Lorna’s Spring UK tour 2013 - diary dates!

I am going to be back in the UK for a month and plan to be doing a series of workshops and private classes and performances while I am in the country. If you are interested in attending the workshops and/or performances please contact each of the organisers listed below. I am going to be in Exeter, Edinburgh, London, Wolverhampton and Lincoln on this tour!

If you are interested in having a private class with me, at very reasonable rates I might add... then please contact me directly on bellylorna@hotmail.com.

 Last time I came to London I taught a few girls, some of whom had never had a private class before, and all the feedback I received was really lovely. So if you have never had a private bellydance class before- maybe now is the time to try! (In fact- maybe you could persuade your ‘other half’ that this would make a much appreciated valentines gift!!!)

Sat 23^rd Feb – Exeter Workshops and performance.

Maximising your assets – Taking movements and showing how to make many variations on them so they suit your body shape, the audience, the music, the stage set up. This workshop will also incorporate performance skills.

Improvisation – Getting rid of that fear – This workshop will help you overcome your fear of improvisation allowing you to explore emotions and also the importance of musicality.

Contact Judith on ysondedancer@aol.com to book places and reserve your ticket for the evening performance!

Sun 24^th Feb- Private classes in Exeter-  I will be in Exeter on this day and available if anyone wants to book a private class with me email me now! Bellylorna@hotmail.com

Thurs 28^th Feb- Thurs 7^th March – Available for Private classes in Edinburgh . Email me to book yours asap bellylorna@hotmail.com

Sat 2^nd  March – Edinburgh Workshops

Workshops held at Edinburgh Studios, 21 Arthur Street Upper, Edinburgh, Scotland.

12.15-14.15 Technique - Lorna’s Cairo modern style
How we are taught technique compared with how Egyptians actually dance the moves! Learn moves to use in all styles of Egyptian music, brand new, fresh and direct from the Cairo stage. 

14.45-16.45 Putting Emotions into your Dance
The biggest criticism foreign dancers get is that their technique is good but they don't have that Egyptian 'feeling'. In this workshop we will explore what this mystical feeling is, and look at practical ways to demonstrate it within your dance.

Both workshops are for dancers of all levels, but are not suitable for absolute beginners.
Each workshop costs £25. 

Please contact Elspeth Swishandhips if you want to attend. 
Bookings are only confirmed when you’ve paid, so to book your place:
• Post a cheque made payable to Lorna Gow Dance to E. Alexandra, 32 Claremont Road, Edinburgh EH6 7NH
• Paypal to swishandhips@hotmail.co.uk , sorry but to cover Paypal administration there’s an extra £1.50 on paypal payments – which means £26.50 per workshop or £51.50 for both.
• If you need another way to pay, please contact Elspeth elspethalexandra@hotmail.com 

Tues 5^th March – Edinburgh Performance

Details TBC

contact elspethalexandra@hotmail.com  for more info

Sat 9^th March – London workshops

Workshop 1
12:30-14:30 – details TBC

Workshop 2
15:30-17:30 – details TBC

The venue 
Jackson's Lane Studio 1, 269a Archway Road, London, N6 5AA
The venue is right next to Highgate Tube (Northern Line) and is just 15 minutes from Euston/Kings Cross. See details in facebook http://www.facebook.com/events/390022727746507/418527478229365/?ref=notif&notif_t=plan_mall_activity#!/events/464060796976731/?notif_t=plan_user_invited  .

 For more info and to book your workshop place please Contact Nafiseh on www.saqarah.co.ukwww.saqarah.co.ukwww.saqarah.co.uk

Sun 10^th March- Wolverhampton – Workshops and Evening performance

1230-1430 - Organic Dance Concepts – How to move between moves to create a seem-less performance. This workshop focuses on technique SOLD OUT

1500-1700 - The different Baladi styles- Baladi means my country. Dancers tend to use it to mean a specific type of music and dance style. This workshop however will explore all the different styles that an Egyptian dancer might class as ‘baladi’/ (bring a light stick with you) SOLD OUT

Exclusive Evening with Lorna at Tiffus restaurant. This is going to be a really special night. We will take over the top floor of Tiffus restaurant, enjoy a 2 course meal and be entertained by Lorna. She will talk about her life in Cairo as a dancer and then perform just for us. The numbers for this event are strictly limited. The cost is £25 however the food at Tiffus is a cut above your normal Indian food and you can take your own booze so there will be nothing extra to pay on the night. You can pay via paypal by visiting my website www.raqswombourne.vpweb.co.uk

Contact Karen at www.raqswombourne.vpweb.co.uk  to book tickets for evening meal – workshops have sold out! 

Or see fb events http://www.facebook.com/events/390022727746507/418527478229365/?ref=notif&notif_t=plan_mall_activity#!/events/390022727746507/?fref=ts and http://www.facebook.com/events/390022727746507/418527478229365/?ref=notif&notif_t=plan_mall_activity#!/events/395748173834267/?fref=ts

Mon 11^th March- Friday 15^th March - Private classes in London. Email me now to book yours! bellylorna@hotmail.com

Sat 16^th March - Lincoln - Raqs Helwa - Workshops and Performance

There will be many fabulous teachers doing both workshops and performances at this fabulous festival! I am looking forward to being one of them...

11.30-1.30 -Cairo technique - Lorna brings us an unimaginable insight to the technique of oriental dancing and uses her fun and personable style to add depth and knowledge to each dancer’s repertoire

4-6pm -  Cairo Style – Lorna will teach you the tricks to make your dancing more Egyptian! Lorna will share with us the current trends in Cairo style and incorporating all the elements from the street, the countryside and the cabaret scene, show us how we can adapt our dance to be genuinely egyptian. 

Evening Performance - The evening performance will consist of 3 sections.  The first section will be a montage of some of our workshop teachers performing, second up is professional troupe The Tarab Dance Company  and finally we have our star performer LORNA of CAIRO performing a complete set from her cairo show. If you have booked a Raqs Helwa day ticket your evening ticket is INCLUDED so please do not purchase it again.  If however you wish to bring friends with you, then these tickets can be booked as EXTRA places.

