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Dancing to live music --the REAL scoop

6/16/2009

4 Comments

 

Time to fess up -- dancing to live music can be about as popular as pulling rotting teeth out of an alligator.   Dancing to live music can be exciting, but it can also come back and bite you.  The clever dancers have an easy solution which I'll provide at the end. But to bring this story home, let me offer a couple of examples:  

Challenge One:  What can happen when musicians are bored? After an evening with dozens of dancers, one particular drummer looked bored out of his mind.   During my drum solo,  the drummer decided he was going to play 'test the dancer', and changed the rhythm every 8 counts.   With a maniacal grin on his face, he finally settled into a rhythm that precisely matched the rhythm of "jingle bells" --it was after all December.    I struggled through -- twisting, stepping, and pop, locking with everything I had -- I think I pulled a hamstring and distended my colon in the process (only kidding).  

Challenge Two:   What can happen when musicians get nervous? Usually musicians have played together numerous times before they are in front of a live audience.   However, I recall one dark evening when a substitute musician was called in and they all stared at each other trying figure out what they were going to do. (Really a bad sign).   When the music started, the anxiety was noticeable because the music was being played at 3x the normal speed -- always a challenge for the dancers.    

So is there a trick to live music?     The clever dancers typically will ask the musicians to play one song they know --so know matter what they are dished out they have one polished performance they can hang their hats on.    To help you in this process, I've listed a number of popular songs for live musicians that they will most likely know.   


:A Ya Zein
Alf Lelya WahLeyla
Al Atlal
Ana Fi Intizarak
Ayeela Tayha (Lost Daughter)
Ayoub
Aziza
Bahlam Beek (I saw You In My Dreams)
Banat Iskandria
Batwanis Beek (I Desire You)
Bir Demet
Yasamin
Dala'a el Helween
Daret al Ayam
Enta Omri (You Are My Life)
El Houbbi Koullou
Fakkarouni
Gamil Gamal (Such Beauty)
Gan al Hawa
Ghannili Shwayyi Shwayyi
Habibi Ya Eini (My Love, My Eye)
Habibi Ya Nour El Ein (You Are The Light In My Eye)
HaniHarrraml Ahebbak
Hazar Fazar
Hebbina
HIzzi Ya Nawaeem
Hoss Bass or Hes Bes
Istemen Babajim
Lamma Bada
Lissa Fakir (Do You Still Remember?)
Leylet Hob
Mashaal
Me 'Alli Oultilu
Nebtidi Menein el Heykaya
Nour el Nain
Noura Noura
Rezah Rezah
Rompi Rompi
Salam Allay (My Lover Greeted Me)

4 Comments

Official Raks A'Diva Dictionary

6/14/2009

2 Comments

 

We've had to create our own language for various things that help us improve our dance.     I've listed a few for your reference with new ones always in development 


Caterpillar in Heat
-Noun
1.  used to describe an unfortunate attempt at a straight line.    

Holy Buckets
-Expletive
1.  A sparkling and crackling word used with a powerful voice and wild arm gestures.  
 
Slaunter 
- verb
1.  to walk with ungodly slow pace to the point of no discernible forward movement

Erect Penguin
-verb
1.  to raise ones hands into a a highly erect, penguin-like stance

Salt the Pit 
-noun
1.  must be used with arm movements and reserved to reduce tension, to  deflect and disarm

Poop and Scoop
-noun
1. precision bellydance movement used during drum solo 

Regurgeria 
-noun
1.  just use your imagination 


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Raks Road Tested Drinks !

6/14/2009

4 Comments

 

Drink Recipes:  Cozumel
1/2 oz Brandy
1/2 oz Coconut Cream
1/2 oz Pineapple Juice
1/2 oz Blue Caraco
1/2 oz  Light Rum
1/2 oz Vodka 


Blend really well,   And don’t drink and drive.  Served in a coconut adds to the look.  

Drink Recipe:  Lava Flow

 
1 oz light rum
1 oz Coconut rum
2 oz fresh or frozen strawberries
1 small banana
2 oz pineapple juice
2 oz coconut cream


Blend 2 rums and strawberries and pour into tall glass.  Blend separately banana, coconut cream and pineapple juice with crushed ice.  Pour into the glass with rum and watch swish around……cool !    Must be served with umbrella for full effect ! 


