Eshta!!! Folklore, ghawazee and egyptian dance in Luxor - february 2015

Eshta!!!

Dance retreat in Luxor and Aswan / Upper Egypt

february 12th to 19th 2015

Detailed program:

• thursday 02/12: arrival in Luxor, transfer to your hotel, dinner, overnight stay in Luxor
• friday 02/13: after breakfast, departure to Aswan in minibus; check-in to our hotel in Aswan, afternoon free, dinner 
• saturday 02/14: guided sightseeing tour to the dam, Philae temple and the obelisk, in the afternoon 1,5 hrs of nubian dance class, dinner
• sunday 02/15: morning free, in the afternoon 1,5 hrs of nubian dance class, in the evening, at sunset - motorboat trip on the Nile, dinner 
• monday, 02/16: after breakfast, departure back to Luxor in minibus; in the afternoon 1,5 hrs raqs assaya (female style) dance class with Mostafa; dinner with buffet, live music, folklore show and bellydance  
• tuesday 02/17: guided sightseeing toru to the tombs of the nobles and to temple of Medinet Habu; in the afternoon 1 hr SPECIAL dance class ghawazee style with Khyriyya Mazin and 1 hr SPECIAL dance class in tahtib with Mahmoud 
• wednesday 02/18: visit to Luxor museum (or to Karnak temple); in the afternoon 1,5 hrs raqs assaya (male style) dance class with Hamdi
• thursday 02/19:transfer to the airport

cost of the above mentioned package: 690 € per person in a shared double room / 760 € per person in single room
 

In the package mentioned above are NOT included:roundflight to/from Luxor, visa, tips for musicians, hotel staff, tourguide, extra visits not mentioned in the programm, drinks (are included only nescafè, tea and juice at breakfast) insurance 

SUBSCRIPTIONS WITHIN december 16th 2014

 email to Simone:

layalisharqia@gmail.com

Eshta!!! Folklore, ghawazee e danza orientale a Luxor - febbraio 2015

Eshta!!!

Viaggio studio a Luxor / Alto Egitto

giovedì, 12 febbraio a giovedì, 19 febbraio 2015

Programma dettagliato:

• giovedì, 12.2: arrivo a Luxor, transfer in albergo, cena e pernottamento a Luxor
• venerdì, 13.2.: dopo la colazione, partenza per Assuan in pulmino; check-in in albergo, pomeriggio a libera disposizione, cena in albergo
• sabato, 14.2.: visita guidata alla diga, al tempio di Philae e all'obelisco; nel pomeriggio 1,5 ore di stage di danza nubiana, cena
• domenica, 15.2.: mattina a libera disposizione, pomeriggio 1,5 ore di stage di danza nubiana, al tramonto - gita in barca sul Nilo, cena
• lunedì, 16.2.: dopo la colazione, ritorno a Luxor in pulmino; nel pomeriggio 1,5 ore di stage di raqs assaya stile femminile con Mostafa; cena con buffet, musica dal vivo e spettacolo di danza
•  martedì, 17.2.: visita guidata alle tombe dei nobili e al tempio funerario di Medinet Habu; nel pomeriggio 1 ora di lezione speciale con Khyriyya Mazin nello stile raqs ghawazee e 1 ora di lezione speciale con Mahmoud in tahtib
• mercoledì, 18.2.: visita al museo di Luxor (o al tempio di Karnak); nel pomeriggio 1,5 ore di stage con Hamdi di raqs assaya stile maschile
• giovedì, 19.2.: transfer all'aereoporto

costo del pacchetto con le prestazioni indicate di cui sopra: 690 € a persona in stanza doppia condivisa / 760 € a persona in stanza singola

 

NON sono inclusi nel prezzo del pacchetto sumenzionato:

volo a/r, visto, mance per musicisti, staff del hotel, guida, visite extra non indicate nel programma, bibite (sono inclusi nescafè, tè e succo a colazione), assicurazione viaggi

ISCRIZIONE ENTRO IL 16 dicembre 2014

 email a Simone:

layalisharqia@gmail.com

Banat Mazin - greetings from Khyriyya Mazin - part II

finally.... here it is!!!!!

