Got To Dance – Sky 1

According to my teacher, the programme Got To Dance on Sky 1 has been sending mass press releases requesting belly dancers to audition for the show.

I don’t know about you, but I would be in two minds about this – It would be fun to audition and take part but it would also be disheartening if you didn’t get through. If you did, however, could you take the criticism? Would a belly dance be enough to win it?

I have witnessed some belly dancers provide the audience with astounding performances that have taken my breath away.

So could it be that the producers want to see some belly rolls and flesh for pure entertainment purposes. The TV world can be cruel, right?


http://sky1.sky.com/dance

It's Hafla Time - Let's Party!

Hafla is the Arabic word for 'party', just think food with aromatic spices, music that takes you to the pyramids of Egypt and jangling belly dancers galore. Like many parties, a hafla can involve a large group or an intimate gathering and there's only one thing on the agenda...That everyone has the chance to get up and shimmy if they want to.

The party can be held in a living room with simple decoration such as veils, rugs and cushions or if the weather is good, the party can take place around a campfire with burning incense and lanterns. Some may choose to host a hafla in a privately hired room such as a restaurant with a live band and a stage.

It's good be creative and pick a theme for that perfect atmosphere such as a desert oasis or an ancient temple. You can also include competitions throughout the event, with 'Best Costume' or 'Best Prop' being popular ones, and also have prizes readily available such as CDs or pieces of jewellery. This wonderful shared experience, whether between friends or strangers, helps to build a strong sense of community.

World Belly Dance Championship

Hezzi Ya Nawa3em, which translates; 'World Belly Dance Championship', is a programme on LBC (Lebanon) that showcases 12 contestants from around the world. The highly competitive show is spread over a period of 8 weeks where the girls are given the chance to display their acquired techniques and skills in 9 successive primes.

Some of the previous contestants have represented Egypt, Syria, Morocco, Brazil, Ukraine, Costa Rica, Russia, France and of course Lebanon.

Naira from France

The most talented belly dancers battle it out in a ‘twinned’ finale and the one with the best performance wins the title.

The show attracts very high viewing rates in Lebanon - I think this type of show would work well in the UK...It could be called the 'UK Belly Dance Championship' © and broadcast live from many venues up and down the country!

Malika from Russia

Here’s an example of one of the final performances, where Magalie versus Eleanore (surprisingly they’re both representing Lebanon).