Joana Saahirah´s World Blog
A Collection of Articles, Videos, and Freebies on Egyptian Dance, Self-Discovery & Empowerment
How Saiidi Changed my Life
It feels like I´m walking alone for a long time.
The way I see Egyptian Dance is new, though based on ancient wisdom and history, and the way I practice it is out of the box, mostly misunderstood and eventually copied by others in my industry.
One of the things I´ve been doing - teaching, writing, and speaking about - for a long time, in perfect solitude, is to claim there´s a direct connection between Egyptian Dance and Life.
What I learn for Egyptian Dance, I apply to Life; what I learn f...
The Ultimate Self-Empowerment Tool
Imagine a world where you rely on can yourself for guidance, strength, wisdom, and direction.
Imagine a world where you dream and accomplish those dreams, where you know, ´cause you know, the power to be the person you wish to become is within.
That world is my concept of SELF-EMPOWERMENT, one of the keys to my career and life.
Now, let´s get clear:
Self-Empowerment, like every other subject on the face of the earth, means different things for different people.
For me, the meaning of S...
Why I went to Egypt - A Soul Journey by Joana Saahirah
For a long time, I didn´t think about my journey.
The slogan I use - from Portugal to Egypt; from Egypt to the World - synthesized the path I´d already built but, to be honest, I hadn´t had the time to reflect upon it. So far.
It all happened fast. Abnormally fast; a thunderbolt, a weird time-travel adventure I didn´t dare to question. My life before and after (re)discovering Egyptian Dance is unrecognizable. Two completely different realities.
Here´s how it all happened, telegram-sty...
Born this way (from lamb to lion)
I was once asked if I "was born this way" by a beautiful student who was participating in one of my workshops in Merano, Italy.
In fact, I was asked that question, in different disguises, on several occasions.
How did I get here - to this point of self-awareness and assurance, a place where I can be my full self, unapologetically, and claim the freedom of not bothering about what others think of me?
Self-Confidence may be a feature most will associate with me and I have, in fact, developed it...
The Mystical (Sensual) Journey of the Baladi Awadi🌶
For most dancers, Baladi is a style. If those dancers are informed, they´ll know Baladi is a dance, music, and lifestyle; it´s also the name of a rhythm and the term used to describe typically Egyptian people, things, and places.
Baladi comes from "balad", homeland/country.
Baladi = "My homeland/country".
Baladi bread - typical Egyptian bread.
Baladi coffee shop - a typical Egyptian coffee shop.
Baladi attitude - a typical Egyptian attitude that mixes groundedness, resourcefulness, natu...
Om Kolthoum can change your life (I´ll show you how)
Om Kolthoum can change your life.
I know this is an ambitious claim but, I assure you, we can fulfill it.
As usual, I write/dance/teach from experience. The theory isn´t enough - it never was. I have to live to tell.
And I´ve been living it - this long-time love affair with the music of Om Kolthoum and its side effects.
Most Oriental dancers, from every level, associate the music of Om Kolthoum to a distant, out of reach, sophisticated world but my story with her music tells me otherwise.
...What teachers don´t tell you about Emotion in Egyptian Dance
Emotion and Egyptian Dance come in one single package.
I´d say there´s no Egyptian Dance without emotion. True, mask-free, raw, coming-from-within emotion.
As I work on a new Online Course for Joana Saahirah´s Online Dance School, focused on Love, I reflect on what it means to feel - in Egyptian Dance and in Life - and how we can express emotion in a clear, powerful, meaningful way.
There are techniques, tips, and tricks. Opening of chakras, postures, projections, and lines. And, then, ...
The Treasures hiding in Egyptian Dance
From the moment the Quarantine started, I asked myself "how can Egyptian Dance help me and the world move through this challenging time? "
Most people will not turn to Egyptian Dance for life advice/wisdom but I´m not most people. I´ve been digging deep into the ancient art of "Raks al Sharki" for what it feels like an eternity.
I know better. And, as Maya Angelou once put it, "when we know better, we do better."
Authentic Egyptian Dance, the one that allows us to discover and expres...
What´s the true purpose of Egyptian Dance?
The purpose of Egyptian Dance has been forgotten, a long time ago.
Yet, forgotten doesn´t mean lost; it doesn´t mean erased. It just means "forgotten", something that has been buried under the sand and fallen upon collective amnesia.
When I think about the History of Egyptian Dance, its ancient roots and how many changes, limitations, and distortions it has endured, I´m not surprised that its essence has been left behind.
Egyptian Dance has been used as a workout, as a social ...
Sometimes, this is the most creative thing you can do:
I´ve always been a DOER.
No, I´m no stranger to laziness, procrastination, the fear of failure and/or success, exhaustion. I deal with those, in different intensity degrees, on a daily basis.
Yes, I also like to have fun, relax, being instead of producing. Netflix calls me, quitting is an option, if only for a second; I´m human, after all.
And, still, DOING is my thing. As hard, sweaty, challenging, and boring as it may be, at times, DOING is my cup of tea; it builds character, self-conf...
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