My Dance Life and MORE

Belly Dance Classes, Belly Dancer of the Universe Competition and Suhaila Salimpour Level 3 Workshop

2010-03-09T10:38:00.000-08:00

Hello belly dance friends,

First of all I have to apologize for being distance a while. I have a lot of great information to share.

February 13-14th I was at the Long Beach Belly Dancer of the Universe Competition, it is one of the most famous competitions in the world now celebrated 20th year.

I won Egyptian Category, money award and trophy...one more to my collection :)

I won the Universal Category last year, 2009. These two categories are the biggest...so I am so happy and honored to share this news with you.

I attended (Feb 21st-March 6th) my Level 3 workshop with Suhaila Salimpour, and Level 2 with Jamila Salimpour who is 83 now in Suhaila Dance School in Berkeley. She was the most famous pioneer in the West Coast from 50s on... These dynamic and amazing mother and daughter played a big role in my dance career, and still do.

While I was in San Francisco I had few shows that were great, met many people, made friends for future

Hope to post few videos in my website www.sandiegobellydance.biz or youtube: turkishdancer1

My birthday is tomorrow, March 10 but will celebrate with friends this weekend, so you are more than welcome to join the party this Friday at Birdhouse Turkish Restaurant (will be there from 7:30pm to 9pm), then Zorbas....or this Saturday (for a really fun show with Arabina and guest dancer Ferah doing village saidi dance) at Zorbas after 8:30pm...

I am starting my beginner technique belly dance classes next Thursday March 18th at my home studio.

7pm-8:30pm beginners. Saturday March 20th 10am-11:30am I am starting intermediate level technique class, 11:30am -1pm there will be choreoraphy/finger cymbal technique and combos for all levels.

$50 for 5 classes, or $15 for drop in.

Hope to see you in my bday party.

More updates coming soon....

Dilek

Poway Library Classes-Free for public

2009-10-21T11:04:00.000-07:00

As some of you know I thaought in El Cajon Library for few months, they were well received and very successfull. Arabina Dance Company danced few times at special Arabic Events they organized.
This time I got offered to teach at Poway Library, 13137 Poway Road.
Class dates and time:
October 25th Sun 2pm
Nov 7th Sat 2pm and Nov 14th Sat 2pm

Hope you can make it
It will be combos/technique/fun folkloric steps and more...

Little About Me...

2009-10-16T08:07:00.001-07:00

I was born and raised in Istanbul, Turkey. Graduated with Magna Cum Laude with BA degree from University of Marmara.

I travelled to Cambridge, England for continuation of my studies to learn English. With my family's endless support I moved to the US to pursue my MBA then my MSCS. I have been working as a Software Quality Assurance Engineer end of 1999.

I fell in love with belly dancing as a child grow up with music,watching dancing, gypsies, and culture, but never occured to me to become a professional performer in this art. It is not common in Turkish for a young girl if the family is not from the music to become a dancer.

Instead I played kanun, sang in choirs, played tennis, ran short distance in high school, played handball, got yellow/brown belt in Taekwando, did yoga, and finally I decided belly dancing...very happy with my decision.

November 27-29th Mexico City Workshops and Master Classes

2009-10-01T11:49:00.000-07:00

From this workshop, I am going to Guadalajara to teach some Master Classes at my student Yamel's studio, more details to be announced.

**************
WORKSHOPS MEXICO D.F.:
Lugar: Instituto Mexicano de Danzas Árabes

Av. Xola No.1015, 2o piso, Local C, esq. con Enrique Rebsamen. Col. Narvarte, cerca del metro Etiopía. Tel. 5639.7302

Asegura tu lugar con un deposito inicial de $500 pesos. Banamex 0278-7502086 a nombre de Lizeth Revueltas Mora.

Certificado de participación avalado por IMDA Y Danar. Informes e inscripciones con Lizeth Revueltas - 5586.6485

* Cupo limitado *

27 Novembre '09 - viernes

Tecnicas - Coordinación, tiempos.

17:00 a 20:00 - 3 hrs. $500

Nivel Basico/Intermedio

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28 Noviembre '09 - sábado

Velo, Beledy/Chiftetelli.

10:00 a 15:00 hrs. - $1,000 Nivel Intermedio/Avanzado

Master Class

Layering, isolations,

advance combos & finger cymbals.

17:00 a 20:00 hrs. - 3 hrs $500

Nivel Avanzado

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29 Noviembre '09 - domingo

Turkish Orientale with Finger Cymbals/Turkish 9/8 Gypsy or "Roman"

10:00 a 15:00 hrs. - $1,000 Nivel Intermedio/Avanzado

November 8th San Diego Turkish Romani 9/8 Choreography Workshop

2009-10-01T11:46:00.000-07:00

I am not teaching my weekly Sunday classes any more, I just dont have much time for big projects and also I am not around in town every week, is just not fair for the girls to wait for me. Instead I have decided I am teaching monthly workshops in different subjects that are not widely thaught and specialty. Of course I will teach more in technique/styles/props and my specialties but for now I will stick to subjects that are rare. Hope to get these workshops around the country and the world, which I have already started my journey.

