Weekly Bellydance classes in Edinburgh

 Coming home..

Well… it’s been so long since I wrote in my blog that I’ve almost forgotten how.. and 6 years since I left Egypt... I need to update the header for the blog too!!

Hello again!

Guess what? I’ve been back in Edinburgh after my 10 years in Cairo for quite some years now.. but it’s only now that I feel I’ve truly come home. The reason? 

I’m setting up new weekly classes!  

For the past 16 years I’ve been an international performer and have been teaching workshops around the world as well as teaching some online private classes. Before all that I used to teach 25 classes per week, and I did it for years. I had over 400 students every week around Scotland! 

Heres a couple of photos of me, taken by a local newspaper, on Portobello beach, just before I headed off 16 years ago to live in Cairo!

How young and slim I was back then with my hair dyed black to 'look more Egyptian'!

I loved those pyramids made from sandbags on the beach, such a great idea. 

Although I don’t intent to work those crazy hours again (and of course I will continue to travel to perform and teach workshops) I have decided that what I am REALLY missing are those regular human connections that I made during all those classes with my students. 

So, new weekly classes in Portobello, Edinburgh, Scotland, start next week.. 27th October 2022

Rather than teach in a swanky mirrored dance studio, for these classes, I’ve decided to keep it local and am using an amazing building close to my home. It’s a beautiful old church, Bellfield, which was set to be redeveloped into houses, but the people of Portobello objected and won their case, and it has became a community hub, run by and for our local community! I decided that ‘it’s the people that count’ is the premise for how I want my classes to run! 

Yes, I’ll miss having mirrors it’s true, but I’ve always found deep friendships and connections blossom every more in classes where we are not all staring at ourselves in the mirror! I’m looking forward to not only teaching people to dance, but to facilitating the forming of new friendships and allowing freedom of self expression through dance. I know the vast majority of my friends have been made through bellydance, so I’m pretty evangelist about this!!! 

As well as introducing new beginners to this wonderful world of bellydance, I also want to gather in a lot of the dancers who have gotten lost along the way, who haven’t been to classes for years, who have lost their dance mojo, for various reasons, and feel shy about coming back. Let’s rebuild this wonderful supportive dance community! 

Please do come along if you can, and even if you can’t, feel free to spread the word for me! 

Thursday night weekly classes commence 27th Oct 2022 at Bellfield, 16b Bellfield street, Portobello, Edinburgh, EH15 2BP

Beginners Bellydance 

Thurs 18.15-19.15 

Small hall 

A fun, low impact, stress relieving way to exercise at the same time as meeting new friends and learning about a different dance form , music and culture. Great for all ages and levels of fitness and ability. NOT required to bare your belly, but of course you can if you want to! We dance barefoot, but you can wear soft shoes or grippy socks if you prefer. Wear loose comfortable clothing and bring water and a scarf you can tie round your hips. Prepare to have fun! Beginners only! 

Next Level Bellydance

19.30-20.30 

Big hall

A class for anyone who has bellydanced before, either recently or some time ago, to whatever level. Not suitable for complete beginners. We will refresh basics of course but this class hopes to develop dance skills and the large hall allows for us working on props and travelling moves too! A suitable class for Bellydance improvers, intermediate and advanced alike. 

Payment can be made on a drop in basis (I’m aware no everyone’s lives allow them to be in the same place every week!) which is £10 per class or the 8 week term can be block booked which makes it more affordable at £68 for the term. 

Payments can be made in cash, BACS or PayPal (contact me directly for details for those) 

I am so looking forward to this ‘coming home’ to being a regular teacher again. I’ve missed you all!! 

For those who live a bit further away and can’t attend a weekly class, I’m also going to be teaching a 2hr monthly workshop, here in Edinburgh at a different community centre in Portobello, The Washhouse, 3 Adelphi Place, Portobello, Edinburgh, EH15 1AP

These workshops will run in symbiotic style alongside the amazing monthly Rose halfa that my good friend and fellow dancer, Natalie Borg organises. Each month the halfa has a theme… and the next one, on 12th Nov will be “All that Jazz” so I have decided to create a workshop topic to fit with her theme! 

