My Horoscope by Rick Levine

Monday, November 20, 2006

Virgo (Aug 23 – Sep 22)

  ”You have been making plans long enough; it’s now time to put them into action and one way to start is by talking about them. This New Moon activates your 3rd House of Communication, so get your best ideas out into the open. They don’t do you any good inside your head. There may not be a better time to initiate passionate discussions about what you want to do next in your life.”

Hard to believe that I feel behind in blogging since I’ve been posting like crazy lately… But if you really look at me entries over the past days and weeks, you’ll see that a lot of them aren’t even about me or my life…

I’m going to work on correcting that… Because there are people out there who are curious about the challenges and triumphs of a male bellydancer, not just Suhaila or funny quizzes I found and whatever else I’ve been blogging about lately, and who better to share those experiences…

So this blog is going to be a lot longer than my usual copy and paste blogs but hopefully it will be interesting enough for you to read all the way through!

Saturday November 4th:

Noble’s Birthday Party

I had such a blast on this night… A group of us bellydancers got together to celebrate Noble’s special day. Truth be told, I have no idea what birthday it was for her… But when it comes to bellydancers, age is usually a well-kept and highly guarded secret. So I dared not ask lol But this was sort of a milestone night for me because we were able to party with the live middle eastern band for the first time in 6+ months and I didn’t realize how much I missed it.

Wednesday October 25^th:

Shakers’ and Drummers’ Night

^{The last time was at a restaurant/nightclub called Sultan’s which closed earlier this year due to ownership woes. It was on this night that I decided I wanted to start hanging out at Mejana’s more often, which is the name of the restaurant we were at that night. We had our Halloween Shakers’ and Drummers’ Night too but it didn’t have as much of an impact on me because we all danced to music we brought on cd and James (a master keyboard player) was no where in sight… I actually wasn’t too thrilled with the place because the dance floor was too small for my taste.}

 

 

But what was cool is that two of my good friends came to support me that night… They got there just in time for performances and saw me dance for the first time… in costume for an audience! It was a great feeling and it felt really good to have them there. Thanks Randy and Kyah! I love you guys!!!

Here’s A Review by the Party Organizer:

  

Hi everyone,

Sorry this review is so late, I’ve been fighting a cold that’s had me fuzzy headed. I’m winning though. My brain can once again function clearly.

We had a fabulous time last Wednesday night at Mejana. It’s cozy with a nice dance floor. The food is quite good and the prices are reasonable. The manager, Sam, waited on us that night. He seemed a little overwhelmed but handled it nicely. Didn’t even flinch when we told him we needed separate checks. Thank you Sam for your hospitality.

We had 4 performances that night:

Nina Kitty – who surprised us, again, by showing up when she said she couldn’t – and performed her dramatic goth-inspired pieces.

Amira and her student Lauren(sp?) – who performed a cute little “kitty” dance choreographed by Amira.

Zorsha – always a favorite, wowed the audience with her performances

Maharasha – dancing for us in pharaonic costume with mask was spectacular.

And, musicians James and Khaled(sp?) were in the audience! What a delightful surprise to see them at our gathering. It turns out that Mejana is where they are playing on the weekends.

I hope you all can join us when we meet again next Wednesday, November 8 at Mejana. In the meantime, try to get over there on a Saturday night to dance to live music supplied by James and Khaled. I know they’ll be happy to see familiar bellydancers again.

Have a happy Halloween, everybody!

Jenni/Hadiya

 

Wednesday November 8th:

Shakers’ and Drummers’ Night

I did wings and a solo for this gathering and was deathly paranoid that I was going to whack somebody with my wing poles (which are heavy and would be very painful if struck by one). Once again, we were at Mejana’s which has the small dance floor compared to Hookah Palace and Sultan’s… Luckily I didn’t peg anyone that night and David, my drummer friend, said my performance was the highlight of the evening. Of course, these days he’s one of my closest friends so he’s kind of obligated to say nice things. LMAO j/k

