Nawal Doucette

Modern Bellydance & Finger Cymbals inspired by Salimpour Format and Rock 'n Roll American Tribal Style® Certified

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As we wind down 2018 I look back at this year with relief and Awe.2018 was the 50th Anniversary of Jamila Salimpour's BAL Anat which first hit the renaissance pleasure fair in Northern California in 1968... Read more on that here...http://thebestofhabibi.com/vol-17-no-3-spring-1999/from-many-tribes/

I submitted my audition for Bal Anat in Fall of 2017, and said I could commit to 4 of the 7 world wide dates, all the American stops which were Ft.Lauderdale, Florida in April, El Cerito California in August (the MOTHER SHOW) , Atlanta, Georgia in September and finishing with Chicago, Illinois in November. I had come to the conclusion that I would love to be in a couple dances, but would be OK with just being in the back line of Bal Anat, there was NO WAY I would want to miss out on this epic piece of Bellydance History. I did not think I 'deserved'  to be in any particular dances, I admire and respect all my colleagues at the Salimpour School and knew Suhaila would do what would work best for the show. To my surprise I was cast in 4 dances!!

THE GAWAZI

 Here I am with my girl Lisa Price,  I absolutely LOVED becoming the sassy Gawazi Character, we open the show right after the Epic and emotional mother goddess and show the audience how to PARTAY! ISMAOUNI In this smouldering hot finger cymbal piece we wore "Turkish Run Throughs" style pant that is literally I piece of fabric that run through your legs, we ended up loving calling them the "golden diapers". Here's me and Janelle Rodriguez from Santa Cruz💜

POT DANCE 

The Pot Dance is a classic, it is the 'initiation' dance for many a new member of Bal Anat. Everyone makes their own pot and I love to see all the different shapes and sizes. "Pot dance" has a whole new meaning since leagalization happened here in Canada October 17th.  I only had to do pot dance in Florida, but was back up and brought my pot To Atlanta.  I had also been a Pot Dancer for my First Bal Anat in 2015  in California.

THE ALGERIAN  The Algerian is a Crowd favourite- we are the madams of Bal Anat and you are NOT getting a smile for free, they cost you extra. My Husband referred to this dance as: The boner killer ! LOL it was challenging to stay in character until the very end of the show!

I even had to do an emergency fill in for one of the tour stops as another cast member could not get the time off and had to quickly re-learn

SALLAM ALLAY 

Here's my and Ciana Boetus, a dynamite babe from Florida. She was too fun tooooo be partnered up with.

All this Variety in ONE SHOW- and on just ONE performer, so this is why when people ask me what style are you I just say " What style do you think I am?"- and let them decide whatever they are going to decide. In the Salimpour of dance we are trained to do it all <3I can never thank Sheila Enough for the opportunity to work along side her this year. She was too strong, considering her mother was SUPPOSED to be here to see the 50th anniversary show, but we all know she is smiling down on us, I hope we are making you Proud Jamila!! 

I was too moved by the energy of Bal Anat that I had to create a gift.... and that was to have my magical seamstress Celine Chaisson recreate a Banner, for us to tour With.The Original Banner was made by Jamila herself, and could not be toured with because it was becoming fragile. SO, I got Suhaila's permission to take that on.....and We were all amazed with the result....

Jamila's Original is on the Left and the NEW BANNER is with Celine on the Right, it was sooo cool to have it on stage with us, it really declares: WE ARE BAL ANAT! xoxoxox Nawal

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This study was made for my Jamila Salimpour Level 3 “ Compendium Reports” as a part of the JL3 Testing process.

This Video prompted me to share it-

Being of Arabic decent I swept up and highly influenced by Disney’s 1992 Classic Aladdin. Sang the songs, integrated the Arabized architecture in to my own drawings. It was the first time I would see “Arab-like’ characters represented on film. I would have been in second grade and Aladdin was a movie that we kids had on replay for a bit of my childhood. Living in Eastern Canada there was ONE other Egyptian Family in Saint John in the late 80′s to the 2000’s –

We even had a large influx of Chinese immigrants before Arab Immigrants. It was not even until recently (last 5 years) that there was much visibility of people in hijab or even ‘Arabic looking”until recently when Canada agreed to sponsor 25000 refugees primarily from Syria.

