Suhaila Uveiled Editorial, December 1, 2006

December 1, 2006

Suhaila Unveiled Editorial

1. Greetings
2. Editorial by Suhaila
3. Workshops
4. Workshop Testimonials
5. Booking
6. Article: Rakkasah
7. A Good Instructor
9. Sale
10. Zoe and Me
11. Classes
12. Special Events
13. Contact
14. Unsubscribe

NEW! Just Arrived...!

Now On DVD!!

Jamila Salimpour Archive Series, originally released in 1980...now available on DVD!! Learn the Salimpour Technique from a Salimpour.....

Buy Now

Suhaila's Instructional and Performance videos now available in DVD. Eight new releases in the DVD Collection of previously enjoyed titles......

Instructional Buy Now

Performance Buy Now

NEW!!! REMIX CD......

The anticipated title now available! Rich sound with infused beats and Arabic music overlay. Great for classes, dancing or just pure listening pleasure.

Available Now!

Buy Now

NEW!!! Tranquil CD......

Soft, sensual and moody. Get one of the three new cd titles recently added to the Suhaila Salimpour Music Collection...

Available Now!

Buy Now

NEW!!! REPERCUSSION CD......

Hot new release from Suhaila Productions. Designed with a variety of drum solos from 1 1/2 to 10 minutes in length. High powered and dynamic.

Available Now!

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Logo Wear!!!

New Suhaila logo wear...including the sought after "Got Technique" tanks, in white & black.

Buy Now

Suhaila Design Pants...
New Colors!!!

The "Harem Girl" style Suhaila Design Pants available in black, plum or navy blue. Side slit, flare legged jazz pant with ankle drawstrings to give the option of a belled or pantaloon look.

Available now!
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The favorite Suhaila Design Pant now available in colors ......!! Get the versatile drawstring pant in black, plum and olive.

Available Now!

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Suhaila's Hippeze!!!

The first of Suhaila Designs Hippeze. Enjoy new styles of the versatile, layerable hip wear.....

Available now!

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Margaret Cho's Hip Wear!!!

One of a kind hip belts made by the hands of Margaret Cho. Don't miss out! Each design the one and only....!
Supplies Limited!
Buy Now

Sale!

HolidaySpecial!!!

All sets an additional 10% off

*except for Fitness

Fusion Set

Performance Set

Enjoy three great performance videos for a price that can't be beat. Now available on DVD!!!

As low as $58.46 for the whole set.

Buy Now

Jamila Salimpour Set

Pioneer Jamila Salimpour's complete format taught by Suhaila Salimpour. Complete with videos, books, and cymbals.

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Baby Hoodie...

Limited Offer

Stock up for winter with the Suhaila Baby Hoodie. Available now at a discounted price.

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All Suhaila VHS on sale for....$9.95!

While supplies last......

Suhaila Salimpour Instructional and Performance videos sale continues.......All titles only $9.95!*

Instructional Buy Now

Performance Buy Now

*Except for "Bal Anat in the Beginning"

Give the gift of choice! Gift Certificates available from $25-$100.

Buy Now

Zoe and Me

-by Isabella Antoinette

Salimpour Khoury

When I go to Rakkasah I see Zoe. Zoe is the granddaughter of Shukriya. I like to play with Zoe and I like to have sleep overs with her. But me and Zoe also take my mom’s workshops. It happens every year. Since now I am level 1 certified I have to help her with all the workshop but since I’m in the Nutcracker then I can’t really help her while I’m gone. But I’m also looking forward to getting level 2 certified so I can help her more.

Zoe and I get stuff for free at Rakkasah too. I don’t know why, but the vendors just give us stuff even though we are not famous. If I really want something my mom will buy it for me too. We like to get on stage and dance during the open dance times as well as doing our own shows. We also sell candy at Rakkasah and we make money for the poor animals.

Zoe is a vegetarian so she can’t eat meat. So once she said to me I won’t eat anything that pooped and has eyeballs. That was the funniest thing in my life. I felt so weird that I wouldn’t eat any meat at Rakkasah. Except for the hot dogs, they were good.

Rakkasah is fun.

Suhaila Solo NOW AVAILABLE on DVD!!!