On a side note of drama, this party was advertised as a celebration for all November babies yet a lot of the attention was focused on my good friend Noble (whose birthday we celebrated on Nov. 4th) So I spent some of the night trying to comfort those in the room who felt harshly neglected by the way things were turning out and the way they were treated (in her eyes) that night by the host… This person, who shall remain anonymous, even cried which broke my heart… and made me go over to her to find out what was wrong. (I had no idea that it was her birthday to begin with or I would’ve brought her something!) This is a delightful message she posted shortly after to our LVBellydancers mailing list:

Thu Nov 9, 2006 2:41 pm

For Those of you “November Babies” who didn’t attend last nights Shake & Drum Meet, be advised that it’s just as well because you would have been disappointed. As it turns out, the event was apparently a private affair from Jennie to Zahirah. Any one else celebrating a Birthday in November was not acknowledged at all, or treated as an intruder. The entertainment was limited, and except for an intriguing and outstanding performance by “Maharasha,” the only other pleasant surprise was the Middle-Eastern Band that Miraculously appeared to liven up an otherwise uneventful evening. Scorpios, the only thing you missed was an opportunity to be ignored! H A P P Y B I R T H D A Y, anyway, with Love, xxxxxxx

By the way, this party lasted until almost 2 in the morning… Definitely one of our longest party nights for Shakers and Drummers! Aside from the drama, I had a blast!

Oh, in case you’re wondering… the organizer did respond to Anonymous’ post. Here’s what she had to say…

Fri Nov 10, 2006 11:38 am

First of all, let me say that if I have ever offended anyone, I am sorry. We are all human and sometimes, unintentionally, hurt the feelings of others.

This is not a clique. Everyone is welcome to come to the Wednesday night Shakers and Drummers gatherings. Last Wednesday was a special occasion. Noble has a lot of friends and some of those friends chose to give gifts to her in honor of her birthday. They also chose to honor her in non-material ways that was beautiful to see. This was entirely on their own prerogative and was not orchestrated by anyone.

Please let this be the end of this thread. If anyone else has anything to say, please do it privately. Let’s not turn this into a public forum. There are no sides to be taken here. We’ve all worked hard to bring this bellydance community together. Let’s not create factions and hard feelings against each other.

We are all entitled to our feelings and opinions. To those of you who are offended, I offer peace. My offer is not based on your acceptance. Whether or not you choose to accept it is entirely up to you. I will not withdraw my offer of peace. When, and if, you do choose to accept it, it is there for you.

Jenni/Hadiya

Ok enough of that!

Thursday November 9th:

My First Performance On A Big Stage

The very next morning, after our late night party, I had agreed to perform at the Summerlin Library for a Health Faire. I had to be up around 7:30 or so to be ready by 9:30, when my ride was to come. I had to get up 2 hours before pick-up time to wash my dance shirt! It was definitely needing a good wash and, lucky me, I had to hand-wash it because our washer is broken! Of course, I waited to the last minute to wash it, so by the time my ride came, I had barely rung out my shirt and was throwing things in a bag so I could get costume-dressed at the library. So my shirt is soaking wet and the weather is starting to get cold but that’s the sacrifice you have to make as a performer… Or at least that’s what I kept telling myself LOL

We got there at about 10ish, we weren’t scheduled to perform until 11:30. They had breakfast there, but of course, I didn’t eat because I didn’t want to bloat up before dancing LMAO but I had to have a juice! They had pineapple juice there! YUM! I LOVE pineapple juice!

Anyway, we watched a Thai Chi demonstration which was awesome! I’ve always wanted to learn, but I tried once and realized that such slow moves were devastating for my joints and I just gave up. Shame on me, I know. But the instructor, I remember seeing him at a cultural event five years ago when I was the president of Teens Against Prejudice and here he still is, out in the community at these kinds of events promoting his approach to inner peace and wellness. I thought it was cool to see him again. Come to find out he was married to a bellydancer whose workshop I went to earlier this year. It’s definitely a small world and it seemingly continues to shrink.

So the best part of the day was going backstage… My first time ever going into a REAL backstage, with dressing rooms and a green room…! I was so excited. I felt like Rachel Brice!!! I really did… Because on the documentary American Bellydancer and in two interviews I found of her online, she’s always backstage getting ready in front of a mirror. I got to change in my first real dressing room, even though it was the Woman’s side! The library staff forgot to unlock the men’s side, of course! But I imagine there the same and I still got it all to myself, since the rest of the women I was performing with came in costume.

