The inspiration for Sahara Nights followed Malika’s performance at Planet Egypt, a monthly showcase in London, which is hosted by Anne White and welcomes dancers from across the world. Malika realised that there was a gap in the Midlands for this type of event and immediately started to make plans to bring an equivalent to Nottingham; Sahara Nights was created!
Sahara Nights has been running for three years and has now been made a sister event to Planet Egypt.

Sahara Nights is for new and experienced performers to showcase their talents in a warm and safe environment. The Special Guest Dancer is always a renowed dancer who adds that extra dimension to the event. There is also the opportunity for everyone to get up and shimmy the night away at the belly disco – 2 hours of pure shimmying fun! 

Currently Sahara Nights is a bi-monthly event and has been warmly received by dancers across the country. EVERYONE is welcome, so whether you are a belly dancer OR NOT please come along and enjoy the rich inspiring atmosphere of this wonderful evening.

Nominate yourself or teachers put your budding performers through.
Please contact Malika if you are interested in performing, dance slots are available for 2011. Due to the popularity of this event it is advised that tickets are purchased in advance via paypal on this website as you will have a reserved table. Tickets will cost more on the door. Reserved seats will be held until 7.30.


FORMAT OF THE EVENING

7.00 Arrival
8.00 Performance
8.45 Break
9.15 Performance
10.00 – 12.00 Belly Dance Disco with a selection of world music.

FUTURE DATES

Saturday 24th September 2011
Special guest – Nisha Lall

Saturday 12 November 2011
Special guest the fabulous Siouxsie Cooper 

Saturday 10 March 2012

Saturday 12 May (New Performers)

ANOTHER NEW BIGGER VENUE

The new venue has just been redecorated and is bigger with better viewing for the audience and a licensed bar. There is also a large onsite car park. Snacks available to buy from the venue. 

Federation House Social Club
Claremont Road
Carrington
Nottingham
NG5 1BH

To Contact Malika click Here

Sahara Nights Review (Nottingham), June 09
by Trish Champion


The venue is a quite lovely large Victorian house with an annexe where we were. A nice large dance floor complete with lighting, not quite enough seating area, but you can’t have everything, and a bar. It was a nice change for us to go to a hafla where we didn’t already know everyone, but we knew enough people to feel welcomed and it was lovely to see so many people, including some children! Malika’s groups had clearly brought their rellys to see them dance, some for the first time, so there was a good turn out, and everyone had great support, even us outdwellers!

Janet had 3 groups dancing (I think, it may have been more, or less….), one group had only been dancing 10 weeks, so this was their debut and very lovely they all looked. I’m always impressed to see student groups dancing without their teacher, so I may introduce this (be warned my classes!). There was also a group veil dance by 2 groups who hadn’t performed together before, again, that’s impressive! There were some first time solo’s too and some lovely costuming. I can’t remember any names (nothing new there) but recognised faces from Shekat’s ventures up to Misterton. We had a snake charmer who changed costume a la Asmahan, and the Rhythmic Nomads, with our very own Hannah who has clearly found her bellydance niche. Siobhan danced on her drum, and although she says she’s never doing it again, I thought it was lovely. A lovely girl in a pair of those “spinning” trousers (you know what I mean!) double veiled at high speed and amazed me tremendously, Tati danced beautifully as usual and the guest dancer for the evening was Louisa who has some lovely fusion moves as well as a fabulous shimmy and great presence. She runs the Barefoot Festival so if you’re up for a camping weekend, give it a look. Louisa also has a very small baby, so is a great advert for the benefits of bellydance as she looks fabulous.

At the end of the performances, the drum circle took over and the floor filled up. Clearly they’re used to drummers in Nottingham. Dancing with drummers is huge fun, you don’t have to do tribal, and its great when there’s loads of you up there. The drummers like it too…

And so we went home. Now we know where it is, we may well pop down again in October, and I’ll certainly show my face in Nottingham again.


Trish