Diary of Egypt by Joana Saahirah: In LOVE* with Slovenia

Oh, man! Where to start? And how to resume - in the few words time allows me to offer - the JOY and sensations tasted in Slovenia?

Me and the FANTASTIC event´s organizer Ksenija - Zahir House in Maribor.
Many thanks and Love for the way you, your country, family and students received me.

For the sake of clarity (and heart´s chaos management), let´s go by points:
*First: It´s always a blessing to realize I live from the work I MOST LOVE to do. The fact that there are so many people - around the world - enjoying, understanding and wanting to learn from me and watch me dance is a GIFT from God. How many talented Artists and Visionaries never met recognition, despite their worth and value of their work?! How many? So...let´s get real: it´s a BLESSING to do what I LOVE - and AM - and be appreciated by it.

For that reason, I am grateful to every festival sponsor, student, audience, person who SEES my Vision of Oriental Dance and UNDERSTANDS/FEELS it.

Thanks, Ksenija and all Slovenia for receiving me with such LOVE* and empathy.

* Second: I think every Artist´s dream is to see his/her work recognized and cherished. It´s like our little baby, you see? We wish everyone will look at our baby - REALLY look* - and recognize the Beauty and Value residing in his eyes.

THAT soul recognition was offered to me on several platters while teaching, lecturing and performing in Slovenia (and THAT is priceless).

*Third: Maribor is a city where I felt like curling inside an old house (by the river) and become a happy, tranquil monk - not going out from my blessed abode before next Spring. It is cosy, warm, a mix of Austrian, German, Gipsy soul resulting in one of those things* I cherish the most: UNIQUENESS.

Slovenia has all the reasons to feel proud of itself - wishing everybody (Slovenians included) can see it.

*Fourth: I program, prepare and study as much as it is humanly possible. Then comes Life - or God, whatever you prefer to call it - and Magic* happens. Here I received the confirmation that Egyptian Dance - or ORIENTAL DANCE, as I also call it - is not just about the steps, the fancy cloths and the exotic flair most people associate with it. Actually, this dance is the least exotic of all, as far as I am concerned. It goes down - and up - to HUMAN NATURE, a language of the SOUL that unites us all. Movements, knowledge and everything in between as ways to REACH that human/divine bridge but not its goal or final destination.

Despite the common superficiality and ignorance, more and more people (around the world) start to UNDERSTAND me, my work and my Vision*. I say: YES!!! And...THANK YOU, of course. :)

Maribor city view - photo by Slavko Rajh

* Fifth: confession: whenI headed to Slovenia I was not in a high mood. Blame it on my crazy hormones, on the weather, on my tiring permanent multi-tasking (which drains me of energy more often than it should). Blame it on Life itself - sometimes, your PURPOSE (WHY do you do the things you do) seems to vanish into thin air and leave you disoriented - nowhere to turn to.

THAT* changed the minute I landed in Croatia (heading to Slovenia).

Slowly but surely, the sensation of not knowing WHY I do what I do disappeared and, once more, gave birth to a renewed CONVICTION. Who´s responsible for the rebirth of my PURPOSE? Ksenija - the fantastic organizer of the event who made a point at making me feel at home - and everybody I met on the trip (students, audience, even strangers).

Backstage self-portrait.

Life has its (mysterious) WAYS to remind you of your direction and the worth of it (of YOU, in the end and in the beginning). Indeed.

More and more, Oriental Dance (in my Teaching, Lecturing and Performing) is about HUMAN CONNECTION, opening minds, touching hearts and awakening SOULS* - nothing less than that.

What a responsability!

What an honor!

Thanks to Slovenia, thanks to Ksenija, thanks to LIFE for one more (blissful) opportunity to follow my DREAM and DESTINY.

BLESSED, I AM*.