A Mid Summer Riddle, posted by Meroe

What do you get if you cross some angels with some devils, add in a couple of Romans, a dash of a samba band, a liberal sprinkling of pirates and just a hint of Arabia?

Well the answer is obvious – it’s the Midsummer Watch Parade in Chester 2013!

Getting ready for the parade

I have to say when I saw the weather forecast for the weekend I was worried – very worried in fact. I could see no way that we were going to walk round Chester for an hour on either Saturday 22nd or Sunday 23rd June and either not get very wet, or get blown away in the strong winds. But... the gods of Chester were clearly smiling down on everyone because it certainly didn’t rain on this parade!

The unicorn

What a brilliant turn out for what was rumoured to be the biggest Midsummer Watch parade ever – and there have been a few in the past 600 years! Romans, pirates, school children, angels, samba bands, tumblers, giants, ravens, fish – you name it, it was there. And right at the heart of it the ladies of Ya Raqs.

On Saturday we were strategically placed between the camel and the elephant – naturally, where else do you put a group of Arabian dancers? The camel behaved itself, not a moment’s trouble from that direction but the elephant? Well, poor Phoenece very nearly got mowed down on a number of occasions! It could have been the excitement, or even the fact that Phoenece simply wasn’t quick enough on her feet, but I think it was more to do with poor brakes on the elephant! Still Phoenece, and the rest of us, survived to tell the tale. Day one of the parade completed and celebrated with a very nice slice of cake and welcome cup of tea in Chester before heading home.

Meroe, Kebi and Naima with the well-behaved camel

Sunday was equally successful, if a tad more breezy, but the important thing was that we didn’t get wet! And where were we today? Well, in view of the events of Saturday and not wishing to traumatize Phoenece anymore, we opted to put the camel between us and the elephant – and it worked out just fine.

The crowd were amazing, the rest of the participants in the parade were amazing and the weather – well not what you’d call amazing but not bad given the forecast.

We are grateful to Russell Kirk from Midsummer Watch for inviting us to join them all and are very much looking forward to the Midwinter Watch in December – these parades really are something to see so make sure you are in Chester for the next one.

Wirral Folk on the Coast, posted by Phoenece and Tameri

The sun seems to be following us this year, and Saturday dawned a beautiful day as we headed off for sunny Whitby in Ellesmere Port.

After putting up our awning for shade(!) and wearing our vibrant black and red costumes, we got the crowd tapping their feet to the beat of our new Bedouin routines.

Many people were soaking up the sun on the green and in true Ya Raqs style we persuaded them to join our mini workshop and then dance with us.

Phoenece, Mish Mish and Naima get the audience up to dance

We were also joined by a guest from Australia, who had a splendid time modelling one of our new Bedouin costumes.

Phoenece and guest

Modelling the Bedouin costume

Going home we were sun-soaked and very happy. We returned on the Sunday afternoon, wearing another of our colourful costumes. We managed to erect our awning in record-breaking time - less than 10 minutes - which was admired by some of the crowd!

We then performed outside in the sunshire to a cheerful, appreciative, audience who joined in with the festival atmosphere.

Performing

Kiya and Mish Mish dancing with the crowd

We rounded off the day with well-deserved drinks and ice cream, which were appreciated with the sun at 24 degrees!

Much-needed shade and refreshments for Phoenece and Meroe

Wirral Folk on the Coast, posted by Naima

Another great weekend with Ya Raqs at Wirral Folk on the Coast Festival at Whitby Sports and Social Club in Ellesmere Port on Saturday 8th and Sunday 9th June.

The weather was glorious once again, maybe a little too warm at times, but we had our Egyptian home-from-home to shade under. Very cosy....

L-R; Tameri, Kebi, Phoenece, Mish-Mish, Meroe, Naima, and Kiya take refuge in the shade!

We had a full day on Saturday, starting at 9.30. With busking in front of the tent, lots of henna again and dressing little girls and boys up in the mini me costumes.

Henna tattoo

After our performance in the Members Lounge, we relaxed for a little while over lunch, while we listened to some great bands that were playing. Then once again we began to do what we do best; performing for the lovely people who had come to watch us in the glorious sunshine. Meroe even managed to get some lovely ladies and little girls up to show them a few moves, then they joined us for an improvised show.

Meroe (with microphone) leads a workshop

On the Sunday, we had a later start, again the weather was kind to us. After we had performed our last routine, we took a well earned break and enjoyed ice cream in the shade of our awning.

Phoenece enjoys an ice cream

We also joined forces with another group of ladies, The Northern Belly Dance troupe, who invited us to join in with one of their routines. I think it went down well with the audience.

The two new recruits, Kiya and I, would like to thank Meroe for giving us this opportunity to join Phoenece, Mish-Mish, Kebi, Tameri and Aisha in your lovely group.

Naima and Kiya

Everyone has made us feel very welcome, and you are all like sisters to us.

Brook Street Carnival 2013

Well what a way to start our 2013 season with a brilliant event at Brook Street, Chester! This is rapidly becoming a very popular local event and this year saw huge crowds – thanks partly to the final arrival of summer!

It was a great start to the year – new members of Ya Raqs, new costumes, new routines and to top it off, we were very lucky this year to be sponsored by Istanbul BBQ. We set up our little home-from-home right outside the restaurant and used that as a base for some impromptu performances and lots and lots and lots of henna!

The new costumes in action! Phoenece, Meroe and Tameri

The day started with a procession that included giants, Mickey and Minnie Mouse, Irish dancers and Ya Raqs in our fantastic new Bedouin costumes, all led by the dragon who blew red smoke over everyone as we made our final march down Brook Street.

