This page contains items about belly dancing and hafla events in Haddington, Tranent and other parts of East Lothian, and in Edinburgh.

Click on picture above to see Suzanne performing a veil dance to Una Música Brutal  by Gotan Project - music from the CD La Revancha del Tango, available on Amazon.

Hafla in Argyll ---- “Watch my hips”

Amanda Fearn, a local belly dancer, organised the weekend.  All the hard work and time she must have put into arranging the event really paid off as everyone who attended had a great time. Certainly the group from Haddington had a most enjoyable and instructive weekend.

The event was held in the Campbell Room at the Argyll Hotel, Inveraray

First there was a 3-hour workshop with Kay Taylor (aka Farida). Kay’s tuition is so skilled and friendly that the time passed too quickly.  Amazingly we all (well nearly all) learned a new dance to a techno version of the classic tune Enta Omri.  Video of the dance is available on You Tube - link below.

Later we performed this at the Hafla!

The Hafla was superb. The dancers from both near and far displayed a very varied selection of styles and techniques. Everything from tribal to sword dance!  Farida was the star of the show and we all envied her talent, style and grace.

Our group also showed our various talents.  Suzanne performed a classic cabaret dance.  Carol and Margaret performed an impromptu and impressive veil dance and Flame donned a pink wig and feathers for a freestyle performance to “Minnie the Moocher”!  Flame likes to call this style “A trifle confusion”.

Unfortunately the music for our group dance refused to play so our veil dance “Tango” will have to be performed at a future time.

The Hafla also featured a beautiful fashion show by Farida and there was an opportunity to purchase the costumes from the Souk.

There was a raffle at which Carol and Flame both won prizes and a very filling buffet.

The evening came to a close in carnival fashion with salsa and a conga led by a mysterious carnival horse!

On Sunday we had another class with Kay. This time the emphasis was on more classical style and although exhausting after the night before we all found it very motivating and I think we all mastered at least a few new moves.

We all had a splendid weekend are already practising for next year when we hope Amanda will organise another event.

Thanks Amanda, see you next year!!

Flame . . .

Flame's first solo appearance at the RAQS Britannia event in Blackpool can be seen by clicking below

Useful information on classes, haflas, workshops and events around the UK.