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!