Joana Saahirah´s World Blog
A Collection of Articles, Videos, and Freebies on Egyptian Dance, Self-Discovery & Empowerment
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...
How to Elevate your Energetic Vibration
Energy is real. And it shapes who we are, our reality, our lives.
In this 3rd dimensional world we live in, we´ve been taught to care for the physical, the things we can see and touch. The invisible has been, until recently, a subject for witches, wizards, and lunatics.
When, on my first work visit to Ireland, I had a one-on-one meeting with spirits - the souls of deceased people who decided they wanted me to see them, touch them and talk to them - at the (in)famous Charleville castle, in...
Three shocking lessons 2021 has taught me
I´m not going to lie:
The year of 2021 has knocked me down. Not out, but down.
Down is the opposite of up, down and up being the two faces of the same coin, and we can only go up when we´re down. So, I´m fine. The Wheel is turning for all of us, independently of our awareness of it, and I dance upon mine with champagne, strawberries, and laughter on the side.
In this post, something I wrote primarily for myself and then, for you, I´m sharing 3 shocking lessons 2021 has taught me. I hope th...
Why I hated Shaabi & why I fell in love with it
I´ve already told you about my hate-love relationship with Modern Shaabi.
I told you I´d built a wall between my work and this style, my world and the world of Shaabi but I hadn´t told you why I´d built those walls.
In this blog post, I´m sharing the real story behind my resistance towards Shaabi and why I - perhaps shockingly - fell in love with it.
- Listen to the Blog/Podcast Episode and check join our NEW "Modern Shaabi" Course happening this October/November at our School.
...
What I Learned from Egyptian Women
After many years of career and life in Egypt, and in other countries of the Middle East & North Africa, here´s something I have to admit:
I A-D-O-R-E Egyptian Women and I´ve learned a great deal from them.
Want me to lift the veil, just a bit, and share the goodies with you?
Your wish is my command.
In this Blog Audio Post, I´m sharing a few of the most precious lessons I´ve learned from Egyptian and Arab Women I met.
Grab a cup of tea. Relax. Listen and enjoy (audio post above⬆️⬆...
Why Saiidi is the King of Egyptian Folklore
I´m in a Podcast mood. Can you feel it?
I´m also in a Saiidi mood. That´s why I´m revealing this is my favorite Egyptian Folkloric style. And also the king of Egyptian Folklore.
Want to know why?
Listen to this Podcast Episode I recorded exclusively for Joana Saahirah´s Blog.
(for more information & fun around Saiidi, dive into the Bonus Resources & Courses I´m sharing in this post)
- Bonus Resources on Saiidi:
Intimate Conversation about Mahmoud, Saiidi, and I - Click HERE ...
What my (genius) Percussionist taught me
In more than 20 years of career, one that grew abnormally fast, I was privileged to work with the best musicians in the field of Egyptian Music and Dance and even luckier to call them "my teachers".
Unlike so many dancers I knew, especially in Cairo where it´s not uncommon at a certain level of career to "own" your own orchestra, I listened to my musicians as if they were mentors, family, friends, creation and soul partners.
Make no mistake: they listened to me, as well. I was their...
You shouldn´t learn Egyptian Dance. Here´s why.
Because, if properly taught, Egyptian Dance disrupts your life.
Because it challenges you on levels you didn´t even know existed.
Because it´ll make you look in the mirror and say "I love you" with genuine feeling (and there´ll be consequences resulting from it).
Because it´ll open your mind, heart, body, and soul and we know how dangerous that can be.
Because it´ll show you the Path of Sacred Sensuality, a path that´ll make you a reincarnation of Lilith. And Lilith is trouble and da...
Wanna be Perfect or Happy?
We live in a world of illusions. One of the biggest and most harmful illusions of all is the concept of perfection.
Social Media sells the illusion of perfect homes, perfect bodies, perfect lives. We´re inundated by images of perfection and, even without wanting to, we compare our reality to the supposed reality we see.
We feel less than...not as great/happy/amazing/special as...
The mainstream field of Egyptian Dance sells the illusion of perfect movements, perfect dance, perfect dance cloth...
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...
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