Adventures of a Tribal Dancer....

Gardening is a Subversive Act!

2012-01-05T10:35:00.001-08:00

Easy Crock Pot Cassoulet

2011-12-23T14:06:00.000-08:00

An easy crockpot cassoulet, with chicken and canned beans. This was adapted from a recipe I found online.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 large onion, finely chopped
1 boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into 1-2" pieces
1 package Isernios hot Italian chicken sausage, steamed, then cut into 1/2" rounds (can use any sausage, really)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried thyme
4 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons water
3 cans (about 15 ounces each) beans, rinsed and drained (like great northern, white beans, etc)
You can include just about anything in a cassoulet, so other optional ingredients such as carrots, bacon, corn, mushrooms or what have you are all possibilities!

Preparation:

Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add onion to hot oil; cook and stir until onion is tender, about 4 minutes. Stir in chicken, sausage, garlic, & thyme. Cook 5 to 8 minutes, or until chicken and sausage are browned. Stir in tomato paste and water and coat all ingredients with the tomato paste, then transfer to slow cooker. Stir beans into the chicken mixture; cover and cook on LOW 4 to 5 hours.

Serve with crusty bread and butter.

Serves 4-6

Leftover Turkey Pot Pie

2011-12-05T10:05:00.000-08:00

I have never liked pot pie. In general, I am not a fan of Irish-type fare where everything cooks together in a big slurry of mono-flavor. Like I wasn't a big stew fan either, and essentially putting it into a crust did not endear it to me. But in my ongoing theme of learning to love things I never used to even like by making it fresh myself (risotto, sausage-based dishes, and indeed crock pot stew) here we are with a pot pie recipe I really liked!

We ended up not having any guests at our annual traditional Thanksgiving Part Deux, so the traditional 18 lb turkey made for a lot of leftovers for us. We have had turkey omelets and scrambles (Chris would live on eggs if I or his cholesterol count let him), turkey sandwiches, the usual. But I wanted some dinner fare that was yummy and pleasegodnoteggbased (so no quiche thanks).

Pretty quick to prep, and yummy. Most "easy pot pie" recipes called for thawed frozen veggie packs, but we don't tend to keep frozen veggies around much, and prefer fresh anyway. But you could save some prep time by using the prepped veggies instead of chopping fresh. Still others called for pre-made gravy instead of cream of mushroom soup, but I wanted some mushroominess and we were out of mushrooms. Lastly, I wanted to have some potatoes in this, but opted to leave them out as it was looking pretty stacked already, but you could cube up a medium potato like the carrots and celery and throw it in that step.

The result? YUMMY! Chris went back for seconds and thirds and was like to burst. Being a big fan of pot pies, his opinion mattered more than mine, and he was oohing and aahing about it; so, success! Here is the recipe:

1 box Pillsbury pie crust
2 Tbsp butter
1/2 large white onion chopped
3 garlic cloves minced
A handful of flour
1 can of low sodium cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup milk
2ish cups leftover turkey
2 large carrots cubed medium
1 large celery stalk chopped medium
1 cup canned corn
1 tsp each rosemary, thyme*
1/2 tsp cumin
Salt & pepper
(*any savory herbs are great, use to taste. I would have used sage, too, but we were out)

Melt butter in large sautee pan, cook onion and garlic about 4 minutes. Toss in herbs and flour, stir to coat.

Pour in cream of mushroom soup, water, milk, & veggies, blend well and bring to a boil. Keep at low simmering boil stirring fairly frequently 8-10 minutes until veggies soften a little. 5 minutes through, throw in the turkey and salt and pepper to taste.

Heat oven to 425. Roll bottom pie crust into a 9" pie pan. Pour in the turkey mixture (it piles up a little but it fit!), roll top crust over, pinching edge closed. Poke a few fork holes along the top.

Cover edges with foil for 25 minutes, then cook about 15-20 minutes until well browned and bubbly. Let sit 5 minutes before cutting in.

Broken in pieces on the floor=strength and opportunity!

2011-11-06T16:57:00.000-08:00

A fantastic article on the power in being broken down.

“Akhilandeshvari:

“Ishvari” in Sanskrit means “goddess” or “female power,” and the “Akhilanda” means essentially “never not broken.” In other words, The Always Broken Goddess. Sanskrit is a tricky and amazing language, and I love that the double negative here means that she is broken right down to her name.

But this isn’t the kind of broken that indicates weakness and terror.

It’s the kind of broken that tears apart all the stuff that gets us stuck in toxic routines, repeating the same relationships and habits over and over, rather than diving into the scary process of trying something new and unfathomable.

Akhilanda derives her power from being broken: in flux, pulling herself apart, living in different, constant selves at the same time, from never becoming a whole that has limitations."

http://www.elephantjournal.com/2011/06/why-being-broken-in-a-pile-on-your-bedroom-floor-is-a-good-idea-julie-jc-peters/

National Sandwich Day: Chips n' Guac Grilled Cheese

2011-11-03T11:00:00.000-07:00

Oh man oh man, can it be true? A sandwich made to taste like chips and guacamole....on a grilled cheese sandwich??!! And get this: BONUS BACON! It just so happens, I made myself some home-made guacamole JUST yesterday. Guess what I am having for lunch today?

Chips & Guacamole Grilled Cheese
Makes 4 sandwiches
8 slices bacon
8 large tortilla chips (about 2 ounces)
4 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
8 slices sourdough bread
1/2 cup guacamole
2 tablespoons peeled, seeded, finely diced (1/4-inch) Roma tomatoes (see note)
4 ounces Wisconsin Colby Cheese, coarsely grated
4 ounces Wisconsin Monterey Jack Cheese, coarsely grated
Line a plate with paper towels. In a large nonstick skillet, cook the bacon over medium heat until very crisp. Drain the bacon on the paper towels. Remove the bacon fat from the pan and wipe the pan with a paper towel, but do not wash it. Set aside.
To make the tortilla chip butter, put the chips in the bowl of a food processor and process until the texture is very fine, similar to sand. Alternatively, place the chips in a sturdy plastic bag. Using a meat mallet or other heavy object, pound the chips until they are the texture of sand.

Put the butter in a medium bowl and add the ground chips. Using a fork, work the chip "sand" and butter together until well-mixed. The mixture will be somewhat stiff.

To assemble: Spread the butter mixture on one side of each slice of bread. Place 4 slices, butter-chip mixture side down, on your work surface. Spread 2 tablespoons of the guacamole on each slice of bread. Sprinkle the tomato on top of the guacamole, if using. Follow with the Colby and Monterey Jack cheeses. Finish by placing two bacon pieces on each sandwich. Top with remaining bread slices, buttered side up.

For stovetop method: Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat for 2 minutes. Put the sandwiches into the pan, cover, and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until the undersides are golden brown. Watch carefully because the chips in the butter can burn easily. Turn the sandwiches, pressing each one firmly with a spatula to compress the filling slightly. Cover and cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until the undersides are well-browned. Turn the sandwiches once more, press firmly with the spatula again, cook for 1 minute, and remove from the pan. Let cool 5 minutes. Cut in half and serve.

For sandwich maker method: Use your sandwich maker for this sandwich only if you have variable heat settings. Otherwise, it will cook too hot and burn the chips on the bread without melting the cheese. To use your sandwich maker, follow directions for assembly above. Cook according to manufacturer's instructions.

Note: There's no need to use the tomato if your guacamole already has tomato in it.

Super Easy White Bean Chicken Chili in the Crock Pot

2011-10-05T11:48:00.000-07:00

2 cans Great Northern Beans, rinsed & drained
Leftover chicken from earlier in the week (or 2 chicken breasts, cooked)
1 can cream of chicken (I was out of chicken stock, which you can use instead)
1.5 cans water (to thin cream of chicken, or to cover beans if using one can chicken stock)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 onion, chopped
1 Tbsp each of cumin, oregano, and chili powder

Throw in crock pot, cook on low for 8-10 hours

Optional:
add 1 can chopped tomatoes and/or 1 bell pepper chopped and/or any other veggies you want in the last hour of cooking.
1 Tbsp cilantro
top with a dollop of sour cream and/or some shredded white cheddar or pepper-jack
serve with crusty bread

Waking Up Full of Awesome

2011-09-07T20:33:00.000-07:00

http://blog.pigtailpals.com/2011/08/waking-up-full-of-awesome/

"There was a time when you were five years old,
and you woke up full of awesome.

You knew you were awesome.

You loved yourself.

You thought you were beautiful,
even with missing teeth and messy hair and mismatched socks inside your grubby sneakers.

You loved your body, and the things it could do.

You thought you were strong.

You knew you were smart.

Do you still have it?"

Shame Free Blogging Day!

2011-04-15T09:44:00.000-07:00

The lovely Arya over on Style Trumps Fashion, a student and friend of mine, is starting a new tradition this year: Shame Free Blogging. After a recent incident of downright inappropriate and personal commenting on her blog, she was inspired to stand up and say "NO WAY will I allow you to shame me"--particularly when it comes to our bodies, and our confidence in it and love for it, it is too easy to fall prey to cruel intentions of others. The internet (and the "blogosphere") is filled with trolls--thoughtless and insecure people who find some sense of power in their life by trying to bring others down or stir the shit. And today, on Shame Free Blogging Day, I am saying:

We don't buy that crazy here. Peddle that shit elsewhere.

A little bit from Arya's blog about it:

"I am not ashamed of my body. My body is strong, supple, and graceful. It is firm in some places, and soft in others. It rises to my demands (almost) without fail, whether I want to participate in a four-hour yoga workshop, make it through boot camp and two war zones, shimmy for two hours straight, make love with my husband, run for three miles, or stay up through the night with a woman in labor. My body is shaped in a way that screams "WOMAN!", and I'm finally, blessedly, okay with enjoying that.

I will not be shamed."

If you have a blog, or even a Facebook page, where you would like to show solidarity for a shame-free experience on the internet, join us today by posting one of Arya's lovely badges on your blog, site, or page.

Live in the layers...

2011-04-07T23:10:00.000-07:00

The Layers
Stanley Kunitz
I have walked through many lives,
some of them my own,
and I am not who I was,
though some principle of being
abides, from which I struggle
not to stray.
When I look behind,
as I am compelled to look
before I can gather strenth
to proceed on my journey,
I see the milestones dwindling
toward the horizon
and the slow fires trailing
from the abandoned camp-sites,
over which scavenger angels
wheel on heavy wings.

Oh, I have made myself a tribe
out of my true affections,
and my tribe is scattered!

How shall the heart be reconciled
to its feast of losses?
In a rising wind
the manic dust of my friends,
those who fell along the way,
bitterly stings my face.
Yet I turn, I turn,
exulting somewhat,
with my will intact to go
wherever I need to go,
and every stone on the road
precious to me.
In my darkest night,
when the moon was covered
and I roamed through wreckage,
a nimbus-clouded voice
directed me:
"Live in the layers,
not on the litter."
Though I lack the art
to decipher it,
no doubt the next chapter
in my book of transformations
is already written.

I am not done with my changes.

FAQ Spotlight: When do I get to perform?

2011-03-06T11:53:00.000-08:00

When I was a new student, I was absolutely rabid for any new information on bellydance. I was always digging around for new details about the styles I was studying, the classes I was taking, and the teachers I was studying with (or hoped to one day study with). I know a lot of you reading this blog are the same way--you just love reading about the dance, and learning all you can in your time both in and outside of class!

It was in this spirit that I started my FAQ section on my website. I knew other dancers are just like me, and are eager to read up on various topics having to do with the dance. There is a lot to cover, but I tried to focus my questions and answers on the same topics I wondered about when I was first learning. It makes for a long FAQ, though, and it can be hard to find time to dig through it all. So I am going to occasionally post a blog entry featuring one of the FAQ topics I think you may enjoy reading. I welcome any thoughts or feedback on these topics--I am still that same eager student who loves to study and discuss all the angles of this incredible dance form!

When do I get to perform?

Performing is an exciting way to bring the joy you feel in dancing to an audience--I have been a performer all my life and can definitely vouch for what a rewarding experience it can be to take to the stage. However, it is by no means a requirement, nor is it even a "natural progression" that every dancer should one day perform. Many students are quite happy to confine their dancing to class and/or their living room, and never perform for the public, and that is absolutely fine.

Patience, Persistence and Practice!
For those who do want to perform, it is important to know that the skills one must develop to become a strong performer is a process that takes years. No matter how eager or well-intentioned, one cannot simply "take a few classes" and be adequately prepared to present this art form to an audience. Would you take a few ballet classes and do Swan Lake? Would you take a few painting classes and have a gallery opening? Would you take a few months of piano lessons and put on a concert? No, it takes years of thoughtful study and dedication to reach that point. Any art deserves time and guided development before it is ready to be presented to the public. And you deserve the time to enjoy being a pure student, enjoying the exploration of movement and community, free from the responsibilities that performing demands. Students should consider carefully before accepting an opportunity to perform without the guidance of a trusted mentor/instructor. It's a responsibility that deserves preparation and respect. Please feel free to talk to me if you have any thoughts or questions about performance ethics and preparation.

Nomaditude
Hafla Durga 2006

Student level performances, under the guidance of your teacher, are a good way to see if performing is for you, and to learn some basic and vital performance skills. For a student performance, careful choice of the appropriate venue, music, and costuming is something your instructor can guide you in, and are details that should not be taken lightly. A trusted mentor or teacher can help you sidestep common pitfalls, and make sure that you represent yourself beautifully and confidently on stage. Remember, when you perform, you represent not only yourself, but your fellow dancers, your teacher, and the art form in general. Don't you think it's important that you put your best foot forward by being adequately prepared and guided by someone who is experienced in performance of this art? Check out the next section about our student troupe, Nomaditude, to see if it's something you'd like to try!

Bottom line, concentrating on your personal development, dedicating your energies to improving your dance skills and expanding your knowledge of tribal bellydance, may guide you down the road to performing one day. Don't rush the process. Enjoy the work of being a student, and make regular study/classes your highest priority in pursuing a future in performance. Trust me--your dedication and commitment will be well worth it, wherever it leads you.

Note: This FAQ definitely reflects my philosophy on performing. Different teachers may guide you differently. Some encourage students to perform right away, after only a few weeks. Some will never provide performance opportunities for their students. I like to think that I encourage my students to perform at a time when they are best mentally and physically prepared (in the style we learn together in class), and I try to create various opportunities which introduce different level dancers at venues which showcase their talents, so no one ever goes out on stage without the basic tools needed to be a success. For many, that takes more time than they may realize, but I promise to always try and do my best to be an honest and thoughtful teacher in this regard.

I encourage every student to find a teacher and a style which resonate with you, whom you trust to help you be your best, and be guided by their advice.

Steampunk Bellydance - an article and some thoughts

2011-02-28T19:05:00.000-08:00

On a discussion over in the comments section on this article on Gilded Serpent, there is some debate about whether Steampunk Bellydance is a legitimate genre of dance or not--the article asserts it is not, and some commenters argue the contrary.

One very articulate poster, going only by the name "T.", is clearly a Steampunk practitioner/enthusiast/community member, and had some very articulate thoughts to share on her frustrations with the overuse of Steampunk in everyday parlance. A portion of her post read:

"It’s never a good feeling, having your meticulous, time-honored craft dismissed or eclipsed by a trend you have no immediate connection to. It’s difficult not to feel uneasy, watching your art form be oversimplified, lumped in, or lazily dismissed by an all-too-easy and reductive definition. It’s not fun, being shoved in a box that you have no desire to be in, even if that box is comfortable, or even inspiring, for plenty of others who’ve willingly placed themselves inside of it."

My reply, which I share as a founding member of the Seattle Steamrats in addition to my over a decade of teaching and performing bellydance, are as follows follows:

A. Not to be flip, but I imagine this sums up the feelings of a large cross-section of the bellydance "culture" who feel that lots of different things have been tossed into a giant pile and called bellydance, for no other reason than someone likes bellydance AND something else, and they think that gives them the inalienable right to jam them together and call it bellydance. These sentiments ring true to artists of any and all ilk--there are always those who are trying to maintain a set of recognizable criteria and standards, and there are those who feel to do so is a constraint of their creativity. The former feels they are being undermined in their efforts to uphold their ideals, and the latter feels they are "taking it to the next level."

I always argue that a dancer should be able to remove their costume and even the music (gasp), and those knowledgable of the style being presented should be able to recognize the dance they are doing. I have yet to see a performance called "Steampunk bellydance" able to communicate that fusion through purely movement. Tempest and I disagree on gothic bellydance as well--I have not yet experienced something under that moniker that didn't look simply as either simply bellydance or generally modern/interpretive dance.

Think of it. Can you recognize tap without any of the trappings? How about ballet? Flamenco? Hip Hop? Irish Step Dance? Contact improv? Salsa? Jitterbug? Stomp?
And within these styles, experts can even discern sub-styles fairly easily. Yet with bellydance, often we throw on a different piece of music and a different costume, and we think we can call it something else. We need to look deeper, as a community of artists, to understand what really differentiates one style from another and whether it truly is a new style, or an existing style in a new frock.

Shay and Chris at a Seattle Steamrats gathering

How many hours for a bellydance gig?

2011-02-20T10:54:00.000-08:00

In a previous post, we looked at The True Cost of a Performance. In this installment, we look at the incomparable Delilah Flynn's question of:

Q. "How many hours does it take you to do a belly dance gig?"

Delilah's Answer:
"8PM show.

I have to eat my last meal by 3:00 PM or I feel sluggish and bloated. So I have to plan my day accordingly. Open suitcase and gather costume pieces. Iron veil if necessary. Make sure I have costume, make up, zills, evening dress, shoes and stockings in the early day so incase I have to run an errand I have time. This takes about 30 minutes somewhere in my day.

I shower at 5:30 and begin putting on makeup and doing hair at 6:00-6:45 and get dressed and load the car with costumes, sound system, props.

