ( http://www.safaafir.com/ ) ElSaffar grew up in Chicago but never forgot his Iraqi heritage. The scene was vintage New York: a cosy jazz club on one of the city's hippest streets, packed with music lovers bellying-up to the dimly lit bar. But as the crowd swelled, it was impossible not to notice the strong middle-eastern presence. Arabic, Farsi and Hebrew, mixed with the flow of excited American English. New York jazz has always been a fusion of black, white and whatever, but the 29-year-old musician Amir ElSaffar is developing a style that is genuinely unique, and also - given his background - dreadfully poignant. The eclectic audience gathered together at Rose Live Music, were there to hear a musical fusion that combines the centuries-old classical tradition of Iraq - known as the maqam - with the free-flowing spirit of contemporary jazz. ElSaffar grew up in the Chicago suburbs, and became a talented classical trumpeter. His Iraqi father had introduced him to the maqam at home, but it was the lure of jazz that first took him away from the world of Bach and Beethoven. After the New York-based performer won an international jazz trumpet competition, he decided to use the money to immerse himself in the music of his ancestral homeland. Tragic past In 2002, as war between the US and Iraq looked increasingly likely, he travelled to Baghdad to learn as many of the complex 56 melodies that underpin the maqam form, as he could. "Once I started getting into the music, it was impossible to leave," he said. "I saw it as if I don't do it now, I don't know when I'll have the chance to come back." The maqam enjoyed its heyday in the early 20th Century, where singers and instrumentalists would improvise around the micro-tonal melodic configurations for hours on end, in the numerous coffee shops of Baghdad. Besides the music, there is poetry, which frequently invokes the bloody and tragic past of Iraqi society. Like much else in present-day Baghdad, the maqam has suffered due to curfews and sectarian violence - many of the dwindling band of masters have gone abroad. Melting-pot But ElSaffar is convinced that the art form will not only survive, but also act to remind all Iraqis of their sophisticated shared culture. "You can see it in the repertoire itself," he says, leaning forward, unblinking. "You have melodies of Persian descent, and Turkish descent. Melodies of Bedouin - and all the different backgrounds of Iraqi society were represented by the singers and performers. "You had Jewish musicians, and Muslim and Christian singers. And people of Turkmen background, and Kurds. It was a real melting-pot," he added. After several years of hard study, including time spent with his Baghdad-based teacher - the only one left alive who has mastered the full repertory - ElSaffar was ready to unite the two halves of his Iraqi-American persona. Apart from singing, he learnt the Iraqi version of the stringed dulcimer, the santoor. Two Rivers The starkest and most moving example of his melded Maqam-Jazz, comes through the trumpet, which he uses intermittently, to replace the vocal melody line. Working with a small band of musicians who are equally capable of crossing-over between middle-eastern and western instruments, he has composed a musical suite called Two Rivers. It is harrowing to absorb, but full of as much beauty as pain. He says the burden of being both Iraqi and American during the continuing occupation is lessened by the music he creates. "In Iraq they don't say melody; they say spiritual essence. I would say it's the only thing that brings me any sense of sanity right now," said ElSaffar. "Every time I look at the news, my heart gets broken. The Maqam has been something for me to always go back to. "This is the truth and this is ultimately what Iraq is about." Future generations The climax of the show is a song that used to be called Baghdad, but has now been renamed Blood and Ink. It refers to the destruction of the city by the grandson of Genghis Khan, in 1258, an event that is still seared on the consciousness of modern Iraqis, whatever their sect. The Tigris ran black with the ink of thousands of books, following the destruction of the Grand Library by the Mongol conquerors. The crude parallels between then and now are obvious, but ElSaffar is sure that the cultural heart of Iraq, which is catalogued in the thousands of words and tones that make up the maqam, will continue in the generations to come. In some ways, the job is easier for the new musical masters of the 21st Century than ever before. "The fortunate thing is there are recordings. We can always go back to the recordings and piece the repertoire together," he said.

Thank you to Yucy for Arabian Nights Shows!

