Belly Dance classes, workshops, events and news. Videos, lessons,trips, health and ideas.

New belly dance events on worldbellydance.com

noreply@blogger.com (Valeria) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 16:23:00 +0000

This is just a short post to highlight some new events that have been added to the events page on worldbellydance.com. On the events page you will be able to find belly dance related events, such as haflas, workshop, festivals, shows and more taking place all over the world.

For November 2009 there are events such as the Flying Carpet Party in London (UK); the Pyramid Awards in Edinburgh; Ahmet Ogren Turkish Dance Workshop in the Netherlands and more. If you like to plan much earlier in advance, there are already events advertised for 2010, such as Incanto D’Oriente (Italy), Majma (UK) and Tribal Massive (USA) in March, or the 8th Annual Las Vegas Bellydance Intensive and Festival (USA) in September 2010.

New events will be added shortly and more are being added all the time; also, you can add your own belly dance event, show or workshop for free by filling the form on worldbellydance.com. All you need to provide is original text (not copied from an existing website) with about 150 words, including the event’s location, time and various details. So, if you are interested in attending belly dance events click here, or here to add your own event.

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Now on World Belly Dance - Belly dance news and Dancing guides.

2009 International Belly Dance Congress in Frimley, UK

noreply@blogger.com (Valeria) — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 14:02:00 +0000

Last weekend, I attended the second International Belly Dance Congress in Frimley, UK, organised by Josephine Wise, Kay Taylor and Charlotte Desorgher. I attended several workshops, for a total of 8 hours dancing every day for 2 and half days, and at the end I was exhausted but happy!

This year’s teachers and performers included amazing dancers such as Randa Kamel and Khaled Mahmoud from Egypt, Sadie and Anasma from the US, Leyla Jouvana and her husband Roland from Germany, Nawarra who performed traditional Moroccan dances and many more great belly dancers from the UK and abroad. On top of this great line up, Kay Taylor managed to persuade the legendary Fifi Abdo to come to the Congress (this was Fifi’s first time performing and teaching in Europe).

Two years ago the International Belly Dance Congress
was held in Butlins, but many people did not like the venue, so this year it was held in the Lakeside Complex. Personally, I preferred the rooms where the workshops took place this year, but in Butlins I liked the fact that accommodation was cheaper and included breakfast and a buffet dinner. Overall, I liked the food in Butlins and the range of choice (it was good value for money). The Lakeside resort instead, food wise was not great and the service was very slow. What is your opinion? Please feel free to comment, as I would like to hear other belly dancers’ points of view.

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Belly dancing in Barcelona

noreply@blogger.com (Valeria) — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 13:52:00 +0000

Having lived in Barcelona, Spain, for one year, I was able to experience how popular belly dance is in that city. In Barcelona there are belly dance classes available in every gym and cultural centre all over the city. I do not know how many years ago belly dancing started being so popular in Barcelona, but the fact is that it is extremely popular.

When I lived in Barcelona I attended two different courses, around the Sagrada Familia area, which is where I used to live. I studied with Aida, who has her own studio, and with Cecile in the cultural centre ‘Fem Cultura’. According to my experience, belly dance teachers and students take this discipline very seriously and courses are well structured. For example, most courses cover all the basics , plus how to use all the main belly dance props . Also, at the end of every course, most belly dance teachers in Barcelona organise performances with their students, held in proper theatres.

In addition to cabaret belly dance being so popular in Barcelona, a fusion style between belly dance and flamenco has developed. This is called zambra mora and it is now taught by various teachers worldwide.
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Forum on Worldbellydance.com

noreply@blogger.com (Valeria) — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 15:22:00 +0000

Recently, a Forum has been added to Worldbellydance.com for belly dancers to chat and exchange pieces of advice. I find that a forum is particularly useful when you are going to a belly dance event and would like to share transportation or accommodation, as it is not always easy to find people attending the same event amongst the ones you know.

Similarly, sometimes it is nice to ask for other belly dancers’ opinions when it comes for example to tips, opinions on past workshops or haflas.
This new belly dance forum includes many sections, such as learning and teaching, share transportation to workshops/events, belly dance costumes and make up, styles of belly dance and more. Take a look at the worldbellydance forum

Sky1 new dance competition – Just Dance

noreply@blogger.com (Valeria) — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 19:10:00 +0000

Through my website worldbellydance.com, I have just been contacted by Sky1, to make me aware of a new programme they are launching. So, I have decided to make every belly dancer who may be interested aware of it.

