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| Suhaila Salimpour...the Newsletter |
January 2009 |
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Greetings from Suhaila
Happy New Year to you all! This last year has been filled with growth, change, building, and rebirth. What more could a girl ask for? I'm so happy and when I look back at all of our accomplishments I feel so proud. I think I have produced more in this last year than ever before. It makes me proud to see so many wonderful dancers progress through my format/certification program as well as the launching of the Jamila Salimpour Certification program. Thank you all for your love and support.
I also want to thank my office staff. I so appreciate you all very much. It is with you by my side that this vision keeps going strong and develops better each day. It has taken me years to see what works and what doesn't to finally feel that I have a staff of women that have such wonderful chemistry together that we all can strive. We all look forward to coming into the office each day and our passion for the work shows in the loyalty and dedication of you all. I look forward to growing in this next year together as well. If '08 was that fun, what could '09 hold?
Thanks to Aida for our '09 kick off private workshop that we all were lucky enough to enjoy. I can't wait for you to come home. And now we are in full swing for rehearsal for our '09 stage show production. This year is gonna be a good one for sure :)
Usually I make some sort of New Years resolution and this year it was simple...to continue to be happy. Remember, when things feel hard it might just be the best thing that could have happened to you and make you stronger. Kinda like a glute squeeze.... it feels hard, but it will change your life forever. You'll never be able to go back to the old way of doing things. Life........
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Suhaila Editorial
 The parking lot was not very far from the theater. However, I remember the man who took our money and gave us our ticket vividly. He appeared loud and fun with a very good sense of humor. I can even remember exactly what he was wearing. My mom and he exchanged a few jokes before we started our day out.
This was 1977 and we were going to see the movie “Caligula.” It was only featured at one theater in San Francisco and my mom was really excited to go. I had never heard of it before but, only being 10 years old, I was happy to see any movie. When we got to the theater I was enthralled by the live organist that was playing as we took our seats. He was not facing the audience, but I could tell by his body language that he was exceptionally passionate about playing.
 As the audience started to pour in, I was mesmerized. Everyone was in costume! I guess I didn’t notice while we were in line. Probably because I was already accustomed to the colorful way the community dressed in the Castro. I knew it was a special neighborhood, for I had never really seen anything like it ever before. I felt safe there and always had so much fun. The people were happy and nice to us. I loved all the fashion and was never at a loss for something interesting to look at. However, I hadn’t thought much of it since I had been going there for years with my mother (mostly for the fun “Gay Day Parade” every June). Being there made me want go to the Castro Theater to watch every movie, for seeing all the people dressed up was such great fun. According to my mom though, it was a special occasion and the movie motivated them to dress up. Apparently, it wasn’t an everyday affair.
When the man finished playing the organ he stood up and faced the audience. The crowd went wild with applause and the platform he was standing on with the organ slowly descended into the floor. I was amazed. When the movie was over I had a million questions. Even throughout the film my mom had to hide my eyes at times. We left the theater and walked down the street. I didn’t realize it at the time but I was a part of history.
 I went to see the movie “Milk” this last weekend and was so moved. I was moved not only by the amazing acting bySean Penn and directing by Guss Van Saint, but even more so because it was those very same years that Harvey Milk walked the streets of the Castro making history in America that I was a child with my mother unaware of the difference between color, race, sex, or religion. I always knew that Northern California was special, but watching “Milk” was another small reminder of just how special it is.
I remember the very day Harvey Milk and Mayor Masconie were shot and killed. We all mourned this day. It wasn’t just a loss of life, but a huge statement to the world. The streets were filled with people peacefully protesting, walking with candles in paper cups, tears streaming down their faces. As a child I didn’t understand the magnitude of impact of Harvey Milk being openly gay. I really thought it was his private business. We never promoted the sexuality of “straight” people so who cared that he was gay? Or so I thought as a little, 11 year old girl in 1978. But we did need to care and the fight that this man and community took on for our civil freedom was something that I totally took for granted. It was not just about gay people; rather it was and still is about basic human rights.
 The movie Milk was poetry. It was uplifting and didn’t focus on his death or the brutal way he was murdered, but his life and the lifestyle of a community having to endure the pain of that generation and time frame. It was so inspiring to see how Harvey fought for what he believed old school style - in the streets with his close community and people with the same passion and belief system as he had. It wasn’t about money, personal gain, power, or fame. It was about revolution and a need for change.
 I remember back in 1988 (a decade after Harvey Milk was killed) meeting director Gus Van Saint at Helena’s night club in downtown L.A. We sat at the same table. He was very polite and even a little shy. I have always been a huge fan of his directing and feel his films are all poetry. I really recommend you all to see this film.
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Workshops!
Multi-Level
Weeklong Workshop
January 26th - 30th
These five-day workshops are open to all participants. Students receive an offering of the vast material Suhaila covers as an instructor, including an overview of the SSSBD certification program. Multi-level workshops include detailed technique, choreography, and opportunities to certify in SSSBD Level 1 or Level 2. Many of Suhaila's students, both those who are certified and those who are not, enjoy taking these multi-levels every year.
Price: $550 ($495 for SSSBD Members)
Click Here To Register
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Level 3 Preparation
Four-Day
February 17th - 20th
Tues-Friday
Come to the four-day Level Three Prep Workshop and learn all of the level 3 choreographies in depth with Suhaila herself! This workshop, created to help prepare students for the level 3 workshop, presents the required choreographies more slow and thorough fashion, helps participants learn technique for layering and gives them the tools to begin to choreograph. (Prerequisite: Current Level 2 certification in Suhaila's format.)