I was in such good spirits that day, cracking jokes every other sentence, being supportive of the other dancers who were performing for the public for the first time (away from Ren Fair) and in a new troupe… I remember saying, “You’re wonderful ladies and you’re ready!” or something like that. I felt like a leader in that moment because even though it was such a simple statement, I think it needed to be said to really help them feel ready… especially since I think they value my opinion. We’re sort of fans of each other!

As showtime comes and goes, we realize that the crowd is less than stellar. So I come up with the idea for us to go back out into the main area where the fair is being held and let people know about our performance. The rest of the dancers thought it was a great idea and off we went! I loved it because out of costume, I would’ve been too shy to just go up to people and say, “Hi, how are you doing…?! Great! We’re getting ready to hold a bellydance performance and would love for you to join us.” Me… Damien… talk to a complete stranger! That never happens… But Maharasha…! He can handle it, because it’s his job to welcome people and embrace them and make them feel good through dance. In the end, it didn’t bring in as many people as I thought it would, but it still was a great thing to do… I think it helped me and the other dancers feel proud of what we were doing and more confident and, most importantly, unafraid of those we were there to entertain.

So the show starts with a quick introduction of Shifting Sands, Samara and I slither on stage and then “Bounce” starts to play. And my heart feels with joy… I love dancing “Bounce” with Samara. We really committed to learning our duet and every time we perform it, I feel it gets better and better. I remember looking over several times and just getting so excited that we were on stage together… as a team… dancing to a song that we both love, doing choreography that we both love, on a big stage, which I loved, for a public library! It was so awesome! Next, Fuego Fusion went on. They did great, as always. I didn’t get to watch the entire performance because I had to get ready for my 8 ½ minute solo which started with wings. When they finished, I stood at the edge of the curtain thinking the music was going to start automatically but it didn’t. They were expecting me to be onstage before starting the music, so after an uncomfortable silence and Samara telling me to get onstage, my music started. And I remember my body feeling up with the spirit of the Goddess. The first song I danced to in my solo moves me so much. It’s a slow song and it has such a Goddess quality to it… Beautiful and powerful at the same time. You can here it at http://www.meera.tv/meerapdvideo/danceofthesolstice.html. It is the second song that plays in the Meera video… the song that starts when you see the desert sand and the pyramids. By the way, Meera is living my dream in this video. As soon as I get the chance I want to do the exact same thing!!!! I can’t wait. Another by the way… I actually ripped the song from the video on this website. I have found a way to download to cd any song, sound or audio that plays from any website or program on my computer. Unbelievable, right?! The power of technology continues to amaze me…

My solo went well, considering one of my headpieces and head tie flew off in the middle of my performance… Luckily I was wearing a second headpiece underneath the one that flew off… Otherwise I would’ve been horrified at what happened and would’ve ran off the stage in utter embarrassment.

My four bellydancer friends and I went to lunch after that… and had a great time. One of the women is the vice president of Shifting Sands and has been dancing for about 20 years… She shared a lot of Shifting Sands’ history with the rest of us… who have only been dancing for a year or so and are new to the organization. I loved every minute of it, considering I want to run for office within Shifting Sands next year. (more on that as the date approaches (January 2007))

Friday November 10th:

Sanctuary’s One Year Anniversary

This was an awkward night for me… I was supposed to be celebrating this milestone for a club and a scene that I’ve absolutely fallen in love over the last nine months, but I felt like shit that night. All of my dark dance clothes were dirty from dancing so much… So I had to wear my heavily-coin adorned shirt with red pants… Bottom line, I felt too flamboyant especially on a night where the recommended style of dress was post-apocalypse. And here I am just as flaming as I could be lmao so the whole time I sat or stood around looking pitiful, wishing I felt more comfortable, trying to dance but not being able to get over my appearance… Oh to add to my self-hate that night, I had no makeup on my face and I couldn’t find my brass claws so I was faceless and clawless… I was pissed off… So I left way earlier than I intended to and went somewhere else that night. What makes me even madder is my friend Miguel came to the club that night and I want to see him so bad… Just to be in his presence is good enough… Oh my Goddess, I sound like such a groupie right now, so next topic lol

