Interior Hip Circles

Ok..so last night during the fireworks display.. I was practicing my interior hip circles...changing which leg I was standing on. I figured no one would notice what I was doing...and boy my gluts were a little sore this morning...

I find myself practicing in the strangest places...but I am getting better!

Wow..it has been awhile.

So I have been working on a choreography that Suhaila taught at the January Multi level this year. I was getting a little frustrated because I could not remember what the written choreography meant. So of course I was just making something up. I did have a video of some of the other workshop participants running through it before we left..but I still couldn't quite get what the moves were..

Then..I come to find out there is a recording of that choreography that SSSBD posted on youtube! It is Suhaila and Isabella performing at Spring Caravan. I could not believe my luck! I started to play it an my almost 3 year old daughters says..Mommy they are doing a dance to your favorite song! It has been a great help and it is so much fun to watch Suhaila perform the piece.

This will be my first Suhaila choreography that I will perform. I have been talking about her format to any dancer that will listen. I have continued to perform as I work toward my level 2 certification. I feel a little like I am in a half way point. I can't yet use the format to perform, but as part of a troupe and wanting to continue to part of the belly dance community I find myself still saying yes to performing.

I remember in the multi level I last attended that someone asked about choreography, something about advice on choreography. It did not seem as if Suhaila had any advice for how to be a better choreographer..as she just sees it in her head..it just comes to her. She said that other dancers have choreographers..why not belly dancers? Why feel the pressure to learn the art of the dance..and then also try to choreography so quickly. The gal asking the question then said something about how it is looked down upon, in her dance community, to use someone else's choreography. I don't know if it is really that way here..or if I just feel it is that way here. But, I have decided to start using Suhaila's choreography to perform. I do find that I am constantly learning when I work on her choreography. I don't want to just dance the "steps" I know anymore. I want to push myself with each choreography I learn and perform. I want to get better! I always thought I wanted to wow the audience and other dancers..but honestly I want to wow myself. I want to know I am using Suhaila's format to dance.

I feel so lucky to have made this decision and know this format will take me further in my dance that I thought possible.

SS Online Classes Testimonial

I have known of Suhaila for many years, but never thought about training with a teacher who does not live in my city. I found Suhaila one day while feeding my daughter and watching Ellen. Watching her on the show inspired me to do more research on the Suhaila Salimpour format. Once my daughter stopped breastfeeding, I went out to the “mother ship” for a level 1 workshop. It was hard to leave my daughter, but I was so excited to start a new journey.

After the workshop I was sore, but to my amazement nothing hurt! I was completely hooked and became a Suahaila-ite before I got on the plane to come home. Working out at home with the DVDs was good at first, but the lack of new input became frustrating. So I went back to the mother ship again! (I am so happy to have a supportive family!) After a multi-level week long workshop, I tested and passed for my level 1 certification. Back home again, I had trouble keeping up my pace practicing and somehow always found other things to tempt my time away.

I purchased the year-long subscription to Suhaila’s online classes the first day they were available and I could not be happier. (I knew it was coming and was saving my pennies!) There is nothing like this out there! The DVDs were great, but didn’t have the depth and variety of the online classes. It is much easier to train in the Suhaila format with the huge online resource.

I don’t have time to do a whole class every day, but my goal is to at least finish a warm up. Even at that level of effort, let me tell you that my abs are getting stronger and stronger. I recently went to a Rachel Brice workshop and my stamina amazed me. I have changed nothing else in my workout routine except for adding the Suhaila online classes.



I was asked by Suhaila Salminpour school of Belly Dance to write a testimonial for their online classes because I have been raving about the classes. This is what I wrote, we shall we if, and how much these use.

I love being able to take a class without leaving home. My 2-½ year old daughter will hang out with me while I take an online class and sometimes follow along. She tells others in the family to, “leave Mommy alone…she is doing Suhaila.” She knows Suhaila’s voice and sometimes will mimic Suhaila by saying, “Breath! Flat back! Home Position!”

I now have girlfriends coming over to do Suhaila with me. It is great to be able to say things to Suhaila I would never dare say in class. Though the most common phrase said by my friends and me is, “how did she know I was doing that?” There is something about being able to take a class that really does help me to push harder. I think it is Suhaila’s obvious passion that is so inspiring. I can feel how strong I am becoming and have even lost weight without changing anything else.

Thank you so much for providing this much-needed training.

