Thursday 9 September 2010

Lucy's new dancing term begins on 14th Sept. Check the right bhand column for more details- congratulations on your Exercise to Music teaching qualification, Lucy.

Monday 6 September 2010

Burnmouth Village Hall
Saturday Sept 25th 2010

Workshops and Hafla


10.30am-noon
Curly-Toed Boot Camp
Going through basic Egyptian steps and developing combinations, finishing with some pair work that may just get the fainter-hearted boogying to the Cairo beats on the dance floor. Not suitable for complete beginners.
£7

Noon-1pm Lunch
Tea and coffee provided. Bring a packed lunch if you are staying all day.

1pm-2.30
Drills and Thrills
TEN-SHUN! Lots of the usual, horrible, hurty exercises to sharpen your Tribal moves and get the basics sorted.
Oh, okay, not hurty, not in a bad way…
And there will be cake…
Suitable for dancers with some tribal experience- the workshop, not the cake, that is…
£7

3-5pm
Drumming Circle
Looking at the Arabic rhythms used in both Tribal and Egyptian dance.
I will co ordinate the group and organize the time, but the general theme is cooperation and input expected from drummers confident to share their experience. A chance for those who attend Martin Neil’s workshops to consolidate, a little, too! This session is not suitable for complete beginners and there will only be a few spare drums to borrow.
£2

5.30-6.30pm
Shared Supper
There are other options (see below) but this is an opportunity for anyone who wants to, to bring some food to share and eat together. Whatever folk are able bring along- hot or cold, sweet or savoury, is fine! Best bring your own plate etc. There is a small kitchen.
There should be time for changing for the hafla, too, there are loos and some mirrors but come prepared. Best bring a mirror, if you have one.


7.30-11pm Hafla
A time for dancing and performances, for a bit of slapping (drums, of course- what were you thinking of????) and seeing friends.
If you would like to perform, please let me know what, how, how many, etc in good time, if possible. CD’s and ipods are fine but I cannot guarantee my machine will like copies.
B.Y.O. Beer, juice, wine, nibbles, cups, bottle- openers- treat it like an indoor picnic and please consider RECYCLING and binning facilities which we try to organise every year.
£5 hafla entry.

Happy to take fees on the day, just let me know if you can come!!!

For folk unfamiliar with the area, Burnmouth Village Hall is in Upper Burnmouth, just off the A1. It is North of Berwick-Upon-Tweed (about 7 mins) and South of Ayton and Eyemouth. The hall itself is a one-storey wooden building on the main street. Parking on the street is fine, but please consider the residents.
The area is worth a look-see, if you fancy some of the programme, but not all. Lower Burnmouth is down an excitingly steep hill and close to the sea. There is a pub in Upper Burnmouth- there may be catering there but I am not sure. 5 mins drive is Eyemouth which is a coastal fishing town worth investigating. The town boasts a good selection of eat-in-eries and take-away outlets and our local dancers will be able to recommend.
Any queries or questions please ring me (Sarah) on 01668213618 or email me. It may be possible to coordinate some lifts up and down the A1.

Hope to see you there.
Best wishes

Sarah
sarah.riseborough@btinternet.com

Wednesday 28 July 2010

Busy, busy

We are dancing regularly in a few different homes now, becoming familiar with some of the residents. There are a few 'characters' who are always willing to get up and put a belt on, take a turn around the floor. It has helped my confidence, enormously, some of the lovely comments, the smiles of welcome. I had found the visits a little daunting as my Dad had been in a home before he died so it just goes to show, our dance visits are supposed to be a kind of therapy for the residents, rather, a bit of healing for me...
Lucy is taking a break from teaching for the summer, and is, I gather, up to her elbows in jewellery making.
I am continuing at Berwick and Alnwick for the time being.
We have been asked, alongside Tribezuza, to appear at Alnwick International Music Festival on Wednesday 4th August and will perform at 12.10pm and 12.40pm.
Whoooeeeee!!!!
Lucy couldn't join me at Wooler (Breeze) Festival, Sunday last, unfortunately. I invited Angela Noble's 'Tribezuza' to join Manashee (namely Ailsa, Eleanor, Liza, Ros and myself, this time). I have to say we put on a great show, dancing 2 x 30 minute sets, each tribe chorused the other. This will probably be the pattern for Alnwick, too.
Saturday, we had a drumming workshop with Martin Neil, very talented musician who still has the ability to teach to any age, any level of confidence. Maybe one day we will be dancing to our own drumbeat...

