Tears rolling down my face (so proud)*

Incredible feeling:

Reading a bit of my book The Secrets of Egypt - Dance, Life and Beyond by Joana Saahirah to a friend and watching as my tears of joy and pride rolled down my face. I never re-read the book after I sent it to the Publisher - what´s done is done. So much water has gone under my bridge since I finished writing it, another book is already on my hands to be delivered to another Publisher and I am not a nostalgic (living in the past) kind of person. So I DO IT* with my FULL self and drop it, moving to something new, something different.

 

Strangely enough, I don´t even remember writing many of the wonderful things that are there so it was a SURPRISE (emotional to the core) when I re-read my own words out loud to a friend and realized how great it was: what I wrote: the life that inspire what I wrote; the heart & soul inside of what I wrote.
WOW: super AH AH moment (thanks, Oprah!). Loving myself never made more sense than NOW.

*********************

My new book The Secrets of Egypt - Dance, Life and Beyond by Joana Saahirah is available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble resellers but here´s the most direct (and cheapest) way of getting it:
To buy the book, go to the link: http://bookstore.authorhouse.com/Products/SKU-000697423/The-Secrets-of-Egypt--Dance-Life-and-Beyond.aspx

Spring Fire is here*

Aries New Moon has kicked off BRILLIANTLY and it´s announcing, for me, the oficial beginning of Spring (rebirth from all types of deaths).
Using this New Fresh Fire for the POSITIVE - creating, stepping forward, dreaming and making it all happen.

Smiling and opening my arms to ALL new possibilities, victories, joys, LOVE, passions, realizations. Life is only - and always - NOW.
Teaching, performing and lecturing around the world is JUST part of the Dream already come true; publishing my first book "The Secrets of Egypt - Dance, Life & Beyond" is also JUST a part of the dream made into reality; the arrival o my new book (oh yeah: I am a freak of nature...never said I wasn´t!:) is JUST a part of the whole Destination - there´s more, MUCH more over here.
GRATEFUL, PASSIONATE and ALIVE**********************

Note to the self: don´t forget to breathe* and rest. I often forget both in the midst of all my passions and constant movement.

At the TOP of my WISH LIST* - of course.

NEW CONTEST "The Secrets of Egypt" BOOK (win your copy + on line Oriental Dance Class)

Here´s you new chance to WIN your own (personalized) autographed copy of Joana Saahirah´s new BOOK The The Secrets of Egypt - Dance, Life and Beyond Plus a Pioneer, OUT of the BOX On Line Class with Joana Saahirah (following the her unique method "The Secrets of Egyptian Dance")

***Rules of the Contest:

1. Share the Book´s Official Page on your Facebook Profile
Here´s the Page to share: https://www.facebook.com/thesecretsofegyptbook

2. LIKE the The Secrets of Egypt - Dance, Life and Beyond by Joana Saahirah

3. Answer the question: What makes Oriental Dance Magical?
Send answer to email: dancemagica@gmail.com
Aside from your answer, you must include your name and the LINK OF THE BOOK´S FAN PAGE SHARING ON YOUR FB WALL.

***The winner will be announced on the 9th May*

Good luck, inspiration and love to all participants!
JoanaSaahirah*www.joanabellydance.blogspot.com
www.joanamagica.blogspot.com

 

Link of the Event on FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/events/670838252989574/

New CONTEST "The Secrets of Egypt" (win autographed copy + ON LINE CLASS with JOANA SAAHIRAH)

Tchan, tchan, tchan, tchan...a new chance to win your own (personalized) autographed copy of my new book "The Secrets of Egypt - Dance, Life & Beyond" is arriving plus an experience you will not Forget: an ON LINE ORIENTAL Dance Class with me (adaptation of "The Secrets of Egyptian Dance" to the virtual world - pioneer and Doors´opening).

All informations related to the CONTEST will be posted on my BLOGS, TWITTER and FACEBOOK profiles and Fan Pages.
Wishing all the participants luck, inspiration and love - counting from now.

 

Dancing my Life; Living my Dance. I am what I teach - it wouldn´t make sense any other way.

La douleur exquise (the eternal terror/blessing of the stage)

The blessing & terror of the backstage - before starting a show. The more you know, the more terrified you feel; the more experienced and secure of yourself, the more terrified; the more people love your work (and expect the best from you),... the more terrified.
It doesn´t get easier with time because your own standards and demands keep growing as well as your audiences´expectations.
One of my common questions/freaking out talk before a show (thrown at anybody who passes me by, no matter who):
-Hi! The show is about to start. Do you want to run away with me? I saw a very nice bar/restaurante/zoo/you name it around the corner...we can vanish and hang out over there. Nobody will notice, I´m sure.