For full festival info (including workshops with other teachers too) and to book, please go to www.egyptiandancer.co.uk

Tues 19th March- I will be back in Cairo, teaching private classes there and performing at the Pharoahs boat, Giza! see you there maybe if i miss you on this trip?!!! 

A bit of Bling....

A bellydancer's favourite pastime, after dancing.... costume shopping!

Yesterday I went to see my costume designer, Eman Zaki. I have been going there for as many years as she has been making costumes and love her work. She has a workshop off Sharia Mahatta and you can see everyone, men and women, working away on all the costumes when you go. Cutting and sewing. Most of them beading! The walls are stacked high with beautiful fabrics, crystals are on every surface. It’s like Aladdin’s cave (with a bit of Cairo ‘dust’ on top). Often you bump into other Cairo dancers while you are there. Sara Farouk is there to help with all the logistics of the order and Eman weaves her magic. When you say you’d like something specific Eman takes your suggestions and makes it come alive. She was the one who made my fabulous green and Tartan costume for me that I bring out every Burns night and St Andrews!

Since I perform Saaidi in most shows I do... I needed a new saaidi costume, so I went along to see what they had.

Oops....

Now I have 3 new costumes in the making! Two saaidi and one bedla.

How did that happen? I only went for one!

I am not going to tell you anything else about them... not yet... since I am getting them ready for my UK tour so I don’t want to spoil any surprises... but I am very happy so far!

Another fitting tomorrow afternoon... I’m excited!

Today I am going to go to the Khan. See what I can see. Sometimes there are some nice things there too (although usually not- hence my repeat visits to Eman and Amera, my two favourite designers – the extra expense is Always worth the extra quality!)

I have so many costumes now (no idea actually how many) that often I can rotate them and people think they are new, which is fabulous in times when there is not so much work to be had and belts have to be tightened. Financial belts that is- hip belts usually have to be loosened when there isn’t so much dancing going on! My trips to the UK are such a great excuse to HAVE to buy something new! Maybe this time I will sell off some of my old costumes while I am there. I hate parting with them though; they carry so many memories in every bit of bling!!!

Wishing you a day full of sparkle too...........

* Update- since writing this morning... my sparkle was dulled a bit by sitting in a taxi for half an hour just to go from one end of my street to the other... something I could have walked in less than 2 mins. The idea of another hour or two in the same horrific traffic was too much for me so I got out, walked home and went to bed to dream of the glitter instead! I will just have to do more bling another day....! 

Against all odds

I had two very different performances last night.

Both had small audiences.... but you can blame ‘Egypt’ for that... not me!

Yesterday was the 2^nd year anniversary of the day that Mubarak stepped down. I remember I was sitting home glued to the TV watching the news. As soon as the announcement was made I received a phone call from two friends in London, Caitlin and Ellie (back in the days when she was Ellie ‘in London’ rather than ‘Ellie Of London’ the Rising singing star of Cairo!). They too had been watching the news from UK and I remember the elation we all felt when it became obvious the voice of the people had been strong enough to bring down a dictator of 30 years. I, in true Braveheart style, was laughing and shouting’ Horreya Horreya’ (freedom) down the phone!

 Ah those were the days. Two years on and so much and yet so little has changed.

Last night yet again Tahrir filled up with people..... but so did the area around the palace, the latest protest location of choice. Tahrir was calm, thankfully, and emptied early. At the palace though things were violent however and the police were again filling the already polluted Cairo air with Tear gas along with bird shot and water cannons to ‘calm’ the protestors! It seems the people there feel that the objectives of the revolution have not been met at all and the dictator has just been replaced with another one, Morsi, the ‘puppet of the Muslim Brotherhood’.

So knowing all that is going on in the city- would you chose to go out clubbing and dining out, or would you sit home and have a quiet evening to yourself? Exactly. However a few brave souls did venture out... so the entertainment (me and my band) were called into work....

My first performance was at my usual place of employment... the Pharaohs’ cruising restaurant, Giza.

I arrived feeling flat. I had no energy and no inclination to dance at all. The boat one had one deck full, and actually full is the wrong word for that too. Like I say, most sensible folk stayed home! I have yet again new member in my band, another new Tabal and a new Org too (keyboard player). I do love to dance but on this occasion I felt I would be going out there and ‘jobbing it’ given my mood and the mood of the country and my uncertainty about what the music was going to be like.

What happened?

I entered the stage, big and bold and strong. They say that people’s impressions of you are created within the first 3 seconds of seeing you, so I always try to force myself into a confident state for the start of a dance when I don’t feel it – fake it 'til you feel it you could say. I scan the faces of the audience during this time and all I usually need is someone who is paying attention. Now that might seem weird to those of you who dance in Halfas or in theatres etc where everyone is sitting watching the stage waiting for you to start, but here in Cairo, usually the time the dancer comes to stage is exactly the same time as the food... so often people are understandablely distracted! Thankfully, one Egyptian woman right at the front was watching, then when her daughter tried to talk to her she brushed her away saying ‘no, talk later, I want to watch her, she is good...’  

That was it. My confidence lifted and I proceeded to perform possibly my best show for quite some time. It is amazing how suddenly everything just worked. The music was great, the new Tabal will need time to get to know me more, but he didn’t do badly at all. The rest of the audience was fabulous too. There were mainly Egyptians and Syrians, and everyone was very appreciative and responsive. I love dancing and having people, especially the women, singing along with the songs at me... sharing the moment with me. To see how much they love the music, and how it makes them feel and they can see that I feel the same. That connection is the most amazing feeling ever. It makes them happy, and that makes me happy! On the boat I am supposed to perform for two sets, each lasting only 15 minutes... on nights like this I usually get into trouble because I am enjoying myself so much on stage that I run over my allotted time. Last night was one of these nights.. but the staff and management were enjoying the show too, so I didn’t get into trouble for it! Who else out there loves their job so much that they happily do extra time for free, even if it means getting into trouble for it?!!!!