Jazz Hands!

4-6pm Sat 12th Nov. 

Washhouse community centre, Portobello. 

Two hours focusing on something most of us find most challenging within bellydance, arms! We will work out some fun a new ways to use our upperbody, hands and arms and hopefully take away those droopy arms and unnecessarily twirly hands!! Elegance, power and connection are the keys! Mixed level workshop. Must have basic bellydance technique. 

for the workshop, Payment of £20 can be made to me by cash, BACS or PayPal. Please whichever method you choose, contact me in advance to reserve your spot! 

So… it’s all going on! If you are only following this blog and haven’t yet followed me on social media, please do so since I post much more frequently there!

Instagram- LornaofCairo

Facebook- Lorna of Cairo (aka Bellylorna!)

Facebook group- Bellfield Bellydance classes

If you aren’t on the socials, you can email me directly at bellylorna@hotmail.com

If you’d like to know more about the monthly haflas (arabic for for a party!), to book a slot to perform or a ticket to attend, please check out Natalie’s website… 

www.rosesunderthemoon.com/haflas

See you on the dancefloor! 

(if you are interested in classes but live further afield, I am still teaching online one to one coaching sessions... feel free to contact me about those!)

organic choreographing and rocks

I really don't know what to write about, but feel i should write cos I haven't for ages and ages.............!

I have a day off. I feel like I haven't once stopped since long before Ramadan started... and its been over for 2 weeks now! I like working the lunch time sails, when its bus loads of tourists who get to see me as part of there 'total egyptian experience' after the pyramids and before the museam usually! It just gets difficult when you have 4 sails one day, then 3 the next etc etc (so thats anything between 1-8 shows in a day, varies per day!) Not complaining. Love the work... just that my body has stiffened up beyond belief. today, the 1st day off in ages has been spent in bed... and online... trying to catch up physically and mentally!!!!

anyway- enough moaning.

Cairo- crazy cairo- yes I still love it. Its strange to be away from my family when i know I could help them through difficult times... and seeing all my friends in UK again throughout Ramadan just reinforced how much i miss them.... but here is home. I just wish i could work out if i felt confident enough to buy a property here. Renting is stressful... and limiting. There is so much I'd love to do... but feel i couldn't in someone else's house - like building extra wardrobes before you get any other ideas!!!! I have totally run out of space for my own clothes- and thats before you even consider the 2 wardrobes of costumes!!! i need a 'sex in the city' style wardrobe!!!

Oh- and I am finally performing to my new entrance dance... it's still at the organic choreographing stage... ie I perform it every day.... up to 8 times in a day!!!....... but it changes everytime, unless i find something and think that really worked and then that gets added everytime... until i have partically choreographed it! I love working on a song like that, because it gives me new fresh ideas for interpretation and moves... and I can test them as I go along with the audiences reactions.... it's getting to the stage when i need to get it videod soon though so i can see if things look as good as they feel, or not!!!

I just realised that I haven't added the pics from the ramaden revellry tour.... heres a few pics from Northern Ireland- i was teaching in Dublin then we drove up to belfast and had a day in the North... and went to the giants causeway...

 Massive thanks to Adele and Nicola for being fabulous tour guides and showing me their windy countryside ( it reminded me a lot of Scotland!!!). I enjoyed the place and the company! Already looking forward to my next Belfast visit!

I'll get together some of the workshops pics from around the UK and add them in another blog soon! who knows... maybe some pics of my upcoming trip to Luxor to teach and perform at the Farha festival there.

Scottish Tour success

It's nearing an end... only one more workshop tommorrow in Glasgow and then that's me flying back to the Nile!

Todays workshop in Edinburgh went really well... a really fun and talented group of dancers from all over Scotland joined me.............

and I enjoyed teaching so much i really could have gone on for a few more hours!!!!!!!! Not sure how the energy levels would have kept up though. In fact, by the end of the class I was lying on the floor..........

