The amazing Gonul has booked all of my lessons here. She's on facebook or you can contact:

Gonul C. Turker

Fazil Studio NYC
Kumbaraci Yokusu
Kumbaraci Han 57 / 1
Beyoglu, Istanbul 34420

www.fazilstudionyc.com
www.dansnyc.com
E-Mail: fazilstudionyc@yahoo.com
Tel: 0212 249 6954 Cep: 0536 817 0979


On Monday I'm studying with the legendary Princess Banu. On Tuesday with Zennir (niece of Tulay Karaca). On Wednesday with the also legendary Sema Yildiz (who planted the seed of an Istanbul trip in my heart while I was a student of Mishaal's).

I'm very excited!

I'm so glad we picked Istanbul as our honeymoon destination. It's gorgeous and clean and calm. We are having a wonderful time just walking around. Tomorrow we're going to do the sight-seeing bus.

http://www.viator.com/tours/Istanbul/Istanbul-City-Tour/d585-2916ISTANBUL

And then meet up with MiOng who is also in Turkey for a month. She's the classical guitarist from Orgeltanz-my band in Seoul. If you haven't heard them you can check them out on Itunes.

We went to something called "The Best Turkish Restaurant" which appears to be a chain for our first meal here.

I didn't realize how much I missed Turkish food. After years of restaurant work in Japan where I ate Turkish food at least once a week, I've gone cold turkey in Seoul.

We got ekmek (bread) to eat with hummus, haydari (tangy yogurt), acili emze (spicy tomato) along with some cheese gozleme and a doner kebab. Yum, yum!

It all reminded me of my first serious and longest restaurant gig at Simsir in Yokohama. Funnily enough I had a lovely new student come to the studio in Korea last week who saw me dance there twice.

I had written one of the chefs last week and he gave me directions to the owner's shop here in Istanbul. It's actually only a 5 minute walk from my hotel. We stopped by but he wasn't in. Everyone in the shop was so kind. We're going to try and call him tomorrow.

We're staying at the quaint Mavi Onur Guesthouse near the Blue Mosque. It was by far the cheapest and best reviewed double room with private bathroom and shared kitchen for 25 Euros a night.

When we arrived at 7AM there was a sign on the door saying to ring the bell. We did and a nice man opened the door. He rubbed his eyes and said sat down on the couch and said "The hotel will open in 1 minute" After he cleared his vision he said "Ok, the hotel is open."

He copied our passports and then brought us upstairs. The room actually has 3 beds. He warmly told us that breakfast starts at 8:30 but we were welcome to eat at anytime. And bless, when we woke up later and went out for a walk he offered it to us around 2PM.

Last Saturday I decided to enter Jillina's bellydance competition for Bellydance Evolution. The only problem? You have a week to learn the choreography tape it and send it in. And I had to continue my day job, teaching at my studio and pack up my entire life. I'm going on a 2.5 month honeymoon with my husband and our old apartment belonged to our company. So we had to pack for the trip but also get everything out of the apartment.

The night before we left we finished packing at 7PM. Our dear friends let us put so much stuff at their house but by the time we finished it was 9PM. We had to wake up at 6AM to get to the airport. There just wasn't enough time to get to the studio and rehearse-I hadn't really had time all week except 1 day, tape and then upload it. I ran thru the routine a few times at our apartment and then packed my notes and ipod in carry-on.

We had an 8 hour stopover in Malaysia. I hadn't eatten much on the 7 hour flight so we got some dinner, checked into the airport hotel and then I started rehearsing. The hotel didn't have an internet connection so I just had to use my notes-which means I flubbed the arms in the same spot twice. We recorded in the hotel gym-on carpet-which with all the turns and arabesques was not a great surface.

We go back to the main part of the terminal and get a connection. The connection is limited to 2 hours per person. The connection is slow and says it will take over 2 hours to upload to Youtube-my laptop battery wouldn't last that long anyways. After 30 minutes I give up.

15 hours later we arrive at our hotel in Istanbul. The hotel has free wifi as one of it's benefits. We get to the room and the connection keeps dropping in and out. My husband finally finds a corner on the floor between the main door and the bathroom door where the connection is solid. I try to pull up Youtube.com and find it's a banned website in Turkey. The competition is very specific, it must be uploaded to Youtube.

He purchased a site cloaker and we're in business. I'm so tired from 27 hours of travelling I collapse in bed. He somehow stays up to make sure it's working. 3 hours later the clip is uploaded. I send it in. And just after this all got finished I remembered Randy Pausch's quote from the Last Lecture "Brick walls are there for a reason. They let us prove how badly we want things."

Fingers crossed. I'll let you know when it's on the Evolution Blog.

 The Oriental Choreography for November.

