Welcome to Suhaila Unveiled, the official e-newsletter for Suhaila Salimpour, the Suhaila Salimpour School of Dance, and Suhaila Productions, LLC.

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Greetings!

We just returned from East Coast Rakkasah and are getting ready to set sail to Germany.  Rakkasah East is so wonderful in the fact that the hotel that EVERYONE stays at is right across the street from the festival making the after parties so easy and accessible.  To see old and new friends and bond and catch up is truly why we come into to this dance form.  Shukriya and Michelle always do a wonderful job, but this year was special.  We all felt it too.

We are off to Germany and I look forward to returning home with fun filled stories of German glute squeezing.  They have no idea what they are in for (wink).  I already have our European tour set up for 2007 and will be offering the Certification Program in Europe by 2008.  I really hope you are able to join me in Egypt for Ahlan Wa Sahlan too.  Let's ride camels together, shall we?

We are also starting to prepare for West Coast Rakkasah and Bal Anat will begin rehearsals very soon.  After Rakkasah West we will be taking Bal Anat to St. Louis for the first "Salimpour Tribal Fest".  Not only will Bal Anat be performing, but we will be showing a documentary of Jamila Salimpour (my mommy) and the original Bal Anat.  It is rare that a sponsor (thank you Lois and Ken) is brave enough to bring out such a huge vision.  We all look forward to the major slumber party in the hotel.  We will be flying in all my students from all over the United States to join us in Bal Anat and share the stage.  Bring your tissue.

I remember each Halloween wanting to dress normal for my costume..... and I guess Isabella wanting to be a "devil" this year would be a hint.  Happy Halloween everyone!  This is one of my favorite holidays, but then again isn't it every witch’s favorite holiday :

Editorial by Suhaila®

Raqia Hassan’s “Ahlan Wa Sahlan” belly dance festival held in Cairo, Egypt is one of the biggest belly dance festivals in the world.  My mother started the “Great Eastern Faire” back in the early 70’s, it was the first and is still the model for most of the belly dance festivals in the United States today; a weeklong workshop before a two-day festival with a room filled of vendors and dancing from morning until night with a variety of soloists and troupes.  How fun is that! 

Ahlan Wa Sahlan is a little different.  Each day there were many workshops with a performance in the main ballroom every night.  Each night had a slightly different theme.  The opening Gala had only the big name Egyptian Stars, on the second night it was the teachers show, next night dancers performed to CD’s, then dancers that wanted dance to a band, and last but not least each night had a line up of contestants for the Grand Prize of the Belly Dance Contest.  The closing ceremonies were another Gala show with only the big name Egyptian Stars.  The vendors lined the hallways selling mostly Egyptian style costumes.  It was like walking in the Souk with “great price” being yelled as each person walked by.

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Emotional Preparation

by Tiffany Bisconer

Emotional preparation within the Suhaila Salimpour Format is a defining aspect in Suhaila’s training of artists.  It is a mixture between Stanford Meisner’s approach to acting, psychology and thorough mentorship. The goal of emotional preparation is to hone the skill of “living truthfully under imaginary circumstances” which was introduced to Suhaila as a theory of acting by Sanford Meisner and then built upon and adapted to Suhaila’s desire to create more depth in emotional expression in the dance.  In Suhaila’s process of emotional preparation training she also integrates basic psychology in a seamless and unannounced way by approaching the personal conflict between understanding nature vs. nurture in order to reach the truth behind the movements and expressions in each dancer and her adaptation of both of these approaches affects her students in a creative realm as well as structures a healthier and more honest life, which can then reflect back onto the art.

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You Are My Life                   

Enta Omri
You are my life

Lyrics: Ahmed Shafik
Music: Mohamed Abdel Wehab
Made popular by Oum Kalthoum in 1965

Ragaa'ouni a'einaik el Ayam illi rahou.
Your eyes took me back to my days that are gone.
A'alamouni andam a'ala El-Madhi wi gerahou.
They taught me to regret the past and its wounds.

