Welcome to
Feet To The Earth

  Legacy with the Salimpours www.salimpourschool.com   It is May of 2017, when I begin my dance story. My life is flashing in my mind as I write the events leading up to a forty five year journey with Belly Dance. When I was a very young dancer, I proclaimed that I would belly dance for the rest of my life! I had no idea where my life would take me then, but I knew if belly dance was included, I would always retain that sense of womanliness and joy in my soul. I also had no idea the obstacles that we self impose to block our purest joy. Sometimes we just need to get out of our own way and dance!

   In 1972, I enrolled in a Belly Dance class in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. I was hoping to lose a little ‘baby fat’ after having my second daughter. I saw an article in the paper with a beautiful photo of a Belly Dancer, Ayesha Gamal (Karen Gillis), who was offering classes. I decided that would be more cool than a gym membership any day!   

Ayesha Gamal had recently moved to Ft. Lauderdale from San Francisco where she studied with Jamila Salimpour and danced in Jamila’s Club, The Baghdad, for six years. She was an incredible dancer, a free spirit and storyteller. Her husband was a boat captain. They had just sailed around South America and landed in Florida. I was mesmerized by her. Having gotten married at eighteen with two children at twenty two, Ayesha was my muse. She told exotic stories of the mysterious Jamila, who was Ayesha’s muse. She painted pictures in my mind of smoke filled clubs, veils swirling, drum rhythms and the smell of incense which permeated her dwelling. A vision came over me of someday meeting this Queen of Dance, Jamila Salimpour, who brought the ‘Danse du Ventre’ to the United States. 

  Ayesha could tell from Day One that I was her Prize Student.  I was all eyes, all ears and all legs! She was a generous angel, giving me gifts of record albums, veils she no longer used, sewing and costume advice, belly dance history and veggies from her garden!  The most important thing she gave me was the confidence to perform and speak publicly and teach the Belly Dance.  Sadly, Ayesha moved to Texas where she danced and wrote history articles for Belly Dance publications.  It breaks my heart that I lost track of her in 1985. I became her replacement in town and my career took off. I was teaching weekly classes. I regularly performed at El Greco in Hollywood, Florida with Armenian and Greek Musicians and several nights a week at Perry’s Greek Steakhouse in Pompano Beach, Florida. Although we didn’t choreogragh our dances, I formed a troupe who performed for special occasions at the Doral Country Club in Miami Beach. It was after one of these Shows in my costume and cover up that I met Chuck Berry at Denny’s at 3:00 am. It was mutual admiration!   

In 1973, Ayesha, Myself an dear friend, Cathi Conway (Zephyr) and I held the first South Florida Belly Dancer’s Convention in Fort Lauderdale where she taught Jamila’s style of dance to other dancers. It opened my eyes to their longing for  authentic education. The Convention was hugely successful! We held several Conventions, bringing Master Teachers from all over the country. We had as many as 500 guests attending our Convention shows.  Our last Convention was in 1978 when I moved to New Mexico and Cathi moved to North Carolina.  Cathi and I are still the best of friends! It’s Dance Sisterhood!  

 I taught and performed in Albuquerque, New Mexico for 7 years. I was a featured dancer for three years at the Oasis Mediterraean Restaurant. One of my dearest memories is the distinct opportunity to take part in a sacred ceremony to dance for the induction of a new Chief of the Santa Domingo Native American tribe. I guarantee you I was the only non-native present and a woman! Belly Dancing was well received in New Mexico, which is why it truly is the Land of Enchantment. I took workshops with many great teachers, including Ibrahim Farah, Serena from NY, Aisha Ali, AZIZ (Jamila trained) from Provo, Utah and Mahmoud Reda himself. It wasn’t until I enrolled in a weeklong workshop with Jamila Salimpour in 1981 that I realized I was back HOME! Suhaila Salimpour was fifteen years old.  She was Jamila’s assistant, breaking down the steps and demonstrating the choreography. She was adorable and a fabulous dancer! It was obvious that her future was set before her!    I was a featured dancer in the Jamila Workshop Show. I will never forget pacing backstage knowing that I was dancing for the Queen of Belly Dance! A Dancer I barely knew from Idaho saw my distress. She took my hands in hers and demanded that I give her my fear! I closed my eyes and she took my fear! She said she would be under the exit sign stage left and if I felt scared, to look there and she would take it from me! This changed my life. I was not a bit nervous on stage. I smiled at Jamila and danced my shimmy off! After the show, Jamila reached out to me in the crowd. She said, “That was quite a dance, young lady!”. I melted. I don’t think any other words have meant more to me!  The Certificate I received from that workshop has always hung on my wall to remind me of the integrity of who I represent.  