Sky1 are about to launch a new programme, called Just dance, where dancers of every type and style of dance will compete for a final prize. Sky1 are interested in every type of dance from, for example, flamenco, to ballet, tap, tango, salsa and of course belly dance.

Auditions will take place from September 2009 in all major cities in Ireland and the UK. Dancers can audition regardless of their level and the programme is open to soloists as well as couples and groups. If you are interested you can apply on Sky1 website

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Workshop with Morocco (Auntie Rocky) on Moroccan Shikhat

noreply@blogger.com (Valeria) — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 18:15:00 +0000

At Majma, in June 2009, another workshop I attended was with Morocco on a type of Moroccan dance, called shikhat. Shikhat also refers to the women who perform this type of dance in Morocco. They are usually hired for parties, including wedding parties, and they are women with a good amount of life experience. Moroccan shikhat is a very energetic dance, with a lot of movements of the hips and torso, highly suggestive.

Apparently this type of dance is performed for the bride to be, as a sort of education about what will happen on the first night of marriage. Hence, the movements in Moroccan shikhat are much more overtly sensual than, for example, in Egyptian style Raqs Sharqi.
Shikhat is indeed a very energetic dance and at the end of the two hour workshop with Morocco we were all exhausted!

In December I am going to Morocco to visit some friends and they have already promised me that they will hire some shikhat to dance. I am really looking forward to seeing this dance in its original context. I will keep you posted after my trip to Morocco.

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Belly dance workshop with Isidora Bushkovski

noreply@blogger.com (Valeria) — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 11:40:00 +0000

In March 2009, during Majma (a belly dance weekend organised every year in Glastonbury, UK), I had the opportunity to attend some workshops with Isidora Bushkovski. She is a belly dancer from Colorado, USA, who is famous for her neat and strong movements and technique. I also saw Isidora perform and she was absolutely fantastic.

One of the workshops I attended was about Isidora’s belly dance bootcamp, a series of drills which aim at strengthening the muscle groups involved in belly dance movements and at rebalancing the body. Isidora developed these drills after a serious car accident she had, following which she was told she would have not been able to dance again. By practising these drills, however, Isidora managed to condition her muscles to the point that she was able to start dancing again.

There are different levels of difficulty for the belly dance bootcamp drills, of which I had a taster during Isidora’s workshop at Majma. These drills require a lot of stamina and I can understand why they are called belly dance bootcamp!

Isidora is a lovely teacher and full of energy. I was amazed by how lively and energetic she was even in spite of the jet lag, having just arrived to the UK from America! She has filmed her belly dance boot camp drills in three different DVDs, which will come out soon and I am looking forward to buying them.

Studying Arabic - how important is it for a belly dancer?

noreply@blogger.com (Valeria) — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 16:49:00 +0000

I have decided that in September 2009 I want to start studying basic Arabic, in the Cardiff University Centre for Lifelong Learning. I am going to enrol to weekly evening classes for beginners.
I am aware that Arabic is a very difficult language and I do not expect to become fluent. However, I would love to be able to say and understand at least basic sentences. Learning some Arabic can be very useful for a belly dancer for various reasons:
Learning Arabic can help non Arabic dancers to understand more about the cultures that the different types of belly dance, raqs sharqi, Oriental dance (or whatever you want to call this art form) originate from.
It could be interesting to understand a little bit more of the Arabic songs lyrics, which could help interpret better a song when you dance to it. At the moment, the only Arabic word I know is ‘habibi’ (my darling, my love) because it appears in almost every Arabic song that belly dancers listen to.
As it is most belly dancers’ dream to travel to Arabic speaking countries, such as Egypt, it is very useful to be able to speak a bit of the language if you have the opportunity to travel to one of these countries.
I am looking forward to the beginning of Arabic classes in September, and I will keep you posted on my impressions after I start.

List your belly dance class for free

noreply@blogger.com (Valeria) — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 14:25:00 +0000

If you are a belly dance teacher and would like to advertise your classes for free, you can do so on worldbellydance.com
Just fill in the online form and we will add your class.
The ad is completely free. The only requirement is that you write a detailed and original description to help advertise your class. The reason for this is that we create a page for each class and pages will look nicer with a little bit of information on.
Ideally the ad would be about 200 words including contact details, name, time and place of classes, additional info and interesting information.