I proudly present..... Khyriyya Mazin, from famous Banat Mazin, she herself, sending you greetings directly from Luxor - saying, that she is waiting for you there to come with my group from Eshta!!! to meet her in Luxor for a raqs ghawazee style dance class :-)

soooo happy Khyriyya agreed filming her and giving the permission to put the video in internet! 
Who already met her, knows, that Khyriyya does not like that somebody puts her videos in internet - so I am really really thankful to her, that she gave me her permission.... this is very special!!!

Enjoy the video and join me in february 2015!!!

Banat Mazin - meeting Khyriyya Mazin in Luxor for a unforgettable ghawazee dance class -part I

Well, WHO does NOT know KHYRIYYA MAZIN?!?

At least, if Khyriyya sounds not familiar to you - Banat Mazin should!!!!
The three sisters (daughters of Youssef Mazin) famous for their unique style of dance called "raqs ghawazee". The Mazin family especially settled in Upper Egypt (you may know that there are also ghawazee families living in the delta in lower Egypt) and their dance reflects the typical upper egyptian music style played usually by a mizmar band - consisting of 3 mizmar players (a musician playing the mizmar is called "zammar") and a tabla baladi but also a rababa band is an option.

For some years now, Khyriyya is the only one of the Mazin familiy practicing their authentic ghawazee-style. If she one day decides to retire, not to dance and not to teach anymore, and she will find nobody whom to pass on the dance, maybe an important part of Egyptian dance history will disappear forever.....

Jesus!!!! I don't want to even think about it!
FORTUNATELY I am a "lucky monkey" (ok.... THAT'S another story!! I will tell you next time) and I met Khyriyya some years ago in Luxor and since then I am happy seeing her every time I am in Luxor for chatting and dancing a little bit - and of course she always teaches her unique Banat Mazin raqs ghawazee to the dancers of my folklore and belly dance holiday I do organize :-)
*happyhappyhappy* yaaaaay

Ooooooh - every time I remember the first time I met her in her flat in Luxor - I get excited even now - years later and I have tears in my eyes remembering the emotions I had when she opened the door and I saw HER in front of me!
the REAL Khyriyya Mazin!

I remember a sentence, my dear friend and teacher Sahra C. Kent told us during a stage.... if Khyriyya quits dancing, this dance will extinct as she is the only one passing it on....
Of course, my FIRST thought, when I came to Luxor some years ago the first time, was....
the only thing I CANNOT MISS when I am in Luxor (and who knows when I will come back - ok... at that time I did not know, that I would have come back like twice or three times a year LOL) is taking a private lesson with Khyriyya Mazin.

Ok... come on girl..... what you do?!? I'll ask the guys from the music band I met before.... hoping, they would bring me to the REAL one. Maybe you've heard about, that there is people bringing you to other dancers instead of her.

So, I tried my best, asked the guys insisting I wanted to go to see Khyriyya Mazin for a dance class. They told me... ok ok... we call her and we will bring you and your friends (there were other 3 girls with me who wanted to join me) to her home.
YALLA BINA!

4 girls and two guys inside a tiny yellow "Ferrari" (ok... another story to come!!)
moving from one end of Luxor to the other - kind of - 
then we stopped in front of a house with several flats.... ok, come out, we arrived ....
oh my god.... I was kind of going crazy... because I did not know, what ... better ... WHO was waiting there for us ..... Khyriyya or some other unknown dancer?
so we went up the stairs.... stop in front of a door.... the guy knocking at that door.... me there ... kind of paralyzed not knowing what would happen....

FINALLY.... the door opens and..... YEEEEEAAAAAH.... I was jumping around like a child, tears in my eyes, I was SOOOOO happy.... it was KHYRIYYA... really really Khyriyya
I think she was even more surprised than me.... finding this "happy jumping bunny-girl" in front of her door LOL
well... that was the first time we met :-)

We chatted for a while, had some egyptian tea and than finally our dance class in the famous "green room" you will know maybe for some youtube-videos around.
It's still the same - also today - believe me :-)

first time I met Khyriyya some years ago in her flat

 After that, I decided to start "Eshta!!! The special folklore and oriental dance holiday in Luxor" and to offer dancers a special holiday and a unique way to study egyptian dance. Not only you'll have the best local dancers and teachers, but you will also experience the feeling of dancing to live music during all dance classes and learn how to interact with the musicians.

And last but not least - you always will have your terrific dance class with Khyriyya Mazin..... among many other stunning experiences and dance classes!!!