 P.S.: I am an Actress so you´re not supposed to read all this terror on these photos.

 

P.S.2: Why, oh why, was I born an Artist? Life could be so simple...

Essential Dance/Life Lessons*

The Law is rulling Da House*

 

Oriental Dance is Life and Life is who I am.
Changing with the seasons (Winter, then Summer); going through darkness and returning to always higher Lights; swimming, burning, flying, digging deep in the earth - I grow, change, move ahead and higher taking my dance by the hand. Never the same, never yesterday, never predictable. Like Love.
The Law* is rulling.

What is the overall theme of
"The Secrets of Egypt - Dance, Life & Beyond"?

The Secrets – or Dance/Life Lessons – I gathered in 8 years of life and career in Egypt as an Oriental Dancers superstar, an outcast, a marginal who has always learnt from the falls, the shocks, the miracles and the differences and bridges that UNITE us as human beings.

This is also a book about the real life stories that taught me those Secrets; the courage to fight for what I (we) believe in; the Power of Dreams and the price that we pay for them as well as the Character and the Wisdom we can build out of obstacles, hardships and even tragedies.

Ultimately, these are the Secrets I learnt from digging into the Egyptian ancestral deserts - those secrets that can make you shine (in dance as in life) and lead a happier, shinier existence.

The Secrets of Egypt - Dance, Life and Beyond by Joana Saahirah

 

*

 

My new book The Secrets of Egypt - Dance, Life and Beyond by Joana Saahirah
is available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble resellers but here´s the most direct (and cheapest) way of getting it.
To buy the book, go to the link: http://bookstore.authorhouse.com/Products/SKU-000697423/The-Secrets-of-Egypt--Dance-Life-and-Beyond.

 

 

 

Joana Saahirah moment of TARAB in Slovenia

Here´s a little teaser of something called "Tarab". I´ve heard this word applied to styles of music and dance (?!) but, as far as I know, TARAB is much wider than a dance or musical style.

TARAB is the ability to get lost in a moment and, by doing so, returning Home* - our own internal heaven which is a reflection of the Universe´s heaven.

Ecstasy, orgasm, The Flight - call it what you may. It can happen when you´re in silence, when you´re just listening to a beautiful song, when you´re bathing, making love, hugging someone, patting a cat, resting on the grass, giving thanks to Life for its incredible abundance. All that - and more - is TARAB.

*

Important foot note:

Spot on, rare, precious, URGENT quote to be shared. Taken from Katya Faris´s thesis.
L-O-V-E this (somehow it resumes what Oriental Dance is all about):

 "Where Western dance explodes at the climax of the music, Oriental dance implodes."
Maleeha

Spring has arrived (and with it comes Rebirth)*********************

A perfect day - celebrating Spring with close family.

Time has arrived (the sun is shinning).

Material girlie wish for this season.

 

Kissed by the sun- feeling the rebirth (inside and outside of me).

Creative intense retreat approaching: polishing my second book for publishing; choreographing new pieces for upcoming Festivals in Russia; preparing my first WORLD ORIENTAL DANCE COURSE on line; training for NEW and totally UNEXPECTED GREAT challenges; planting new seeds everywhere in the world. Time´s short for so much PASSION(s).

Exposing my intimacy in my BOOK "The Secrets of Egypt" - (polemic) issue*

 

"At once I was orgasmic (pure Water that poured directly from Venus mouth) and lived/danced as such: no shadow of a mask, no mediocrity so often mistaken by pride: no ambitions on stage: only LOVE, so human that it revealed itself Divine* (tenderly showing me the faceless face of God). Oriental Dance could, at last, truly happen."

 

A little (and light :/ ) piece of my Book "The Secrets of Egypt - Dance, Life & Beyond (a journey of death and rebirth in the country of the Pyramids)

 

 

I haven´t realized this could disturb some people until I started hearing it directly from the lion´s mouth: I DO expose parts of my intimate life in my newly published book

"The Secrets of Egypt - Dance, Life & Beyond".

 

 Writing - as dancing- is a direct (UN-censored) expression of my soul so I will tell whatever I feel it´s important to clearly and efectively communicate an idea, message, important information.

I expose my intimacy (to a certain extent) when I dance, when I choreograph or perform; I even expose it when I teach. Being open, shameless about my own heart, sexuality and life is part of the ORIENTAL DANCE Magic* (as I see it).

