Ahlan Cairo nights, Montreal Quebec

This past weekend I had the pleasure to attend Little Egypt’s event in Montreal. It was so nice to just sit back and enjoy the performances without the stress of having to perform! I was thrilled to be able to connect with the visiting stars; Aida Nour, Asi Haskal, Lubna Emam, and Randa Kamel. These are very respected and famous artists in our industry. I have had the honour of working with Lubna (in Belgium), Asi Haskal (in Israel), and Randa (in Argentina). I had met Aida Nour many years ago, and I could not believe she was here in Canada. We are so privileged to have the opportunity to work with a legend in our industry.
Friday night was the Queen of the Nile competition. There were 9 brave dancers that came with their best. I was very proud of the dancers from our community! It could not have been easy to dance in front of such illustrious judges. We had to wait until the Saturday Gala shows to find out the results.
Saturday night was special to me because I was able to share the evening with my husband, Eric. Because of my touring schedule, it is not often that I am able to show him dancers that inspire me. Let alone dress up and go out on a weekend night! This was his first time seeing a tanoura dancer, and the headliners gave him a whole new perspective on Middle Eastern dance. Lubna showed the true spirit of Egyptian dance, Asi was an incredible showman, and Randa blew the roof off the Holiday Inn!
After Randa’s powerful performance it was time for the results of the competition. Last years’s winner, Salome, had the dubious task of performing after Randa before handing over her crown. I have to give Salome big props. She absolutely delivered. I was thoroughly impressed. The winners were announced and in third place was Mylene, second went to Zafirah, and the new Queen of the Nile is Amelia. All three were fabulous and I could see that it was not an easy decision for the judges.
A big thank you to Dee Dee of Little Egypt for bringing this event to Montreal!

Wisconsin

Holloween weekend was spent at the fabulous Kalahari Resort in Wisconsin Dells, WI. I was invited by Nilaja, Donna Diva, and Magda also known as "the Lemmings". This venue was out of control! First of all it was HUGE. The Kalahari boasts water parks, an indoor amusement park, bowling alley, cinema, spa, arcade, go carts, and baby tigers! It is the ultimate event to include your family, there is something for everyone. Because it was holloween weekend there was an element of the bizare. I loved that I could walk around the resort in full Aziza frosting and not look out of place. Friday night was the Hoofla. There were alot of fusion performances to celebrate the holiday. I enjoyed Shira's Bastet dance complete with meowing in the music. I also enjoyed the "soul train" costume dance at the end of the show, and even joined in with my cat woman mask. Saturday was full of workshops. I was joined in teaching duties by Shira, Christine, and Mirah Amal. In the afternoon I was able to enjoy a lunch with my gracious hosts and have my picture taken with a baby tiger named "Liliy"! Saturday night was the Gala show. There was a nice contingency from Chicago including the talented Sonia and two of her troups. It was fun to sit in the audience which was dotted with glow in the dark cocktails. Sunday was another full day of workshops. Unfortunately I had to duck out and head to the airport right after my workshop. It would have been fun to end the event with a splash in the waterpark! If anyone is looking for a Bellydance event to bring the whole family, check out the Northern Lights Bellydance Festival next year!

Calgary

Yay, Canada, my adoptive home! I was thrilled to be invited back to Calgary by the Little Fish Dance Company. Last time I was in Calgary it was very cold and we performed in a clown school! This time the weather was more mild and the event was held in a Ukrainian community center. I had a warm welcome from the students. We laughed, cried and worked very hard. Special thanks to Hollie for all her hard work and to all the students that travelled long distance to dance with us. I truly hope to dance with you all again. Next time I will bring my cowboy hat...

COLOMBIA

This was my first trip to Medellin, Columbia. I was immediately impressed with the promoter, Maria Isabel. Although Bellydance is relatively new in this country, Maria is presenting the dance with integrity and professionalism. Maria worked with a publicist and kept me busy with radio, newspaper, and television interviews before the workshops and show. The result was a full house in one of Medellin’s top theatres. I shared billing of this event with Yousery Sharif, Gada of Chile, and Angie of Venezuela.
There were 200 students in attendance at the workshops. Maria should be proud of the work she has done to promote Bellydance in her area.

Hola Mexico

After the spectacle of Argentina I had a complete change of environment. I was invited to Cuernavaca, Mexico by Georgina Ruiz. I was charmed by Georgina and her supportive family. This workshop was attended by 11 enthusiastic students. Although this event was a much smaller scope than Argentina, it was still emotionally satisfying in a different way. I was happy to be able to work intimately with the students and give feedback.
I love the hospitality of Mexico! My gracious hosts made me feel at home and fed me well! I look forward to returning to Mexico, soon.

ARGENTINA

September 2010 and back to Buenos Aires, Argentina! This was my fourth trip to Argentina to participate in the 12th annual EIDA (Encuentro Internationale Danse Arabe) hosted by Amir Thaleb. This year I was joined by Randa Kamel, Momo Kadous, Mohamed Shahin, Yael of Argentina, Isis of Mexico, and 800 students!
The shows were spectacular with laser lights and fog machines. The South American dance style is very bold and can leave you exhausted as a spectator. Teaching to 800 students is an emotional high. I feel lucky to have experienced this extreme event.

Upcoming Events

I am looking forward to returning to Buenos Aires, Argentina for Encuentro VII, Mexico, and my first trip to Columbia. In November it is back to Berne, Switzerland to see Alex and Amira, and Duisberg, Germany for Layla Jouvana’s Festival and Bellydancer of the World Competition. This will be my 9th trip to Germany! I am really looking forward to what looks like a great event in Wisconsin and returning to Calgary. Check my calendar at www.azizashimmy.com for an event near you!

