Suhaila's student and friend Anna Horn shares some of the surprising elements of Suhaila's format, reminisces about Jamila Salimpour's finger cymbals, and shows us how the pets we love can inspire us to dance.   Alicia: You guys are going to love this. I have Anna Horn in the studio. Anna is going to tell us all about what it was like to teach class with Jamila Salimpour and Suhaila Salimpour and work for Suhaila out in California. She's going to talk about her whole belly dance career, dancing in restaurants, and the Suhaila and Jamila formats. You're going to love this! Anna studied with Aida of San Francisco, who studied with Jamila, and that was what got her to leave everything in Ohio in 2007 and take off for California specifically to study with Suhaila Salimpour. Anna Horn: I took a workshop with Aida and that was my first exposure to Suhaila and Jamila Salimpour. I had a teacher in southern Ohio named Kathy Hennessy, and when I was leaving Ohio, she gave me a list of teachers to study with and she introduced me again to Suhaila and she said, "If you ever get a chance study with Suhaila Salimpour." I was like, "Okay," kept it in mind, tried to take her workshops. Things weren't working out, so I was like, screw it, I'm going to California. I moved to California just to study with Suhaila. I was in California for eight years with her. Alicia: Anna actually started dancing the same year I did, in 2000, which is pretty exciting. We have the same dance birthday, if you will. While Anna was out there in California working with Suhaila for eight years, she was able to see the certification program develop. She actually saw the first level four group test. What levels did you achieve in both of those? Anna Horn: I'm currently Suhaila level three and Jamila level two. I'm still part of the school, so I'll be more than that at some point. Alicia: There are five levels in both of those. Anna Horn: In both those, yeah. Alicia: How many people actually have level five certification in both of those? Anna Horn: I believe there are five people who are at the level five and I think there are a few people who are working on their level five right now. Alicia: For both? Anna Horn: For both, yeah. DANCEABLE RITUAL: Pet, snuggle, dance Alicia: Danceable rituals are a way to calm our mind and bring more dance into our lives without taking up any more of our time. This danceable ritual is unlike any other one I've ever included because Anna is so cute and loves her cats so much. This ritual is next time you are petting something, whether it's a dog or a cat or snuggling something else, I don't know, a teddy bear, consider dancing while you do it. Whatever you're snuggling may enjoy it as well. Alicia: Do you ever dance for your cats? Anna Horn: All my choreographies, and they'll have to watch me sometimes. What's really cute is when I work out my cats want to interact with me. I find that when I'm doing my warmup to practice, my cats all the sudden want lots of love. Literally running around, meow, meow, meow, running between my legs, crying at me, wanting love. Sometimes I'll do my warmup with my cats in my arms because they have to have attention right then. Alicia: Is this like a snuggle your cat and dance danceable ritual? Anna Horn: Yeah. They're like, you're doing squats, it's time for you to pet me. Alicia: You're not doing anything else, are you? Anna Horn: You're not doing anything else.