Enjoy an evening of a live solo performance by Suhaila......
Available now!
Buy Now

Sheherezade

DVD..... now available

Experience the show that is revolutionizing the art of belly dance. Suhaila Salimpour's Sheherezade......
Available now!
Buy Now

Bellydance Fitness Fusion is here!

Suhaila's newest fitness series, Bellydance Fitness Fusion. In this four DVD set Suhaila fuses Bellydance with Yoga, Pilates, Jazz, and also presents her signature Buns workout! Available individually, or buy the whole set and save!

Order Yours here!

Classes

The Suhaila Salimpour
School of Dance
10082 San Pablo Ave.
El Cerrito, CA
(510) 527-2400

Suhaila Salimpour Format Belly Dance, Jamila Salimpour Format Belly Dance, Jazz, Ballet, Hip-Hop, Adults, teens and kids!

Classes offered Monday through Saturday

For complete class listing, visit our website for our new schedule
or call (510) 527-2400

The Salimpour Technique
taught by Rashid

Located at Studio Gracia
19 Heron (off of 8th St.)

San Francisco, CA
Between Folsom and Harrison St.
(415) 307-4782

Level 1/2 combination classes are offered on Wednesday from 6:00pm-7:30pm
$12.00 Drop-In (class cards available)

For complete information, contact Rashid at:

raksrashid@aol.com

(415) 621-0669 (415) 596-0990

Events

Workshop with Tiffany Bisconer

Layering Taqseem Combinations

Winter Moon Festival

February 3, 2007

Richmond, CA

Workshop/Performance

by Tiffany Bisconer

Authorized Instructor from the Suhaila Salimpour School of Dance

Time: 10:50 a.m.

Location: Temple Beth Hillel

801 Park Central

Richmond, CA

Contact: 510-724-0214

Fax: 510-724-4367

Email: rakkasah@att.net www.rakkasah.com

Belly Dance Nights
at Montero's Café
A night of performance with dancers from the Suhaila Salimpour School of Dance

Join us for our annual Holiday Party.

Dec. 10th, 6:00 pm

Montero's Cafe
*Please Note: first sunday canceled due to Holiday Party.

First Sunday of every month
6:00 pm
1106 Solano Ave., Albany, CA
(510) 524-1270

Not a member?
If you received this newsletter from a friend, and you would like to sign up to receive it every month, visit www.suhaila.com

It was always around early May that I knew to leave my mother alone. The house got busy and her focus was so intense that she would stop cooking and we would eat out every night. Always healthy food (salad bars, fresh homemade soup, ect), but the point was not to bother mom. There was an unspoken deal that my mom and I made to have no drama until after the weeklong workshop and festival which was always held the first week of June.

In 1972 my mom produced the first weeklong workshop and 2-day festival Baghdad by the Bay. We had the workshop in her studio on Broadway in San Francisco, and the festival was in a hotel in San Francisco. Before this format of festivals, mom used to rent a bus (and be the driver) and take all her students around to the shops that had belly dance supplies. Each store would close for the day and have finger food for the students to munch while they shopped. It was a long hard day (especially for a little girl; myself). Then one year she decided to bring all the vendors under one roof and have the first festival in the format that has become popular today.

After the workshop and festival mom would get the flu (like clockwork) and be in bed a whole week after the event. I just stayed in my room and waited for her to emerge and we would continue life as if nothing happened. I use to feel sorry for my mom since she never had much help and did everything herself; marketing, managing, teaching, producing, directing, leading public relations, setting up/taking down, choreographing, and during the festival even took all the music and pressed “play” for each and every performer. Mom never even took a break to go to the bathroom, eat, or even look up to take a breath. No one knows how hard it is to produce workshops or festivals; except those who do them.

The last year of “Baghdad by the Bay” was around the same time Rakkasah was born. Shukriya (a student of my mothers, member of Bal Anat, and family friend) decided to take on this enormous task of creating community in Northern California with this dance. For my mother’s festival a dancer would have to audition or be invited to perform, but Shukriya had another idea for her festival. It was to be open to anyone no matter how professional or infant the dancer as long as the desire was there. Anyone could dance if they wanted to and the process was first come first serve. It was a new concept and everyone thought it was interesting since not many non-professionals had a stage to dance on unless it was a student night and even then the instructor had to approve of the dancer since most student nights were also held in nightclubs and the owners had certain criteria.

