CREATIVITY

Power of Commitment

Daily Thoughts to Build Your Dance Business

©2014 by Morwenna Assaf and Walid Assaf

Published and printed by

Tales1001

C*E*D*A*R Productions

All rights reserved. This book may not be produced in any way whatsoever, without permission except in the case of brief quotations.

ISBN: 978-1490375755

Other books authored by

Morwenna Assaf

*Finger Cymbals: Play Them Correctly

*ZILLS-ZAGAT Teachers Syllabus

*Handbook of Dance Terminology

Dictionary of Vocabulary for Middle Eastern Dance Studies

*The Experience of Theater Dance

For Belly Dancers

** Mosaic of Music: The Mystery of Percussion and Dance"

CDs & DVs offered through CEDAR Productions

CD = Art/Dance Academy Warm-Up Music

Art/Dance Academy Basic Rhythms

Art/Dance Academy Advanced Rhythms

Soiree Orientale

Ancient Whisperings - Music of Phoenicia

Eastern Bedouin Favorites

DVD = Practice for Belly Dancers

Classes are held at Art/Dance Academy

FOR Beginners through Advanced

WITH an elite study program for ALL

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

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In creating this book I decided not to dedicate this book to one person. I have had a very happy and lucrative career due to the people who have inspired me over the years. So this book is dedicated to all the great artists, musicians, dancers and instructors that touched my life. Many of these greats are deceased and keeping heaven alive with their music and dancing. Some are telling other angels how to do it. There are of course many who are still with us.

I would also like to acknowledge all of these artists and thank them for their input. I started with a list of names but it grew to such a length and I was afraid of leaving someone out. It has been a pleasure meeting, working, learning and performing with all of you during my lengthy career.

You are here in my thoughts and words. I thank you for all your wisdom, support and friendship. You are precious to me and have helped make me who I am today.

You all know who you are. God Bless you all!

Thank you so much,

Morwenna Assaf

*Drummer and Dancer*®

DISCLAIMER

This book is designed to provide information about the subject matter covered. It is sold with the understanding that we offer no guarantees as to the outcome. Dance and music is not an easy subject to accomplish. It takes years, if not a lifetime to complete. You must expect to invest a lot of time and effort without any guarantee of success. Dancers do not just dance. Musicians do not just play music. Teachers do not just teach.

The business side of your dance business must be treated the same way as the artistic side. This book is to help you reach both sides of the coin. It takes dedication and work, just like everything else.

Every effort has been made to make his book as complete as possible. The purpose of this book is to give a lending hand in your education so you can educate, entertain and perform more freely. Neither the authors nor the publisher shall have any liability or responsibility to the outcome of studying this book.

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WHY I WROTE THIS BOOK

This book is written to help educate not only Middle Eastern dance artists to be more familiar with the ways of the world. It is also written to help artists able to adapt to their everyday life with more understanding and appreciation of their role as a dance artist. It is written for belly-dancer drummers, musicians and those interested in having a lucrative career and advancing their creativity. After all, we are in a business so creativity needs to be used to make end meet. We are known as *Dancer and Drummer* ® and we have worked so long together as a team for 34 years.

We have experienced all the ups and downs that all artists experience. I came up with the idea for this book from reading a book on daily thoughts on spirituality. I realized that a similar approach could work for creative artists too. It is all about commitment. With commitment one needs a guide. A guide is what I have tried to put together for you

I became committed and have spent the last year writing a thought a day to help you and me stay on track. I put these thoughts into a daily action to help build your creativity and your business.  Hopefully since we are artists this process makes sense. We do not work nine to five. Our work never leaves us so it has to be attacked slightly differently than just a job. Plus artists tend to get all engrossed and then get burned out. These daily thoughts I wrote need to be put into action. I lived this daily this past year and now I share my notes with you.

Commit yourself to a daily regime to keep your business intact and moving forward. Focus on what you want and how to get it physically, emotionally and creatively. There are no guarantees. What you do and how you do it are up to you.  This is a roadmap and planning sure helps. Best wishes and have a great career.

We hope to share with you our experience of working as a team since the 1980. Our life together has been interesting to say the least and has had us travelling around the USA, Canada, Mexico, the UK and Lebanon sharing our knowledge of dance and music. We feel fortunate to have had this experience and to be able to pass our knowledge to you the new generation.

Be creative! Dance! Have Fun! Be wise!

*DANCER AND DRUMMER*®

WHAT THIS BOOK IS ABOUT

This book tries to fill in the gaps that the average teacher might not be aware of or not able to share. We have found in our years of study, research and performing that the majority of professionals out there never get to the point in their studies where they really understand the business as it is.