Now 25 years later I as an adult who studies the “Eastern Orient”, and now a mother, I  have gone back and watched this movie with an adult gaze in the post “cultural appropriation awareness era” - and I’m not sure they would have gotten away as many “ethnic references” without being called out forbeing offensive. It was not just popular with childhood me but it grossed $504,050,219 and was wildlysuccessful because of a line up of A-list actors.

Based on my own accumulated knowledge on the World, the Middle East and specifically Arab culture

I have made an itemized list of issues that I thought misrepresented Middle Eastern Culture- from over

simplification to down right offensive.

I have compiled a list in chronological order of the movie. They seem to really hit you more at the beginning of the movie to set the scene then it fades off to the love story of Aladdin and Jasmine and

the drama keeping them apart.

The Movie setting itself is problematic- Agrabah- where is this land? It seems to be reminiscent of the grand bazaar of Turkey- while emphasizing rugs (Iranian) and the large turbans make me think of Seiks of India- Agrabah, on could argue is somewhere between Egypt, Turkey and India- oh Afghanistan Aladdin and orientalist. I find throughout the movie the location is nebulous and they 'borrow’ attributes from nearly all “pattern’ countries- the movie is rife its Indian Imagery i think the most. I refer to the concept of “Arabia” no real place but a concept of what it’s like to be “over there” it

dehumanizes the diversity and richness of many different countries.

The movie starts of course with rich red background and purple smoke and of course with a camel crossing the desert and a red setting sun and background music playing a riff that uses mst certainly Maqam Hijaz (The quintessential Orientalist Maquam) • The intro song sings: “Where they cut off y ear if they don’t like your face - it’s barbaric but hey it’s home” Already setting a scene of barbarianism and bloodshed. • In the Bazaar there is a Side show Fire breather- That’s an India reference. • The intro character arrives on a camel that collapses from exhaustion. Again driving the 'barbaric’ theme home; they just disregard the camel’s well being. DARK X3- To me this illustrates the imagery of DARK. Dark Man= dark skin= no good.

The henchmen Jafar is meeting has classic Arab dark features and open with • “I had to slit a few throats but I got it” Referring to an amulet he was retrieving for Jafar.. That is very graphic, keeping in the barbarian themed imagery.

Change Scene to our first getting to know our Americanized charming main character Aladdin. He is trying to escape the guards for 'shoplifting’. The Scene includes a musical number and is very upbeat and action packed as Aladdin manoeuvres through and around obstacles with just seconds to spare. • “I’ll have your hands for a trophy”- a guard yells another dismemberment threat/reference. The aesthetic is a mix of India and folkloric “Arabia”. • “Rip him one take it back guys” - the guards sing during the musical number .4th reference to dismembering a body under 20 minutes in to the movie • Aladdin falls in to an unsuspecting group of sexy young women, these anonymous hot women have brief cameos through out the movie. These women represent the “Harem” in the western mind. Large lipped and large breasted with tiny waists. • The crowd in the market lace has curly toe shoes , sandals or even some barefoot. • Sword swallower : India as a side show: again this is an “exotic orientalist” view of “Arabia” • Interesting that the primary fruit presented is an apple. White washing.An apple is a fruit that an American would know to see. Change Scene, Now introducing Princess Jasmine and her father the Sultan. It is after she declines another suitor despite the clock ticking and there being an archaic law that says she needs to be wed to a prince by her next birthday.