On the boat I can have anything between one and 4 shows per evening depending how busy it is. For the reasons I have mentioned above, it was as quiet as it could be.... which was a shame when I was in such a fabulous dance mood! Thankfully I had another show booked for that night...

After Eight is a small club/bar downtown that has live music most nights. It is not the sort of venue I would normally perform in... but they have decided to have an oriental night each Monday. Which actually means their usual mix of Arabic, house, r&b, pop, shaabi, you name it cocktail of music but with a bellydancer too...... The venue is located a 2 minute walk from Tahrir, so given then ‘party’ happening there I assumed that it would be cancelled.... It wasn’t. Although from the low numbers of attendees it should have been! What can I say... my friends and I waited and waited in case some more people arrived..... a couple did, but not many and then the manager and I decided that a short performance was better than cancelling completely. So I danced. Of course, this time it was with CD rather than my band- which I always hate in comparison... but actually in that setting it worked. It was like a private party and I think I was much more relaxed in my dancing because of that. I felt I was performing just for friends.

 It is a dark place anyway... and there wasn’t any lighting on the dancefloor area... so all the people at the front of it took one guy’s lead and aimed the flashlight from their phones at me. It was an inspired move. The atmosphere was tangible. I felt like I was dancing in an old movie in my lovely turquoise and gold Eman Zaki costume. After, one of my friends told me that parts of my dance reminded him of Samia Gamal - so I guess my feelings came through in the dance since I wasn’t aware of doing anything like her dance style! I just know I felt special. I felt I was glowing (and I don’t mean that as a polite way of saying perspiring too much!)

I know I should have been disappointed to have such a small audience, but given the circumstances and the select few that were there, actually I really loved it. Thank you to those who risked the unknown and came out to support me last night. I hope you enjoyed it even half as much as I did!

And... the good news is... that I will be dancing again in After Eight next Monday... so hopefully assuming Tahrir is clear for a change, we will get in a bigger crowd and I can perform my entire show..... If you are reading this and are going to be in Cairo next Monday (18^th Feb.) please do come along! 

Les Miserables

Last night I went to see Les Miserables at the cinema here in Cairo. It was a 10pm showing. In the theater there was the 3 of us, and one young Egyptian guy on his own. The place was empty. I am not surprised people aren't going to the cinema much- just watching the news is dramatic enough these days here! However, my friends and I all have a love of musical theatre and just had to see what they would do to this one!

When I was a teenager the soundtrack would always move me, sometimes to tears. Being a teenager though meant that the poignant songs for me then were the romantic ones, 'I dreamed a dream' and 'on my own'. I was a soppy young thing, but want girl isnt at that age?

This time around I literally broke down through ' red and black', 'do you hear the people sing' and of course 'empty chairs at empty tables'. My face was completely washed clean of any make up I had been wearing.

It just seemed so ironic that we were sitting in an empty cinema watching people sing about revolution when outside in the streets of Cairo, people were dodging tear gas canisters.

I thought of the high aspirations and dreams of many of those who flooded Tahrir back in 2011 and ever since. I thought about how many of their attempts to be heard had been in vain. Of how many lives have been lost so far, and of how many more will be before Egypt sees peace. I saw so many comparisons between the young intellectuals of France way back then, and those who managed here to dethrone Mubarak only to be landed with a Morsi. Early on they say that one king was overthrown only to be replaced with a worse one. It struck a cord.

Then of course in 'red and black'... it felt like a set up. As if all this powerful emotional music wasnt enough... singing about the colours of the Egyptian flag just rendered me helpless. I imagined that if the cinema had been full of young Egyptian men and women they would have found it very hard to not go straight from the film to Tahrir! So much was so relevent. Even down to the big stand off between Valjean and Javert... both believing they are doing God's work....

I believe that if they put Les Miserables on the TV then the streets would be much busier,  full of people demanding change in Egypt.

I guess the thing that surprised me most was how strong my reaction was. Ok I was tired, and I am a little under the weather still, so perhaps I am over emotional just now but to be sobbing my heart out, out of sympathy for the revoluntionaries of Egypt was not really what I expected from last night! These past two years in Cairo in particular have obviously affected me more than I had even imagined!

Teaching a private class this morning helped me refocus on dance, but it is hard to focus just on dance not to get completely caught up in the politics these days. That is something I never would have thought I would say!

What can i say- if you want to understand what many people in Egypt are feeling... have felt... are experiencing.... go see the film. Those of you in Egypt- go on, I dare you, tell me that it didn't tug at your heart strings too!!!




 

Islamic Cairo part 2

The citadel ( Al- Qalaa ) and mosque of Muhammad Ali;

View from the citadel of the pyramids...

 

 As seen from the citadel; The Sultan Hassan and Al-Rifa'i mosques I showed in my previous blog entry (http://bellylorna.blogspot.com/2013/01/islamic-cairo.html )

The language of love carved into the wall of the citadel. Egyptians will always be a romantic people.... although perhaps a little more respect for their history would be a good idea?

 

 

 The name of God in all things, even the trees!

Fancy a fez? Known in arabic as a tarboosh, the hat is of Ottoman origin and was worn throughout Egypt until after WW1 when the Ottoman empire fell.

 

 

After the Citadel we wandered round to Al Ahzar park to catch the sunset. This is the view of the Muhammad Ali mosque from the park...

 

 

Dancing with my own live band on the Nile each day aside........... can you see some of the reasons why I love Cairo?

I know with all the bad news coverage Cairo is getting it is probably low on your list of places to visit right now.... but please don't strike it off that list altogether.... It is a city worth seeing! Come see, you won't regret it!