Saturday November 11th:

A F**ked Up Night at Almaza due to Friends

I was supposed to go to Almaza with my drummer friend David, but a trip to a Russian restaurant where he was provided with complimentary Russian vodka sent him home and to bed early for the evening. So I was left to my own devices… Fine, no problem. So I call up some friends who said they were waiting for me to call to decide what they were going to do for the night… (that kinda’ freaked me out because what if I hadn’t called… they would’ve been pretty pissed lol) So I offer two suggestions… we can either go to Mejana’s with the live middle eastern band or we can go to Almaza which is a more upscale mid-east nightclub that plays a mix of music from reggaeton to Persian… they opted for Almaza.

Well, we get there and as soon as we get out of the car, about two hundred feet from the entrance, you can hear the music blasting from the inside. And they are already turned off… Understandable… But we go clubbing all the time and the music is normally loud. So anyway, they go in a different entrance than I used… or at least I thought they did, but after a minute or two, I’m looking around and can’t find my friends… so I head back for the door and they’re waiting outside. I’m thinking, ok… something must’ve went wrong. So I go to them and ask them what’s the deal.

They proceed to feed me a bunch of bull saying that they couldn’t get in because of their age, and then once I caught them in that “stretch of the truth”, they tell me that they couldn’t get in because of the dress code… that one was more believable until I saw two guys come out of the club wearing basically the same thing they were… And then I called “bullshit” yet again. So finally they tell me the truth… that the music is too loud for them.

My heart drops into my stomach and I immediately get sad thinking I’m going to miss out on a great night of dancing… all because I decided to come with friends rather than by myself as I usually do… BUT we came in two cars… I purposely had us do that in case this situation came up. One of my friends said, “Oh I’m sorry if we ruined your night,” and I replied, “Oh no, you didn’t! That’s the exact reason why we brought two cars.” But the driver of the second car all of the sudden decided even though he had planned to party with us that night, he wanted to go home. Im thinking they can go home with him and I can stay and enjoy my night. But my other two friends tell the 2nd driver to go ahead home and they’d stay with me, which made absolutely no sense to me considering they didn’t want to be there at all.

So now I’m stuck hanging out with two people who I can only assume are bitter and disgusted with me for (in their eyes) making them stay somewhere they didn’t want to be. And we stood in a corner for about 10-15 minutes not talking, watching others dance, and I started to allow the situation to completely depress me. I finally said to myself, “They chose to stay here, so they can either come dance with me or sit down… Those are there only two options.” Finally I said to them, “Well I’m going to go dance for a few minutes and then we’ll go.” And I walked away, unapologetically.

 

I make it to the dance floor and had such a good time! I danced with this girl who I know has had dance training because of all the spinning she was doing. I got hit on by this drunk dude who didn’t know I was a dude, which was pretty funny, as it always is… LMAO and then we left.

01. Talk about a huge breast!

02. Tying the legs together keeps the inside moist.

03. It’s Cool Whip time!

04. If I don’t undo my pants, I’ll burst!

05. That’s one terrific spread!

06. I’m in the mood for a little dark meat.

07. Are you ready for seconds yet?

08. Its a little dry, do you still want to eat it?

09. Just wait your turn, you’ll get some!

10. Don’t play with your meat.

11. Just spread the legs open and stuff it in.

12. Do you think you’ll be able to handle all these people at once?

13. I didn’t expect everyone to come at once!

14. You still have a little bit on your chin.

15. How long will it take after you stick it in?

16. You’ll know it’s ready when it pops up.

17. Wow, I didn’t think I could handle all of that!

18. That’s the biggest one I’ve ever seen!

I couldn’t resist reposting this LOL

Hope you got a laugh or two out of it…

Yet her promo video, uploaded 3 months before this one and, in my opinion, is way more “provocative” has only gotten 29,000 views… I wonder what was the MISSING factor in the tags? LMAO Perhaps the word “glutes”?! hmmm…

My MySpace page is a tribute to my favorite bellydancer, Suhaila Salimpour and the Salimpour family. I pride myself on my page and today (not the first time though) I got confirmation that my efforts to spread the word about Suhaila and the Salimpour impact on bellydance are paying off. Here is an email I got today:

Nov 17 2006 7:01 PM
Subject: Thank you!