Khyriyya and me in Luxor - november 2014

 

Dahabeya Nile Cruise - belly dance, saidi, tahtib and ghawazee - february 2015

Deadline to subscribe

december 16th 2014!!!

only two weeks left!

Detailed Program of our Nile Cruise on the dahabeya from Luxor to Aswan

from february 12th to 19th 2015

Program (may be subject to variations):
1^st day, thursday feb 12^th
arrive in Luxor, transfer to the hotel, dinner (depending on your arrival time)


2^nd / 3^rd / 4^th day, friday feb 13^th until sunday 15^th
we'll pass these three days on the dahabeya cruising from Esna to Aswan; after breakfast transfer to Esna (about 45 min. trip), where our ship is waiting for us for the check-in.
Along our way to Aswan we'll stop for a visit to Horus temple in Edfu and Sobek temple in Kom Ombo. In the afternoon of each day, we'll have our musicians playing for us live music during the dance classes. 3 hrs each day of different dance styles with Mostafa (dancer and teacher from Luxor), Gabriele or Simone (dancers and teachers from Italy) (saidi, nubian dance, sharqi). After our exciting dance classes feel free to enjoy the beautiful landscape along the banks of the Nile or relax on the deck while reading a book.
Our cook will prepare for us delicious egyptian meals three times a day – breakfast, lunch and dinner. On the dahabeya also water, soft drinks, coffee and tea are included.


5^th day, monday feb 16^th
after 4 days on the dahabeya, in the morning arrival to Aswan. After breakfast, we check-out from the dahabeya and go directly to visit the high dam, Philae temple and the obelisk in Aswan. Lunch in our hotel and in the late afternoon we'll enjoy a motorboat trip on the Nile at sunset
barbeque dinner


6^th day, tuesday feb 17^th
morning free for your (you may visit the nubian museum, the botanical garden, Elephantine island, the suq)
in the afternoon 2 hrs dance class nubian style with Mohamed, our nubian teacher
dinner and party with live music!!!


7^th day, wednesday feb 18^th
after breakfast, transfer to Luxor
in the afternoon dance class ghawazee style with Khyriyya Mazin(from Banat Mazin)!!
dinner


8^th day, thursday feb  19^th
transfer to Luxor airport

The package above includes:

in Luxor transfer airport-hotel-airport, transfer to Esna, transfer from Aswan to Luxor, transfers and entry fees for the visits included in the program, 12 hrs dance classes with live music, party with live music, all inclusive on the dahabeya (alcoolic drinks extra),half board in the hotel (all drinks extra), overnight stay in a shared double room on the dahabeya and in the hotel (on the dahabeya it is not possible having a single cabin; for the hotels: extra charge for single room 50 €/week)

price per person: 880 €

NOT included are:

flight to and from Luxor, entry visa (25 USD), drinks in the hotel (on the dahabeya drinks are included), tips for hotel and dahabeya staff, for musicians and dancers (about 50 €/per week in total), extra visits which are not mentioned in the program, extra charge for single room: 50 €/week)

subscription accepted until DECEMBER 16^th 2014

to confirm the trip it is required a minimun of 12 partecipants. If until deadline (16^th december 2014) the minimun number was not reached, the Nile Cruise will be canceled!!!

to register please email to Simone (layalisharqia@gmail.com).

Deposit to confirm your place and to register: 750 € international bank transfer

balance of 130 € cash in Luxor at the day of arrival

REFUND:

up to 45 days to departure (80 % refund of deposit will be given)

up to 30 days to departure (50 % refund of deposit will be given)

up t 8 days to departure (30 % refund of deposit will be given)

less than 8 days to departure (no refund of deposit)

We recommend to contract a travel (and health) insurance! Each partecipant is responsible for their actions and assumes absolute liability for accidents and damages caused to persons, objects or properties.

For more informations and to register to the event, please contact

Simone Gerstgrasser - Bolzano -  Italy

layalisharqia@gmail.com

Luxor Folklore Group

AAAAAWESOME!
Just back from my last "Luxor adventure" - okay - you may also call it dance retreat (or, as I now decided to rename it: Eshta!!! Live Music Oriental Dance Festival) - and Alexia, my friend and also Oriental Dancer and Teacher in Italy and me, enjoyed every single minute in Luxor!

