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| Suhaila
Salimpour...the Newsletter |
September
2009 |
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Greetings
from Suhaila
These
last two months have been filled with so much wonderful
progress. Our Digital
Store has been launched and is doing very well.
It is the wave of the future! Being able to download
music (both a single song as well as an album) is
very convenient in this day and age. Soon DVD's,
as well as manuals, will be offered on the Digital
Store. Plus, I will be recording 10 minute MP3
downloadable drills for you to practice to. I actually
just came back from a recording session and it was
so fun.
The Twitter
Drills are a great way to practice your technique
as well. Not only do we have Suhaila Format Layering
drills that you can play with, but we also have
a Jamila Day that will send you fun Jamila Salimpour
Format drills to practice. Just another way to work
on your skills and not become stale with our regular
and instinctual drills. And they are fun...like
trivia! The drills just pop up on your cell as a
text so you can stop whatever you are doing and
see if you can "do it". Dare ya!
The Level
2 Finger Cymbal Choreography Kit was launched
as well. I'm so relieved that my required certification
program choreographies are available to you now.
It will make your weeklong workshop experience all
the more powerful if you come into the week already
knowing what you need to know as far as the test
requirements for the choreography are concerned.
My program is not easy....no no no...but having
the tools to allow your experience to be a little
less stressful is my goal.
We also just finished
filming the Level 3 Finger Cymbal Choreography and
it will be available on the Digital
Store very soon. Keep a look out. As with the
Level 2 Choreography, the kit comes with an instructional
CD of the finger cymbal patterns broken down both
right and left hand dominant, a DVD of the choreography
broken down, and the written notes. You have no
excuses now.
A huge CONGRATULATIONS
to our recent level 3 dancers. Vashti, Ginger, Andrea,
and Emily did a great job and made me very proud.
Thank you for your dedication and hard work. You
all not only did great at the weeklong/test but
you really grew as women, which is the whole point.
Both my mother
and myself were honored that Del and Isis honored
my mother with a lifetime achievement award for
her life's work in this art. The Ya Halla Ya'All
festival was a huge success once again, and Mom's
dedication was done the day before her 83rd birthday
which made it all the more special. We were also
able to show the documentary done on my mother in
the 1970's which gave the audience a little education
on the history of American Belly Dance.
We were also honored
that Tamalyn was able to come to the studio as a
part of her back roads tour and teach two workshops;
Oriental Choreography and double veil. Her book"40
Days and 1001 Nights" is a gem and to be a
part of this tour was special for us. Her workshop
will be available at my Online Class site very soon,
so keep a look out.
Last but not least....
Isabella started 6th grade. Wow...what happened?
She was just a little girl and now we get our laundry
mixed up. We had a great Summer touring Europe together
and now it is back to reality. But what an amazing
women she is becoming. My mom and I are so proud.
You can see first day of school photos on my blog.
Check out my blog
for Amy Sigil's Rodeo update. Luka and I are working
on a promo for the documentary so keep an eye peeled!
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Suhaila Editorial
Europe...
It had been two years since
doing a European tour. I had taught a few
workshops out of the country, but they were
not a tour that was based on spreading the
Jamila and Suhaila Salimpour Format for
an extended period of time. I am just now
returning from a month long tour in Europe,
but as I write this on my return flight
I feel like it was just yesterday that I
left home.
This tour was especially
exciting for me since it was also the first
Suhaila Salimpour Level 1 Certification
being offered in Europe. It took Olivia
and I three years to prepare for this to
become a dream come true and we were finally
going to do it. I had met Olivia three years
earlier in Germany while on tour there.
From that workshop on she had dedicated
herself to my Certification Program, coming
out to “the Mother Ship” at
least 2 to 3 times a year. It is very difficult
to stay motivated with training all the
way in Italy, but her dedication is a testament
to her character. She will also be testing
for level 3 in early 2010.
 Not
only did the level 1 three day sell out
with 50 European women (some being their
first time taking a Suhaila workshop let
alone a certification workshop), but we
had 35 people test from all over Europe.
We then had a 2-day workshop open to anyone
that wanted to just “check it out”
or maybe not focus on technique since I
taught choreography for those two days as
well as "Drills That Kill". I
was so proud of how well the Certification
went and the level of students in the workshop.
Olivia had been preparing her students and
fellow dancers for a long time before my
arrival. She also held once a month master
classes to “Prepare for the Level
1”. She ordered level 1 study guides
early on and used the manual as a workbook
for those that do not understand English
very well. She encouraged everyone taking
the workshops to study with my online classes
so they could see what they were in for.
