'tis the season...

to be jolly...
I think so.  Well the dance season is a jolly time for me. 

I am thrilled at the progression of my students, their commitment, and desires.  Gads, I just sound like a proud "momma" but I am. :)

This was week two of all the Levels new series.  It was a delight to see all the new and returning faces with the added diversity to my students.  Niiiice!!!!

Plus, a new experience for the babies was dancing with live musicians.  Fortunately, these musicians are excellent in working with dancers especially newbies.  They lead the way nicely and responded to my cue when needed...and the student dancers were none the wiser on what happened, they were just dancing having a good time.  What a great experience in all!!!

I couldn't have been more pleased.

I do have to say having someone dis'd my male dancer for being a dancer, as I later found out, did upset me.  People are so ignorant and I am guessing "threatened" by this??? I don't know but it was uncalled for and rude. 

I also found out my dancer heard this comment and it affected him deeply.  This made me sad, but he understands that he is a unique member to this dance community and people especially other men can be confused and "threatened" by men who like to dance especially belly dance.  Plus, having the misconception that all male dancers are gay...WRONG!!!

Anyway, I goat trailed a bit, I couldn't be more proud of all my dancers, they are the true spirit of the dance and they love to share it too!!!!

Namaste'

More growth and direction coming down the primrose path...

Actually it is coming down the dancing path of some hard knocks and frustrations and brain overload, but the end result always makes the trip worth it.

I couldn't be more excited on various different levels for the start of the Level 3 classes in my Sister Studioship...I just am now starting to feel like the teacher I know I am.  I have felt challenged all along the way in myself with teaching this dance and trying to show the joy that comes from it but also the joy I personally get from it.  Now, I am "feeling" like I am starting to truly see the results of it from people sharing the same joys.  New challenges, new movements, new everything but coming from a more grounded dance form is making it fun for me and that good kind of challenge for me and hopefully positive growths for my students.

We are all synching up, but in a manner that is non-restrictive.  Both in dancing in general with whomever you wish to dance, and dancing with ucanto. 

I am a firm believer in having fun while we dance, but I want to have the best dancing we can have too.  Not just dancing around the "Bonfire" feel all the time when we are supposed to be in performance mode.  However, with that - I work hard to be inclusive of all levels of dancers in that performance.  Beginners need that chance to shine too and the more seasoned get to stretch those wings a bit more.

I don't ever put anyone outside their actual level of skill, even if they think they aren't "worthy" yet.  But I also am currently allowing students to stretch their capabilities if they so chose.  It is made perfectly clear the venues we are performing at currently are relaxed, pressure free enviroments for the dance.  But, when it comes time for more "finessed" performances, bigger audiences, more critical eyes that are paying for what they are getting, the expectation for that level of performance will to rise to the level.  I am seeing that drive in my students to rise to that level...I couldn't be more pleased by that drive.

The first class in Level 3 got the students moving in ways they hadn't fully yet, but I started them with a "familiar" that might have presented itself to them in other dance classes, and they all took to it like ducks to water.  But I did team a lesser known movement to learn too...so a taste test of each to get their feet wet in this water pond. ;)

So the first step down this path of creativity and more expression has been taken.  I can't wait to see how the students take it down their own personal paths yet we all share in the creativity together with one another.  The results may well be ..... to infinity and beyond.

Happy place. :)

 

to ATS or not to ATS...what is the question?

A lot has happened in a short period of time that has inadvertently created so much uproar and uncertainty in our dance we aren't sure what is going on now or so it seemed.

A freedom in creativity was given to those that teach and perform ATS, specifically the FatChance format, but it drew lots of comments, emotions, and down right ridicule from many people (personally that isn't good).  However, natural responses to something they didn't know was coming and ended up not understanding initially.  Doesn't make it right...it just is.

For me, the response ended up being deeper felt emotion based on the time it came out than it might have been any other time.  The combination of dealing with the last minute details of my Father's death and service were coming to a head when this hit. 
It was more than I could possibly comprehend and deal with when I didn't understand what was going on.  Of course, I am not unintelligent by any stretch of the imagination, but timing caused it to be more than I could digest quickly and move forward.  So my emotions took over for a short period...which I had to allow myself to feel, even if it was based on confusion from my Father's stuff and the dance stuff combined.

Once I allowed myself to just feel whatever in the moment, it started to level itself out.  I saw and understood the intent completely and welcomed it with open arms, but I have to say with some of the situations that are in my backyard - I will just have to wait and see what is going on with this new found freedom and how it is going to be interpreted and handled.  I am looking and hoping for the best...

