<\/p>\n
Camp Negum<\/span> did indeed happen May 4-8, 2010. It was everything Leila<\/span><\/a> promised and more – 5 days and nights of music and dance classes, almost all to live music. Those who wished to performed not once but twice with Leila’s band – which was, as advertized, in a Bedouin tent on a golden beach in a biblical part of Egypt. It was a magical week and I enjoyed every minute of it, even though I spent most of it behind the camera. But someone had to record the serious fun that went on – until all hours of the morning. And I won’t even get into how many shooting stars or exotic fish I saw. Some things are too awesome for words. <\/p>\nThe images with a * were taken by one of my students, Fionna<\/strong>, who has a gifted eye through a lens.<\/em><\/p>\nDon’t miss the video collage at bottom of page!<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n1. (photos at top of page) Leila, her husband Safa’a and our superstar teacher, Azza Sherif. The camp \/ hotel is in the background, bordered by the edge of the Sinai Mountains at sunset.<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n\n\n\n2*. Those coming from Cairo met before dawn near the Nile Hilton to board a chartered bus to Sinai. Sunrise on the bus.<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n\n\n\n3. Leila and her son Youssef on the bus. He was the camp mascot.<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n\n\n\n4. Driving through the Sinai desert was stark but beautiful.<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n\n\n\n5. We stayed in a hotel called Miami Beach. It was right on the Red Sea coast. This is the lobby. Leila said "camp" but the only tent we were in was the performance tent set up on the beach. The hotel was clean, with spacious rooms and simple but good food – 3 meals per day.<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n\n\n\n6. 2 of our lovely Russian speaking campers with the hotel complex in the background.<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n\n\n\n7. The pool with the terrace entrance to the hotel lobby in the background.<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n\n\n\n8. From the hotel terrace looking the other way toward the Camp Negum tent beyond the pool, the Red Sea and the hills of Saudi Arabia on the other side of the water.<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n\n\n\n9. The other side of the tent from the beach, with the Sinai Mountains in the background.<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n\n\n\n10*. The first class was how to spin with a tanoura. It’s harder than it looks\u2026<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n\n\n\n11. Leila getting ready to teach her first class – How to Dance with a Live Band. She covered what musicians expect from the dancer on stage (like how to get on and off, slow down or speed up) to make everyone’s performances go smoothly. At the end of camp, everyone was grateful for this class in particular.<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n\n\n\n12. Class in the tent.<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n\n\n\n13. Rabea Abou Taleb teaching folklore, one of the few classes without the band. The class size was kept small – 40 people – to make sure everyone had space and individual attention.<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n\n\n<\/h5>\n14. There were also lectures every day on different topics. Here is Sahra Saeeda giving an overview of the dances of Egypt.<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n\n\n\n15. There was relaxation time for yoga on the beach \u2026<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n\n\n\n\n16. or getting to know the other campers.<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n\n\n\n17. The band played backgammon on the terrace\u2026<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n\n\n\n18. or swam in the pool with Youssef the mascot.<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n\n\n\n19*. Camels wandered up and down the beach \u2026<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n\n\n\n20*. vaguely accompanied by their owners. "You want camel ride? \u2026 Very cheap!"<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n\n\n\n21*. Then there were the shows every night. They started with a teacher followed by 8 or 9 campers, one better than the other. Everyone was a pleasure to watch. The performers were relaxed and thoroughly enjoyed dancing for each other.<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n\n\n\n22*. Leila even brought in a small troupe of Bedouin musicians. Their music was very similar to khaleegi – no surprise, seeing how close Saudi Arabia is.<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n23. And then there was the incomparable Azza Sharif. \nShe so mesmerized the class that people just sat down to watch her. Her style of dance is fast disappearing. \nEveryone felt it was a rare gift to witness and learn from such an icon of 1980s raqs sharqi.<\/h5>\n<\/h5>\n23b. With the sagat player, Sayed Lacky, who was a hoot all by himself. Combined with Azza, sparks flew!<\/h5>\n\n23c. Azza was also a crowd pleaser \u2026<\/h5>\n\n23d. \u2026 and teaser.<\/h5>\n\n23e. And of course she loved playing with the mascot. (also picture- Sahra, Azza’s assistant, Leila, author Yasmin, drummer Yousrey Hefney in red, Sayed Lacky)<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n\n\n\n24. The teachers- Sahra, Azza, Rabea Abou Taleb, Leila, Azza’s assistant, Yasmin- author<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n\n\n\n25. The group with the band and singers. slightly larger image here<\/a><\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n\n\n\n\n26 – 27. Then there were the extra-curricular activities – snorkeling in the Blue Hole, fish dinner in downtown Dahab and the mystical trek up Mount Sinai from Saint Catherine’s monastery to watch the sun rise from the Mountain of God. For those of us who decided to take the 3000 stairs down again, instead of riding camels,\nour thighs will never be the same\u2026<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n28*. particularly after performing the next night in the last show. (Yasmin the author)<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n\n\n\n29*. There was a raucous good-bye party, where even the hotel staff let go.