Arrive at the gig to get acclimated at least 30-40 minutes in advance so I leave the house at 7:00 if local. The show is at 8:00 give or take a few . Usually shows go on a little late if the audience is still arriving .

By 9 :00 I should be finished and need 30 minutes to cool down before stepping out in the Seattle rain. How ever the audience usually wants to meet the dancers so going out and saying hello is a professional curtesy. So I probably am in my car at 10:00 realistically.

I estimate it takes me 30 minutes pre-plan during the day then 5pm-10:15 pm is my time investment for 1 nightly gig. So around 5 1/2 hours including driving and parking. If I have to set up sound lights or rehearse and do a sound and light check, then it could be all day long! If the show has 2 sets or is a theater show it could be all night too!

The time it took to procure costumes, music, equipment, design and print business cards is another time investment and is why we don't work by the hour but by the gig. When dancers get $60-$100 for a gig it's not star wages or anything near!

So even the lowest dancer on the totem pole should get paid I think. If the club or gig is resistant then perhaps you are deluding yourself as to your worth as a performer. This is where the stuff gets so sticky. "But I want to dance!" Yup...I know. Find a hafla, festival or recital show. So if the club is at least paying 1 dancer is it different? Maybe. How much are they paying her I suppose would be the next consideration. How many tables are in the room. Has business increased because of the show? Is the club owner advertising the show or is he just figuring your friends will come in. Ugh! Are the other dancers announced as students with a professional representation of belly dance getting paid. Maybe thats fine. have you spent all this time getting ready for your gig and there is still no audience. If the club owner has no investment in the show he won't advertise or get the word out (believe me restraunt owners are exhausted). He will rely on YOU. So then it's even more of your time! "

A question of musicality...

2011-02-11T12:00:00.000-08:00

On Tribe, a fellow dancer shared a wonderful link to spark a discussion about how you learn and/or teach musicality in bellydance. It ties into yet another Tribe discussion on the Tribal Bellydance tribe where a fellow member asked about whether you "count" or "feel" the music, which this article also addresses. The article is about salsa, but the concepts apply, and offers good food for thought, so I thought I would share!

Here is a snippet:

"To the many who try to downplay the use of counting music, consider for a moment our beloved salsa music that we yearn to dance to. Those musicians count their music. In the words of “The Unlikely Salsero” Don Baarns, “Music ain’t random.” It has structure. No matter how dynamic or unconventional a song is, it has structure. The count is the structure of this music. A band has to count its music the same so that each member can be on the same page, or else musical chaos ensues. When each band member is playing his or her role and instrument, doing something different from one another that still somehow gels together into the beautiful sounds we hear, the count is the common ground that they all return to. I dare anyone to try to convince a legitimate musician or band not to count because it’s not important. The members of the band cannot simply “feel” the music. Each band member thinks differently and has a different personality, and therefore will not feel or interpret the music the same as the next. If each member only relied on his or her “feeling”, the song would be an un-danceable mess. This is no different for us in this partner dance we call salsa. If you are dancing with another person, you are dealing with another mind, another personality that will not feel the music the same way that you do, not to mention the fact that person is of the opposite gender (but that’s another story). The count is there so that you both will be able to be on the same page, the same way that the members of a band would. If the musicians that produce the music we dance to feel that counting is important, why shouldn't we?"

DanceNerdsUnite also has a post about musicality that I really enjoyed reading.

"Musical dancers, on the other hand, never disregard the music to fit in more tricks. “You can see the effort in a nonmusical dancer—they are often step-driven,” says NYC ballet teacher Deborah Wingert. “Musical dancers don’t just turn until they stop. They turn until they have to move on to the next point in the music. Musical dancers never get so caught up in steps that they ignore the music.”"

The True Cost of a Performance

2011-02-08T10:15:00.000-08:00

Over on Bhuz, they have some regularly featured blog posts that are fun to poke around at from time to time. This particular post I saw today made me want to cheer for all the articulate and thoughtful consideration that went into the topic: a breakdown of what it really costs to be a dancer, and why our rates are set as they are. Many thanks to Jennifer for her post! A snippet appears below, and a link to the full article is HERE.

"Here is the whole breakdown of why I and other belly dancers in my area, charge what we do. After examining this list it should become very apparent why this is a specialty type of service and the key differentiators between a professional such as myself and non-professionals. The dancing you see in a performance is the fun part, but the behind the scenes work that is put into producing a show is quite a different story:

Gas- It just keeps going higher doesn’t it?
Car Maintenance- My car is one of my most important assets, if it is not up to shape I cannot drive anywhere! As a belly dancer I put in about 24,000 miles a year driving to all my venues and events.
Tolls- Those get higher every year as well.
“Renting” Costumes- All my costumes are high end Turkish designer duds or from my self-made line. All in all, that leads to big $$$$ being spent to make a big impression. Every wear of a costume depreciates its resale value (like a car). In fact we are "renting” a costume every time we use it.
“Renting” Props- the same basic idea goes for props as it does costumes.
Custom Music Edits- Hello software! Music editing software costs money and so does every single song we must buy that is not easily available on popular music sites such as I-tunes. Many of the most amazing songs I use have taken months of research to find, and are in languages not familiar to me, so that is a part-time job in and of itself....(continued)"

Read the rest of the list at http://bellydancebyjennifer.com/blog.html

How to Get Gigs by Cera Byer

2011-02-05T14:00:00.000-08:00

Cera Byer (director of Damage Control Dance Theater) wrote a note recently over on Facebook about what it takes to get gigs. With her permission, I re-post her pragmatic advice here for your enjoyment. (punctuation and grammar were copied as written)

"a lot of people have been asking me recently how i get dance jobs/how i get hired at festivals, so i thought i'd just make a public post about it.

here's the answer: I ASK.

yep, that's it, no magic. i just ask.

i have a browser window that's always open that has the following tabs open at all times:
craigslist, danceplug audition board, theater bay area audition listings, and one empty one that cycles through google searches and dance magazines.

every single day, after i check my email, i look through each of these, and i apply to everything that looks interesting. EVERYTHING. even things i may not be able to do because of the date or how much it pays, just so people have my resume on file.

if there are no listings that look good, i will google dance festivals, theater companies, anything that i know pays dancers in my area, and i send in an unsolicited application - this means, even tho i dont see a listing saying they're hiring, i write to them and tell them who i am and say i'd love it if they had my resume on file for future projects. some companies dont like this, but i've had people write back and say 'OMG a choreographer just quit, can you come in today!?'

i applied to teach at tribal fest every year for 6 years before they hired me.
i applied to teach at kosmos camp every year for 3 years before they hired me.
i applied to teach at bellyfusions, and paid out of pocket to bring my company with me when they didn't cover all our travel.
every year, even tho they didn't hire me, i showed up as a participant, i said hi to all the organizers, i shook their hands, and i attended happily, knowing that one day, i'd teach there too.

i ask to be introduced to people if i find out that people i know are friends with people i'd like to know/should know. i walk up and introduce myself to the owners of theaters and the organizers of events, and then i exchange business cards, and then i write to them and follow up. i friend them on facebook, i tell them happy birthday. i stay connected.
i seek out choreographers that i admire and i ask them for critique on my work. i seek out directors and actors i admire and i ask them for critique on my work.
after a while, people start to ask for you by name, because they know who you are.
i try to connect people if i hear that someone i know is looking for something that someone else i know could help them with, so that if they hear about a project i could be good for, they do the same for me.

the arts business (like all business) is about RELATIONSHIP BUILDING. the first time you meet a new contact may not be when you start working together, sometimes it takes years of saying 'hi' at events before the right project comes along - but trust me, if you keep connected, eventually the right project always comes along.

once you have a gig, be cool with EVERYONE. exchange cards with the tech guys, the venue owners, the bartenders, the dancers, the directors - treat everyone like your peer, because you really dont know who's around. everyone you meet may be the person who hires you for your next job.
be friends with everybody. you dont have to be fake, but work to find a common thread (even as simple as 'we're all on the same gig') with everyone you meet. be punctual, manage time well, deliver a strong product, take criticism well, follow through on commitments as best you can and own mistakes where you cant - like every other relationship you'll ever have - and one job will easily turn into 20.

one of the most important things i ever learned is that you dont have to be the most talented candidate if you're the best to work with. there are lots of talented people out there who aren't cool to work with. if you're both, it puts you way ahead of the game. if you're talented and not cool to work with, you wont get repeat business and referrals, and in a small arts community, that's what it's all about.

if you'd like dance to be your job, treat it like a job. be professional, submit resumes, keep your pro-kit (resume, photos, cv, website, videos, etc) up to date and attractive, and put it into the hands of anyone and everyone who could help you get somewhere.
most folks would never sit at home and wait for a job to fall into their laps without applying for anything, but people have told me they just figured eventually they'd be 'invited' to teach somewhere. DONT PUT YOUR FATE IN ANYONE ELSES HANDS! if you want it (fuck, if you want ANYTHING), just go ask. you may be surprised at the answer you get.

hope this is helpful =)
xoxoxo,
c"

FAQ Spotlight - taking "lower level" classes

2011-02-02T17:36:00.000-08:00

When I was a new student, I was absolutely rabid for any new information on bellydance. I was always digging around for new details about the styles I was studying, the classes I was taking, and the teachers I was studying with (or hoped to one day study with). I know a lot of you reading this blog are the same way--you just love reading about the dance, and learning all you can in your time both in and outside of class!

It was in this spirit that I started my FAQ section on my website. I knew other dancers are just like me, and are eager to read up on various topics having to do with the dance. There is a lot to cover, but I tried to focus my questions and answers on the same questions I had when I was first learning. It makes for a long FAQ, though, and it can be hard to find time to dig through it all. So I am going to occasionally post a blog entry featuring one of the FAQ topics I think you may enjoy reading. I welcome any thoughts or feedback on these topics--I am still that same eager student who loves to study and discuss all the angles of this incredible dance form!

Our first featured topic is:

Once I have progressed to the next level in class, why would I want to continue taking the previous level class?

You can read the full FAQ response by clicking the link (the question) above. Sandi of FCBD put it in excellent perspective:

"For me, its kind of like going to yoga classes for a long time. You do the same poses and hear the same words, but you're always able to get better at the poses each time through that verbal guidance. That's what happens with constant practice too. I find that I'm not always successful doing yoga at home on my own because I don't have the guidance and the energy of the other students around me to push me to do it correctly or motivate me to keep the pose for longer.

With ATS, I would always go into a class to not only understand what the teacher is saying, but to get into my body more and try to work on my problem areas."

Right on, Sandi! Have a gander at the FAQ, and please feel free to share any further thoughts you may have!

The Sound of Music: Fast Class Music

2011-01-30T17:27:00.000-08:00

You have asked for it, and I am happy to be sharing with you more music suggestions for dancing and listening. This month we're looking at the common music we use in classes each week. The more familiar you are with these songs, the better you will be able to respond to it in the moment, and the better dancer you will be. Especially in the lead, timing your transitions thoughtfully around changes in the music is a key to gently bringing your followers along with you, making everyone look synchronous and confident.

And the more you listen to Middle Eastern music in general, the more you will begin to recognize common themes and patterns. Eventually, you develop an ear that can anticipate changes, even in music you may have never heard before, and be able to respond to them spontaneously. That's when the real magic strikes...and opens doors to dancing joyfully to live musicians!

So here is a list of fast songs we use in class, which has links to the album on either Amazon or iTunes where you can purchase the individual songs, or the entire album!

Baladi Unplugged (our zilling tune!) / Helm / Itneen

Abu Leila Dance Song / Hasan Abu Layla / Music of the Fellahin

Saidi Festival / Upper Egypt Ensemble / Egypt-A Musical Voyage

Bred Atay / Kasbah Rockers / Kasbah Rockers

Mazamir / BodyShock / The Bellydance Project

Saidi / Atef Mitkal Kenawy / Passion for Percussion*

Sout With Spice / FatChance Belly Dance / Itneen

Baladi We Hetta / Hossam Ramzy / Hafla Bellydance Party

Wuh Ya Booy (Oh Father) / Hossam Ramzy / Sabla Tolo III

Salam Salam / The Third Planet / The Third Planet

Entah / Helm /Itneen

Badass Baladi / Raquy and the Cavemen / Greatest Belly-Dance Hits Vol 2

*This is a legal, free download of this entire album. Just click "Slow Download" to start the transfer.

Roast Butterflied Chicken w/ Potatoes

2011-01-15T19:39:00.000-08:00

We accidentally double-ordered whole chickens this week, and we planned to try out two new recipes. Instead, we cooked this twice this week it was so yummy, with minor variations the second time for fun. With the two of us, there is enough for dinner and some leftovers (some I had for lunch, some we cooked into a quick chicken fettucine later in the week)

1 whole chicken (3-4 lbs ideal, but anything over 2.5 lbs will be fine)
2-3 yukon gold potatoes (or 1-2 baking potatoes of your choice--you will want lots of these, so don't skimp!)
1.5 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbs butter
Salt & Pepper
Any dry herbs of your choice. We used classic Italian spices, since we prefer it - oregano, basil, garlic salt, onion powder, and rosemary. A tsp of each is probably enough, or whatever you eyeball to get decent coverage on your chicken

Pre-heat oven to 500 degrees, and put rack one below your oven's center.

Line the broiler rack tray with foil. If you like, also foil the rack, for easier clean up, but punch holes in key places near the center to make sure the fat from the chicken is able to drip down into tray below.

Cut potatoes into 1.5'-2" pieces, whatever you like for roast potatoes. Toss in 1.5 Tbsp olive oil, salt and pepper. Put into roasting pan, sprinkle with some rosemary if you like.

Butterfly your chicken - if you have never done this before, don't be afraid! It's super easy! See a video here to see how easy it is. Don't be afraid to be rough with your chicken to get it set up how you like, it can take it. I hadn't done this before this week, and now I already feel like an old hand at it.

Slide your fingers under the skin of the breast and thighs, making room for flavorful goodness to get under there. Try not to perforate the skin or break through the other side, so you create a little "pocket" instead of a sheath open at both ends, if that makes sense.

Combine your herbs in a bowl. If you like, you can grind together with a mortar and pestle to get if nice and fine and well-blended.

Melt your butter in the microwave, then throw in the herbs and stir up.

Spoon the butter and herb mixture under the skin of the bird. This is kinda messy, but worth it. Use the spoon to spread it around (or if you were a mud-pie kinda kid, use your fingers!).

Put rack on top of roasting pan with potatoes in it, and place the chicken on the rack. Arrange legs to partly cover the breasts, and make sure the skin is covering the meat (exposed skinless meat can dry out).

Cook at 500 degrees for 20 minutes, then rotate pan 180 and cook another 20 minutes.

Remove from oven, set chicken aside to rest 5 minutes. Pat your potatoes with paper towels to remove excess oils. They will have been soaking up the drippings from the chicken down there, which is great for flavor, but without some paper towel action they can be greasy, so don't skip this step if you want good crunchy potatoes. Some may stick to the foil; just scrape them up as much as you can.

For the two of us, I cut the chicken in half with a sharp kitchen knife. I put a pile of roast potatoes on the plate, and arranged the half chicken leaning against the potato-mountain. Then a veggie on the side if you planned for that. Note: heating some corn or peas on the stove during the last 10 minutes is easy enough, and you make your Mom proud eating your veggies. If you like, putting some carrots in with your potatoes in the roasting pan is another veggie option.

Enjoy!

A classic interview with Paulette Rees-Denis

2011-01-12T22:21:00.000-08:00

I wanted to share this interview/article from several years ago in which Paulette was interviewed by a local NW dancer, Oberon, on iShimmy.com

There was always a fateful connection for me with Paulette...a reason why I was drawn to her, that was not simply geographical proximity. And those who know me will see how much we speak with the same voice on so many issues. I have always been inspired by how she has found such articulate, positive ways to channel her passion for bellydance, and all the nuances of artistic ethics and community building. She has always been, and continues to be, a mentor to me on so many levels, and I loved re-visiting this article and be reminded again why I am so proud to call her my original tribal bellydance "Momma". I hope you enjoy it, too!

On "the Bellydance Police"

2011-01-09T19:55:00.000-08:00

On Shira's tribe over on tribe.net (no, tribe isn't dead!), she referenced an article on Gilded Serpent in which another dancer wrote with a fair amount of disdain about those who rally behind the idea of retaining historical and cultural elements of bellydance (what is often termed "The Bellydance Police"). You can see the discussion, and link to the article, HERE. Shira follows it up with a great analogy, which I thought would be nice to share over here. So without further ado, I give you Shira's take:

"Let's say I write a 17-line poem with each line containing somewhere between 8 and 34 syllables and call it haiku. Now, the "poetry police" killjoys would tell you that such a poem does not conform to the properties of haiku (3 lines in length, with 5 syllables in line 1, 7 syllables in line 2, 5 syllables in line 3) and therefore is not haiku. Now, this poem may well convey my vision, my passion, my joy, and a completeness in my quest for beauty. These things would certainly qualify it as "poetry", but they don't qualify it as haiku.

But if I enter that poem in a haiku writing contest, should I expect to win? Should I expect journals that specialize in haiku to publish it, simply because I have chosen to declare that it is haiku, even though it does not contain the properties that people well-versed in the form would recognize as haiku?

If I start teaching classes in how to write haiku, should it be okay that I encourage my students to write any poem of any structure they please, all in the name of their vision, their passion, their joy, and a completeness in their quest for beauty while still calling the end result haiku?

I would argue that no, it may all still be POETRY, and it all may all be worthy of being read, but there is a certain basic set of properties that must be met before you identify it as a specific genre of poetry. It still deserves to be written, and shared if the poet wishes to share it, but ultimately there should be truth in labeling."

Busy Busy Season!

2011-01-06T14:57:00.000-08:00

Sorry things have been so slow around here lately. I am sure you all have been experiencing the same thing--that holiday hectic...ness? -icity? Whatever, it's just been really busy. So I haven't had a lot of time to share my thoughts here.