We will introduce you to 4 ideas that will work no matter whether you are a dancer, teacher or musician. Artists set the stage for the business of creativity around the world. My wish is for you to continue to share the beauty and fun of Arabic music wherever you go.  Being an artist that is relatively new is one thing but making a big name for oneself in this chosen career is another. Walid and Morwenna will share their expertise with you.

This book will educate you, entertain you and hopefully allow you ways to grow as an artist yourself.  Use this book as a reference guide, study guide and a way of reaching out to others you run across in your travels in this wonderful business we share.

Enjoy and be open-minded. Take it day by day one step at a time. Read the thoughts and do the exercises.  You can start anywhere depending on your experience. I like to start at the beginning and build. You can also jump around and find what just suits you but I feel you are cheating yourself. You have to be committed to anything you feel seriously about.

The pages at the end are left bare so that you have a place to keep key notes. You should also keep a daily log book. You might decide to take longer than a month for each program. This is fine. Just stick to a schedule diligently.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Acknowledgement - ...................................5

Disclaimer - ...............................................6

Why This Book Was Written - .....................7

What This Book Is About - ..........................8

A Word from Morwenna + Bio - .................10

A Word from Walid + Bio - .........................13

PART 1 - ..................................................16

GETTING GOING

INTRODUCTION: Daily ideas to help the new performer/instructor get over the humps that face all dancers.

BEGINNER LEVEL 3 MONTHS

Month 1 = p16 / Month 2 = p 36 / Month 3 = p 49

PART 2 - ...........................................................70

KEEP IT GOING

Daily ideas to help the performer Find her/his way in training and discipline.

ELEMENTARY LEVEL 3 MONTHS

Month 4 = p70 / Month 5 = p92 / Month 6 = p111

PART 3 - .........................................................134

DO NOT GIVE UP NOW

You are more than half way there.

INTERMEDIATE LEVEL 3 MONTHS

MONTHS 7-9

Month 7 = p134 / Month 8 = 156 / Month 9 = 178

PART 4 - ..........................................................204

THE END IS IN SIGHT

ADVANCED LEVEL 3 MONTHS

The pot at the end of the rainbow is there.

MONTHS 10-12

Month 10 = p204 / Month 11 = p232 / Month 12 = p256

PART 5 - .......................................................................272

BONUS PAGES

WORD FROM  MORWENNA

I have devoted the better part of my life to this wonderful and beautiful dance form. It makes no difference what it is called it is a true art form. Even after 40 years giving my soul to it I still love it with the passion I had when I was a younger dancer. I was fortunate to have studied and associated with the finest ever in this business. Now, that my performing days are coming to an end it is time to hit the problems that crop up as time goes by. I have discovered most people come into this dance with no former dance studies and with no concept of this dance as it really is. This book is a way of sharing what I have learned from the masters of this dance to give you some educated answers to your questions.

We have too many people who think dance is instant with no idea of the work involved and the years it takes to be an artist. It is true that to just dance in a nightclub you do not need to be an artist. Being entertaining is often just enough at least for western audiences. Though in reality I do not feel this is true. Even as a club dancer you need background on dance, culture and music. For this dance to have respect in the community you need to have a solid base.

My husband Walid is a premiere percussionist extraordinaire from Lebanon.  He has played for renowned dancers worldwide. He has worked with the finest musicians this business has to offer here and in the Middle East. He has devoted his life to this music and dance form. He was born with a derbecki in his hand and debke in his soul. Yes, we are Dancer & Drummer©

Do you see it?

This book is not complete by any means. It was written to give you a different slant on things by people in the know. Like anything in life there is always more to learn. We hope to open your eyes and you will be propelled to learn even more about the patterns of creativity.

BIOGRAPHY OF MORWENNA ASSAF

Morwenna Assaf is the Dance Director for both the Studio and CEDAR Productions. She has been a Middle Eastern (Belly Dancer) dancer, instructor and choreographer for almost 40 years. She studied in New York City with the late Ibrahim Farrah (her mentor and friend), the foremost proponent of the dance in the world. She continues to study to this day with Yousry Sharif America’s top instructor of Egyptian dance when he is in CA.. Plus she sponsors and studies the works of the Master Mr. Mahmoud Reda of Cairo, Egypt. She has sponsored roughly 6-8 seminars with known names per year. Now cut back due to time constraints.

Even with all the years with Bobby, Morwenna also studied with other masters of the dance. Although she draws from these other sources, she specializes in teaching the Ibrahim Bobby Farrah method, with an emphasis on Middle Eastern folkloric and Danse Orientale (Belly Dancing). Most of the dancers in New England, Kauai, HI and Southern CA namely San Diego County have been trained or influenced by Morwenna and her impact on the dance community has been invaluable. Morwenna also teaches a Gypsy style is called Zambra which is a blend of Rom & Zambra-Mora. She also offers Persian & Bollywood Dance for special occasions and elementary classes.