 

 

 

Islamic Cairo

I remember when I first visited Cairo, nearly 16 years ago how overawed I was. I did the tourist 'bit' and fell in love with the city. Thanks to Sara Farouk for organising that first trip! I fell in love so much so that after for years I organised trips for dancers to come with me from UK to see 'my Cairo'. I remember having on our itinerary 'Pyramids day' and 'Costume shop day' among so many other things, but one of the biggest sightseeing days on the trip was 'Islamic Cairo' tour.

 

At the time I remember saying, "but of course, all of Egypt is Islamic.... "

 

How wrong and naive I was. How much my feelings for this enchanting city had yet to develop. As for my understanding; I don’t think that if I could live in Cairo for a thousand and one years I would fully understand her.

 

At that time of course I had no idea that I would end up moving here and spending the next seven years (and counting) in Cairo. I also had no idea that the phrase 'Islamic Cairo' would fill me with a sense of impending doom, as it does now with recent politics. Before our current President was elected, the phrase had always conjured up images of proud, ancient minarets, towering against dusky sunsets. After all, Cairo does have the name 'The city with a thousand minarets'. Yes I was, and occasionally still am, prone to romantic orientalism.

 

A couple of weeks ago I played tour guide again and took my friend Ellie round that ‘Islamic tour’, to see how things had changed, if they had, and in particular to share some of Cairo’s beauty. I have to defend my reasons for wishing to live in Cairo to so many people all the time. Of course I am here primarily for dance, however maybe some of these photos we took on our day trip will help people understand some of the other reasons why my crazy love affair with Cairo has lasted so long....

The Sultan Hassan Mosque; one of my favourite spaces in Cairo.

 

 

This was the first time ever this particular mosque has insisted you cover your hair. Sign of changing times? 

The entrance to Al Rifa'i mosque is so much more impressive than my photographing skills can give credit, but you get the idea....

 

Ah yes... neon. Famous in the Ottoman dynasty don't you know!

 

 

The alabaster and marble used in the building of these mosques is stunning and worth the look alone!

Yes I do have an overwhelming desire to take done all these lamps and chandeliers and give them a good scrub with Prill (Egypt's 'Fairy') but even with countless years of dust trapped inside you can still get lost in their beauty.

 

your tour is only just started............... see my next blog entry for more!

Feeling the heat on Burns night in Cairo

Here we go again... Cairo 25^th Jan. Tahrir square is filling up already and marches are moving from all over the city to join in the protests. Some people seeing it as a celebration of the revolution 2 years ago. Some seeing it as revolution mark two. "Many activists believe that the goals of the revolution have not been fulfilled and accuse the Muslim Brotherhood and the President Mohamed Morsi of usurping the ideas of the revolution to fit their own Islamic agenda", Egyptian news, Bikyanews.com.  Last night a wall was torn down which brought about tear gas exchanges. Today at midday, fighting has broken out again. Cairo is NOT burning... but a few people are fighting in one street of it (just to put things in perspective). But the day is still young..........

Last night I was performing at the Golden Pharaoh boat. I can’t remember ever having such a tough audience. I, being the self critic I am, was blaming myself, my dancing and became really quite depressed, frightened I had ‘lost it’. Then I suddenly realised it wasn’t me at all... it was the mood of the day. Fear. Every single person I have spoken to in the last week has said either today will be peaceful and nothing will come of it... or that it will be worse than anything we have had before. I have been warned by numerous people to stock up on food in the house, ‘just in case’.

Cairo was fairly busy last night, considering it is a holiday weekend with it being the moulid nabi (the prophets birthday) yesterday and usually this would leave Cairo empty as everyone travelled out of town to go to the coast etc for a few days. This weekend many are staying at home, afraid that if things do kick off then they might be stranded away from home and loved ones...

The people who came out to party last night had heavy hearts like I have rarely seen before from Egyptians, apart from in the revolution itself. The ‘party vibe’ which Egyptians create instantly when they get a chance to socialise, only came after hours of alcohol consumption. That is very different from the norm.

Prince’s ‘we’re going to party like it’s 1999’ came to my head as I watched people forcing themselves to ‘have fun’. “This might be the last chance we have” was a phrase I heard more than once!

Tonight I will be performing at the British club in Maadi*, celebrating the life and works of the Scottish poet Rabbie Burns.

It seems very bizarre to be doing that when who knows what will be happening in Tahrir... but yes I will be bellydancing in my tartan costume*, to the music of the bagpipes. It will be the ‘reply to the laddies’ and the haggis will be piped in* and folk will drink whiskey* and there will even be men in kilts*. Yes, we are in Cairo.

(* a little note aside here- after 7 years of living in Cairo I find it very hard to write a sentence with the words ‘I will do something’, without adding an Inshallah (God willing) at the end! It is like I am tempting fate! So ,..... Inshallah to all the above!)

Good luck Egypt. I really don’t know what to wish for..... A better Egypt... that’s what we all want, but how to achieve that? Who knows! I do know that none of us will breathe properly until this weekend is over and we have a clearer view of how things are likely to turn out.

For those who wish to follow the events unfurling in Egypt just now watch  http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContentP/1/63243/Egypt/Live-Updates-Protesters-return-to-Tahrir-for-Egypt.aspx for live updates...........

And in the meantime....

I am off to pack that tartan cossie........

After all;

The show must go on........!

Out with the Old and in with the New...

Hello and Welcome 2013. I am so very glad you are here.....

What a year that was...........

Major events in my life in 2012; 

- Egyptian politics- Having a Muslim Brotherhood president elected and his constitution passed which makes all of us working in the arts rather nervous about the future for dance in our beloved Egypt. Not to mention the negative affect it has had on tourism and therefore the amount of available work for us dancers here in Cairo.