So thankful to my dear friends - Mostafa and Megahed - who always take care of me and my friends and give us the possibility to live real egyptian life and learn so much about egyptian dance and music.

Last week in Luxor was held the "International Festival of spontaneous arts and childrens theatre" and at the end of the festival the city organized a big closing show with the Luxor Folklore Group (Fir'at el uqsur el funuun el shaabiya) in Dar Saqqafa - the Luxor Culture Palace.
My friends invited me and Alexia to see the show and it was an exciting evening! We were sitting there in this theatre, surrounded by egyptians (we both the only foreigns there) - there were men, women, families with their children whom came there to pass a relaxed and joyful evening, to listen to some folklore music and see some dance.

The whole show was accompanied by the live music of the orchestra and their awesome singers. The show started - obviousely - with an assaya piece! Sure - we are in Said/Upper Egypt! How can you NOT begin the show with their own traditional dance!!!
Hamdi - the soloist dancer and dear friend of mine - entered the stage with his solo piece and after all the other dancers following - first men, after also the female dancers followed.

 The atmosphere inside Dar Saqqafa was stunning - people having fun, everybody clapping hands, singing, enjoying themselves.... and Alexia and me were in the middle of all this emotions - like in a cradle of love and gladness - wonderful!

After the assaya following various other folkore dances - for example - fellahi, nubian, hagalla, tanoura and the most special - two girls doing a sufi piece. Really really special!

 I'd like to thank my friends Mostafa, Megahed, Hamdi, Mostafa Desha, Ayman and EVERYBODY from the folklore group - we had such an exciting evening and we were very very happy to have the possibility to watch the show :-)
hug you all
wahastini!!!!!!

Next Luxor-Adventure is coming....

yes, again, only one week left to departure for Luxor/Egypt!!!

Same exciting feeling as always... can't wait beeing there again. This time my friend Alexia will come with me. For her it's the first time in Luxor and I know she is very excited too. We planned the dance classes with our wonderful teachers..... Mostafa, Tota, Khyriyya Mazin and many other awesome dancers and I can't wait listening to the live music of our orchestra and the beautiful voice of our singer Mohamed.... tarab feeling par excellence!
If you never felt it by your own, you cannot immagine! believe me!
Dancing to live music, interacting with the musicians and the singer is an experience you won't never ever miss again if you did it even only once in your life!
And it's not even only the dancing..... just only listening the live music, the sound depending on the humour and feelings of each of the musicians interacting together, varies every time they play. But every single time, you feel their love for the music, for these magical art-form and they give it to themselves, the dancer and the public as a precious gift.

Can't wait seeing my friends again, passing some time together, drinking our usual egyptian shai and eating some koshari or fuul and ta'ameya.... yummy!!!
And as always, there will not be enough time, doing everything I would like to...  but that's a reason for coming back soon.... isn't it?!?!

Oriental Dance on the Nile with Sahra C. Kent

Dahabeya Nilecruise with Sahra C. Kent

from october 22nd to 29th 2015

full immersion egyptian oriental dance classes with live music

Thursday 10/22/2015

arrive in Luxor, transfer to the hotel, dinner (depending on your arrival time), overnight stay in our hotel in Luxor

Friday 10/23/2015

after breakfast transfer to Esna, check-in on the dahabeya, lunch, 3 hrs dance class with Sahra (with live music), dinner, overnight stay on board

Saturday 10/23/2015

breakfast, visit to Horus temple in Edfu, after lunch 3 hrs dance class with Sahra (with live music), dinner while cruising to Kom Ombo, overnight stay on board near the island El Hegz

Sunday 10/25/2015

breakfast, visit to Sobek temple in Kom Ombo, after lunch 3 hrs dance class with Sahra (with live music), dinner while cruising to Aswan, overnight stay on board

Monday 10/26/2015

breakfast, 2 hrs dance class nubian style with Sahra (with live music), after lunch check-out from the dahabeya and transfer to our hotel in Aswan, motorboat-trip at sunset on the Nile, dinner

Tuesday 10/27/2015

breakfast, visit to Philae temple in Aswan, to the dam and the obelisk, in the afternoon 2 hrs dance class nubian style with Mohamed, dinner

Wednesday 10/28/2015

breakfast, transfer to Luxor, afternoon free time for you, dinner, closing party

Thursday 10/29/2015

check-out and transfer to the airport

on the dahabeya: full board (breakfast, lunch, dinner, soft drinks, tea and water included)

in the hotel: half board (breakfast with nescafé, tea and juice included, dinner – drinks at dinner are at extra charge)

price per person:

