Joana Saahirah´s World Blog
A Collection of Articles, Videos, and Freebies on Egyptian Dance, Self-Discovery & Empowerment
How to keep the Warmth of your Heart
- Foreign dancers may be better, technically, and more beautiful and professional than Egyptians, but they´re cold. This is where they lose the game.
First, let´s hit pause. There´s nothing to lose or gain because, let me repeat this till exhaustion, we don´t have to live and dance in competition mode. Let whoever wants to compete with you, compete. Let them burn in that fire if that´s their wish - you don´t have to participate in it.
Second, the comment I´ve shared relates to what ...
Myth #1 about Egyptian Dance (and its debunking)
The most common Myths about Egyptian Dance (and their debunking)📯📯📯
3 Steps to Improve your Musicality
Why should you even care?
Why is Musicality such a big deal?
Aren´t dancers supposed to be moving instead of listening?
If I earned a dollar each time I heard one of those questions, I´d be a millionaire.
And it pains me to notice how ignorant most of us are of the true magic of Egyptian Dance.
Yes, Egyptian Dance is movement but it cannot be resumed to it. Egyptian Dance is not a sport, not a gymnastic discipline, not an army drill, not a mechanical set of movements.
Movement is...
"Alhamdulillah" - Motivational Message by Joana Saahirah
Having lived and performed in Egypt for almost a decade meant three things:
1. The beginning of my international career in Egyptian Oriental and Folkloric Dance;
2. An in-depth knowledge and love for Egyptian Dance, Music, and Culture;
3. A deep, often dramatic, shift in the way I saw myself, the world, and life.
One of the most challenging aspects of living and working, as a foreigner, in a different culture, is the shock between the values we carry within and the values that culture p...
Where my Heroine´s Journey started
Why do we block our Sensuality?
Sensuality. Seduction. Odalisques and sultans. An exotic dance form both ancient and deliciously naughty; forbidden; even sinful.
This is how most of us see Egyptian Dance (erroneously called "belly dance").
In the middle of that melting pot of myths, prejudices, and distortions, it´s hard to organize the house and know, with absolute clarity, what are we talking about when we talk about Egyptian Oriental Dance.
Thankfully, there are facts. History. Reality. And my own experienc...
The Maa´lema´s Confidence
Om Mohamed was a regular Egyptian woman.
Or so it seemed.
She wore the "hijab", like a good Muslim woman does, so says the crowd; obeyed her husband, accepted the existence of another woman in her conjugal life - her husband´s second wife -; worked at home and outside of her home, the worst of her sins, only forgiven because the family needed the money.
The neighbors spoke highly of her. Her husband´s second wife, a much appreciated help in the raising of 6 children, never dared ...
What kind of Egyptian Dance Student are you?
What kind of Egyptian Dance student are you? I mean, for real.
Also, does it matter? (spoiler alert #1: it does)
In all these years of career in Egyptian Dance - more than 20 years of non-stop performing, teaching, lecturing, judging, and learning from every front, first in Egypt and then around the World - I´ve noticed there are different kinds of students.
I´ve also noticed how those different kinds of students behave and how their attitude shapes their experience - allowing for ...
Discoveries from my Bed Rest (when a dancer has to stop moving)
3 Gifts Egyptian Folklore has offered me
When most of us think about Egyptian Folklore, we don´t think about Personal Growth. Or a life-changing transformation.
In fact, we think of nothing. Of nonsense, frequently.
Egyptian Folklore has been the "poor sister" of "Raks el Sharki" ("Dance of the East"/Oriental Dance) since I can remember.
It seems to be less cool.
Less glamorous.
Less important.
Yet, having performed, taught, and choreographed Egyptian Folklore for such a long time - first, in Egypt; then, around th...
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