;-) They did all their homework, Olivia’s
master classes paid off, and their time
online with me made this workshop very satisfying
on many levels. Next year we will bring
both level 1 AND 2 to Milan in June 2010.
I can’t wait!
 During
my off time I took Isabella to the Opera
at La Scala Theater. Two years ago the Opera
was a highlight for her, so it was one of
the outings she asked for when going to
Milan. We got lucky this year since "Aida"
was the feature and this production was
out of this world. With a cast of at least
100, sets to die for and a symphony that
was breath taking, Isabella and I would
look at each other and rub our arms from
goose bumps. It was magical.
Of course it didn’t
hurt that it was Fashion Week in Milan either.
Can I tell you how wonderful it is to just
sit at a coffee shop with a capuccino and
people watch all day? My all time favorite
was watching the women in major stilletos
on their Vespa Scooters running around town.
I’m not even kidding either! Fantastic
shoes filled the streets as well as people
from all over the world with bags and bags
showing famous logos on each and every one
of them. Seeing the designers' collections
early is so fascinating since I love design
and always love the process.
One afternoon, after coming back from a
day of shopping, we bumped into the Kenzo
Fashion Show right in our lobby at the Grande
Hotel De La Milan. It was amazing and the
producer could see us all with our mouths
open so she invited us in to watch first
hand. We sat in the back as each model walked
by, staring a blank gaze into a far away
place with a very lifted chin. No smile
took place, no crack in the "non-look
look", no expression was the expression.
But as each model came out, they noticed
one little girl in awe, and with each lap
around the runway they would break their
character, look down at Isabella and wink.
Since (apparently) someday Isabella wants
to be on America’s Next Top Model,
this made her day. We went back to our room
and she proceeded to imitate the models'
walk. Of course me being me, I kept focusing
on how skinny they were and how being healthy
was more important. But I’m afraid
Tyra might still see her yet.
 The
language, the coffee, the fashion, the history,
the Opera, the food... oh the food. I was
in heaven and hope that anyone wanting to
test might think about Milan 2010. How fun!
And Olivia’s new studio is amazing.
We spoke of her dream of opening her own
studio 2 years ago and it is so exciting
to actually see it take shape. I remember
going to the building years ago that was
just a shell and now to see it all finished
even better than I could have imagined made
me very proud. The area surrounding it is
magical as well. We would eat lunch each
day at a little restaurant across the hall
that catered to our organic, vegetarian
needs as well as my kid's passion for pasta.
And of course, we always ended with a cappuccino!!
I couldn’t have prayed for a better
studio for Olivia and I feel so lucky that
her studio is the European House of the
Certification Program. We did it!!
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Guest
Editorial
Making
It Through Level 3
by Renée
Drellishak
 My
first encounter with Suhaila was via her Stretch
& Tone video, which I purchased way back
when the interview bits were still spliced
between the workout sections. I appreciated
the conditioning focus, but had no idea how
it related to her technique, or even that
she had a technique. Years later she came
to Seattle to do a series of 1-day workshops.
I had reached a point in my dancing where
I didn't really understand how to improve,
in that mysterious "intermediate"
level in my class where I could see distinctions
between myself and beginning dancers but couldn't
have necessarily explained what they were.
Suhaila's workshop was a revelation. It was
road map with clear and precise directions,
which I was elated to have.
I attended my first weeklong
workshop in September 2001, shortly after
9/11. A number of the workshop participants
had canceled, afraid or unable to fly, so
there were about a dozen attendees, 5 TAs
and Suhaila. With that much personal attention
there was no slacking, no hanging out. I worked
harder than I ever had in my life, sweated
so much my dance clothes were soaked through,
raged and cried at my body's inability to
do the things that my brain was telling it
to do. My calves were so sore by day 3 that
I couldn't walk upright and while getting
up from the toilet I lost my balance, fell
against the towel bar, and gave myself a black
eye. It was the best dance week of my life.
I certified Level 1 in June
2002, Level 2 the following October. I figured
if I averaged a Level a year I'd be done with
the format in 5 years. Hah! I had not realized
that the difficulty of the levels increased
exponentially, nor did I fully understand
how deep this rabbit hole went.