000

 

007

Andulation with arm out, 3 small steps

To left

1 arm to head, rep to back

To left

017

 

Step RLR baladi hip drop

Step back and turn

Basic Egyptian step and arabesque to front, rep all on L

036

 

Cross step with snake arms 4x forward, 4x back

Bike wheel andulation x4

Andulation x3 walking to side, quick step x3

Cross step with snake arms x2 to front

To back, to front

116

 

½ turns with hips

Grapevine step and lean

3 pt turn

Hip twist and rep left

136

 

Circle step x4

Reverse mya with sunrise arms

Fast reverse mya arms cut thru middle

156

Forward 8 with basic Egyptian step

FBF quick 3 step

X2

214

Rep all

Serpentine by Solace (CD:Shawaza)
November ATS choreography

Moving Meditation

Wrap Turn

Circle Step

Sahra Turn

55 (fast)

Choo Choo singles

1:05 (slow)

Barrel Turn

Taxim

126 (fast)

Choo choo archs

138 (slow)

Torso Twist

Head slides

2:29 (fast)

Turkish shimmy w/arms

3:12 (no melody)

Reshem ka

3:29 (slow)

Propeller Turn

Body Waves

4:05 (fast)

Ghawazee Shimmy Combo

4:56 (slow)

Reverse Turn

Body Wave

5:40 (med)

Choo choo doubles

6:36 (slow)

Corkscrew Turn

Reverse Taxim

6:57 (med)

Pestle

7:16 (fast)

Arabic Shimmy w/Arms and Turn ...and in a Fade and in a Circle

 

8:07 (slow)

 

 

Another great track by my friend.  Available for purchase at
http://www.dakinirecords.com/

000
taxim

109
walking with veil behind 8x4

127
walking forward x4, back x4 (x2)

136
flap open and close

scoop and release on R turn R
on L turn L
both turn R

156
sailboat turn L
start veil behind on 7,8 switch to front and turn R
on 7,8 switch to back

206
pivot and scoop x4 to L, x4 to R, x2
on 3rd burrito
headslide 5,6,7,8
turn x2 (for 8) to R

219
roman cape
to side on L
to side on R
from R throw over
throw over on L
turn with veil on R
turn with veil on L
change to R side and turn while moving veil around body
on L

walk forward x4
back x2
forward x2 and throw veil over shoulders

drop on R side and turn R
on 7,8 switch and turn L
on 7,8 switch and turn R
on 7,8 switch and turn L
then switch every 2 for 16

324
shimmy
and wrap veil around bottom

345
pull veil up for 16 (8@ shoulders, 16 overhead)
bring R hand thru door of L side (veil is in half)
bring down for 2 to your head, wrap around head for 2

andulate with wave hand 2xL, 2xR, x2

drop veil behind and pull out with right hand
412
chase 8x4

432
lunge and scoop 8x2

441
searching
501
cross step x8 forward, 8x back


scoop and release on R turn R
on L turn L
both turn R


sailboat turn L
start veil behind on 7,8 switch to front and turn R
on 7,8 switch to back


pivot and scoop x4 to L, x4 to R, x2
on 3rd burrito
headslide 5,6,7,8
turn x2 (for 8) to R

roman cape
to side on L
to side on R
from R throw over
throw over on L
turn with veil on R
turn with veil on L
change to R side and turn while moving veil around body
on L

walk forward x4
back x2
forward x2 and throw veil over shoulders

drop on R side and turn R
on 7,8 switch and turn L
on 7,8 switch and turn R
on 7,8 switch and turn L
then switch every 2 for 16

Some of my favorite bellydance music in the world by my favorite bellydance label-Dakini Records.  I recommend all of their CDs-espeically Makyo's stuff.  Really love em.  If you're not sure try Tribal Matrix 2 to get your feet wet. 

http://www.dakinirecords.com/

This cut is from  V.A. - Tribal Matrix 2 (Dakini Records / DAK2119)

000
camel walk

020
hip bump
front
back
arch

057
reach and sit

116
water pot

136
chico 4 corners

146
sununda

egyptian

229
doubleback

247
arabic twist

258
spins

327
arabics

My interview with Indieful ROK has just been posted.  IR are lovely, lovely peeps!

Check it out here:
http://indiefulrok.blogspot.com/2009/09/mini-interview-with-eshe.html

000
walk with shoulder pulses

010
twirl cane
drop front, drop shoulder
village girl half mya to side x2 x2 x4 LRL

028
saidi knee lift

032
plant cane on floor
eight and shimmy

041
bump in a circle

054
andulation x2 x2

104
hip bump to right

117
saiidi jump to left
baladi hip drop and twirl

135
mya, eight, omi, reverse andulation

154
shoulder shimmies

206
swinging knee
front side front back
with cane over head

206
calf pulse
reverse andulation

234
chest circle
jewel

251
choo choo circle

306
jump and twist
hit hip and shoulder

315
choo choo line

330
lift heel

336
choo choo line

Many thanks to HubicRuzz  from Bhuz for sharing this.

