Joana Saahirah´s World Blog
A Collection of Articles, Videos, and Freebies on Egyptian Dance, Self-Discovery & Empowerment
My aunt & me at a Shaabi Party
A sizzling hot Summer night in Cairo.
3 a.m.
Me and my auntie, a long-term visitor whom I lead by hand, hidden somewhere in "Shobra", one of the "shaabi-est"-"baladi-est"-roughest & most authentic neighborhoods of Egypt.
A broken promise. Hashish. Knives. And Joy.
A new king of Joy.
- Listen to the real-life story in this blog post in the shape of a podcast episode.
I´ll take you by the hand - we´ll take a walk in the wild side.
- If...
What I Learned from Egyptian Women
After many years of career and life in Egypt, and in other countries of the Middle East & North Africa, here´s something I have to admit:
I A-D-O-R-E Egyptian Women and I´ve learned a great deal from them.
Want me to lift the veil, just a bit, and share the goodies with you?
Your wish is my command.
In this Blog Audio Post, I´m sharing a few of the most precious lessons I´ve learned from Egyptian and Arab Women I met.
Grab a cup of tea....
The Night I proposed to Fifi Abdou
She blew the "shisha" smoke upon my face.
I fell in love.
Her hips were fierce and she wore an unapologetic "spray-covered" humongous hairdo.
I fell in love.
She did little but what she did was DA BOMB.
I fell in love.
She showed me the magic of a Baladi Awadi although she couldn´t care less about what we, the audience, thought of her.
Then, I didn´t only fall in love. I proposed to Fifi, one of the biggest icons of Egyptian Dance.
...
Surprising Benefits of Saiidi
I´ve been there: you think you know a lot about something and then, a person shows up, an information drops on your lap, a revelation appears and you come face to face with how little you actually know.
Studying, teaching, performing, lecturing and writing about Egyptian Dance - Oriental and Folkloric - has been the core of my life for more than 20 years.
And I assure you, we never know enough.
In this short, yet powerful, Podcast Episode, you´ll learn about a...
Why Saiidi is the King of Egyptian Folklore
I´m in a Podcast mood. Can you feel it?
I´m also in a Saiidi mood. That´s why I´m revealing this is my favorite Egyptian Folkloric style. And also the king of Egyptian Folklore.
Want to know why?
Listen to this Podcast Episode I recorded exclusively for Joana Saahirah´s Blog.
(for more information & fun around Saiidi, dive into the Bonus Resources & Courses I´m sharing in this post)
- Bonus Resources on Saiidi:
...
Do I need to become Masculine in order to learn Saiidi?
Here´s a question I´ve frequently heard throughout the years:
Do I need to become Masculine in order to learn Saiidi?
Here are a few more delights:
Is "Bellydance" for strippers?
Do you dance to seduce your husband?
Egyptian Dance is from India, right?
Oh, boy.
Where do I start?
Egyptian Dance - Oriental & Folkloric - is surrounded by so many prejudices and myths. Sometimes, I feel all I do is undoing the mess and the fog surrounding it.
In...
Intimate Conversation on Mahmoud Reda, Saiidi & I
There are a million things I could tell you about Mahmoud Reda, the role he had - and will always have - in my Dance & in my Life, and his legacy.
Here´s where you can start, by listening to this INTIMATE short PODCAST EPISODE I recorded for you. In it, you´ll know a bit of what Mahmoud taught me about Saiidi, folklore, and the meaning of true love for dance.
Imagine you´re taking coffee with me. Sit comfortably. Listen to it.
Enjoy.
For...
Co-Creation Tools to Manifest your Dreams
Turning dreams into reality has always been my thing.
And because I love to teach what I´ve learned through study but, mostly, through experience, I have a gift for you.
Here are a few Co-Creation Tools I´ve been using since I can remember. They help me to be, dance, and live from my heart; they have allowed me to create the realities I dream for myself.
I hope they help you on your path, as well.
First, let´s remember a few...
Surprising Benefits of Shimmies in Egyptian Dance
Egyptian Dance can be known, and practiced, in different levels, for different reasons, and for different purposes.
One of the things I love the most about this art form is the set of amazing - known and unknown - benefits it offers.
Shimmies, for example, offer some quite unexpected benefits.
Want to know them?
1. Shimmies increase our Self-Confidence.
If properly learned, they´re grounding and elevating movements that offer a deep sense of inner security on this earth...
The Secret Role of Shimmies in Egyptian Dance
Shimmies have always been one of the most popular parts of the Egyptian Dance Technique.
Insiders want to master them; outsiders wonder how insiders do it. Shimmies are beloved, mocked, misunderstood, and desired by dancers and nondancers alike.
I, like most dancers, was taught how to execute Shimmies from a technical, purely physical point of view. It took me years of research, performing, teaching, choreographing, and observation - of myself and other dancers - to understand...
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