The Oasis is grieving the loss of 17 year old Wael Moudjed, dearly loved dancer and long time friend of the studio: http://www.legacy.com/Dayton/Obituaries.asp?Page=LifeStory&PersonId=143337648

There are lots of clubs where you can listen and dance to various types of music, i.e. Country, etc. You want to listen/dance to Middle Eastern Music? Then you need to be here!

WHEN: Alwlays the 2nd FRIDAY of each month.

TIME: Door opens at 7:30 PM - 11:30 PM

COST: Usually $5 per person, 10 and under FREE (Look closely at the cost for the month you wish to attend in case the price is $10 instead of $5 so you are not surprised. NO CHECKS ACCEPTED for Belly Dance Nite entry fee but Visa/MasterCard or the Oasis GIFT CARD ARE ACCEPTED)

If you are coming to any class or function at the Oasis for the first time, you will need to sign this Membership Form either in advance and bring it with you or sign it at the door when you arrive.

Special Treat: When we have a Guest performer(s) for the Belly Dance Nite, they will teach a class the following day, Saturday, at the Oasis.

Download the Belly Dance Flyer

NOTE: You may bring your marketing materials in the studio for posting in our literature area IF you come talk to me about them first, please. Thank you!

If, after you read this whole page, you still have questions, call Kira: (937) 620-1678 or email her: kira@kirasoasis.com

Here is the basic info for most "regular" Belly Dancing Nites

• Entrance fee is typically $5 per person: Guests & Performers, unless it is a special night in which case the price will be posted in the data that lists the details for that month that is on the left side of this page.


• Great Belly Dancing music is played DJ style all evening for your dancing pleasure. Please feel free to bring music you like to dance to and the DJ will play it for us all to enjoy.
  Sometimes we even have special guest live music artists like: Dorian Hijaz;
  Keshvar Project;
  Carmine - fantastic drummer;
  Naser Musa, Oud Master and more...!


• What to wear: Your Belly Dance Costume, Hip scarf over jeans, or wear whatever makes you feel comfortable/good: jeans, sweat pants, anything! It doesn't matter. Look closely at the dancers in the picture above and you will see t-shirts, shorts, skirts, hip scarves or lack there of, etc... And Check out the Belly Dance Nite Photo Gallery.


• Want to perform? Great! We accept up to 6 per night (except Halloween) so the evening doesn't turn into a show. Performers still pay the posted entrance fee for the evening, typically $5 unless other wise noted. If you want to perform, just Email me at: kira@kirasoasis.com or call me (937-620-1678) and let me know in advance, please, in case the slots are already all promised to others. I will try to keep the listed performers on this page current so you can check that out ahead of time, but it may not be if I am too busy.


• Kira's Oasis provides an outstanding sound system that can accomodate your CD's or Tapes and a professionally lighted performance area. There is not a raised stage available.


• Snack Foods, BYOB, Pop/Water Vending Machine available*


• Observer? Want to come and “JUST WATCH” or hang out? Please feel free to join us!!!


• Dancer? Come dance with us! Meet & Greet our fellow Dayton Area dancers for a little “Open Dancing” fun. When you hear a song you like, just get up and dance!


• Student? Want to learn Middle Eastern Belly Dance? You’ll find a teacher here or pick up a schedule of classes at the Oasis! This is a "dance" nite, no instruction is offered during this event.


• Already a student? This is a good time to practice! Or perform your new number for us ! We'd love to see it! Anyone who wants to perform, may do so, (up to 4 per night). But PLEASE check it out with Kira ahead of time in case the 4 slots are taken already. This is a relaxed, supportive & fun environment.


• Percussionist? Practice your drum & Zills with the dancers. It will sharpen your ability to embellish the music and read the dancer. BUT, please be aware that this is NOT a drum circle. The musicians' goal for coming to this event should be to practice becoming part of the music being played and practice embellishing it and playing to the dancers. Please be mindful of not over-powering the music being played so we can ALL still hear it. We will certainly turn the music off occasionally and allow the musicians to "do their thing" for the enjoyment of all, as well!


• Teacher? Bring your students for a “once-a-month” classroom outing. Are they working on a new number? Debut, fine-tune or practice it here and give them some “dancer camaraderie”.


• The items in the store may NOT be "borrowed" - items are for purchase ONLY!


• This is a NON-SMOKING event! (smoking pemitted outside the bldg)


• A NOTE ABOUT CHILDREN: While young children are not discouraged, please understand this tends to be more of an 'Adult' nite out, sort of event that includes BYOB. If you bring your young children, please keep an eye on them. Please do not leave the whereabouts and behavior management of your children to others.


