Dance - and exercise too!
Burn calories, stretch those muscles, and strengthen them -- while dancing! We now have Zumba at Safira's. It's a heart-pumping cardio workout to Latin rhythms that will increase your cardio and make you feel like you're salsa dancing! Want to stretch and tone? We have Yo-Belly, 30 minutes of yoga plus 30 minutes of belly dance. If it's grace and strength you're after, take a beginning ballet class. You'll be stronger, more flexible, and have great control of your body! All classes are open to beginners with no experience. See our website for photos and details.
Write Safira if you have questions!
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Master Drummer in Wichita
We're bringing Grammy-nominated percussionist Souhail Kaspar to Wichita Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 3-4! He'll teach novice and experienced drummers how to play Mid-Eastern doumbek rhythms. He'll teach four drumming classes and one dance class. In the dance class, he'll be joined by Ziva, a belly dancer from California who appears on Kaspar’s instructional DVD. Kaspar’s work includes soundtrack credits for The Prince of Egypt, Sinbad, Scooby Doo in Egypt, The Region of the Nile, Darfur Now and The Great Bazaars. He has been featured on many CDs including When the Soul is Settled: Music of Iraq for the Smithsonian Institute, nominated for the 2008 Grammy Traditional World Music Category. Kaspar has also worked with Omar Faruk Tekbilek, Cheb Mami, Tito Puente, the Sacramento Symphony Orchestra and Sting.
Early registration fees start at $35 a class. After Sept. 18, cost is $40 per class. For more workshop details and a registration form, click here!
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Safira's Onstage!
Mark your calendars for Saturday night, January 30, 2010. We'll be producing our 9th annual studio concert, An Evening at the World Cabaret, at Century II's Mary Jane Teall theater. We'll be showcasing Nubian, Egyptian, Spanish, tribal and gypsy dance. There'll be swords and candelabras balanced on dancers' heads! There'll be fusion costumes, folkloric costumes, and costumes from Egypt and Spain. There'll be choreography from famous Egyptian dancers, and a fin de fiesta straight from the tablaos (cabarets) of Sevilla! And we're bringing a special guest, Alicia Harris, from Dallas to perform flamenco. The show's at 8 p.m. Tickets will be $11 and $15, plus nominal ticket fees.
In the meantime, see our monthly Baila! World Dance Show every 3rd Saturday of the month at 9 p.m. Our next ones are Sept. 19 and Oct. 17. Our dance studio transforms into a small theater featuring belly dancing, fusion and other dance forms. It's at Safira's Center for World Dance, 2919 E. Kellogg Drive. Cost is $7, and includes light refreshments. Click here!
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Ask Madame Noor
Dear Madame Noor, I'm having some confusion about fusion — what does is meant by a fusion dance?
Let me look into my crystal ball for you and clear up that confusion. With fusion dances, you do get a bit mixed up — because you are borrowing dance steps from various styles of dance, not just one style of ethnic dance. At Safira's, two types of fusion classes are offered — tribal fusion and gypsy fusion. You rarely just learn or use one style of dance in those classes. Instead it'll be a mix of such styles as Bollywood and American Tribal Style-moves with traditional bellydance in tribal fusion, and Roma dances from Spain (flamenco) and Turkey with bellydance in gypsy fusion.
You'll also fuse various costuming, along with cultural and attitude, aspects in a fusion dance. If you don't understand the roots of bellydance and the dance form you're fusing, you'll further confuse yourself and your audience. For example, gypsy fusion isn't just bellydance with a big fluffy skirt.
So fuse your dance — it'll be electric!
Write to Madame Noor and ask her your own question!
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School wasn't this fun!
Learn to love yourself. Learn to be crazy. Learn to dance! Classes start Sept. 8! Below are our beginner classes. Check our website for prices and advanced classes, too.
- Mondays 5:30: Beg. and Interm. Flamenco
- Mondays 6:30: Yo-Belly (Yoga plus Belly Dance)
- Mondays 7:30: Zumba
- Tuesdays 5:45: Belly Sculpting (Belly Dance with a weight belt)
- Wednesdays 5:45: Beginning Adult Ballet
- Wednesdays 7:15: Strictly Belly Dancing (lots of hip moves)
- Saturdays 10:15: Strictly Belly Dancing (lots of hip moves)
Write Safira if you want to sign up!
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Girls' Night Out!
Want to try a dance class? Come join us at Girls Night Out. Everything's free! We'll have refreshments and a short speech on belly dance, and then we'll start dancing.
In September, we'll share three 30 minute classes in zumba, yoga and belly dance. In October, our classes will include tribal belly dance, gypsy fusion and belly dance.
If it's your birthday month, we'll have a birthday present for you. RSVP so we can buy enough refreshments!
7:00 - 9:00 pm Friday, September 11
7:00 - 9:00 pm Friday, October 16
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Lavash Snack
This hors d'oeuvres recipe is so easy, delicious and healthy. It comes from Safira's Persian friends Kladis and Farnoosh Adib. Hardly any preparation is required for this elegant snack. Just arrange all on a pretty plate. Ingredients can be found at Byblos Deli, N&J's Cafe, and The India Emporium. Lavash is a soft, very large, flat Persian bread. Cut into individual pieces with scissors. Labneh is a soft, rich, tangy cheese like yogurt cream cheese.
Lavash Snack:
Servings of lavash or pita bread
Walnut halves
Labneh or feta cheese
Mint leaves
Olives
Leave the cheese in a block and let your guests slice or spread it themselves. Your guests can assemble their own snacks by layering cheese, mint and walnuts on the bread. The olives go on the side.
Have a favorite world recipe? Send it to Raks al Dounya!
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Photography of Safira's dancers courtesy of David Staples
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