Aziza Dreamcamp

July of this year I had my first Dreamcamp in the Eastern Townships of Quebec. Dreamcamp was a realization of a vision I had 8 years ago. I am so grateful to the first participants who trusted me with their precious time. Everything turned out better than my vision and I am thrilled to announce that there will be three Dreamcamps next year! It was not easy to think of a way to top the first Dreamcamp…so I have invited some special guest instructors to join me! We are already booking for the camps next year, and have students coming from all over the world. Please find more information at www.azizadreamcamp.com.

Latest news

Where in the world has Aziza been this year? I started this year in Israel, Italy, France, Belgium, England, and Spain! I have also visited Japan, Malaysia, and Turkey. In North America I have had the pleasure of teaching and performing in Minneapolis, Orlando, and San Diego.

After many years of traveling and being hosted by hardworking promoters all over the world I finally invited my own guest to join me in Montreal. Not just any guest, but Issam Houshan, master percussionist. Issam is most known for his work with the Bellydance Superstars. I have had the pleasure of working with this talented drummer on a couple of occasions and finally taught with him a couple of years ago at Ya Halla Y All in Texas. We both agreed that we had a great time teaching together and wanted to continue to work together. So August of 2010, with the help from the efficient and hard working Zafirah, we finally made our vision a reality to rousing success. Classes in Drum technique, rhythm identification, finger cymbols, and a drum solo choreography were so well received that we have no choice but to bring him back! This time for the Dreamcamp weeklong intensive in July 2011! I am so grateful for the opportunity to work with this generous and talented artist. Don't miss this special event!

Student feature

Our featured student is the gorgeous Gemma. At a vibrant 71 years young, she is one of the most dedicated students I have ever worked with. I first noticed Gemma at the monthly workshops I was teaching in Quebec. I could tell she was challenged by the material but she had such determination and a great attitude. When she began private lessons, I saw an amazing transformation. I may have given her some tools and encouragement but the work was all Gemma. She practices EVERY DAY and does not give up. Gemma can mesmerize with the veil and has now mastered the ¾ shimmy. She also gets requests to perform. We could all learn something from this remarkable woman. Gemma truly inspires me to be a better teacher and dancer.

Malaysia, Japan & Turkey

It is so wonderful to be home after such an intense tour. This has been one of the most challenging and rewarding tours so far.
My first stop was Malaysia. My impressions of Penang; humid, friendly, crazy traffic, sweet, salty, and sour food, and new exotic fruits. The dance scene is relatively new, but enthusiastic. I was well taken care of by promoter Conny Lim. I debuted a new pop choreography and taught a successful zill class. So satisfying to see students dancing and playing finger cymbals! There were more than 100 dancers performing in the show. After the event I visited the largest Buddhist temple in Asia, and was able to relax by the ocean before my next event....
Tokyo! This was my second trip to Japan. This time I was invited by Deseos Productions. I arrived early in the morning. After checking into my neat and tiny room and a quick nap I ventured out on my own and took in the lights and sights of downtown. Tokyo has energy like no other. I love this city!
The event was well organised and we worked hard. It felt like such a whirlwind. The classes were packed and sweaty! I enjoyed meeting up with Ozma and Farfesha. The show was held in an intimate theatre. After flowers and photos I was treated to Italian food and wine with Joanne and Rachel of Deseos and Joanne’s patient husband. Italian food in Japan!
Then it was a long journey to Turkey. The event was held in Fethiye, on the Mediterranean coast. The promoter was Tara with Dahab Holiday Dance Festival. I love this yearly festival, and this was my seventh consecutive year working with Tara. There are many attendants that have become friends. This year I was lucky to share teaching duties with Jillina, Drissia, Mannis, Gamilla, and Naheda. Classes were held in a huge open air hall with views of mountains and sea. The show was interrupted by a wild fireworks display. I was honoured to share the stage with such beautiful dancers.
After the event I was able to spend a couple of days sightseeing, shopping and seeing shows in Istanbul. What a treat to be able to hang out with Jillina. We went to a wild show at the Orient house, saw the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sofiya, shopped in Grand Bazaar, and even met up with friends from Oregon(David and Delpha) living in Istanbul and Eva Cernik and her husband, musician Rashid, for a delicious Indian dinner . On my own I was able to visit Bella and buy some costumes and attend a Sufi ceremony and watch whirling dervishes, a grand ending to a gruelling tour!
Now I am blissfully home – working on new choreographies and spending precious time with Eric, the boys, and an ever growing Lily. Life is truly sweet!

Here is the first real entry to my new blog. For the last few weeks I have been contemplating what it is I would share. I could think about it forever - but it is time to jump in and start! I thought I would begin by expressing what I am working on and what I am thinking about.
I have just returned from the third Aziza Weeklong held in lovely Sanford, Florida. I had the pleasure of working with 20 passionate dancers from all over the US and a couple from abroad. It was a truly inspiring week and I came home from the event with renewed energy. It is special for me to be able to connect with these women. With all of the traveling I do throughout the year I cherish being able to get to know these dancers and get to see them grow.
Now that I am back in Montreal I am gearing up for for my next ambitious tour. This tour will take me to Malaysia, Tokyo, and Turkey. I have been to Tokyo before but it will be my first time to both Malaysia and Turkey. I am working on a new pop choreography and a new workshop concept with drills for finger cymbals. It is thrilling to think of going to a new country with new material!
To tackle my new projects I have been channeling the enthusiasm and boundless energy of thenewest member of our family, Lily. Lily is a 3 month old golden retriever puppy. When I think of Lily I think of unconditional love, patience, and endless energy. These are the qualities I am now trying to bring into the studio when I am creating something new. Especially patience! I am excited to see how my new muse will influence my new work. There may well be some extra happy puppy moves thrown in!

This is so exciting!

Welcome!