Thursday, 3 March 2011
Wednesday, 9 February 2011
Claire House fundraising event - Saturday 30 April
Ya Raqs are holding a Roman/Egyptian evening for Claire House Children's Hospice on Saturday 30 April, in Ellesmere Port. There will be dancers and gladiators, a raffle, a buffet, and a disco to end. We may even have a visit from the Emperor himself! Watch this space for more information.
Sunday, 30 January 2011
Claire House – for Michael, posted by Meroe
Although not on our official “events list” this year, Ya Raqs did take part in a fundraiser for Claire House on Sunday 28th November, and we feel this should certainly be included in our round-up for the year. This was a particularly poignant event for the Ya Raqs girls, as the son of one of our number finally lost his battle against cancer, literally just a few days before this event.
I have to say that of all the events we have taken part in this year, the Claire House event has to have been the coldest – I think temperatures got down to minus 7 at one stage! Most of us had lost all the feeling in our feet quite early on as temperatures began to plummet – it is perhaps just as well that we were not dancing, although some dancing might have helped to warm us up. We were there to help meet and greet all those who had came along to support Claire House and the incredible work that they do. The afternoon came to a close with a firework display and a round of carols – although I have to say that the singing was a bit on the poor side. So, come on folks, you have got twelve months to practise your “Deck the Halls” so let’s see if we can do better next year! A big thank you to Ciggie from Roman Tours, who invited us along to the event, and to the staff at Claire House, who kept us supplied with plenty of hot chocolate to help ward off the effects of hypothermia!
A very cold Meroe, and friend
I have to say that of all the events we have taken part in this year, the Claire House event has to have been the coldest – I think temperatures got down to minus 7 at one stage! Most of us had lost all the feeling in our feet quite early on as temperatures began to plummet – it is perhaps just as well that we were not dancing, although some dancing might have helped to warm us up. We were there to help meet and greet all those who had came along to support Claire House and the incredible work that they do. The afternoon came to a close with a firework display and a round of carols – although I have to say that the singing was a bit on the poor side. So, come on folks, you have got twelve months to practise your “Deck the Halls” so let’s see if we can do better next year! A big thank you to Ciggie from Roman Tours, who invited us along to the event, and to the staff at Claire House, who kept us supplied with plenty of hot chocolate to help ward off the effects of hypothermia!
A very cold Meroe, and friend
Thursday, 13 January 2011
St. Wilfrid’s Medieval Fair, posted by Meroe
2010 marked a very special event in Stockport’s history - 750 years of Stockport Market. Stockport is one of the oldest markets in the country and, unlike many others, is still trading on its original site. Events were held throughout the year, with the finale being a recreation of St Wilfrid’s Medieval Fair on 23 and 24 October - and Ya Raqs were invited to join in the celebrations.
Ya Raqs’ first set, of four, was in Warren Street, to a rather small but appreciative crowd of Stockport shoppers. As the afternoon progressed the streets around the covered market slowly began to fill with jugglers, musicians, knights and even a smoke-breathing dragon. It certainly made a change from the gladiators and legionaries that we are usually surrounded by.
Phoenece, Kebi, Tameri and Aisha dancing in front of the Market Hall
Our second set followed hot on the heels of the Bed of Nails Show in the main arena. There was then a short break until our final set, which gave us a chance to join in a Medieval Dance workshop given by the ladies from the Plantagenet Society. The whole event culminated in a procession and an incredible fire and light show, which included some very impressive fire juggling.
Kebi, Phoenece, Meroe and Tameri in the Plantagenet Society workshop
For you history buffs out there – this was the eve of St. Crispin’s Day and the Battle of Agincourt! It certainly was a super event and our thanks go to Sam Tavernor and all her colleagues at Stockport City Council for not only inviting us to join in with their celebrations also for looking after us so well.
Ya Raqs girls finished the day off in style – as if a super fire show and medieval knights were not enough - by having an incredible meal at amazing Persian restaurant in the town called Rayhoon. If you are ever in Stockport with time to spare you should go – believe us, your tastebuds will thank you!
Ya Raqs’ first set, of four, was in Warren Street, to a rather small but appreciative crowd of Stockport shoppers. As the afternoon progressed the streets around the covered market slowly began to fill with jugglers, musicians, knights and even a smoke-breathing dragon. It certainly made a change from the gladiators and legionaries that we are usually surrounded by.
