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?!?!