Shimmies, Sequins & Slippers: First Lesson with Jamilah & Goodbye to a Friend

Friday, July 23, 2010

First Lesson with Jamilah & Goodbye to a Friend

We had our first lesson with Jamilah on Wednesday. I must say, I actually really enjoyed it. I love workshops because I like changing things up a bit and learning with a new teacher is a challenge. They have different methods, techniques and names for associated moves. When you have been dancing with a teacher a while, you begin to adopt their style and I often find myself imitating Lara's way of movement. I have always been one who can imitate fairly well which has been both a help and hinder to me in dancing; a help in that I can learn new moves easily by copying the teacher, and a hinder in that sometimes I feel I need to focus on developing my own style more. Lara is a fabulous dancer, but I still want to dance like me, if that makes any sense. A good example of how we adapt to our teachers way of dancing was in class the other night, we were going over old choreographies that we had learnt. There was one that another class did that I didn't know, but I danced along for fun, and I was able to pick up on a lot of movements and sequences just by anticipating my teacher's moves.

So having a new teacher is a challenge, but an exciting one. We are learning a very "Egyptian Egyptian" choreography, for lack of a description, which is challenging but cute, flirty and very feminine. We will be later adding zills to it (gulp!) I like Jamilah's way of moving and I also like that she is a perfectionist. When I do something wrong, I like to be told- as I told her before we started. I think she was a little anxious about filling Lara's shoes, but she needn't have worried- we are a very easygoing class and appreciate everyone's different styles as they are.

We are working on a new move that I am struggling with- the Egyptian Twist or Jewel step, but it is coming slowly. I tend to get obsessive when I don't know something and I have found myself doing it at Pick n Pay, in meetings...rather embarrassing really. But never the less...it is coming! :)

But I think we are all going to miss Lara terribly and Layali has become a tight little unit. I love all those ladies so much and am glad that at least we will keep dancing together. We had a surprise party planned for her last week Wednesday, and then she sent us a message asking us to meet for dinner on Monday. After a mini-panic we all decided to meet up both nights. So on Monday the Layali troupe met for dinner and on Wednesday after our last class with Lara we whisked her off to Jeanne's house for her surprise party with the whole studio, including our new teacher and good friend of Lara's, Jamilah.

It was a fabulous evening which included lots of food, wine, gossip and laughter around a roaring fire. We were paid a visit by a mysterious "Madam Erotica" who had us all in fits of laughter. On Monday night, Lara had gifted each of us with a beautiful handmade gold Layali bag, DVD of our performance at the Haffla and a beautiful pen for taking choreography notes. On Wednesday we returned the favour with a gift voucher for a pampering session so she could treat herself before she leaves.

We are all sad to say goodbye to an excellent teacher, who has become a good friend to all of us as well. It is like a chapter closing and it is very, very sad.

We will miss you Lara!