I remember going over to Shukriya’s home very often. They lived close to us and she had two daughters for me to play with. Michelle was closer to my age so we use to team up and run all over the house. Shukriya was also a wonderful seamstress and one year she even made my Halloween costume, Snow White, which is my favorite to this day. Shukriya and mom had a close relationship, which meant that ups and downs were always to be expected. My mother was proud of her and would often compare her to her other students trying to motivate the others since Shukriya was both talented and had the insight to create this festival. My mother knew what a hard job producing a festival was and to see someone you care about go into an area of huge un-appreciation and heartache is always difficult. My mother always would say to me “I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy two things; A dance company or to produce events”. I never knew what that meant until I did them myself later in my career.

At this time I was moving to Southern California to dance. I had just graduated from high school and was ready to fly. I was working on a TV show called “Fame” during the day and at night I was at the Beverley Hills Lebanese nightclub “Byblos”. I woke up at 5am, was at MGM by 7am., Learned choreography, rehearsed and filmed until 8 or 9pm and then went straight to the nightclub until 1:30am. Got home by 2am and woke up at 5am and did it all over again everyday. During the weekends when I only had the nightclub to perform at was my “weekend”. I lived this life and felt lucky to be dancing. I never even needed sleep because I was living a life I always wanted. My mother followed me to Los Angeles and it was at this moment that she never produced Baghdad by the Bay ever again. It was the end of an era and the beginning of another.

I was asked to teach at Rakkasah every year. In my first decade of nightclub work I was never in one place long enough to make a commitment to Rakkasah but I knew she was always holding a place for me both in her heart and at the festival. Shukriya was very proud of my career and was incredibly supportive during each phase. When I could finally settle down I accepted to teach and over a decade later feel a part of the Rakkasah family. Not just because I am a staff instructor. Not just because I have my annual time slot for the Suhaila Dance Company and Bal Anat. Not just because it is the biggest belly dance festival in the world, but because it is family for not just myself, but the entire dance community.

The Rakkasah family has always been and will always be my own family. Now Michelle is producing her first festival “Spring Caravan” in 2007 in New Jersey and I am honored to be one of her instructors. I get a huge kick out of seeing her stand behind her mom and me standing behind my mom and we walk around Rakkasah. For Rakkasah’s 20th anniversary Shukriya asked me if my mom would teach, and together we made it happen. Bringing the family back together and using the dance community to heal the past and create the future all in one weekend is amazing. I appreciate what Shukriya and her family goes through each year for me to be able to teach, vend, and perform. I know from first hand experience how difficult producing a festival is and no matter how much we feel it should be like this or like that the bottom line is that SHE does it and for over two and a half decades she has done it fantastic.

The biggest kick of it all is now Michelle’s daughter Zoe and my daughter Isabella run around, have sleepovers, and torture the vendors together. At East Coast Rakkasah this year we were all having dinner in the hotel restaurant and the girls had their own table. One participant came over to them and asked “who are you two” and Zoe said “I’m Shukriya’s granddaughter and I will be taking over this festival someday” and Isabella said “Ya, and I’m Jamila’s granddaughter and I will be teaching you how to dance someday”. I think I lost it and my salad almost ended up on the back wall. The words came out of them as if they know their own destiny without a doubt. Could it be that easy?

As we leave Rakkasah each year my mother will always remind me “What Shukriya does is so hard and we have to take care of her to keep her healthy. Should I cook for her next week?”

Upcoming Workshops

Workshops

SOLD OUT!!!

January 22-26, El Cerrito, CA

Multi Leveled Weeklong Workshop

*optional Level I and II Certification

Testing Jan. 26

Contact: Suhaila Productions, LLC

(510) 526-4344, suhaila@suhaila.com www.suhaila.com

February 26- March 2, El Cerrito, CA

Level III Weeklong Workshop

Contact: Suhaila Productions, LLC

(510) 526-4344, suhaila@suhaila.com

www.suhaila.com

2007 Workshops:

January 21, El Cerrito, CA

Master Class

Content: Suhaila Salimpour Technique

Time: 11am-2:00pm

Location: Suhaila Salimpour School of Dance
Contact: Suhaila Productions, LLC (510) 526-4344, suhaila@suhaila.com www.suhaila.com
Send Checks/MO to: PO Box 8612, Landscape Station, Berkeley, CA 94707

SOLD OUT!!!