Next workshop will be one of my specialty Turkish Romani, also knows as Rom/gypsy/cingene

November 8th,Stage 7 School of Dance, 3980 30th street
12-2pm $30 for 2 hours.
you can pay paypal dkhoss@cox.net
or send a check (private address so you have to contact me for that)

October 22nd Workshop in LA

2009-10-01T11:42:00.000-07:00

I am working on a piece for a private workshop for one of my Armenian dance friend in Los Angeles.
She is putting a big stage show in a famous theater in LA, and I am honored to be one of the choreographers to finish a Romani piece to an Armenian/Turkish music recorded in Turkey.

2009 Arabian Nights at the Sea

2009-10-01T11:38:00.000-07:00

This event was so much fun. We have taken off with Carnival Paradise ship from Long Beach on Friday 25th arrived to Ensenada on Saturday. I have not left the ship, I had to relax in the jacuzzi and take workshops with wonderful teachers.
Sunday we are on the sea. We arrived on Monday morning, I had to leave right away and get to my work in San Diego ;(
My roommate was a lovely lady, Rachel from Long Beach area. I made few really fun friends, hope to keep in touch and see them again.
Every night we had some fun going on.
Friday was the teachers' show, Sunday was hafla, I have signed up for the hafla. I have danced last, which was a treat to me. Light rain music was great, and Reda Darwish drumming was also wonderful.
I am looking forward watching my video. I have received many compliments with my dancing, I think Light Rain, which was my first time with them, knows really well how to play for dancers, they followed my moves and actually complete my dancing really well.
Dancing with Fahtiem both at the Drum circle and in Rex Night club was such a fun experience, she has endless energy and great style.

Las Vegas Belly Dance Intensive

2009-09-22T12:05:00.000-07:00

September 11-14th.
I attended the LVBDI from Friday to Monday this month. I had so much fun. I shared my hotel room at the Palace Station with a friend from Canada. She owns her dance studio.
I tried a great meal at nigth at the hotel, Oyster Bar, I stuffed myself. I made a friend, who lives in Texas but was there for Legal Conference. I got some information about how to get a government grant for any of my projects I am working on.
Next day, I took Aubre's Fusion class and Amaya's Old World Steps, it was fun. I bought myself few Eye Candy glitter eye makeup items.
Saturday Night was the Pro Show. I danced my Romani piece with my new Bella Costume, it went really well with no slipping, no falling, no costume malfunctioning...
Estella and I went out to Blue Martini, eat/drank/danced...we had fun together...
Sunday I took two workshops; Khalidji and rythm class.
Whole weekend; I met new dancers, sponsors, vendors, friends...took lots of pictures.
After party on Sunday night was great. I attended for the Amaya's American Legends DVD Release party and completely thrilled Helena Vlahos and Morwenna Assaf dances...they are living legends...
it was hard to come back to work the Monday super early morning.

Turkey and Taiwan Trip

2009-09-22T11:53:00.000-07:00

I was in Turkey and Taiwan for around 20 days or so...Pretty much whole month of August I spent 36K miles + in the air travelling from San Diego to Istanbul, Istanbul to Hong Kong, Hong Kong to Taiwan, Taiwan to Penghu Islands, Taiwan to Hong Kong, Hong Kong to Istanbul, Istanbul to San Diego...wow..
that is why I could not sleep at nights for about a week after I got back.
I had great time; shopping in Istanbul: Kapalicarsi "Grand Bazaar", Bella Boutique for my beautiful, expensive 4 costumes...that is right, I had barely any money left for anything else, take class with Reyhan, meeting Ozma, my new friend lives in Japan, wedding in Taiwan, snorkeling in Penghu Islands, eating lots of yummy Chinese and Taiwenese traditional food.
I had great time with my family.

2009 Belly Dancer of the Universe

2009-09-22T11:28:00.000-07:00

I attended the BDUC competition in Long Beach in 2008 in Universal Category. I have placed 1st runner up, which I was happy about, but of course winning gives you a different feeling. You are more up on the Cloud 9
Universal Category has pretty tough requirements, playing finger cymbals, and follow 4/4, 9/8 and 6/8 rythms. I have used Persian song for my end routine which is 6/8, I have started with Egyptian upbeat 4/4, and taksim and used Turkish Romani (more like slow Gayda) as 9/8 which I love.
I did not change much in my routine and went to 2009 competition. I have passed the preliminary, one of the 4 dancers, went to Finals the next day. I did not want to feel nervous cause I know I dont do well when I am nervous...but how cannot you.
Our category was of course the last category to compete, I am already tired of waiting and being nervous. I have gone 1st in the lineup, oh mine...that made it actually a lot easier on my nerve system.
Shortly after the competition, winners announced...
YES I MADE IT!!!!
Larry, one of my fan from San Diego dance community, was there to cheer for me...I cried and he screames "YES, YES, YEAH" hahaha that was pretty cool of him cheer for me very hard.
I hugged with Mariam, who won the Egyptian Category, took pictures with sponsors Sami Faraq, Rahana, Harry Saroyan....this was a moment in my dance career.