Dance Names

Ok..so when I first started dancing the other students I was dancing with took dance names once they started performing. I never questioned it. I realized that I would like a dance name too, because who I was on stage was not who I really am. She was someone more exotic, more coragious, more talented, more outgoing and a dancer. We were getting ready for our student recital and everyone else had their names and I was still looking. I really like the letters A and Z. So with my husband's help I settled on Azure.

Now with my new journey, I am finding all the things Azure has always been, is who I am becoming. So, now I am questioning my dance name. I have been liking myself more and more each day so I am no longer sure I need Azure. I can stand on mine own. One thing I was thinking about was using Azure Julianna. (Blue Julianna...I like the sound of that..) I cant' decide. Any thoughts?

Online classes with friends

I invited Kerry to join me in taking some of Suahaila's online classes. So we decided to start Wednesday. Erin also decided to join us. I think only one more person would fit in my studio for these events.

We tried a level one class on Wednesday. It was really great to have my gals with me. I find when I am alone I don't push myself nearly as much as when I am with others. It was also fun to comment on things I would never comment on in class. And sometimes we would just talk about something with no worry about being disrespectful to the teacher. And although I knew what I was suppose to do I really do need to drill more. I think I will work on the Suhaila dice. We were working on interior hip squares and Kerry was a little confused. We quickly realized that perhaps we should have done the pelvic locks lesson first. Erin, who has taken from Kaya & Sadie, who took from Suhaila (so third hand), did help Kerry out with some of the things she was confused about. I don't feel like an expert or know enough to clearly tell Kerry what I know. One thing we laughed about when taking the class was the fact that Suhaila would tell a member in the class to correct something...and we would say "how did she know I was doing that".

So Thurdsay I go to get out of bed and my abs are absolutely killing me...it was those crunches...and my pecks where very sore...arms in 5th postion. Kerry and I have decided we will soon get the warm up in sync and be totally cool. Those straddle squats are killing me too!

Friday Kerry and I got together again to do the pelvic locks class. Again we found ourselves lying on the floor during the warm up..saying "really"? ....wow that hurts...
I hear things in the class that I didn't know....
During the warm up we where doing the cat and cow series and I had not understood this exercise before. (It could have always been that I was already exhausted at this point in the warm up...or I was so overwhelmed by information) When I really concentrated and could really feel my lower abs working I finally understood this exercise! It felt so amazing..and I wondered why the heck everyone doesn't teach undulations like this...some day...

We had a great time this week trying to walk around my studio doing all the things we were suppose to..I can only imagine how cool this is going to get!

Next time I am definitely going to start when we arrange. The classes are 1 1/2 hours and that is a huge chunk of time. There are a lot of classes and I am going to try to get at least 4 online classes in a week.

Suhaila Workshop Austin, TX

Wow...I am still exhausted.

Suhaila was amazing..and worked us out very hard.

Part way through Saturday I realized that I was not isolating my lower abs enough and could feel all the low ab work in my upper abs. I find it frustrating that it is such a small movement on me. I am going to have to strengthen that!

Raqs Nova performance was acceptable. I felt like I was screwing up right and left. The biggest heroes in my life were in the audience and it really rattled me. Jim Glavan, came to see us perform. I was so happy that he was there for my Austin performance. But, when ever I looked at him the choreography just escaped my brain.

One thing Suhaila said over the weekend was about performing. You should know a piece so well that you can mark it while having a full on phone conversation. I am going to keep that in mind and use that as a test.

It was so nice to see some of the gals I had met at belly dance camp! It was nice to know that some of those women remembered me.

Julianna's Suhaila Studies

I have decided to write about my studies with Suhaila Salimpour, belly dancer and teacher.

I went to a workshop at the mothership last year and became hooked. I call myself a Suhailaette...I have no idea how to spell that. I honestly feel that her technique is going to help me be the belly dancer that I want to be.

January of this year I tested and passed my level 1 test. So I am leve 1 certified in her format. I am working toward level 2 now and am feeling a bit overwhelmed, but know that a little every day goes a long way.

I have purchased almost all her DVDs, and purchased a year of online classes. My dance floor is ready and I am trying to find the time of day I can devote to my Suhaila studies. As of now I have at least one friend who is going to join me for a Wednesday evening online class, and for the first time in my life I am seriously thinking of taking ballet classes.

My sprained ankle is better and I am starting to walk around the house in releve. I don't get very far yet. But, by the next time I go to the Mothership I plan to be much stronger.

If you want to know more about her vision, technique and revolution in the belly dance world go to www.therealsuhaila.com.