Body: “I had never heard of SUHAILA SALIMPOUR & JAMILA SALIMPOUR until I read about them on your site. I just ordered some of their videos. Again thank you. And keep up the great dancing! Your videos are the best!”

leleleleleleleyip!

LMAO!  DEY’ CALL HIM SANTA AKA TOTAL PIMP LOL

RECENT COMMENTS MADE ABOUT A NEW SUHAILA VIDEO ON YOUTUBE:

–> –>–> –>–> comment_div_id –>

–> –>–> –>–> comment_div_id –>

That last comment by Rakfan was fucking disgusting, because if you’re a guy or are able to invoke the mind of a guy for just a moment, you know EXACTLY what he meant.  Maybe I’m being overly sensitive… (for some reason, I get accused of that a lot lol)  I know it’s a rather revealing costume… and I know guys will be guys… but that doesn’t mean I’m not going to get grossed out by it. 

Some people see art for art… and others see art as an excuse to check out naked chicks in paintings… I guess everyone is entitled to their reasoning for appreciating art and culture, but DAMN! 

I wonder what Suhaila will say/think after reading these comments… (because in this crazy, alternate universe called “the Internet”, she’s bound to make her way to reading them at SOME point) I wonder if she will think… perhaps this costume is bringing me the wrong attention… Or perhaps she’ll think to herself, “Damn, I make 40 look so damn good!” (btw I have no idea how old she really is, so if you’re reading this Suhaila and you’re under 40, I apologize LMAO) 

I wonder if she will think, “Well, that’s the price I pay for loving my body….. others LOVE it too, just not in the same way”.  Or I wonder if she will think to herself, “Mission accomplished!!!”  I doubt that one… I have no idea, but I would love to be a brain cell in her mind at the exact moment she reads these delightful comments.

By the way, I had someone say something crazy like that about one of my first videos almost a year ago… I don’t remember the comment verbatim but it went something like this…“A little thick for my taste, but I could still yank one out to it.”

OH JOY! lmao

Click the pic to check ‘em out and download your favorites! ENJOY!

After Performing for our Wednesday Night Party…!
 

Listing 1 – 2 of 2

We are celebrating the birthdate of our beloved Noble/Zahirah Zel this
Wednesday! So join us Wednesday, November 8, 8pm til whenever at:

Mejana Bar & Grill
6135 W. Sahara (southwest corner of Sahara and Jones; just south of Bugsy’s)
702-453-5262

Performances will probably start at around 9pm. We welcome anyone who
would like to perform that night. And, even if you don’t want to
perform, we welcome you to join us in wishing Zahirah Zel a wonderful
birthday.

We hope that James and friends will be in the audience again. We had the
pleasure of dancing to his music this Saturday night and he was very
glad to see the bellydance crowd out to support him.

We hope you can all make it to Mejana this Wednesday because we won’t be
meeting again until December 6 due to the Thanksgiving holiday!

Your sister-in-dance,
Jenni/Hadiya

Hi all you Shakers and Drummers,

We are celebrating the birthdate of our beloved Noble/Zahirah Zel this
Wednesday! So join us Wednesday, November 8, 8pm til whenever at:

Mejana Bar & Grill
6135 W. Sahara (southwest corner of Sahara and Jones; just south of Bugsy’s)
702-453-5262

Performances will probably start at around 9pm. We welcome anyone who
would like to perform that night. And, even if you don’t want to
perform, we welcome you to join us in wishing Zahirah Zel a wonderful
birthday.

We hope that James and friends will be in the audience again. We had the
pleasure of dancing to his music this Saturday night and he was very
glad to see the bellydance crowd out to support him.

We hope you can all make it to Mejana this Wednesday because we won’t be
meeting again until December 6 due to the Thanksgiving holiday!

