pseudoskirt
What is is...
the quick 'n dirty version...
PseudoSkirt is a free to register open invitation to dancers all over Australia. Basically, learn a dance via DVD and facebook as part of a choreography challenge, rehearse with the entire group once, and perform at an event or festival where Ma'isah is a guest instructor and performer. Its kind of a community based troupe of dancers ready for a challenge and a little madness!
SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT…..MELBOURNE DOES PSEUDOSKIRT AGAIN…the STEAMPUNK project!
Registration for the second PseudoSkirt group in Victoria IS NOW OPEN! But as an added twist, we will be doing the Steam Punk PseudoSkirt dance from 209 Contraption, as there has never been a full group performing this dance in VIC.
Registration is required to secure your place
You may be short listed for three weeks [only] after the cut off date, in case anyone drops out.
You may participate in more than one group if you wish.
By registering for PseudoSkirt you agree to come together with an open mind and heart, welcome everyone as equals and participate in creating something fun and unique.
A facebook profile is strongly suggested as you will be invited to a private facebook group for PseudoSkirt 2010, sharing choreography, tips, costume ideas, make up tips and coordinating sewing bees and so much more. This is by far the easiest way to communicate with everyone participating in this unique project, and there will be unique content only released on the private facebook group.
Another final condition of registering for PseudoSkirt is agreeing to keep the choreography, all dvds, music, costumes and above all private contact info about each other confidential. Please don't leak info about our project and spoil the surprise - let 'em see all your hard work and enjoy what we create together!
REGISTRATION INFO
Please read the directions carefully, all info is required before registration can be confirmed.
Registration for the MELBOURNE STEAMPUNK! PseudoSkirt group in November is available now!
Please email the following to Ma'isah at raqsgothique@gmail.com with "Tally Ho - ready to go! " in the subject line to secure your place.
Your Name (and dancers name)
Your Mobile Number
Your Email
Your facebook Profile name
The PseudoSkirt Steampunk choreography "Contraption" is being taught at workshops in Ballarat on the third Sunday in August, September and October for a November performance. At least one workshop will be held in Melbourne at the Goddess Belly Dance Croydon studio (open to all - registered or now), details to be confirmed. All other participants will be granted access to a private Facebook page and a support DVD for remote learning. There is a costume to be made as well as a make up video, and lots of pictures to share, as well a support form past dancers in WA who have dome this project previously.
INVITATION
If YOU have previously danced "Contraption" in WA or elsewhere, I invite you to join us at the UnEarthed Festival in November in Melbourne, come and share in the madness all over again!
The 2010 Project "PseudoSkirt V.3 - the Pirate Project".
In 2010 there are FIVE PseudoSkirt project groups, one in at WAMED WA, one in the Tribal and Trace festival in NSW, as well as one for the 'Descend to Ascend Concert' in Melbourne VIC with special guest artist Sashi from the USA and then one at the Raks in Rockhampton festival in QLD and the final one at UnEarthed in VIc in November. All the latest info is here, so bookmark this page and/or watch the Maisah fanpage on Facebook for all the latest info and updates.
PERTH
The WAMED Festival hosted Maisah for two Elysium workshops and PseudoSkirt was co-hosted by the Free Spirit Dance for lots of dark dance goodness. We ROCKED the stage TWICE at the WAMED festival! Images and video will be uploaded soon. WAMED in Perth was a HUGE event and one of the very best yet. This is the biggest belly dance festival in Australia and I was honoured to be a part of it all for three years in a row. PseudoSkirt Pirates did me proud and the calibre of workshop presenters and performers was amazing. Congratulations to WAMED for 11 amazing years of Belly Dance Celebration in Australia.
MELBOURNE
The VIC Pirates set sail at TranscenDance, the dark fusion concert event featuring Sashi from the USA, and were a HUGE success! Se the video here soon!
SYDNEY
Registration for this group has now CLOSED. The Tribal and Trance festival is running a PseudoSkirt workshop that will be teaching this choreography and the relevant Elysium Technique, so if you missed out on registration or you want to try this PeusoSkirt thing out for yourself then that workshop is open to all who want to give it a go. Please note only registered members of PseudoSkirt will join Maisah on stage but the workshop is open to everyone!
The festival is in Sydney September 10-12, and well worth the trip!
ROCKHAMPTON
Registration for this group has now CLOSED. The Raks in Rockhampton festival is running two Elysium workshops (and rumour has it there may be one more?) as well as a PseudoSkirt project so there will be lots of Raqs Gothique goodness.
This is a brand new event in the QLD area, so come out and support belly dance across Australia!
This exciting project is available for your concert or festival, for full info on how you can host a PseudoSkirt project email Maisah via the contacts page.
About past PseudoSkirt projects...
PseudoSkirt was a HUGE success at both the WAMED 2009 and the 2010 festivals with the gothic/steam-punk choreography "Contraption" in 2009 and the "Pirate" Project in 2010. Congratulations to everyone involved, it was the most fun you can have with your frilly loons on!
PseudoSkirt group 2008 in WA "Diabolique"
PseudoSkirt group 2009 in WA "Contraption"
PseudoSkirt group 2010 in WA "Pirates"
As we are *still* collating various images and film from the festival for your viewing pleasure, allow me to take this time to acknowledge and thank with all my heart, Princess Fee and Richelle Spencer, aka Ground Control and Major Tom, for being the ground force team in Perth for me that really bought this project alive for two years in a row now. Without you, I couldn't have done it!