 

For every rhythm there are always tons of variations. 

We of course do the open version in class and it's the one you should be practising at home.  If you're feeling like you'd like a greater challenge try some of these on for size.

1-+-2-+-3-+-4-+-|
D-T-__D-D-__T-__| Open version
D-T-tkD-D-tkT-tk|
D-S-tkD-D-tkS-tk| Common variation
D-tktkD-D-tkt-tk| Traditional version
D-D-__D-D-__T-__| 2 Doum Open version
DDD-__DDD-__T-__| 3 Doum Open version
D-D-__DDD-__T-__| 2 + 3 Doum Open version
DDD-__D-D-__T-__| 3 + 2 Doum Open version
TKD-tkD-D-tkT-tk| Ghawzee variation
tkt-tkD-D-tkt-tk| Naughty boy variation

As our canes arrived this week, I'll be posting my favorite assaya videos.  I have to start of course with the magic of the one and only Fifi Abdou.
 
Here she is performing for a show.


Naughty Fifi peforming for a film.  I do not want you to do any of the leg up stuff.  When you're as good as Fifi you can make those choices.  Until then, no boudoir cane.  But check her hip work!


Fifi again performing in a show

http://eshebellydancer.com

after trying a bunch of different designs I picked this one...and I'm not changing it! 

Even though I kind of want to now....

Hmmm...also need/want to do a photoshoot soon!

Thank you Mom for sending this to me.

Thank you Anaan for guest teaching this week and performing! You were wonderful as usual and we sooooooooooo enjoyed having you!

020
4-1 walk out one by one
4 walks out on 1
3 walks out on 3 
2 walks out on 5
1 walks out on 7
bring arms up with 8 glute squeezes

050
head slide (r to centre) on "do it"
1-4 one by one
glute squeezes bringing arms down for 8

turn to R side
shoulder accent
4-1

arms down
chest lift
1-4

turn to back
omi
4-1

turn to front C arms
body roll
1-4

1:22
turn to front
chest circle
4-1

1:37
combo #1
1-headslide
2-chest lift
3-shoulders
4-hips
4-head
3-chest
2-shoulder
1-hips

1:45
combo #2
1-body roll
2-omi
3-reverse body roll
4-chest circle
4-body roll down
3-omi
2-body roll up
1-chest circle

1:53
combo #1
combo #2

1-4 body roll down

2:09
chest lift
1-4
drop
1-4

2:17
trace up the body and walk forward
turn x arms behind head "look at my hair"
omi on 7,8 look back on "never over"

2:24
choochoo and trace up body
x behind head 1-4
4-8 bring to A frame

2:34
shoulder shimmy
body roll x2
knee drop

2:48
chest lift for 8
1-diamond with chest FRBL
2-chest circle, head slide
3-hip up and down
4-chest lifts

2:55
mya and look on 5, (LRLR hip)
1-3
4-combo #1 head slide, chest lift, shoulders hips

3:03
body roll down and walk forward slow 1-4, fast 5-6 and 7-8

omi x2 keeping R leg forward
chest  lift, drop, neutral, lift, lift

mya and look combination
shimmy with mini-snake arms
 chest LDNLL

R shoulder to R corner
3 body rolls down with profile turns each time
omi x4

3:34
chest circle
2,4,1,3     x2
(circle RBLF)

omi x4
turn look over shoulder with attitute to finish

000
shoulder roll, 2 hits
chest circle pop drop
undulation drop tuck
reverse drop pop

hands sweep to back
backstroke
front stroke
snake arms x4
bring front arm to top of head


13 accents
look
up
down
chest up
down
pelvis drop
tuck
chest up
down
head up
down
look
wink

048
sofa door sofa sofa
door sofa door door
chase x3
heel lift drop

grapevine out x8
in x6 shimmy on 7, 8

1:20
1 arm up and in
L arm up and in
twist and drop
hands at sides

choochoo shimmy in small circle around each other

1:36
3 cross step forward
3 back
R over L and turn
3 step touch forward
3 back
and turn

1:54
snakearms back to back
choo choo shimmy big circle

2:37
snake arm and 3 pt turn
RLRLRRRR

2:58
chase x6  turn x4
last count shimmy in place
hair pat
hair pat
arms open
R arm up and down and up with hair flip

I am horribly and unashamedly biased as this was at my wedding blessing party.  I love these girls!

Check out these girls from Tokyo, performing at Summer Sonic!

000
corkscrew turn

009
double archs

025
modified shoulder shimmy with hip bump and positions exchanged

041
kajira cross step

054
sahar turn

108
spins

123
arabic shimmy with turns