 In 1984, I moved to Madison, Wisconsin. Knowing no one.  I headed right to the yellow pages and sure enough there was a Greek Restaurant, The Athens waiting for me to perform and find new friends! Gus Paras, the owner was thrilled and hired me on the spot. I was welcomed by the dancers and the Crowd! They didn’t know what hit them! However, Wisconsin was not enlightened and the dancers at that time were not professionals. They were dancing for the take at the door. So with four dancers, I was lucky to earn $5.00 above what tips were thrown on the stage and only the Greeks tipped. I was used to getting paid so it hurt to drive that hour into town. The respect for the dancers was not there. The restaurant sold and Gus opened a new restaurant with no dance floor. He hired on a once a month basis to dance between the tables and for weddings, birthdays, etc. Additionally, I did private gigs, parties and groups. I once danced for the Libyan Coalition, which was being picketed as I danced! 

   The local dancers were doing ‘Bellygrams’ which were very popular at the time. However, they didn’t really dance, they did ‘schtick’. I refused. A dancer asked me to do a gig for her.  She said I was to sit on the ‘birthday boy’s’ lap and feed him grapes. That’s when I gave up! I was the dance descendant of a Queen (Jamila)! Why would I ever bastardize what we had worked so hard for, RESPECT. No way!  

 One lovely dedicated dancer in Madison, Sadira, brought amazing teachers like Morrocco from New York who I loved. It was Cassandra from Minneapolis who returned me to my roots. Her main dance influence was Jamila Salimpour. I longed to improve and learn more but the point was lost with the poor working conditions there. I felt separated from the Mothership. My dance began to linger. It became workout and imagination sessions in my living room alone in front of the mirror. It took a few years but I gained forty pounds and was depressed. I would imagine dancing again, but it just felt impossible. My mantra when people would ask why I didn’t dance anymore was, “I don’t dance because I’m fat and I’m fat because I don’t dance.” I was settling in to mediocrity.   

Finally, in 2012, I had the opportunity through my health business to get ahold of myself and take my lost dancer ‘Alishaun’ back! I took charge of my body, created the vision, of who I really am, changed what I ate and began losing weight. During that process, I transitioned and moved back to Florida after forty years! I lost forty pounds, got remarried and started looking for a Belly Dance class. There she was in Google. Bellydancing by Yvonne teaching the Salimpour formats! What was lost was found and I dusted off Alishaun, put her in leggings and a tank top, hipscarf and headed to class.  

 I was so excited to begin! I was only a few minutes into the class when I wanted to quit! What the heck is this counting stuff and downbeats and right hand dominant…who cares, lets dance! Nope. Things had changed and I was a new baby in a strange land. Suhailaland. Well, I am definitely not a quitter and I knew I had to figure this out. I used the excuse that I was too old to learn and that’s why I was running in the back of the class like Lucille Ball in an I LOVE LUCY episode. I felt like everyone was looking at me. I was an old fool and all my years of performing meant nothing. I reluctantly kept coming to class. Finger Cymbals patterns! Who cares! I play beautifully to the music. Who cares about Patterns when you feel the music? Then I remembered the finger cymbal cassette I received from that workshop in 1981! Oh yeah, I forgot!”   

So, I am learning that in my life, I have been ‘Playing by Ear’.  Read Music? Why?  Because, there is a better way. It’s like learning songs on the family piano and creating great tunes and then taking lessons from a Concert Pianist to put you in your place! In my weekly classes, I have had to eat crow, humble myself, look like a dope, eliminate old muscle memory and create new, get my fingers to do what I need them to and try crazy huge new cymbals. When I tested and passed the Jamila 1 Certification it was like graduating from High School and now I’m embarking on University! I can’t even begin describe how much it meant to me in a very personal way.  To know I endured, drew strength from pure desire to get myself back and never gave up on my dream. Unlike young dancers who envision themselves on the big stage, I do to feed the Vision within my soul. They will too, someday. 

  I am starting over, from the beginning. And now I can. I have it all at my fingertips and toes. I can learn with my teacher, Yvonne and go to Suhaila Workshops. I can take Online Classes at the Salimpour School, anytime night or day. I can eat and supplement to support my joints, muscles, stamina, energy and flexibility. Our warm up and cool down series adds to that protection in class. So I am good to go for years to come!  I began with the Salimpour Training and I know I’m in good hands with Suhaila and Company! www.salimpourschool.com  

 Last year, I was so privileged to be invited to Jamila’s 90th birthday party in Berkeley, California. When I wished her Happy Birthday, my proud tears flowed at what this wonderful ‘Wisewoman’ has given to the world! I couldn’t even speak. I witnessed the magic of Bal Anat for the first time in person. The next fabulous dance moment in my life will be to witness it again in 2018. I am a part of the history and legacy of the Salimpour tradition.   

 Thank you Jamila and Suhaila for your contribution! Belly dancing liberates one’s spirit. Thanks for teaching us how!   Alishaun       

.