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**  OASIS AND TROUPE OASIS 2003 FINAL FOUR CHARITY REPRESENTATIVES   **

OF HUNTERDON COUNTY, NJ

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OASIS & TROUPE OASIS 2004 NOMINATIONS     HAS A MORE GLOBAL REPRESENTATION

CHILDREN'S WISH FOUNDATION OF CANADA THANKFUL FOR LUCIE GINGRAS's TRIUMPH

lAST YEAR, A lot of bellydancers from California lathered the Oasis and Troupe Oasis brackets. Many surfers and a few voters were a ''bit'' preturbed. I better not get any complaints this time around. A hard effort went into searching and researching bellydancers abroad for the 2004 fields of 64 and 32, respectively. In that process, 19 bellydancers from 14 countries will grace Oasis 2004. International bellydance troupes were harder to find, but a few got a nod in the Troupe field as well. With the represented successes of Florida and Canada (with Lucie Gingras's Oasis 2003 triumph),  Florida is represented 7 times, Canada 4 times. California has their proper love in representatives, but only 8 bellydancers, tied with New York, which is being showed some East Coast love this time around. The 1st round is usually the most difficult to figure out, partly on which bellydancers (who are informed of nominations and care) take the time to get enough word out to advance into July's brackets. They may not have to...at least, not for themselves. Saved e-mails from core voters last year will get an early shoutout as well before the beginning of Oasis and Troupe Oasis in June. This will be helpful in giving fans a chance to surf around the many sites of those in bellydance and Middle Eastern dance. Once again, Oasis and Troupe Oasis has become co-ed. Amir Thaleb from Argentina (an actual bellydancer) and Yousry Sharif (a famous ethnic dancer, especially with a cane) got 2004 nods. Hopefully, this will be a sign in the future of showing respect to dedicated males in the art form for the future. More male drummers are joining up in trupes, and their presence of playing for these talented females could be a key to gaining male voting interest as Troupe Oasis coasts along the horizon of cyberspace. The official draw and bracket assignments for Oasis 2004 will be on January 30th. Troupe Oasis will be done the next day. In an effort to eliminate competitive issues, the use of ''VS.'' will be done away with, and the phrase ''Matchup (1 thru 8) will be used. Some bellydancers and troupes have been uncomfortable with this, and this experiment will be done to cure this ill if at all possible. The winners of each bracket (Sphinx, Pyramid, Cleopatra and Little Egypt) will have $25 donated in their name(s) to 4 selected charity organizations---the 1st time Brandon's Oasis will be sponsoring organizations. This will also introduce the 2004 ''Oasis Charity Pyramid'' Program. Monthly for 4 months, 1 of the 4 chosen organizations will be up for fundraising from voters and websurfers, hopefully helpful in doing their part. The goal is to raise $250 per organization ( a minimum of $1000 for 2004). Donators can purchase ''blocks'' of a pyramid for $10, for every 10 donations, a pyramid is completed.  That page will be finalized and ready in May. The DC Metro Area is well represented by Rachel Kay Brookmire of Orgnic Dance, El Naar Haninah of Rockville,MD , and newcomer Asharah, based out of Fairfax, Virginia and a protege' of Artemis Mourat (MD).

Julie Moffet, co-founder of the Children's Wish Foundation of Canada/Quebec East Chapter,  described the announcement as ''wonderful''. Their organization is similar to that of the Starlight Foundation in the US, helping to grant wishes fro thousands of sick and terminally-ill children throughout all Canadian provinces. Mrs. Moffet and her husband formed the organization as an inspiration from their ordeal of their late daughter, who died very young. ''We are pleased that Ms. Gingras would choose us as her charity of choice...and this will help us in our mission,'' she replied. The foundation joins Autistic Child Advocates (by Kira-2002) and Women for Women International (by Shadia Dahlal-2001) as $125 winning organizations helped by the Oasis World Bellydancer Championships.

LUCIE GINGRAS OASIS 2003 CHAMP

OASIS & TROUPE OASIS TO HAVE A NEW          LOOK COURTESY OF AOL HOMETOWN

Thanks to the discovery and enjoyed usage of AOL Hometown home- pages, I decided that I would have more room and space to put more in- fo using that service. Oasis and Troupe Oasis will be on seperate pages, instead of having all bracket info on one page. To preview the pages before the official draw, go to: NEW Oasis & Troupe Oasis Homepage NEW Oasis 2004 Page NEW Troupe Oasis 2004 Page

BRANDON'S OASIS TRIVIA QUESTION #1:

Throughout my bellydance reprsentation (dating back to 1991), out of over 20 bellydancers that I have polled, what is THE major injury/health concern of professional bellydancers? ANSWER COMING SOON...

BRANDON'S OASIS/TROUPE OASIS POLL #1:

tHERE HAS BEEN A SERIOUS DEBATE FOR MYSELF TO CHANGE THE VOTING FORMAT, GOING TO A MULTI-VOTE CONCEPT. Instead of 8 matchups, all 16 bellydancers would be in a bracket, and voters would choose which they liked out of the 16. The top 8 votegetters from the 1st round group would advance, with no bellydancer being matched against another. Do you think: *The group voting format would be better? *Would prefer bellydancer matchups to remain? *Either would work? OR *None fits, and a new format is needed?