950 € (1.230 USD) EARLYBIRD (subscription until 1^st July 2015)

1.150 € (1.460 USD) subscription after 1^st July 2015

the package mentioned above includes:

3 nights in a shared twin room on the dahabeya with all inclusive soft, 2 nights in a shared twin room in a hotel in Luxor with half board, 2 nights in a shared twin room in a hotel in Aswan with half board, 13 hrs dance classes with live music, hafla with live music on board of the ship, closing party in Luxor with live music, visit to Horus, Sobek and Philae temple, visit to the dam and the obelisk, motorboat trip on the Nile in Aswan, transfers (hotel-airport-hotel, Luxor-Esna, Aswan-Luxor)

NOT included are:

flight to and from Luxor, entry visa to Egypt, drinks at dinner in the hotels, tips for hotel and dahabeya staff, tips for musicians/dancers, single room (extra charge 50 € / 65 USD for 4 nights) – N.B.: no single rooms available on the dahabeya!!

for informations about making the deposit to register by PayPal or international bank transfer, please contact: Simone Gerstgrasser - Italy, email: layalisharqia@gmail.com

Payment:

EARLYBIRD for subscription until 1^st July 2015

deposit: to register to the event and to make a confirmed reservation of your room, a deposit of 700 € (900 USD) is required

balance of 250 € (330 USD) to be paid cash in Luxor

for subscription after 1^st July 2015

deposit: to register to the event and to make a confirmed reservation of your room, a deposit of 700 € (900 USD) is required

balance of 450 € (560USD) to be paid cash in Luxor

Refund:

until 1^st september 2015: full refund of deposit will be given

until 22^nd september 2015: 50 % refund of deposit will be given

after 22^nd september 2015: no refund of deposit

Shaabi

This new trend in oriental dance all over the world.... even if it's not "new" in Egypt at all.
Shaabi music is a progression/development of baladi music. Already there we find a fusion of traditional arabic instruments with european instruments, brought inside Egypt by the foreign visitors (British for example). Typical for baladi music are accordeon and saxofon, maybe sometimes you'll find even trumpet. As these instruments obviousely had a western setting, which uses major and minor scales, egyptian musicians had difficulties expressing themselves and their music on them, as arabic music is a complex system of maqamat which includes also quarter tones. Over the years these instruments were "converted" to the maqamat-system.
New music and art of expression was born - baladi - urban style - western-arabic music fusion.

As mentioned above, shaabi music is a further development of baladi and was kind of "modern pop music" in Egypt in the 1970. It's first and most popular representative is Ahmed Adaweya. Some of his famous songs you will know are "Salameta Um Hassan" or "Bint El Sultan" for example.
Shaabi was - and still is - means of communication for egyptian people, raising their voices above political matters, daily live, frustration, love.....

 Other well known shaabi singer are Shaaban Abdel Rahim, Saad Soghayar or Mahmoud El Lithy.

Shaabi, typical Cairo neighborhood music AND dance. Egyptians love to celebrate and making party, they celebrate outside the houses, on the street, between one neighborhood and the other. They put on a stage with lots of colorful little lights, take some seats out, bring some tea and.... go with the music.... LOUD music... yallaaaaaa!
If there's a wedding or a moulid - doesn't matter - every occasion is welcome, to celebrate and to forget hardness of live for one evening.

Shaabi is danced by both - men and women. Depending on the traditions, maybe men and women in separate places or if it's close family circle, maybe all together. Doesn't matter... the most important thing is having fun and enjoying themselves. Shaabi is a simple, genuine dance, expressing happiness and joy - no particular tecnique necessary - have fun and keep going yay!

After revolution in Egypt, shaabi - music AND dance - changed. As it is an urban style popular dance, it is closely connected with every change of politics, way of live, economics, peoples satisfaction of their lives and so on.
Now "electric-shaabi" - mahraganat - is born in the poor popular neighborhoods of Cairo. Speaking as usual about politics, of being tired of the revolution, of banalities of daily live, about sex and love.
If before in shaabi music we found musicians playing, now most of the times, the musicians have been replaced by electric keyboards and computers and even during wedding parties often instead of the music band you'll find a DJ.