<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n\n\n\n30*. Everyone had such a good time that the party continued on the bus home. The sagat player trying out Serpentine Clappers.<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n\n\nIn fact, everyone had such a good time that they convinced Leila to host not one but two camps per year \u2013one in Dahab in May-June and another on a Nile cruise ship from Luxor to Aswan in late January. So mark your calendars. Leila\u2019s next \u201ccamp\u201d will be January 23-28 and feature not one, but two master teachers, Azza Sharif and Raqia Hassan, along with Safa\u2019a\u2019s incomparable band. The theme will be \u201cAwalim and Ghawazee.\u201d I can\u2019t wait.<\/h5>\n<\/embed><\/object><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n\n\n\n32- One more-Fionna and Azza!<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n <\/p>\n<\/p>\n\nHave a comment? Use or comment section at the bottom of this page or Send us a letter!<\/a> \nCheck the "Letters to the Editor<\/a>" for other possible viewpoints!<\/p>\nReady for more?<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\n\n3-12-10 Creating Camp Negum<\/a> by Leila of Cairo<\/strong>\nThe idea came to us as we laid on the beach at Ras Sidr, a resort town near Suez on the west coast of the Sinai Peninsula. It was one of those rare times when my husband, Safaa Farid, and I could slip away from work for two days. We were watching the wind surfers and listening to Om Kalthoum on the clubhouse speakers when the question just popped out.<\/li>\n5-17-10 A Bust to Be Proud of…<\/a> by Yasmin Henkesh<\/strong>\nWhen she introduces me to her dance friends, it’s the first story out of her mouth – eighteen years after the fact. We still laugh about it.<\/li>\n1-27-10 Shoo Shoo Amin, A Forgotten Treasure of the 80s<\/a> by Yasmin<\/strong>\nTwenty years ago when I told people I had worked with Shoo Shoo Amin in Cairo, the response was “Wow!” Now, people go “Who?” Today no one seems to know who she is. For belly dance purists, this is a tragedy. Every so often, someone my age or older will wax lyrical about her on-line, but for the most part, she’s an enigma – even to young Egyptians.<\/li>\n9-17-09 Sex, Belly Dance and the Afterlife<\/a> by Yasmin Henkesh<\/strong>\nTo these people, sex was not dirty, shameful, frightening or forbidden. It was a natural part of daily life and the essential prerequisite for birth – on earth or in the Afterlife.<\/li>\n7-30-08 Ahlan Wa Sahlan 2008, Not So Welcoming this Year<\/a> by Yasmin\n<\/b><\/strong>Prices have gone up everywhere, and Egypt is no exception. The reality hit me as soon as I walked into the Mena House. Bottled water was $4.00, where out in the street the same bottle was $.50. A bottle of beer was $10.00. Internet connection was $30.00 \/ hour. At those prices, life’s little pleasures didn’t seem important anymore. <\/li>\n5-31-10 Creating and Listening to Musical Ecstacy, CD Review-Yasmin\u2019s "Cry to the Moon, Taqsim lil Qamar"<\/a> reviewed by Amina Goodyear<\/strong>\nTaqsim traditionally follows a certain melodic progression\u2026 Following the introduction, the improviser is free to move anywhere in the maqam and even modulate to other "maqams" as long as he returns to the original. Taqsim is considered by many to be a connection to the spritual world.<\/li>\n10-14-08 Inside Peek at Making Music Videos: Hakim, Khalid Selim, Walid Toufic, Ali el Hagar, Elam, & Samira Said<\/a> by Leila\n<\/b><\/strong>I was either crying or yelling at Hakim for most of the shoot and went home each day with a headache from it. <\/strong><\/li>\n7-15-08 Egyptian Wedding Stories<\/a> by Leila of Cairo\n<\/strong><\/b>All the guests were staring at us. The father of the bride demanded to know who ordered the bellydancer and it seemed a fight was going to break out between representatives of the brides’ family and the hotel organizer. <\/li>\n12-30-06 I Dance; You Follow <\/a>by Leila <\/strong>\nAs Westerners interested in an Eastern dance form, we might want to ask ourselves if we are missing certain critical aspects of Raqs Sharki because we are not open to Eastern teaching methods. <\/li>\n11-17-06 Interview with Safaa Farid<\/a> by Leila\n<\/strong>These days there are times I feel I’ve seen everything an Egyptian dancer can do in the first five minutes of her show. She doesn’t change. But foreigners study the dance very hard and they put much time into their show so that is it interesting for a whole hour. <\/li>\n8-16-07 What Middle Eastern Audiences Expect from a Belly Dancer <\/a>by Leila\n<\/strong>Audiences in the Middle East, especially Egyptians, see bellydancing as something to be participated in, critiqued, and loved (or hated) with gusto. <\/li>\n9-17-07<\/span> Changes:\tEgyptian Dance – Has it crossed the line?<\/a> by Amina Goodyear<\/span>Both festivals, held in Giza were isolated and insulated from the people and the Cairo that I know and love.<\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Camp Negum did indeed happen May 4-8, 2010. It was everything Leila promised and more \u2013 5 days and nights of music and dance classes, almost all to live music. Those who wished to performed not once but twice with Leila\u2019s band \u2013 which was, as advertized, in a Bedouin tent on a golden beach in a biblical part of Egypt.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.gildedserpent.com\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1612"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.gildedserpent.com\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.gildedserpent.com\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.gildedserpent.com\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.gildedserpent.com\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1612"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/www.gildedserpent.com\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1612\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.gildedserpent.com\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1612"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.gildedserpent.com\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1612"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.gildedserpent.com\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1612"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
