Majma

(At back from left, Helen and Rachel. Front left, me, Cherie and Lianna)

Returned Sunday, exhausted, from a full on weekend of dance at the Majma Festival. Have to say that the organiser, Raheesha, is such a warm and welcoming lady who sucessfully produced the best dance festival I've been to in recent years. The workshops and shows were packed and everyone seemed to really enjoy the event.
My weekend started after a long journey from Sussex with Lianna as my excellent and entertaining travelling companion. We just about made the beginning of what proved to be a fantastic Friday night show. Favourites for me were Raheesha performing a beautiful hula dance, Anurekha Ghosh, an awesome kahtak dancer, Katie Holland and her girls performing some funky bollywood,Valerie Romanin who specialises in 'barefoot flamenco', and Samantha Emanuel, a tribal fusion dancer with amazing interpretations. On the downside, I felt it would be an impossibility to follow such incredible dancing on the Saturday show when I was due to perform as part of the Ramzy dance Company- I was suddenly very depressed!
However, I felt the Ramzy girls stepped up to the mark and gave excellent performances, most of which was improvised. Lianna and I performed our duet really well and I enjoyed the experience. Once I was on stage, I didn't feel at all nervous as I thought I would and we got some lovely compliments the next day from various fellow event goers.
Hossam and Serena knocked everyones socks off as usual, and the band played the best I've ever heard them, (Bashir the nay player was particularly sensational.)
Best of all, I got to hang out with the girls and enjoy some much needed unwind time over a couple of glasses of rose!