It´s not a question of a marketing smart ass move; I have never used nudity, porno flick inspired acts or other idiotic (profitable!) techniques to promote my work. That´s NOT my point. My point is OPENING my heart and using what´s NECESSARY of my life in order to better express a relevant information to the world. THAT* is something I do in this book. The fact that it makes some readers feel shy it´s endearing and surprising. :)

 

I´m learning a lot about myself and other people through this magical book. It´s a fact: the book is not finished when the author is done with the "writing". No, ladies & gentlemen: the book keeps growing, changing and surprising (readers and author alike) after it´s written and published.

Life: thank you for the constant learning curves.

To buy the - apparently polemic - book you can go directly to: http://bookstore.authorhouse.com/Products/SKU-000697423/The-Secrets-of-Egypt--Dance-Life-and-Beyond.aspx

Upps! LOL. Sense of humor is a precious survival tool. ;)

Joana Saahirah in Slovenia Maribor (Tabla solo improvisation)

A little bit of my last performance in Maribor, Slovenia. Hope the other pieces of this (and other) puzzle(s) come together. I´ve not seen most of my performances in the last two years of world travelling.
Shows are recorded but not all the organizers end up uploading it or sending it to me (to my sadness,of course). To all of the fans who ask me about this and the other show (here in Russia, there in France, over there in Argentina, wherever...): here´s the thing: I don´t have these vídeos and I haven´t seen most of them.

Hoping more sponsors share the result of our combined efforts. Everyone wins from it. :)

"The Secrets of Egypt - Dance, Life & Beyond" BOOK keeps flying high

Nazareth´s hand - from Spain - holding the promotional flyers of my book. Gracias, mi bella!

 

My new book "The Secrets of Egypt - Dance, Life & Beyond" keeps receiving amazing feed-back from readers of all corners of the world.

Thanks to everyone who has already read it, recommended it, cherished it and shared it.

To keep yourself updated on NEWS related to the book*, FOLLOW me on Twitter (@JoanaSaahirah) or go to its Official Fan Page: https://www.facebook.com/thesecretsofegyptbook

 

Here are some photos received by generous (often funny) readers: 

 



Karim - with the hand of Ksenija, Slovenia.

 

Slovenia, over a very precious book from my dear Morocco - aka Rocky.

Image sent by Simone Gerstgrasser - taken in Egypt (go figure!).

 

 

Foot note:

Affirm - I now willingly release all negative beliefs about myself, my life and all other people. I now forgive myself for thinking I ever did anything wrong. I am now filled with the love and the Power that I am. For this I am so grateful! And So It Is!

Yvanla

What is (NOT*) Egyptian Dance (re-defining it for the 1001st time)

Performing in Paris - La Cigale theatre - this February. Photo by André Elbing.

 

Yallah: shortly but surely (or not, time will tell): Egyptian Dance is a Language of the Soul which uses all we are as human/divine beings. Body, mind, heart and soul are included in the equation - if you remove one of them the dance is incomplete.

What Egyptian Dance is NOT:

 

1. A vanity/ego exercize;

2. A desperate request for attention and applause;

3. A quick fix of all our insecurities and boredom;

4. A cheap strip-tease dance;

5. An exotic bullshit (1001 nights covered in veils) story so rotten that it smells (terribly).

6. A seductive (husband/boyfriend/whoever & whatever) porno flick;

7. An acrobatic, aerobic, gymnastic demonstration;

8. A circus act;

9. A movement cathalog (check how great I can move my stomach kind of joke);

10. A place where women become less than their GREAT selves.

 

Come on, world! Time has arrived. Wake up - waking up - waking people up.

Love and Light to all*

Performing in Paris - La Cigale Theatre - this February. Photo by André Elbing.

Spring is arriving - yyyeeeeeyyyyyyyy! With Spring comes REBIRTH. Doing it.

Poor men of this world (my heart is with you)

Photo by André Elbing - me, performing (what it seems to be a Charleston step) at the great THEATRE "LA CIGALE", Paris.

 This comes without a hint of irony (ok, maybe with a little bit of irony...just a little bit...): poor men of this world, my heart is with you.
Interesting how my world was exclusively masculine for many years: during the 7 years of life and career in Cairo (Egypt) I was surrounded by testosterone 24 hours per day. My musicians and other co-workers were men (except for the cleaning ladies who were always my dearest supporters), my assistant was a man (with a very special Naglé by his side - a woman so strong and fenomenal that surpasses any sex definition) and my friends were mostly men (exception made to my divine sister Yasmine). I was living it and liking it - always loved men and what they bring to my life. Yet, since I started to get out of my Cairo Cocoon and travel the world for teaching and performing, my male predominant reality drastically changed. I´ve been teaching, watching and breathing along with women from all corners of the globe and I must tell you this: the LADIES ARE ROCKING IT like never before.