But her forte and that of the dance company is the Eastern Arabic (The Levant) countries, namely, Lebanon, Egypt, Jordan, Syria and Palestine. Morwenna is a member of NDA, APPHERD, CAPHERD, CID-UNESCO and the National Association for Teacher Certification in Middle Eastern Dance – NATCMED. She has taken management courses and seminars with Rhee Gold of MA and belonged to the Dance Studios Mastermind Group with Sam Beckford in Vancouver, BC.  She was inducted into the American Middle Eastern Hall of Fame in New York City in 1994 for her contributions, choreography and research in this art form. She was nominated Best Instructor 2001 by Zaghareet.

She has written several books to further the studies of those interested in Middle Eastern Dance Studies. She has been on the staff of several dance magazines throughout the country. She has taught dance workshops for CAPHERD for the past 15 years in both Palm Springs and Riverside, CA. She has also taught for Amani in Lebanon in 2011with a request to return again. Every year or so, she does a teaching tour of New England. Plus Morwenna teaches in Mexico on a regular basis. Research and writing are at the base of her learning curve at this time.

Morwenna is an internationally known educator. Morwenna has owned and operated her own studio in MA, RI and CA. She has taught for several esteemed colleges and universities in New England. She now teaches for Mira Costa College at the San Elijo campus in San Diego North County and maintains her studio in Oceanside CA with her husband, Walid Assaf.

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A WORD FROM WALID

This book is a culmination of a lifetime dedicated to the dance and music of my country. I have had the pleasure to drum for some of the best dancers in the world. I love this field and hope to transfer those feelings about it to you, the reader. The only way I can express my true feelings in reality is by drumming but hope to share what we can through the pages of this book.

Oriental music is in my mind the finest and most complete in the world. It has a complete range from classical to modern pop. Each country has its own variation of modern pop. All are fabulous! For performing you need to know and understand a wide variety and you need to balance your music. Using a pop music piece will work for one short piece, in fact is suggested. Using a whole show of pop music is ridiculous and definitely does not work. It is boring to say the least. Stay away from the Beats-Back (remix) sound of music at all cost. Fun for parties, background music and non-dancers, it has no progression for performing.

Really know your music, understand the rhythms, the maqams and the meaning behind the music or song. Choose wisely, something you can dance to in an educated and entertaining fashion.  Rhythm is fascinating. We hope you will explore all its facets with movement and the mosaic of the rhythms is like stringing together jewels on an interesting piece of jewelry.  Open your ears and eyes and feeling to the pulsating rhythm of the percussive drums.

Thank you,

Walid

BIOGRAPHY OF  WALID ASSAF

http://www.danceranddrummer.com/images/walid_small.gif Walid Assaf is the Music Director for both Art/Dance Academy and CEDAR Productions. He was known as the leading Arabic drummer of New England and is an artist marked by a very vibrant and energetic style. He shares his skill as an instructor and performer of Arabic percussion. Walid taught percussion through Scheherazade Studios in New England for nearly 20 years but also here in Southern CA for the past 17 years He is also a remarkable Debke dancer who brings his talent and knowledge directly from Lebanon. He has performed with the STARS of the dance world on both coasts and in between and in the Middle East. He has performed throughout the world with master musicians and singers from the Middle East.

Walid teaches all styles of Arabic percussion including derbecki, tar, table and tambourine. Not only does Walid play several percussion instruments very masterfully, but he is a very qualified DJ dancer, coach and singer. Walid is the manager and directs CEDAR Productions from the publishing. All books CDs and DVDs etc. are written by Tales 1001 but the production of such is done through CEDAR Productions.

His motto is to grow like a Cedar of Lebanon. This book on understanding the percussion instruments and rhythms used in belly dance called Mosaic of Percussion is written with his wife Morwenna Assaf who he has shared a 40 year career with. To complete 2013 another book called Mosaic of Music:  Mystery of Percussion and Dance will also be out, written by Morwenna.

Daily Creative Thoughts

1 YEAR OF DAILY TIPS 1 MONTH AT A TIME

PART 1

CHAPTER 1-3

GETTING GOING

INTRODUCTION: Daily ideas to help the new performer/instructor get over the humps that face all dancers.

BEGINNER LEVEL 3 MONTHS

Exert yourself to the fullest. This is the biggest step.

Recommit at least every year or sooner. I suggest every 3 months.

Get off the couch, get warmed up and dance.

You need to focus on dance creativity and this first section is about that.

Channel your wishes into action.

Realize your creative potential.

Be a winner, whatever that means to you.

These tips are to help you to keep moving ahead in all aspects and phases of creative and business work.

MONTH 1

November 26th2012 – Monday - DANCE LIKE YOU BREATHE

  Creativity is a habit.

  The best creativity is the result of good work habits.

Do something every day