The biggest change has been that shortly before Thanksgiving, I took a contract job with The Purple Store. What is it, you ask? Why, a store that sells purple things of course. Yep, that is the business model. If you or someone you know loves purple, they need to check out this shop. The site isn't fancy, but it's chock full of purpley goodness.

As you might imagine, being any kind of retailer around the holidays meant that my training was trial-by-fire, as we leapt from a manageable chunk or orders each day to OMGWTFXMAS in just over a week after I started. Luckily, the people I work with are smart, funny, motivated people, and we worked hard as a team to kick out the orders, answer customer service queries, and even put up a small retail space for last minute Christmas shoppers to get their gift on. To say it was a crazy busy time would be an understatement, but it was a joy to get to flex some different mental and physical muscles.

Classes have been small since I returned from hiatus, but it is made up of a dedicated bunch of women.

It's been a lot of fun to be able to give more personal attention to each individual student. It reminds me of the first year I taught, and how it felt to be able to really see each student fully and personally.

It's been an interesting contrast to more recent years where, while I have always endeavored to give each student the attention they deserved, I wasn't always able to key in to some of the details I can when groups are smaller. It has given me a lot to think about as a teacher, and kind of re-prioritize what my eye should train on when in larger groups. Good for larger classes and workshops both.

On the web design front things have been picking up at the end of the year/start of the new year. It's been really fun digging into some of the new CS3 capabilities, allowing me to make tweaks here and there that are both cosmetically pleasing AND performance boosting. Who knew the two could go hand-in-hand? My latest project that is live is http://www.buddhakittyglass.com which is the business of our good friend Steena Fullmer. She turned her beloved hobby of fused glass into a tidy little online business, and has been growing with each year in both her skills and her customer demand. I was thrilled to get my hands on her website and fix it up so not only was it lovely and reflected her aesthetic, but was something she can easily edit and update herself. Now that's design I can get excited about!

At home, this new three-job life has been keeping me from my beloved home-care routine. Dishes are not getting done every day, the bed is rarely made, and don't talk to me about vacuuming and dusting. Chris has been a rock star doing his best to help pick up the slack, but with the the many holiday obligations, it's been a challenge to find the energy. But part of it is feeling a little cabin-fevery and longing for a little sunshine and warmth--grey and cold sucks the motivation right out of me, and all I wanna do is watch TV and drink tea! I feel confident I am not alone in this.

The thought that spring is around the corner (well, enough for me) is exciting. I am eager to get back out in the garden and make everything pretty again. We have a pile of unfinished projects from last year, plus the dream of starting our veggie garden to go with our successful herb garden from 2010. And more fresh herbs and veggies means more COOKING to be done! We started our "Moore Family Cooking Compendium" last year--a folder where we keep our favorite recipes in little plastic sleeves for frequent use--and I intend to see a multi-volume set developing by the end of 2011.

I am pretty sure that catches us up for now. I can't say I am at all sad to see 2010 behind me. It started so amazingly, and then somewhere in the first third, shit hit the fan so hard, it was easy to imagine never recovering. We are still licking our wounds here in the Moore house, but we are a scrappy bunch and won't let anything keep us down for long. Besides, one of my Christmas gifts from Chris was a big ol' gift card from Fluevog, and with shiny new 'vogs on the horizon, how could the new year go anywhere but up?

Next session of classes: NEW TUESDAY CLASS!

2010-12-30T18:18:00.000-08:00

Well, the end of the year always skips by so quickly, and before you know it, a new year is upon you. Here I am, staring 2011 square in the face already, and January will bring some fun new dance opportunities, it so happens.

All the class details are available at http://www.doubletakebellydance.com/p/classes.html

NEW TUESDAY CLASS
A new Level 1 class will begin January 11th, at the beautiful m'illumino studio in the Roosevelt area of Seattle. 7:30-8:30pm weekly, come join us!

ONGOING THURSDAY CLASSES
Level 1 and Level 2.5 will continue on Thursday evenings, at 8pm and 9pm respectively, beginning January 13th. Level 1 Foundations will get you moving and grooving from the first class, while 2.5 is a challenging look into what lies beyond level 1, and is open to mixed level dancers. If you have a couple sessions of Level 1 under your belt, and want to try on some new moves and ideas, we invite you to come dance with us in Level 2.5.

MONDAY MIXER
Coming later this year, join us for the Monday Mixer! A 90-minute jam-session for tribal styles of all kinds. This is a chance to brush up on your skills, and learn some new ones, with an emphasis on group and partner work. The Mixer will begin with a mini-lesson (move/concept requests welcome!), followed by an exploration of group concepts, and finally putting on the music and dancing the night away. If we're lucky, we might even see some familiar faces from the tribal community come by to teach some unique moves and concepts from time to time. Stay tuned for more information in February!

Hope to see you in class!

Turkey Day happiness...

2010-11-25T11:00:00.000-08:00

Here in Seattle, we are having a white Thanksgiving. I don't remember one since I was a wee little girl, so it is magical. It will turn to rain soon, and get slushy and yuck, but hubby and I are enjoying the winter wonderland immensely for now.

I have begun cooking, and the house is already filling with delicious smells. Honestly, we really began yesterday morning when I cooked up the brining liquid, filled our cooler with salt/suger/stock/allspice berries and plopped our 20lb bird in to float around for 18 hours in said cooler set up on the snowy back deck. About five years ago we started brining our bird in a simple water/salt/sugar blend, and two years ago we began to bypass stuffing our bird and instead using aromatics as recommended by our beloved Alton Brown--we will never ever make a turkey any differently ever again, and it even informed how we bake whole chickens throughout the year. In a word: YUM! This year we're going whole hog and using Alton's full recipe from brine to finish, and I am completely confident it will be the best bird yet! I am searing the skin now, will tent it and cook until our family arrives this afternoon. Chris' sister and her husband, and Bapa will be joining us this year.

It's a bittersweet holiday this season, not having Pat here. I find myself trying not to cry now and again, so I cannot even imagine what is in Chris and Steph's hearts as they face the first holiday without their beautiful mother. It makes me reflect on my family, on how little I get to see them, how much I miss my father and my grandmother... but it also makes me feel even closer to my new family I married into. Getting to spend time with them has become such a joy for me as I have gotten to know them better in recent years, and we are even closer now after what we have gone through this summer.

To sum it up, this Thanksgiving, they are my greatest blessing. I am so thankful for my family, and how warm they are in my heart this season in particular. I am thankful for their kindness, their humor, their generosity, and their love.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone. May yours be as sweet and full of love as mine is today.

Q&A: How to smile in performance.

2010-11-22T20:41:00.000-08:00

Q. So, I was watching Kami Liddle's Tribal Fest 8 performance again today...one of the (many) things I have always liked about this performance, and her performances in general, is her lovely smile! It looks so wonderful!

How do I get that (or any) smile? Yes, I do smile when I perform and practice, but it looks nothing like that. When I ask a friend after I am through with a performance, "did I smile?" Their response is typically a variation of "Yes, you had this cute little smirk smile." What? I was smiling! I felt my face moving and forming smile-type pose. And when I look at a performance on video, I see that, indeed, it is more of a "smirk". So, I then go "drill" a smile in front of the mirror. But I don't like the way I look....

Any of you have this issue? Any tips for working on a better smile?

A. Smiling in performance is just one facet of "emoting"--a difficult but valuable skill. And yes, you can learn it!

For one, don't expect your smile to look like anyone else's. That will bum you out in the long run. But more importantly...

Practice!

Actors know this--to convey an emotion with the body/face for a performance takes work! It seems like it should be so "natural", but more often than not it ain't. It feels really goofy to smile in a mirror, but it helps you learn how it looks. Then try the same thing away from a mirror and feel how that FEELS. Keep working back and forth between mirrors and feeling it. Then try performing for video with that same smile and see how it looks and feels.

Another consideration: don't just smile. Think of things that make you feel like smiling.
A fake smile looks fake. A genuine smile radiates beyond where you think you could possibly reach.
Genuine smiles come from genuine emotion, and not from "poses". So when you practice your faces, and practice dancing, bring joyful thoughts to your mind which induce genuine smiles, and the audience will not only see it, but *feel* it.

Daily Gratitude: A Day of Rest

2010-11-21T20:07:00.000-08:00

Daily Gratitude: I am thankful for the choice to take a day of rest. Many people on our planet work nearly all day, every day, and barely make ends meet. A day you can choose to do almost nothing is a blessing indeed.

Wayback Machine delivers memories...

2010-11-21T11:43:00.000-08:00

I was searching for an old web page of mine today, and took a little walk down memory lane in the process.

A December 2001 performance by Gypsy Caravan at the Pink Door. They are wearing costumes I created for them. I remember when they used to come up a few times a year, and how magical it was to see them, to dance with them...*sigh*
http://web.archive.org/web/20020707203356/www.kamikazecostumes.com/gypsycaravan.html

My first trip to Breitenbush for Ancient Echoes:
http://web.archive.org/web/20020707203430/www.kamikazecostumes.com/breitenbush.html

My old vending tent at Med Fest, vending with Zanbaka:
http://web.archive.org/web/20020611063004/www.kamikazecostumes.com/medfest.html

My first Med Fest performance, with Veils of the Nile. Bet you can't tell my beloved Fat Chance bra is on upside down!
http://web.archive.org/web/20020213014218/www.kamikazecostumes.com/veilsofthenile.html

My old class page, on one of my oldest web site designs back when I first started learning HTML:
http://web.archive.org/web/20020805024324/www.kamikazecostumes.com/index2.html

I love seeing these old pages and pics!

Music Monday: Latin-y!

2010-11-15T18:14:00.000-08:00

It's yet another installment of Music Monday, and this week it's Latin-stylee for the win! A mix of titles from around the world with Latin flava', for dancing on the stage or around your living room.

Song - Artist - Album
Onda Buena - Barrio Del Rio - Baila Habibi
Flamenco Tapas (Barcelona Bounce Remix) - Ethno Dance - Club Passport Remix
Santa Maria - Gotan Project
Cumbia De Los Muertos - Ozomatli
Hanuman - Rodrigo y Gabriela
Magalenha - Sergio Mendes - Brasileiro

Article: Tribal Fusion Bellydance on Gilded Serpent

2010-11-11T23:09:00.000-08:00

Have a read, and let me know what you think:

http://www.gildedserpent.com/cms/2010/11/03/jasmine-june-intro-tribal-fusion-belly-dance/

"The “fusion” in Tribal Fusion Belly Dance makes this dance genre elusive and tricky to define. Two dancers could have nothing in common except a few core movements and a couple costuming pieces, and yet both could define themselves as Tribal Fusion dancers. While this can be confusing, both to outsiders and to Tribal Fusion belly dancers, the freedom that fusion grants is exactly what makes the genre so attractive.

The other side of the coin is that sometimes Tribal Fusion Belly Dance is interpreted to be completely open-ended. This can lead to dancers changing or ignoring technique, musicality, and proper training.

Since Tribal Fusion Belly Dance is a relatively new  dance form, it is especially important to treat the genre with a level  of professionalism, or else one runs the risk of discrediting the work  of dancers who have dedicated their lives to creating and elevating  Tribal Fusion Belly Dance."

Sirloin Steak with Carmelized Onions and Butternut Squash Puree

2010-11-10T12:02:00.000-08:00

Made this delectable recipe on Monday night, and it was a hit!

Sirloin Steak with Carmelized Onions and Butternut Squash Puree

Ingredients:
1 medium-large butternut squash, halved and seeded
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
Olive oil
2 tablespoons salted butter
1 large onion, sliced into strips (sweet onion is best)
2 servings of sirloin steak (our serving sizes are 4-5oz in our house)
salt and pepper

Instructions:

Squash Puree
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place the split halves of squash face up on a baking sheet and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with some brown sugar, drizzle with about 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and break up bits of the butter over the squash halves. Bake at 400 degrees for about an hour, or until the flesh is easily pierced with a fork. Scrape the inside of the squash into the bowl of a food processor/blender, and pulse until the squash is a smooth consistency. You can add a little more brown sugar, or butter, or both to your desired taste. Sometimes a touch more salt helps to pop the flavors, but don't overdo it.

Note: I recommend getting a nice large butternut squash and making more than you need for this recipe. Then you can use the leftovers for other meals or soups. It makes a great filling for home-made ravioli, too!

You can make the puree ahead of time, if you like. It can refrigerate for a couple days, and you can scoop out what you need and warm in a saucepan over medium heat before serving.

Caramelized Onions
Add 2 tbsp of olive oil and the onions to a large saute pan. Toss the onions to coat with oil. Cook the onions over medium-low heat for about an hour, stirring every 15 minutes or so to allow the onions to brown, but not burn. You can add butter to this as well, and/or add a tablespoon of brown sugar to the onions for a little sweetness and to help in caramelization. For another layer of flavors, add a dash of basalmic vinegar to the onions in the last 5 minute of cooking. Remove onions from heat when they are dark brown and sweet.

Sirloin Steak (Alton Brown Method)
Prep the sirloin by setting on the counter at room temperature for 5-10 minutes. Coat all sides generously with kosher salt and let sit another 5 minutes. Rinse off salt with cold tap water.

Once you take the butternut squash out of the oven, while the onions are finishing carmelizing, continue to prepare the sirloin. Set oven on broiler setting. Make foil 'snake' out of aluminum foil to use to keep oven door slightly ajar so that broiler won't turn off if it gets too hot.

Brush steak with oil and salt and pepper, to taste. Place a piece of foil on the bottom rack as a drip pan. Place another rack in the position above this and put the steak directly on this rack. Cook steak in this position for 5 minutes. Flip steak and cook for another 5 minutes. Move rack with steak to top position in oven, moving rack with foil and drippings just underneath, and cook for 3 minutes. Flip 1 last time and cook for another 3 minutes. Transfer steak to wire rack and rest for 3 to 5 minutes. (These times are for medium doneness. Adjust cooking times up or down as desired.)

Once rested, cut steak against the grain in 1/4" slices.

Plating
Scoop a generous mound of butternut squash puree in a line down the center of the plate. Lay sliced steak on top of puree, and top all with a mound of caramelized onions. Tucking some celery leaf or basil leaf into the end of the golden butternut puree tops this plate off colorfully and beautifully.

Music Monday - Moody Monday

2010-11-08T13:08:00.000-08:00

I love iTunes for the way it can organize my playlists. I have ones for my classes, divided up by different levels of skill and paces of music. I have ones for performances, and for styles of music (Spanish, Bhangra, etc). And for personal music, I also have ones divided up by mood or feel. I have an Upbeat playlist, as I shared last week I have a Meditation playlist, a Chill playlist, and this week, I am sharing some selections from my Moody playlist.

As I come down from the high that was the Tribal Dreams Festival weekend, and I sit in my grey, quiet living room alone, I feel a little moody. Why is it that when we're in a sad mood, sometimes the only cure is sad tunes? Well, my Moody List isn't necessarily sad songs, but just songs with lyrics or general feel of...well...a little bit blue.

Moody Monday
Save Me                                   -Aimee Mann            -Magnolia Soundtrack
Hide and Seek                          -Imogen Heap           -Speak for Youself
Watching You Without Me      -Kate Bush              -Hounds of Love
Feels Like Home                     -Newton Faulkner     -Hand Built By Robots
Call and Answer                      -Barenaked Ladies    -Stunt
I Know Why        -Sheryl Crow     -Wildflower (mine is an acoustic version)
Sea Dreamer                            -Sting w/Anoushka Shankar and Karsh Kale    -Breathing Under Water

"Can you teach me to dance like _______...?"

2010-11-05T10:58:00.000-07:00

Most every teacher I know has run into this question in one form or another from new students--some of us hear it many times a year. "I saw 'The World Famous Debbie Dancer' on YouTube. Can you teach me to dance like her?"

The short answer? No.
The only slightly longer answer?
Neither can she!

No teacher can truly teach you to dance just like them. What they can provide you is tools for your own dance--tools perhaps they themselves used to arrive at their own personal style, which you can then take to create your own personal style.

I am here in Lincoln, Nebraska getting ready to teach my first of two workshops at the Tribal Dreams Festival, and over breakfast this morning was chatting with Jawahara of Chicago about teaching and workshops and the culture of the bellydance world today as we know it. And one phenomenon we were talking about was the propensity for some dancers to come to classes or workshops wanting to be or dance just like another dancer. Jawahara was talking about dancers who would look at old footage of Taheya Carioca and Samia Gamal, and wanting to emulate every little nuance of those dancer's performances. For others, it might be like the many people who watch Rachel Brice or Aziza of Montreal, and try to make every single detail look and feel exactly the same.

It's a good jumping-off point, but the question is, are you trying to be them, or do you want to be you inspired by them?

Jawahara and I agreed on many points, but one that I want to share with you here is that every single teacher, every single class, every single workshop has something to teach you. Much like when we talked about the steady diet of fusion (Fusion As Dessert), if all you ever feed yourself is one teacher's interpretation, or one stylization, where is there room for you in the equation? And dammit, that's the juiciest, awesomest part! YOU!

Even if your ultimate goal is to devote yourself to one particular style, it behooves you to be open to many dance experiences, and always always be looking at how your personal flavor is being injected into the final product. When you walk into a workshop, don't just try to pick out finished ideas, sprung wholly formed from the instructor's forehead. Instead, learn to look more critically at what is being offered--at the individual pieces of information that make up the body of work the teacher is sharing with you--and learn to parse out bits that really speak to you personally. Look at the information as a tool bag, not a shopping list.

Tomorrow at Tribal Dreams, I will be teaching "Cook Your Own Combos"--a workshop designed for just this kind of thought process. Learning to break down movement into individual components which we can then remix to reflect our own style. If you learn to see the dance as a collection of delicious spices and ingredients, rather than complete unalterable recipes, then you can cook up a new combo every day of the week and always inject your own flavor! I can't teach you to dance like me, but I am happy to give you some tools to help you be your most fabulous self.