Poor, poor men...I can only imagine how lost and scared they must be. NOW - only now - I understand why there are so many INCREDIBLE single women and why sexes don´t seem to get along pacificly like they - apparently - did on previous generations. The amount of interesting, beautiful, independent, creative, brave, AMAZING women I´m meeting on my world travels is unbelievable. Men don´t seem to match this immense growth; they are kind of dis-oriented in this new universe where women are not their little shadows anymore and won´t stand for less than equally great partners by their side.

Man, oh man! My heart is with you, dear fellows. I get you; I get your point and pain. Just a suggestion: take the JUMP with us by our sides (not above us, not bellow us, not behind or ahead of us: on our sides) and DARE to be REBORN. Men have to let of their old ideas of "machos" and masculinity and grow for the sake of procreation, happiness and a present* moment filled with more love, passion and mutual inspiration.

Hats off to the Women I´m meeting along the Road(s): you are FABULOUS!
Hats off to the Men who CAN die, grow and be reborn into the partners they already are (if only they knew how to let go of their fears and past brainwashing).

Reading "Superman is an Arab" by the bright Joumana Haddad and finding some mirrors over there:
://www.amazon.com/Superman-Arab-Marriage-Disastrous-Inventions/dp/190890609X

Almárabe, Spain - or the return to (one more) home*

 

One more wonderful trip in a series of non stop work travelling around the world: Malaga, Spain. Second time teaching and performing at ALMÁRABE FESTIVAL, meeting Andaluzia (a part of my childhood) and all the great, heart warming people who receive me there with open arms.

 

I had to re-visit Pablito (of course) - talking about Pablo Picasso´s museum and family home - and eat Thyssen Museum with my own hands. All arts are - more and more - connected to me: painting is dance; theatre is singing; sculpture is writing and so on. Separation makes no sense anymore - it never did.

 

Men in Malaga seemed to be quite... - how can I say this in a diplomatic manner? -...warm too. I lost of the count of the Olé(s) I heard on my walking tours in the town. Despite the (often funny) harassing, I LOVE Malaga and its Andaluzian sweet small town feeling. The corner coffee-shops hidden in surprising nooks, the old narrow streets with stories coming out of their rocky mouths, the smell of local food and the music of the Andalusian spanish (el Andalu)...adore everything.

 

Teaching - Majancé Star Maker & Saiidi old & new - was a pleasure. The trick is in the CHARACTER of the dancers/students and how brave they are to take on a Magical Journey that will certainly remove them from their comfortable zone and lead them to places they´ve never been.

 

Performing was - well...the lack of words for this one is overwhelming - a gift from God. The stage is - and I guess it will always be (or not) - a SACRED place for me: under that spotlight everything is PERFECT, COMPLETE, in PEACE and HAPPY; everybody understands/feels me and we realize we´re all ONE. Mind you: these are not simple words but REALITY.

 

The temptation to use the stage in order to feed my ego is done - thanks God. I cannot just show off my moves, how much I know (or don´t know) and how brilliant I can be - those are absolutely dispensable. Performing is all about CONNECTING with myself and others, creating a BRIGDE of love, joy, LIFE and a glimpse of Paradise. Anything less than that does not do the trick for me.

 

With Nazareth.

Time off was divided into bookshops´hunting (the uncontrollable addiction), Pablo Picasso´s painting (still my favourite painter and a Master of Oriental Dance on his own right), private classes teaching and a lovely afternoon of local delicacies over-eating at the beach (gracias, Nazareth).

Gaspacho, fritada and sea food paella - a different way of saying HEAVEN. 

Thanking Esalim for trusting - one more time - my Vision of Oriental Dance as well as all the incredible people who received me with open arms (Nazareth, Diana, "Funun" orchestra, Emad, all the students and audience who made me feel understood, appreciated and loved beyond any measure).

Gracias, mis amores. Gracias, Andaluzia for remaining a home where FIRE and INSPIRATION never cease to Spring.

Backstage self-portrait.

Nazareth and me on the town after local food over (OVER) eating. The waiter who served us at the restaurant exclaimed on our faces: "How is it possible that two people can eat that much?!" Well, WE CAN. We are women of substance - in every possible way.

Rehearsal with Funun orchestra.

With the beautiful organizer, dancer and teacher Esalim. Love you, chica!

 

 "Minotauro acariciando con el hocico la mano de una mujer dormida" by Pablo Picasso

"La Buenaventura" by Julio Romero Torres (1922) at the Thyssen Museum (Malaga)

 

 

True Story*