For me...
I am going to keep going the course with the dance I love and allow whatever innovative stuff that comes from it to come.  Keeping true to the format, the aesthetic, and the intent that FatChance created to begin with...period.

I love this dance, I love the people that created it, and I love what it created as a whole.

There are always "bad apples" in the bunch, but hey...let them sort themselves out and let them make applesauce, while the rest pursues to be the apple pie or the apple crisp.

We are all apples in the bunch, we just get to be made up differently based on our intentions and personal desires which is a whole other recipe for expansion in our dance. :)

Retro? or just never moved forward?

Ok, this is a random post about dance in general.  Yes the focus is still more on belly dance but it has the overview of just dance and its progressions.

It is amazing to see the level of athletics in dance now, not that dance never was an athletic "sport" or art form, but the heights that are reached and are pushing the human boundaries go way beyond anything we imagined even as little as 20 years ago.

When I sit a watch shows like "So You Think You Can Dance" - I am astounded at the abilities and the drive that dancers have now.  Now this is no way diminishes the likes of Baryshnikov and such.  Those dancers actually were way before their time even, but because of those types of dancers we have dancers now that just seem to defy gravity, and physics as well as the constraints of their own body.  They truly soar and excel.  So, what does the future bring...omg.

I have to say there are times I wish that I had followed my dream more to the letter, but in all honesty...I did - just in a slightly different way, but I am digressing here.

The one thing that I am a bit bothered by in dance when it comes to belly dance is the feeling of getting lost in a time period.  I love the fact that people experiment with costuming and try to bring the looks forward to the present and future, but with it comes a "genre" tag.  (i.e. Gothic, ATS, Tribal Fusion, Baltic/Gypsy Fusion, etc.) But when traditional belly dance appears it looks like it just stalled in the past...somewhere around the 70s.  In all honesty, it looks cheezy to me and that is sad when the dancing is quite good...the cheeziness of the retro costuming (when not meant to be Retro) overshadows the dance.

Now, that might seem an odd statement cause "traditional" means "such and such."  But yet when I see what I interpret as traditional it doesn't look like it crawled out of the 70s, it has a more ethnic feel or geographic stamp to the period or region it comes from around the world.  Traditional (to me) is not hot pink with maribou feathers and tons of glitter and sequins...while yes, some of that is what is considered performance attire even in the Middle East where ever it is an accepted dance form...it still looks like it never grew up into the present time.

I do like, as I stated, those trying to bring belly dance to a fashion forward arena but even in efforts to be edgy it can be over-the-top and honestly distracting.  Or is that the point?  The costume is to shine not the dance ability or lack of ability?

I love costuming, I love to have fun in costuming in whatever means the costume applies but the old word "edit" keeps coming to mind.  Some times less really is more even in belly dance, but I am not meaning the amount of costuming coverage but more the aesthetic of the costume itself. :)

It is a hard thing to try to legitimize an art form, it is even harder when it looks like it is still in the 70s and people try to associate it with the overtly sexual dancing of striptease, especially when it has been brought into striptease as a theme.  So, while belly dance is slowly gaining acceptance via ATS and some of the edgier genres that have emerged, it still has a stigma attached especially when viewed in what seems to be a time warp.

I don't have a solution, nor would I ever profess to have one.  I just know it is difficult at times to see something you enjoy...dance, and a specific dance form that I participate in be caught in this time warp.

Something to consider and think about?  I would hope so, but for now, I do what I enjoy doing.  I support all other dancers in their efforts to express, even if they are in a time warp. ;)

Personal opinion only here and observation.

Focus, focus, focus

Focus is the theme, technique is the challenge, and fun is the desired result.

After having so many things happening lately for the students, with a performance at MedFest, a performance at Tribal Regale, a performance at Pearls of the East, and a their first performance at Cues & Tattoos this year.  It is time for the lessons learned via these performances to be put into perspective.

Now, it is understood what happens in ATS, why is it structured the way it is, and why it is important to be clear in cues.  Fun is a result of the connections of those dancing but these other things now have more meaning and importance in the dance now.

I feel like I have taken these "new to ATS" baby dancers a long way in a short time, but now it is my responsibility to refine them, make them better at what they have come to love.  To represent not only themselves, but to be able to represent what ATS means in its finest forms.  And of course the ultimate to properly represent the lady(s) that started this whole thing.  That is my most important task at hand to be the guide along the way to get where the students are going and do it properly and proudly.