There are a few youtube entires of my performances at the 'Lorna of Cairo Hafla' here in Edinburgh last thursday night... All 3 costumes are by the wonderful Eman Zaki (who will be teaching at the Farha Festival in Luxor alongside me later this year!)

so.......here you are, some dance footage from Edinburgh...

1st set- My new 'entrance piece' music called 'Hanan' :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LWZn66xGN1g

2nd set- The 'Iskandarani' style dance to 'Edella alla Keyfaak' was popular- there are 2 different recordings here of the same performance!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NUBSgy7PIck

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NTeshI6H0vM

3rd set- Hope you like the costume. It's the Egyptian flag! The set started with 'Ya habibty Ya Masr' which is essentially an unofficial national anthem of Egypt, and the song people sing in the street when Egypt win any football match. I then danced to 'Scotland the Brave'- least anyone should think I have changed allegience 100%, after all- I am still a 'bint el baladi' ! and then it was the drum solo.............. which didn't go to plan.........and was a lesson learned in making sure you rehearse with your drummer before you get on stage!... but we made the best out of it and had a giggle too...... here is just a tiny clip of it to show you the costume in action!!! :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XhMQw-4hZWc

There were also so many fantastic photos taken on this night, that i don't know where to even begin to choose which ones to add to the blog- so give me a few days to go through them all please!!! Huge thanks to all those talented people behind cameras!!!

Better go get some beauty sleep so I am ready for my Glasgow workshop and my photoshoot tomorrow!!!!!!!!

Sunny Edinburgh

Yes the sun is shining in Scotland- and i went out for lunch with a friend who I haven't seen in ages and she was wearing a Linen skirt, Tshirt and no jacket!!!! I was wearing a t-shirt, under my jumper dress and scarf and jacket........... hmm- i don't think I have acclimatised!!!

I am kicking myself that i forgot about getting a group photo at the workshop in Dundee last weekend.... but i did remember to take one at the Edinburgh one the week before.....

There are still a few places on the workshop in Edinburgh this coming saturday... contact Elspeth for details and to book!! ( swishandhips@hotmail.co.uk ) We will be covering different things from the last Edinburgh workshop, so if you want to do both, you'd be welcome and you won't be repeating yourself!!!

Don't you just love how Natalie's hand is cupping my face in the above photo? We couldn't have possibly arranged that if we had tried!!!!

Better get back to getting my music sorted for the 'Lorna of Cairo Hafla' tomorrow night! Oh and I have decided to dance 3 times so I get to wear all of my new Eman Zaki costumes!!!
( http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=356896083464&ref=ts )

Bellymob!

On sunday a group of about 15 of us dressed up in our bellydance costumes and went down to the South Bank in London and had a wee dance. We had 3 drummers (very good) joined us too and you should have seen the crowd that gathered! Dancing in my shoes made me feel like Suraya... but now looking at the photo of said shoes i realise hers are still much much higher!!!

People were lovely and appreciative and some even joined in... one guy using his jacket like a veil, another 2 Egyptian men joined me from the audience and used their umbrella's as sticks while we did some saaidi together!!! Thankfully the rain stayed away too! Oh and for those of you reading this in Egypt- yes it is possible to do this sort of thing in UK without ANY abuse... no names being called out, no one trying to touch, no rude comments. All there was was just appreciation for dance and everyone having fun. The way it should be!!!

It was such a lovely thing to do- for NO reason. we weren't promoting anything or anyone or busking ... we were just having fun.

It reminded me of my many fringe festival show years... wandering about Edinburgh in full bellydance costume, handing out flyers. That and dancing along Princes st with 40 other dancers as part of the fringe cavalcade. In fact- South Bank really reminded me of Edinburgh at festival time. I loved it!!!

Unfortunatly, we didn't have a performers permit for the drummers - so the security guards moved us on after about half and hour- and the crowd all 'boo-d' because we were being stopped!!!! It was a great feeling. We had gathered so many people to watch us that the whole route was blocked! We were all buzzing when we went for some refreshments, in the National Theatre afterwards!

A great day out- dance for the sake of fun!

