Khaled has performed and taught all over the world, he is a very patient and warm teacher, his Edinburgh workshops often sell out.  He runs trips to Cairo with dancers each year for costume buying/tuition and touristing.  He also runs the Egyptian Moonlight Tour & Show which is in Littlehampton this year with Workshops and a show with Asmahan and Lubna Eman, in previous years Aida Noor has come.  With a captivating smile and shimmis that seem like a minor earthquake - few dancers improvise and entertain an audience like Khaled does. He has quickly made himself a name both as a mesmerizing dancer and a respected sought-after teacher all over the world.  He likes the style of the old Belly Dancers Naima Akif, Tahia Carioca, Samia Gamal and all new style dancers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Khaled teaches an Egyptian Dance inspired warm up

Caroline’s review of the Glasgow Event …..

Khaled has been visiting Scotland for some years now.  He is a very popular teacher here in Edinburgh.  Recently I noticed that a number of the bookings for Khaled were coming from Glasgow, so it was a logical decision to bring Khaled nearer to his students.

As an organiser, my experience was a rollercoaster ride, in Edinburgh people will book very far in advance for events, so when I compared the bookings profile to my normal profile— the workshops were selling out, but  nobody was coming to the hafla.  I started to panic (bad panic) mentally running over all the money I’d spent on the event.  As the weeks passed, I kept getting email messages from local teachers and students asking for huge numbers of hafla tickets, to the stage where I had to hire over 100 extra chairs for the event and stuff them into two cars driving over from Edinburgh.  I started to panic again (good panic!).  I have no idea what Khaled thought when I turn up to collect him, and there was a Khaled shaped space in among all the chairs, with bits of the soundsystems & lights wedged in the back of Dorothy my old VW. 

So the day of the workshops arrived, and after the Sat Nav induced confusion about the two Aitkenhead Roads (SatNav took me & Khaled to the wrong one).  We started the day—Khaled taught a light, fun and bouncy Oriental Choreography, split over two sessions.  Lots of the students in class said they got a lot more out of being able to “sleep on” what they had learned one afternoon, and complete it the second afternoon.  We also did technique and Khaleegy.  Khaleegy is a really fun Gulf Style dance, involving hair tossing and at the end of the class everyone had such big smiles, Khaleegy does that !

I think for me it’s the natural style that Khaled has which is the key.  We’re dancing, spinning then moving on the foot that is free at the time.  If people get confused with the footwork, he often breaks it down saying “which foot is free?”.  He has a way of presenting crisp movements that look really impressive, and then breaking them down so that they are really easy to do.

 

 

The Hafla was amazing !  So many high level dancers in one room.  Next time, we’re going to have a ‘hafla beginners’ section for first time performers, and beginners classes, because it was great to see the cream of the Scottish bellydance community perform, our dance is about including all participants, and giving a platform to those starting out.

 

It was such a nice atmosphere will lots of people asking BellyDance Divas to return to Glasgow again.

 

My friend Stuart who is an amazing photographer and had his work published all over took all the photos on this page.  Thanks Stuart.  Lorna McCulloch my oldest Edinburgh friend put up with me all night, and was an angel.  Celia and friend were roped in at the last minute after my doorman let me down.  Pete Renwick, worked so hard all night, Stage Manager, DJ and roadie all rolled into one.

A happy (and relieved) Caroline performs at the Khaled Glasgow Hafla 2008

Hafla goers having boogie at the Khaled Glasgow Hafla 2008

During the evening of dance we were treated to dances by Fereshteh, award winning dancer.  Zafirah, who flew in from London especially, and Jen, who impressed us (and Khaled) with her gorgeous Khaleegy.  I also graced the stage myself, and really enjoyed it

Edinburgh Belly Dance Workshops, High Quality, Small Classes, World Class Teachers.