• The image of the palace is very India-very Taj Mahal-esque, again blending all aesthetic of the “east” and making it one confounded idea. • Princess Jasmine - in her Belly dancer everyday wear. Not exactly typical or traditionally what a princess would wear. • Princess Jasmine has a tiger, while royals would have access to exotic animals tigers are primarily from India. • The giant gold elephant head in the 'grand room’ of the palace- again very India. Crafting the imagery of the “exotic East”. Which is problematic because it dehumanizes the various cultures but not taking in to account the richness and vast variety of the people of that massive region of the earth. • Jafar – practitioner of black magic. Keeping with the “dark” theme. • Jafars staff is a king cobras head, cobras are exotic and also reminiscent of India. • The head guard is missing a front tooth and all the other guards are a variety of buffoons. • When confronted by Princess Jasmine, Jafar says: “the boys sentence has already been carried out ……… death by beheading” 5th Reference of taking a blade to the human body.

Change scene to underground inside the Cave of Wonders. • Mesopotamian / Sumerian statue? lion bodied man head with wings in the pile of coins. Ancient Eastern imagery. • The Genie. A popular an influential figure played by the late Robin Williams. Genie was extra Americanized because of the Nature of the actor an “all American ’ favourite.

• During 'A Friend like me”- camels dressed up as harem dancers, as well as our sexy 'harem’ women from earlier scenes reappear for a brief cameo to lead Aladdin on but not actually kiss him. Change scene back to the Palace where Jafar and Iago discuss finding the “street rat” and they also discuss - that they could face : beheading- 6th reference to blood shed and 3rd beheading reference. Change Scene Aladdin has managed to fool the genie to bring them back above ground. He makes a few “Arabia” References: Genie: Mr. doubting Moustafa “Wake up and smell the hummus” American Version: Wake Up and Smell the Coffee. Change scene, Prince Ali Ali is he Aliababwa. Now there is an actual Orientalist parade when displaying Prince Ali’s wealth. • 75 golden camels. • Many white stallions- Lipizzaner • There was another cameo of big breasted small waisted dancers dancing with silks. • He enters and rides and Elephant, yes grand but again an India reference. After the entrance of Ali and his Orientalist Parade there is nothing exceptionally shocking that they haven’t layed out for you already, by this time in the movie the spectator is firmly entrenched in the spirit of Agrabah and now that the scene has been set we can get in to the drama of the movie. Through the rest of the movie there is not a whole lot of alarming scenes, the writers managed to really set the scene for exotic barbarianism.

There was a sexist line from Jafar when he was finally going to marry princess Jasmine: “Your speechless I see- a fine quality in a wife.” Which I always found offensive since I was a little Girl. My main point for this project was to be able to show people I was talking to actually how many references there was in the movie Aladdin. Instead of just saying “yeah, there are a lot” I can now refer to this list.

References.

Edward Said

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fVC8EYd_Z_g&t=2s

I found someone else did another short essay on the topic – it is a short essay on the concept of

orientalist and uses Disney Aladdin to demonstrate.

https://www.ukessays.com/essays/film-studies/theory-of-orientalism-and-disneys-aladdin-film-stu

dies-essay.php

Disney’s Aladdin 1992

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“Are you wearing Makeup?”

ARE YOU WEARING MAKEUP?

An experiential study in PTSD, Compounded stress, Evolution and Karma.

Most days I feel the full effect of my agency over my own self, I'm a grown ass woman taking care of all my shit and holding that all down, but there are different triggers that well, do just that, trigger me to places I've thought I've dealt with or left behind.

When it comes to mental health  I regard myself as iron clad. I am transparent with how I feel to everyone for better or for worse, I am the person that my peers crack to- or come in the midst of a freak-out to- because I will be the one to stay calm, talk them down and help with anything immediate that needs taken care of....

My daughter is ending grade 4 soon, becoming a young lady and all traces of the “little girl” I once had are long gone. She is enjoying dressing up more and that includes more makeup-  That was a BIG no in the household I grew up in. didn’t even ask about it.

But when I was a young girl I too wanted to experiment with mom’s makeup and enjoy changing my appearance to look more “mature”, “pretty” or whatever it is that 9 and 10-year-old girls think about.  Being the oldest of 7 children in a house with one bathroom there was very little “private time” in our house. I remember waiting for my dad to be away from the house for the day then lock myself in the bathroom and experiment with all the eyeshadows.