The images with a * were taken by one of my students, Fionna<\/strong>, who has a gifted eye through a lens.<\/em><\/p>\nDon’t miss the video collage at bottom of page!<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n1. (photos at top of page) Leila, her husband Safa’a and our superstar teacher, Azza Sherif. The camp \/ hotel is in the background, bordered by the edge of the Sinai Mountains at sunset.<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n\n\n\n2*. Those coming from Cairo met before dawn near the Nile Hilton to board a chartered bus to Sinai. Sunrise on the bus.<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n\n\n\n3. Leila and her son Youssef on the bus. He was the camp mascot.<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n\n\n\n4. Driving through the Sinai desert was stark but beautiful.<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n\n\n\n5. We stayed in a hotel called Miami Beach. It was right on the Red Sea coast. This is the lobby. Leila said "camp" but the only tent we were in was the performance tent set up on the beach. The hotel was clean, with spacious rooms and simple but good food – 3 meals per day.<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n\n\n\n6. 2 of our lovely Russian speaking campers with the hotel complex in the background.<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n\n\n\n7. The pool with the terrace entrance to the hotel lobby in the background.<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n\n\n\n8. From the hotel terrace looking the other way toward the Camp Negum tent beyond the pool, the Red Sea and the hills of Saudi Arabia on the other side of the water.<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n\n\n\n9. The other side of the tent from the beach, with the Sinai Mountains in the background.<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n\n\n\n10*. The first class was how to spin with a tanoura. It’s harder than it looks\u2026<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n\n\n\n11. Leila getting ready to teach her first class – How to Dance with a Live Band. She covered what musicians expect from the dancer on stage (like how to get on and off, slow down or speed up) to make everyone’s performances go smoothly. At the end of camp, everyone was grateful for this class in particular.<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n\n\n\n12. Class in the tent.<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n\n\n\n13. Rabea Abou Taleb teaching folklore, one of the few classes without the band. The class size was kept small – 40 people – to make sure everyone had space and individual attention.<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n\n\n<\/h5>\n14. There were also lectures every day on different topics. Here is Sahra Saeeda giving an overview of the dances of Egypt.<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n\n\n\n15. There was relaxation time for yoga on the beach \u2026<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n\n\n\n\n16. or getting to know the other campers.<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n\n\n\n17. The band played backgammon on the terrace\u2026<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n\n\n\n18. or swam in the pool with Youssef the mascot.<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n\n\n\n19*. Camels wandered up and down the beach \u2026<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n\n\n\n20*. vaguely accompanied by their owners. "You want camel ride? \u2026 Very cheap!"<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n\n\n\n21*. Then there were the shows every night. They started with a teacher followed by 8 or 9 campers, one better than the other. Everyone was a pleasure to watch. The performers were relaxed and thoroughly enjoyed dancing for each other.<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n\n\n\n22*. Leila even brought in a small troupe of Bedouin musicians. Their music was very similar to khaleegi – no surprise, seeing how close Saudi Arabia is.<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n23. And then there was the incomparable Azza Sharif. \nShe so mesmerized the class that people just sat down to watch her. Her style of dance is fast disappearing. \nEveryone felt it was a rare gift to witness and learn from such an icon of 1980s raqs sharqi.<\/h5>\n<\/h5>\n23b. With the sagat player, Sayed Lacky, who was a hoot all by himself. Combined with Azza, sparks flew!<\/h5>\n\n23c. Azza was also a crowd pleaser \u2026<\/h5>\n\n23d. \u2026 and teaser.<\/h5>\n\n23e. And of course she loved playing with the mascot. (also picture- Sahra, Azza’s assistant, Leila, author Yasmin, drummer Yousrey Hefney in red, Sayed Lacky)<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n\n\n\n24. The teachers- Sahra, Azza, Rabea Abou Taleb, Leila, Azza’s assistant, Yasmin- author<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n\n\n\n25. The group with the band and singers. slightly larger image here<\/a><\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n\n\n\n\n26 – 27. Then there were the extra-curricular activities – snorkeling in the Blue Hole, fish dinner in downtown Dahab and the mystical trek up Mount Sinai from Saint Catherine’s monastery to watch the sun rise from the Mountain of God. For those of us who decided to take the 3000 stairs down again, instead of riding camels,\nour thighs will never be the same\u2026<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n28*. particularly after performing the next night in the last show. (Yasmin the author)<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n\n\n\n29*. There was a raucous good-bye party, where even the hotel staff let go.<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n\n\n\n30*. Everyone had such a good time that the party continued on the bus home. The sagat player trying out Serpentine Clappers.