4 Comments

Miracle Weight Loss Raks Cruise

6/14/2009

0 Comments

 

Miracle Weight Loss Raks A’Diva Cruise
By Iman
“Utter indulgence and mad cap fun ”, reported Raks A’Diva cruise mascot Isis.   This article is dedicated to an accurate portrayal of the eating and drinking excesses and sleep deprivation of just one Raks A’Diva member.     I have to report that even with all the abuse and stomach-stretch carbs, I did not gain any weight.   The secret?  Three (3) hours of non-stop dancing a night, and absolute refusal to take elevators –with the exception of a bathroom emergency.     

So, with great embarrassment, here is my personal log of my excesses on the cruise.  (Disclaimer: my excess experiences don’t necessarily match other Raks members – you’ll have to get the others to fess-up. 

Cruise Day One –arrival on ship at 12pm. 
Exercise:   Pulling 50# suitcase on sidewalk for 1/2 mile to ship.  Triceps have never been as firm.    Disco dancing for 3 hours, and walking all over the ship.  

Food:  Salads, Pastrami Sandwich, Chips, Fish & Ice Cream (2x)

Drinks:  3 cups of coffee, a cappuccino and a Cozumel* 


Sleep:   5 hours  

Cruise Day Two – Catalina Island  

Exercise:   Walking all over Catalina Island,  2.5 hours of dancing, walking up and down stairs, laughing too hard.  

Food:  Croissant, Eggs Benedict, Chicken Teriyaki, Stuffed mushrooms with cheese, lobster & shrimp with mushroom infused rice, soufflé with Grand Marnier  

Drinks:  2 cups of coffee, a cappuccino and  TWO –Cozumels, 1 glass white wine

Sleep:   6 hours

Cruise Day Three – Esplendida 
Exercise:   Horseback riding for two hours,  walking around a Mexican town whose name I could never remember.   

Food: Ham & cheese omelets, bran muffin, top of a banana muffin, eggplant dish, beef, chocolate chip cookie, fried mozzarella cheese, fish, warm chocolate cake 

Drinks:  2 cups of coffee, decaf cappuccino, Iced Cappuccino and  One –Cozumel, 1 glass white wine 

Sleep:   6 hours

Cruise Day Four  – Parked in the Ocean – a Lazy Day 
Exercise:  Sitting up and down at least 12x from lounge chair on deck,  bending over a couple of times,  lifting food into mouth,  getting a ‘turkey baste’ massage,    Laughing exercises (1 hour), and dancing 2 hours 

Food: Veggie Omelet & bran muffin, slice of mushroom pizza, salad, crab cake, seafood pasta, 1/3 warm chocolate cake & baked Alaska 

Drinks:  1 cups of coffee, Iced Cappuccino and One Lava Flow

Sleep:   5 hours 


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How we picked our name -Raks A'Diva

6/14/2009

1 Comment

 

Selecting the name for our troupe was quite a challenge.   Three years ago, we got highly motivated to find the right name when someone suggested we name ourselves 'enchanted princesses' -- YIPE !    That got us motivated and we started searching 100's of name to find something that inspired us and represented what we wanted out of our dance.    

We came across an arabic phrase that we thought meant dancing feet which was easy to say in English.   Luckily we checked with an arabic speaker and found out that the phrase we selected actually meant --'the bottom of your foot'.    Obviously, not the best thing in the world.  

We'll, we kept our search going and found the name A'Diva which means 'gentle' , and we kinda liked the double meaning with being 'diva's' as well.     We've lived with that name through several years together and have enjoyed every minute.   We just learned, however, that there is another meaning for A'Diva and that is pleasure and pain....  Now we love our name even more -- because it truly defines who we are.  

1 Comment

First Post!

6/11/2009

0 Comments

 

Somehow, I jumped to the second post without getting things started properly on the Dancer's Rak Blog.   


Dancing with Raks A'Diva  has been a very healing thing for all of us --we enjoy laughter, friendship and expressing ourselves creatively.   We started three years ago, and continue to evolve and create new things.   Each year we try to reinvent ourselves and learn new dance styles and build our skills --we dance with every type of prop you can imagine, and even some we found from other dance forms that where used 1000's of years ago.      

Ultimately, dance has been a way to help bring balance to our lives and we hope that you can find your passion as well.   

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    Iman

    Co-Director of Troupe Raks A'Diva.   Resident Social Mediator & Twitterer

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