Inspirational Video: Hips n' Bellies

2010-11-04T10:01:00.000-07:00

Sandi and Wendy of FatChance Bellydance are pure magic together. Their connection is unique and inspiring. One of my favorite examples of their power as performers is in the following clip. Sure, there are some lightning-fast performances that take my breath away--the kind of speed only you and someone you know really really well, personally and professionally, can maintain together. But no other duet so far swims through my brain as such a shining example of the power of ATS arrhythmic slow as this one. None showcase the strength and grace inherent in the movements quite like this one; the way one can simply flow, like a really delicious yoga stretch, from one move to the next, luxuriating in each moment, never rushing, never pushing, but with palpable dynamic tension and oozing sensuality.

Perhaps it's the slightly gritty nature of the video. The dim, red-toned lighting. The guitar solo. The way the audience barely breathes. It evokes the feeling we're in some basement cafe in Spain, and someone with a home video camera is watching as the native dancers entertain us all.

Brief history of sword dancing

2010-11-03T14:54:00.000-07:00

From Mish Mish via BellyTalk, a NW discussion group for bellydancers. It is confirmed by what Jamila told us at her weeklong, that she was essentially the one who conceived the sword as a bellydance prop:

"In Turkey and Arabic countries, dancing with a sword is done mainly by men
as a display of skill in combat or to prepare for battle. My troupe used to have
a Druse from Lebanon who did a spectacular sword dance his father had taught him
and I have seen videos of a Persian dance troupe where the men feign battle and
dance in unison.

Dancing while balancing a sword on your head has become popular in the United
States with soloists and troupes but there is no such tradition in Arabic
countries where balancing something on your head is a part of daily life, so
it's no big deal The idea for this dance can be traced back to Jamila Salimpour and her
seminal dance troupe, Bal Anat who became famous performing at the Renaissance
Fair in California in the 1970's. Jamila was inspired by an Oriental painting
from the late l9th Century by French artist Jean Leon Gerome of a group of
musicians and a dancer, probably a ghawazee, dancing with a sword balanced on
her head and another held in her hand. The swords belonged to the Turkish
soldiers in the background who had undoubtedly hired the dancers to entertain
them. A replica of this painting appears on Aisha Ali's recording of "Music of
the Ghawazee" As Jamila's influence spread throughout the USA, so to did the
practise of balancing a sword on your head."

Music Monday - Movin' and Groovin'

2010-11-01T10:34:00.000-07:00

Here's music that makes me bop around happily. Movits! has a couple songs I love to use in high-action drills to start off my more advanced classes, and herein is one of them. Augustito 2004 is good for medium drills, with a fun spirit behind it (look up the lyrics). Louis Prima, The Beatles, Cherry Poppin' Daddies...yeah, we got a little bit of everything here.

Jump, Jive, An' Wail                Louis Prima             Collector's Series
Fel del Av Gården          Movits!                   Äppelknyckarjazz
Ob - La - Di, Ob - La - Da       The Beatles             1967-1970 Blue Album\Disc 2
Agustito 2004                          Ketama                    20 Pa' Ketama
Jump in the Line                      Cherry Poppin' Daddies
Smile    Lily Allen               Smile - EP

BTW, the Movits! video for Fel del Av Garden makes my day, too. Check it out!

Conscious Carnivore

2010-10-27T11:00:00.000-07:00

My sister in law was vegetarian for many years, but in recent years she and her husband have been eating some meat. Lucky for us in the Northwest, we have a lot of fantastic organic local resources for our food, it allows us all to be conscientious about our meat choices without too much effort (and a fairly reasonable increase in cost).

I have been inspired by my family and friends' consciousness about their food choices. And having gotten more into cooking, and thoroughly thrilled at the bounty we have around us in our area, I have been interested in cutting down on my meat intake and explore alternatives. This is partly due to wanting to cultivate a more compassionate approach to my world in general, but also, frankly, for the challenge and inspiration that comes from cooking meatless in a world of MEAT! MEAT! MEAT! You may have already seen this reflected in my meat-free cooking once a week I have been blogging about, and the vegetarian alternatives I have been slotting into my posted recipes as well.

I have been doing a little reading of wonderful "meat lite" recipes, and have come across a couple interesting resources I thought I would share:

"Becoming a Compassionate Carnivore"
written by a city-kid turned farmer, who raises animals for food, which addresses the following:

"Here’s a heads up, though: Becoming a more compassionate carnivore requires change, and change requires time, the one thing most of us lack. How can we possibly change how we eat when we barely have enough time to eat?"

And brings us the hopeful remark:

"This is an exciting time to be both a carnivore and a farmer, and I’m optimistic we’re approaching a tipping point when it comes to buying meat from animals raised humanely."
http://life.gaiam.com/gaiam/p/Becoming-a-Compassionate-Carnivore.html

From the authors of Almost Meatless comes a weekly recipe installment on Serious Eats:
http://www.seriouseats.com/tags/recipes/Meat%20Lite

About their book:
"Despite its title, almost every recipe in this book uses meat, fish or eggs. A collaboration between Manning, a former vegan, and Desmond, an unabashed meat lover, the aim is to help Americans, who they believe eat far more meat than is healthy or good for agricultural sustainability, compose meals that are both tasty and filling without having a slab of meat as the overbearing star ingredient."

The Flexitarian Diet"
http://www.amazon.com/dp/1580089615/?tag=serieats-20

The 100 Mile Diet - looking at eating regionally to cut back on fossil fuels:
http://life.gaiam.com/gaiam/p/100mile-Diet-QA-with-a-couple-who-did-it.html

Frankly, I am personally not interested in becoming a vegetarian. Never have been. I eat animals and believe humans are part of a system in which this is our role in the food chain--I don't judge people who feel otherwise in the least, and hope they won't judge me in return. But I am always interested in little and big ways that I can live a healthier, more conscious life, and this is one way that my region, finances, and energies allow me to explore food consumption with more consideration than I might were I not who and where I am at this time in my life.

What are your thoughts on all this? Do you eat out of habit, or out of actual thoughtful choice? How important is the source of your food in this day and age compared to how you thought about it growing up? I welcome any feedback.

Music Monday - Meditation

2010-10-25T12:40:00.000-07:00

I have not been as regular in my meditation practice this year as in previous, but I hope to get myself back on the wagon this winter. I meditate with gentle music in the background, as I find it helps center me, and my monkey mind is a little less wild. I also like to set up playlists so that they run the length of time I would like to meditate, so that I don't shortchange myself by getting grumpy and giving up after 5 minutes, nor do I lose track of my day and sit for an hour when I really only have a half hour to spare. I like the tracks to be 5-7 minutes or more apiece so that I am not constantly "shifting gears" with new tunes every 3 minutes like most songs run these days.

Unfortunately, much of my music is still "trapped" on an iMac that pooped out on me, but I will share these three I still have on my laptop playlist for your enjoyment. Enjoy!

Song - Artist - Album
Om Jai Jagadeesa Hare       Pt. Hariprasad Chaurasia        Om Jai Jagadeesa Hare
Moon of India          World Meditation Ensemble    Sacred Fusion
Govinda Hare         Krishna Das                             Pilgrim Heart

Have questions about meditation? What is it? Why do it? From me to you, there isn't anything fancy to it, nor does it have to be a particularly spiritual practice.

Find a spot that is quiet and comfortable, away from any distractions. Sit comfortably (I like a couple pillows under my bottom so my knees and legs don't get achey), and breathe normally and gently.   You don't have to have a particular pose, or put your hands or arms in any particular position, though you should sit with your back straight --not rigid or tense -- to protect your spine, with the head balanced comfortably on top.

Some people close their eyes (I do), while others let their lids hang but not close all the way. You don't have to chant anything or think on any particular phrase or topic. You don't have to have an altar, or light candles or incense (though if you like those things, create a little space for yourself and light up!). As I indicated, I liked to have some music, but some people find that to be a distraction. Find out what creates tranquility in your practice, experiment with different environments (inside or out, bedroom, living room, or dedicated space, sound, scents, etc), and settle in for a little nothingness. Because for me, that is what meditation can be. It is an attempt at pure nothingness, which makes space for...anything and everything! Through guided practice, you can choose a focus or mantra which can be as simple and narrow as your breath, or as wide-reaching as world peace (cliche, but a wonderful exercise in compassion).

I started when I had my back injury, and I was spending a lot of sedentary time at home alone, unable to even walk to the kitchen without agonizing pain. I was spending a lot of time in front of the TV and computer. Well, honestly, all freaking day was some combination of computer, television, video game, etc. I was feeling really depressed and tired and sorry for myself. I decided I wanted to get myself away from all the constant media input, and focus on healing and centering myself, inside and out. It was summer when I began, so I would put a thick towel on my back deck in the sunshine, along with a couple pillows to sit on. I would play some soft music, and just sit. And breathe. Sometimes I would think a little mantra in my mind: "I am strong. I am healing." But most days, the plan was to think of nothing. Concentrate on my breath. Feel the breeze on my skin. Allow the sounds of the world around me to diminish and turn my focus gently inward, without closing off from all that was surrounding me. I gave myself a gift of at least a half hour of this gentleness and quiet each and every day. What a blessing that simple act can be!

If you are interested in reading more, The Google has tons of links and info of course. There are tons of people trying to sell you stuff these days--books and videos. But there are lots of free resources as well, so avail yourself of them and avoid hucksters. Here are a few to get you started:

4 Powerful Reasons to Meditate and How to Get Started:
http://www.pickthebrain.com/blog/4-reasons-you-should-meditate-and-how-to-get-started/

"How to Meditate"
http://www.alternative-medicine.net/meditation/english.html

Simple Breathing Meditation:
http://www.how-to-meditate.org/breathing-meditations.htm/

Loving Kindness Meditation:
http://www.how-to-meditate.org/loving-kindness-meditation.htm/

Hypersensitivity: a creative's bane

2010-10-22T11:47:00.000-07:00

Lateral Action hits it out of the park again and again. Thought I would share this snippet from their "Dark Side of Creativity - Burnout" article. And if this section sounds familiar, you should read the parts about Control Freakery and expectations!

"Hypersnsitivity
Why are creative people so sensitive to criticism of their work? Because our work is not just something we do, it’s an expression of who we are. As Gustave Flaubert put it:

A book is essentially organic, part of ourselves. We tear a length of gut from our bellies and serve it up.

So when the critics get their knives out, it feels like a direct personal attack. When nobody comes to the show it feels as if your innermost soul has been rejected. And again, this is as it should be – up to a point. If you didn’t care enough to put your heart and soul into your work, there would be no reason for anyone else to care about it. But if you really want to improve, you have to learn to let go of the work, to stand back and appraise it coldly, to see whether it measures up to the standards you aspire to. And you have to be able to listen to others’ feedback and see whether you can learn from it. Otherwise you set yourself up for a world of pain each time you present your work to an audience."

(image: The Green Muse by Albert Maignan, 1895)

Easy Hearty Sausage and White Bean Soup

2010-10-21T14:14:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:
1-2 large sausage(s) of your choice (we chose a local smoked sausage), sliced into thick half-rounds
3 thick slices of ham, cubed
2 cans Great Northern beans (or cannelini beans)
2 carrots, cut into thick rounds
1 red bell pepper, rough cut
2 stalks celery, rough cut
1 yellow onion, chopped
3 large garlic cloves, minced
2 cans chicken broth (we use low sodium)
2 tsp thyme
1 tsp cumin
dash of cayenne pepper for pep
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:
Throw all ingredients into your crock pot, mix up well. Turn on crock pot and let your house fill with delicious smells all day. 8-10 hours on low, 4-6 hours on high. Add any additional salt or pepper to taste just before serving. Serve with crusty bread.

Optional:

Throw in a can of diced tomatoes for another level of flavor.
Sub ham base/stock for the chicken broth for a saltier, ham-ier flavor.
Use Healthy Choice keilbasa, turkey sausage, or other low fat sausage for a diet-friendly option
For a thicker finished result, shortly before the end of your cooking time, scoop out a couple big scoops of the beans into a separate bowl. Mash with the back of a fork and return to the soup, stir in, cook for another 20 minutes and serve.
If you have the time, you can choose to sautee the sausage a little bit, then throw in the onions and garlic for a minute before adding to the soup, but since I wanted to make a "super quick" recipe, throwing all the ingredients in without additional prep works out just fine. Sauteeing also allows you to cook off some of the fat in the sausage, if that is something you would like to do.

Dance Injuries - Having a Plan C

2010-10-20T14:58:00.000-07:00

Dance Advantage listed an article recently on dancers and injuries. Specifically the idea that injuries can take away dance from your life. I am familiar with this, having been on and off battling a severe back issue, and more recently knee problems surfacing, and my foot issue which will require surgery I cannot afford at present, which leaves me in pain every day just walking around, let alone dancing. I have had to give a lot of thought to the possibility that I may not be able to have dance as my career any more, and how betrayed by fate it has made me feel over the past few months. This is something I am really really good at--the first thing that really resonated with me so deeply, and was validated in the opinions of my peers as well. To imagine it not being my profession any more was impossible to contemplate, and yet I had to give it some serious "face-time" in my meditations this summer.

So this article is somewhat encouraging in its tone and message. Summing up the message in one line:

"As a young dancer, I felt pigeonholed into thinking that I only had two options (dance or don’t dance), when plan C was as simple as being a barefoot dancer who wears shoes – and it took me six years to figure that out."

In trying to figure out where dance fits into my definition of self , this article presents the idea of creative experimentation with the ways dance slots into your life when factors seem to push against that possibility.

In other news, I started Music Monday a few weeks ago, and pre-loaded some posts to release on Mondays. Then didn't go back and check to see if they were posting. Oops! I had them in the queue, but hadn't released them for posting. So keep an eye out for Music Monday NEXT Monday, and hopefully I will have that all cleared up and ready to post for your auditory enjoyment.

A delightful fall weekend....

2010-10-10T16:50:00.000-07:00

Started the weekend early with a matinee movie with my friend Arya, followed by tea and stimulating conversation. Friday night was a chill night in with hubby. Saturday morning was breakfast, then some food prep for the potluck mini-family reunion later. SIL and hubby came over a little early for a little chat, then we head to the reunion, which was filled with kind, funny, friendly relatives Chris n' sis hadn't seen in maybe two decades or more (as well as delicious ham!). Went later than we planned, so we went home instead of the Tiff's birthday (sorry to miss it, Tiff! Hope your 30th rocked!) to chill out and watch a couple episodes of Dexter before going to bed early.

Early to bed, early to rise this morning, and went to breakfast at the Jewel Box Cafe, splitting a breakfast panini and a sweet berry crepe. Came home and knit some on my new mitt design. Spending the afternoon cooking a wild mushroom soup while hubby performs delicate surgery on my iMac to try and fix it (replacing the video card *fingers crossed*). Chopping veggies, plucking some of the last of the fresh herbs from our garden (leaving my fingers smelling of thyme and rosemary all day long), sipping wine and smelling a rich, earthy soup simmering on the stove, all with a background soundtrack of Ella Fitzgerald on Pandora= one thing I can easily adore about the changing of the seasons.

I hope everyone is enjoying the beginning of October as I am.

Smartphones = Wallets

2010-10-08T12:17:00.000-07:00

It is alarming to me how often I hear about people leaving their smart phone or their iPod touch behind at restaurants, in their cars in plain view, or it slipping out in a parking lot or theater. Losing an iPod touch or a phone these days is more like losing your wallet, with ID and credit cards all in there. (And a lot like losing a laptop, too!)

Recently on Ravelry, a woman said that her iPod touch had slipped out of her bag on a university campus. The young man who found it opened it up, and she was logged into her mail and Facebook (among other social apps and such), which she uses all the time and keeps up and running. Luckily, this young man posted his phone number to her wall, so she could call and recover it (unfortunately with a broken screen from being dropped and run over by a car, apparently, but still running!). But to think what he COULD have done with the data on that "entertainment device" is alarming.

These things hold a lot of data that can be used inappropriately, for sure. So guard it like you would a wallet! You wouldn't just let a wallet slip out of your purse, would you? You keep it in a secure spot in your bag, don't you? Do the same with your iPod touch or phone. You don't leave the restaurant without your wallet, do you? I sure hope not. You keep it tucked in your pocket or purse when not in use, right? Do the same with your devices.

Just a friendly reminder to keep your identity secure, and not let these "entertainment electronics" become a ID theft nightmare.

Why Spontaneity Comes from Following the Rules

2010-10-05T16:13:00.000-07:00

Over at Lateral Action, there is an interesting (& rather deep) post regarding a conversation between Brian Eno and the developer of Sim City, and the application of rules bringing about successful spontaneity. Read the full article here:
http://lateralaction.com/articles/brian-eno-will-wright/

The simplest, and most profound, summation of this conversation came in the final segment, quoted here:

Play It Simple

A point that comes up repeatedly in the Eno/Wright talk is that complex results emerge from simple rules. No rules mean there is no system, so nothing is generated. But if you add too many rules and risk breaking the system. The trick is to find just enough rules to get the system under way without destroying it prematurely.

Listening to the talk, I was reminded of playing improvisation games at The Spontaneity Shop: when actors try to improvise a scene in which ‘anything goes’, the results are flat and lifeless.

But introduce a simple rule such as ‘one of you is higher status and the other’, and it starts to come alive. Tweak the rules slightly – ‘one of you is the servant but acts higher status than the master’ – and you have a recipe for spontaneous comedy.

Twitter is another good example of a generative system. When I first tried Twitter, I didn’t see the point. There was so little I could do. Type a 140 character message? Get messages from other people? Is that all?

But when I was persuaded to persist with Twitter, I discovered the incredible richness of the conversations and connections it facilitates. Now you can find me there most days. It’s one of the very few web applications I would genuinely miss if it disappeared overnight.

I’m not the first one to be puzzled by Twitter’s lack of ‘obvious’ features that can be found in similar – but less successful – networks such as FriendFeed or Plurk. But Eno and Wright would probably argue that Twitter is so successful because its rules are so simple.

