Ahlan!
Laila Karimah means dusky and creme de la creme; they are both names bestowed on me by the world renowned Master teachers Mahmoud Reda and Aida Nour from Egypt from whom I had the privilige of studying Raqs Sharqi.
Born in the Far East, settled in the Middle East - that is the Gulf state of Oman and I eventually migrated Westwards to Northern Ireland. Ghawazee' meaning gypsies in Egyptian circles is such a name for that peculiar breed of nomadic wanderers.
Passion for dance is deep rooted in the Asian culture. My own coming of age into womanhood, much to my chagrin and embarrassment was made into a spectacle for all the relatives to celebrate. The transition from being a tomboy terrorising the boys to being forced to dress in pink with roses in your hair and having aunts singing and dancing with oil lamps around you is one of the unforgettable life changing rituals I have observed.
Having grown up in a culture of Western Disco and Rock 'n' Roll, and despite the '91 Gulf War raging, the Middle East had more delights to offer. As a Ward Deputy Nurse in Orthopaedics in the Mustashfah Sultani Sultanate of Oman, an Egyptian doctor friend got me a copy of the famous papyrus of the dancing girls from the tombs in the Valley of Kings. George Rauf also got me a video of the Egyptian Oriental bellydancers from the 70's with Nagwa Fouad, Sohair Zaki and Fifi Abdou.
Spurred on by friends from the extended Omani Royal family, namely Humood Albou Said who would comment on following my dancing prowess with my heart, I would have partaken in the wedding celebrations and private parties. Hypnotic, mesmerising and addictive are ways to describe the dance of the Arab nations which is a deep, soul searching journey into oneself, discovering that inner essence within and the celebration of the body through release in the freedom of expression. This is a wholesome, healthy state of being experienced by this form of dancing which requires no alcohol or drugs except the heart beat rhythm of the Middle Eastern tabla and nay.
Now in the West, I have pursued it to a Diploma Level with the Josephine Wise Academy of Arabic Dance (JWAAD) in London. The Principal-Josephine Wise and all the teachers have been a major source of inspiration to my desire to learn, appreciate and understand the culture of this dance and to promote this in Northern Ireland. I also trained with the lovely and informative Australian Master teacher Keti Shariff in the A to Z technique in bellydancing.
Over the years I have travelled to Egypt, attended the prestigious Ahlan Wa Sahlan Oriental Festival in Cairo, held at the Mena House Oberoi.I have had the blessed opportunity to study with excellent Master teachers such as the legendary Mahmoud Reda, founder of the National Folkloric Troupe of Egypt, Aida Nour, Zaza Hassan, Dr. Medhat Fahmy, Yousry Sharif, Raqia Hassan, Khaled Mahmoud, Laila Haddad, Kazafy, Dandash, Magdy Al Laisy, Lubna Inaam, Jilina, Hamada, Orit Maftsir, Fereshteh, Wendy Marlatt, Shafeek, Ozgen etc.
This has fuelled my passion and love for Raqs Sharqi in its many forms in such a way as to learn and earn that respect for one's self, beliefs, art and teachers.
Shukran gazillan!
Laila Karimah al Said.
Laila Karimah means dusky and creme de la creme; they are both names bestowed on me by the world renowned Master teachers Mahmoud Reda and Aida Nour from Egypt from whom I had the privilige of studying Raqs Sharqi.
Born in the Far East, settled in the Middle East - that is the Gulf state of Oman and I eventually migrated Westwards to Northern Ireland. Ghawazee' meaning gypsies in Egyptian circles is such a name for that peculiar breed of nomadic wanderers.
Passion for dance is deep rooted in the Asian culture. My own coming of age into womanhood, much to my chagrin and embarrassment was made into a spectacle for all the relatives to celebrate. The transition from being a tomboy terrorising the boys to being forced to dress in pink with roses in your hair and having aunts singing and dancing with oil lamps around you is one of the unforgettable life changing rituals I have observed.
Having grown up in a culture of Western Disco and Rock 'n' Roll, and despite the '91 Gulf War raging, the Middle East had more delights to offer. As a Ward Deputy Nurse in Orthopaedics in the Mustashfah Sultani Sultanate of Oman, an Egyptian doctor friend got me a copy of the famous papyrus of the dancing girls from the tombs in the Valley of Kings. George Rauf also got me a video of the Egyptian Oriental bellydancers from the 70's with Nagwa Fouad, Sohair Zaki and Fifi Abdou.
Spurred on by friends from the extended Omani Royal family, namely Humood Albou Said who would comment on following my dancing prowess with my heart, I would have partaken in the wedding celebrations and private parties. Hypnotic, mesmerising and addictive are ways to describe the dance of the Arab nations which is a deep, soul searching journey into oneself, discovering that inner essence within and the celebration of the body through release in the freedom of expression. This is a wholesome, healthy state of being experienced by this form of dancing which requires no alcohol or drugs except the heart beat rhythm of the Middle Eastern tabla and nay.
Now in the West, I have pursued it to a Diploma Level with the Josephine Wise Academy of Arabic Dance (JWAAD) in London. The Principal-Josephine Wise and all the teachers have been a major source of inspiration to my desire to learn, appreciate and understand the culture of this dance and to promote this in Northern Ireland. I also trained with the lovely and informative Australian Master teacher Keti Shariff in the A to Z technique in bellydancing.
Over the years I have travelled to Egypt, attended the prestigious Ahlan Wa Sahlan Oriental Festival in Cairo, held at the Mena House Oberoi.I have had the blessed opportunity to study with excellent Master teachers such as the legendary Mahmoud Reda, founder of the National Folkloric Troupe of Egypt, Aida Nour, Zaza Hassan, Dr. Medhat Fahmy, Yousry Sharif, Raqia Hassan, Khaled Mahmoud, Laila Haddad, Kazafy, Dandash, Magdy Al Laisy, Lubna Inaam, Jilina, Hamada, Orit Maftsir, Fereshteh, Wendy Marlatt, Shafeek, Ozgen etc.
This has fuelled my passion and love for Raqs Sharqi in its many forms in such a way as to learn and earn that respect for one's self, beliefs, art and teachers.
Shukran gazillan!
Laila Karimah al Said.