And of course to every dancer involved in PseudoSkirt V.2, your hard work and dedication made for a brilliant performance - hats (goggles?) off to you all!
Missed it? Have no fear - plans for PseudoSkirt 2011 are in the works - and registration will open early 2011 for the 4th WA PseudoSkirt project. The Theme is "Demented Circus", and the Choreography will be called "The Odditorium". Will we be in other parts of Australia in 2011….stay tuned, as soon as we know, so it will be listed here!
pseudoskirt testimonials
Dearest Maisah,
PseudoSkirt is without a doubt a fantastic project and I would recommend that anyone give it a go be it at a beginner or at a professional level. Being part of PseudoSkirt V2 was certainly not only an enlightening process to be part of but it was also fun and enriching….INDEED. The spirit and the community feeling amongst the dancers brought together by the various stitching bees, rehearsals, shopping trips and phone calls brought an opportunity for me to meet and dance with dancers of various backgrounds and experience; to try a new genre of belly dance and to meet a fellow teacher in the art form I love very much.
Thank you for the opportunity to be part of this project and I commend you on your commitment to your art and your dedication to developing the gothic/fusion genre. ~ Leyla (Perth, WA)
Leyla www: leyla.com
Through her Moorish ancestry, Leyla has had a lifelong calling to the rhythms and mysticism of Belly Dance, as well as, for the Middle Eastern culture. Leyla is dedicated to respecting the dance, is refined in her presentation, and passionate in her movements. Through this love and passion for the dance, she becomes as one with the music, transporting herself and the audience to the enchanting world of the Middle East.
the story so far...
I'm Ma'isah from Raqs Gothique in Melbourne and I've been a gothic fusion belly dancer for the past 10 years. As one of the earliest dancing (and still dancing) in this style, and is a style I continue to explore and create, perform and teach, I am sometimes called a pioneer. But that title means nothing of you can't share your knowledge and experience. In this, it is my joy to be fuison dance teacher and a invited performer and workshop presenter at belly dance festivals all over Australia.
In 2008 I was invited to WAMED (The Western Australian Middle Eastern Dance Festival) and the invitation to bring my then troupe "SerpentSkirt" was extended. As I was unable to bring the entire troupe with me across the country I asked Perth dancers to create one with me, thus "PseudoSkirt" was born as a fun way to meet new dancers at WAMED and try something different. I thought maybe I'd get 3, 4
or even as many as 6 dancers. Well...there were 13 [!!!] last year on stage at WAMED after accepting the challenge to learn an entire choreography online. The choreography was called "Diabolique" and I'm proud to say the PseudoSkirt alumni from 2008 have kept it alive by performing it since the main event in Perth and in the ACT.
about the WAMED festival
The WAMED Festival, founded by Keti Sharif, is Western Australia's Annual Middle Eastern Dance Festival
featuring international, interstate and local instructors presenting workshops in a wide variety of middle eastern, tribal, and new and emerging dance styles. With a variety of events to cater for all levels of performers and the biggest bellydance marketplace in WA,
there is something to entice most dancers.
a call to pseudoskirt alumni
If you have been a part of either PseudoSkirt V.1 in 2008 or PseudoSkirt V.2 in 2009 and you have since the main event performed the choreography at another event as a solo, duet or any type of group, I would love to host your youtube video or photos here. If you have images or links to youtube you can share, please visit the "contacs" page for submission guidelines.
PseudoSkirt choreographies are free and open source *after* the main event, all I ask is that any time you perform, put images or video on the net or make a DVD of the performance the choreography be credited to Ma'isah and Raqs Gothique and the link to this site: www.raqsgothique.com be displayed. The choreographies now open are: "Diabolique: PseudoSkirt 2008" and "Contraption: PseudoSkirt 2009". Both are available as workshops by Ma'isah.
so...what about PseudoSkirt 2008?
Last years group was the first and it was a riot! Thank you to all of the wonderful dancers who were a part of it for 2008,
many returned for PseudoSkirt V.2 in '09, and it was a huge success...ladies.
To see the maddess that was PseudoSkirt V.1, the very first project, check out these vids!
We all got together and had one huge 4 hour (semi) dress rehearsal before the performance, here is the video of the result of
that mammoth rehearsal session. (and check out the end - I did a little make up tutorial as well!)
complete with music malfunction! LOL - well it is live theatre darlink! ((quick thank you to Mel Rogers from Underbelly for permission to incorporate her "Jellyfish" move from her Red belly Black tribal format))
The choreography is called "Diabolique" by Ma'isah and the song is "Her Evil Eye" by Maduro.
The Bonus Feature.
As it was the final day of the WAMED festival, and after the success of PseudoSkirt and all the wonderful workshops I had the pleasure to teach
(and because it doesn't take much to twist my arm), I did a little impromptu improv solo to say thanks for having me!
Can I have this for my event?
Sure! If this sounds like you would love to add this to your festival or event, and remember it comes with yours truly, email me for info, or download in "Invitation to PseudoSkirt" from the Bookings page.
Let me know!
Ma'isah