But how can you know in advance which rules will bring you the best creative results? Which ideas should you pursue and implement, and which should you leave on the drawing-board?

You can’t.

Which means you have to try things, play around with them, test quickly and test often. Allow failure to tag along as a daily playmate.

Isn’t that the beauty of real creativity, that you wake up every morning not knowing what you’re going to discover?

How much do I love those final few sentences. Testing ideas, playing, and being open to failure. Knowing that we *don't know* the outcome, and letting it reveal itself through the process. This is what I mean when I talk about organic creativity! Rules are powerful! Rules are what gives structure to our attempts, what binds together disparate ideas and aesthetics into something solid, tangible, impactful. The results are something familiar to everyone on some level, yet truly unique to us. We use the rules as a tool to create something greater than we could have if we had not defined them and honored them to begin with. And of course, the other lesson in this article is to not impose too many rules. Find those which are truly important, truly valuable to the process and the outcome, and let the rest flow as it will. I aspire to be this confident and comfortable in my creative process, through the thoughtful, sparing, application of rules.

Certifications...what do you think?

2010-10-03T17:32:00.000-07:00

Here's the truth of it: When it comes to training intensives, I sometimes wish there were no certificate tied to the coursework.

Particularly in programs which are essentially "participation certificates" rather than tested on demonstrated knowledge and ability, I feel it gives a false sense of accomplishment to the participant, and sends a confusing message to the public that one need only take a few days of workshops and suddenly you can be "officially certified" in a given style or skill. It diminishes both the idea of a certificate and the art/style itself, in my opinion. This is one way in which I have a lot of admiration for the Suhaila certification program. While it has never been of interest to me to pursue, I can see the tremendous value in the way it is structured, and the tangible feedback it provides the dancers--as a friend once said, it can be a roadmap for personal goal setting, and that's fantastic.

At the root, I would rather we focus on the meat of a dancer's/teachers' skills--proven through time and experience and demonstrated skill--than pieces of paper.

I found my certification training with Gypsy Caravan, FatChance, and now Jamila (still to test, but took the course) to have been incredibly valuable to not only my technique, knowledge, and teaching ability, but also gave me a tremendous sense of history and perspective. Like the proverbial elephant and the blind men, we're all touching different parts of the dance, and are limited by the part we have in our immediate reach. By being exposed to other teachers' and dancer's experience/part of the elephant, I feel I have a better idea of the bigger picture and where I fit into it. If slapping a certificate on it encourages more people to pony up the cash and time to commit to these programs and grow as a result, I suppose in the end it's a Good Thing. But I didn't care one tiny bit if I held a piece of paper at the end of them, because what I got out of these experiences couldn't be measured in that way.

What do you think of certifications in the bellydance world today? Any you particularly endorse or eschew? What are your experiences?

Web design...

2010-09-29T17:12:00.000-07:00

Had a few more contracts crop up for web design lately. I am trying to streamline my design process, but am finding it tough. I just like the visual design part so much better than the code part!

So today I "attended" my final online Web Design Bootcamp webinar, and it covered HTML5 and CSS3 in brief. In particular, "embedded" fonts in web page design. But it's so much more than that. Whew! I feel overwhelmed with the possibilities and what new things I will need to learn to take advantage of it. With 98% of all browsers supporting the new font functionality, we can start using it RIGHT NOW. how exciting is that? Even IE is ahead of the game on this one. Looking forward to seeing what it allows us to create...

Bringing emotion to your dance

2010-09-28T16:02:00.000-07:00

From my background in theater and dance, to a life seeped in bellydance and dance in general full-time, I have learned that one of the most powerful methods of showing emotion in performance is having a story firmly in mind as you perform. Just saying "I am going out there to have fun and smile," doesn't quite have the same impact as coming up with a more detailed motivation or imagined goal in mind when you take the stage. So You Think You Can Dance liberally uses themes, props, and elaborate stories to create their unique dances, which is inspiring. We, too, can be guided by a story through the entire creative process, which can inform not only our movement and emoting on stage, but also costume and musical choices as well to support the story further. Though I would caution that one must be careful at becoming too literal or trite.

The dance itself--the body, the face, the movement--not costume or music or props, should always communicate the story first and foremost.

After all, a large cross-section of the recent vaudeville-inspired theatrical-circus-theme craze has been disappointingly unbalanced: Over-storied, over-costumed, over-propped, and under-danced. The dance is the central and most important part, and the story and any trappings built around it should support and supplement the emotional content and skilled execution of the dance itself. A really great dance can be performed with the dancer wearing a plain white tee shirt, or something similarly mundane, and can still clearly communicate emotion.

So how does one create a story? Soloists have an easier time at this because the stories need not have a universal and shared emotional meaning among a group, but instead can be something very personal to them alone. (For example, Sa'Elyssa's "For My Grandmother"--a dance to honor her grandmother who had passed away--reduced me to tears.) But with some thought and discussion groups can create a story and stage their piece with a collective image in mind to help channel their emotional energies. My last troupe did this on many occasions with great effect. Our "Home" piece was one that is lovingly remembered not only by the audiences that saw it, but we who danced it. The story we built into it was very very personal to our dance family and surrounded universal feelings of loss and fear, friendship, and of course as the song name and lyrics reveal, the feeling of being home. We didn't have any sort of intro at most performances of it, and we did not costume or set a backdrop or props of any kind, so there was not always an opportunity to lead the audience into our story with any kind of explanation. The only cues were our physical selves--the way we staged our movement among and with one another, the way we felt as we imagined our story when dancing it, and the way our faces and bodies communicated our thoughts and feelings as we performed came through for our audiences, who sometimes were brought to tears without knowing quite why it impacted them so profoundly. Of course tears aren't the only way we would hope to have our audiences manifest their appreciation of what we do, but it sure is a powerful one!

Another method to add further depth to your audience interaction is to put characters of your story in the audience. Planting archetypes in your mind and then acting as if you are seeing them and playing to them when you dance can have great effect. Say you plan to find your new best friend to the left of the stage, your ex-boyfriend you are showing off for to the right of the stage, and your proud mother in the center. Find people in the audience and fix them with your eyes and intention and dance for those imagined characters and see if it doesn't change the way you move and emote!

What other ways do you build story and character into your performances?

ATS Old/New - Another take

2010-09-28T15:24:00.000-07:00

Nancy Young posted a really articulate and well-considered response to Carolena's message, and I wanted to share my favorite part of it:

"By giving this gift, you have, it seems to me, officially acknowledged ATS, your baby, as a mature art form with a life of its own and sent it off with your blessing. For me—and maybe this is just me—the gift also feels like your official acknowledgment of us, the ATS community, not just as acolytes practicing your dance but as artists inspired by your vision."

See the rest of her post on Monday, September 27th, HERE.

Music Monday - Feelin' The Love

2010-09-27T14:43:00.000-07:00

Alright, I have never been one for the "every day of the week has its own blog theme", but I have been wanting to give a little more space for music recommendations and discussions 'round these parts, so I am going to implement a "Music Monday" theme and see how it goes. Let me know what you think, eh?

Music Monday will have a little bit of whatever it is I am listening to right now. Some will be dance music, but some will just be my listenin' and enjoyin' music! Most everything I listen to these days is available on iTunes and/or Amazon, so you can snag it for yourself. :)

I have been listening to a lot of love-themed upbeat music lately to keep me singin' along and feeling positive. So here are some of my favorite "Feelin' The Love" tunes right now, with links to iTunes:

Song - Artist - Album

Super Duper - Joss Stone - The Soul Sessions
Whenever I Say Your Name - Sting Feat. Mary J. Blige - Sacred Love
Home - Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros - Up from Below
Throw Your Arms Around Me - Neil Finn - (live bootleg, sorry, but here is another version, and here)
Three Little Birds - Bob Marley - Legend
You Give Me Something - Jamiroquai - A Funk Odessey

I wanted to make an iMix to put all the songs in one place, but apparently some of my music wasn't "approved" for use in the iMix by iTunes (even though they sell these exact songs). I will look further into this in the future, to simplify browsing the music in one place, rather than with individual links. For now, enjoy the music!

Health and fitness made simple...

2010-09-23T15:59:00.000-07:00

Another gem from Zen Habits, this time it's the very simple truth about increasing your fitness.

"Health and fitness are usually made to seem too complex.

If you read a lot of fitness magazines and blogs (as I often do), you’re told a confusing variety of complex advice. It makes your head spin.

You’re told that eggs, butter and meat are bad for you. Then another crowd will tell you those same things are actually good. Then you’ll hear running is good for you, and the bodybuilding and primal crowds will scoff at longer-distance running. You’ll hear that lifting weights is the best way to get into shape, and others will laugh at that. You’ll hear a million variations of the best workouts, of when to time your nutrition, of how to periodize your workouts, of how to measure fitness, of what supplements you need to take … ad naseum.

It’s enough to make you want to give up.

Fortunately, fitness doesn’t have to be that complex.

In fact, you can boil it down to two simple rules:

1. Get your body moving on a regular basis; and
2. Eat a moderate amount of real, whole foods (with occasional indulgences).

I believe if you stuck to those two rules, and stuck with them for awhile, you’d get fit. Doing one but not the other will result in an improvement in health for many people (not all), but it would be an incomplete health. Do both most days of the week and you’re on your way to health and fitness.

But what about specific macronutrient ratios (fancy way of saying the breakdown of protein, carbs and fats)? What about meal frequency and timing? What about workout frequency, splits, timing, reps, and more? You could add all these types of rules and many more, but the truth is, all the complexities are usually a way of masking some simple truths: if you want to lose fat or weight, you have to have a calorie deficit, and if you want to build muscle, you’ve got to use exercise to get stronger. The other stuff is mostly guesswork, and while these complicated programs probably work, they usually work because they promote one or more of the principles in this post, not because of their complexities.

The two rules above are all you need … however, most of us need a little more detail, so here’s a more complete set of simple fitness rules. As always, remember that 1) I’m not an expert — this is just stuff that’s worked for me; 2) this is for healthy adults — people with health problems should seek the advice of professionals.

1. Get moving. Try to do some kind of physical activity most days of the week (4 or more days if possible). If you have an aversion to exercise, don’t think of it as exercise. Just think of it as a way to get your body moving in some fun way. It can be dance, yardwork, hiking, a nature walk, a swim, basketball, rugby, cycling, even housework if you do it vigorously enough. And it doesn’t have to be the same thing each day. I recommend, just for the sake of simplicity, that you do find a regular time slot you could do your daily activity, most days of the week. I prefer mornings but others enjoy lunchtime or after work.

2. Enjoy yourself. Whatever activity you choose, it has to be fun. If you don’t like it, move on to something else. Focus on the fun part, not the hard part. Or learn, as I have, to enjoy the hard stuff! Again, make it fun, or you won’t keep it up for very long. To make sure it’s not too hard, start easy. Focus on just getting moving and enjoying the activity. Start small, and build up with baby steps.

3. Slowly add intensity. Once you’ve been doing an activity for a little while, and you’re in decent shape, it’s good to add some intensity. But slowly — if you add intensity too quickly you’ll risk injury or burnout. So let’s say you’ve been doing some walking for a couple months — you should be ready to add a little jogging or fast-paced walking, in small little intervals. If you’ve been running, try some faster-paced intervals (take it easy at first) or hill workouts. If you’ve been strength training, be sure to add weights (safely) or decrease rest time or add more reps or sets. If you’re playing a sport, really speed things up, or focus on explosive movements. Intensity is a great way to get yourself in shape and have an effective workout in only 20-30 minutes. Here’s a great way to do bodyweight exercises with intensity: do a circuit of bodyweight exercises (such as pushups, pullups, squats, burpees, Hindu pushups, lunges or others) and do as many circuits as you can in 10 or 15 minutes. Next workout, see if you can do more circuits. It’s great!

4. Minimal equipment. There are a million different exercise gadgets out there, from ab machines to elliptical trainers to a whole slew of weight machines at the gym. My rule is: keep it simple. You can do amazing things with bodyweight exercises — in fact, if you are a relative beginner, you should start with bodyweight exercises for at least 6 months before progressing to weights. You don’t need cardio machines — just go outside and walk, run, bike, do hills, climb stairs, sprint. Even if you do weights, a barbell or dumbbells are all you need — stay away from the machines that work your body at angles it’s not meant to use (although cable machines aren’t bad). Even better, get outside and do sprints, pushups, jump over things, pick up big rocks and throw them, do pullups from a tree, climb up rocks, swim, do a crabwalk or monkeywalk, take a sledgehammer or pick and slam it into the ground, flip tractor tires, and generally get a great workout with very little equipment.

5. Just a few exercises. Bodybuilding routines will have you doing 3-4 different exercises per body part. That’s too complicated for most people. Keep it simple in the weight room: squats, deadlifts, presses, chinups or pullups, rows. You can do a lot with just those lifts. Of course, you’ll want to mix it up eventually with some variations, but no need for 10 different ab exercises or things that focus on your rear deltoids or use swiss balls. If you’re doing bodyweight exercises, I love things like pushups, burpees, squats, lunges, pullups, dips, planks. Pick a few and do some circuits with little rest.

6. Eat real foods. One of the most important rules on this list, because if you don’t eat right (most of the time), it doesn’t matter how much exercise you do — you’ll get fat and unhealthy. Aim for real, whole foods that are as close to their natural state as possible. That means stay away from processed, refined, fatty, sugary foods. Veggies, fruits, lean meats, dairy, nuts, beans, whole grains, eggs, seeds. Prepare them yourself if possible — convenience foods often have added ingredients, as well as extra salt, fat, sugar and preservatives. If you follow this diet — with the plant foods making the bulk of the diet — it’s hard to go wrong.

7. Eat less. Most people eat too much, and eventually it shows up as fat. To lose that fat, we need to eat less — it’s really that simple. Of course, if you eat the real foods mentioned above, you’ll probably consume fewer calories, but even so, it’s smart to reduce how much you eat overall, at least until you reach a healthy level of body fat (and even then, you shouldn’t let it all go). One way to do that is by eating slowly and mindfully until you’re just satiated (not stuffed). Another way is to eat smaller meals and watch the portions. A third way, which I’ve been experimenting with lately, is intermittent fasting (see Brad Pilon’s Eat Stop Eat ebook for a great explanation of the science behind fasting). However you do it, be sure to consume the real food in moderate amounts, and reduce your calorie intake if you’re looking to lose fat.

8. Give it time. This is what gets many people — they expect to see results immediately, within the first month or so, because the magazines they read make it seem so instantaneous. But real fitness rarely happens this way — it’s a process and a lifestyle change. I started out in really bad shape, really overweight, and all I did in the beginning was to quit smoking and start running. A year later, I ran a marathon and was a vegetarian — but I was still kinda fat. A year after that, I was still exercising regularly, and had made a lot of progress, but I still had a ways to go. Now, 3.5 years later, I’m in great shape — slimmer and more muscular and much healthier — but I still have a little stubborn belly fat I’m working on. I’ll get there, but I have accepted the fact that it takes time. You didn’t gain the fat overnight, and you won’t lose it that way either. Learn to enjoy the process, enjoy the activities, enjoy the healthy, real food, and you’ll get healthy and fit almost as an afterthought to this new, amazing lifestyle."

If you enjoyed this post, please visit the ORIGINAL WRITER'S PAGE and comment, or share on your Twitter, Facebook, etc. Support the writers at this wonderful site with your enthusiasm! And in case you are fearful with my direct copying of the content to my blog for your reading, ZenHabits has a strict Uncopyright Policy that is so refreshing in this day and age! Not only a great thinker and writer, but a very Buddhist spirit. So please make a point to send your good juju, real or imagined, over to those authors.

ATS Old/New - My Take

2010-09-22T17:30:00.000-07:00

I have been engaged in many discussions about the New/Old ATS announcement, on Tribe and on Facebook and in mails with friends, and even had a chat with Carolena today. I haven't said too much about my thoughts on this publicly, as I have wanted to let them percolate a little while. I didn't want anyone to feel shut down or otherwise distracted from feeling what they felt, or add to their mental burdens as they try and figure out quite *what* they feel. And of course, I wanted to figure out what I felt, and try to speak from my heart and mind in tandem, rather than purely from one or the other alone. Sorry it's so long, but it's been a week of deep discussion with a lot of awesome women, and a lot of meditation on what this all means to me personally. Let me start with a leetle story...

My last troupe, inFusion Tribal, performed in collaborations at several high-profile events with another ATS-based troupe from Bend, OR, Gypsy Fire directed by Quinn Fradet (hi Quinn!). Both of our groups were not strictly ATS troupes, though we were each well versed in ATS terminology (Quinn started many years ago in FC classes in SF, and she and I have completed not only General Skills, but two levels of Teacher Training, and teach ATS-based repertoire in our classes and in our troupes), but we each had robust languages of our own, as well as some minor variations on the ATS vocabulary we had made to suit our tastes. Since we lived so far apart, we directors would discuss music and staging through e-mail, but we only had one rehearsal all-together, 2-3 hours in length, the day before or the day of the performance itself, to prepare a half an hour set using both our troupes separately and together.

At these rehearsals, we would hammer out what vocab was universal, which was off-limits, and in many cases would share variations or new moves with each other and decide whether or not to add these "signature" concepts to the mix. For instance, I had a duet with Lexi, one of the members of the Gypsy Fire, and we had a planning discussion during our single rehearsal as a group. She showed me a couple of her favorite moves she often likes to pull out. This included some common vocab, but also some moves that were their own creation. At this time I had the opportunity to veto any I didn't think I could follow without more practice, but in all cases they were moves which were created thoughtfully in the ATS style and structure, and thus was easy to adapt to as a follower if you were aware it might come up. And I did the same for her in return. When we got up there, we improvised completely, not knowing who was going to take the lead when or how, and we even had a little "battle" in a few places where we were switching leads back and forth every few measures as we mischievously played leader tug-o-war, and it was awesome! It looked seamless and playful, and we had a lot of fun. The audience could sense that tribal magic, that connection and communication, but had no idea we were from two different "dialects" of tribal.

