Injection of a vitamin called: BARCELONA.

BOF - Barcelona Oriental Festival - was a Success in all the ways. 

You see: by teaching, you end up learning. By giving, you end up receiving more than you give.

Not only I had the chance to perform in a wonderful theater with a warm and fully present audience as I was also honored to teach skilled dancers who were there for the right* reason. As I commonly mention, Dance is not a competition with others but a Path of Creative and Human Growth that is supposed to UNITE you with others - not separate you from them.

Yes, I often get sad and discouraged from the current superficial-marketing oriented Oriental Dance scene - first in Cairo, more recently in the whole world where

 I´m invited to share my Art and Passion; I also get rushes of blissful excitement when I find countries and specific dance communities where people REALLY want to develop a commercial  cliché kind of dance into the ART it is. 

Barcelona was one of these exceptional cases and for that* I am thankful. 

I´m also in a state of GRATITUDE towards Baseema Maku for the organization of the event (as well as for the trust and appreciation for my work) and to Devorah Korek (a very special teacher and Woman with whom I started learning in Madrid - back in the times I just started studying with my beloved Shokry Mohamed...ten years gone buy in a wink...). 

Although I´ve been through some other pretty incredible teachers and already built a career of my own in Egypt - and in the world - I can see Devorah´s contribute to my Dance as an eternal root I grab myself to; the higher I fly, the stronger my roots need to be, strongly stuck in the ground, noble yet humble. Thank you, Devorah, for being part of my roots (another soul sister, I see*).

Me, dizzy with Barcelona´s incredible Beauty.

At Parc Guell - designed by Gaudí (a Mystic and a Genius).

Me at the "Arco del Triunfo"

"La Sagrada Familia" - by Gaudí. Photos do not make justice to this UNBELIEVABLE piece of HEAVEN on earth.

Me, in front of "La Pedrera"  Gaudí.

Wandering in the streets of Barcelona - near Picasso Museum.