Shadiyah — Mon, 15 Jan 2007 06:04:15 GMT

I just want to give a HUGE thank you to Yucy for producing the Arabian Nights Showcase & workshops at the Colony South Hotel the last 4 days! This was a magical weekend of amazing talent! Starting with the INCREDIBLE show Thursday night at the Decoy Lounge (boy am I sorry if you missed it), featuring Lotus Niraja, Nadirah Nasreen, Faten Salama (each of them performing to the fantastic live music by Hisham & Mohsein), Sharm el Sheikh Folkloric Troupe, Samra, Vasha Hatal, & Dokki Ya Mazika troupe. The show highlighted an astounding talent pool and shows why DC should be humbled and so greatful for the talented teachers & professional performers we have in our community! What a rare opportunity to see all three amazing teachers and other performers in one show! We need more of this in DC! Friday's workshop was taught by Faten Salama on working with Live music (I unfortunately had to miss this night), but won rave reviews from all I heard on Saturday morning! Then Yucy proceeded to Casablanca for an exciting night of performances by Nimeera, Bonita, Francesca, Hallawa Troupe, Naimah, Nina Amaya & Vasha Hatel (DE) (who is definately one to keep your eyes on for this rising star). Saturdays workshop presented by the one and only Yousry Sharif from NY was an engaging, challenging 4 hours & took everyone in class to the next level. Choreography & music that was upbeat, fun & definitely for the advanced dancer. Sunday, Zaza Hassan of France graced us with his presence again in the DC area (loved him from last June!) and we were treated to an amazing teacher who makes you laugh, cry, sweat, sweat some more & think of dance in a whole new light with his talent, delightful broken English & heavy French accent. His Raks Assaya piece was adorable & harder than it looked! (who can ever forget the translation of the "fruit basket full of mangoes & grapes" that had us falling on the floor laughing? - inside joke for those attendees!) If you EVER have the opportunity to study with ANY of these teachers, please don't miss out! Some are right here in DC (run to their classes) & others visit about once a year. All of them are worth every dollar! Yucy should be commended for making this weekend possible and all the hard work she & her team (Karima, Shalazar & others) put in to making this weekend possible for us to attend. Yucy continues to make an incredible contribution to our dance community, helping to take it to the "next level", treat this dance as an "art form" and she should have our utmost respect. Thanks Yucy for making this weekend an incredible way to start 2007!

Casablanca, VA Show Friday Jan 19th

Shadiyah — Mon, 15 Jan 2007 04:01:30 GMT

Please join us as Yucy & Belly Dance for Life Productions, LLC, presents an enchanting evening of Middle Eastern Dance at Casablanca in Alexandria, VA! Doors open at 9:30pm, Show starts at 10:30pm Buffet from 9:30-1200 midnight Cost: $20/person - includes buffet & show (tips & drinks not included) This week's show features, Dokki Ya Mazika Troupe, Jenny, Haidi, Kaoru Kumaru, Egyptian star, Mohamed Nayil with headliners, Ashara & Shadiyah! For more details and reservations, please contact: http://www.MoroccanRestaurant.com http://www.Bellydanceforlife.com Blessings, Shadiyah www.ShadiyahDances.com Now Rom Deussen's East Coast Distributor for Eye Kandy Glitter! Visit my website for details! Now booking 2007 Local & National Shows! Join The Eye Kandy Glitter & Glitter Raks Tribe too! http://tribes.tribe.net/eyekandyglitter

NYC - DFA's 35th annual, touring Dance On Camera Festival 2007

Shadiyah — Thu, 30 Nov 2006 18:02:46 GMT

If you're in NYC or thinking of going, here's some great incentive to visit the Big Apple in January! DFA's 35th annual, touring Dance On Camera Festival - co-produced by the Film Society of Lincoln Center WALTER READE THEATRE, Lincoln Center Plaza, 165 West 65th Street January 3-7, 12-13, 2007 http://www.dancefilms.org/DanceOnCamerMain.html