• Show your support for Dayton Area Middle Eastern Dance!

Monthly Vendor & Permanent Store

Shop our monthly vendor, check out the permanent on-site store or when we host a "Dancers Trunk Sale Event", you can rent table space and bring your items for sale. Used items will not be placed in the store. The store is for Vendor consigned items only and is not responsible for "loss". Items placed in the boutique on consigment must be new. If they are not new they need to be "cleared" before placement will be accepted. We are not a thrift store so "used" items need to be in excellent condition or they will not sell so we don't take them.
If you want "vending" space outside the Boutique for an event or hafla - you need to call me first!! Space is limited and this is how it works:
Again, check with me first about space availability: email me at Kira@KirasOasis.com or call (937) 620-1678.
I can accomodate up to 5 6ft banquete tables of "vendor used" space and can supply the table. Please bring your own lighting and a cloth of some kind, etc if you desire these things. The lighting is not all that bright in the vending area.
A hanging rack will be considered a "table" as it takes up approximately the same amount of floor space. Please submit measurements of other styles of display racks.
I try to select vendors who request space in a way that diversifies the product being sold so that everyone that is vending can do as well as possible so vendors with similiar merchandise will not vend on the same night.
The fee is $15 per table you desire to rent - payable in advance to hold your vending slot and this fee includes the price of the Hafla entrance for the Vendor ONLY. Vendors assistants pay the entrance fee unless circumstances are discussed ahead of time. Once you have been given the O.K. for vending on a particular event night, you can send in your deposit.
If you need to cancel your vending reservation, please notify me as much in advance as possible so that I can go down the list of vendors interested until I find someone else that can come to the event in your place.
The Oasis does not guarantee any amount of sales the vendor will experience.
The Oasis does not take responsibility for the loss of product from theft. Vend at your own risk and watch your items. We suggest two people when you vend to wait on your costumers in a satisfactory manner and help watch the items.
All vendors need to be aware that the Oasis Boutique will always be open during ANY event and sales will be happening in there in addition to what you and other vendors are selling.

WHY do "performers" have to pay?

The Hafla is for everyone's general, overall open dancing enjoyment and everyone gets to enjoy the event all night, even the people who give a performance. By allowing free entrance to those given a performance slot, it is like the performer is special or more privaledged in some way and is in a sense being "paid" for their performance at the event. No one is going to be "paid" for their performance in any form, including by getting in for free. Performing is a privaledge and if you ask for a slot early enough you may get one before the slots are filled for the month. This event provides an opportunity for dancers of all levels to have a chance to perform which hones skills and provides exposure to the audience who attends the Hafla and everyone who visits the Hafla page of the Oasis website and sees the upcoming performers listed there. The personal growth, marketing exposure and fun each performer has is the "payment".
This is only a once a month event and the studio relies heavily on the revenue generated by it to pay its bills and keep it operational. Every event/venue/sponsor has significant costs incurred UP FRONT in order for it to happen and paying for it helps to ensure the future of events and places such as the Oasis that hosts them!

Kashmir's use of the Kira's Oasis & Kira LaFave names to promote her business

Kira's Oasis has had an on-going PAINFUL effort trying to get a dancer by the name of Lady Kashmir to stop illegally using the business name of Kira's Oasis and the owner's personal name in many forms to promote her website, video clips and dancing career. After months of trying to communicate with her to get her to stop, I will now have to take legal action and seek damages from her in the legal system. Any help that can be given to Kira would be a tremendous blessing as this tiny studio struggles to s joy to so many. This effort is something it just cannot afford but has no choice but to pursue. If you can assist in any way, please contact me! Thank you to this community for the years you have supported and enjoyed my business! I hope she does not cause it to come to and end.
Kashmir took classes BRIEFLY from me in the studio and I had to take a break for a while for my own personal life and my health struggles imploded causing me to stop teaching. She claims to be Turkish - then she should learn from DENIZ!
Kashmir is still missing the point: that no one cares how she dances or what she calls herself in her marketing attempts or how she expresses her self or what she wants to do with the dance. These are her personal choices and ppl are entitled to opinion but in the end she can do what she wants.
**** It only matters that she STOP the ILLEGAL use of Kira's Oasis and Kira LaFave in any of her marketing efforts without my agreement. That's all !! I am NOT slamming her dancing or creative choices, in fact I could find great appreciation in them and would not have minded collaborating on various projects with her and getting to know her better. But this opportunity was taken away from me when she started using my established business to further her own without my permission and connecting me to parts of her "creativity" that I would have refused to be associated with. She needs to STOP putting Kira's Oasis or Kira LaFave or various forms of my full legal name into ANY website search words, titles, pages on her websites, etc, PERIOD! Or I WILL take legal action, I will have NO choice. I tried to talk to her about this and she said she would stop MONTHS ago through MySpace. Obviously not only did it not stop, she expanded her efforts in 10,000 times the places! And now she will not communicate with me at all. I would love her to meet with me and talk about this but she will not respond to my facebook messages to get together and talk.
Kira's Oasis does NOT endorse Lady Kashmir's work in any way shape or form. Kashmir does NOT work for the Oasis and has never worked for the Oasis, nor is she a student, performer or a teacher for this establishment. Kira's Oasis will not give a qualified recommendation to anyone on her behalf as a teacher or performer of Middle Eastern dance. The Oasis resents her implication in her resume and other online self promotions such as video tag lines, etc, that she works for, is endorced in any positive way by, or is affiliated in any way with Kira's Oasis Studio or Kira LaFave and any of Kira's endeavors. Lady Kashmir's membership to Kira's Oasis has been revoked. She, her friends and her significant other who shoots the pictures and video is barred from the Private Property of 590 Congress Park Drive, Centerville, OH 45459, where membership to enter is required.
Kira
Kira@KirasOasis.com