- Losing my home- My landlady discovered that I dance for a living and ordered me out my beautiful apartment in Mohandiseen. In doing so, not only did I lose my home, but also a large part of my livelihood; I had been renting out the spare rooms to visiting dancers as 'Hotel Bellylorna' and also teaching in my own private dance studio to supplement my pay from the boat. All that has gone. The problems at that apartment started two days after Morsi was elected, I am not saying they were 100% linked, but it does seem fishy doesn't it? Especially when I had lived there peacefully and happily for 6 years.

-Tax- I haven't talked about this one before, because it is a huge problem I am still trying to solve, and because it is very upsetting for me. Without going into the nitty gritty of it all, basically the contracts for all the dancers at my work say that our employers are responsible for paying our tax... so all these years working here, we were relaxed in that knowledge. Then, out the blue, it seems that our employer was not paying it and that in the eyes of the tax authority the contract means nothing... therefore all of us have massive backdated tax debts to pay, and I mean Huge. This has affected all the dancers at my work, Egyptian and foreigners alike. Some dancers left the country, some paid it, one girl that I know of even fought it in court (and lost).

In my case, I entrusted someone to look into it for me and see what could be done. He assured me that he had it under control...he didn’t, but he was too embarrassed to admit that to me until it was too late. By the time I found this out a penalty fine had been added onto my tax debt, which literally doubled the amount I was due to pay. Double!

I have to admit, that with losing my home, having so little work due to the unrest in the country and then having this massive tax debt over my head... my thoughts were to run away. Literally. Pack up and not pay the debt and leave my Egyptian life behind. Wrong I know, and I am embarrassed to admit it... but I felt so pushed into a corner I really didn’t know what else I could do. I have no issues paying tax that is due, it is our duty ... but a fine that is the same amount as the tax on top?  When it wasn't my fault? It is just not fair! I felt sick, I don’t mind telling you.

I planned to leave.... After two years of not much work due to the unrest in the country, the savings I had prior to that were already used up. When I left my flat in Mohandiseen in August, planning to spend my last month saying my goodbyes, I gave away everything I thought I was not going to need in Cairo during that time, nor be able to take with me to the UK after that.

However, then I cried for an entire month. It wasn’t just the idea of leaving my life here and returning to the UK, which although I don’t want to do that yet, has always been my intention eventually, but of being branded a 'criminal' and never again being able to visit my 2nd home, Egypt, not even for a holiday. I just couldn't do it. Cairo has become part of me, part of my identity. I became depressed and hysterical whenever I allowed myself to think about it.

So, I have scrimped, saved and borrowed- and have managed to pay just over half my tax debt so far (I had to, or they would have had me arrested. An Egyptian prison is something I never want to experience!)

I am currently living in one room of a friend’s apartment in order to cut costs. She is lovely, and so is the apartment and it is in an nice neighbourhood, but I do miss having my own place and being able to invite dancers to stay too. Can you imagine me living in one room with ALL my costumes and clothes piled high in boxes around me? It’s chaos.

So, since I have decided to bite that bullet and somehow pay the debt, I now have to try and get enough work to pay the rest of it... I will be dancing for the Egyptian tax man for the rest of the year.

So there you have it. My story for this year. Feels strange putting it in writing after all the stress of keeping it secret for so long. 2012 was a bad year.

That is not to say that good things didn’t happen in it too...... and to save me from wallowing in self pity for the rest of the day... let’s go through them too.

Thank you for sticking with me thus far and going through this therapy session with me....!

Good things from 2012;

-Friends. I have such lovely, caring and fun people around me who stick by me and want the best for me. Even those who dearly wish I would return to UK to be ‘safer’ or have an ‘easier life’, never push it since they know me and what Egypt means to me! Thank you all; for putting up with my depressed states and taking charge of things for me when I just couldn’t do it myself. For offering me places to stay and friendly words and hugs when needed. I am so lucky and grateful. Without the love I would have lost it.

-Work. I still have it! Despite all the issues in the country with many venues for dance closing down across Cairo (largely due to financial reasons not just political/religious reasons), I have just signed yet another year contract at the Pharoahs and plan to stay for as long as the political situation allows. I now have a band that I love, who actually get passionate about the music they make, and are not just ‘jobbing it’. I have danced on TV in a soap opera shown on every channel over Ramadan and danced at beautiful weddings in the best of hotels. I have done modelling work and started teaching a beginner’s class in Maadi with women who remind me how much I have missed teaching regular classes! Work is good.

-Health. Despite a dodgy back which plays up fairly often since I slipped a disk in November 2011, I am otherwise fit, although a little fat from Christmas! Considering the physical nature of my job, I feel lucky that that is my only health grumble (touch wood).

-UK connections. In 2012 I taught a lot of very successful workshops and private classes and performed all over the UK. I have made a lot of lovely new friends in the dance world there. When I went back to the UK for Christmas I had two shows and five private classes in 6 days! I feel that at least I have a plan B now if things do get too difficult here in Egypt and am less scared about the idea that someday I might have to move back. I have been the only British dance performing in Cairo for the last 7 years... but since I have been away all that time a lot of dancers new on the scene didn’t know about me yet. I am happy to be making a name for myself in my home country once more (and look forward to the workshops I will be teaching in Feb/March this year, in areas of the country I haven’t yet reached!).

And last but not least;

-Dance. What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger right? Well, this year has certainly done that to my dance. I am a different person. On stage I feel I am in control, powerful and on fire. That is terribly un-British I know; not like me to blow my own trumpet, but I feel it, so I am saying it. I feel that every show I do I am lucky to be doing it... that it might be my last in Cairo and that I am sure as hell going to give it all I have got.

If the end is in sight I am going to go down on this ship dancing with all my soul. Giving everything I have got.

What is more, I am going to allow my audiences the chance to enjoy the best of Egyptian music and dance as much as they can, while they still can.

This is the point where I get slated by my Egyptian friends who say, “no, no, don’t worry, things won’t ever change in Egypt”... well, sorry but here is a news flash for you; it already has. Accept it or fight it, but please don’t ignore it – the ostrich look is not becoming.