(Photo Credit: Kristina West)

London Workshops

This weekend I taught 2 workshop in London in a little dance studio called Dance Attic. I had some girls there who had attended previous workshops in London- and some who were checking me out for the 1st time.

In the 'Vintage v Modern' workshop we talked about the simlarities and differences between the golden era dancers like Samia Gamal and Naima Akef compared with maodern cairo dancers like Randa Kamel and Dina. I love teaching that one- i feel that even I learn something everytime (!) and the feedback was great- lots of people said they had things that they suddenly now understood that they hadn't before- that ideas 'clicked'.

In 'Cairo moves' we talked about sooo many things- from musical interpretation to improvisation to adapting the moves you already know to nubian and saaidi! I loved it... and think they did too!!!

I love teaching.

Thanks to all who attended and made it such a joy for me!

Looking forward to next time ( sorry not sure when that will be yet in London- will post it here as soon as we know!!!- but Dundee this coming weekend!!!)

(Photo Credit; Kristina West)

pics of me!

Michele Dillon took these pics of me last time I was home (was hoping for more pics to show of the cossies- but hopefully they will follow!!!!!!) They were taking in the changing room- so pretty damn good for non studip shots I think!!!

Michele is a lovely dancer who performs mainly in various restaurants in Glasgow and also a wonderful photographer with recent success in her debut exhibition- an upcoming star!!! You can see some of her work on her website http://www.art-i-san.com/

Praise……..

You know- I've been thinking about it. I think the reason I felt so strong that 1st night back to work here in Cairo was largely due to the massive positive response I received when I was in Scotland. Both in the workshops and in response to my performances. I'd like to blow my own trumpet a little and quote some of an email I received from a student of mine, it really made me feel amazing…

Dear Lorna, You'll be hearing so much of this I am sure! Always seeing you dance has been a source of inspiration and amazement. Each jaw dropping performance has always swept every other dancer from my mind. When you returned to Scotland before, it seemed impossible but somehow you had brought more to your dance, showing us so much emotion and moves that had me doing that " but HOW did she DO that!!!?" face.
This time you did something else amazing. At Morocco you utterly became the music to a point that it seemed impossible to separate the two. You became greater in stature, making yourself immense in the space. The observer in my dance head was trying to question " how does Lorna do that?" but you were just so at one with the music you were it that it was not possible to step back from your performance and look at pieces of it. WOW!
You explained lots of this at your workshop which seemed to be over in minutes. It was a delight to see you dance in Scotland again. Wishing you huge success in Cairo, you are already a huge success! All the best ……… V.

Isn't that lovely? Her email made me sooo proud I instantly sent it to my teacher Sara so she could be proud of me too!!!! The line that really got to me was ' You became greater in stature, making yourself immense in the space.' It got to me because that was the long term aim for me……… not just to be a dancer- but to be a real performer…… and that’s what this line suggests I, at least on this particular night, achieved! I am really grateful that this girl was able to put in writing the way she felt…. And that she even thought about doing it! Quite often when you become good at something, or are the teacher (or both!) people stop praising you. They assume you already know!

Perfect example is when you go to a hafla in UK, EVERYONE will praise the beginners (as they should do since its hard to get up there when you are just starting out!) but few will say anything to the professional- maybe you get a 'great – as always' or something- a comment meant to praise, but actually makes you feel you haven't achieved anything any better than you did before. If you are always good- why put in the effort? Good dancers often have low self esteem too- don't forget to let them know WHAT was good!

Oh- and while I am talking about my time in Scotland- can I just say how much I loved teaching in Dundee and Glasgow again- what NICE NICE people!!! I had forgotten just how welcoming you guys are! Looking forward to coming back to see you in September hopefully when I am in the country for a month (inshallah!!!)

So you can appreciate what I mean- look at these smiley faces from my Glasgow workshop!............... (we all look a bit sweaty and exhausted- but some of us had just done 4 hours dancing!!!!)

I am sad to leave Edinburgh, to leave my family and friends behind. This trip was so chaotic I didn't even get to see most of my family…….. so hopefully when I return end of April (for a week) I can make it a 100% social trip and catch up with everyone (or maybe 98%- for sure I perform at least once at Morocco!!!)

