Date: May 12th 2007

May 12, 2007 Issue of the “MECDA ONLY” NEWSLETTER

For events sponsored by the:
Middle Eastern Culture & Dance Association

This publication contains MECDA sponsored events ONLY.
It is distributed to all who request it, Members & non-members.
Let your friends know that they can JOIN this newsletter
FREE at: http://www.mecda.org/newsletter.php?linkId=7

Please Note that THIS IS NOT the MECDA Happenings
To get All the EVENTS through the HAPPENINGS,
JOIN MECDA!!
Online go to: http://www.mecda.org/membership
or use form at the end of this message.

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UPCOMING MECDA EVENTs:
Cairo Carnivale Twirler Audition ~ May 19,
North Hollywood, CA
Help MECDA improve! Last year, many people missed the Carnviale Entrance. Lets’s bring the Carnivale atmosphere to the public at the entrance and set the mood. Sign Twirlers will be on Huntington Dr. at the street entrance. Use your own props, a sign, cane,veils or sword to twirl and wave. Greeters will be outside the entrance to Cairo Carnivale dancing and answering questions. Greeters must bring their own music & battery-operated CD/tape player or your personal musicians. All sign twirlers and greeters are volunteers and each shift is 2 hours long. Volunteering gives you free admittance into the Carnivale the day you volunteer. Bring what you are planning to wear at Cairo Carnivale to the audition, any props you will be using and your music. We only have the studio for 2 hours, so don’t be late! The auditions will be held from 12-2PM in Studio B at The Debbie Reynolds Studio: 6514 Lankershim Blvd, (91606) 818-985-3193 Info: Linda at 310- 369-5543 M-F,
10-6pm inda.fleischman@fox.com


CAIRO CARNIVALE ~ June 9-10,
Arcadia, CA (enter at GATE 8)
MECDA’s only Fundraiser, Cairo Carnivale returns to Santa Anita RaceTrack with the outdoor Gypsy Camp in the Paddock Gardens leading to the spacious new Bazaar Stage & Shopping area. Workshops are filled or near capacity for this year for our featured instructors: Karim Nagi, Sahra Saeeda, Jim Boz, and Amy Sigil.
This year’s “Saturday Evening Show” will be held on the Bazaar Stage (indoors) & will be SAHRA’s spectacular “Ra, Eclipse of the Sun”, featuring Sahra & her dancers PLUS performances by all Cairo Carnivale instructors.
This year’s Shimmython will kick off with the Zaghreet calling contest, the winner will receive a coin headpiece, donated by Doyne Allen. Then the Shimmython contest will take place. Fabulous prizes for the contest winner & volunteer with the Most Money collected. Shimmython funds are donated to a local Domestic Violence Center.
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MECDA needs YOU! VOLUNTEER & get in FREE!
For 2hrs of work at the one of the many needed positions, you get admission to the carnivale that day, a goodie bag with raffle tickets & treats AND MECDA’s gratitude.
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NEW THIS YEAR at Cairo Carnivale!
MECDA will offer a FABULOUS prize for the LAST Raffle EACH Day. Please, note that for these special prizes only: YOU MUST BE PRESENT TO WIN & able to take it then. Saturday’s prize is a SAROYAN SCIMITAR, donated by Harry Saroyan. Sunday’s prize is a television. These SPECIAL Raffles will be on the GYPSY Stage, look for the exact time in the Cairo Carnivale Program.
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Come See us & help us to raise funds for a Rose Parade float by buying one of our beautiful ladies fashion tees or Plumeria stalks. Volunteers still needed, aviannabd@aol.com
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Performers Stage Sizes: Bazaar: 24’x16’ Gypsy:20’x20’

MECDA Dance Party ~ June 24th,
Laguna Beach, CA
Hosted by Jheri St. James. The event will be held at the Veterans Memorial Community Center, 384 Legion St, (92651). 1-5:30pm. POT LUCK! Raffle! Dancers or Info
Contact Jheri at 949-494-5031, jheristjames@yahoo.com
Admission: MECDA member $4 (Or $2 WITH pot luck)
NON-MECDA $5 (Or $3 WITH pot luck)



