Message from Safeena:
"A very big thank you to everyone who supported me last Wednesday afternoon (October 29) and attended the Bellydance Superstar workshop with Sonia and Issam.
"I know many of you had to take time off work to be there, or arrange child care or other arrangements and it is very much appreciated. I hope that you all enjoyed the experience and gained something out of it!
"For those of you who could not make it, hopefully you will be able to attend one of the workshops which I will be organising in 2009.
"I'm planning on having Yvette Cowles teaching Bollywood, a Tribal workshop for beginners, and workshops with Khaled Mahmoud and Shafeek Ibrahim, both of whom are male, Egyptian, and internationally renowned bellydance stars.
"If you don't think you are on my mailing list, or if your teacher does not tend to inform you of workshops which I organise, then please email me at safeenabellydance @ yahoo.co.uk and I will add you to my mailing list."
Hannah Corr has also sent this review of the workshop:
"You'd think that after months & months of being on the road with the Bellydance Superstars Sonia & Issam would be going through the motions but this wasn't the case at all. Sonia is a beautifully expressive dancer with a genuine love of bellydance. She is very generous in her teaching, giving a real insight into the style and ideas that fuel the Bellydance Superstars.
"The three and a half hour workshop focused on a single choreography to the drum. Each rhythm was explained & broken down by Issam so that when the time came to put the moves on top, we had a deeper understanding of the beats. It was this, combined with Sonia's knowledge of what suited each rhythm best, that helped everyone in the room be less scared of the drum solo!
They took us through at least four rhythms from Egypt & Iraq (as well as the waltz!) building a choreography containing pretty much every bellydance move under the sun, including a walking shimmy Maya!!
"Sonia's beautiful dancing is very American - and by that I mean very precise, intricate and technical. Anyone who was a beginner may have had a harder time because she never stopped to explain how to do a move, assuming we already knew what everything was. In this way, it was physically and mentally challenging but ultimately very rewarding! You came away feeling you could do a drum solo like one of the Superstars!
"Despite the workshop being more advanced, it was still informal and fun and Sonia's light energy meant there was never any pressure. There was no ego in either of them which made for a really enjoyable & educational workshop. Most of the ladies I spoke to said they were taking away tips & techniques they will be practising for some some time! Well done Sue for organising this, it was well worth it."