Phoenece, Kebi, Tameri and Aisha dancing in front of the Market Hall
Our second set followed hot on the heels of the Bed of Nails Show in the main arena. There was then a short break until our final set, which gave us a chance to join in a Medieval Dance workshop given by the ladies from the Plantagenet Society. The whole event culminated in a procession and an incredible fire and light show, which included some very impressive fire juggling.
Kebi, Phoenece, Meroe and Tameri in the Plantagenet Society workshop
For you history buffs out there – this was the eve of St. Crispin’s Day and the Battle of Agincourt! It certainly was a super event and our thanks go to Sam Tavernor and all her colleagues at Stockport City Council for not only inviting us to join in with their celebrations also for looking after us so well.
Ya Raqs girls finished the day off in style – as if a super fire show and medieval knights were not enough - by having an incredible meal at amazing Persian restaurant in the town called Rayhoon. If you are ever in Stockport with time to spare you should go – believe us, your tastebuds will thank you!
Saturday, 16 October 2010
Summer 2010, posted by Kebi and Noor
It has been a while since we posted anything, mainly because we have been so busy. After the huge event that was the Roman Festival in Chester, we went on to perform at the Family Day at the Liverpool Arabic Arts Festival. We danced in the garden of the Bluecoat to a very warm and appreciative audience. The festival is the only one of its kind in the UK, and attracts attention from local, national and international media. We even featured briefly in a piece about the Family Day on BBC Arabic TV! Look out for us at about at about 2 minutes 27 seconds into the clip.
Banafrit and Tameri at the Family Day
After that came the Chadkirk Festival, one of our favourites; and not just because of the wonderful cream teas! This year we set up camp with the Romans just down the lane from the Chapel grounds, and processed up to the main site to perform. Some of the girls also went to visit the well dressing, at St Chad's Well.
Processing (noisily) to the main site
St Chad's Well
Dancing at Chadkirk
The History Alive!! living history festival at Bersham outside Wrexham was a first for us. Dancing in a field is not unusual for us but in amongst vintage cars and old tractors, now that was unusual. Thanks to Ian Woodward for letting us use his photos of the event, you can see more of his pictures here.
Kebi
Meroe, plus some of the vintage vehicles in the background!
The English Heritage Gladiators and Warriors event at Beeston Castle was as well-attended as ever, with over 900 people in the two days. The feedback was very positive . The families loved the gladiator show and the opportunity for the children to dress as either a Roman soldier or a middle Eastern dancer and to join in. I think we hennaed or tattooed half the children of Cheshire.
Wigan didn’t know what had hit it when the Romans invaded. There were Romans all over the place, and we took over the Market Square. The weather was kind up to a point and only rained for the last hour we were there.
Hebba and Banafrit shelter from the rain
We have one more big event scheduled for this year, St Wilfrid’s Medieval Fair in Stockport, which will be a nice way to end the season.
Next year will I hope be even bigger and better. The Roman Festival in Chester on 4-5 June is shaping up to be the biggest in Europe. So watch out for more info in the spring.
Banafrit and Tameri at the Family Day
After that came the Chadkirk Festival, one of our favourites; and not just because of the wonderful cream teas! This year we set up camp with the Romans just down the lane from the Chapel grounds, and processed up to the main site to perform. Some of the girls also went to visit the well dressing, at St Chad's Well.
Processing (noisily) to the main site
St Chad's Well
Dancing at Chadkirk
The History Alive!! living history festival at Bersham outside Wrexham was a first for us. Dancing in a field is not unusual for us but in amongst vintage cars and old tractors, now that was unusual. Thanks to Ian Woodward for letting us use his photos of the event, you can see more of his pictures here.
Kebi
Meroe, plus some of the vintage vehicles in the background!
The English Heritage Gladiators and Warriors event at Beeston Castle was as well-attended as ever, with over 900 people in the two days. The feedback was very positive . The families loved the gladiator show and the opportunity for the children to dress as either a Roman soldier or a middle Eastern dancer and to join in. I think we hennaed or tattooed half the children of Cheshire.
Wigan didn’t know what had hit it when the Romans invaded. There were Romans all over the place, and we took over the Market Square. The weather was kind up to a point and only rained for the last hour we were there.
Hebba and Banafrit shelter from the rain
We have one more big event scheduled for this year, St Wilfrid’s Medieval Fair in Stockport, which will be a nice way to end the season.
Next year will I hope be even bigger and better. The Roman Festival in Chester on 4-5 June is shaping up to be the biggest in Europe. So watch out for more info in the spring.
