Bollywood Dance? SERIOUSLY??

Just saw "So u think you can dance?" episode 1. Saw the Bollywood routine choreographed to Jai Ho. What an old fashioned routine! G looked at me after that and said "Who dances like that in Bollywood?". I mean, SERIOUSLY! WHO DANCES LIKE THAT?
The last time I saw those moves in a Hindi film were in the 1950s when Vaijayathimala was dancing. Nothing wrong with that; but is OLD, OOLD, OOOOOOLD!
Someone needs to give the choreographer a Madhuri or Hrithik movie. Even the dances from Devdas, that were supposed to be based in a period era, were choreographed way better.
I know that the choreography was done for a western, really, American audience; but that does not mean it has to be corny. That does not mean you insist the stereotype that the americans have about Indian movies. After seeing the Jazz-done-with-genius routine for the crash dummies; I think that the bollywood routine was done by someone who has not seen a single hindi movie after Sangam and has jumped straight to Slumdog milionaire. If the person who choreographed the dance had seen even a single Amitabh Bachan (who was rightfully shown in slumdog Millionare), that person would have realised what the more contemporary dances look like in Hindi movies. I mean even Rekha in Umrao Jaan had better steps.
As a dancer and a bollywood dancer, I think the routine was a half-baked, half-researched, and stereotyped attempt to show dance from Indian films. I am not even talking about the injustice that was done to the amazing music of Rahman. Lets just leave that to another day, shall we.
Also, the costumes! OMG! What happened to all the publicity that Indian cinema and fashion is gettingnowadays. Did the producers of this show completely miss the train on this one? YEESUH, I shall say.
Neeways, I think I am going to ship some movies to the show producers and ask them if the dance today really said Bollywood, or it was an oldy-wood, done-by-side-heriones-in-BW-hindi-movies, dance done wearing costumes from the time when the world did not know what a cellphone was.
WAKE UP, CATCH UP with us INDIANS and get GROOVY like we do. IT IS TIME!

First dance workshop!!!

I just got back from my first Bellydance workshop. It was taught by Amani Jabril of ATL. The workshop had two sessions: Khalichi section, that featured movements done in the coastal region of Iraq. The second session was about different styles of bellydance. The teacher took one move and them taught it in different styles. It demonstrated how the different movements, placement of weight, oomph added to the same set of steps can make the steps look different.

I am really tired today, so will keep writing about the workshop.

BUT It was great and I hope to get a chance to do more of these!
Be Shimmlicious!

I am BACK!!

BACk after a 2 week haitus! Have been dancing too much. This is the first week when I am not dancing for a show. The next show we have is on 11/1 and I donot know if we are actually dancing then or not. Also, since 11/1 is G's b'day; I am still a little ambiguous about dancing on that day.

I have so much to share from the hafla and also from the two shows we did before and after the hafla. I also want to do some private lessons with Jasmine, specially to learn Amer and Touba; both of which I really like. Another one that comes to mind is the Falmeco number. I have to call Jasmine and see how her schedule is so that I can work with her to learn both the dances.
Other than that, things are great, dance-wise. I think I am getting into better shape and now that I am going to the gym, I am striving to be more regualr about stretching and practising the dances I know.

More at night.

Catch up

I have been away for sometime. Sort of a forced writing break. I have been really busy with rehearsals and practices. I have also been busy preparing for the upcoming hafla next Friday.
Today we all ladies meet to do some sewing work on our costumes. Mainly closing the leg-slit that agapes from the El-Salem costume and also embellishing the El-Salem costume.

Yesterday was the only day I DID NOT dance in about a week. I have been dancing everyday of the past week. It feels really good to do that. I hope that I am able to keep dancing as much once this performance season starts winding down.

More at night.

Mid-south Fair performance thoughts

Yesterday night the J-Jewels performed at the mid-south fair. We were all ready in time and ready to go at 8 pm, however the band before us started their performance late, so went on stage at 8:30. Also, the band before us sang gospeal, GOSPEL and then we were on. We were doign dances from egypt, turkey and iran.; like Jasmine said from Terrorist countries...lol.
I felt completely disconnected from the audience (whichever 1 or 2 face I could see) today. During turkish delight, while doing the hip hit step, I realised that I was completely disconnected. I have not missed that step ever, and I missed it on Friday.
That is when I realised that I was disconnected. I had warmed up, talked to everyone in the dresssing room. I did have an awkward moment with Lucie, but that was it, just a moment. Everything else was going fine; just that I felt disconnected.
I think I probably need to work on something that can help me get into the dance groove before the performance. I think for that it is streching and listening to music. So for the next performance, that is what I am going to do. Stretch, listen to music and BE ON TIME.
I have not watched the video or the photos from the performance, hope to do that tonite.
More when I have some time to think about the performance.

Mid-South Fair

I am really excited about our performance today at mid-south fair. I have so much to do before the show though. But I am still ready to get out there and perform. Looking back at the past 3 months I realise that I have not really shimmied in front of an audience since April 2008, when was the GPAC performance.
My ankle is still bothering me though especially when I am on relavet ( I hope this is the correct spelling). And everytime I turn on relavet, I am reminded that I should strech more. So, here a TODO for today's show. Strech and warm-up. I remember several classes where I have danced much better when I am warm and sweaty, it just helps connect to body to the music and bring out the movements better.
So Strech Baby, strech!!

Shimme- Shopping

We have several events coming up in the next 4 weeks. Today, we are performing at the Mid-South Fair. Next week we perform at a Bartlett festival. The week after that is the BIG week for DWJ, becuase we have our annual hafla. This year the hafla is being planned on a grand level. We are charging people to come and watch us! So knowing Jasmine, she wants us to put up a great show. I am so proud of her for that. Her standards and expectations make all us work harder, push harder and dance better. Love her for that. She recognises the potential in all of us and pushes us to always reach the full potential.

Anyways, so for these performances I have been doing a little shopping. The yellow mesh scraf that I would use with my gypsy ensemble had started to fall to pieces. So I had been looking a good yellow mesh hip scraf. Low and Behold, I found exactly what I wanted on Ebay.
I bid and WON!!! and the scraf is now mine. The dealer I bought the scraf from is from Hongkong. His business and shipment were prompt and quick. He even sent me a post-card from HK.

So here is the scraf I bought:








Here is his store on ebay: Shanghai-Tailor

In addition I have been eye-ing the one below. I simply love lotuses and this is just right.
I just cannot decide on which colour to get, he has these in all colours I can think of. DAMN you, why do you have to be so creative and confuse me!