One day afterschool I was just in my loafy tween mind state at home when all of a sudden my dad's voice swelled; Are yoU WEARING MAKEUPPPPPP??! He was furious.

‘Nnno’ I stammered,’ I Had had a small bit of black eyeliner on earlier that I had wiped off- Shit I thought…

he brought his big angry face right up in front of my face breathing heavily, examining my forehead with laser focus.

His thick finger poked me in the center of my brow, “Have you Teased your brow?” , Teased? Oh, he meant Tweezed, I thought, English wasn’t even my dad’s 2nd or 3rdlanguage,  so there were some things sometimes……. 

“YOU TEASE YOUR BROW!”, he was getting even madder.

“Only the center,” I tread to muster out, “Just so I don’t have a unibrow…..”

‘YOU TEASE YOUR BROW!!!! “

He yelled again, and with that he grabbed a small part of my eyebrow in his fingers, “ Yo want to Tease your brow , I’ll tease it for you!” and he pulled that small chunk he was holding right off my face. My hands rose to my face and a looked up at him in disbelief, I remember feeling my mouth in a shocked “o” expression, eyes wide.

I’ve thought of that day many times in adult hood, but never FELT it like I did the other day.

We were all home on a Saturday, My husband cliff and daughter Ace were in the kitchen and I was working in my office which is just off the kitchen. They were chatting then all of a sudden I heard cliff ask Ace…. “ Are you wearing Makeup?”

I was working on my computer in my office and I stopped typing, my hands fell in my lap, I got a knot in my stomach, and I was THERE….. I felt stress creep in to my face and neck.

“yeah”, Said Ace……

“oh, …………. looks nice”, Said Cliff….

I exhaled, and felt my shoulders drop 3 inches…….

Woa, I Thought, It could have been as easy as that.

I was so shocked how I felt, how I was taken back to that moment of fear. And when that one tear rolled down my face I felt healed. 

Nawal

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This Past Fall I was on tour with Zaum .  There are Maritime Heroes in the Music scene and their project has successfully toured Europe, Western Canada and won many Arts grants, awards and nominations. My Friend Kyle asked me this Fall If I had time to do a short Maritime Tour Late last November and Early December. and the crazy parts was I was actually Off those weekends! 

This is what you get when you cross a Middle Eastern Performance artist with a Psychedelic Mantra Doom band= Zaum: the Ritual Experience.

I designed a special Performance flow where I joined the band for a few specific parts of thier 90 minute show. I started with Mystic Whirling (no photos shown here), then the Enlightenment with the Orb and had a Doomy Veil piece and finished with a Sword dance to Omens. I knew the music well and rehearsed so was able to make a clear mental picture and create a vibe to help story tell the abstract concepts embodied in the music.

Each song had a different overtone where I created different characters. They all had heavy overtones of DOOM-

Night 1 we performed at the Sanctuary Theatre in Saint John NB.I have performed in that venue before but adding the immense wall of sound that Zaum brings made it a whole nother deal. I didnt wear ear plugs that night and that was a bad choice.

Night 2 we performed in the boys hometown of Moncton, NB It was at the Aberdeen Cultural Centre and with a newly renovated venue we had a beautiful stage and great sound! Moncton was definitely our nicest venue. The following Friday and Saturday we played at the maniac mansion in Fredericton New Brunswick which is a really small intimate show. And Saturday we played in Halifax at the Horshoe where I have performed belly dance shows before with the girls from serpentine studios and also with wet grow light. My tour sister Olive was super rad and she travelled with me for most of the tour it was nice to have another lady on the road with the band. She played violin and had a crazy FX pedal board and the labels herself an experimental violinist who is classically trained. 😍 p>

Here is the Press Release from November 2017: 

