Drop in for bellydance time in a studio space with mirrors.
It is Air conditioned- though we don’t always feel it.
I would teach a bit, and then you would have free time to play. And if you just want to practice on your own, that’s fine too – the fee is to cover the room rental fees.
You’ll have room to practice your own thing with veils, wings, zills stick, almost anything!
Tuesdays from June 17 to July 22
-6:30 to 7:30p.m.
Location: 172 Guigues – Free parking < entrance off Cumberland just north of St. Patrick> $65 for 6 weeks
Drop ins $15/ personTo Register for the full session: Send me an email at halyma@bellydancingforfun.com and an email itnerac or Paypal payment of $65. Or pay me in cash the next time you see me 🙂 join the Facebook event
Some of my lovely friends in dance spent last evening with me at the latest For Love Of Dance charity fundraiser.
Along with the professional dance troupe I work with, Bollywood For Fun, ( yes, Sugandha, you have enlisted in a professional troupe!), I also love playing with my Bellywood students ( last night known as, “Bunnywood for Noms”- you had to be there). Banana Smile { note the bunny?} Ameenah’s New Haircut looks awesome!
Traditional Group Selfie Time: Madhumaki, Cassandra, Ameenah, Halyma, Sugandha, Paprycia
And with loads of fun backstage happening, we also get to see other dancers performing their styles with flare and energy and fun!
Thank you to the ladies who were able to come out and perform with me, and I know there will be more photos soon – I’ll add a link when they are viewable! A quick note on unpaid dancing: I volunteer dance A LOT. I don’t do a lot of other charity work, so if I can dance, contribute my time and energy to making people smile, and have a blast while doing it, I’m ok with that. I choose the events that I dance at, and the whole concept of ” it’ll be great promotion for you” is whooey in my mind. My website is great for promoting me. My previous clients and friends are great for promoting me. My volunteer dance time is great for making me feel good about me.
<sigh>
Here’s the thing.
I like information. I like finding it without having to ask for it.
I like searching for it and having it pop up on my computer screen, so that even if I have a small question for something I cannot seem to find answered in my digital search, I already am armed with most of what I need to know.
So… do unto others, right?
I set up online sources of information for my students, my dance colleagues that I work with, people who may be interested in hiring me for either dance functions or sewing related projects. And while I may not get it updated immediately when something new comes into the knowledge base, I do try.
So… once all of this information is set up, I then provide links to it as best I can for anyone who may need that information.
And then I am surrounded by the most amazing human beings who keep bringing me back into this touchy- feely world of “call and response.”
They ask me questions in person …<HUH?!?>, and they tolerate my response of a dramatic head shaking, followed by, “There’s this link…”
And they are still my friends, and they still talk to me, even though I constantly try to get them to join me in my information revolution!
So, thanks, ladies for trying to connect with my human, imperfect, and ever so whack side!
May 31, 2014
All 4 One Charity presents…”For the Love of Dance”!
Multi-Cultural Dance Show & Fundraiser
Saturday May 31, 2014
Algonquin Commons Theatre (1385 Woodroffe Ave, Ottawa)
Doors Open 6:30 pm – Show Starts 7:00 pm
** Free parking
Join us for an exciting evening of dance entertainment, featuring styles from around the world! Hip hop, Tribal, Spanish, Swing, Bellydance, Salsa and Bollywood are just some of the high-energy performances you will be treated to!
Tickets are $20-$25 (half-price for kids 12 and under), and all proceeds will be donated to the Ottawa Hospital’s Cancer Patient Emergency Needs Fund.
This fund is administered by the Psychosocial Oncology Program at The Ottawa Hospital Cancer Center and helps patients with financial issues during their cancer journey.
Tickets can be purchased online at , or in person Monday-Friday (3-7 pm) at the Algonquin Commons Theatre (1385 Woodroffe Ave, Ottawa).
I just began my Monday evening classes last night, and it’s a small group, but I think that’s going to be just right for this session!
I also start my Awaken your Inner Goddess classes this coming Thursday, and am working on how I’ll be manifesting this concept – since it’s a new type of weekly class for me, I want to go with the flow. Fortunately, I am sure the women who have signed up will be open to the adventure!
May 9-11 is also Ottawa ComicCon and I’ll be volunteering there as an Ottawa Browncoat and am hoping to see some cool celebs when I take my breaks!