And here some videos of shaabi dancing in Egypt. As sayed, it's a popular dance directly from the streets in Cairo - so, it's little bit strange putting it on a stage. But as it's "modern" now in western dance world, everybody wants to copy it. In my eyes, also when putting a dance on a stage, the most important thing is to respect its origins, its genuine character and its soul - which is the most difficult of the dancers part.

 

Tarab

questo sconosciuto.....

la nuova "moda" di proporre stage di tarab?!? mah.... 
tarab è quell'estasi, quell'elevazione della mente, del cuore, dell'anima e dello spirito che prova, chi suona, balla, ascolta la musica - preferibilmente araba.
La Dea del tarab - Om Kolthoum. Ascoltando la sua voce, lei, che era capace di esplorare i maqam in ogni loro singola nota, facendo con la sua voce quello che solitamente i musicista fanno con i loro strumenti.
Loro, entrando in sultana mentre suonano, creano la base per far nascere tarab.
Questa emozione che ti travolge come un'onda....

E' difficile da spiegare, ma non da provare e non c'è modo migliore per provare tarab sulla vostra pelle se non in Egitto, ascoltando la musica dal vivo, ballando con la musica dal vivo.
Provata a fare questa esperienza in una vacanza studio unica nel suo genere... in piccolo gruppo, in diretto contatto con i maestri danza e con i musicisti.

 

 

Eshta!!! cosa vi aspetta??

Il pacchetto "Eshta!!!" comprende  

• soggiorno di 7 notti con mezza pensione in stanza a due letti
• 10 ore di lezioni di danza 
• accompagnamento musica dal vivo con la nostra orchestra 
• 2 serate con hafla con musica dal vivo (e possibilità di esibirsi insieme alla nostra orchestra)  
• 2 escursioni guidate (valle dei Re / tombe dei lavoratori e dei nobili 
• guida, biglietti di entrata e transfer per le due escursioni
• transfer aereoporto Luxor-hotel-aereoporto Luxor

costo pacchetto a persona: 690 €
quota accompagnatori senza lezioni di danza: 500 € in stanza condivisa (volo extra)  


NON sono compresi nel prezzo sumenzionato:  

• volo Italia-Luxor andata e ritorno 
• visto (ca. 18 €) 
• le bibite (sono inclusi nescaffè, tè e succo a colazione) 
• altre escursioni non indicate nel pacchetto sopra 
• eventuale guida turistica per visite extra 
• mance per staff hotel, musicisti, ballerini, guida (ca. 50 € a partecipante) 
• altre spese personali 
• supplemento stanza singola (50 € a settimana)  

Partenza: 9-15 novembre 2014

YAY! only one month left for leaving to Egypt!! 
Happy to see my friends again, happy to have lots of time to improve my dancing.
THIS will be awesome again - as always!
Dance classes every day - live music ..... oh my gauche! if you ever had the possibility to be in Egypt and listening (and dancing) to live music. You will know you get goosebumps .... tarab tarab tarab.... I LOVE this feeling!
Want to feel it to? come and try it out!
Dance holiday starts on 9th november!!! :-)
We are waiting for you!!

Tahtib

what's that? It's not a dance and it's not the so called „raqs assaya“ (stick or cane dance).

It's a "fight" - game between men which can be done only as a pastime after work or whenever they want to and there are also contests of tahtib especially in Upper Egypt in the governates of Luxor and Qena for example at the moulids.
Last june I was in Luxor with my friend Sahra C. Kent during the moulid of Abu el Haggag. These 4-5 days are full of celebrations – you want to find folklore and upper egyptian traditions in one bunch? Here you got it!!

No escape!!! LOL

There are different zikr – some only chanting and praying, some using singing, tabla baladi and cymbals or others with music and a sheikh singing. Then we find dancing horses and mizmar and of course – tahtib!

And here it's not only a play, there are men coming (and beeing invited) from all over the region to partecipate to this tahtib contest. A first part takes place in front of Luxor temple and the mosque of Abu el Haggag and when this is finished, everybody going on to the next place – a small square in between of three streets – in the middle of houses, shops and coffeeshops, where the men were playing tahtib for years and years now.

Sahra and I were lucky – our taxidriver and friend Mamdouh – took as quickly to the second place, after the first contest was finished. So we got up on the first floor of a coffeeshop right in front – better – right above the square.