January 22-26 , El Cerrito, CA
Weeklong Workshop
Content: Suhaila Salimpour Technique
*Optional Level I and II Certification Testing Jan. 26

Time: 9:30am - 3:30pm
Location: Suhaila Salimpour School of Dance
Contact: Suhaila Productions, LLC (510) 526-4344, suhaila@suhaila.com www.suhaila.com
Send Checks/MO to: PO Box 8612, Landscape Station, Berkeley, CA 94707

January 28, Aptos, CA

Master Class

*Taught by Kendra Katz (Authorized Instructor from the Suhaila Salimpour School of Dance)

Content: Belly Dance Hip Hop Fusion

Time: 12:30-2:30pm

Location: Synergy Studios, 8035 Soquel Dr., Aptos, CA 95003

Price: $40 Non-Members/$36 Members of the SSSD

Sponsor: Crystal Silmi

Send Checks/MO to: PO Box 7770, Santa Cruz, CA 95061

www.crystalsilmi.com

February 3, Richmond, CA

Winter Moon Festival

Workshop/Performance/Festival

*Taught by Tiffany Bisconer (Authorized Instructor from the Suhaila Salimpour School of Dance)

Content: Layering Taqseem Combinations

Time: 10:50 a.m.

Contact: 510-724-0214

Fax: 510-724-4367

Email: rakkasah@att.net www.rakkasah.com

February 3-4, Charlotte, NC

2-Day Workshop

Content: Suhaila Salimpour Format, Folkloric Fusion, Choreography

Time: Saturday, February 3 - 9:30am-3:30pm

Sunday, February 4 - 10:00am-4:00pm

Location: Levine Senior Center, 1050 DeVore Lane, Matthews, NC 28105

Sponsor: Yasmine 704-525-3606

www.magic-hips.com yasmine@magic-hips.com

February 17-18, Austin, TX

2-Day Workshop

Content: Suhaila Salimpour Format

Time: TBALocation: Diva Dance Studio, 111940 Manchaca Rd., Austin, TX 78748

Sponsor: Stacey Wuest (512)-924-7257 stacey@staceylizette.net

February 25, El Cerrito, CA

Master ClassContent: Suhaila Salimpour Technique

Time: 11am-2:00pm

Location: Suhaila Salimpour School of Dance
Contact: Suhaila Productions, LLC (510) 526-4344, suhaila@suhaila.com www.suhaila.com
Send Checks/MO to: PO Box 8612, Landscape Station, Berkeley, CA 94707Register Online

February 26- March 2, El Cerrito, CA

Level III, Weeklong Workshop

Content: Level III of the Suhaila Salimpour Format

Time: 9:30am-5:30pm (1 hour break)

Location: Suhaila Salimpour School of DanceContact: Suhaila Productions, LLC (510) 526-4344, suhaila@suhaila.com www.suhaila.com
Send Checks/MO to: PO Box 8612, Landscape Station, Berkeley, CA 94707

March 11, El Cerrito, CAMaster Class

Content: Suhaila Salimpour Technique

Time: 11am-2:00pm

Location: Suhaila Salimpour School of Dance
Contact: Suhaila Productions, LLC (510) 526-4344, suhaila@suhaila.com www.suhaila.com
Send Checks/MO to: PO Box 8612, Landscape Station, Berkeley, CA94707

March 16-18, 2007, Richmond, CA
Rakkasah West
Workshop/Performance/Festival
Suhaila Workshops: March 10th & 15th

Contact: Phone: 510-724-0214
Fax: 510-724-4367
Email: rakkasah@att.net www.rakkasah.com

March 24-25, Charlottesville, VA

2-Day Workshop

Content: Suhaila Salimpour Format

Time: TBA

Location: ACAC Downtown, 200 East Water St., Charlottesville, VA 22902

Contact: Alexandra Snyder leila@bellysouk.com 434-249-4611

More Info: www.bellysouk.com

March 31st- April 1, St. Louis, MO

2-Day Workshop/Bal Anat Performance
Content: TBA
Performance: TBA
Contact: Lois Marshall salwaabd@aol.com (314) 961-3790,
(314) 956-9725

April 28, Ft. Lauderdale, FL

Master Class

Workshop Location: War Memorial Auditorium, 800 NE 8th St., Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33304

