Carrara Nour
Professional Belly Dancer in Connecticut (CT)

This post came to me by way of a somewhat funny lead I received on a lead-generating service called Gigmasters: “Dress very sexy, and wear pretty makeup.”

This customer request made me chuckle. Telling a belly dancer to be glam is sort of like telling a lawyer to use complex legal jargon. For me, proper stage makeup is par for the course and part of the uniform. My clients don’t want a secretary; they want a glamorous entertainer who evokes opulent fantasies. If I am getting paid good money to show up and sparkle, I had better pull out all the stops.

But then, I had to wonder, had this client seen a show where the belly dancer was wearing…

Tipping is a universal gesture of gratitude. When you put together a big event, you will want to thank everybody who helped make the event go so smoothly, from the caterers to the DJ to the photographer. Naturally, many party planners will also tip the entertainers. By now, you should probably know what I’m getting at!

While most belly dancers don’t demand tips, we certainly appreciate them. After putting so much hard work into helping you execute the party of your dreams, it feels great to be rewarded for our efforts. Plus, tipping can add fun and authenticity to any show. In many Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cultures, tipping the dancer is said to bring good luck!

There are many…

Because it never, ever ends….

1. Get off my duff and start training in NY again.

2. Learn the Arabic alphabet

3. Retire all my dumbed-down Bellydance Superstars CD’s. Immerse myself in classical Egyptian music.

4. Use props less frequently and more creatively.

5. Go to Manhattan and listen to some good live Arabic music.

6. Watch A Voice Like Egypt, the documentary on Oum Kalthoum. Understand her music and influence.

7. Cultivate a deeper, more intelligent understanding of my music. Dive head first into Arabic music theory.

8. Drill, drill, drill.

9. Go to Aziza’s Birthday Bash, Miami Belly Dance Convention, Rakstar and maybe Las Vegas Belly Dance Intensive. (And try not to spend all of my money on costumes.)

10.…

No, this is not satire and trust me - you don’t want to spend a Saturday morning in my head when I’ve had too much coffee!

Just the other day, one of my favorite Twitterers @FakeAPStylebook posted the following tidbit of satirical journalistic advice: “Demonstrate your relevance as a commentator by writing long-winded essays on the fact that you don’t know who Lady Gaga is.” It goes without saying that Gaga herself needs no further introduction on my part.

Though I’m not usually one for the usual Top 40 fluff, I’ve always had a something of a hero worship for Lady Gaga. Maybe it’s because I’m happy to see an artsy, kooky, intellectual misfit comme moi take the mainstream by…

Disclaimer: Don’t get used to finding recipes in my blog. Domestic diva, I am not! But if I am good for anything in the kitchen, it’s dishing out food so spicy it makes grown men cry. My recipe for koshari is no exception!

Since 9 out of 10 people don’t know what koshari is, I’d like to think of it as Egypt’s answer to Cincinnati Chili. Or, as Cooking Light magazine recently described it, “a starch-lover’s dream come true.” Served in street carts, fast food restaurants and in the home in Egypt, koshari is a mix of rice, lentils and pasta topped with a sweet-and-spicy tomato sauce. It warms the heart, fills the belly and satisfies your carb cravings AND…