In 2003 I attended the first Level 3 weeklong
and got a peek down that rabbit hole. Holy
s**t! All of the drilling in Levels I and
II did not prepare me for the emotional work
in Level 3. On the first day I could tell
the girls from the studio were nervous about
something and came to find it was about the
emotional work. "Yeah, whatever, "
I thought. I was more concerned with the drills
and choreography. I had my emotional baggage
all packed up, nice and neat. Little did I
know that Suhaila knew just how to pop the
clasp so that it would explode all over the
room. Mind you, this wasn't gratuitous emotional
torture. She didn't try to make us fall apart,
rather her goal was to help us delve into
our psyches and present authentic emotion
instead of "acting sad" or "acting
happy." [Note to the uninitiated, there
are no "happy" songs.] On the second
day I sat in my rental car, sobbing and blindsided
by my own emotions, for 20 minutes before
I could get on the freeway and drive back
to my cousin's house where I was staying.
I had called before I left the studio and
she met me at the door with a glass of scotch
and a bubble bath running in the bathroom,
and she did this every day for the rest of
the week. I went back to Seattle spent and
amazed. It was 3 years before another Level
3 workshop was scheduled. I was scared because
I knew what was coming, but I threw myself
into the work, had a great time, and when
Suhaila announced she would start holding
the workshops every six months I was thrilled.
In August of 2008, after 8 years of studying
the format, I tested for Level 3. Along with
the other testers, I had to submit a number
of projects before the workshop-papers, a
choreography, a documentary about my dance
world. The physical portion of the test began
the moment we set foot in the studio on Monday
morning, 5 of us being graded while the other
workshop participants worked alongside us,
witnessing our process and supporting our
efforts. We had to dance the two test choreographies
in front of the whole group, not just do them,
but truly dance them. No one held back an
ounce of energy or emotion. Suhaila made it
very clear that we had to bring it, and it
was a tour de force. On Friday at the culmination
of the workshop, Suhaila had us all stand
up, and, in tears herself, told us how proud
she was and that we had all passed. It was
a long road, and afterward I was stunned that
I had been able to accomplish so much-more
than I had ever expected.
As I write this I have just
returned from the inaugural Level IV workshop.
I was gratified that on the second day when
we had to bring our emotional perspective
with maybe a minute of preparation, I was
able to do so. That when asked to absorb a
choreography a day (and not just any choreographies,
some of Suhaila's most advanced choreographies.
With finger cymbals!) I was able to at least
muddle through. This is not to say the workshop
wasn't hard. On Tuesday I had a moment, that
moment that we all have, again and again,
where I wondered what the hell I was thinking
and whether I even belonged there. Some of
the other women in the workshop, women I have
known for years, who have seen me lay my soul
bare and who have laid theirs bare in return,
talked me down, reassured me, in that way
we do for each other. We commiserated throughout
the week, reminding ourselves that we were
not actually expected to master Yanna Yanna
in one afternoon, that this was merely the
overview so that we could take these choreographies
home and work on the over the next year or
two (or five, or ten.) The experience really
highlighted for me that I am a totally different
dancer than I was 8 years ago. I am a different
person.
The naïve reader might
read this and think, "My god, all that
sounds awful! Why would you do that to yourself?
This Suhaila person sounds like the Marquis
de Sade!" First, nothing could be further
than the truth about Suhaila. Yes, she demands
that we work hard, in most cases harder than
we've ever been asked to work. But she asks
this because she knows we can. She sees the
potential in every dancer and will do whatever
she can to help that dancer realize it. I
have seen her give, time and time again, exactly
what each dancer needs, from compassion and
support to tough love. I have seen her spend
10 minutes trying to get a dancer to articulate
what a particular song means to them. I have
seen her watch a dancer walk in late to a
Level 3 workshop and demand that that dancer
go and write a letter explaining why she would
be allowed to stay in the workshop. I have
seen her down on her belly on the floor, nose
to nose with a dancer too terrified to move
and unable to speak, and watched as she has
looked in their eyes and whispered words of
strength and compassion. At the end of every
day of a Level III workshop, she leaves carrying
the emotional burden of every dancer in the
workshop. She carries our secrets and our
fears for us, to free us to dance.
Anyone who thinks this format
is about being able to squeeze your glutes
has missed the point. This format is about
becoming the most fully developed artist you
can be. Yes, it demands precise technique,
but that technique is a means not an end.
That technique enables you to express your
artistic vision without technical limitation.
But it is the artistry, the statement of the
artist, the ability of each dancer to put
herself on stage and say, "Here. This
is who I am and what I feel," that this
format is truly about. And that is why I do
it.
** Renée Drellishak is a Level
3 certified dancer in Suhaila Salimpour's
format. She has been studying belly dance
since 1994, and has been a student of Suhaila's
since 2001. Renée is Co-director of
inFusion Tribal Belly Dance, and has performed
as a guest dancer with Suhaila Salimpour’s
Bal Anat. (www.infusiontribal.com)
Upcoming
Level 3 & Level 3 Prep Workshops
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Hot
News !