Classes are divided by country and you can submit classes that are run in any country in the world.
Also, if you would like to exchange links with worldbellydance, we can add a link to your website in your ad. If you are interested in a link exchange, just add a link to our classes page on your site and let us know that you would like us to reciprocate by linking to your site.

Brazilian belly dancer Carlla Sillveira

noreply@blogger.com (Valeria) — Tue, 26 May 2009 14:10:00 +0000

The other day, as I was browsing Youtube in search of sword bellydance performances, I came across a lovely sword belly dance routine by Carlla Sillveira.
I immediately loved Carlla’s performance. I found it not only technically perfect, but also very creative and inspirational. Sword belly dance performances can sometimes be too static and end up being just a balancing act with a few tricks. These are very impressive and require a lot of practice and training for sure, but the dynamic and dancing element is missing.

Carlla Sillveira’s performance includes a lot of interesting moves and travelling steps, as well as parts where she balances the sword, whilst the most dramatic moves come up only about half way through the routine. This makes her performance very interesting to watch. Also, I found Carlla’s style very powerful but graceful at the same time.
I then searched for other videos by Carlla Sillveira and her other performances are all amazing, with great technique, powerful shimmies and also very good stage presence.

I had never heard of Carlla Sillveira before, but I am now very impressed. I really hope that one day she runs a workshop in the UK, because I would definitely be extremely happy to have the opportunity to learn form her.
See here Carlla Sillveira’s sword performance

Dancing with Stage Fright - Tips and Advice

noreply@blogger.com (Paul) — Sun, 03 May 2009 16:24:00 +0000

Just a quick to let you know that there is a new page all about Tips on managing stage fright whilst dancing.

Stage fright affects us all very differently, but does affect most of us in some form. Many physchologist in fact say that some stage fright is actually natural and good. Too much though is not good. Read Valeria's tips on the link below:

Tips on managing stage fright whilst dancing.

Fifi Abdou to teach at the 2009 International Belly Dance Congress in Frimley, Surrey, UK

noreply@blogger.com (Valeria) — Fri, 01 May 2009 11:12:00 +0000

This year I will be attending the 2nd edition of the International Bellydance Congress, which will take place at the end of September 2009 in Frimley, Surrey, UK.
Since the moment I bought my pass, 2 months ago, I started looking forward to this great event. Now, though, I am even more excited about the idea of going to the International Bellydance Congress as another belly dance legend has been added to the list of teachers.

The legendary Fifi Abdou from Egypt will be teaching this year and I am really looking forward to attending one of her classes. Fifi is one of the great Egyptian belly dancers, who has been in the scene for a long time and, during the congress, will be teaching in Europe for the first time. Fifi has starred in various movies and shows and is famous for her great stage presence and ability to entertain.
If you would like to find out more about Fifi Abdou and the other great teachers at the International Belly Dance Congress, check their site on http://www.bellydancecongress.com/teachers.html

Interview with Valeria of worldbellydance.com

noreply@blogger.com (Paul) — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 18:11:00 +0000

Below a brief interview with Valeria of worldbellydance.com

An interview with Valeria Lo Iacono of world belly dance - http://www.worldbellydance.com/

New Top 10 page: 10 items of clothing for belly dance

noreply@blogger.com (Paul) — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 18:08:00 +0000

Hi everyone. Just a quick blog to let you know that I have added another new page to the 'Top 10's'. The latest addition to WorldBellyDance is: 10 items of clothing for belly dance
"10 items of clothing for belly dance".

Aleady live also are:

- 10 countries to visit to learn about belly dancing (Part 1)

- 10 countries to visit to learn about belly dancing (Part 2)

Feel free to send your ideas for Belly Dance Top 10 lists that you want to see on worldbellydance.com

Majma 2009 – belly dance festival and workshops

noreply@blogger.com (Paul) — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 13:00:00 +0000

On the first weekend of March 2009 (from Friday 6th to Sunday 8th) I went to a belly dance event that takes place every year in Glastonbury (Somerset, UK), called Majma.Majma is a belly dance event that has been taking place in Glastonbury for a few years now, but this was the first time I went.

All in all the event was well organised and also good value for money, as all the belly dance workshops you could do, two evening meals and the shows (one on Friday and one on Saturday night) were included in the price for the weekend. Majma started on Friday with a bellydance show and lasted until Sunday afternoon, when participants were given a chance to perform on stage.