Every show I do invigorates me. I come off stage higher than any drug could take you. Dance is still my passion that drives me after all these years. It feels good.

So there you have it. The life of Lorna for the past year....

Happy New Year! Wishing all of you a wonderful 2013. May it be a year filled with love, good health and happiness. These are the things that matter.

Follow your passion. It might take you down some rocky roads at times... but it will always be worth it.

Lorna in London!

Those of you who follow me on facebook; Lorna of Cairo (aka BellyLorna!)
or on Twitter; BellyLorna

......may have already seen my intentions for next week. For those of you that haven't; I was due to come home to UK for just over a week to do a family Christmas however today I have decided to change my flight and come to London early due to the current political situation. What has been going on in Cairo just now, and indeed the whole of Egypt, has had a noticeable effect in reducing the amount of work that is available here this week! People are either sitting by their TV's and internet this week, or they are out on the street protesting this constitution that Morsi wants people to vote on this coming Saturday. They are not going out for dinner cruises on the Nile!

so- Christmas is coming early-  I will arrive Friday 14th , Inshallah!

I will be in London, available for performances and private classes during that whole week 15th- 23rd Dec. (After that I will be in Edinburgh doing nothing but eating mince pies and partaking of the festive spirit with family, as it were- so you will have missed your chance by then!!!)

soooo.... fancy giving yourself, or a dance friend an early special Christmas present?

I have been told my prices are incredably reasonable for private classes and I am sure everyone who has had a class with me would be very happy to recommend it.... I have only ever had VERY good feedback anyway! Whether you have something specific you want to work on in your dance, or with a particular piece of music or just anything to do with Egyptian bellydance really... why not have an hour (or two!) with the only UK dancer currently performing in Cairo!

I am booking up the London week diary now- so get your request in quickly... I am free (at the moment) daytimes and evenings..... I am waiting for your emails.... Bellylorna@hotmail.com

.... and if i don't see you in London next week. MERRY CHRISTMAS !!!!!

Costume photoshoot

I though you might like to see some of the images that were taken at a photoshoot last month. The website is all in Japanese... http://www.egypt-4m.com/product-list/73 but you can see lots of photos there of lots and lots of costumes by a variety of designers too...

I have done two days of shoots for these people now... It is amazing how exhausting just putting on costumes and taking them off again can be... but we got through literally hundreds of costumes just between Luna and I alone... never mind the other days with other models! Fun, and interesting to try on costumes you would never normally pick off the shelf yourself- it was an eye opener to me ... some things I thought i would never suit actually look pretty good!!!

A fun, tiring day............. and good posing practice!!!

100% me

Tartan and Bagpipes, Tabla and Bellydance.

It was all happening at the BCA club in Maadi last night!

I was so happy to do something I have wanted to do for a LONG time in Egypt. I performed Egyptian bellydance in a tartan costume alongside a Scottish bagpiper and an Egyptian Tabla player.

The audience was mainly British, with a few Egyptians there too.

I was in my element. A Comfortable environment, lovely audience and talented musicians. Who could ask for more?

But the joy of joys.... to be able to blend in the music and dance of my birth country into that of my chosen one.

It was like being able to be 100% honest and open about who I am.

A Scottish Bellydancer in Egypt.

.....................................................THE Scottish bellydancer in Egypt.

I have to thank Alan- for his talents on the pipes, and being prepared to take a risk in doing something new. He rose to the challenge perfectly and I suspect strongly there will be more collaboration in future!

I also have to take my hat off to my Tabal, SimSim. Before we arrived at the BCA, he hadn’t even heard any Scottish music and the only bagpipes he had heard were those often played here, by Egyptians, at Zeffas (the wedding procession). He really didn’t quite know what to expect.

Our ‘prova’ (rehearsal) consisted of Alan, SimSim and I standing in the bar, Alan with his chanter playing the songs I asked and me trying to explain what I wanted from the Tabla.

At first it was confusing. Partly because the whole thing was so new and partly because I was trying to explain things I really wasn’t sure how to talk about in Arabic! At first SimSim thought that if the song had a ¾ rhythm, then all he had to do was play a waltz rhythm beside it and that was what I wanted. It took a little time so explain that when we hear these songs on the pipes the rhythm is intrinsic with the melody, you just feel it- you don't have to hear it. It was interesting to see how it took him time to 'feel' the main beat. It reminded me of my first attempts at understanding Egyptian music and it's rhythms. Something that Egyptians 'just feel'. A eureka moment for me. I explained that his job was to add in the ornamentation, to follow my hips since the pipes would be carrying both the melody and the base rhythm. When he at last understood it was like seeing a light bulb switch on and the music just spilled out.

On stage we did many things, including mixing saaidi rhythms into Scotland the Brave where I mixed up hip droppy ‘pas de bas’ with saaidi horse step (anyone of my students from many moons will now be remembering the ‘dashing white pharaohs!!!). Dancing while brandishing a sword instead of stick. I even put the swords on the ground and danced over them in a highland sword dance style.

We performed maybe 45 minutes total over the course of the night and it was as exciting for us all as it was for the audience I think! We looked like we have worked together for a while; no-one watching could believe it was a first. I do hope we get the chance to work together again soon!!!

Thank you BCA for the opportunity ( I had wanted to do this at the St Andrews Ball my first year in Cairo and was told at the time it wasn't Scottish enough! Yeah right!)  and thank you my very talented musicians for being so open minded and enthusiastic.

100% me.  

Scotlandiyya/Masrayya 

It's not fair! NOV27. Cairo

I am staying home today.... but so many Egyptians are not.
The crowds in tahrir square just now are in their thousands with many of the marches coming from different areas of the city not due to arrive for another hour or two at least.
The people are so angry about Morsi's power grab and they want to make sure he and the rest of the world knows it.
I have been watching it live on http://reuters.livestation.com/demo and the chants get into the heart of you. http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/59231.aspx explains what is going on.
Just now, Fatehy Gareeb, a young man in his twenties died suffocating from tear gas. I hope to God he is the last death today but I fear that it may not be. Not while the police are still fighting with protesters. The police have guns and tear gas, the protesters have rocks. I feel sick.