  Completing their tours in Europe and across Canada earlier this year in support of their latest release “Eidolon”, New Brunswick’s ECMA nominees and Music NB award winning mantra doom duo ZAUM announce they will be embarking a special December tour of the Canadian East coast entitled “The Ritual Experience” (dates listed below). The Maritime dates will showcase four exceptional events where the doom duo of Kyle Alexander McDonald (Bass/Vocals/Synth/Textures) plus Christopher Lewis (Drums/Percussion) will perform as one on stage with experimental violinist Olive Bestvater of Saskatoon, SK doomgaze band BLACK TREMOR and classically trained woodwind artisan Ricky Frenette (both of whom performed on ZAUM’s “Eidolon”) along with experimental projections artist Jamie McEwan and Nawal Doucette, an award winning contemporary Middle Eastern dance artist who performs finger cymbals (zils) and specializes in Salimpour belly dance.

Here is the Promo Video from our Fall Tour- we had amazing feedback and are planning some late 2018 Dates and potentially a WORLDWIDE tour in 2019!

This photo set was taken by Tiffany Naugler at the Seahorse Tavern in Halifax 

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A personal favorite from my Etsy shop I have been adding necklaces and working on some more drapes for my summer vending

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Moving on: 7 Years as a “Bellydancer” at Music & Arts Festivals on the East Coast of Canada

***You could sub categorize this blog under the “what style are you”? question.*

A big part of my performing chops and personal style  have evolved  from working/ collaborating at music & arts festival here on the East Coast. This will be my first time in 7 years that I will not be doing ANY East Coast Music & Arts Festivals no performing, no vending, no workshops, in N.B. or N.S. woah. a Lot of friends have been asking WHY???

 It wasn’t even an  intentional  decision. It’s because there are only so many weekends during the summer and I will be Training at the Salimpour School in Berkeley for 3 of those precious weekends and vending and supporting a  NEW Tribal Bellydance Festival in Montreal; Tribal Momentum-  as well as an awesome show i’m so excited for in the FUNDY FRINGE FESTIVAL this August and soo much other stuff!

 So, I’m doing as many events but now they are more specialized ‘bellydance’ events or theatre events , events that are a more productive use of my time (with better amenities) . I am thankful for the opportunities that the hard working organizers provided.I will miss some of those festivals, but not the porta potties !

Performing with Elephant Skeletons Evolve Festival 2016- HOMEBASS Stage.

Here’s a little what it was like back in my day-not to be just a bellydancer but to be a performance artist (not a musician) at a Music festival. As any performer knows backstage life at events like these are less than Glamourous ;) . 

  There has been A LOT of evolution since back when I started adding ‘bellydance’ in to the Music and Arts scene. They would offer you to dance with bands,  and you get up to the stage and there is a maze of patch cords running every which way- that you are somehow supposed to dance over fine. Another time I asked the organizer , where was I supposed to dance, after inspecting the stage- and they said” Oh, up here” and proceeded to lead me up a ladder to an small upper stage filled with canvas for projections - there was literally 3 square feet of space to stand- with 12 foot distance to the ground  on 3 directions- plus projection lights shining direct in my eyes........ yeah, sure. I’ll just levitate here, that’s fine.

You had to pretty much advertise any workshops all yourself because performance artists and workshops were not always included in the festival programs. Now organizations like @SCOUT CAMP media Arts help artists have safe stage space to work and a place to change as well as include or even highlight the performance artists in the festival program- not just having them “on the side”, and actually getting Artists PAID- not just free admission.

 It was made ‘easier’ for me because I was in a band, so I would already be at a festival and know a lot of people. Here’s August 2016 with WET GROW LIGHT at MESSTIVAL 6.66

**After a Suhaila Level 3 August 2016 I had a few issues at SFO. I literally had less than 2 hours from the Moncton airport to the stage. Good thing the theme was Black Metal because I was feelin’ it.**

Organizers would always be stoaked to have something else to offer their attendees.  I would also set up a vending tent and make a working weekend out of it. 