During the weekend participants could attend a variety of different workshops, which had to be booked in advance, run by some of the most famous dancers from Egypt, USA and Europe, such as Morocco, Carolena Nericcio, Nawarra, Isidora Bushkovski, Raphaelle Masson, Maria D’Silva and Kahled Mahmoud.Altogether there were 33 oriental dance workshops to chose from, ranging from a variety of styles: Moroccan, Egyptian, American Tribal and Khaleegi. There were also drumming and stage make up workshops if you felt like resting your body after so much dancing.

I attended workshops with Morocco, Isidora Bushkovski and Raphaelle Masson and really enjoyed the weekend. Also, the belly dance performances in the evenings were very good and I also enjoyed dancing after the show to live oriental music. If time and money allow next year, I will definitely go to Majma again. For more information see majmadance.co.uk

Husbands of belly dancers

noreply@blogger.com (Paul) — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 15:33:00 +0000

Guest Post by Paul (husband of a belly dancer)

Are there any other husbands or partners who get dragged along to belly dance events all over the UK? I have been to a few and I have seen a few other guys there. I have thus started a Topic on the world belly dance forum for Husbands of Belly Dancers.

If there are a few of us at events such as the world belly dance congress 2009 event then it might be worth organising a small satellite event i.e. beers in the bar for husbands (and partners) of belly dancers.

Learning to belly dance – tips and ideas

noreply@blogger.com (Paul) — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 01:05:00 +0000

If you are new to belly dance and would like to try for the first time, you may be wondering where you should start from.

My advice is to start always learning belly dance from a teacher because, although there are many good instructional DVDs around and books about belly dancing, it is always better to get direct feedback from a teacher to make sure that the movements you are doing are correct. You can easily look online to find a belly dance class close to you. Also, belly dance classes can be advertised on local press or through leaflets in the local area.

In order to start belly dancing, you do not need much: just comfortable clothes, such as a long and wide skirt or stretch jazz pants; a short top with good support and a scarf to tie around your hips. There are a lot of belly dance hip scarves with coins or beads around for sale, but if you are just starting any light scarf tied around your hips will do. Also, belly dancing is done barefooted, so you will not need to buy and type of dance shoes. If your feet are cold, you can always use soft ballet shoes or non slippery socks.

Some types of exercise that you can integrate with belly dance are Pilates, as it helps to strengthen the core muscles and it helps with body isolations, or yoga for strength and balance.
So, why not try now this entertaining and beautiful art form. Belly dance is good for fitness, it improves self confidence and most important of all is fun!

2009 Belly dance trips - Egypt

noreply@blogger.com (Paul) — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 16:14:00 +0000

In order for a belly dancer to improve her dancing skills, a very good thing to do, if time and money allow, is travelling to countries where belly dance is big and is part of the culture.

One of such countries, and probably the number 1 country for bellydance holidays, is Egypt. A trip to Egypt would give all dancers the opportunity to take lessons from some of the great Egyptian stars and teachers, such as Dina, Randa Kamel, Dandasha, Raqia Hassan and many more. Travelling to Egypt, is also a good opportunity to get to know better the culture where belly dance originated from, not to mention the opportunity to shop for great belly dance costumes and accessories at reasonable prices. In addition to this, Egypt is a great country to visit, belly dance apart, because of its great culture and archaeological sites.

For these reasons, I would greatly recommend to all belly dancers to visit Egypt and I look forward to going myself. For some information on new 2009 tailor made tours to Egypt, organised by people who know Egypt very well, you can check 2009 Belly Dance Trips to Egypt online.

Seminar with Morocco during Raqs Britannia in Blackpool, UK

noreply@blogger.com (Paul) — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 01:34:00 +0000

During the latest Raqs Britannia, in June 2008, I attended a Middle Eastern dance workshop with the legendary Morocco. Raqs Britannia, held annually in the UK, is an event that features workshops and shows from the Belly Dance Superstars. This year, it included workshops from other great American belly dancers, such as Suhaila Salimpour and Morocco.

Morocco is one of the big names in the American scene for Arabic dance. She has been dancing for over 40 years and she knows a lot about Middle Eastern and Arabic dance. Morocco has travelled extensively throughout the Middle East and Northern Africa and carried out some interesting research on these countries’ cultures and dance forms. Morocco, during her career, has also taught in universities, receiving various formal recognitions for her work, and she has taught Arabic dance all over the world.