There were only some men in their galabiyas, sitting on a bench – in the shadow of a big tree, protecting them from the sun (we had kind of 40 degrees C!!!). Cars, motobikes, bycicles passing by, people walking around as nothing was there to happen. It was amazing observing that. It seemed a normal hot day on a street in Luxor.

Then, slowly slowy, more men came around. We recognized some faces we already had seen at the contest minutes before in front of Luxor temple. The leader of the contest, an old, proud and wise man (we had the pleasure to talk to him later) came in, the musicians (mizmar band) took their place, as usual, on a bench, more and more people (only men – of course) walking in and slowly the disordered crowd formed a circle. There it is – the beginning of the tahtib, played inside this circle.

BUT – this was not yet the contest!! At the beginning, men were only having fun, joking, playing little bit around – nothing too serious. The „real“ tahtib – the contest – began later. There the leader brought in the two sticks, which always has to be the same during the hole contest/play and they are passed on from one player to the next. It is not allowed to bring in your own stick! That's part of the rules.

The leader and the „referees“ control the game, count the points AND take the men „under control.“
In the game you are able to show your courage, your ability, your strength, your cleverness.... and of course, your power and aggression. But... you should not. Tahtib is not supposed to be a place where to struggle with your enemy. Of course, sometimes it can happen, that somebodys feelings overhelm – the referees are also there to take this under control and to finish the game before somebody is carried away.
My friend Mahmoud from Luxor, an excellent tahtib player, always tells me, that it is better not to fight when you are angry. As a tahtib „fighter“ you should be aware of your feelings, of the power of your body and of your abilities to be sure not to hurt your opponent.

He is playing tahtib since he was a young boy and he told me, the first years while he was learning to use the stick, he concentrated only on how to defend himself..... for years and years. Because it seems easy to attack somebody, but if you are able defending and protecting yourself, your opponent cannot beat you and will lose the game.

As you may see, tahtib is such a fascinating tradition. And it becomes even more fascinating when you slowly begin understanding what happens during a game.
And I always remember my friend Mahmoud, his expression and his eyes shining while talking about his experiences in tahtib.

Need a tahtib experience, too? Ok – could be done! Next november in Luxor! See you there!! :-)

Luxor.... wahastini

how strange??!!!!?? LOL

who knows me, really does not wonder about that! So why should I myself wonder , that for me 1 week in Egypt feels like 1 or even 2 month there?!?

It is really strange, but as soon I get my feet on egyptian ground, it's like coming home and believe me, THAT'S a hudge feeling (think you know it!)

To see all my friends again, spend some time together while drinking a cup of egyptian shai (love it).

Oooooh yeah.... egyptian shai! You know what I wait most on my way to Egypt after a long time I was not there? My first cup of egyptian shai on the airplane LOL, sounds weird, ok, it's tea on an airplane, BUT it gives you the first „hmmmmm“-feeling before you arrive.

Back to my friends.... I love them all, they are so nice, so friendly, so funny. We have lots of talking and laughing about and we all love dancing and music. And the best of all, there is always some party out there, were we can go to and have fun!

Don't believe it? Next november you will see with your own eyes... just join me in Luxor on Eshta!!! dance retreat :-) you will love it! PROMISE!!

here my friend Mohamed's restaurant "Nile View" in Westbank

the best food ever :-) sooooo delicious

Eshta!!! 2013 - here are Stefania, Omar, Gabriele, me and Maria

Kaf Saidi from Upper Egypt

Ok.... you already know, that I love egyptian dance. As soon as I hear some music, I cannot stand still. I have to go up and dance.

Kaf Saidi is a typical dance of Upper Egypt. Kaf means "hand" and also "klapping". So, as the word says, kaf saidi is a dance using mostly klapping hands. Years before, kaf saidi used to be danced at different celebrations, maybe a wedding party. But the men who danced kaf saidi, were not professional dancers; they went to the party as friends and just to make some fun and to celebrate together with the people, they began dancing. Kaf saidi is danced by a small group of people forming a line. There is the leader in the center and outside you finde the "kafafa" - so are called the men on the two sides, following the movements of the leader.
Kaf saidi is danced basically to drum music - normally are used frame drums.

During our dance retreat we NEVER EVER will miss a kaf saidi at a hafla in the evening, because it is too funny and it makes you just feel good :-)