I am totally thrilled at the level of commitment I have come to see from the students that have come, gone, and come back into the class.  Yes, the come and go thing is the reality check that "life" happens. :)

To see not only the time and effort to get to my class commitment but the level of commitment in the class.

So, babbling aside, what does this mean?

Focus was not an issue but concentration in the specifics within a movement is going to be tweaked, torqued, and adjusted.  The techiques will be drilled and refined to their finest. 

Funny all these rather complex thoughts, formulations, configurations, and procedures that have been finding their course in my head and in actions in the class seemed to have disappeared when putting "pen to paper" in sharing what I have in mind.  Complexities traverse the brain but sharing them seemed to have found the simplest form.

I guess any profoundness that I might have shared will have to wait for now...for the brain has halted all exiting thoughts currently.

The only thing I know this whole process is going to not only guide my students but will refine my own abilities even more.  Win/win.

Be careful what you ask for....

one of my students, who just is beyond ecstatic about dancing, asked after MedFest when the next time would be they could dance....well...TADA...

Dancing came up for a local Tribal Hafla and the potential to send in info for another performance and then this weekend low and behold Sunday ended up with a local hafla performance for my students and rumor through last night another inquiry was made to perform. 

This last one was sort of funny since it all started with just looking to the future.  Didn't know the future was only a day away (Annie moment there)...

Well, the scramble to find students available and wanting to dance started.  Not really a toughy on who would "want" to dance, just if they were available to do so.  Well, long and short, we got the dancers pulled together and enough of them that I opted to have them fly solo.

Yes, this was the first time Tribal Mumma, as I have been deemed now, did not dance with the baby chickadees....they got to fly for the first time truly on their own.  It was exciting to see from my perspective and cute to see their reactions when they saw I was not dressed to dance. :) 

Now, I didn't set them up to freak them out, when you don't know who is going to be available, I kept all my options open.  So, I might have danced that night too.  But when it came together, I knew they could handle it and would do better if they didn't know too much in advance allowing them to stew on it and cause them more anxiety than necessary. 

I could so easily do a play by play on the performance on how wonderful they did on such, etc.   But no matter what did or didn't happen in the performance, they smiled, they took the challenge with stride, and they had a blast themselves.  While I got to watch it and take pictures of their first flight.

ucanto bellydance truly is "you can too" bellydance no matter what comes their way....I love it!

and and and...I love the announcers struggle to say "ucanto" which is pronounced "you can too".  They usually come up with an exotic sounding name sounding like "oocahnto"...makes me giggle ESPECIALLY when they realize how simple the name really is....so much fun and makes it "stick" in the brain...YAY!

Anyway...be careful of what you ask for cause it just might happen. ;)
Let's Dance!

MedFest Pride

The Biggie in PNW Bellydance has come and gone.  We managed to survive it and relish in it.

ucanto students brought their game and learned a lot along the way.  I couldn't be more proud.

The process was a long arduous one as any learning/teaching thing is to get from point A to point B.  But even in the process, it was a breeze because the students wanted it and did what it took to get to that point B.  I couldn't be more proud.

Like anything, it wasn't perfect but that is what made it more perfect than ever.  It was real, it was human infested, it was full of charm, wonder, and giggles with those occasional spots of panick in the eyes quickly overcome with more smiles and more dancing.  I couldn't be more proud.

I hope to have pictures posted on my website soon and maybe a couple here, but I wanted to touch base to acknowledge the convergence of all the students from all areas throughout the state that came together to dance.  Monroe, Sultan, Shoreline, Sequim, and technically Carnation...provided the true meaning of coming together to dance with one common dance language.  ATS is a wonderful dance, I couldn't be more proud to be a part of it.

Time flies....

Today I can actually take a moment and a breath to look at what has been happening in the dancing world of mine.

Tribal Regale was a noted success regardless of how people felt on their own personal level.  Having goals and high expectations is a grand and wonderful thing for that pushes us into improving all the time...however, you can't let it bog you down.  It is about having fun and sharing the dance with others with like dance enjoyment.

The last dance class showed that spirit when presented with lots of smiles, silliness, genuine desire to improve but not at the expense of one's self can come SCREAMING out.  I literally on a couple of occassions found myself with my jaw hanging open but with a smile helping hold it off the floor when watching the students try things...grow in their own personal dance.