Introducing
Suhaila's
Digital Store!
Never before has the public had such easy
access to Suhaila's bellydance digital
products and merchandise!
Here you will find music downloads of
Suhaila's belly dance albums in MP3 format.
Soon the store will include DVD downloads,
Certification Program Information, Study
Guides, work from other artists, and more!
Check back regularly to see the new products
we will be adding every few weeks!
www.SuhailaDigitalStore.com
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Workshops!
Rhythm/Improv
Workshops with Karim Nagi
October
22nd, 2009
KARIM NAGI
is a native Egyptian who specializes in
traditional Arabic music. He uses his traditional
foundation to re-imagine the culture, discovering
progressive deliveries and new concepts.
Karim performs primarily Arabic, Turkish
and Andalusian hand percussion, including
the Egyptian Tabla (goblet drum), Riqq (tambourine),
Duff (frame drum), and Segat (brass castanets),
and has authored various instructional CDs
and DVDs. For more info on Karim Nagi, visit
www.turbotabla.com
Tribal
Fusion Choreography Workshop with Tanja
Odzak
October
25th, 2009
Tanja is
a fusion belly dance artist, performing
a blend of American Tribal & American
Cabaret. Her performance experience includes
work with Ultra Gypsy, Bal Anat, Rose
Harden, Damage Control Dance Theatre,
Bastet, Fat Chance's Third Tribe, and
Lapsus. An active choreographer, Tanja's
work has been featured in Ultra Gypsy,
Bastet, Lapsus, and L'Anonyme Collective.
She was also the 2007 Hips of Fury "Tribal
Fusion Champion". Over her eight
years of study, Tanja has studied extensively
with legendary belly dance masters Suhaila
Salimpour and Jill Parker as well as with
a multitude of other talented dancers.
She is currently working on Suhaila Format
Level 3 certification.
This year, Tanja is very excited to be
choreographing for Suhaila Salimpour's
Repertoire Ensemble; her work will be
one of the pieces highlighted by Suhaila
in the March 2010 Rakkasah show. Learn
more about Tanja at www.tanjabellydance.com.
- Sunday, October
25
11am-1pm, 2-4pm
Join us and learn Tanja's
exciting 9/8 choreography with cymbals.
This is Tribal Fusion as interpreted
by Tanja Odzak. A Tango-Flamenco-Bellydance-Latin-Balkan
inspired piece that is a bold exploration
of passion and sensual exuberance.
Click
Here to Register
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Blog!
Yippee Kay Yaaaaayyyyyy!!
Yes
I did it!!! I rode that horse and I was
the best damn Rodeo Queen you can imagine.
It was my first time in a long time on a
horse. Geez, I think the last time I was
on one I was 24. I have ridden Camels but
that doesn’t count, now does it???
lsabella’s advice was,“It’s
just like an undulation down to up Mom.
You can handle it.”
When Amy
Sigil contacted me regarding being the “Rodeo
Queen” I thought it was a joke. She
comes up with so many wacky ideas that I
don’t know what is real sometimes
and what is fantasy. (But the point is that
it is the same really.) So when she started
describing the Rodeo concept, I fell in
love with it. The passion and love she had
for this day and community of dancers and
characters was going to be such a treat.
I don’t think I truly GOT the concept
until I drove up the road and saw the actual
town where the event would be held...
...Read
more of Suhaila's rodeo adventure on Suhaila's
Blog!
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Hot
Products!
Suhaila
Choreography & Stretch and Tone Four-DVD
Set!
This is a
newly repackaged (in 2009) four volume DVD
set of some of Suhaila's exquisite choreography
and format training. The set includes: Beginning
Choreography, Intermediate Choreography,
Advanced Choreography, and Stretch &
Tone.
Music for the three choreographies can be
found on the Nagwa Fouad Princess of Cairo
CD.
Price: $49.95
Click Here To Order
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Hot
Dancewear!
Drawstring
(Scrunchy) Pants
Here
they are -- the incredibly versatile drawstring
pants. Suhaila designed these pants so you
can be
comfortable, look good and move -- all at
the same time. You can pull the drawstrings
on the sides of the hips to draw up the
overskirt for a more fitted look . . . or
you can relax the drawstings so the overskirt
hangs down. Again, you can leave the leg
loose for a boot cut look -- or you can
pull the drawstrings to lift the pant leg.
We find that we get a lot of repeat customers
for these pants because they wear well,
can be machine washed/dried, and are so
versatile.
SALE
on Grey and Olive!
Price: $50.00
Click Here To Order
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Contact
Us!
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Greetings!
