February 2024 News & Updates: Monica Raqs
Hello!
Welcome to February. Read on for class updates, a video of the month, some upcoming festivals and events, and articles of interest.
Class updates: Lines Dance Center
I teach a weekly raqs sharqi and raqs beledi class at Lines Dance Center. Class is taught live over Zoom Mondays at 6pm PST. We do some good work each week. Check it out.
There will be no class on Monday, March 11th as I will be traveling. Let's call it our Spring Break : )
There are no other foreseen class cancellations in the next few months.
Also, stay tuned for a couple of special topics classes I am looking to schedule in late Spring/early Summer! Spoiler alert: I miss teaching finger cymbals!
Upcoming events of interest
Social Justice for Dancers
Esraa Warda
February 4
Delivered Remotely
Salon Nabila
February 8
San Francisco, California
Capital City Raqs
March 23-24
Sacramento, California
Gilded Raks
Bay Area Belly Dance Guild
April 6
San Jose, California
Sirens Fest
July 19-21
Sebastopol, California
Hot Raqs
June 28-30
Clovis, California
Carnival of Stars
July 13-14
Hayward, California
Video of the month
Two pieces from Mona Said.
We've talked in class about expressing internal vs. external energy while dancing. Mona captures the 'internal' feel in both of these so well. Her dancing was an essential part of my own dance youth and learning. Enjoy!
Click the image to be taken to the video.
Miscellaneous
Take action towards a ceasefire in Gaza
Gitta Ryle shares her holocaust survival with young people (Gitta is my friend and fellow dancer Janine's mom, and someone I am lucky to have shared meals with)
February is Black History month, and one of my bookclubs is reading Becoming Belafonte: Black Artist, Public Radical. Picking up my library copy this weekend!
A worthy read about hope in the face of despair (around climate change but also many other things)
My Mezzogiorno.Arts work continues, and we're having a meet up in San Francisco on March 2nd! Write me if you want to be on that email list (or check the incomplete historically but okay currently newsletter archives.
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