And then there’s the dance festival events that are coming up for both Bollywood For Fun { my other dance group} as well as Belly dancing For Fun and Bellywood with Halyma. Lots of practices and co-ordination with my many wonderful colleague dancers ahead!
Keep an eye here and on the Dancers’ News for info about the many events – some are fundraisers and have a ticket purchase involved, some are community events and are free to attend!
Another Ottawa Belly Dance Community event completed – some I organize and some I simply enjoy being able to participate!
I did get the chance to Emcee the new addition to the Ottawa Dancers’ Bazaar – a last minute decision made at about 11:30 a.m., but I’m always glad to help and amuse!
Loved being able to showcase a mere sampling of my client’s outfits – in the TAV Creations Client Collection segment of the Fashion Show. Thanks to all of my models who were awesome and also stepped out as last minute models for the other vendors!
I was on stage, so I did not get photos, but i think there’s at least one I’ll be able to snare and add here later!
So, with the Bazaar complete, the next event in my outer world will be as an Ottawa Browncoat at the upcoming Ottawa Comic Con. Personally my Mom’s bday will be a nice afternoon out of town and a friend’s wedding will take us on a weekend away adventure, so those will fill up weekends in April before ComicCon. I also have a new session of classes underway – some began last week and some start this week and some start at the end of the month – all continent on enrolment!
So check out my schedule and if you think any of those catch your eye – come play! Please note, the Wednesday Level 1 class shown in the poster below has already been cancelled.
You can also read my latest article on my new course, “Awaken your Inner Goddess through Dance” in the April issue of Tone Magazine here!
I had the pleasure of joining Eurika this morning on CTV Morning Live to promote the upcoming April 6th Dancers’ Bazaar. Click on pic or here to play video: CTVMorning Live
Hope to see many of you there!
Yesterday, Siddiqah and I had a party. About 45 people came out to dance and socialize, meeting up with old friends, and getting to know new people in our community.
I had a good time working with my co-host – hopefully she can say the same 🙂 as we discussed planning methods that would work for us, how we wanted to approach it, and what our expectations were of the day. I found that Google Drive was a great way to share spreadsheets and documents, allowing us both to edit and update information as we went along, as well as allowing dancers to sign themselves up. Dropbox.com works great for sharing music files!
For me, they were well met, costs were covered, a donation amount over $140 was made to be donated to Clara’s Big Ride, I had fun talking to people, also meeting new folks as well as seeing familiar faces.
I know it was still not a completely spontaneous, “bring your music and dance” kind of party, and I have realized that, if I am part of the organizers, it will never be that way. #controlfreak
Hopefully, as dancers and audience members attend these more relaxed events, and see how much positive can come of it, someone else will step up and have a totally free form event – if that’s what they want to do!
The biggest concern for me is always 2 fold – are the costs covered and did the attendees have a good time. Part 1 ensures that I am happy, and part 2 ensures that I did it right! Working with someone else, it’s also important to discuss their ideas of success too so that both of your expectations and goals can be addressed. Fortunately, we had very similar and definitely mutually workable goals for this event! And we both now have a better idea of what works for us and where we can shift things – if we ever do this again!
Both Siddiqah and I had a few personal things affecting our energy and focus levels during the weeks of planning this event, but we were really able to rely on each other for a great back and forth flow. It was nice to be able to delegate/take on the different aspects and feel that we were each giving 100% when we could, and on the days that we had other things to deal with, it was still ok!
At least, that was my perspective, I hope Siddiqah felt I did my part!
I am sure I speak for the both of us in gratitude { though I am sure Siddiqah will be creating her own post as well} to the volunteers who came early and stayed later to help with set-up, running the show, cleaning up and generally be there as support and helpful community members!
We are also so pleased to have hosted a place for some first time soloists, and up and coming dancers, who all gave great performances and shared their gift with us for a few moments.
I hope to see all of you dancing more and more at future events and that having attended and participated at this event, that you will take advantage of future opportunities as well!
So, who is hosting the next party?!?
And finally, if you have any feedback for us, please task this quick survey and add any comments below. It helps us as organizers to know where things went well and where things can be improved! You can click more than one statement and add one yourself if you noticed something we should know about!