<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n\n\nIn fact, everyone had such a good time that they convinced Leila to host not one but two camps per year \u2013one in Dahab in May-June and another on a Nile cruise ship from Luxor to Aswan in late January. So mark your calendars. Leila\u2019s next \u201ccamp\u201d will be January 23-28 and feature not one, but two master teachers, Azza Sharif and Raqia Hassan, along with Safa\u2019a\u2019s incomparable band. The theme will be \u201cAwalim and Ghawazee.\u201d I can\u2019t wait.<\/h5>\n<\/embed><\/object><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n\n\n\n32- One more-Fionna and Azza!<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n <\/p>\n<\/p>\n\nHave a comment? Use or comment section at the bottom of this page or Send us a letter!<\/a> \nCheck the "Letters to the Editor<\/a>" for other possible viewpoints!<\/p>\nReady for more?<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\n\n3-12-10 Creating Camp Negum<\/a> by Leila of Cairo<\/strong>\nThe idea came to us as we laid on the beach at Ras Sidr, a resort town near Suez on the west coast of the Sinai Peninsula. It was one of those rare times when my husband, Safaa Farid, and I could slip away from work for two days. We were watching the wind surfers and listening to Om Kalthoum on the clubhouse speakers when the question just popped out.<\/li>\n5-17-10 A Bust to Be Proud of…<\/a> by Yasmin Henkesh<\/strong>\nWhen she introduces me to her dance friends, it’s the first story out of her mouth – eighteen years after the fact. We still laugh about it.<\/li>\n1-27-10 Shoo Shoo Amin, A Forgotten Treasure of the 80s<\/a> by Yasmin<\/strong>\nTwenty years ago when I told people I had worked with Shoo Shoo Amin in Cairo, the response was “Wow!” Now, people go “Who?” Today no one seems to know who she is. For belly dance purists, this is a tragedy. Every so often, someone my age or older will wax lyrical about her on-line, but for the most part, she’s an enigma – even to young Egyptians.<\/li>\n9-17-09 Sex, Belly Dance and the Afterlife<\/a> by Yasmin Henkesh<\/strong>\nTo these people, sex was not dirty, shameful, frightening or forbidden. It was a natural part of daily life and the essential prerequisite for birth – on earth or in the Afterlife.<\/li>\n7-30-08 Ahlan Wa Sahlan 2008, Not So Welcoming this Year<\/a> by Yasmin\n<\/b><\/strong>Prices have gone up everywhere, and Egypt is no exception. The reality hit me as soon as I walked into the Mena House. Bottled water was $4.00, where out in the street the same bottle was $.50. A bottle of beer was $10.00. Internet connection was $30.00 \/ hour. At those prices, life’s little pleasures didn’t seem important anymore. <\/li>\n5-31-10 Creating and Listening to Musical Ecstacy, CD Review-Yasmin\u2019s "Cry to the Moon, Taqsim lil Qamar"<\/a> reviewed by Amina Goodyear<\/strong>\nTaqsim traditionally follows a certain melodic progression\u2026 Following the introduction, the improviser is free to move anywhere in the maqam and even modulate to other "maqams" as long as he returns to the original. Taqsim is considered by many to be a connection to the spritual world.<\/li>\n10-14-08 Inside Peek at Making Music Videos: Hakim, Khalid Selim, Walid Toufic, Ali el Hagar, Elam, & Samira Said<\/a> by Leila\n<\/b><\/strong>I was either crying or yelling at Hakim for most of the shoot and went home each day with a headache from it. <\/strong><\/li>\n7-15-08 Egyptian Wedding Stories<\/a> by Leila of Cairo\n<\/strong><\/b>All the guests were staring at us. The father of the bride demanded to know who ordered the bellydancer and it seemed a fight was going to break out between representatives of the brides’ family and the hotel organizer. <\/li>\n12-30-06 I Dance; You Follow <\/a>by Leila <\/strong>\nAs Westerners interested in an Eastern dance form, we might want to ask ourselves if we are missing certain critical aspects of Raqs Sharki because we are not open to Eastern teaching methods. <\/li>\n11-17-06 Interview with Safaa Farid<\/a> by Leila\n<\/strong>These days there are times I feel I’ve seen everything an Egyptian dancer can do in the first five minutes of her show. She doesn’t change. But foreigners study the dance very hard and they put much time into their show so that is it interesting for a whole hour. <\/li>\n8-16-07 What Middle Eastern Audiences Expect from a Belly Dancer <\/a>by Leila\n<\/strong>Audiences in the Middle East, especially Egyptians, see bellydancing as something to be participated in, critiqued, and loved (or hated) with gusto. <\/li>\n9-17-07<\/span> Changes:\tEgyptian Dance – Has it crossed the line?<\/a> by Amina Goodyear<\/span>Both festivals, held in Giza were isolated and insulated from the people and the Cairo that I know and love.<\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Camp Negum did indeed happen May 4-8, 2010. It was everything Leila promised and more \u2013 5 days and nights of music and dance classes, almost all to live music. Those who wished to performed not once but twice with Leila\u2019s band \u2013 which was, as advertized, in a Bedouin tent on a golden beach in a biblical part of Egypt.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.gildedserpent.com\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1612"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.gildedserpent.com\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.gildedserpent.com\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.gildedserpent.com\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.gildedserpent.com\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1612"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/www.gildedserpent.com\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1612\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.gildedserpent.com\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1612"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.gildedserpent.com\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1612"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.gildedserpent.com\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1612"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