This is essentially what I see this "Old School/New Style" ATS announcement fostering. Allowing (and encouraging!) people like Quinn and I as directors and teachers, and our troupes as well, to follow our creative bliss, while still staying true to ATS aesthetics and philosophies. This empowers everyone to create moves and ideas which are reflections of our troupe's individual creative visions, but still be part of a larger ATS "family" with whom we can collaborate and support. We don't want to be mini-Fat Chances, but that doesn't mean we don't love the format and use it as our foundation. When creating new moves and ideas, we use an ATS "filter", to ensure that the move follows basic guidelines in presentation and execution that allows it to "flow" within the format. And it sounds like Carolena is quite savvy to Quinn's and my demographic--as creative, thoughtful, respectful ATS-based-yet-not-ATS-strict who seek to stay true to the core in our work--by developing the "Anatomy of a Step" video, breaking down the elusive components of a successful ATS presentation when creating new concepts. It's brilliant, really, and I can't wait to add it to my library to strengthen my efforts to be inspired and guided by the art form she has honed over decades.

I see this announcement as really just an acknowledgment of, and frankly a welcome validation of, what has already been happening in the tribal world. We focus so much on those tribal branches of the tree who innovate so relentlessly that they barely even do bellydance anymore, that we forget about the dancers and troupes who have respectfully maintained standards of ATS while innovating thoughtfully and enthusiastically (the Middle Child of Tribal, if you will). And, to be honest, all the while feeling somewhat relegated to "outsider" status when it comes to that which they feel so passionate about and advocate for in their classrooms and beyond: an understanding of and preserving of ATS format, aesthetics, and philosophies. Whether you aspire to be a Sister Studio or plan to forge your own path, this goal is something we agree on. Just because these dancers didn't choose to stay strict-ATS in their artistic expression doesn't mean they weren't working just as hard to preserve and protect ATS as an ideal of bellydance 'standards and practices', if you will.

Those who choose to closely follow in FatChance's footsteps will still have that joy and freedom to do so. The body of work endorsed by FatChance, through their workshops and videos, will continue to be a yard stick for technique and presentation. Sister Studios will continue to be part of that standard by which ATS will be measured. Acknowledging and empowering this not-at-all-new branch of the ATS tree isn't taking anything away from anyone. I know that it feels like that to many, but I hope that they will see that you have been surrounded by these dancers all along--you have supported them, admired them, connected with them, shared with them, inspired them and been inspired in return. They're strong and respectful dancers who are valuable contributors to the ATS community already. Carolena is now putting her arm around those dancers and saying, "Welcome to the family, we're glad you're here." And I think that is a benefit to everyone, don't you? I hope so...

Thanks to everyone who has been actively participating in the process of evolution that Carolena has challenged us with. And thanks to Carolena for continuing to push her boundaries, and by proxy our boundaries, so that we never become stagnant or complacent in our art. I think it may feel uncertain on the face of it for some time as the community finds its balance with this shift in "definition"; and I completely understand that change is difficult no matter what form it takes. But I feel it's a very exciting time to be part of the ATS community, and I look forward to seeing what we all create together.

And for evidence of one of our collaborations:

Improve your 'About' page

2010-09-21T10:21:00.000-07:00

I recently undertook the challenge of re-writing my About page (or bio page, or whatever you want to call it). It's so hard! You want to be able to talk yourself up, and you want to sound professional, but you don't want to sound cold, egotistical, or bland. You want your page to sound as vibrant and interesting as you are, without being overly flowery! You want to get lots of information across, but you don't want to get so long you lose your readers. A tall order!

I wish I had seen this link back when I was writing it:
http://www.davidairey.com/improve-your-about-page/

Not only is the article itself helpful in giving you things to think about, it has many links to examples and further reading to inspire your copywriting.

Consider this a reminder to anyone reading that updating your bio page is important every year or so, to make sure that the content and language is fresh and representative of who you are and what you currently do/have done recently. Don't hesitate to take on something as simple as changing a few lines of your current copy, all the way up to scrapping it and writing it all from the ground up. The latter is what I did, and it felt good to revisit my experiences and qualifications, and really write it again in a language and tone that is very "me" today.

On the importance of communication

2010-09-20T14:27:00.000-07:00

The last six months has really given me a lot of time to reflect on the importance of communication, and it has been reiterated in the last month with various important discussions I have been a part of. What we say, how we say it, when we say it, why we say it, and even who we say it to...there is a delicate combination of each of these considerations that makes for successful communication.

My preferred mode of communication is the written word. It has always been the case for me that I feel I can best consider each of these variables when trying to express my thoughts and feelings to others through writing. Even before the internet and e-mail, I preferred writing notes and letters to friends and family to express important thoughts, because it was easier and more natural for me. I find that when I talk on the phone or in person, any number of these variables cannot be fully honored--the way things are said and the "when" of what is said is dependent on the timing of the opportunity to connect in real-time with someone. Some days I just don't feel that eloquent. Most days I feel like, when it comes to really important communications, I can't think it all the way through, and say everything I want to say, and I leave the conversation with words roiling in my mind for hours or even days following, dredging all the things I wish I had thought to say at the time. With writing, I can pick the time and I can carefully pick my words. I have time to consider why I am saying what I am trying to say, and how I want to express it.

The only lingering problem is the Other End--their interpretation of the message and tone (the "what"), and what headspace they are in when they read it (the "when" of receiving the message determining how open or able they are to hearing and processing what is being said). The most carefully and thoughtfully crafted missive can jag off in the most unexpected and dismaying directions based on how and when it is read by the receiver. We have no control over that. It's the gamble we take when we use mail or blogs or other forms of written online communication to try and express something significant to others.

I have had a lot of opportunity to think about words, spoken and written, in the last six months. And the thought I keep coming back to is: we are imperfect. As a human, I am imperfect. I can't say everything right, and even if I did, it wouldn't always be heard the way it was meant. Those we speak to are human and imperfect, and they may not intentionally misconstrue or misunderstand what you say--they have their own experiences which filter what they hear. And if in the end there still lingers hurt or fear or doubt surrounding what was said, and those involved aren't willing or interested in asking questions--talking it through no matter how hard it seems to do so--and getting to the root of what you really mean (not just what they think they heard), you may forever be misunderstood. And as hard as it is, you have to let that go, knowing you did your best

I can see both sides of this. I can see how hard it is to sincerely try and make yourself understood, and feeling like you have failed no matter how much you poured into it. And I can see those who hear the message through their own personal filters, and feel hurt or confused, but are fearful of digging any deeper and risk feeling more wounded. I can feel both sides of that equation, and how heartbreaking it can be--you feel trapped by your own words (or inability to find the right ones). I have been there, and still have lingering wounds...

A Not So Radical Idea (ATS Old School vs. New School)

2010-09-18T15:11:00.000-07:00

I am definitely seeing and hearing a lot of confusion and frustration and fear surrounding the old vs. new announcement made this week. And I completely understand the mix of emotions this is stirring up. BUT...

Maybe (it's worth trying at least...) if we concentrate on the spirit of the announcement--the idea that dancing should be fun and creative and empowering, not super-strict and limited and single-pathed (hey I made up a word!)--we can manifest it in ourselves and in the community.

I know that sounds really Pollyanna, and it will not make all of our mixed and confused feelings go away, but think of it as a meditative practice to help come to a place of balance as everyone is hammering out their feelings.

I humbly suggest that we attempt to push our energies to the positive and exciting possibilities this creates within the artform. Think of it in a bigger picture than our own personal understanding and desires, and more about what this will enable and empower the community at large to build upon... Rather than think of the worst case scenarios of abuse and misrepresentation of the name and art we are so quick to envision; instead think of the BEST case scenario, where incredible fresh ideas flow and beautiful art is made over and over again on this base we all love so much! Where both those who choose to uphold the common standards of the classic form and those who respectfully build upon it can be equally embraced and encouraged.

Rather than picture it as another divide, think of the ways in which it will bring people in closer and encourage them to be a part of the "family", with all our individual beauty and flaws we bring to our dance vision.

There will always be people who don't "get it", and will, intentionally or unintentionally, misrepresent ATS in name and in spirit. But let's not allow ourselves to dwell on that small group. Let's look at the larger community of intensely passionate, incredibly creative, and humbly grateful dancers who can do so much to keep the spirit of ATS alive, whether it be old school or new.

I think we should still feel free to talk about the ways in which people feel upset, and explore the ramifications of this decision from all angles. But I offer this suggestion to help us move gracefully through personal emotions and maybe help us be more zen about things as we endeavor to understand the bigger picture.

I can only imagine this positive, encouraging slant is just what Carolena had in mind when she made this decision. And I hope we can find a way to support her in that, even as we try to come to terms with other more challenging thoughts.

Teacher Loyalty Redux

2010-09-18T11:20:00.000-07:00

Because I think it bears repeating, and with a little caveat added to the end:

"To All Students,
Regarding "Loyalty" to Your Teacher
By Amanda Niehaus
with a few edits by me personally
(originally posted at Shira.net which is a fantastic resource for all things bellydance. Check it out!)

Dear students of this beautiful art form,

I am a teacher. I teach because I am passionate about this dance and I want others to share my passion.

I am not teaching because I require a fan club.
I am not teaching because I require devotees or because I need hero worship.

As your teacher, my job is to teach you; to inspire you to be your best. If I am a really good teacher, then I also will not be your only teacher.

I will encourage you to study with other teachers who have skills and experience I lack. Because I am not the end-all, be-all of bellydance knowledge.

You as a student owe me nothing. You may thank me after class, you may credit me on your first performance DVD, you may remember me when you are touring with Jillina, but you do not owe me anything. (You paid for your class. I taught you. We are even.)

I am an emotionally-mature adult. I do not require your "loyalty" or allegiance. You do not have to take my classes just because I offer them, or just because I was your first teacher. You will not be "cheating on me" by taking classes with another instructor.

You should be taking my class because you enjoy it and are learning something. If you are no longer enjoying it or learning from it, then I would be the first to encourage you to find another, or a different, teacher. I want you to love this dance as much as I do.

Your job is to learn and practice, not to worry about my ego. I will not be "mad" at you for moving to a new (style or place in your dance). You need to worry about YOU, and making yourself a better dancer. I will never resent you and I will only respect you for moving on...(if that is your desire)

Do what's right for you. I'll be fine, whether I'm dancing beside you or watching you from the audience. I promise.

Yours truly,
Your dance teacher"

Caveat:
In a dance which is so much about community, as ours is, it is respectful and thoughtful to check in with your teacher from time-to-time--not to seek approval, but simply as a show of gratitude for what she has shared with you. It is not required, and her love for you is not contingent on whether you do or not, but it is a kind gesture for someone who cared for you as much as your teacher has (and yes, she still does, whether you have been around five years or six months). If your teacher has moved you, nurtured you, encouraged you, even friended you, consider a little 'thank you' in the form of simple friendly communication now and then. Tell her what you're up to. Ask how she's been. Nothing earth-shaking is necessary. Very little goes a long way.

More reading on teacher loyalty:
Yoga Teacher Loyalty

What makes a good/bad teacher?

2010-09-17T11:54:00.000-07:00

http://danceadvantage.net/2010/08/11/define-dolly-dinkle/

I had never heard of a Dolly Dinkle before, but it sounds all so familiar when compared to complaints and opinions voiced in the bellydance community. All artists have the same concerns...

One commenter wrote:

"Dolly Dinkle schools offer no technique or curriculum. Their schedule often reflects whatever is hot at the moment- lyrical, contemporary instead of ballet; all hip-hop; etc.

Dolly doesn’t teach vocabulary or history of the dance forms. Ballet is not the only genre with this! So many students don’t realize hip-hop and breakin’ have a vocab and history!

A well-rounded education: technique, history and vocab PLUS improv, choreographic, and performance opportunities makes a great studio."

Another poster commented:

We have a responsibility as teachers to keep advancing the field and ourselves through continuing education. Since there is no standard in dance education, teachers have such varying levels of training, education, and certification. But as we all know, there are fantastic teachers with no performance experience, no degree, and no certification, and there are others who danced with ABT, have college degrees and five page resumes and are horrible teachers. It’s the teachers who continually seek knowledge and collaboration in the greater dance community who avoid pigeon holing themselves into a “Dolly Dinkle” atmosphere.
For me personally, I think it comes down to motivation. When you sink into a routine and just “teach what you were taught”, that’s a tell-tale sign of my definition of a Dolly Dinkle. You have to continually analyze and assess: What are the needs of my students? What can I do to meet those needs? Is this a safe environment for my students? Is this a supportive environment for my families? Would I sign up my kids for my classes? It’s one thing to open up a studio with a concrete floor. Everyone has to start somewhere. But to ignore it for 10 years is quite another thing.This is fantastic! I think Maria made an interesting point about “teaching what they were taught.” We have a responsibility as teachers to keep advancing the field and ourselves through continuing education. The conference Nichelle is attending this week is a perfect example! Since there is no standard in dance education, teachers have such varying levels of training, education, and certification. But as we all know, there are fantastic teachers with no performance experience, no degree, and no certification, and there are others who danced with ABT, have college degrees and five page resumes and are horrible teachers. It’s the teachers who continually seek knowledge and collaboration in the greater dance community who avoid pigeon holing themselves into a “Dolly Dinkle” atmosphere.

And there are a couple other great comments in there as well.

What would you say is the mark of a good teacher? What were some traits of bad teachers you have encountered? And do you think there should be some kind of regulation? Why or why not?

ATS - The new definition from Carolena

2010-09-16T17:24:00.000-07:00

At about 5pm this evening, Carolena has officially expanded her definition of ATS. Here is the latter portion of her announcement this evening. I would love to hear what you think.

"There is still some confusion about what is ATS and what is any variety of Tribal, but that's OK. We have Sister Studios, teachers that adhere to the philosophy of FatChanceBellyDance in their ATS classes, 98 at the time of this writing. We have TribalStar Galactica, my attempt in getting all the "tribes" together in one place, no matter of the genre, 247 at the time of this letter.

It's finally time for me to give the gift that I had intended at the filming of Dance Fundamentals-be creative and have fun.

There are so many new steps and concepts being presented to me that I feel the need to broaden our definition of ATS. I propose that the steps from Tribal Basics Vol. 1 Dance Fundamentals and Tribal Basics Vol. 4 Embellishments and Variations be considered ATS Old School, as they are the foundation of what we do. Everything else, including our Tribal Basics Vol. 7 Creative Steps and Combinations, are to be considered ATS New Style.

There will be new steps added to the ATS vocabulary, but they will not be mandatory. As well, you are free to create new steps and variations of your own. You can show them to me, or not. I am always happy to give a common sense creative critique on what makes a good ATS step, but you will not get in trouble if you are moved to create something on your own.

As one dancer recently brought to my attention, we all have our own dialectics. By the nature of either distance, ala FatChance and Devyani, or simply a student group that dances together on a regular basis, we develop our own creative steps and variations (more on how to do that at the end of this letter.) The dance is the same but experimenting and mistakes lead us to create, and that's a good thing.

But here's the deal; if you choose to create your own thing you will not be able to flow with another ATS dancer that you have never danced with before. What do I mean by flow? Flow is when both dancers have the same muscle memory for steps, interpret the music in the same way, have a similar skill level and use the ATS formations of duet, trio and quartet. Flow is dancing in the divine subconscious. But if you have one version of a step and another dancer has a different version, you will have to discuss it ahead of time and you will have to think, or stay in the conscious while you dance. This is not a bad thing, but just be aware of it.

So that's it.

I'm still on the scene. I will still be teaching ATS all over the world. We will continue to produce instructional DVDs. I'm not going anywhere. In fact I'm just sitting here on the porch and I invite my dance family to come and play in the front yard. Show me what you are doing, tell me how it has changed your life, share a new piece of music with me. Just come home for a spell and let me enjoy your happiness. Then you can run off to the next house and create yet again.

Anatomy of a Step.
In June of 2011 we will shoot the next instructional DVD, to be released in the Fall. It will be titled Anatomy of a Step. We'll introduce you to the new work that we are doing as well as that of guest artists. The theme of this DVD will be to introduce you to the process of creating steps and variations. But for now, use this formula: the posture does not change. The ATS Old School steps remain the core. The result of a new step reinforces the aesthetic of uplifted arms and joyful display of the body. The step conveys happiness. Any cues should be brief and logical, the more "rules" you have to add, the less successful the step will be. The principals of non-verbal communication govern all cues and formations.

I think that if you follow these suggestions you will have success, and I hope find more depth in the dance.

My friends, enjoy the dance. And phone home every now and then.
Best wishes,
Carolena"

Rachel Brice on Tribal Fusion

2010-09-16T11:41:00.000-07:00

Gotta love it:

"There are very few rules in Tribal Fusion, but in my humble opinion the one constant is that the dancer or group is versed in American Tribal Style as taught by Carolena Nericcio. Her stylistic approach to existing vocabulary, her theatrical approach to costuming, and the incredible invention of group improvisation, has allowed infinite variations that all have one thing in common: powerful presentation. The strength that American Tribal Style communicates through its posture, arm placement, and costuming was a revelation for me as a feminist. Without Fat Chance, I can honestly say I wouldn’t be dancing today."

-Rachel Brice
Full article after the jump

--- "Tribal Fusion Bellydance" -- on www.rachelbrice.com --

Tribal Fusion Belly Dance (or Bitter Oriental as I’ve become fond of calling it), is an ecclectic dance form that includes a multitude of influences. Belly Dance, Flamenco, Hip Hop, Jazz, Classical and other forms can be included into it’s stylistic vocabulary. Each group and even each dancer is a unique expression of the style. At this point in its life there is no real common base vocabulary , but I think it’s safe to say that every TFBD dancer is influenced by the combined vocabularies of Carolena Nericcio and Fat Chance Belly Dance, the creators of American Tribal Style, and Jamila Salmipour (Carolena’s teacher’s teacher), whether they know it or not.