I know I said in yesterday's blog entry that today would be about dance... but how can I dance with all this going on in the country? I have to switch off Twitter and Facebook and Reuters and try and pack my suitcase with costumes for tonight's performance on the Nile Pharoah boat. Somehow I will put a smile on my face and entertain people, mainly tourists I am guessing tonight. I can't imagine many Egyptians leaving their homes tonight to go out for a meal. Most will stay home, or head to Tahrir I guess. . People at home are worried about my safety? I am sitting home, and then I am going to dance for lots of people who are coming out for a meal and to see a bellydance show... while 2miles up the Nile people are dying from tear gas. Warped? totally.

I hope that this time the people of Egypt will see that united they are powerful , but when they fight amongst themselves they lose that strength. Its a shame, in my biased opinion, that the Muslim Brotherhood have managed to brainwash so many people into believing that it is ok for their leader to put himself above all else, to make laws giving himself the power to arrest anyone he chooses on him own whims. I can't begin to imagine what is going on in these people's head- if anything.

My closest friends have said that one of the things which comes over strongly about me is I like things to be fair. What is happening now is NOT fair... young people should not be dying because they want the right to speak their mind and have the same justice applied to all. They die because they want to freedom to live their lives the way they choose, not by how it is dictated to them? It's not fair. They shouldn't have been pushed to this point.

I hope Morsi goes. I hope the secular/liberal leaders can stick together to fight this. I hope Egypt regains some level of 'fair' today. I hope there will be no more deaths.

Rabina Yostor (God be with us)

Climbing that mountain

(a largly political entry- with dance reference at the end, bear with me...!)

Ups and downs and ups and downs... Cairo life is a complete rollercoaster, creating emotions which can leave you suicidal one second and euphoric the next.

I haven’t written in my blog for nearly two months! Those of you who follow me on facebook or twitter know I am still alive and well... but I figured I should maybe write to the rest of you to know what’s going on... especially since Egypt has hit international news yet again.

Let’s start with that then...

So, for those who haven’t been following it? Last week was a year since the fights in one of the side street off Tahrir which resulted in many deaths and injuries. People went to protest and remember those who suffered. It turned into a battle... which is still waging today...

The whole thing was enflamed by president Morsi’ s declaration which included many controversial elements, the most jaw dropping of them was that none of his decrees since June, and in future,  can be refuted by anyone, even my courts of law. I.e. he is putting himself above the law.

 I was stunned reading it... that he could put it there so blatantly. The ousted Mubarak didn’t even state his total control to his people in such a forthright way. In fact, that may well be exactly why Morsi is doing this now- so he doesn’t end up being taken to court the way Mubarak and his family are now!

That was on Thursday... perfect timing to ensure a full house in Tahrir, the traditional protest ground in Cairo the following day. But the protests were all over Egypt, and not just in Cairo. Fighting broke out and many have died and been injured since then. Morsi’s speech on the Friday evening only fanned the flames too. He pretty much said that he wanted a clear and clean opposition, but those who do so in a non clean way were thugs and vandals and would be punished the way they should be.... Most people have taken this to be a direct threat to those protesting in Tahrir. The good thing about all of this is that it might well be the catalyst needed to untie the liberals so that they do have a real chance of gaining the popularity of the people.

Today fighting has spread away from the square itself, towards the US embassy (which is next door to the UK embassy) since the army built a wall preventing them going another way... The fighting is not aimed at the embassies.

Why? To show Morsi that not all the people want Egypt to turn into an Islamic country, nor do they want a pharaoh when they thought they were voting for a president. In his speech he said he was part of the revolution... the activists disagree. They do not want a country led by the Muslim brotherhood. In fact, a few of the brotherhood members have come out against Morsi’s grab of complete immunity from the law too. He has rubbed quite a lot of people up the wrong way!

What is next? I honestly don’t know. No one does. Or if they do they are not sharing the game plan.

How do I feel?

On Friday- after hearing what Morsi had declared and knowing my gut response I knew it was going to be a huge protest. If I feel that strongly and I am not even Egyptian, then I could only imagine that those who had fought and died in Jan/Feb. 2011 and since, to get rid of a dictator led regime would feel very strongly. I had a huge sense of impending doom. Déjàvu if you like. Here we go again; into chaos and fear.  I found it hard to lift my mood all day, sitting glued to the news, twitter and facebook probably didn’t help matters.

 I keep having flashbacks to the ‘revolution’ (which many say wasn’t a revolution really since all it succeeded in doing was change the country from being in a regime under one dictator to under another). The sound of helicopters overhead turned my stomach. The sounds of gunshot in the street, yes in Zamalek (only 2 single shots and may have been harmless ) in my mental state made my stomach flip and nearly stopped me going to a gig I had that night. (Nearly)

Today the whole of the judicial system has come out in strike against Morsi's higher than the law attitute and what it means for justice.

 I physically wasn’t in Tahrir at all through the revolution- so I cannot claim to have taken part in any of the events over the last 20 months- but emotionally involved in it, I most certainly have been. I follow the news living here in a way I never would have dreamed to in UK. Although to be fair- the results of protest in UK don’t usually have such profound effects on my own life directly as they do here in Cairo.

I can’t plan what I am going to be doing even a few days from now... Tuesday I am supposed to be performing at the boat- but of course, just realised that a huge protest has been called for that day... so it will be a horrific night. I cannot see that one going off without incident. The anti and pro Morsi protesters have all been called up. If they meet, there will be incident, for sure. This week there was a sign up in Tahrir saying the Muslim brotherhood were not welcome in the square...