I'm NOT sad to leave that horrible weather! In Cairo the sun is shining- I am out in daytime in a t-shirt (or equivalent) and sleeping with just a sheet- no electric blanket or hot water bottle!!!!

Scotland is the most beautiful country in the world- except for its weather!!!!!!!!!

Photoshoot on the beach

Portobello Beach... here are some of the photos taken by the fabulous Kate (katechandler.com) when she came to do the photoshoot for the evening news article..... All copyrights reserved! This next one I have included just so you can see how the wrong pose and angle can give you a HUGE belly!!!!!!!!!!!!! where did THAT come from????

Thats better.............

Last shots before the clouds break!..............

all these photos by katechandler.com

Evening news article wed 11/7/07

well- Elspeth's suggestion that I let the Evening News know I was coming back from the real pyramids, to the ones on portobello beach worked- Thanks for the PR advice speth!!! while I was home they interviewed me and photographed me for this article which I have copied and pasted for those of you who missed the evening news on wedensday night.
I've also edited it slightly... (my comments are in brackets in this colour!!!)

Porty's Lorna wobbles way to Cairo fame (shaky intro me thinks!!!)
ROSALIND GIBB

THE dancer casts her audience a sultry look from behind a sequin-edged veil as she gyrates barefoot on the Cairo restaurant boat's tiny dance floor. Her close-fitting gold Saaidi dress shows off her hourglass curves as she moves.

As she tosses her head seductively, the light reflects off her cascading dark locks. In a mesmerising movement, her hips circle to one side, then low down and up fast on the other side, and the audience of Arab diners is left spellbound.

Despite her skill, the dancer working on the Golden Pharaoh restaurant boat on the Nile is not an Egyptian who has been belly-dancing all her life. The stunning performer is (age missed out thank you very much!) Lorna Gow from Edinburgh, who has been wowing Egyptians with their own art form since she arrived in Cairo 15 months ago.

It's a world away from overcast Portobello, where she is staying this week on a visit home to see family and friends.

Born and bred in Edinburgh, Lorna became the first Scot to belly dance professionally in Cairo when she emigrated there just over a year ago - quite a feat for someone who had never tried any type of dance until she was 21, and only took up a belly dancing nightclass as a fun way to keep fit.

Lorna works on the Nile and Golden Pharaoh boats, cruising restaurants that cater for both tourists and Egyptians.

She says: "I love it, dancing on stage every night to an audience that, because of the culture, understands and appreciates what I'm doing. It's great working with Arabic musicians too. You are really interacting with them and the dancer plays a big part in creating the music."

Lorna was working for the Department of Work and Pensions (in my day it was called 'the benefits agency' - didn't realised it had changed?!!) in Wester Hailes when she began her journey into the exotic world of belly dancing.

Quickly realising she had an aptitude for it, before long she was called upon to begin teaching.
She became one of the main belly dance teachers in the area, taking around 20 classes across Scotland.

Her love affair with Cairo began on a dance holiday to the city ten years ago, and it cast such a spell over her that she returned around 20 times in 11 years, even organising trips for her students.

Then came the opportunity for a long-term stay. "When I was thinking about auditioning for the job I really wasn't sure I'd be good enough," she says.
"But numerous people I spoke to said I should go for it. I asked one of the top choreographers, Raqia Hassan, how long she thought it would take before I'd be capable, and she said I was good enough now, which gave me loads of confidence."

Despite having a fiance in Edinburgh, Lorna moved to Cairo in March last year, originally for six months. Those six months have grown into 15 but Lorna has been relishing the experience.
"It's a mad, chaotic, crazy, dirty city, bustling with life and passion," she says. "I love it. It feels real here. People are very hospitable and the weather is a heck of a lot better.

"They live the day during the night in Cairo, because of the heat. They do things during what we might think of as unsociable hours. For example, after a show at about 1.30am, I will phone a friend and arrange to go for a meal. Shops are open until midnight. It's a 24-hour city.
"It's so huge you can't have everyone rushing around at the same time, so I suppose they do kind of shift living.