Tuesday, 27 July 2010
Chester Roman Festival, posted by Kebi
The Roman Festival was the inaugural event of Chestival; a new month long festival to be held in July in Chester. Ya Raqs were proud to be part of a wonderful, event packed and brilliantly run weekend. A march through the city, of the largest number of Roman soldiers seen in Chester for hundreds of years, started off each day; with us bringing up the rear and making as much noise as possible. There then followed a hectic fun filled day of dancing to live musicians and talking to hundreds of people.
Meroe dances with the musicians
The highlight of each day was the Gladiator show in the amphitheatre, with an audience of a couple of thousand people. The girls performed the moving Dance of the Dead, and then performed again at the interval to a very warm reception.
On the Sunday, the Race for Life ran through Grosvenor Park where the main camp was situated. The soldiers gave the woman a Guard of Honour, and Tameri danced and cheered the whole time the women passed through. She might as well have run the race for the amount of enthusiasm she showed!
Aziza, Kebi and Tameri in the procession
It is estimated 7,500 people saw the event. As it was such a success we will be back next year, even bigger and better!
Meroe dances with the musicians
The highlight of each day was the Gladiator show in the amphitheatre, with an audience of a couple of thousand people. The girls performed the moving Dance of the Dead, and then performed again at the interval to a very warm reception.
On the Sunday, the Race for Life ran through Grosvenor Park where the main camp was situated. The soldiers gave the woman a Guard of Honour, and Tameri danced and cheered the whole time the women passed through. She might as well have run the race for the amount of enthusiasm she showed!
Aziza, Kebi and Tameri in the procession
It is estimated 7,500 people saw the event. As it was such a success we will be back next year, even bigger and better!
Monday, 3 May 2010
Postcards from Marrakesh - 2
To:Ya Raqs
Grande Bretagne
It is quite difficult to pick just one highlight from our trip, particularly when there were so many, but the one that I think will stay with me the longest is the workshop we had with the Berber women. What amazing women they were, particular the main dancer. We had seen them both dancing in the Palais Chahramane restaurant the night before when they had pulled us all up to dance with them. The main dancer was only in her late 30s and yet she had been through so much in her life all in pursuit of her love of dance. What she shared with us on the morning of the workshop was so much more than just her knowledge of Berber dance, and her skill as a dancer – it was part of herself. Despite being divorced by her husband, who disapproved of her dance, and shunned not only by her family but by her entire village, she was determined to do what she does best – dance. It is very difficult for us in the western world to appreciate the stigma that is attached to this dance that we do, but all of a sudden it was very real when we heard this woman’s story. It wasn’t as if she was exposing any part of her body; dancing in a nightclub in a skimpy two-piece costume, or flirting with members of the audience – she was just a folk dancer, but that was enough!
Through a mixture of Berber, Arabic and French she was able to show, and explain, a range of Berber dance moves – all of which were very different to the Egyptian style we are used to. Despite the language barrier we managed to communicate the great warmth and pleasure that we all shared in the dance – there was a lot of laughter. Half way through the class we took a break and were told about the Mawaal – we didn’t understand the words, but the passion and the emotion that came pouring out as she sang needed no explanation – we were all moved to tears; it was incredible.
The workshop ended with the chance to buy her own Berber dance costume. I agonised for a very long time but decided that this was a chance of a lifetime. These were real Berber dancers with a real story to tell. Every coin on the hip belt had been lovingly sewn on by the dancer herself. What I was buying was not just a costume, but a piece of living history. The cynics among you may say, “Oh it was just a sale, that she was after”, but no it was so much more than that. When I agreed to take the costume she hugged me to the point where I thought she would crack my ribs and despite the fact there was no common language between us, we were able to communicate our mutual appreciation, understanding and love of the dance and all that it meant to each other. What an incredibly emotional moment – I didn’t think it was possible to top it, but she did. Just as we were about to leave she came up to me and held out her hands – she was holding the head-dress that went with the costume – the only word she said to me was “gift”.
It may sound dramatic to say it, but I truly believe that this was not just a highlight of our Moroccan trip, but for me a highlight of my dance career so far. We were lucky enough to meet many amazing women during our time in Morocco but this particular Berber dancer is in a class all her own. I don’t know if we will ever meet again but I would like to think that our paths will cross again some day.
Meroe
Meroe and Berber dancers at the restaurant
Dance workshop - the dancer singing the Mawaal
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