Bellydance for beginners in Cardiff

A new weekly bellydance class for beginners starts in Cardiff on Wednesday nights from July 5.

It takes place at Maesycoed Community Centre, Maesycoed Road in the Heath/Llanishen area of the city.

The times are 8 till 9.30pm and the cost is £4 per session.

To sign up, call Sue Lloyd on 07708 376887 or the centre manager Bill on 029 2087 3983, or email baimer @ cardiff.gov.uk

Goddess Workshops with Hannah Corr

Hannah Corr is running a series of workshops on Goddess bellydance over the next few months in Cardiff.

Each one will involve Middle Eastern Dance, myths & legends and beautiful costuming. They're suitable for all levels and will be informative and good fun.

• Saturday 15 July - Bast - the Egyptian Goddess of beauty, dance and pleasure. She invites us to play in the perfumed garden of life and experience its luxurious gifts. Indulge yourself!

• Saturday 19 August - Baubo - the bawdy old crone who likes to tell dirty jokes and lift her skirts. She heals through humour and reminds us that there are always reasons to giggle even during the hardest times. She also teaches us not to be shy about our bodies but to strut it!

• Saturday 16 September - Gaia - the Earth, the changing seasons, beautiful, strong & grounded. She is the balance needed for life to continue. If you're feeling disconnected and out of touch, Gaia will root your feet firmly on the earth. She'll bring beauty back into your life.

• Saturday 7 October - Kali - the Goddess of destruction, death and change. Kali brings death to old stifling ways so new ones can emerge. She shows us our undiscovered dark sides that we need to embrace to make us whole. Meet your inner destroyer!

All workshops take place at Cathays Methodist Church, Crwys Road, Cardiff, from 12 till 3pm and cost £15 each.

To reserve a place, please email hannah @ arabesq.co.uk

For a taste of what to expect, take a look at some photos of Hannah's Ahlam performance on the Arabesq website.

Classes in Bishton near Newport

The bellydance classes which used to take place in Underwood near Newport have moved to nearby Bishton.

They take place every Wednesday night at Bishton Village Hall from 7.30 till 9pm, price £4.50 per session.

Phone Liz Philpot 07980 802382 or email liz.philpot @ tiscali.co.uk

Steph's Hafla - Friday 30 June

Tickets are still available for Steph's hafla this Friday 30 June at The Electricity Club, Pontcanna, Cardiff.

Arabic drummer John Sleiman is once again the star attraction, plus performances, freestyle dancing, buffet, bazaar and bar.

Call Steph on 029 2023 1450 or email info @ stephaniebellydance.co.uk.

Adult tickets are £8, under 16s half price. Groups buying 10 tickets or more in advance get one free.

Cardigan - Workshop with Rachel Jones

Rachel Jones is hosting an Arabic Dance Workshop at Theatr Mwldan, Cardigan, on Sunday 5 August.

She promises an afternoon of dance and fun, feminine (gentle!) fitness - practice your moves and learn a choreography.

Rachel is a fully qualified teacher with the Alakhira School of Middle Eastern Dance, has been studying this dance for 10 years and has been a teacher and performer for 4 years.

The workshop takes place from 2 till 4pm and costs £10.

Numbers are limited so book soon to avoid disappointment - call Rachel on 01495 757144.

More workshops are planned for September and October depending on demand.

Hossam cancels Cardiff dates

Hossam Ramzy's show and workshops in Cardiff this weekend (June 23 to 25) have been cancelled due to low ticket sales.

Attempts are being made to reschedule the events for later in the year.

The Bristol show and workshops at the City Academy are still planned for Friday 29 September to Sunday 1 October.

For further details, see www.hossamramzy.com or contact Maria Credali 01543 250756 balliamo @ madasafish.com

Taster Session in Pentwyn, Cardiff

Pentwyn Adult Education Centre in Cardiff is holding a Belly Dancing session on Wednesday 19 July from 10am to 12 midday as part of a week of taster events.

Anyone needing further information should contact the centre on 029 2054 9033.

Refugee Week: Celebrating Sanctuary

Aziz Salam and Karwan of the Iraqi Kurdish pop band Hawnaz are among the stars of a day of free live music and entertainment in Cardiff Bay on Sunday 18 June.

Celebrating Sanctuary takes place in Roald Dahl Plass (the Oval Basin) from 2pm till 7pm, and also features musical acts from Ethiopia and Zimbabwe, plus storytelling, henna painting, hair braiding and other activities.

The guys from Hawnaz, now resident in Wales, will also perform later that night alongside DJ Sasquatch and The Cougar at Clwb Ifor Bach, Womanby Street, Cardiff, in a fundraising show for destitute asylum seekers - starts 8pm, admission £3.

These are just two of the events taking place around south Wales until June 25 to mark Refugee Week, a UK-wide festival of music, arts and culture.

For more details, see www.refugeeweek.org.uk or the Refugee Week section of the BBC South East Wales website.

Maria D'Silva Workshops in September

Maria D'Silva returns to Newport in September for a weekend of workshops and a hafla.

On Saturday 9 September she'll be teaching Saidi Stick technique for all levels, while on Sunday 10 it'll be Oriental technique for improvers upwards.

The workshops take place at Bannatynes Health Club from 2 till 4pm and cost £17 each or £30 for the two.

To book your place, contact Sue Lloyd on 07708 376887 or email susan.lloyd @ wales.gsi.gov.uk

Maria will also be a guest performer at Safeena's Seafront Shindig - Sue's birthday bash - on the Saturday night at the Sailors Mission, Dock Gates, Pill, Newport.

Limited peformance slots are available but there'll be plenty of time for freestyle dancing. Also featuring Maria's bazaar, DJ Andy Roberts, two bars, two big changing rooms and plenty of secure parking.

All welcome - tickets £7.50, under 16s £3.50. Contact Sue Lloyd as above for more details and to book a performance slot.

Classes in Carmarthen

The Phoenix Fusion Belly Dancers are a new group based in Carmarthen.

Classes take place every Wednesday night at The Dairies Club in Water Street, 7 till 8.30pm, cost £3 per session.

Look out for their first show taking place on Saturday 7 October.

For more details, contact Beverly on 07962 188983 or email beverly @ zenesis.co.uk

Bellydance Superstars in Colwyn Bay

If you couldn't make it to the Bellydance Superstars show in Cardiff last night (May 31), don't worry as the tour continues around the UK and Ireland.

Fans in north Wales have a chance to see Raqs Carnivale at Theatr Colwyn, Colwyn Bay, on Thursday 15 June - phone the box office on 01492 532668.

There's also a special Raqs Britannia weekend in Manchester on June 10 and 11 which includes workshops and a haflah.

For more details, see www.bellydancesuperstars.com

And thanks to everyone who came along to our Bellydance Superstars aftershow party in Cardiff - I can't believe so many people are willing to party till 1am on a school night!

Special thanks also to Tony Venditto and his staff at the Fontana Wine Bar for making us so welcome - I'm sure we'll be back soon!