So how does a protest affect me directly? In no particular order;

- I don’t live near Tahrir, although since I moved after Ramadan it is true I am only one bridge over the Nile to it, rather than two as I was before! I have had pretty bad sinuses though the last few days- so that may be due to a cold or the pollution or to the remnants of tear gas in the air floating over.... But my point is I am not there in it. I am not seeing with my own eyes any of the fighting going on.

- But traffic of course is disrupted whenever the square is blocked off to cars. Cairo traffic even worse than normal is hardly in itself news.

- Tourism takes a hit too, although saying that, I did dance for a boat full of Dutch tourists yesterday lunchtime who were all very lovely and enjoying Cairo. Of course they don’t get to go to the museum, since that is also in Tahrir- but otherwise they were not affected, the ones who come here. The ones who choose not to come however, that’s another story. They miss out, and so does Egypt. So does my work place, and therefore so do I.

- Fear for my job. On a daily basis- in case gigs are cancelled due to unrest but also on a longer term basis. If Egypt does become even more Islamic ruled, what are the chances for a bellydancer? There is already news that all the nightclubs in sharia Haram, an area popular for bellydance, are being closed by the end of the year. Whether it is because they are just not making enough to continue, or whether it’s through religious or political pressure I don’t know. The talk is that they are being bought out by salafist individuals/groups (the more fundamental of the Islamists). From a burocratic point of view- will they renew my contract at the end of the year? Renew my work visa? Will they want foreign women here dancing... or are our days numbered? I can’t help but be on the side of the anti Morsi protesters when my life is held in such a balance.

- Fear for those in Tahrir and elsewhere in Egypt. Doing the only thing they know how to demonstrate how much they are frightened for themselves and their country. So many killed and injured already... and talk of large groups of men going round raping/groping women too. It’s frightening. So many suffering. I get upset by it. I admire them their courage, and pity them a little because I see what they are up against. It’s David fighting Goliath. Kids with rocks and Molotov’s versus police and soldiers with tanks and guns.

This blog entry probably won’t help people back home relax and stop worrying about me will it? Sorry about that, and please try not to worry. I do everything I can (except leave Egypt to keep safe I promise) I am writing now in one of my more pessimistic moods and feeling a bit low. I have been told by so many that I always sound like I am having such a party life here in Cairo. And I do... but also there is the spin; you sit all day watching the news, stressing, worrying and then go out party and perform at a birthday party. You write about the party. That is what I usually do anyway.

Next blog will be about the party.... all the parties... because right now I know people who know me especially are asking why the hell I am still here?!

Dance.

That’s why I am here.

Bellydance.

For those moments on stage that I feel I am where I am supposed to be, doing what I am supposed to be doing, and doing it well and being respected, appreciated and admired for it.

Still don’t understand?

Imagine someone climbing to the summit of Mount Everest- What do they feel when they get there- can you imagine? The joy, pride and disbelief at their own massive achievement against all the odds when they touch the top?

I get that feeling almost every performance, at least once. Imagine that.

It’s a strong drug. I am an addict.

That is why I am still in Egypt.

So I am praying that Egypt gets through this next hurdle it is facing, and remains the country I love. A country of dance and passion, music and memories. A country of contrast and culture. 

Come on Egypt. You can do it.......

So... the new band story.............

The Pharaohs phoned me in a bit of a panic 2 weeks ago. “We need you to work on Thursday (the dancer who was on the schedule couldn’t do it for some reason), but you can’t.” I assured them I could, no problem, but then they told me that Outi was working the same night on the other boat. The thing is, for the past few months Outi, a dancer here from Finland, and I have been sharing a band. It just made sense. Work levels since revolution have been so low, that by using the same band we could ensure they didn’t leave to try and find more regular work and they could actually make enough to feed their families. So, I had 2 days in which to find a new band for myself so that Outi and I could both work the same night!

Thankfully, just before Ramadan I had performed at a couple of weddings, and the guy, let’s call him M, who found me the bands for those (which were fabulous) was happy to put together a band for me on short notice.

The night of work we all met in a sound studio not far from the boat to have a quick rehearsal, or prova as they call it here. I knew the accordion player already, and seeing who the singer was, was a lovely surprise since I have wanted to work with him for a long time and we had actually discussed it just the week previously! I’ve got excited about new bands before, and often disappointed, so I was trying to keep it together- but it sounded great!

Then there was all the fuss. There is always fuss. On day 2 the tabal didn’t show up to one sail, then the accordion didn’t come to 2 and then the dholla left before the last one. It was a disaster. (Although musically I have to admit to being pleasantly surprised how well we did considering!) I phoned the guy who got me the band, M; only to find out that he had outsourced the job if you like, to someone I don’t know, let’s call him A, so he had to call him, who then had to call the musicians. 3 phone calls in each direction just to try and find out what was going on with my own band. It was ridiculous. So, when the singer told me that he loved working with me, but couldn’t unless he was the ‘chief’ the band leader I agreed. It makes much more sense than dealing with this chain of folk. Plus, he really does know his stuff and is easy to get along with, and I had asked him a year ago to form a band for me and at the time he couldn’t.

However, then the real fun began.  I had to essentially fire the man who had gotten me the band in the 1^st place, M. He wasn’t happy, but understood. ‘A’ however was less than amused accusing the Singer of stealing his work etc. Setting the musicians up against him. Saying I had said all sorts of things, which I hadn’t since I still haven’t even met ‘A’. Trying to get the musicians to refuse to work with the Singer, threatening to cancel all their other employment with him. Did you follow all that? It was a mess. I swear that employing a band in Egypt is often like being a school playground attendant.

So, at the moment, I still have this band. The singer is band leader, which so far he does seem to do well and we will see how many of the musicians stay after I have paid them for this schedule of work. It is such a shame that the faff and politics takes away from the joy of making music! What I love about this band so far is they are full of great music ideas of songs I should listen to and learn and then they start singing them then and there. So every night at work, I get serenaded between shows! Is that ‘up’ worth all the downs of working with musicians.... absolutely!!!!