If the world ended today...I have to say that day in dance and last night too....was enough to make me feel full in life. :)

What now comes is MedFest in W Seattle.  ucanto can be otherwise known at the "convergance zone"....I love it.  Dancers from Sequim, Olympia, Monroe, Shoreline, Seattle and the Eastside will all "converge" to dance on Sunday at 3:28pm on the Inside Stage.  I couldn't be more thrilled and a touch overwhelmed by it.  Not so overwhelmed that I can keep it on track and focused, but overwhelmed enough at the enthusiasm and drive these people have towards ATS Belly Dance.  A true representation of ATS and the common knowledge of this vocabulary allows us to dance together anytime, any place.

I probably sound like at advertisement or that I am full of bull with my accolades towards my students but I am not.  I mean every word I say and type AND....they are the ones stepping it up for me to be able to brag on...so there. 

Sincerely though, they are bringing in more self confidences and truly surprising me and themselves...what a nice combination of feelings to have occur.

On that note....I think I have shared enough at this moment, I am still processing and enjoying the feelings from our last class. :)

wow...

I couldn't ask for more tolerant and supportive people in my life.  This weekend proved to me that I sometimes take on maybe more than I should.  But it is what it is.

Dance is not among the things on the list but I have to say it suffered in the realm of communication this weekend.  I have been so overwhelmed with life that some of the little things (or not really so little) seem to slip through the cracks.  I absolutely abhor that when it happens.  It makes me feel lame and not effective.

I understand life happens but I try to not let things affect other things in life, but it sometimes happens despite our efforts. 

Just a quick thought shared here....

I am excited about the coming weekend dancing.  I just want it to be fun, relaxing, and a positive experience for all.  To show what this dance is really all about...just having fun (even in a performance situation).

Dancing exploits?

I know I haven't been here in a bit, life has been throwing lots at me.  Including on a positive note, some amping up from my students (all) and some of their own dance exploits (travels) that have caused them to want to give it more than the 100% they have been giving.

I couldn't be more pleased with the students I have and I am constantly amazed that they honestly do travel to get to my classes.  I am honored and humbled at the same time.  So, that of course already says something about their desires but now when things are coming up they are all over it.  Wow...

In all honestly, I have literally been taking it day-to-day to see what people want, if they want it and such since our little niche in the world is pretty bellydance heavy.  Not quite like California but I would put it a close, very close second.  Which makes it interesting to say the least to see what is or isn't going to come of the students/dancers/professionals/enthusiasts and such here.

Lots has been discussed about saturation, "community," or the lack there of to ad nauseum.  I am just literally taking it, like I said, from day-to-day, enjoying what that day does or doesn't bring and learning from it.

So, when yet another day passes, and the current students are giving me more than I expect or a new shiny face comes into classes and returns, I am truly amazed.  Now don't get me wrong, it has nothing to do with my own abilities.  In that I have confidences and abilities and I strive to better them constantly, but I am amazed at what people do show and bring to the table, as it were.  It truly makes me smile both outwardly and inside, so when some ask how a teacher could have more fun than the students, here is one of the ways.

Til the next time.....

Catch up?

How can I put it all into words?  The emotions and grounding that I have been lucky enough to start to feel over the last couple of months...not that there weren't and aren't still moments of WTF? but those are seemingly more spaced apart...finally. :)  Okay, not trying to jinx myself just noting it.

From the time I went down to Breitenbush to dance and hike and do some self love/time to now, things have been just shifting slowly but definitely showing signs of shifting in a good way.

I am about the dance when it comes to my dance.  I am about the joy that dancing with other people that love this dance too, and I am about teaching it to the best of my ability so people can dance this dance without hesitation and being full of joy themselves!!!

Breitenbush allowed me to reconnect with people that I haven't seen except on a cursory basis...that was wonderful.  I got to experience nature and being by myself when I needed to do that while there.  That was odd and wonderful at the same time, cause I have never seen that trail empty before other than me...but it was like it was supposed to be...just me.  I got to see some of the beauty of this wonderful world without any other distractions outside of Mother Nature herself.  I got to test myself and push myself.  I was allowed to return safely to be a part of the human collective that was finding themselves in their own way too.  I got to dance some more....all on my owns terms, which is a BIGGIE for me.

Especially still coming off the Cues & Tattoos weekend with my awesome students that brought their imperfect game but what was imperfect was PERFECTION in putting it out there - dancing and having fun!!!!!  I still couldn't be more proud of that day!