Don’t miss the video collage at bottom of page!<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n1. (photos at top of page) Leila, her husband Safa’a and our superstar teacher, Azza Sherif. The camp \/ hotel is in the background, bordered by the edge of the Sinai Mountains at sunset.<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n\n\n\n2*. Those coming from Cairo met before dawn near the Nile Hilton to board a chartered bus to Sinai. Sunrise on the bus.<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n\n\n\n3. Leila and her son Youssef on the bus. He was the camp mascot.<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n\n\n\n4. Driving through the Sinai desert was stark but beautiful.<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n\n\n\n5. We stayed in a hotel called Miami Beach. It was right on the Red Sea coast. This is the lobby. Leila said "camp" but the only tent we were in was the performance tent set up on the beach. The hotel was clean, with spacious rooms and simple but good food – 3 meals per day.<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n\n\n\n6. 2 of our lovely Russian speaking campers with the hotel complex in the background.<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n\n\n\n7. The pool with the terrace entrance to the hotel lobby in the background.<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n\n\n\n8. From the hotel terrace looking the other way toward the Camp Negum tent beyond the pool, the Red Sea and the hills of Saudi Arabia on the other side of the water.<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n\n\n\n9. The other side of the tent from the beach, with the Sinai Mountains in the background.<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n\n\n\n10*. The first class was how to spin with a tanoura. It’s harder than it looks\u2026<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n\n\n\n11. Leila getting ready to teach her first class – How to Dance with a Live Band. She covered what musicians expect from the dancer on stage (like how to get on and off, slow down or speed up) to make everyone’s performances go smoothly. At the end of camp, everyone was grateful for this class in particular.<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n\n\n\n12. Class in the tent.<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n\n\n\n13. Rabea Abou Taleb teaching folklore, one of the few classes without the band. The class size was kept small – 40 people – to make sure everyone had space and individual attention.<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n\n\n<\/h5>\n14. There were also lectures every day on different topics. Here is Sahra Saeeda giving an overview of the dances of Egypt.<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n\n\n\n15. There was relaxation time for yoga on the beach \u2026<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n\n\n\n\n16. or getting to know the other campers.<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n\n\n\n17. The band played backgammon on the terrace\u2026<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n\n\n\n18. or swam in the pool with Youssef the mascot.<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n\n\n\n19*. Camels wandered up and down the beach \u2026<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n\n\n\n20*. vaguely accompanied by their owners. "You want camel ride? \u2026 Very cheap!"<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n\n\n\n21*. Then there were the shows every night. They started with a teacher followed by 8 or 9 campers, one better than the other. Everyone was a pleasure to watch. The performers were relaxed and thoroughly enjoyed dancing for each other.<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n\n\n\n22*. Leila even brought in a small troupe of Bedouin musicians. Their music was very similar to khaleegi – no surprise, seeing how close Saudi Arabia is.<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n23. And then there was the incomparable Azza Sharif. \nShe so mesmerized the class that people just sat down to watch her. Her style of dance is fast disappearing. \nEveryone felt it was a rare gift to witness and learn from such an icon of 1980s raqs sharqi.<\/h5>\n<\/h5>\n23b. With the sagat player, Sayed Lacky, who was a hoot all by himself. Combined with Azza, sparks flew!<\/h5>\n\n23c. Azza was also a crowd pleaser \u2026<\/h5>\n\n23d. \u2026 and teaser.<\/h5>\n\n23e. And of course she loved playing with the mascot. (also picture- Sahra, Azza’s assistant, Leila, author Yasmin, drummer Yousrey Hefney in red, Sayed Lacky)<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n\n\n\n24. The teachers- Sahra, Azza, Rabea Abou Taleb, Leila, Azza’s assistant, Yasmin- author<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n\n\n\n25. The group with the band and singers. slightly larger image here<\/a><\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n\n\n\n\n26 – 27. Then there were the extra-curricular activities – snorkeling in the Blue Hole, fish dinner in downtown Dahab and the mystical trek up Mount Sinai from Saint Catherine’s monastery to watch the sun rise from the Mountain of God. For those of us who decided to take the 3000 stairs down again, instead of riding camels,\nour thighs will never be the same\u2026<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n28*. particularly after performing the next night in the last show. (Yasmin the author)<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n\n\n\n29*. There was a raucous good-bye party, where even the hotel staff let go.<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n\n\n\n30*. Everyone had such a good time that the party continued on the bus home. The sagat player trying out Serpentine Clappers.<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n\n\nIn fact, everyone had such a good time that they convinced Leila to host not one but two camps per year \u2013one in Dahab in May-June and another on a Nile cruise ship from Luxor to Aswan in late January. So mark your calendars. Leila\u2019s next \u201ccamp\u201d will be January 23-28 and feature not one, but two master teachers, Azza Sharif and Raqia Hassan, along with Safa\u2019a\u2019s incomparable band. The theme will be \u201cAwalim and Ghawazee.