"The hardest part has been learning the language. It's getting easier though. None of my musicians speaks (much) English so, for about six or seven hours each evening, I have to speak Arabic."

Lorna performs her half-hour show up to six times a night and the number of performances requires a high level of fitness.
"Physically it's very demanding and especially in the heat - it can be 30 degrees at one in the morning," she says.

"But I know I am very lucky, finding something I am good at and that I love so much."
She also credits one of her teachers, Sara Farooq, as having helped the credibility of her performances. "She is fabulous at helping me get into the heads of my Egyptian audiences and really understand what the songs and music are about," Lorna says.

As well as the boat tours, she also performs at weddings and private parties. With her brown hair (naturally blonde, she dyed it when she arrived in Egypt) and dark eyes, many people assume she is Egyptian.
However, she says it doesn't surprise people too much when they learn she's Scottish.
She explains: "Around half of the top belly dancers in Egypt are foreign. Egyptians have a feel for dance that you strive to get. But foreign dancers are generally better trained and perhaps have better technical skills."

Lorna says another obstacle apart from the language has been the bureaucracy and red tape she's encountered. "You really need to know people to get anything done, so obviously that is getting easier," she says.
"Another thing I find difficult is the hassle from men.
"Just walking along the road is like walking past about 20 building sites at once, and it is really wearing."

Lorna returns to Edinburgh every three months to see family and spend time with her fiance. She met Khalid, who owns the Moroccan Restaurant on Dundas Street, when she performed at the opening night.
So how does she cope with such a long-distance relationship? "Thank God for MSN!" she laughs. "We talk every night. He comes out to visit and I return to Edinburgh regularly.
"It can be trying for a relationship, but I think if we can survive this, we can survive anything."

As for the future, she is not making any set plans. "When I first came I meant to stay for a summer, and have now been here for 15 months," she says.
"So I don't want to make any promises about coming home. I've achieved what I set out to do, but there's always another step.
"First I wanted to dance in Cairo, then to get a work visa, then to dance with a band. I've done all those things, but now I want to dance with an orchestra - which would be amazing. You simply can't plan in a city like Cairo, it doesn't work like that, but that's partly what makes it such a special place because you just never know what's next."

IT'S ALL IN THE HIPS
BELLY dance is a Western name for an Arabic style of dance developed in the Middle East. It consists of percussive movements of the shoulders contrasted with slower fluid moves of the hips and torso.
It is big business in Egypt and the Middle East, where the top dancers have their own orchestras and limousines.
Dance teacher Hilary Thacker, who runs Hilary's Bazaar on George IV Bridge, which sells oriental clothes and dance costumes, is holding summer classes at Chi 36 on George Street and South Leith Parish Church, starting on July 24. Visit her website at www.hilarysbazaar.com or call 0131-556 7976 to book.
Dance Base in the Grassmarket, where Lorna Gow used to teach, also runs belly dancing classes. A new term will start in September. For more information call 0131-225 5525.
Participants should wear comfortable clothes and bring a scarf to tie around their hips.
This article: http://edinburghnews.scotsman.com/features.cfm?id=1074972007

The article had a photo too.... although I have a few more from that photo shoot which I'll add later (literally just in the door from the airport just now!)

Miss the kids

Most of you who know me know that my sister had a baby boy, Sam, just before I left Edinburgh to move to Cairo. Thankfully she got hold of a webcam so I often get to watch wee Sam playing or eating and watching him grow that way- its so hard to see so many changes from so far away and wish I was there. Here's a photo of him so you can see why I'm missing him!


Cute huh?!!! Then of course I want to mention the others I miss too- but if I start putting in photos of them all it'll be like a nursery yearbook what with so many people having children recently! so Maya, and Christophe, Scott, and baby Hannah, and I haven't even seen the newest one yet- Lilia! 4 months is such a short section of someones life, and thats all I have been here for so far- but it seems huge to me just now, seeing and hearing what I am missing!!!!

of course you dont have to be under 5 to know I am missing you............!!!!