Fast forward, other things are happening in the world of dance for others, new "presentations" that are not what was expected and it is unfortunate and a bit angering, but other things are coming that will offset that...yay!  But I am here to do my thing and again be the best I can at what I do etc....yada yada yada ;)~

Then this weekend happened...omg, I can't express in words how good this felt and how many smiles from all the participants kept showing up - 35 year veterans to brand new people just gave themselves to me and seemed to have found a new form of expression they want to share too.  Wow, the impact on me is beyond words, I just hope those smiles were just a hint of the impact on them. 

Because of that my energies were up and maybe it rubbed off a bit on my students on Sunday cause wow, they even brought their best game thus far in class.  I was seeing not only smiles and more confidences, I was seeing the "turning themselves over to the dance and the movements" and not thinking so hard so they got to "feel" it and go with it. 

An amazing weekend in dance to be sure.

And then people wonder why I love this dance...it is because I feel whole and I love love love seeing others find the "love" too.  wow.....

Not forgotten...

I just lost the entire post I was about to make...so later I will try it again...just sayin.

Lots to think about and practice :)

What a whirlwind of a weekend, it is still a bit of a blur but now I can actually "think" about what we did.

I cannot express adequately the amount of relaxation and fun I had while being down in Hood River country with Co-co (Colette) and Momma C (Carolena) for the Advanced and Floorwork Workshops.

Even though it was a 4 hour drive, going along with my bud in the car made it seem to speed by, even on the way back after the long day of dancing and pushing the perverbial physical envelope. Fran and I always seem to make it a nice road trip no matter where we head. :)

I had my eyes opened to a fews things...those details that sometimes slip through the crack when you are trying to absorb it all....things that made me go "oh that is how it is done." Instead of the fake it until you make it look kinda right movement. :) Now, I gots the skinny on some things. :)

Shapes, constant movement, presentation, presence, in the moment, skill levels, smiles, eye communication, body communication, personal body challenges, beauty of the dance - just a skimming of what this dance is about and how it is to look and function.

The variety of skills levels in these workshops provided all of us with new and exciting challenges:::...
For those times that the more seasoned dancers got the brief chance to dance together coming from a chorus that ebbed and flowed - it provided that glimpse of what we are aiming for in the dance. When this ebb and flow allowed it to get mixed up in skill levels it provided yet another wonderful challenge in pushing seasoned dancers to be clear in their intentions and newer dancers to learn with clarity coming from the other dancer. Finally, when the flow put all newer dancers together, they got the chance to explore themselves and growth of each other in this process. It was wonderful to go through this experience, seeing the Advanced Workshop staying at the advanced level, and the learning and growth from all of us in such a wide span of ways.

It made my heart smile inside and needless to say my face showed it too. :) YAY!

The floorwork class was as expected since I had taken it at the Cues & Tattoos 2010 event just a few weeks prior, but I knew that I wanted to do it again because you can never have too much information. You just never know that some morsel or tidbit might emerge that didn't before that would become useful to myself. So, I will take classes many times even though I "know" how to do it...you can never have too much information. :)

So, the class met and exceeded my expectations this time. Because....
I for the second time ever allowed myself to try a drop. The first time was back in Seattle several years back and quite a few pounds heavier. It was a disaster in my head and I just resigned myself to the fact, drops were not for me. But for some reason this time, I thought ok, why not try. The first attempt caused my muscles to release and I literally dropped to the ground (yes, had spotters), but I tried again and wow, it was far different than I thought it would be and it was a successful drop. Not pretty, but I made it down properly. Hmmmmmm, now the possibilities are opening up again. But we will see...after all I am getting older and I haven't been doing this all along, but *wink* you never know cause I am pretty young at heart after all. :)

So, the trip was quite the adventure and success story, I am so glad to have gone.

Focus and Direction...

for the world of tribal bellydance is forever morphing, progressing, trancending itself beyond what the current imagination can see. As it is for the people that are a part of the changing, be it in their own personal realm or if they affect the bigger picture of the dance.

I know that I am a small fish in this pond but I have been around for a while watching many changes occuring and am witness to more to come. Hell, I have had numerous changes within my own dance but for me it came right back to what brought me into the dance in the first place.

I only want to provide the best in the dance form that I can because I love it so much. I, also, find it imperative to set a high standard to live by in order to share and pass on properly and how it is presented.

I won't settle, I want to do the best I can at whatever it is that I do in the dance, and I want my students to be able to walk away and know they got the correct information to be able to find the movement in themselves and enjoy it in whatever capacity that might well be.