The form is erroneously credited to yours truly, Rachel Brice, who merely popularized a version of it through years of intense touring with the Bellydance Superstars and the collective, The Indigo Belly Dance. The real dance heroes that created and fed my personal dance lineage: Jamila Salimpour taught John Compton and Masha Archer, who taught Carolena Nericcio, who who taught Jill Parker, who taught Heather Stants, who taught Mardi Love, who all taught me. Also hugely instrumental to the style is Suhaila Salimpour, Jamila’s daughter, whose ground-breaking approach to Belly Dance is largely responsible for the technique of most Tribal Fusion Belly Dancers.

There are very few rules in Tribal Fusion, but in my humble opinion the one constant is that the dancer or group is versed in American Tribal Style as taught by Carolena Nericcio. Her stylistic approach to existing vocabulary, her theatrical approach to costuming, and the incredible invention of group improvisation, has allowed infinite variations that all have one thing in common: powerful presentation. The strength that American Tribal Style communicates through its posture, arm placement, and costuming was a revelation for me as a feminist. Without Fat Chance, I can honestly say I wouldn’t be dancing today.

There is a huge list of other artists: costumers, musicians, actors, photographers, etc. that have influenced the style, and I’ll try to cover most of them here. If I can take credit for anything, it would be a love of teaching and learning, and an obsession with collages. Heather Stants credits me as the “adoptive mother” of the form, which, now adopted by thousands, continues to grow and change, and each year brings a new level of creativity, excitement, physicality, and beauty to our community.

Einstein jokingly said: “The secret to creativity is knowing how to hide your sources.” Well, Einey, for me, the secret to creativity and a happy heart can be found in discovering new work, supporting other artists by sharing their work with others, cultivating curiosity, and infectious enthusiasm.

http://www.rachelbrice.com/"

Have you lost that "spark" lately?

2010-09-15T23:38:00.000-07:00

Local dance legend, Delilah, posted this thought-provoking question to a local discussion group not too long ago, which I thought I would share with you, along with my lengthy answer. I am curious if you are experiencing similar "issues" in your dance world, and if so, what your thoughts on it is.

"Thoughts:

I have been getting a lot of calls e mails, comments in conversation about the spark being lost in belly dance these days. Here is a quote from one dancer I got 2 days ago.

"I have been a bit out of touch with belly dance. Belly dance had served its initial purpose, and yet I was beginning to lose interest in it entirely. I guess I feel that what I see today in its representation is a lack of substance - it's not spiritually fulfilling for me. I have nearly lost the desire to even watch others perform. "

I get constant calls from all over the country about dancers being let down by the Belly Dance Super Stars. These comments come from new dancers, long time hobbyists, professional performers and instructors, and our moms. With a name like that I guess come expectations. Not that they aren't beautiful and graceful But these women describe a flat presentation of something that means so much to women's lives. It's being reduced to a Las Vegas female objectification and what color will she wear next.

The women I've been talking to are saying , they want more! I am frankly very inspired that women are aware enough to articulate this (when commercial machinery is so powerful against the consumer). Personally the belly dance Super Stars do not embarrass me in any way. The show is PC and well rehearsed. However if I was the director with that budget I would do it much differently.

I ask you all. What would YOU do differently?
How can we bring back the qualities that deeply inspire us?

Delilah"

My response after the jump...
Excellent question and topic for discussion, Delilah. Thanks for bringing it up.

I think it's not just the presentation of bellydance that has changed (a la BDSS), but also the teaching of it has changed so much. Does anyone else feel like so much of bellydance marketing today, in workshops and videos, boils down to "I am gonna KICK YOUR ASS in this workshop!"? It feels like a lot of the focus of bellydancing, at least in the circles I travel in, is on a boot camp workout and uber-complex-layering-technique-as-highest-priority. It has become "the more layers and tricks I can add the better", while somewhat ignoring personal expression, connection with our audiences, and if dancing with fellow dancers, connection and communication with each other.

JUST STICK TO THE RECIPE

With the increase in the claim of unique "formats" and "certifications", it gives one the impression that bellydance is a formulaic, scientific study where if one just follows the recipe, they can dance.
Don't get me wrong, I think the increase in attention to technique, and the proliferation of mentorships where teachers are taking very public responsibility for the students they are producing is a good step for the overall growth and improvement of bellydance as a respected performance art (though in my opinion not all certifications carry equal substance to back up the paper--a discussion for another time). But it's not all there is...

I feel this boom of "technique-centric" was in response to a really important need in the community to increase our awareness of what comprises strong and safe technique, and to help us understand what we are seeing in ourselves and in other performances--why did we think she was a good dancer, or conversely why do we think that performance was weak? Being able to identify strong technique, and employ it in our dance and performance is important. But it's not all there is! Technique is a tool to reach something a little more difficult to describe, and yet natural to attain if we really focus on it: grace, beauty, connection, energy, emotion, personal expression...THE ART of it!

BELLY VS. BALLET

We always parrot on about comparing where bellydance is in the world compared to Western forms of dance, such as ballet or jazz. We talk about all the technique they learn, how difficult it is, what a commitment it is. And that's true. But two key points seem to be ignored:

1) They also learn expression--what story their faces and bodies tell is trained into them as well. They often also take acting classes alongside their dance to be better at that aspect of performing. Yes, it is so much dance technique, but it is not purely technical execution. And

2) Do we really want bellydance to become just like those dance forms? Isn't part of what we love about bellydance, and what it brings to our lives, is what was lacking in other dance forms at our disposal? I know it was for me! I studied jazz, ballet, and modern, and nothing weaved its fingers into my heart quite so much as bellydance. There is a reason for that--there are aspects to bellydance which nurture us in ways other dance forms don't. And that is what is somewhat being lost today, in my opinion.

I feel like we have lost sight of the yin to our yang. The pendulum has swung so hard in the direction of methodical, mathematical, technical, manufactured, competitive, individual approach; and away from the artistic, nurturing, connecting, heart-felt, sincere, spirit-centered approach. Of course this is a vast generalization, and is also my personal opinion from my experiences in recent years. Your mileage may vary.

LOCAL FLAVOR

Locally, I feel like we have lost a lot of the "community" in our community. We keep holding events, but they seem primarily designed around a) for-pay workshops or b) performances; and everyone seems to largely draw their own students and friends. Neither of these kinds of gatherings fully creates a chance to connect and interact with one another. As a result, there isn't so much cross-pollination as there used to be. Something changes when we interact with one another face-to-face. We respect one another more when we more often look one another in the eye, and interact in person. We feel more connected and responsible for one another.

Within my own hands, I feel guilty at how little I have been able to facilitate community in the past couple of years. Ever since my back injury several years back which had me not able to dance for months, and pain with which I am still affected, my energy has shifted so internally to self-preserve, and I have neglected the needs of my students, my dance family, and the community at large for opportunities to connect around the dance in unique ways. This was a very high priority for me, and anyone who knows me can attest, bringing people together is something I love dearly to do. My video nights and The Gathering open dance circles fell to the wayside. Drum circles on the beach used to be a favorite opportunity to hang out, dance, laugh, chat that we looked forward to every summer--Delilah remember you and Erik coming to play with us back then? I loved seeing you guys there and getting to jam and connect. And our troupe putting on haflas also faded away. Man, those are some great memories for me!

And now with a combination of national apathy and financial difficulty, what attempts to connect us which remain are often not well attended. Which further discourages those of our community left who are rallying to keep us coming together. Delilah, you are one of those who is so great at creating opportunities for dancers of all styles and focuses to come together around unique and interesting topics and events. I feel like you are one who is continuing to do the work so many of us have not been doing, or failing in our attempts to do. I know you, too, have been suffering with lower attendance; and financially being a studio owner must also be a struggle. But you keep plugging away, and for that I personally am grateful to you for all your energy you pour into it.

IN CONCLUSION

Ultimately it boils down to that I would like to see the pendulum swing a little more back toward center--a balance between the technical, "feel the burn", "do it faster, harder, more complicated", trick-after-trick approach to the dance, and the heart-centered, personal, connecting, sincere expression through our bodies we know this dance can be.

Thanks Delilah, for asking this very thought-provoking question."

I am looking forward to getting back to a heart-centered dance this week.

I am reminding myself that I don't need to leap back in to every detail from day one. I remember when I first began teaching, and when I told Paulette that what was most important to me was building a community around the dance. That was what I admired so much in her, and what I wanted in Seattle. So that will be my mantra, my focus as we return to class this week. I want to teach strong technique and nurture confident and skilled dancers, but most of all, I want them to enjoy one another in the process, and share in each other's growth over the days, months, and years they are with me ..and beyond.

Not alone...

2010-09-14T14:35:00.000-07:00

Seems I am not alone in my feeling the need to hibernate my dance a little bit. Paulette's latest newsletter came out today, and here is a snippet:

"Now I need to take a little more private time for myself. I have decided to take a year’s sabbatical from performing, and some teaching. I, too, need time to feed my soul, to process, and to find out where I am in the dance now. I do know that I love to teach, and therefore I have a few select teaching engagements in the next year, which I am excited about...

But I cannot go on full force like I have been, and continue my life on the farm with my husband and my adorable menagerie, and also run my fabulous new shop, Cultivator General Store. I need to take time to find out what my next dance steps are...

My amazing troupe, the Gypsy Caravan Dance Company, will be on hiatus as well, with the other dancers off to their own adventures for now. My dancer/student/friends, the Caravan Dance Collective, will continue on without me in some shape of a troupe, to their choosing, while I take my time on my private journey. I am thankful for their support with my decision. And who know where I will end up?"

Read the full newsletter HERE. Scroll near the bottom to see this portion.

Paulette, I wish you well on your road through these questions, and hope you find answers that fulfill your heart and soul. (And I know I still owe you a visit, Momma. *mwah*) The journey continues...

Who I am vs. What I do

2010-09-13T17:20:00.000-07:00

I am coming back off my dance hiatus this week, and in addition to lots and lots of dreams in the weeks leading up to the day--some anxiety, some hope-filled--one theme keeps running around in my head: the idea of your profession being something you do versus something which defines who you are.

When people ask what I do for a living I have long said "I am a bellydance teacher and performer." When I think about it, I can see that I am answering a question that wasn't asked. Isn't this a response we all give equally casually?

"What do you DO?" they ask. And we answer "I AM a..." There's a subtle but important distinction between the question and the answer.

The former is an action or a behavior, and the latter is a statement of self-definition. (As an aside, I wonder if the language changes if you are doing something you don't enjoy... like do you say "I am a burger flipper" or do you say "I flip burgers", or whatever stereotypically hated job you want to insert in there? ) What I keep wondering these past few weeks is am I a bellydancer, or am I many many other things as well, complex and simple, and bellydance is simply something I do? Do I sincerely feel that "I am a bellydancer" is the most accurate way to respond to the question?

When my mind wanders in this direction, I remember a moment I have kept close to my heart for years. At Tribal Fest 2004, I believe it was, I was taking time away from my booth to get a glass of wine. Running the drink table was a small grey haired woman with a sweet smile and easy manner, and we struck up a conversation. She revealed that at 70-something, she was going back to college to get her AA. I remarked how incredible that was, and she agreed, but that she was really hating having to do math again, which we laughed about in agreement. I asked her if she was a bellydancer, and she said no, she just lived nearby and heard they needed help and she thought it would be fun to see the show and meet people and lend a hand. She then went on to share that she has never liked being just one thing at a time. That all her life she has done whatever felt good or right at the time, and had moved through many different professions as it suited. She liked that she was never just one thing, but always had opportunities to explore so many different jobs, people, and avenues of expression. And that she planned to do just that until the day she died.

I can still see her face so clearly in my mind as she told me this--how happy she looked, and how unapologetic she was that she had never "settled down" into one way of life. She stated her fluid nature as a strength and a pride. She was so vibrant, and her philosophy so inspirational to me in that moment, that it has stuck with me and percolated inside my soul ever since.

When I stepped away from the dance to take my hiatus, and all the issues that swirled around that choice and change, I asked myself if I was ever going to come back to the dance. And even entertaining that thought in passing felt like a punch in the gut and a tearing at my heart. I love teaching dance, I believe in what I do, and I am good at it. How could I possibly consider not teaching or performing bellydance any more? That is who I AM. And the unintended pressure came from well-meaning friends and loved ones as well, who reeled at the mere suggestion I may not dance or teach again. After all, they said, that is WHO everyone knows me to BE. Can you imagine the weight of that attitude as it pressed down on me, from within and without? The feeling that I was somehow trapped insinuated itself into my mind--that I was locked onto one path, that I had to bellydance, or else who was I? That I would be confusing people who knew me as a dancer, and worse yet that I would be letting people down. What a burden it felt like. And I began to resent the idea of coming back to dance at all.

That thing I loved had become an evil "other" that encompassed an ocean of expectations and requirements in order to simply be myself, without which I was nothing.

So I railed against going back. I brushed up my resume and started casually job hunting, looking for anything that sparked my interest, irrespective of the details of time or finances. I tried to explain to my loved ones that I wanted to take time to see who I was, rather than be defined by what I do. That there were so many interests I had which were placed on a permanent back-burner over the years because I had so much of my energy--my being, if you will--channeled in one direction. For all I know, I could be a fantastic photographer, or my graphic design work may grow by leaps and bounds if I gave it more dedicated attention, or what about going back to the theater I loved so much, or any number of other "side interests" I have not been able to nurture because I couldn't take my eyes off the road in front of me. But this idea of being more malleable in our definition of self and profession, and less single-focused, is not a popular one in our culture. The prevailing attitude is that certainly at 35 you are supposed to know "who you are", which we define almost entirely by our careers (or children). To tell people you don't want to be just one thing any more, especially when they are familiar and comfortable with that definition of you, really sends them into a tailspin. They were trying to be supportive by encouraging me to not "give up" on the dance, but it only made me despair even more that I would never get out of these handcuffs of "bellydancer".

My Mom was one helpful voice among the many. She encouraged me to take the time away to explore other opportunities, and let the dance come back to me, so to speak, rather than rushing back to it for the wrong reasons. She didn't seem the least bit alarmed or concerned at my confession that I wasn't sure if I would return to teaching.

And I realize it is because she is my Mom (duh), and she doesn't see me as only one thing or another. She sees me as her daughter, first and foremost, and she simply wants me to be happy.

Not that my other friends and family didn't want me to be happy, but that in their minds, I had been so completely fulfilled as a dancer, it worried them to imagine me trying to find that someplace else, and risk losing that joy they saw in me in the bargain.

I was just getting used to the idea of maybe taking a more extended hiatus (after all, my foot is still an issue, and I need to get that surgery--can't go into releve at all right now), and possibly never coming back at all, when hubby piped up with another pearl of wisdom. In a nutshell, he pointed out that a lot of shit came down the pike around when I took time off from dancing, and if I took time off from dance now, and perhaps never returned, I may always wonder later in life if I left because it was truly time to move in new directions, or because I was trying to escape all the difficulty and sadness that happened to overlap with my time off. He said that when and if I decide I want to explore other avenues of expression and leave bellydance behind, he completely supports me, but that I should try to do it cleanly and without all the baggage that is tied to it right now in my heart, so that I am not left with potential "what ifs" and regrets.

He is so wise.

So I started to get my new website together, contacted the community center to set up my schedule for the fall, and sent out my class newsletter. Getting back into the swing feels strange...feels so different than before. It seems like I have been away longer than I actually have. I feel a little less steady. Honestly, while there are many things about going back to teach this week that I am looking forward to, I still feel a little trepidatious, like I am coming back to the dance before the dance has come back to me. But maybe, just maybe, it is waiting for me to meet it halfway. And once I show up at our designated meeting spot (not the top of the Empire State Building, too cliche), the dance will leap from its hiding spot with a big bouquet of flowers and colorful balloons and throw its arms around me and welcome me back. And I will fall into those arms and feel like I have come home. Maybe.

But one thing I feel very confident of. That for now, I want to be clear that I do this, and not completely am this. I don't want to put all my eggs in this one basket, or limit myself to one path for my energies. I want to be invested, but also able to let go, and not feel like I am losing my fundamental self.

Last spring I read this quote on Zen Habits, and it is so perfectly perfect, it sums up everything I have been thinking so neatly:

Define yourself in fluid terms. We are all constantly evolving and growing. Define yourself in terms that can withstand change. Defining yourself by possessions, roles, and relationships breeds attachment because loss entails losing not just what you have, but also who you are.

Yeah, what she said.

7 Secrets of Super Performers

2010-09-11T12:04:00.000-07:00

Thanks, Dance Advantage!

http://danceadvantage.net/2009/02/08/7-secrets-of-super-performers/

The Benefit of Letting Go

2010-09-10T11:00:00.000-07:00

A great post from Lateral Action:
http://lateralaction.com/articles/creativity-unconscious/

"Whenever you set out to do something extraordinary, there comes a point where... you have to choose between trying to control everything – or letting go and getting carried away by something bigger and more powerful than yourself."

It reminds me of a similar message from Elisabeth Gilbert in her TEDTalk, which I adore so. Head over to see a man about a horse, and possibly enjoy the same "hell yeah" I experienced when reading it. ;)

More on music: Traditional music opens you up...

2010-09-08T12:17:00.000-07:00

A fellow dancer and student, Meissa, posted this on the Shira.net tribe earlier this year:

"I have been told "you can bellydance to anything you want" more times than I can count True, but, I also crashed and burned so very hard on my last solo of 2009 (which was a total trainwreck and a huge pain to watch-I can't believe I subjected people to THAT kind of self-indulgence), and preparing my first solo of 2010, cause I didn't learn from my 2009 mistake. I was so hellbent on dancing to that obscure music no one had danced to before, and putting on that pretty costume that no one else had, that I forgot what I really wanted to do: BELLYDANCE.

I was so very proud of myself when I danced solo to a traditional piece for the first time. I forgot about all the trinketry and the jewelry and just allowed myself to open up and feel the music."

I simply adored these sentiments from Meissa!