Punk Raqs ~ June 30, San Bern., CA
“PUNK RAQS:This ain’t your mothers bellydance!” is presented by the Inland Empire Chapter, from 1-6pm at Cal State University San Bernardino’s Event Center, “Santos Manuel Student Union”, 5500 University Parkway, (92407). Admission: $5. Dancers, Vendors, or for info contact Dea jadidea@hotmail.com 909-874-1249

IE Student Recital ~ August 4,
San Bernardino, CA
Presented by MECDA’s Inland Empire Chapter. at Cal State University San Bernardino’s Event Center, “Santos Manuel Student Union”, 5500 University Parkway, (92407). 1-6pm. Admission: $5. This event is for belly dance STUDENTS & the NON professional dancer who would like the experience of dancing on a stage without the pressure of competing withan “advanced” dancer. Contact Dea: 909-874 1249 jadidea@hotmail.com


BC Swapmeet ~ October 21, Torrance, CA
Beach Cities Chapter is having a Swap Meet & dance party at Knolls Manor Mobile Home Park Clubhouse, 24200 Walnut St (90501). We are seeking a teacher interested in having a workshop from 10am-noon. Contact: beachcities@mecd.org



Future MECDA Chapter events
Aug 5 or 12: DC ~ Double Veil workshop with Anaheed
Sep 20: DC ~ Desert Chapter Student Dance Recital
Oct 13: IE ~ Halloween Party.
Oct 27: SLO ~ Halloween Belly Ball
Dec 13: DC ~ Jingle All The Way

Beach Cities Chapter Meeting has a NEW LOCATION.
1st Thursday of the month. Pelican Isle Restaurant, 16400 PCH, Huntington Beach (92649). at Pete’s Landing, Hunt. Harbor. Details:beachcities@mecda.org



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CENTRAL BOARD MEETINGS
All MECDA members are welcome to attend any Central Board meetings. We embrace any & all suggestions to make our organization & dance community stronger. Minutes are available by request (contact secretary@mecda.org). If you would like to contribute your ideas & expertise, please attend a meeting or send your thoughts to CentralBoard@mecda.org or the PO Box. The next meetings are:
May 20th in Redlands & June 3rd Sierra Madre.


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MEMBERSHIP Renewal INFORMATION

RENEW at any time to take advantage of the Specials!
Your Expiration date appears on MECDA mailing labels. Your membership expires at the end of the month indicated.
To avoid a lapse in membership, renew early.
Happenings: Printed or Emailed?? MECDA can e-mail you the same image as the Printed Happenings which arrives about 10 days sooner, at a savings of $15 a year.

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VOLUNTEERS NEEDED:

HAPPENINGS ASSEMBLY MEETINGS
The IE team will be assembling the Happenings on*:
Jun 16, Jul 21, Aug 25, Sep 22, Oct 20, Nov 17, Dec 22. To help contact 909-874-1249 or Jadidea@hotmail.com Dates may change


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CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING

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Doyne Allen’s representatives would like to vend at your event. Notify me as soon as possible for schedule. 562-464-5266 doynesplace@yahoo.com (ad runs thru july)

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FREE WEB PAGE for Southern California Bellydancers, Teachers, Musicians. Contact Penny at The Pink Gypsy.
http://www.pinkgypsy.com, pennystewart@pinkgypsy.com. Great exposure! Absolutely FREE.

