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. :)