Thursday 20 May 2010

Lucy begins her next spell of classes on May 25th, 7.30. 5 weeks May 25, June 1, June 8, miss a week, June 22, June 29
They are at The Gym, Morpeth; please email or phone her for more details- the class is nearly full, so be quick!
Sarah is teaching 2 hours of belly dance at Willowburn, Alnwick till the end of June:
4-5pm Arabic and 5-6pm Tribal, it's £27.50 for a block of 5, and you don't miss out, if you miss a class, just drop in to the next one!
Burlesque workshops and cabaret show confirmed for June 27th at The Maltings, Berwick. Check their website and ring 01289330999 to book. More details imminent.
Looking forward to Tribezuza's hafla in July, details on the Zuza website.
xxx

Monday 19 April 2010

First, a few things a-happen:
Lucy is starting Tribal classes in Morpeth at the gym, coopies Lane Industrial estate April 20th, tuesdays, at 7.30pm til 9pm for 5 weeks. It would be brill if you could let her know if you would like to come by text or email. 07989 234358 lucyclayton77@hotmail.com

Sarah Patterson has begun pilates classes at The Ferguson Hall, Belford on Mondays from 10-11am. She's a great teacher and has classes all over the place! http://foreverfit.org.uk/#

Hi there mantra lovers!
Judie & Ali are pleased to inform you that we are holding the next mantra & meditation evening on Friday 14th May, from 7pm - 9pm in the downstairs room of the Hindmarsh Hall, Alnmouth (see http://www.hindmarshhall.org.uk/ for more venue info). As the majority of participants are from the Alnwick and east coast area we are coming to a venue nearer you!
Please spread the word and join us for a relaxing evening of mantra, relaxation and sharing.
Om shanti
Judie

From Lisa Wilson www.newbodhi.co.uk:
I am running a special Spring discount on my seminar on the 22nd May and would like to extend it to anyone on the dancing/yoga community who might be interested. I wondered if you could forward it on? The discount applies as long as people book before April 28th and is £20 instead of £39.50.

From Mary Melvin of Wooler Complementary Therapy Centre mary.melvin123@btinternet.com
Hi everyone the next wooler complementary therapy day at the clinic will be Saturday the 12th of June from 9am until 5pm.
We will have holistic facial ,pedicures,Indian head massage,reflexology,body massage,spiritual healing incorporating colour,reiki,herbalist,Hopi ear candles,tarot,hot stone therapy,acupuncture(still trying to get this organized!)
The treatments are 15 pounds each for 45 minutes/1 hour apart from the Hopi ear candles and the acupuncture that will be 20 pounds.
If you would like to forward on this email Id be very grateful to others you think may be interested.
Please let me know if you would like to book a space on the day and I note it and confirm it nearer the time.
Love Mary

Brazilian Soul Party Saturday 8TH May
“All entrance money raised will go to Haiti Earthquake Appeal” DEC – Disasters Emergency Committee

Experience a true Brazilian Party atmosphere
With…

LIVE SAMBA DRUMMERS! And Caipiroska Available!!!
Batida de Rua Samba group

CAPOEIRA
www.filhosdebimba.net
MINI WORKSHOPS
Mini workshop on how to samba and get you into the hip and feet crazy moves!
Brazilian Show with Leo Africano (Dancer/choreographer), Cris Salsasamba, Juliana Amaral and Ana Gosia will be interacting with everyone.
MUSIC
Dj Fabio Bahia from Leeds
DJ. David from Salsa Amor Salsa-Amor at the Black Swan
SALSA SHOW
" The Latin Connection Dance Team"
VENUE:
Lucker Hall , NE70 7JQ – Near Bamburgh
Doors open 6.30pm
Contacts/tickets: £8
Cris 07799091343
Gerry 07979711386
Juliana 07821357788
Ana 07851391356

As you can see, there's plenty going on. let me now if I'm missing anything!
xx

Tuesday 13 April 2010

I am inconsolable
I just spent 30 mins on a new blog (still in jim-jams) and, in editing the damn thing, it all WENT AWAY
Just don't speak to me...
Don't
I will recover
Till then

Saturday 27 February 2010

Lucy and I share the fact that we both have had a parent staying in a residential home for the elderly; My Dad spent the last 3 years of his life in a home in Alnwick; Lucy's mum spent time in homes and hospitals before she passed away.
It was Lucy that suggested we approach some residential homes with a view to performing and encouraging folk to dance with us. So far, we have one regular appointment and several homes have booked us as a one-off.
Every appointment is different, of course, new faces, always a few lively characters; the feeling, the smell of the places is always the same though, no matter how friendly and caring the staff, each place transports me back to visiting my dad. There are the souls who are earthed by physical frailties and those whose realities are different from ours. I struggle to even look sometimes; a thin, thin ankle peeking from a blanket; a bent spine, faraway gaze. I wonder what the perceive; these two brightly-coloured, spinning ladies who bare their bellies and make so much noise.
We have a format and change routines and music, do a little talk and encourage audience participation. This does give us the opportunity to practice and perform together, because making time to do this was often hard to justify, (cue: mother guilt, etc.)
It may not be the most glamorous of engagements for a belly dancer, but the goddess has a crone aspect, after all.
My great challenge is opening up to people who don't appear to act under normal social constraints; folk who have been diagnosed with dementia, who might do or say someting unexpected; I experience fear, want to keep a distance when I'm approached.
Lucy is very good at chatting to the audience- I can do the formal stuff; Lucy remembers names and asks questions, gives her attention freely.
So many of our old folk are shut away. we-they believe they are of no more use and have the least resources spent on them, even though their contribution to the world put us where we are now. There is something to be learned from this- have ambition, have optimism and have hope for old age. I would like choices; fun, love, happiness, more dancing.