Sometime out of town bands would want some performance artists to join them-  I have had some cool collaborations- with bands and Circus and Fire performers. Sometimes we have time to talk about it sometimes you just get some eye contact  and then try to find a safe spot on the stage.  (Talk about developing Improv Skills!!) I would have to be on the ball, and know professionally what I would need whether it be for dancing, teaching a workshop or plugging in my own instruments 

Sword Improv with OKA - https://www.okamusic.com/

we had time to chat before the show and have a little percussion (finger cymbal)  jam too!

 Dirk Quinn Band who were a funny bunch of talented fellows.  We had the chance to talk through email and share ideas and  get together and talk about how we would want our set to go and key things to listen for- 

http://www.dirkquinn.com/

Some other frustrations would be workshop participants being too wacked- Mind you I always had participants who were clear and there for the music sometime people showed up to workshops a bit to cooked. Or to be given a Yurt space to teach yoga and it is littered with cigarette butts, dank couches and a really shwifty vibe.Is it even responsible as a teacher to instruct these people to turn themselves upside down? It was difficult for me me to feel respectful to myself when  teaching in such conditions. I prize my life’s path of teaching and sharing culture and want to always feel respectful to my students and respected. Its not to say it all disrespect, not at all- I have had great time performing and teaching at Music and arts festivals. And I think the organizers are starting to become aware that Performing artists DO have needs and tech specs and riders.

I am  totally looking forward to some of my “different” festivals I will be a part of this summer like The BackRoadBall and all woman’s weekend motorcycle retreat where I will be teaching as well as vending. Like I mentioned above I will be in Montreal a few time this year, just returned for TA-ing with Suhaila Salimpour , will be teaching a workshop end of June  with Inka Stroble see event HERE:

Fundy Fringe Festival where we get to perform a 1 hour show for 5 days straight! presenting a show i have been working on for some time: a Century of Bellydance. 

and Vending Taking workshops (and Hopefully Performing) at Tribal Momentum in Montreal July 15&16th 

So my projects are maturing as am I. This is my highest aspiration as a working artist- to continue to progress and grow.

Growing every day and Thankful for all the opportunities given.And now in life the opportunities opening up are enabling me opportunities to hone my teaching, performing  and professional skills in a more ‘academic’ context.  The life of a working artist is not for the faint of heart,  one must be prepared to move on without warning and be able to look back with gratitude and the experiences that have built them and look toward the future with an open heart and mind for experiences to come.

for all events :

http://www.maritimetribal.com/events/

Nawal

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Some basic tech knowledge for bellydancers (whoever)

I am  part of and organize many events- pretty much every event needs SOUND and I am always surprised when communicating to another person in “the scene” how little they know to communicate their needs clearly- 

Here are a few basic tech terms and what I believe to be helpful basic knowledge if you ever want to work with a sound person or play your own music at an event.

1) PA - (PA system) 

This is your sound system. This is different than just a “stereo”. The PA can refer to JUST the amp/speakers but when you say PA system it includes a mixing board and all needed cords. Usually if you have a full band you would need the mixing board to be able to control how all the sounds sound together- this is called ‘mixing’ and is what your sound guy/gal would usually do- 

PA- Lots of people think PA stands for Pro Audio but it technically  stands for : Public Address- because you need amplification to address the public.

2) head phone to head phone cord

This is important to have if you play your set from MP3 player or ipad. you can plug one end in to your device and one end in to a stereo with Audio in or use an adapter like a 1/4″ jack to plug in to your PA.

3) 1/4"Adapter/Jack

This is important to have for your above cord- because sometimes amps and PA systems only have 3/4″ holes. This little accessory has saved me in a pinch.

4) XLR Cable

You may need XLR cable if you are using a microphone, certain Keyboards or certain wireless transmitters.

5) DI Box- Direct In 

If you have a stage for musicians other than your electric guitarists or bassists you may need a DI box for them to plug in to, and then your DI plugs in to the mixer. Usually most string instruments will need a DI. 

I hope that was helpful- and when you are asked what you have for sound you can answer and also tell someone what you need for sound. It is always good to have a tech rider if you require anything wireless for your set and to be able to communicate what you need CLEARLY.

Nawal

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Salimpour Love- Why I continue to choose The Salimpour School.