I have been looking for this video for months now ever since my MySpace friend Sekhmet posted it in a bulletin. For some reason, I couldn’t click the vid to find the embed code on Youtube… Just my luck, right. Well today I searched keyword “bellydance” as I often do, and sorted by Most Viewed… When I got to results 281-300, I found it!!! I was thinking to myself not long before that, that I knew I would find it, I just didn’t know how many months it would take… and BAM! She appeared. So enjoy… in my mind, I call this 10-year old girl “Little Ansuya”! Do you agree?

“hello everyone,

I received a call from one of the dancer from the ECS , she has a 15 minute spot at the Summerlin health faire , however her students do not want to perform. She asked if Shifting Sands could help, preferably with group dances or duets.This is short notice as the faire is next thursday , november 9. The performance is scheduled for 11:30 am. If any of you can make it please let me know by the end of this weekend.

Samara”

reposted from the LVBellydancers Yahoo Group!

One of the first things you notice about Krave from their web site is the slogan “Everything You Desire “. The Krave Lounge is no different. Attending Sanctuary on Friday nights is the wish that the alternative cultures make after walking the Las Vegas Strip. If the endless barrage of ultra lounges and supermodel advertising designed to make the mainstream masses hear Pavlov’s bell leaves you feeling like Wednesday Addams at summer camp, then you owe it to yourself to take in this Friday night escape. The people that call Krave a “Gay club” are doing it an injustice. Alternative is the only true way to describe it. From the moment you walk past the expected black clad security, and ever smiling coat check girl, the simulacra of Las Vegas is wiped away.

On your left you see the gentleman sporting a leather kilt, the lady wearing bondage pants, and someone in between wearing the latest in Edwardian fashion that you would never find on the rack. Those who arrive early are able to take in a variety of music from guest DJs that can range from classic gothic to fresh off the press industrial and noise. As the night goes on the mix stretches out to cater to most any alternative taste. From the classical Latin poetry of QNTAL to the edgy blade that is Massiv In Mensch, the opening DJs, the Rev. Dj RaZorslave, Dj Delchi, Dj RustRyu and their guests each carve a niche that builds the dance floor to a melting pot of those who are looking for their path away from the mundane. Just after 1:00am resident DJ Morningstar takes over and guides the night through with a mix of old and new until the last drink is had, the lights come on and people stumble back into the real world.

When: Friday from 11:00 PM until the early morning hours.

Where: The Krave Lounge @ Las Vegas Blvd & Harmon Ave (at the Aladdin Desert Passageway, across the street from the Harley Davidson Cafe (north) Las Vegas, NV 89101
 

Map: http://www.kravelasvegas.com/map.html

Rev Dj RaZorslave

well… not exactly… but I went to Sanctuary last night, the Goth club..  It’s been weeks since our last affair.  My Goddess… how I have missed being among the dark decadence of the dancefloor with such great people… Doing nothing more…. Wanting nothing more but to dance until I’m drenched in salt-like sweat and am moving to the music in a trance-like state.  I have missed it all…  Seeing familiar faces… Hearing beats and songs that I can ONLY hear in this place… this place that exists only once a week and disappears for the rest.  I have missed it all…  Finally being able to wear what I feel… not having to conform to what a bellydancer “should” wear, including the beauty pageant smile that must never be hidden.  For one night, I got to invoke the darker side of myself and release its potent energy to the Goddess in an environment where such acts are celebrated… not feared, misunderstood, or judged.  Amazing… to find all of these wonders in one place, in one room, in one little corner of the big Strip. mmmm…mmm…mm.m.  dancing last night was almost better than sex… hence… I got laid last night, right on the dancefloor.

OK, enough spontaneous poetry… I’m a little pissed at myself.  There were a few people I didn’t get to say hi to because I went with three friends who had never been there and I didn’t want to be a bad host and leave them.  The main person I wanted to greet was Ron.  There’s something so fuckin’ awesome about that dude.  I’ve never seen anyone dance with such fire.  He’s a great person, yet to the outside world, I’m sure he is grotesquely misunderstood.  I guess, there’s always next week. 