The Middle Eastern dance seminar I attended during Raqs Britannia with Morocco was about the use of finger cymbals, or zills, in Arabic dance. Morocco taught some basics about how to play with zills and a piece of choreography. Morocco’s rendition of the choreography and the way she played the zills were impeccable; as for us students, of course much practice will be needed before we can get to Morocco’s level!

Morocco’s seminar was very pleasant and what stroke me most was Morocco’s strong personality and her sense of humour. In the evening Morocco performed, during the belly dance show, with the energy of somebody half her age. Morocco’s dance included the use of finger cymbals, which were played really impeccably to accompany every dance move, with extreme precision.

Morocco often travels and she often comes to the UK. For example, she will be in Glastonbury, UK, in March 2009 during a belly dance festival called Majma. Also, Morocco has her own dance studio in New York City, in the heart of Manhattan, where she teaches and organises seminars, such as a week long seminar in January 2009.

Belly dance workshops with Suhaila Salimpour in Blackpool (UK)

noreply@blogger.com (Paul) — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 18:31:00 +0000

In June 2008, as part of the event called Raqs Britannia, I had the pleasure to attend four hours worth of workshops with the great Suhaila Salimpour. Suhaila is a worldwide famous belly dancer from California, daughter of the legendary Jamila Salimpour.

After practising at home with Suhaila’s four fitness DVDs (Bellydance for beginners: Fitness Fusion) and after the workshop I attended in 2005 with Sharon Kihara, who used some exercises from the Suhaila’s format, I knew that these workshops would have not been easy.

The first two hours of belly dance workshop with Suhaila Salimpour were about technique. Even the warm up was quite tough, as well as the rest of the workshop that was really interesting. Suhaila is a very good teacher and fun to follow. As for the movements she taught, even if they were supposed to be basic steps, the way she taught them gave me a new insight these movements, which I thought I knew quite well.

The second belly dance workshop with Suhaila Salimpour was in the afternoon, after I was already tired having attended other workshops. However, it was worth the effort taking part. This two hour session was about belly dance jazz fusion, where the aim is to perform jazz footwork (from the basic steps up to the intricate ones), while at the same time moving your hips or torso using belly dance moves, such as hip locks, hip circles, square hips and undulations. It seems easy on paper, but it is not in reality.

Altogether, even if I was wrecked at the end (mentally and physically) it was worth every moment attending those workshops with Suhaila and I recommend anybody to attend her workshops (but get a good night sleep first).

Bellydance Superstars to grace the stage of the Palau de la Musica in Barcelona.

noreply@blogger.com (Paul) — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 11:59:00 +0000

This evening in Barcelona, the magnificent Palau de la Musica, located in the Borne quarter, welcomes a different type of guest. This UNESCO World Heritage site, this year celebrating 100 years entertaining the Barcelona audience, usually plays hosts to Classical music and Opera, but this evening there will be a spectacle as well as music - the Bellydance superstars are in town! Lead by Jilliana, the choreographer, the cast transport you to another world through a fascinating show combining Oriental, Cabaret, American and even bollywood influences in this big production which is currently on a world tour.

Following one from their recent tour of the UK and as part of their European Tour, the Belly Dance Superstars are doing a number of shows and also some workshops at this time. This show brings together a modern musical mix and still manages to capture the sensual mystery and legend which surrounds the fantastic dance. Issam Houshan joins the 15 girls on stage as lead percussionist, and really brings the stage alive.

For more information on Barcelona, you can check the Barcelona Guide online and if you are looking for somewhere to stay in Barcelona for the show you can rent Cheap Barcelona Apartments (a good alternative to hotels) in and around the Music Center. Do not forget also that if you want to find belly dance classes in Barcelona you can check worldbellydance.com

New belly dance classes for beginners in Cardiff, UK with Valeria

noreply@blogger.com (Paul) — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 13:33:00 +0000

This November 2008 I am starting to teach a 6 weeks belly dance course for beginners in Cardiff, UK.

During the course I will be covering basic belly dance techniques and moves. These will include the correct posture for belly dancers, basic hand and arms movements, hips figures of eight, chest and hips isolation and some simple steps. I will also teach some belly dance combinations/routines for beginners.