January 2010 Hafla CANCELLED

I took my assistant, Tarah into my sewing/art room in my basement today and we looked at some of the original flyers I have hanging on the wall down there that are my memorabilia/historic record of when I started planning events as a Belly Dancer here in Dayton. (I have been dancing for 11+years now) Denise Millers first Caravan Of Hope Charity Belly Dance Show that I helped her plan & co-sponsored was in February of 2000 at the Christopher Club. As a new dancer and student of hers, I was a nervous wreck about dancing in my first show so I talked her into the idea of letting me rent the Christopher Club for a practice session/dry run on the Thursday night before the show because it was an “off” night and cheaper for me. The idea being we practice in the rather unusual layout of the Christopher Club and I could feel more familiar with the space for my own nerves. Nearly EVERY dancer in the show came! We ran through the show working out details and issues that arose and because everyone had various belly dance music on them, the rest of the evening turned into a very nice little dance party which included Ray Anne, Nadeja, The Greek Dancers and many more! It was WONDERFUL!!! The “Hafla” was born. I started renting the Christopher Club on the 2nd Thursday of the month every month from that Thursday forward. Even though I paid for it and it ran in the red for over a year, Denise and I and several other community dancers grew the event slowly but surely with our dedication to getting together to have fun with each other.
The purchase of my husbands office building in May of 2003 gave me the blessing of my own place being able to move the Hafla to its new lovely home and the 2nd FRIDAY instead of a week night. That was a LONG time ago and just having the studio for over 6 years now (Oasis opened in October 2003) is quite an achievement, but I honestly did not realize how long the Hafla has been running until we took the time to go look at those flyers still hanging on my wall down there from soooo long ago now.

That being said – I am going to cancel my first Hafla EVER!!! I did not even cancel the Hafla that fell only days after 9-11 !!! I believe the weather will be treacherous and that NO ONE should even attempt to come to the event so if I don’t hold it, no one will try, hopefully. I believe it will not be safe and if I hold it anyway, there will be VERY few people there and those who do come should not have risked the trip, so I don’t want to take the chance.
I want to make the “cancellation call” early enough to be able to get as much advanced notification out as possible rather than waiting till the day of. Please assist me by spreading the word by any means you have, perhaps telling friends that accompany you some times and are not necessarily on any list of the Oasis like our Newsletter or connected to me via Facebook, etc…

Things, they are a-changin'...
*SIGH*
See you all in February to welcome Lisa Zahiya!!!
RESPONSE sent to Kira from Amelia:
Hi Sweet Kira!
I have saved EVERY SINGLE flyer/paper/piece of feather fuzz--you name it from the Oasis. I am a bit of a paper hoarder, but the Oasis paraphernalia is more than just an obsessive disorder. I think it's because I know that the Oasis and You are so RARE! And we are soooo privileged! It's like -in case anything happened I want proof that I belonged, participated and was apart of this amazing place. I want to remember all my friends, the seminars that I went to, and the dancers that I saw when I am old. I now have two three" binders overflowing with notes, pictures and anything Oasis related. I wish I had been in the basement with you and Tarah. I always like hearing about the the beginnings of this hugely precious endeavor! I am sad that the hafla is off this month, but look forward to the next one.
Love you Kira,
Amelia

!! Kira's Oasis accepts Credit Cards & PayPal !!

Hafla and guest performer
schedule for 2010