So in that ... I find myself even a bit shy when it comes to going to the Mecca lands as it were, I want to do the best I can, learn the most I can, and come away with the approval that I am doing what I am supposed to be doing. Does that means I get intimidated? Not really, (maybe a bit) but honestly just really focused and I put so much personal pressure on myself that I tend to shut down with concentrating on what I am doing.

I don't want to screw it up.

So, when things go well, I am ecstatic beyond adequate expression in words, and sometimes I get just down right goofy sounding I am sure. But, it is sincere and honest, as well as heartfelt to my very core. When these things happen, then I know I am going and have gone in the right direction.

Now, is the time to build on what I am doing and trying to accomplish. Solidify all that encompasses this dance in myself and for my students. The growth and change just from 8ish months ago in my teaching is HUGE....significantly HUGE, and I see more changes coming for me in how I present this dance both in teaching and in performance.

I am excited honestly!

dancing, dancing.....

we are dancing machines.

Well, summer is coming this is for sure. Lives happen and with the economy it can get rough. This I truly understand, but I am fortunate to have students that are committed to coming to my classes and I am truly honored by this commitment.

We had another birthday, this time in Seattle. Well, actually the two birthday girls had the same birthday day, but each are in my two locations, so it was a two-fer...celebrated in each location for each lady. :) YAY!

We did work on our moves but we honed in on more trouble areas for those people there and I even filmed those that were there just so I could watch and see how I could be a better instructor in helping them find their way in some of the moves. :)

It was a good night this way, regardless of traffic and time and and and....

Now, I am preparing for the weekend to do a workshop with Carolena covering floorwork and advanced moves. I can't wait, to learn some more "stuff" - stuff to be able to bring back to eventually teach to my students.

Then I will be off to another dance getaways/workshop place that fortunately I can do a good deal of hiking so I will have another two-fer going on...dancing and hiking - life get better than that?

I have more to share or explore but I think I will save that for later.

Happy Birthday ladies!!!!

digesting it all...

hmmmm sounds like lunch time ?

Nope, just having times where I am thinking about all that has happened in the last 6+ months when it comes to my dance and sharing it with others.

Actually, I have been dancing most all of my life and even got nick named "Bumble Bee Butt" cause I just wouldn't quit moving and dancing. :)

Fast forward through tap, jazz, modern interpretations, club dancing, yada, yada, yada and I found myself on the doorstep of American Tribal Style Bellydance (ATS). I didn't walk through the door immediately, I kept peeking when it would poke at my brain, until I finally decided to walk through the door just to see what it was all about.

I fell in love with the dance form, even through all the trials, tribulations, self-doubts, and various other things that nearly pushed me into just saying "forget it all" but somewhere, somehow I just couldn't ... even if it was only just for me in the end.

I opted to expand my horizons even more by focusing on the originators of this dance form...FatChanceBellyDance. I was doing that for me, and for me alone. I dove into becoming certified in FCBD General Skills - proving to myself I knew what I was doing. :) Then the chance to step into a Teacher Training Certification came up...wow, did I mull over that one for a long time, but not so long as to miss out. I thought "what the hell" it is for me anyway and I love this dance and if anything comes from it "bonus"...so off I went to do the deal.

I did the deal...whoo hoo!!!! And not without trepidation.

Now came a screaming question....oh oh oh, I wanna teach but I wanna be a Sister Studio..oh crap. Now what????? What do I do???? I am nervous about that, there were a stack of reasons that I was nervous and reticent about stepping into that realm.

But I inquired to "Momma C" and she was very straight forward with me, leaving the decision to be mine, but she expressed some things and told me my worries were unfounded and nothing to be concerned with as long as I am doing things ethically and honestly. Well, I wouldn't be any other way.

So...here I am.

Teaching what I love, trying to be the best teacher I can be and know how to be, sharing what I love, and trying to represent the Sister Studioship to the best of my ability.

Now, does that mean everything is flowers and butterflies?

No, this is hard, time consuming work, but work that I thoroughly enjoy.

But the result is:::...

I am in awe of the students that I have and their fortitude to perform for their first time in front of "Momma C" and the "Fatties" as well as people from all over the country. They brought it like I never expected in such a short time.

My hat of to them! And for the contribution of my bestest bud the Franistan. :)

Trials & Tribulations...

This is just a short introductory note to this blog. I have lots of thoughts, lots of interests, and lots of lots of lots in general when it comes to dance.

So for now, Hi!

I will share more soon and I organize my lots and lots and lots. :)