Taking part in the procession

We seemed to spend all day busking – two sets at the Chester Lodge Nursing home to the delight of residents, and even managed to get some of the carers up and dancing – they did brilliantly. We then did a number of short performances up and down Brook Street, in between doing lots of henna – I could be wrong but it felt like we hennaed just about every ankle and wrist that passed by our door!

L-R; Phoenece, Mish-Mish, Kiya, Kebi, Meroe, Tameri and Naima

Our final “official” performance of the day was in front of the main stage and went down really well in front of a very appreciative crowd. But as a “Thank you” to the Istanbul BBQ Meroe performed two sets in the restaurant just to show that not only can we do the folk stuff, but we’re not bad and the cabaret stuff either! Some of the Ya Raqs girls finished off the day be staying for a meal at the restaurant and it was fantastic – so if you’ve not already been you should!

We’d like to say a very big thank you to Stu Stevenson all his fellow organisers from the Brook Street Carnival, not only for inviting us, but for organising such a wonderful event. And finally to our sponsors Istanbul BBQ and all their staff for looking after us so well during the day.

New Bedouin costumes for 2013

Here at Ya Raqs HQ we try to do our best to research all the dances and costumes that we put on show to the public. For this coming season we’re very excited by our new Bedouin costumes; one of which is beautifully modelled here by Tameri. In fact they are so new that only two of them are finished!

Meroe and Phoenece have been beavering away for weeks with their trusted sewing machines – or not so trusted in Meroe’s case as both sewing machine and overlocker have bitten the dust, but her mum has come to the rescue and has handed over a spare machine on long-term loan! But a lot of the detailing on the costumes, and all the decorative panels have been applied by hand, so lots, and lots, and lots of handstitching.

The basic Bedouin costume is a dress or thawb; this is a loosely fitting robe with sleeves and would have varied from region to region. Often this would have bands of decoration and decorated seams in colours that indicated that the wearer was either married, in which case red was used, or unmarried in which case the panels would be blue.

The embroidered ‘bibs’ or qabbeh on our costume are a mixture of shapes; some are square, which is more like the Palestinian style, others come to a point, which would have been more common in Syria.

On our heads we have a typical red and black veil or shambar, which would have been more common in southern Palestine. We’ve added a band around the veil for practical reasons, to help keep it in place while dancing, but in old photographs of Bedouin many of the women have head bands. Often these headbands are in addition to a saffe or smadeh; a band of coins over the forehead; an indication of personal or family wealth. Often these gold or silver coins would be their bridewealth money. The more coins, the greater the wealth and prestige of the owner. One observer noted that occasionally you can see a gap in a row of coins which have been the result of a doctor’s bill!

We decided that although it would be a great excuse to get even more jewellery, this might detract from the delicate embroidery and beadwork that Meroe and Phoenece have done, so this is going to be a fairly bling-free costume for us. But I hope you will agree that they will look amazing when they are all finished.

We’ve already got two routines up our sleeves that we can dance in these splendid costumes – one of which is new for 2013, but Meroe has even rather rashly promised a third. So watch this space!

DO YOU WANT TO JOIN THE YA RAQS DANCE TROUPE?

Ya Raqs are looking for new members for the 2013 season and you could be what we are looking for.

We provide Egyptian and north African dance at re-enactment events and fundraisers throughout the UK and already have a number of events lined up for next year including the HUGE Roman Festival - This is DEVA 2013 - in Chester and a Medieval event in Northamptonshire which, if successful, will become an annual event.

If you have between 2 and 5 years of belly dance experience, love performing folkloric style and can set aside two Tuesday evenings and one Saturday a month for training and rehearsals then get in touch.

We will be organising auditions so if you are interested, or if you want to know more, then please contact Susie on yaraqs@hotmail.co.uk

JoY for the Ya Raqs Girls, posted by Meroe

We’re tired and we ache all over – but in a good way. Four of the Ya Raqs girls have been away to JoY (Jewel of Yorkshire) in Saltaire for a fantastic weekend of music and dance and shows and …….. and sticky toffee pudding!

Jewel of Yorkshire – for those of you who don’t know – is an amazing event that happens twice a year. Some fabulous dance teachers from all over the world descend on the Victoria Hall, Saltaire to provide some incredible dance tuition in virtually every style of Arabic/Middle Eastern/Belly dance you can think of.

Some of the girls from Ya Raqs were treated to workshops including Lebanese raqs sharqi with Farah Nasri, and some intense torso work that not only challenged the muscles we didn’t know we had, but exercised the brain too with Saqra. Saqra also taught us a thing or two about the Ghawazee style. And last, but by no means least some absolutely wonderful classes on baladi, dancing to the music of Omm Kulsoom and learning some of the dance moves made famous by legends such as Mona Saeed and Nagwa Fouad by the one and only Mayodi.

Phoenece, Meroe, Kebi and Noor with Mayodi

There was a open platform stage for participants of the festival to strut their funky stuff on Friday night – which was great – and on Saturday the teachers and guest dancers showed us all how it was done. All in all a fantastic weekend. In fact we enjoyed it so much we’ve booked up already for the April JoY!

And what about that reference to sticky toffee pudding, I hear you ask? Well, absolutely nothing to do with dancing at all, but at the café in Salts Mill they served the most scrumptious sticky toffee pudding that kept those all important sugar levels up – couldn’t have done all that dancing without it and we highly recommend it!