Why We Care.

I've never been one to push overly hard on the "All One Dance" aspect of the wide varieties of dance branching off raqs shaquri. But I am one to ponder the dance community's reaction to the issues in Lebanon and Israel. When I was able to see a report concerning Amani, the famed Lebanese dancer, I thought it'd be useful to post it to a wider audience than her Tribe.net group. Luckily, the report, from a dancer attending the just-finished weeklong dance festival there, is mostly positive, given the grave situation:

I [Beverley] stayed on after the fesival, which delivered beautifully, when I'm finished the piece Im writing about it, I will post it, but right now still in Lebanon, watching the war with horror for the destruction it is causing.

The good news is Amani, her team and I are all safe. I will leave in the next few weeks as planned and keep you updated. Meantime, I dance (and eat) while Beirut's Burning.

What else to do against a marauding army? Amani has been watching my back and we are all safe.

And the follow up, as of Sun. in America, is that she's still alive, and well, but still trapped in Beruit.

One of the great gifts of modern technology is that we do NOT have to be shacked to media reports of any bias, or to the commentary of friends and family, or, worst of all, willing only to listen to one side of a conflict. Blogs, forums, even podcasts are bringing us the day-to-day realities, the fears and joys, of people involved on either side of this conflict.

And it makes it easier to help, as this thread on Rachel Brice's Tribe.net group shows. If you want to help, do these two things, please:

1. Go to the "How to Actively Help" thread, find a charity you admire, and contribute.


2. Pass that link onto a friend. :)