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!! IMPORTANT!!
ADDRESS for FLYERS:
MECDA Happenings Flyers, c/o Dea Koepfle
807 N. Vista Ave, Rialto, CA 92376
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PLEASE SUBMIT your event listing flyers & classified ads online
DEADLINE IS THE 10TH!!! Of the previous month.
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HAPPENINGS FLYER NEWS!!!
ALL Flyers must be sent to this Address:
MECDA Happenings, c/o Dea Koepfle
807 N. Vista Ave, Rialto, CA 92376

PLEASE note the FLYER RULES:

1. LATE FEE is now $50. (Deadline is still the 10th)
2. LATE FEE will ONLY be accepted from the 10th -13th.
AFTER the 15th DO NOT SEND FLYERS. DO NOT CALL.
3. You must supply A FULL shipment of flyers. This amount varies & is always contained in the current issue. (Currently its 500.)

NEW STANDARDS ARE EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY.
MECDA CENTRAL BOARD MEETINGS

All MECDA members are welcome to attend any and all Central Board meetings. Minutes are available by request. If you are unable to attend, but would like to contribute your ideas, please contact any Central Board officer by email or phone and your ideas will be shared. We embrace any and all suggestions on making our dance community stronger. Please share your ideas for events that would interest our members. There is additional contact information on the back cover.
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MECDA is seeking: Pamela Robertson-Lostumbo (a.k.a. GAZELLE) on a financial matter. Last known address was in Arizona. Gazelle is associated with “Cloud Creations” custom clothing and costumes business, is a teacher and performer. Information leading to contacting her would be appreciated. Thank you. MECDAdirectory@hotmail.com
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NEW JERSEY CHAPTER

We looking for members in North Jersey might be interested in starting MECDA chapter? Time to gather your friends together and get involved. We have had a few inquiries and we would like to see if we can match up the interested parties, to get things going. Email to membership@mecda.org with your contact info.
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S H E L T E R D O N A T I O N S:
In keeping with MECDA’s commitment to abolishing family violence, we request that you bring new personal hygiene items and/or any gently used clothing that you may no longer need to MECDA’s Dance Parties. Your donations will in turn be taken to the nearest shelter for the benefit of battered women on behalf of MECDA. Thank you!
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Dance Party Hostesses ... remember to submit your event particulars - such as travel directions, cost of admission, parking info, links to maps, etc. - to us as soon as possible so your event can get as much exposure as possible. You will want to send this information to both our Party Coordinator parties@mecda.org & the Happenings Editor at happenings@mecda.org .

FINALLY SOMETHING THAT IS FREE! REALLY!
Help Fund Mammograms for Low Income Women! Visit The Breast Cancer Site at http://www.thebreastcancersite.com/home every day
and click on the pink "Fund Free Mammograms" button
to help fund free mammograms for homeless, low-income women.
It costs you nothing to help make early detection and survival possible. Funding is paid by site sponsors and goes to the nonprofit National Breast Cancer Foundation, who uses it to grant access to mammography to women in need. You can click once per day.
Pass it along as a way to fight breast cancer all year long!
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MEMBERSHIP Renewal INFORMATION

RENEW at any time to take advantage of the Specials!
Your Expiration date appears on MECDA mailing labels. Your membership expires at the end of the month indicated. To avoid a lapse in membership, renew early.

Happenings: Printed or Emailed?? MECDA can e-mail you the same image as the Printed Happenings usually a week earlier, at a savings of $15 a year.


MECDA MEMBERSHIP FORM

Member #: _____________________
Name: ___________________________________
Stage Name: ______________________________
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or NEW: _____________

Membership Fees: All membership fees include the monthly happenings, the annual MECDA Directory, free basic listings in
the Directory, The quarterly magazine, and discounts.

MEMBERSHIP OPTIONS NEW RENEWING
MAILED Happenings Membership $50 $45
E-MAILED Happenings Membership $35 $30

International E-mailed Happenings & Chronicles.$60

Family Membership- Full price for first member; $9.00
for each family member at the same address.
Name of Family Member: ___________

Renewals:Must be received within 60 days of expiration
For un-interupted membership mailings RENEW EARLY!

As a MECDA member, I agree to abide by the policies and procedures as set forth in the MECDA Charter Code of Conduct which is available for viewing at www.mecda.org

Signature: _______________ Date: _________

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PLEASE ALLOW 6-8 weeks for processing

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