\u201d I can\u2019t wait.<\/h5>\n<\/embed><\/object><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n\n\n\n32- One more-Fionna and Azza!<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n <\/p>\n<\/p>\n\nHave a comment? Use or comment section at the bottom of this page or Send us a letter!<\/a> \nCheck the "Letters to the Editor<\/a>" for other possible viewpoints!<\/p>\nReady for more?<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\n\n3-12-10 Creating Camp Negum<\/a> by Leila of Cairo<\/strong>\nThe idea came to us as we laid on the beach at Ras Sidr, a resort town near Suez on the west coast of the Sinai Peninsula. It was one of those rare times when my husband, Safaa Farid, and I could slip away from work for two days. We were watching the wind surfers and listening to Om Kalthoum on the clubhouse speakers when the question just popped out.<\/li>\n5-17-10 A Bust to Be Proud of…<\/a> by Yasmin Henkesh<\/strong>\nWhen she introduces me to her dance friends, it’s the first story out of her mouth – eighteen years after the fact. We still laugh about it.<\/li>\n1-27-10 Shoo Shoo Amin, A Forgotten Treasure of the 80s<\/a> by Yasmin<\/strong>\nTwenty years ago when I told people I had worked with Shoo Shoo Amin in Cairo, the response was “Wow!” Now, people go “Who?” Today no one seems to know who she is. For belly dance purists, this is a tragedy. Every so often, someone my age or older will wax lyrical about her on-line, but for the most part, she’s an enigma – even to young Egyptians.<\/li>\n9-17-09 Sex, Belly Dance and the Afterlife<\/a> by Yasmin Henkesh<\/strong>\nTo these people, sex was not dirty, shameful, frightening or forbidden. It was a natural part of daily life and the essential prerequisite for birth – on earth or in the Afterlife.<\/li>\n7-30-08 Ahlan Wa Sahlan 2008, Not So Welcoming this Year<\/a> by Yasmin\n<\/b><\/strong>Prices have gone up everywhere, and Egypt is no exception. The reality hit me as soon as I walked into the Mena House. Bottled water was $4.00, where out in the street the same bottle was $.50. A bottle of beer was $10.00. Internet connection was $30.00 \/ hour. At those prices, life’s little pleasures didn’t seem important anymore. <\/li>\n5-31-10 Creating and Listening to Musical Ecstacy, CD Review-Yasmin\u2019s "Cry to the Moon, Taqsim lil Qamar"<\/a> reviewed by Amina Goodyear<\/strong>\nTaqsim traditionally follows a certain melodic progression\u2026 Following the introduction, the improviser is free to move anywhere in the maqam and even modulate to other "maqams" as long as he returns to the original. Taqsim is considered by many to be a connection to the spritual world.<\/li>\n10-14-08 Inside Peek at Making Music Videos: Hakim, Khalid Selim, Walid Toufic, Ali el Hagar, Elam, & Samira Said<\/a> by Leila\n<\/b><\/strong>I was either crying or yelling at Hakim for most of the shoot and went home each day with a headache from it. <\/strong><\/li>\n7-15-08 Egyptian Wedding Stories<\/a> by Leila of Cairo\n<\/strong><\/b>All the guests were staring at us. The father of the bride demanded to know who ordered the bellydancer and it seemed a fight was going to break out between representatives of the brides’ family and the hotel organizer. <\/li>\n12-30-06 I Dance; You Follow <\/a>by Leila <\/strong>\nAs Westerners interested in an Eastern dance form, we might want to ask ourselves if we are missing certain critical aspects of Raqs Sharki because we are not open to Eastern teaching methods. <\/li>\n11-17-06 Interview with Safaa Farid<\/a> by Leila\n<\/strong>These days there are times I feel I’ve seen everything an Egyptian dancer can do in the first five minutes of her show. She doesn’t change. But foreigners study the dance very hard and they put much time into their show so that is it interesting for a whole hour. <\/li>\n8-16-07 What Middle Eastern Audiences Expect from a Belly Dancer <\/a>by Leila\n<\/strong>Audiences in the Middle East, especially Egyptians, see bellydancing as something to be participated in, critiqued, and loved (or hated) with gusto. <\/li>\n9-17-07<\/span> Changes:\tEgyptian Dance – Has it crossed the line?<\/a> by Amina Goodyear<\/span>Both festivals, held in Giza were isolated and insulated from the people and the Cairo that I know and love.<\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Camp Negum did indeed happen May 4-8, 2010. It was everything Leila promised and more \u2013 5 days and nights of music and dance classes, almost all to live music. Those who wished to performed not once but twice with Leila\u2019s band \u2013 which was, as advertized, in a Bedouin tent on a golden beach in a biblical part of Egypt.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.gildedserpent.com\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1612"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.gildedserpent.com\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.gildedserpent.com\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.gildedserpent.com\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.gildedserpent.com\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1612"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/www.gildedserpent.com\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1612\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.gildedserpent.com\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1612"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.gildedserpent.com\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1612"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.gildedserpent.com\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1612"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