Meena - A Hero for Afghan Women featured in Time Magazine

Shadiyah — Mon, 13 Nov 2006 21:34:58 GMT

Wonderful recognition for an amazing Hero, Martyr & Founder of RAWA (Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan) I'm humbled to be a supporting member of RAWA. Please also read her story, Meena Heroine of Afghanistan, by Melody Ermachild Chavis. (available on Amazon.com) -------------------------------------------------- Time Magazine, November 13, 2006 A Hero of Our TIME M E E N A She fought—and died at the age of 30—for the rights of Afghan women By Aryn Baker Time Magazine cover Time Magazine (Nov.13, 2006): "In this special anniversary issue, we pay tribute to the remarkable men and women who have shaped these times." Meena called the women of Afghanistan sleeping lions, pledging that one day they would awake and roar. In 1977, at the age of 20, she launched the country's first movement for women's rights, calling her group the Revolutionary Association for the Women of Afghanistan (RAWA). Its goals: the restoration of democracy, equality for men and women, social justice, and the separation of religion from the affairs of the state. But in a country mired in tradition and occupied by the Soviet Union, Meena's beliefs were threatening enough to get her assassinated. Ten years after founding RAWA, she was kidnapped and killed; many Afghans held agents of the local communist intelligence agency responsible. Although she was only 30 when she died, Meena had already planted the seeds of an Afghan women's rights movement based on the power of knowledge. She believed that if women were able to read and write, that if they could communicate and learn about the world, they would discover their own strength and could make a difference in their own society. After the Soviet invasion in 1979 she established schools and orphanages for refugees pouring over the border into Pakistan. Those schools offered opportunities never available previously to young Afghan women. "Meena didn't just give me an education; she taught me that I had the right to live a better life," says Sahar Saba, an early student at RAWA's first school in Quetta. Today, for the first time in Afghan history, women have campaigned for, and won, seats in the national parliament. One of these women is Gulhar Jalal, a childhood friend of Meena's and an illiterate widow who now represents the province of Kunar. "I ran," she says, "because this was Meena's dream." Source: http://www.time.com/time/asia/2006/heroes/in_meena.html ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan (RAWA) Home Page: http://www.rawa.org Mirror site: http://www.rawa.us

MD - The 5 Seasons Monthly Hafla this Sunday Nov. 5th!

Shadiyah — Thu, 02 Nov 2006 06:31:08 GMT

This hafla is held the 1st Sunday of every month in Baltimore, MD. The 5 Seasons Resturant showcases wonderful talent from the Baltimore, MD, DC & VA metro areas. Dancers include students, troups, soloists, semi-professional & professional dancers that bring to life the diversity of dance in our area. Egyptian, Lebanese, Tribal, Experimental & more! Don't forget our playful musicians in the opening Drum Circle!! This Sunday, November 5th marks a change in the legacy of The 5 Seasons shows. Naimah will be passing the torch as coordinator to Masani. Sunday's show will be filled with lots of dancing, a special tribute to Naimah in recognition of all her work for this show & the Bellydance community and the headliner of the day will be Naimah herself dancing and showing us all how fabulous an ATS/Experimental Fusion dancer she has become. The schedule of dancers for this month's show includes: Opening Drum Circle PUREdancecollective Nina Amaya Frankee Sunshine Maia Fatinah and Salima Habibi Belly Dance Nani Safira & Friends Ameenah and - Featured Dancer - Naimah The 5 Seasons is located at 830 Guilford Ave. in Baltimore, MD, (410-625-9787) - www.the5seasons.com/ Doors open at 3:00pm, Buffet starts at 3:30pm with the show beginning around 4:00pm. Tickets (includeing the buffet & show) are $17 at the door or $15 in advance by emailing Masani at masaninoor@yahoo.com. Come enjoy a delightful Ethiopian buffet, live music and celebration for Naimah as well as a warm welcome for Masani! By popular demand, I'll also be vending Eye Kandy Glitter as well at this event for all of you who love the sparklies! Please feel free to join our "Eye Kandy Glitter & Glitter Raks" tribe to stay up to date on all the latest glitter happenings! tribes.tribe.net/glitterraks Blessings, Shadiyah

MD - Cazbar's Dancer Schedule - Please Join Us!