Contact: Maja "Spirit of the Tribes" majanile@aol.com

More Info

May 2-6, 2007, Somerset, NJ
Spring Caravan
Workshop/Performance/Festival
Contact: Phone: 510-724-0214
Fax: 510-724-4367
Email: rakkasah@att.net www.rakkasah.com

June 14-17, 2007, Paris, France
Workshop/Performance/Festival
Contact: Amana amana@club.fr

June 21-24, 2007, Milan, Italy **TENTATIVE**
Workshop/Performance
Contact: Olivia olivia@rosedeldeserto.it

June 27-July 3, 2007, Cairo, Egypt
Ahlan Wa Sahlan in Egypt
Workshop/Performance/Festival
Contact: Raqia Hassan 2027482338, 20123292386, raqiahassan@hotmail.com

July 21-22, Somerville, NJ
2-Day Workshop
Times: Saturday, 2:00pm - 8:00pm (with a 1 hour break)
Sunday, 11:00am - 5:00pm (with a 1 hour break
Location: Indigo Ballroom, 17 Division St, Somerville, NJ
Contact: Suhaila Productions, LLC (510) 526-4344, suhaila@suhaila.com www.suhaila.com
Send Checks/MO to: PO Box 8612, Landscape Station, Berkeley, CA 94707
Register Online

August 6-10, El Cerrito, CA
Multi Leveled, Weeklong Workshop
Content: Suhaila Salimpour Technique
*Optional Level I and II Certification Testing Aug. 10
Time: 9:30am - 3:30pm
Location: Suhaila Salimpour School of Dance
Contact: Suhaila Productions, LLC (510) 526-4344, suhaila@suhaila.com www.suhaila.com
Send Checks/MO to: PO Box 8612, Landscape Station, Berkeley, CA 94707

August 20-24, El Cerrito, CA

Level III, Weeklong Workshop

Content: Level III of the Suhaila Salimpour Format

**Must be Level II Certified to Register

Time: 9:30am-5:30pm (1 hour break)

Location: Suhaila Salimpour School of Dance

Contact: Suhaila Productions, LLC (510) 526-4344,

suhaila@suhaila.com www.suhaila.com

Send Checks/MO to: PO Box 8612, Landscape Station, Berkeley, CA 94707

September 7-9, El Cerrito, CA

Level I, 3-Day Workshop

Content: Level I of the Suhaila Salimpour Format

Location: Suhaila Salimpour School of Dance

Contact: Suhaila Productions, LLC (510 526-4344,

suhaila@suhaila.com www.suhaila.com

Send Checks/MO to: PO Box 8612, Landscape Station, Berkeley, CA 94707

October 22-26, El Cerrito, CA

Level II, Weeklong Workshop

Content: Level II of the Suhaila Salimpour Format

Time: 9:30am-5:30pm (1 hour break)

Location: Suhaila Salimpour School of Dance

Contact: Suhaila Productions, LLC (510) 526-4344,

suhaila@suhaila.com www.suhaila.com

Send Checks/MO to: PO Box 8612, Landscape Station, Berkeley, CA 94707

November 3-4, Vancouver, Canada

2-Day Workshop

Content: Suhaila Salimpour Format

Time: Saturday 9:30am - 2:30pm

*Including 1hr Catered Lunch

Sunday 9:30am - 2:30pm

*Including 1hr Catered Lunch

Performance: Saturday, November 4th

Performance/Workshop Location: The Scotiabank Dance Centre, 677 Davie St., Vancouver

Sponsor: Martina 604-241-4371 martina@bellyfringe.ca

November 15-18, Toronto, Canada

4-Day Workshop

Content: TBA

Time: TBA

Performance: TBA

Location: TBA

Sponsor: Audra Simmons (800) 431-0418

audra@cleopatrasbazaar.com

Workshop Testimonials

Congratulations on becoming certified!!!

Level 1

Danielle Davies

Stephanie Frye

Marissa Harris

Molly Kampschroeder

Wendy Williams

Attending this Workshop has been an inspiring life changing experience. Suhaila is a warm-hearted woman whose passion is the dance, and has become my inspiration. Through this experience, she has helped me internalize every moment, and has taken me to a new level of the dance. She and her staff are down to earth, and you can tell they all love their work. I can’t wait to take another workshop to further my dance knowledge and have a great time and meet new friends, who all share the same love.

-Roselee Kislowski

Bristow, VA