<\/embed><\/object><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n\n\n\n32- One more-Fionna and Azza!<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n <\/p>\n<\/p>\n\nHave a comment? Use or comment section at the bottom of this page or Send us a letter!<\/a> \nCheck the "Letters to the Editor<\/a>" for other possible viewpoints!<\/p>\nReady for more?<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\n\n3-12-10 Creating Camp Negum<\/a> by Leila of Cairo<\/strong>\nThe idea came to us as we laid on the beach at Ras Sidr, a resort town near Suez on the west coast of the Sinai Peninsula. It was one of those rare times when my husband, Safaa Farid, and I could slip away from work for two days. We were watching the wind surfers and listening to Om Kalthoum on the clubhouse speakers when the question just popped out.<\/li>\n5-17-10 A Bust to Be Proud of…<\/a> by Yasmin Henkesh<\/strong>\nWhen she introduces me to her dance friends, it’s the first story out of her mouth – eighteen years after the fact. We still laugh about it.<\/li>\n1-27-10 Shoo Shoo Amin, A Forgotten Treasure of the 80s<\/a> by Yasmin<\/strong>\nTwenty years ago when I told people I had worked with Shoo Shoo Amin in Cairo, the response was “Wow!” Now, people go “Who?” Today no one seems to know who she is. For belly dance purists, this is a tragedy. Every so often, someone my age or older will wax lyrical about her on-line, but for the most part, she’s an enigma – even to young Egyptians.<\/li>\n9-17-09 Sex, Belly Dance and the Afterlife<\/a> by Yasmin Henkesh<\/strong>\nTo these people, sex was not dirty, shameful, frightening or forbidden. It was a natural part of daily life and the essential prerequisite for birth – on earth or in the Afterlife.<\/li>\n7-30-08 Ahlan Wa Sahlan 2008, Not So Welcoming this Year<\/a> by Yasmin\n<\/b><\/strong>Prices have gone up everywhere, and Egypt is no exception. The reality hit me as soon as I walked into the Mena House. Bottled water was $4.00, where out in the street the same bottle was $.50. A bottle of beer was $10.00. Internet connection was $30.00 \/ hour. At those prices, life’s little pleasures didn’t seem important anymore. <\/li>\n5-31-10 Creating and Listening to Musical Ecstacy, CD Review-Yasmin\u2019s "Cry to the Moon, Taqsim lil Qamar"<\/a> reviewed by Amina Goodyear<\/strong>\nTaqsim traditionally follows a certain melodic progression\u2026 Following the introduction, the improviser is free to move anywhere in the maqam and even modulate to other "maqams" as long as he returns to the original. Taqsim is considered by many to be a connection to the spritual world.<\/li>\n10-14-08 Inside Peek at Making Music Videos: Hakim, Khalid Selim, Walid Toufic, Ali el Hagar, Elam, & Samira Said<\/a> by Leila\n<\/b><\/strong>I was either crying or yelling at Hakim for most of the shoot and went home each day with a headache from it. <\/strong><\/li>\n7-15-08 Egyptian Wedding Stories<\/a> by Leila of Cairo\n<\/strong><\/b>All the guests were staring at us. The father of the bride demanded to know who ordered the bellydancer and it seemed a fight was going to break out between representatives of the brides’ family and the hotel organizer. <\/li>\n12-30-06 I Dance; You Follow <\/a>by Leila <\/strong>\nAs Westerners interested in an Eastern dance form, we might want to ask ourselves if we are missing certain critical aspects of Raqs Sharki because we are not open to Eastern teaching methods. <\/li>\n11-17-06 Interview with Safaa Farid<\/a> by Leila\n<\/strong>These days there are times I feel I’ve seen everything an Egyptian dancer can do in the first five minutes of her show. She doesn’t change. But foreigners study the dance very hard and they put much time into their show so that is it interesting for a whole hour. <\/li>\n8-16-07 What Middle Eastern Audiences Expect from a Belly Dancer <\/a>by Leila\n<\/strong>Audiences in the Middle East, especially Egyptians, see bellydancing as something to be participated in, critiqued, and loved (or hated) with gusto. <\/li>\n9-17-07<\/span> Changes:\tEgyptian Dance – Has it crossed the line?<\/a> by Amina Goodyear<\/span>Both festivals, held in Giza were isolated and insulated from the people and the Cairo that I know and love.<\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Camp Negum did indeed happen May 4-8, 2010. It was everything Leila promised and more \u2013 5 days and nights of music and dance classes, almost all to live music. Those who wished to performed not once but twice with Leila\u2019s band \u2013 which was, as advertized, in a Bedouin tent on a golden beach in a biblical part of Egypt.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.gildedserpent.com\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1612"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.gildedserpent.com\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.gildedserpent.com\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.gildedserpent.com\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.gildedserpent.com\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1612"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/www.gildedserpent.com\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1612\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.gildedserpent.com\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1612"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.gildedserpent.com\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1612"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.gildedserpent.com\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1612"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
