Letter . . . from the Editor:
Spring is here, but our past weekend in Waxahachie, Texas, for on-site rehearsals for the Wings of Isis, the Star Dancers
and Drums of Isis at Scarborough Renaissance Festival, was really not spring-like for Texas – 55 degrees and very windy,
which made it feel even colder. Love the challenges with belly dance costumes, hair in your face, swords that are moving
weather vanes, red noses for the dancers and red, cold hands for the drummers and dancers for six straight hours. Ah,
but we were dancing and drumming and rehearsing a new show, so was it worth the discomfort? – you bet! Hope you’re
having a beautiful start to Spring 2019 where you are!
SILVIA SALAMANCA is our gorgeous April Cover Star. If you didn’t know and love her before this issue, Tammye
Nash’s interview with Silvia will show you why we all adore her and appreciate her outstanding talents.
Our feature on Sherifa Zuhur, Ph.D., dancer, musician, academic, author, and professor, a multi-talented woman – her
personal experiences and perspective, interviewed by Ma*Shuqa Mira Murjan, is fascinating. And then in our Spotlight by
Tammye Nash: The Triad – Luna Poumian, Diana Soto, and Mia Sha’uri – a new trans-national fusion company dedicated
to performing together and to healing the belly dance community…while all are living in different countries! Come to Yaa
Halla, Y’all 2019 to see their amazing long-distance creativities!
So looking forward to Amaya’s upcoming book, “An Amayamazing Life!” … enjoy this personal excerpt She Dances in Beauty.
Don’t miss Fahtiem’s Categories & Definitions - purpose, decisions, life philosophy. Staff writer Ma*Shuqa Mira Murjan
bares her “me too” journey and more in Barriers and Challenges to a Career in Belly Dance, and adds Part 4 to Performance
Professionalism for dynamic performance (complete with videos). And on the other side of performance, Balancing Dance
Integrity with Love of the Dance by Nizana brings to the forefront thoughts on how/where you perform as a new dancer. Turn
Your Dance Class into a Thriving Community by Nadirah R. Bray is charming and yet another side of dance.
Two book reviews – The Shape of a Hundred Hips by Patricia Cumbie, reviewed by Cennet Seher, and Belly Dance Rhythm
Resource: What Every Dancer Should Know for a Memorable Performance by Richard A. Steiger, reviewed by Ma*Shuqa Mira
Murjan – for all of us who love to hold real books too, much as we appreciate digital.
And we round out this issue with numerous pictorials (LOVE photos): Bellydancer of the Universe Competition
Champions (Anaheim, California), photos by RS Associates; Winter Cairo Shimmy 2018 (Glendale, California), photos
by Carl F. Sermon, with a click through for more photos; BABDAMA 2018 (Los Altos, California), photos by Carl F.
Sermon; Isis and the Star Dancers Sweetheart Hafla 2019 (Bedford, Texas), photos by Tammye Nash.
Photos that accompany our many articles are noted in the articles, and we applaud the
numerous photographers who bring the visual to these articles. Wherever you are in the
world, we implore you to share your experiences, your events; show us your heart and
your passion for life, dance, music, and the world you live in.
With much love and hugs,
and
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The Belly Dance Chronicles
April 2019
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