The classes will start on Tuesday 4th November 2008 for six consecutive Tuesdays from 6 to 7pm, at the Cardiff Medical Centre Sports and Social Club, University Hospital of Wales, Heath Park, Cardiff, CF14 4XW. The cost of each class is £5, if paid individually, or £27 for 6 classes paid in advance.

You will need to wear comfortable clothes, such as stretch leggings a short cut top and a hip scarf. To begin with, you can use any light scarf and tie it around your hips and later you can buy a coin hip scarf. Belly dance is danced barefooted, so you will not need any specific shoes.

Belly dance is a lot of fun and a good way to exercise and socialise, so why not try it and pop in once a week after work. You can find more information on the Cardiff Belly Dance page on worldbelydance.com and you can also Contact me.

Workshop with German Belly dancer Leyla Jouvana and drummer Rolando

noreply@blogger.com (Paul) — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 15:39:00 +0000

During the latest Raqs Britannia in Blackpool I had the opportunity to attend a workshop with belly dancer Leyla Jouvana, who is considered ‘the Queen of Shimmies’ and now I know why.
This belly dance workshop I attended was specifically on shimmies and Leyla Jouvana taught us every type of shimmy under the sun. Leyla Jouvana’s knowledge on shimmies ranges from classical hip shimmies that originate from the knees, to hip shimmies that start from the gluteus (in Suahila Salimpour’s style), to ¾ shimmies, layered shimmies, shoulder shimmies and also some unusual and funny shimmies, such as eyes shimmies and more….

What I liked during Leyla Jouvana was not only her knowledge on shimmies, and the fact that this belly dance workshop was very energetic, but also Leyla Jouvana’s personality. She is a lovely person, very nice and you can tell that she really enjoys teaching belly dance and she has genuine fun during classes.

Leyla Jouvana and her husband Rolando (a drummer who plays during her classes and performances) are based in Germany (although Leyla Jouvana is originally from Yugoslavia), where Leyla Jouvana teaches belly dance in her studio for oriental dance.

Leyla Jouvana and Rolando will also run workshops during the next International Belly Dance Congress in September 2009 in the UK.

New Beginners Belly Dance classes Cardiff, Wales

noreply@blogger.com (Paul) — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 15:33:00 +0000

Valeria Lo Iacono will be starting teaching belly dance for beginners in Cardiff in the Heath area from October/November. You can learn more about Cardiff Belly dance beginners lessons on this link.

Heath Hospital Social Club is expected to be the venue and with an anticipated 6 week course leading up to Xmas and then with lessons continuing in January.

Raqs Britannia 2008 – The Bellydance Superstars in Blackpool, UK

noreply@blogger.com (Paul) — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 16:25:00 +0000

In June 2008 I went to a big belly dance event held in Blackpool, UK. The event was part of a European tour from the Belly Dance Superstars and included belly dance shows, a lot of bellydance workshops and a big bazaar selling everything that belly dancers may need. The event, called Raqs Britannia, was held in the Winter Gardens, a big theatre complex in Blackpool.

The Winter Gardens are absolutely huge, with a lot of venues and halls, so all belly dance events and workshop were held there during the weekend. Raqs Britannia was organised extremely well with support staff giving clear directions to visitors, who otherwise may have got lost in the maze of halls and corridors.

The Raqs Britannia belly dance weekend lasted three days, from Friday afternoon to Sunday night, but I could only go for one day (the whole of Saturday). Raqs Britannia was not cheap, as each workshop had to be booked and paid for separately, unlike the Belly Dance Congress where you buy an all inclusive pass for the full weekend (by the way, the next Belly Dance Congress is due in September 2009). However, it was worth attending Raqs Britannia. I really enjoyed the show in the evening with the Belly Dance Superstars; Suahila Salimpour and her daughter; Morocco; Fahtiem and other international belly dancers.

I also enjoyed the concert by Natacha Atlas and the evening buffet, which was good value for money with three courses at about £12. Also, the Raqs Britannia this year was particularly special as it was the first time that Suahila Salimpour (the inspiration behind the Belly Dance Superstars) came to teach in the UK.

During Raqs Britannia 2008 I attended four different belly dance workshops in one day: two with Suahila Salimpour on Suahila’s technique and on her belly dance – jazz fusion; one with Morocco on finger cymbals and one with Leyla Jouvana and Rolando on shimmies.

(A quick and shameless plug for my husbands new Barcelona vacation rentals site - and happy birthday too).