Price: $600 ($540 for SSSBD Members)
Click Here To Register
Upcoming Workshop Schedule
SSSBD Class Schedule
Hot Products!
Newly Updated!
Level 1 Workbook
A new version of the Level 1 Certification Book is now available! This "Study Guide" is not only extremely reasonably priced, but full of all the current information needed for the level 1 exam. Updated with new and improved information not included in the original workbook, this guide is an essential tool in preparing for Suhaila's workshops and keeping up to date with the evolution of the Suhaila format!
$12.50
Click Here To Buy
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My Journey with Suhaila - Guest Editorial
by Brittney Laleh Banaei
As dancers, we all take a different path to get where we want to be. All of us have different dance goals, and this means that we will all seek different types of training at one time or another. For some of us this means grabbing a DVD to expand our knowledge from the convenience our living room! Or perhaps for some of us, traveling to local and regional workshops to study with some of the great resources that are brought in from out of town is how we choose to learn. Others will cross oceans to go to the birthplace of bellydance to learn from the Egyptian masters themselves. As we all know, there is no ‘right answer’ about how we choose to train ourselves to be the best, we just have to go with what feels right.
For me what felt right was walking into a St. Louis dance studio one sticky summer morning and discovering Suhaila Salimpour. I was eighteen at the time, and had no earthly idea that I was walking into the classroom of one of the most controversial, feared, and misunderstood instructors in this art form; or that she has been causing waves in the bellydance community since an early age. After three days with her and a Level 1 certification, did I care? Absolutely not. I felt I had learned more in those three days than I had in years of dance training. Sure, I wasn’t learning ‘moves’, nor was I learning about the culture. Suhaila is Middle-Eastern, so when you learn from her you are getting a cultural experience weather you realize it or not. I’m also Middle-Eastern, and I had put in a lot of time beforehand at Arabesque Academy in Toronto, which focuses more on cultural aspects of the dance. I was ready to take my learning to a different level. So, when I say I learned a lot, I mean I learned a lot about myself, which is the greatest instruction you could possibly give someone. Suhaila has been a fantastic mentor, instructor, friend, and support system for me since the day I met her, and she will continue to be for a very long time.
 Now that you have a bit of history, let’s fast forward into the present-day. I’ve been studying with Suhaila for 5 years now, and in August 2008 I became the youngest, highest certified dancer within her format. This was no easy feat! There’s a reason that as I write this article there are only 8 people level 3 certified in the entire world! Level 3 focuses on emotional preparation for dance, as well as layering movements. Now, when I say layering, I don’t mean a ribcage circle on top of a shimmy. I mean isolated muscle contractions set on top of different, isolated muscle contractions set to different timings, foot patterns, cymbal patterns etc.
Because of the intensity of the work, you have to prepare for months ahead of time, and be willing to work on your body. This doesn’t mean losing a bunch of weight to look good while you dance. This means REALLY training your body, and preparing your muscles to take in new things. To prepare for my level 3 test I incorporated flexibility training every day, cardio, as well as attending different types of dance and yoga classes. This was all in addition to practicing basic movements and layering options. There were also 2 choreographies to work on and practice, and my own choreography to write. It was my responsibility to make sure I had enough stamina to make it through the long drills and intense warm-ups. I kept a training journal and took notes about things I needed to work on. I won’t lie, if I go back over my notes, there is sure to be a sprinkling of profanity throughout!
The body training aspect was only one, tiny piece of a really big pie. Not only do you have to work on yourself physically, but emotionally as well. I had to be able to walk into the studio emotionally open and ready to go. I had to be able to present a true-to-self performance that wasn’t just a ‘sad face’ or ‘happy face’ presentation. We (the testers) had to give up a piece of ourselves, and expose ourselves emotionally, because in the end, that is what art is about, right? Really being able to say something. We used Sanford Meisner’s acting techniques to prepare ourselves and practice being able to ‘go there’, which took years of work beforehand.
 Finally there were the projects to be completed. We had to read books, watch DVD’s, write papers, write choreographies, and make a documentary. There were nights during the weeklong workshop that I was up all night and all day the next day practicing, doing the ‘homework’ from the workshop, or learning choreography. I HAD to get it done, though, because as opposed to the test being in one time block at the end of the week, we were tested all week, so if something wasn’t done or we couldn’t execute it, then we would have been docked on our test, but most of all disappointed in ourselves.
So as you can see, this was no easy task. For me, however, it is all so worth it. I feel like I have actually accomplished something and become a better dancer, and that feeling is worth every ounce of sweat and missed sleep. Most of all, level 3 is about connecting with other dancers who are blooming into beautiful artists, and communicating with other women that wish to express themselves honestly and to the fullest. It is amazing to be able to walk into a room and know that each person is there to do the work, enjoy, and express themselves; not talk about what each other are wearing or make snarky remarks about each other. I’m happy to say that despite the controversy surrounding her, and no matter what is said about her, Suhaila has provided me with the most positive learning environment that I have ever had, and it is because of this fact that I have been able to grow and find myself as a dancer.
In the end it isn’t about the certification, title, or anything of that nature, because anyone can have a certificate in their hands. It is about knowing in my heart that I am an artist: I can do the work, create the art, experience the emotions, and dance out loud with no apologies, that is what the process is all about! Suhaila created the program and gave me the certification, but I put in the hours for myself, and that I think, brings me the greatest sense of satisfaction and accomplishment.
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