This weekly, a few members of the Raqs Awn Belly Dance Collective (our newly formed troupe) braved the forecasted blizzard and drove to Des Moines, IA, for the 12th annual Rainbows of the Desert workshop. This year’s instructor was Jasmin Jahal. It was a great workshop – we learned a 6 ½ minute choreography that works with our dance style. Add to that some great shopping, free breakfast and a hot tub, and you’ve got the makings of a fabulous weekend. We even had a former Diva fly in from Colorado to go with us, so there was also a reunion of sorts.
This is the first belly dance weekend of several this month. This upcoming weekend, Calliste of Basharaat (Lincoln, NE) is teaching a drum solo workshop here in Omaha, after which ML and I will be performing in the evening show. The weekend after that is Tribal Elevation in Golden, CO. I’m really excited for that workshop – 3 days of classes with Rachel Brice, Ariellah and others… It’ll be a long road trip and some even longer hours of dancing, but it’s my first Elevation and I can’t wait!
While I’m off in CO, the rest of Raqs Awn (or as many girls as are available) will be dancing at the Earth Day Omaha festival in Elmwood Park with the Lotus Dancers as part of the Bellydance Caravan.
Phew…that’s a lot of dancing!