Have a comment? Use or comment section at the bottom of this page or Send us a letter!<\/a> \nCheck the "Letters to the Editor<\/a>" for other possible viewpoints!<\/p>\nReady for more?<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\n\n3-12-10 Creating Camp Negum<\/a> by Leila of Cairo<\/strong>\nThe idea came to us as we laid on the beach at Ras Sidr, a resort town near Suez on the west coast of the Sinai Peninsula. It was one of those rare times when my husband, Safaa Farid, and I could slip away from work for two days. We were watching the wind surfers and listening to Om Kalthoum on the clubhouse speakers when the question just popped out.<\/li>\n5-17-10 A Bust to Be Proud of…<\/a> by Yasmin Henkesh<\/strong>\nWhen she introduces me to her dance friends, it’s the first story out of her mouth – eighteen years after the fact. We still laugh about it.<\/li>\n1-27-10 Shoo Shoo Amin, A Forgotten Treasure of the 80s<\/a> by Yasmin<\/strong>\nTwenty years ago when I told people I had worked with Shoo Shoo Amin in Cairo, the response was “Wow!” Now, people go “Who?” Today no one seems to know who she is. For belly dance purists, this is a tragedy. Every so often, someone my age or older will wax lyrical about her on-line, but for the most part, she’s an enigma – even to young Egyptians.<\/li>\n9-17-09 Sex, Belly Dance and the Afterlife<\/a> by Yasmin Henkesh<\/strong>\nTo these people, sex was not dirty, shameful, frightening or forbidden. It was a natural part of daily life and the essential prerequisite for birth – on earth or in the Afterlife.<\/li>\n7-30-08 Ahlan Wa Sahlan 2008, Not So Welcoming this Year<\/a> by Yasmin\n<\/b><\/strong>Prices have gone up everywhere, and Egypt is no exception. The reality hit me as soon as I walked into the Mena House. Bottled water was $4.00, where out in the street the same bottle was $.50. A bottle of beer was $10.00. Internet connection was $30.00 \/ hour. At those prices, life’s little pleasures didn’t seem important anymore. <\/li>\n5-31-10 Creating and Listening to Musical Ecstacy, CD Review-Yasmin\u2019s "Cry to the Moon, Taqsim lil Qamar"<\/a> reviewed by Amina Goodyear<\/strong>\nTaqsim traditionally follows a certain melodic progression\u2026 Following the introduction, the improviser is free to move anywhere in the maqam and even modulate to other "maqams" as long as he returns to the original. Taqsim is considered by many to be a connection to the spritual world.<\/li>\n10-14-08 Inside Peek at Making Music Videos: Hakim, Khalid Selim, Walid Toufic, Ali el Hagar, Elam, & Samira Said<\/a> by Leila\n<\/b><\/strong>I was either crying or yelling at Hakim for most of the shoot and went home each day with a headache from it. <\/strong><\/li>\n7-15-08 Egyptian Wedding Stories<\/a> by Leila of Cairo\n<\/strong><\/b>All the guests were staring at us. The father of the bride demanded to know who ordered the bellydancer and it seemed a fight was going to break out between representatives of the brides’ family and the hotel organizer. <\/li>\n12-30-06 I Dance; You Follow <\/a>by Leila <\/strong>\nAs Westerners interested in an Eastern dance form, we might want to ask ourselves if we are missing certain critical aspects of Raqs Sharki because we are not open to Eastern teaching methods. <\/li>\n11-17-06 Interview with Safaa Farid<\/a> by Leila\n<\/strong>These days there are times I feel I’ve seen everything an Egyptian dancer can do in the first five minutes of her show. She doesn’t change. But foreigners study the dance very hard and they put much time into their show so that is it interesting for a whole hour. <\/li>\n8-16-07 What Middle Eastern Audiences Expect from a Belly Dancer <\/a>by Leila\n<\/strong>Audiences in the Middle East, especially Egyptians, see bellydancing as something to be participated in, critiqued, and loved (or hated) with gusto. <\/li>\n9-17-07<\/span> Changes:\tEgyptian Dance – Has it crossed the line?<\/a> by Amina Goodyear<\/span>Both festivals, held in Giza were isolated and insulated from the people and the Cairo that I know and love.<\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Camp Negum did indeed happen May 4-8, 2010. It was everything Leila promised and more \u2013 5 days and nights of music and dance classes, almost all to live music. Those who wished to performed not once but twice with Leila\u2019s band \u2013 which was, as advertized, in a Bedouin tent on a golden beach in a biblical part of Egypt.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.gildedserpent.com\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1612"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.gildedserpent.com\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.gildedserpent.com\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.gildedserpent.com\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.gildedserpent.com\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1612"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/www.gildedserpent.com\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1612\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.gildedserpent.com\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1612"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.gildedserpent.com\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1612"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.gildedserpent.com\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1612"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
Ready for more?<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
\t\t\t<\/p>\n
Camp Negum did indeed happen May 4-8, 2010. It was everything Leila promised and more \u2013 5 days and nights of music and dance classes, almost all to live music. Those who wished to performed not once but twice with Leila\u2019s band \u2013 which was, as advertized, in a Bedouin tent on a golden beach in a biblical part of Egypt.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.gildedserpent.com\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1612"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.gildedserpent.com\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.gildedserpent.com\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.gildedserpent.com\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.gildedserpent.com\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1612"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/www.gildedserpent.com\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1612\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.gildedserpent.com\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1612"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.gildedserpent.com\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1612"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.gildedserpent.com\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1612"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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