bellydance books at the used book store , made myself a belt and got cymbals from my favorite music store , and sought out any live performances I could find . Mostly at fairs . This was 1977 .
Inspirations ? Morocco from NY was a big one . In a nutshell : she insisted you had to really know as much as you could about what you were doing .
N : Morocco always has great advice for sure ! You have sponsored and co-sponsored showcases and competitions over the years . Tell us about a little bit about them ! Any plans for future events ?
S : I produced a big multi-day festival “ Saqra ’ s Showcase ” in Portland , OR , featuring a ton of vendors , dancers and workshops for over 25 years .
I sponsored .... oh wow .... a series of intensive retreats with Morocco . Workshops and shows with Egyptian performers Nadia Hamdi and Mahmoud Reda and numerous other workshops and shows with folks from the US , Canada , Germany , England and New Zealand . Produced the MED & CA competition a couple of years . Edited the MED & CA magazine . Assistant edited / composed Jareeda magazine when it was both paper and had a huge subscribership . Produced monthly dance shows for 28 years . Co-produced the long running Mediterranean Fantasy Festival in Seattle with some terrific women ( Saroya and Circe ). Co-produced two competitions for numerous years with my current business partner Gilana .... I ’ ve produced / sponsored a LOT of stuff ... because people need places to perform since the club scene died and because most people weren ’ t suited to the club scene anyway .
N : That is amazing !! What are some of your favorite events you have performed at over the years ? Haven ’ t you been sponsored outside of the US as well ?
S : My VERY favorite thing was probably working for years as a club dancer with live music , but I think you are asking more about stage events ?
N : I was , but you can certainly tell us about that , too !
S : I would say my very favorite was Rakkasah festivals in both San Francisco and NJ ... I ended up with some very ,
1980s
very close friends that I love very much . But I have had a wonderful time at festivals all over the US ! Seattle ’ s Med Fest before I came in as a co-producer . Salt Lake City . Helena , Montana . Boise , ID . Spokane ... I love festivals !! I love events that bring in all levels of dancer and all types of performance ( even if some aren ’ t my cup of tea ).
Other events that were a blast : a heavy equipment auction , a very fancy auction for charity , a million live music in the park events and farmer ’ s markets .... lots of crazy experiences .
And yes , I ’ ve taught all over Canada , all over Germany ( in German and I don ’ t speak German , which was crazy fun ), Japan , China , Morocco , England , all over the US including Hawaii and Alaska , numerous Caribbean cruises and Mexican Riviera cruises ... so much fun ! And I ’ ve had some wonderful , wonderful experiences .... great people and wonderful shows ! I can ’ t really pick and choose among them for the best very well ...
N : Wow , that is awesome ! You are also a wonderful musician and have even been providing live music online
September 2022 � The Belly Dance Chronicles 9