​

Hi, my name is Nawal Doucette, I am a student at the Salimpour School of Bellydance and  I teach yoga and belly dance in my community of Saint John, New Brunswick, East Coast Canada.

My first exposure to Suhaila was through her fitness fusion DVD set while is was pregnant. My sister gave me them.  I started the DVD's and enjoyed the feeling of getting stronger and tried to enrol in a class in Vancouver but the teacher turned me away saying I was too much of a risk to join class pregnant, I was  offended as I was quite physically fit and resolved that when I moved home I would take the first class I could find.

After I had My daughter we moved back home- to the east coast and that's when I really started dancing seriously.  I began taking classes in “Egyptian style”  (that was the ONLY OPTION)  when we moved back- I would drive 45 minutes each way to class- and within completing two 8 weeks sessions my teacher had me demoing the moves for the class, I was  invited me to join the troupe- it took only one performance to see : one of these things is not like the other”- and I thought “this is NOT what I thought belly dance was or what I wanted out of my experience.....

Living in a small place news gets around and  my friends had told their friends that I was teaching myself to belly dance .....and they wanted in on it. They hounded me to teach classes in the community – I didn’t feel qualified or ready but the community needed some fresh blood- so I began to teach.

My first class ran in a community centre, I thought maybe only a few people would show up- but 20 women came out on the first night!!  SO COOL, obviously the community needed fresh belly dance!  I was overwhelmed and wanted to better equip myself to manage the class room. A  yoga teacher training that would take the next year came up and I enrolled while doing as many belly dance DVD's as I could get my hands on.

I started to look if there was some sort of certification for belly dance, a training that could be comprehensive like my yoga training was to give me standardized content and teaching methodology. I researched the dancers I admired and looked in to who they had learned from and found ATS and went further back and  I found The Salimpour School Legacy.  This was THE place to go it seemed if one was truly serious about “belly dance” .

The school was in California. It was a big decision for me my daughter was almost 3 and this would be the longest I would be away from my family and first time traveling ALONE, all the way on the other side of the continent.

I weighed the pros and cons of travelling so far and paying so much. I decided to 'make it worth it' . The first workshop I attended was a Jamila Multi-Level (back when Jamila would spend the afternoon telling her juicy stories!!)

I could prepare and test for Jamila 1, Suhaila 1 and Jamila 2. I prepared EXACTLY like the list said. I did the drills, online classes, bought the choreography(ies). I became ready.  It came down to my gut feeling that I HAD TO GO!!  Financially it seemed to be the most well rounded program; history, musicality,and  super heavy on finger cymbals. I must admit;  I was in it for the Jamila Format, the Suhaila format was not my 'style'.(hahaha)

I arrived to find out it they hadn't planned to run a Suhaila Level 1 Test, but I needed it to test the Jamila 2.  Suhaila came in and said “we are going to get you everything you came to do”.  I had to have my level 1 test alone with Suhaila and her assistant calling commands and making notes!- I swear to this day that it made my period start early

Since my first visit to the Mothership I have returned many times. And every time it is intense.A full immersion. My dancing sharpens, my cymbals lighten, my mind clears and I feel so strong.

I have  learned that Suhaila format IS my style. If you are a bellydancer it's your style too. It’s the key to ALL the styles. And though the Jamila format came first, the Suhaila format breaks it down. It is  the building blocks of belly dance.  You can be ALL the styles.

The Salimpour School is centuries of   belly dance history, literature, research and women's experience and its just there.....at our finger tips! Timeless and tested technique and stylization.  

If you have been on the fence about it - hop on over.

