Joana Saahirah´s World Blog

A Collection of Articles, Videos, and Freebies on Egyptian Dance, Self-Discovery & Empowerment

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 coffeeshop - a typical Egyptian coffeeshop. 

 Baladi attitude - a typical Egyptian attitude that mixes groundedness,...

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How I fell in love with Om Kolthoum (a very personal story by Joana Saahirah)

Let me tell you a secret: I didn´t start loving Om Kolthoum. In fact, for years, I didn´t get what all the fuss was about. 

My first contact with Egyptian music happened through Hossam Ramzy, pop and shaabi music I found in the markets during my first study trips to Egypt, the easy on western ears kind of stuff. 

 

 

Om Kolthoum was an icon, an untouchable name that popped on my horizon as a mandatory field of study, a...

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My Top 5 Tips for Self-Care (in times of trouble)

Self-care has always been a passion of mine.

As a professional dancer, who´s always been in the public eye, and an over-doer, I´ve had to learn, from a very early age, the importance of taking good care of this miraculous machine I call "myself". 

It may sound selfish, vain, perhaps egocentric. I know it can. We´ve been told a "good woman" takes care of others, not of herself. Right?

Wrong!

A good woman knows she cannot give what she doesn´t have for herself; she...

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Here´s what I do in times of crisis

 

From my window, I see the Atlantic ocean. It´s beautiful. 

I can also see the emptiness of the street, the cars that stopped passing by, the neighbors who refrain from leaving the house. Just like I do, just like most people in Europe do, right now.

The Corona Virus hit the world and with it comes a series of QUESTIONS we never dared asking. I´m a firm believer in the flipside of the coin. Meaning: every challenge carries an opportunity and every crisis has its perks if...

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The biggest GIFT any teacher can give you

 

Have you ever met a Teacher who changed you or/and the course of your life?

They say the teacher appears when the student´s ready. I´ve always been ready to learn; always curious, thriving for more, deeper, better. 

I´m many things - a Teacher, a Dancer, a Choreographer, an Author and - but, mostly, I´m an Eternal Student. Understandably, loads of powerful teachers have popped, from time to time, into my life.

From all the amazing teachers I...

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