Shadiyah — Thu, 02 Nov 2006 05:20:20 GMT

Hello everyone! I wanted to send a follow-up message to let everyone know the weekly shows at Cazbar are going well and thank all of you for your support as we welcome this new venue to the Baltimore area! It's wonderful to see your faces each week and all of us hope that over the next couple of months we see more of you! Shortly the schedule will be on-line on the restaurants website as well as photos of our lovely dancers. In the meantime, here is the schedule of dancers through the end of the year. Showtime starts at 9:30pm each Saturday night! Please help spread the word and join us for great food and entertainment! Oct 21 - Shadiyah - Egyptian Cabaret /Lebanese Fusion Oct 28 - Damiena - Egyptian Cabaret Nov 4 - Mia Naja al Saphira - Lebanese Cabaret/Flamenco/African/Jazz fusion Nov 11 - Naimah- American Tribal Style/Experimental Fusion Nov 18 - Antonia - Greek/Turkish/Spanish Fusion Nov 25 - Thalia - Lebanese & Egyptian Cabaret Dec 2 - Shadiyah - Egyptian Cabaret/Lebanese Fusion Dec 9 - Amirah Azhar - Lebanese Cabaret Dec 16 - Damiena - Egyptian Cabaret Dec 23 - Naimah - American Tribal Style/Experimental Fusion Dec 30 - Kostana & Sidqi - Turkish/Romany night with Live Music Dec 31 - TBD if open We'll be adding new faces in the coming year to continue our diversity of dancers and styles, so please visit the Cazbar website http://cazbarbaltimore.com/ for details or email me with any questions either here on Tribe or at Shadiyah@ShadiyahDances.com.

Happy Halloween to my Dracula friends!

Shadiyah — Tue, 31 Oct 2006 20:26:55 GMT

Eye Kandy Glitter at Rakkasah East!!

Shadiyah — Thu, 12 Oct 2006 07:17:20 GMT

Oh, just a few hours to go before I leave for Rakkasah! There's so much to do! I'm also excited to annouce that Eye Kandy Glitter, http://www.eyekandyglitter.com/ will be available this weekend at Rakkasah East! It's our first big event on the East Coast (I'm Rom Deussen's distributor on this side of the country) and I'll be there as the rep for Eye Kandy Glitter, doing demonstrations, vending and taking orders for Eye Kandy Glitter through a partnership with Nimeera of Cleopatra's Closet, www.cleoscloset.com/. Please stop by the Cleopatra's Closets booth, introduce yourselves and see this great product and all the fabulous colors up close! Oh and check out all the other wonderful items she has to offer as well from costumes to Isis wings, swords, hip scarves, jewelry & more! Hope to see you there!! Blessings, Shadiyah Also, please join our new Tribe to stay in touch with all the lastest news! http://tribes.tribe.net/eyekandyglitter

MD - Gala Opening of Cazbar Mediterranean Taverna - Friday Sept 15!

Shadiyah — Fri, 15 Sep 2006 04:56:08 GMT

Please join us for a very special evening as the Baltimore area celebrates the Gala opening of Cazbar Mediterranean Taverna! Located at 316 N. Charles St., Cazbar serves wonderful Turkish and ME fare as well as playing lovely music. http://www.cazbarbaltimore.com/ There will be special surprises throughout the night including dance performances by Baltimore's own Damiena, Antonia & Naimah! Doors open at 7pm. Help us welcome this wonderful venue to the dance community!! Hope to see you there!

Turtle Day!

Shadiyah — Sun, 13 Aug 2006 21:34:13 GMT

Yeah, it's another beautiful day in DC with low humidity and no ac needed! Windows open with lots of fresh air in the house. ahhhhh! While outside I found a new friend in my backyard. It was so funny how there were so few sounds but a slight rustling of the leaves and as I turned around a split second later my eyes fell directly on this cute little one! Had to grab the camera. Hum...a couple weeks ago, same thing happened in the front garden but it was a snake cooling off in a patch of herbs next to my front door (didn't get a photo of that one)... I think I see a pattern and wonder what I'll catch next!