Hey Gorgeous, So, today is the conclusion of My Journey – my dramatic chapter blog about how I started. Highs and lows. Naysayers and doubters. Fitting the part. And voodoo dancing. Everything you’ve ever wanted to know (well almost)… Starting from day one. If you’ve been following along – saweeeet! I hope even a small piece of my journey helped you to feel not so alone. If you missed the first 8 installments, start with Read more…
Hi Lovely, Previously, in Chapter Seven of My Journey… I competed in 7 competitions within 3 years. An acquaintance at a competition hit me with a “Calm the F*ck Down” truth smack that changed my dancing forever. From then on, I won 5 out of the 7 competitions. I felt accomplished. If you missed Chapter One of My Journey read it HERE, Chapter Two is HERE. Chapter Three is HERE. Chapter Four is HERE. Chapter Read more…
Hello again Gorgeous, Previously, in Chapter Six of My Journey… I was driven to prove both the naysayers wrong and to myself that I CAN have credibility in both worlds. So, I entered the Bellydancer of the Year Competition. Déjà vu struck as I made it to the finals but didn’t place. My performance was described by one judge as Haitian Voodoo. If you missed Chapter One of My Journey read it HERE, Chapter Two Read more…
Hey there my Beloved Beauties, Previously, in Chapter Five of My Journey… I couldn’t replicate myself so I created a VHS of the workout for my students. I saw the marketing potential and hired a PR company to promote SharQui on TV and publications. I was super busy. Although I felt like a celeb, I felt lonely too. Wasn’t feeling the love from my bellydance community and some thought I was making bellydance inauthentic. I Read more…
Hi again Beautiful, Previously, in Chapter Four of My Journey… I ceased the opportunity to create a format that was actually working. I was gaining more momentum through word of mouth and I felt like I finally “fit the part!” Woohoo! I spent about 2 years tweaking it, gave it a name, and became a legit biz. SharQui – The bellydance workout was born. If you missed Chapter One of My Journey read it HERE, Read more…
Hey there Lovely, Previously, in Chapter Three of My Journey… Finally – the sweet taste of some success! After working my booty off to build a solid reputation in the fitness industry, I managed to get a consistent core group of students. But then there was a shift in the fitness industry. It was all about looking like a superstar and I didn’t fit the part. I needed to do something different… but what? (If Read more…
Hey Gorgeous, Previously, in Chapter Two… I auditioned for the traveling cast of, STOMP. Thought I was perfect for it. Made it to the last 50 peeps out of 623. I wasn’t part of the 30 people chosen. It didn’t end up being my “big break” and cried for a week. So, the result of not making it? Read on. (If you missed Chapter 1, read it HERE, and Chapter 2 is HERE). Here is Chapter Three… Read more…
Hey there Beauty Shaker, Previously, in Chapter One of “My Journey”: I moved to the concrete jungle of NYC right out of college. My days were hectic with technique classes, auditions and teaching group fitness. It was constant rejection after rejection, trying to make ends meet and hoping for that “big break”. (if you missed Chapter One, you can read it HERE) This is Chapter Two… THE BREAK I was Read more…
Tahini is Key Tahini is a middle-eastern staple that adds flavor to so many kinds of dishes and recipes that it’s a no-brainer when it comes to keeping some on hand. It’s useful in so many types of recipes because it adds a complex, nutty flavor and a smooth, creamy texture. You can use it in recipes like hummus and baba ganoush, drizzle it on as a salad dressing, or even use it in making Read more…
Hi Beautiful, So here it goes… I hope my journey inspires you to do YOU – even when you’re rejected or naysayers don’t accept you (ugh, can’t stand them). Well guess what… you’re the bomb dot com, and you can create your own reality – and aint’ nothin’s unreachable. This is chapter 1 of “My Journey”. Stuff about lil’ ole me and how it ALL went down. CHAPTER ONE: DANCE AND THE CITY Let’s roll Read more…
Finding Practice Time by Laylianah Mahasin We all have super busy lives, so how are we supposed to add practice time to our already bursting schedules? It’s easier than you might think. I sometimes tease my students about making sure they are practicing at least 50 hours a day. But the truth is, just a minute or two of practice every day will do much more for you than an hour of practice once per Read more…
Koresh’s Come Together Dance Festival I had the honor of being chosen to perform at Koresh’s Come Together Dance Festival in Philadelphia in November of 2019. It’s been a dream of mine to have bellydance on the same stage as mainstream and even commercial dance. My early training and professional career as a contemporary dancer in NYC, has really helped me mold my current bellydance style. I am so happy that I am able to Read more…
This Is It Valentines flowers and chocolates are languishing in the bargain bin, but I’m all consumed with the LOVE you’re lavishing upon yourself. It’s incredible; we started working with the Transformation Plan in January, and NOW we… Are seeing what happens after six weeks of small but mighty changes. I’m really proud of Eva in Eureka. She has consistently been training with the videos to get her heart rate up and Read more…
A Look Back At 2018 Wow what a year it’s been! If I had to describe 2018 in 1 word, it was the year of change. With your support and our fabulous team, in 2018 we: Produced Shimmy Shake Socialize 2018 in Philadelphia Presented at Cabaret Dance Camp in Texas. Welcomed in 22 new SharQui Group Leaders to our team. We now have Instructors in 25 U.S States and 6 countries. Read more…
She Said Yes! – Rachel’s Story I still clearly remember the first time I encountered bellydance. I remember she was beautiful, and the precision she had over her movements was absolutely amazing. I wanted to be able to dance like that. But even then I knew we did not have extra money for me to take any kind of lessons. So I tried to put it out of my mind. Over the years, I Read more…
SharQui From A Bellydancer’s Perspective – Shakila’s Story We all know that “Raqs Sharqi” means “eastern dance” in Arabic, but what is the SharQuí® workout? I found out at Rakkasah West this year when I took Oreet’s workshop, “Drills and Skills, SharQuí – The bellydance workout .” At first thought, I was hesitant to sign up – the words “workout” brought back flashbacks of the endless jumping in place I experienced in my 20’s at my Read more…
Pause and Exhale How stressed out are you? Do you feel like you’re always scrambling, like you’re chasing a runaway train? I know women who are still agonizing over their incomplete resolutions and the year’s almost over! It’s madness. Let me share a little secret with you…(read more) When you take a chance to savor your victories, even small ones, hell, especially small ones, you tend to have more success. It’s Read more…
You Don’t Know I met a woman yesterday in Stabucks who spent 30 minutes telling me how she loves Zumba and that she’s the fittest she’s ever been at age 50. (I’m thinking…totally cool and way to go sista!) I quickly suggested (before she could start talking again for another 30) that she might benefit from changing things up a bit. With SharQui. I mean, she’d be working her body in a whole Read more…
What I’ve Learned In My 20 Years Of Teaching SharQui These are gentle reminders of how I want to live my life and some days are better than others. But I never stop trying. I hope these will help those who are currently on their journey and for those who want to start. Never stop learning, never stop growing and take it one step at a time. Truth Smack #1: Read more…
Get Out And Dance Can I remind you how important it is to be with people? Almost 90% of our interactions these days are non-verbal? This worries me because human connection is absolutely vital to our survival. There’s a lot coming out these days about how electronic devices are making people unmotivated. In facet, the other day my kids told me that they didn’t want to play outside. Not because of Read more…
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