Category Archives: Charity

Syracuse Katrina fundraiser

Posted on 2005.10.06 by roj

in the empire state, Syracuse area bellydancers hold Katrina fundraiser

The Syracuse Area Bellydancers Association hosted a fundraiser for the victims of Hurricane Katrina last night at Westcott Community Center.

The documentary American Bellydancer was shown followed by a live belly dancing show.

“The thing is that we are here and we seem so far removed from what people are actually experiencing down South. Myself personally, I am from Gulf Port, Mississippi, so for me I have been affected by the Hurricane even up here and there’s so little that we can do from a distance. This is one thing we can do that will make an impact,” said Chelle Naef, bellydance instructor said.

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samson seeks delilah july 31

Posted on 2005.06.21 by roj

official “cut time” is 4:30. I’ll be in the neighborhood (and you’re welcome to drop by) anytime after about 3pm. the salon closes at 5pm, so after being sheared, i figured we’d find a local place in the area to drop in for dinner and hang out for a while.

ok, it’s official. 17th is out, 31st is in… thanks for your opinions

the 17th is getting a lot of complaints about conflicts through the back-channels, and i have a conflict on the 24th, so, if you’ve got some thoughts on the 17th versus the 31st, get in touch…

many of you that know me know that i’ve been putting off the “Grand Cut” since around the end of last year, with great global events (tsunamis, popes, wars, etc) and minor personal events conspiring to ruin the best laid plans and best intentions… now that the spring crunch is [mostly] over, it’s time to get this done.

for those that don’t know, i’m cutting off about 16 inches of hair.

i’m looking for people who will play with me on a sunday toward the middle of july (july 17 would be perfect), and i’m going to bring myself and hopefully a bunch of amazing dancing girls in full dance regalia into adams morgan (washington dc) to take off some hair for locks of love.
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Dance from the Heart, Virginia

Posted on 2005.04.06 by roj

one of our very own dance from the heart events covered in the Falls Church News Press.

Belly Dancing From the Heart; N. Va. Women Raise Funds & Confidence

“It was pretty traumatic. I wanted to see what I could do,” she [Nazie Massoumi] said. She took the idea to [Katayoun] Hutson, who has in the past helped organize benefit performances. She said that she would definitely help, but because of numerous other commitments, the majority of the organizational work would have to rest with Massoumi. “It was actually more work than I anticipated,” Massoumi told the News-Press. Over the past three months, she has been designing and sending out flyers and posters, posting information on a variety of websites, arranging for the venue, insuring the event, and arranging advance ticket sales, not to mention practicing for her own performance.

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Glasgow dancing for tsunami victims

Posted on 2005.04.06 by roj

Dancing for a cause, this time four-and-a-half hours involving some 200 members of the Glasgow Association of Arabic Dance for the Hikkaduwa Area Relief Fund (I hope that’s the right link….). Read more here: Belly dancers tsunami cash hits £3300 (with annoying non-standard web presentation) Continue reading →

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congratulations nazie and dance from the heart

Posted on 2005.04.03 by roj

just a quick note to congratulate nazie and the dancers for their hot Hot HOT performances for dance from the heart…

thanks for dancing…
chiaki, ebony and elyssa of sahara dance
lucy
nadira
katayoun
the desert doves (janice, mary, sunny, robyn, kaliah, ramaya, johara.zorayah, nazie, asana, mima)
asharah
katie
shems
rodrigo

thanks for hosting, leila

and honorable mentions for nimeera. who apparently had to drop out with the chaos of the evening… Continue reading →

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dance from the heart tsunami benefit

Posted on 2005.01.12 by roj

i wanted to push this one a little, and direct your attention as early as possible… please join artemis, yasmin, lucy, mark balahadia, jami jones, samira shuruk and more [to be determined] at the dc-area dance from the heart.

details are here on this site and here on samira’s. Continue reading →

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dance photography auction for the women of sudan

Posted on 2004.11.05 by roj

i’ll be contributing three pieces to the silient auction at the benefit for the women of sudan on november 14 at casablanca in alexandria.

not only do you get to see more than a dozen of the area’s best dancers come together to in response to one of the greatest human tragedies of modern times, but you could go home with one of these three prints…

from left to right, i present asharah, lotus niraja and lucy, all of whom are not only lending their talent and passion to this benefit, but have allowed me to give a little too.
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Sending Jarvis to School

Posted on 2004.01.03 by roj

Teen dancer needs assistance to continue studies

Reported in the Hattiesburg American, Jarvis McKinley’s, 16, and a student at the Virginia School of the Arts is trying to raise $7000 to continue his dance education. He has $3000 to date.

To provide assistance for McKinley to continue attending the Virginia School for the Arts, contact USM professor Tim Rehner at (601) 266-5114. Checks for tuition assistance may be made payable to: USM Foundation – School of Social Work (Jarvis McKinley) in order for the donor to qualify for a tax deduction.

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