Patrick was there… another great dancer.  They were dancing on pedestals last night, and every now and then, I couldn’t help but look up and marvel at his energy and spirit.  He is always inspiring.  Suede, the guy who makes fashions out of leather was there… It was cool because after we said our hellos’, he was like, “I saw you on TV!”  It felt good to be recognized even though I knew him already.  I didn’t see Miguel last night… probably the most depressing fact of the night, but… .. . 

Oh yeah, they had a burlesque show last night!!!  I guess they’re going to have one on the first Friday of every month now.  Last night was the first time I’ve caught the show.  I felt so bad for my friends though, because I went with a fellow bellydancer and a couple… a couple engaged to be married.  The last thing I’m sure she wanted was for her fiance to see what was to come.  I didn’t ask afterwards what they thought of the show… I should’ve because I was pleasantly surprised.  I thought it was done tastefully and it definitely wasn’t what I was expecting.  Hell, I think you saw more breasts during the Janet Jackson wardrobe malfunction then at the burlesque show LMAO The thing I liked most was that all of the performers were Goddess-sized women.  Plus size.  Not twigs.  Even though she probably wouldn’t have appreciated the dancing and theatrics, I stilll think my Mom would have applauded these ladies just for that simple fact.  All-in-all I had a great time and definitely will try to start going every week again… to a club where I feel appreciated and accepted.  As I am… shimmy and all. 

I cannot see,

I wish I weren’t ugly,

From his evil eyes

PLEASE COPY AND PASTE THIS AND PASS IT ON !! /

REPOST THIS AS No kid should have to go through this

~A Note from Maharasha~

I didn’t write anything above this line… I reposted this because I wanted to… The poem was poignant and I felt it should be shared.  The little guilt trip attached at the end of these bulletins piss me off and almost make me not want to repost the poem just for that reason.  How dare the creator of this bulletin judge any one of us.  Perhaps, those who choose not repost were abused their entire lives and simply don’t have the courage or desire to spread such hate upon another person, even if it is in written form.  Suppose someone reading the bulletin, doesn’t know how to repost bulletins lmao  Sounds crazy, but I know lots of people who don’t even know how to copy and paste lol  I fuckin’ hate guilt trips but just this once, I am overlooking it. 

]]> http://masayamm.com/2006/11/03/494-hits-away-from-10000-myspace-profile-views/ Fri, 03 Nov 2006 19:31:42 +0000 Masaya Mahanta http://masayamm.com/2006/11/03/494-hits-away-from-10000-myspace-profile-views/ I’m so damn excited!!!  Yeah, I know it’s nothing compared to celebrity MySpace pages but not bad for a quirky kid from Vegas with a mean shimmy and a dream! =P

DAVID LEONARDI

“David Leonardi has been playing the doumbek/tabla since 2002. Here’s his story, in his words:

“At first I was taking dance lessons and Empire Dance in Manhattan and attending the Middle Eastern Night once a month, where delightfully I met Raquy Danziger who has been an integral part of defining the Middle Eastern Music and Dance scene in New York, Manhattan.  Belly Dancer Andrea Anwar has also been integral in cultivating my experience drumming with dancers.

When I found out that Raquy was hosting a drum retreat, the thought that I could drum for dancers and that the dancers movements are defined by the drumming, was tantalizing to me.  I went on the retreat and thereafter continued to be a part of the belly dance community in New York, and now presently in Las Vegas Nevada.

It is wonderful working with Raquy and she has made an important difference in my life and has helped awaken my latent musical ability.  I continue to progress with my doumbek playing.  I enjoy music from across the Middle East including, but not limited to, Algeria, Egypt, and Iran. I like many Belly Dance styles, especially Egyptian, and Persian.  

I have performed with Raquy and Carmine and various dancers in New York at Makor, Empire Dance, Dharma Yoga Center, and In Las Vegas Nevada I have performed at Café Hookah, Layalina Night Club, and Serenity Hookah Palace at the Stratosphere.  I have also had a few students of tabla/doumbek here in Las Vegas.”

www.raquy.com

…Made for More than Just Talkin’ lol