So I am back from another adventure. This time it was a long flight to Johannesburg, South Africa. Even after 8 years of traveling to teach workshops I am still amazed at the places I get to visit. Sometimes I step outside my life and pause long enough to realize that someone not only knows who I am, but also invites me to come teach and dance with them. It is an unbelievable privilege.
For this event I shared teaching duties with the fabulous Karim Nagi. I had had the pleasure of performing with Karim a couple of times and found him to be a talented musician and a true entertainer with a great sense of humour. However, this was the first time I was exposed to his teaching style. He was able to passionately and articulately present complex material. Karim is not one to shy away from correction and has high expectations of his students. I found his content essential and his ability to deliver the content seriously without taking himself seriously refreshing. I wish I had had his classes when I was introduced to this art form.
But I am getting ahead of myself. I arrived Wednesday evening after traveling 24 hours and was met with a smile by one of the sponsors, Angela. This event was hosted by two lovely young teachers who collaborate to produce this event in Johannesburg. They thoughtfully brought both Karim and I early enough to recover from the trip and be able to see some of what Johannesburg has to offer. We had a lovely Indian dinner Thursday night, and on Friday we visited an elephant sanctuary and wildlife reserve. Karim and I were allowed to have a personal encounter with an elephant. Later at the reserve we saw rhinos, hippos, crocodiles, snakes, baby lions, flamingos, and I got to hang out with a cheetah named Eddie.
The workshops were well attended with enthusiastic students. The show was held in a college theatre with professional lighting and even a fog machine. I was not able to see much of the show, but what I could see from the wings was high energy and well received.
One thing that struck me on this trip was the collaboration between my hosts, Nathalie and Angela. I see all too often Bellydance communities fractured and unsupportive of other sponsored events in their area. I find this unfortunate. It is a major undertaking to produce an event. Not to mention expensive. I wish that more communities worked together to support each other. Regardless of what the differences are, there is one common thread we all share, and that is a passion for Arabic dance. Kudos to Angela and Natalie, two teachers with their own interests, schools, events, and troups that are willing to collaborate to the benefit of their community.