This Blog Post is for the Salimpour Summer Of Love Contest 2017 

http://www.salimpourschool.com/why-salimpour-summer-of-love-contest/

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Super Fun time Jamming with the Dirk Quinn Band- Midsummer Madness Festival June 18th 2016 

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Last Fall My little Family went out to the stone quarry- past Brownesflats NB, and filmed a video for Elephant Skeleton’s Spring 2016 release Boomerang-  

Visual Weirdness and Pounding Grooves-  Cliff and I are headed to Cape Breton Next weekend to accept his Nomination for the ECMA’s Electronic Album of the Year for Elephant Skeletons- 

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Ah, My first Day back  to Reality after a 10 day- 100 hour immersion in to YIN YOGA- with Stephanie Calhoun. Having Finished my first 200 Hundred Hour Training in 2010 I felt long over due for some continuing education. Now, I havent taught a straight up Yoga Class Since.... Early 2015- I teach Strictly Bellydance the past year although to me, movement is movement and I dont feel the need to label - Now this is Bellydance, Now This is yoga- I just use what I have learned from multiple sources to strengthen my personal Artistic Movement Practice- 

Yin Yoga is not really understoon by those who have not studied it- it is a Taoist approach to Yoga and Life and is based on ‘Sensation Based Allingment” - meaning that each individual must feel for thier own inside thier bodies and learn to distinguish 2 primary sensations : Tension or Compression-  Tension being an area of ‘stretch’ and compression being often Bone on Bone Resistance. A core ideology of YIN YOGA is that since not all are skeletons are built the same way than traditional alingment rules in yoga simply CAN NOT apply to all peoples- to quote my teacher “you have the Bones or you don’t” .

This Form of Yoga is a series of Forms (poses)  intended to Target the Fascial Meridians rather than the muscles of the body and stimulate Bone on Bone resistance which helps strengthen Bones and improve bone density, This is truly a maintenance practice for our connective tissues; bones, fascia and tendons.

During the Course of Training I learned that some of the “issues” or places I thought I had to work on ‘flexibility” (TENSION) in my own practice will actually be impossible to see any significant change unless I want to damage or compromise another part of my body- I learned about MY Skeletal variation and what my bones allowed me to do within my natural Range of motion.- Some mind blowing revelations for many of my class mates to see thier skeletal variations as well- even in 1 body both sides of the skeleton are not necessairly semmetrical.

What a Gift- To know thyself deeper, know thy bones. I would reccomend this course to anyone who want to learn how to take responsibility of thier own body health and know what rules work for them. You cannot Fit a square peg in a round hole,  and not all people look the same or are shapped the same.......so then WHY are Commercial Yoga Alingment rules straight across the board for soo many individuals??  Question everything- DO NOT let YOGA teachers “assist’ you in to a pose you may not be able to do, not because you are week or too tight but because your BONES just don’t turn that way....

lots to think about and lots to process-

thanks for reading!

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I had the great fortune of Performing in Seattle this past October at Waking Persephone Bellydance Fusion Festival-

Thankyou Tempest!

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One of My husband’s Projects MAZORD- Im not one for nostalgia- but Mazord if definetely nostalgic for me- as well as new- 

Im loving the doomy direction they are taking- Have a listen- and look for them touring around the Maritimes in 2016- 

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I would like to Thank all my student of the Past 5 and a half Years- I have truly learned soo soo much from you and your openess and sometimes not-so-openess-  to try Yoga.  I have recently logged my Teaching Hours with YOGA ALLIANCE and have over 1000 teaching hours (and that’s just teaching YOGA)- giving me my E-RYT 200 designaton! EXPERIENCED Registered Yoga Teacher-  This March (2016) I am returning to training- in the YIN tradition and adding another 100 hours working towards my E-500 hour teaching designation- 

Wow- time flies and I am honoured to be able to spend my time on this earth helping myself and others relax , learn our bodies and live a prosporous life- ! I dont normally say Namaste in blog posts but I feel it fitting here and I genuinely mean it-

Namaste 

Nawal

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Nawal Doucette at Waking Persephone 2015

My first time at Waking Persephone Bellydance Fusion Festival October 16- 19 2015 in Seattle Washington. Thankyou Tempest Music: Wet Grow Light's LA RUE http...

My Video from Waking Persephone Festival- :) I sure was happy to be in seattle for such a cool event!

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A Recap From 2014- I was out of town this year but man, what a crappy looking time.