Illi shouftouh kabli ma tshoufak a'inaih.
Whatever I saw before my eyes saw you was a wasted life.
omry dhayea' yehsibouh izay a'alaya?
How could they consider that part of my life?

Inta omry illi ibtada b'nourak sabahouh.
With your light, the dawn of my life started.
Ad eyh min omry kablak ray w a'ada?
How much of my life before you was lost?
Ya habibi ad eyh min omry raah.
It is a wasted past, my love.

Wala shaf elkalb kablak farhah wahdah.
My heart never knew happiness before you.
Wala dak fi eldounya ghair taa'm el-jiraah.
My heart never knew anything in life other than the taste of pain and suffering.

Ibtadait bilwakti bas ahib omry.
I started only now to love my life.
Ibtadait bilwakti akhaf la ilomry yijri.
And started to worry that my life would run away from me.

Kouli farha eshtakha min kablak khayali.
Every happiness I was longing for before you.
Eltakaha fi nour a'ainaik kalbi w fikri.
My dreams they found it in the light of your eyes.
Ya hayat kalbi ya aghla min hayati.
Oh my heart's life - You are more precious than my life.
Leih ma kabilni hawak ya habibi badri?
Why I didn't meet your love a long time ago?

Illi shouftouh kabli ma tshoufak a'inaih
Whatever I saw before my eyes saw you was a wasted life..
omry dhayea' yehsibouh izay a'alaya?
How could they consider that part of my life?

Inta omry illi ibtada b'nourak sabahouh.
You are my life that starts its dawn with your light.

Ellayali el hilwa wil shouk wil mahabah.
The beautiful nights and the yearning and the great love.
min zaman w elkalbi shayilhoum a'ashanak.
From a long time ago the heart is holding for you.

Douk maa'ayah elhoub douk habah bhabah min hanan kalbi illi taalshoukouh li hananak.
Taste the love with me bit by bit from the kindnessof my heart that is longing for the kindness of your heart.
Hat a'inaik tisrah fi dounyethoum a'ineyyah.

Bring your eyes close so that my eyes can get lost in the life of your eyes.
Bring your hands so that my hands will rest in the touch of your hands.

Yahabibi taa'ala w kfaya ill fatna.
My love, come, and enough.
Howa illi fatna ya habibi elrouh shwayah.
What we missed is not little, oh love of my soul.

Illi shouftouh kabli ma tshoufak a'inaih.
Whatever I saw before my eyes saw you was a wasted life.
omry dhayea' yehsibouh izay a'alaya?
How could they consider that part of my life?
Inta omry illi ibtada b'nourak sabahouh.
You are my life that starts its dawn with your light.

Ya aghla min ayyami.
You are more precious than my days.
Ya ahla min ahlami.
You are more beautiful than my dreams.
Khoudni li hananak khoudni.
Take me to your sweetness.
Mina el woujoud w iba'idni.
Take me away from the universe.
Bia'eid bia'eid ana w inta.
Far away, far away, me and you.
Bia'eid bia'eid wahdeina.
Far away, far away, alone.

A' elhoub tisha ayamna.
With love, our days will awaken.
A' el shouk tnaam layaleina.
We spend the nights longing for each other.

Salaht beek ayami.
I reconciled with days because of you.
Samaht beek el zaman.
I forgave the time because of you.
Nasitni beek aalami.
With you I forgot my pains.
W inseet maa'aak elshagan.
And I forgot with you my misery.

Ragaa'ouni a'einaik el Ayam illi rahou.
Your eyes took me back to my days that are gone.
A'alamouni andam a'ala El-Madhi wi gerahou.
They taught me to regret the past and its wounds.

Illi shouftouh kabli ma tshoufak a'inaih.
Whatever I saw before my eyes saw you was a wasted life.
omry dhayea' yehsibouh izay a'alaya?
How could they consider that part of my life?
Inta omry illi ibtada b'nourak sabahouh.
You are my life that starts its dawn with your light.