My thoughts after the jump:

"It is interesting what Meissa said about when she dances to Middle Eastern music she experiences an "opening up" to the music. It's true that "authentic" bellydance music really does drive your dancing. I find that the movements that come into my mind and body when listening to Middle Eastern music is just different than when I dance to a driving techno beat. As it should be! The music *informs* our movement, and as A'isha is fond of saying, the "essence" of the dance.

So what happens when we feed our dance a steady diet of non-ME music? Our movement becomes less and less a reflection of that music, and it stands to reason it becomes less and less "bellydance" in nature. It doesn't mean the dancing is bad, and it doesn't mean the dancer is weak, it's just that the movement which naturally pairs with, and is supported by, Western music is very different than that which is supported by Middle Eastern music.

I just want to be clear that I totally get it that maybe M.E. music doesn't resonate with everyone. But I would argue that if you aren't at all inspired to move by M.E. music, then maybe bellydance isn't the dance you are seeking in your heart and soul. I would NEVER make that determination FOR someone else, and so am not at all saying "you're not a bellydancer!' That would be pretty presumptuous of me or anyone to try and say. But I think the question is an important one for a dance where the music is so intrinsic to the development of its aesthetics. And I would encourage anyone who fits that bill to try and develop greater appreciation for M.E. music--work with it more, and see how it informs your dancing. Think of it as adding a vitamin supplement to your dance diet to increase the 'energy and health' of your dance self!"

Does the music make the dancer?

2010-09-05T23:26:00.000-07:00

When I first got together with a troupe, we were a democratic group, with no director. Everyone contributed music and costuming and choreographies to their best ability. There was one member who always brought really diverse music that was fun to move to, but it was never anything event remotely Middle Eastern or North African. Some of it we used for variety, sure. But when she kept bringing less and less appropriate music (by our opinion of course), I had to ask her about it. Her response was "I don't really like Middle Eastern music." And I had to ask her, "They WHY are you into bellydance?" And yet today, this is a very common sentiment...bellydancers who don't care for bellydance music. How does that compute?

While I am a big proponent of being able to play with lots of different music to add variety to your dance, particularly when we perform for mostly bellydance audiences (and who wants to hear Miserlou again), I would think one of the base requirements of being a bellydancer is listening to, appreciating, and dancing to Middle Eastern music. Otherwise, I would think any number of other styles of personal expression would make more sense: modern dancer, interpretive dancer, or world fusion dance is my favorite.

So before I make this sound like I am just judging other people and don't know of what I speak, I myself have also struggled with this topic.

When my first pro troupe was younger and trying hard to establish our own voice, we began venturing in a lot of different directions to seek unique inspiration. Some were closer to bellydance, and some were much further afield. Not just with movement, but the music, too, was getting further and further from bellydance. We were having fun, and we were getting lots of workshops and performance opportunities, and it was a real peak in our troupe history. But the more we became known for our fusions, and our non-bellydance stylizations, the less time and energy we spent on bellydancing. Pretty soon, our music, choreography, movement vocabulary, and costuming had collectively grown so far from bellydance, I had the realization that we weren't really bellydancers any more--at least not primarily.

That is when I had to decide: did I want to be a bellydancer or not? So I told my troupe that I wanted to be known for being good bellydancers, and I didn't want to spend my time with the other fusions so much any more. And to do that, we needed to be spending our time working on our bellydance technique, developing an ear for bellydance music, improving our finger cymbal skills, and drawing primarily from inspirations within the genre and not so much from without. So we made a significant shift in our repertoire, and hopped back on the bellydance path and never looked back. We still did fusion choreographies, danced to a good chunk of world beat music, and as ATS based dancers, our foundations were already a bellydance fusion. But we were rooted firmly in bellydance in all we did: we anchored our performances with Middle Eastern and North African music, and carefully considered new movements and concepts that could take root in our vocabulary to make sure it suited the aesthetics of a bellydance presentation.

I still get requests for the workshop and performance material we were doing all those years ago. People really enjoyed it, we had a great time, and as a teacher my workshop income was about twice as good then. It's hard to take that kind of loss as a businesswoman, and so I have a unique understanding of and empathy for other teachers and performers who aren't really bellydancing any more, but continue to get a lot of work and notoriety from the community. But for me, I wanted to bellydance, so I made it my personal focus to study, teach, and perform the music, movement, costuming, and culture which supports that goal.

Just my personal experience, for what it's worth.

Q&A: Intellectual Property and Students Teaching

2010-09-02T11:41:00.000-07:00

Q. "I was hoping for input from someone who's developed their own [tribal improv] method and the "proprietary" nature of the material.

I have students with their own performing group here in town, but up to now, the group improv format we do in class is off limits unless you're performing with [us], so they don't use it or teach it in their group.

They do, however like to use my choreographies & adapt my choreographies for their performances, & that's OK -

But I know that when we release the [troupe] format on DVD they'll be all over it. I know they'll ask me about using it when it comes out. I'm too close to tell how I feel about it. I don't want to make any blanket statements on it one way or the other (Yes, use it; No, don't use it) based on *nothing*.

Do I try for some kind of 'non-compete clause' within a certain territory? or just let it be a free-for-all? I just want some input from someone who's been there or seen it, an objective perspective."

A. "In general, my opinion is that once you put out a video, you're putting it out there for the world to do with as they please. Yes, you can hope they will do it justice if they perform it, you hope they will give credit as appropriate; but ultimately, you are letting the djinn out of the bottle and you can't truly control it once it is out. If you don't want your material used, then don't make a video. In fact, don't perform at all if you don't want your material scooped, because it WILL be used in some capacity! As artists, we can hope for people to be more creative and respectful, but sometimes people will outright take your work (not be "inspired by it" or "moved to try something similar, but take it wholesale) and we have to learn to breathe deeply and be zen about it. It does and will happen. From within our own student circles and without. It can be frustrating, it can even hurt our egos, but it is a reality. I have run into it many times, and I lived to teach another day. :)

As for your students, we have a non-compete clause that says that you cannot teach our material without express permission from the director, and you are not to use any unique troupe combos or concepts or costuming elements outside of the troupe. This is to keep us from shooting ourselves in the foot--we don't want to be a competition to ourselves for gigs and workshops. So we agree for the good of the collective that we won't set up any competition of any kind. That is of course only "binding" so long as they are in the troupe. Once they leave us and strike out on their own and if they continue to dance and/or teach, we ask, and can *hope*, that they won't try to bank on the troupe's work explicitly, and our contract states that they should not take troupe-specific concepts, choreographies, etc and use them once they leave, but again...we can't truly force them one way or another. So you have to breathe deeply and be zen about it...you know the routine. :)

For students, I don't feel I have any right to tell them they can use this or can't use that. After all, why are they coming to me to learn? To get information they can USE of course! I encourage them to use what I share with them, and I also encourage them to create their own ideas and run with them, allowing my ideas and knowledge to be a springboard, not a crutch. I am proud when I see students of mine in their own troupes using concepts I know they learned from me or creating concepts based on what I have shared with them. It means I did my job!

In my opinion, in a troupe it is like an employee-employer relationship, where we have intellectual property that belongs to the troupe and is not for general consumption. For students, it is a customer-vendor relationship. And what I teach them in class is for them to use freely as they see fit.

To compare:

Employee/Employer Relationship: when a clothing designer develops a pattern/design in-house, and a design employee leaves, they are not allowed to go out and start selling that exact same clothing under their own label. (There are knock-offs that come from just such a relationship though, yes? And legally, there is little to be done about that, unfortunately.)

Customer/Vendor Relationship: when a clothing company sells me a shirt and pants, I can wear it any way I want, cut it up and make it into new garments, gift it to a friend, stuff it and make a scarecrow out of it, and generally use it for my own purposes.

Now don't get too caught up in the minutiae of that argument. Yes yes, there are copyright laws and safeguards in place which address these issues and blah blah blah. But on the surface, hopefully this comparison makes sense. And ultimately, we are talking about a living breathing art, not a shirt on a hanger, right?

Little things that feel good

2010-08-31T18:48:00.000-07:00

I've been a bit off the wagon in my home organization and healthier eating with the whole Shitpocalypse 2010 this spring and summer, so things haven't been as clean and pretty as I was keeping them. But I am getting back on all those wagons, and trying to clean, organize, and eat healthier once again. So as when I began this promise to myself all those months ago, I am taking tiny steps, doing little things which add up to larger emotional, physical, and mental rewards.

One thing I did to inspire myself to get back to it was to treat myself with some new bedding details. We haven't had a headboard on our bed since we got our King size Tempur-pedic (years), and between that and the anemic little memory foam pillows we now use, the bed looked kinda limp. I have gotten in the habit of making my bed every morning--something I never had to do growing up and never saw a purpose to all my life--and enjoy how good it feels to walk into our bedroom during the day and see it made up nicely, and even nicer when crawling in at night. Made it feel...I dunno...just nicer. So a few weeks ago I took it a step further and became One Of Those Women: I now have decorative pillows that live on my bed only during daylight hours.

I always thought it was a silly practice, moving pillows on and off every morning and night just for "looks". But whenever I stay in a hotel, there is something so beautiful and inviting about big overstuffed pillows and crisp linens to greet you. I wanted to feel like that at home.

So I hit up the Macy's sale, used a couple gift cards I had been saving for the right time, and here is what our bed looks like now. The pillows stay pretty much the same (they go with almost every color palette we have on the bed at any given time), the duvet changes every few weeks, and if it is solid then I fold the red quilt right side out to reveal the lush printed side with the saturated colors my Mom incorporated in the design when she made it for us (but which clashes when put on top of a printed duvet). So we have lots of "looks" out of a few little additions, and my bed just feels more lush and welcoming!

It's a smidge more work every morning to make it, but it is one little thing that makes me smile and feel pride in my home. So it's worth it. :)

Q&A: Workshops don't "do it" for me.

2010-08-30T11:36:00.000-07:00

"I have tried some workshops. They don't really work for me. Reason being there is too much being thrown at me in a short space of time. Now, I am not young, not old, but this older brain needs to have the lessons pounded over and over."

You are not by any stretch meant to absorb everything in a workshop, and what you do absorb, you should not expect to get into your muscle memory or master at any level.

It is like a big delicious buffet. You are overwhelmed with choices, and will taste a lot of things you maybe never tried before. You will like some things, and not others, and you never walk away with a recipe list of the things you like. Just a rough idea of what foods, ingredients, and spices you enjoyed most. Then you can take that information home and apply it to your overall diet in some other way, by experimenting with the bits and pieces of culinary details you gathered from your experience.

If you go in hoping to walk out with a complete set of ideas and concepts, wholly in your body and ready to go, you will be disappointed every time. But with patience with yourself, looking out for what really resonates with you, taking some decent notes, and being willing to let go of what isn't really turning your crank, you can come away with some really valuable new information and a gateway to new skills and ideas that will generate WITHIN YOU as a result of attending.

And remember that workshop teachers vary WIDELY, and their topics do as well. Some workshops are about cramming as much data into one two hour timeslot as possible. Others are about more subtle techniques that you will get to drill with over and over in different ways to explore possibilities. You end up kissing frogs in the process, but even the ones you don't appreciate fully give you some scope to your preferences, and helps guide your personal style.

Lost something? Here's how to find it!

2010-08-26T11:26:00.000-07:00

http://www.professorsolomon.com/12principles.html

This is "Professor Solomon's 12 Principles"-- way to help you find ANYTHING you lost. Well, except maybe your dignity. :)

I am one of those "organized piles" kinds of people. So these principles really help me on occasion!

Recipes for A Farewell to Summer

2010-08-25T13:00:00.000-07:00

Last night I treat myself to a little farewell to summer indulgence. I thought I would share the recipes I made: Mini Apple Tarts and Ginger Basil Lemonade.

Mini Apple Tarts

Ingredients:
- 1 package pre-made pie crust (comes with 2 crusts)
- 4-5 small-medium apples of your choice (I used Fuji)
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 Tbsp flour
- 2 tsp (or to taste) apple pie spice or cinnamon
- a dash of vanilla extract (1/4 tsp maybe?)

Peel, core, and cut apples into small cubes (smaller than you would for a regular pie 1/4 to 1/2 in).
Throw into a bowl along with brown sugar, flour, spices, and vanilla. Stir with your fingers until coated. Set aside. Lick fingers. Yum.
Roll out pie crusts on flat surface, roll a little thinner (no right or wrong here, IMO). I have used a wine bottle, but if you have a rolling pin, that's an obvious choice.
Using some item with a circle about 4" across (I had a big mug that was just about right), cut out 8 circles from the two crusts.
Spray muffin tin with nonstick spray, tuck a circle of crust into each of the cups, stretching gently as needed so a little bit sticks above the rim and it is tucked well into the cup shape.
Spoon some of the apples into each cup. I fill right to the rim plus a little bit.
Take the remains of the dough, mush together, and re-roll out. Fun, it's like Play-Dough!
Slice into thin strips (1/4" wide?), and criss-cross six across the top of each tart, pinching it along the edges to connect to the bottom crust.
Brush tops with a little melted butter, if you so desire.
Place in a pre-heated 425 degree oven for 18 minutes.
Let cool in muffin pan, remove carefully, and enjoy with Ginger Basil Lemonade!!

Ginger Basil Lemonade

Ingredients:
Basil Lemonade*
Yazi Ginger Vodka

*How to make Basil Lemonade:
- 6-7 medium-large lemons (or twice as many small ones)
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 2 cups water
- 1 cup fresh basil leaves

Make basil simple-sugar by putting sugar and water into sauce pan, bring to a boil, stirring occasionally until sugar dissolves. (BTW, this can be done with any herb of choice. Rosemary and lavender are also popular choices, and would go great in this drink)
Remove from heat, throw basil leaves in and stir gently. Let sit until it comes to room temperature. You can muddle the leaves gently if you want stronger basil flavor.
Meanwhile, juice lemons and add to a pitcher.
Add basil simple sugar to pitcher
Add cold water to taste
For a virgin version, add a little fresh ginger at the same stage as the basil, making a ginger-basil simple sugar.

Fill tall glass halfway with ice, fill most of the way with basil lemonade, add a shot of Yazi ginger vodka, stir and enjoy.

I enjoyed this on the back deck by candlelight, watching the bright moon and stars on what is close to one of the last "warm" nights we will have in Seattle this summer.

My interview on YIP Podcast

2010-08-22T12:00:00.000-07:00

Did y'all hear my interview on YIP Poadcast? I realize I didn't post a link, as it aired during a time I wasn't posting very often. The YIP gals, Mary and Tammy, are so wonderful, and I had fun talking to them. Hope you enjoy the interview! (I think it starts after 20 minutes in? I don't recall just now...)
http://www.yippodcast.com/2010/06/episode-33-seattle-and-shay.html

And click around for other great interviews. I of course adore the one with Carolena and Megha (they even got to be interviewed in the evening, and with WINE! I had earlier in the morning with TEA. WHIIIIINE!), but there are tons of great interviews with people throughout the dance community. Mary and Tammy are very conversational, and you can tell they have a fun time doing their show. Enjoy!

Jane of all trades?

2010-08-20T11:19:00.000-07:00

Trying to be everything to everyone can be exhausting. I know! I've tried!

Looking back on the evolution of my dance, I can see a sort of wave-like motion. That is, like a wave coming into shore which swells and swells and swells....and finally breaks and crashes and eases upon the shore... Yep, I kinda feel that is what my dance has done.

I started out so simply--much like we all do. Just an image of dance that felt natural and came naturally from my combination of instincts plus research into many different styles which appealed to me. My roots were in cabaret/folkloric, because really that's all there was around here at the time. "Tribal" was not yet a household word, and though I knew of group improv and had the videos, that wasn't what I was trying to do, per se. I just liked dancing, especially with other like-minded women, and I enjoyed exploring all the bits and pieces of theory and aesthetics that my teachers and friends brought into my field of vision.

Read more after the jump...

As I learned more, and added new ideas to my bag of tricks, I wanted to bring them all together somehow. I liked that I was a fusion dancer working among other fusion dancers, and had that freedom. My teachers and friends encouraged me to blend and follow my bliss, and I was not shy about doing so. Of course it was all with an eye toward what would be most effective and appropriate on a given stage, but even with those "soft limits" on my creative output (maybe even partly because of), things began to fracture a bit. That is to say, I understood that doing a dark, moody sword piece at a sunny afternoon faire wasn't really going to be effective, and nor was my folky costumes and music going to have the intended impact at the goth club. So naturally, I felt the need to divide these diverse portions of my dance into some kind of categories. There was costuming for this venue, and music for that venue. And even a vocabulary of movement and treatment which rocked over here, but wouldn't really work over there. So every time we staged a piece, we would pick and choose from these many different components to piece together the ideal setlist for the show we were intending to do. And taken at face value, that sounds idyllic, doesn't it? Being able to adapt and adjust in such a way that we could present several really different bodies of work based on the venue and the audience is a valuable skill.

But the result wasn't quite so simple or ideal.

The fact is, while I consider myself primarily an entertainer, I am also an equal part artist. In my experience, the strongest artists have a distinctive voice of their own; and the most impactful pieces I have seen came from the artist have a strong sense of the message they wanted to convey. Now, sometimes that message revealed itself backwards--the artist began to work on a piece with one idea (or maybe no idea!) in mind, and as it progressed, a message revealed itself with the piece, which then guided it to a conclusion. But regardless of the process or the order of revelation, that finished product was the result of a creative hand guiding it with purpose, and is fed from an energy within the artist which is unique to them. At least that is what I have found to be true.

So back to where my dance was leading me, I found more and more I was trying to be all things to all people. I was working from without instead of within. I was concentrating so much on what the audience would expect of me/us, and trying to develop a repertoire which would fit into every niche we could possibly shoehorn it into. Costume A and Music B with Movement Family C here, then Costume D with Music A and Movement Family Z over there, and then... We were playing with ideas and experimenting with the elements, and were certainly having fun. But in the process, our voice was becoming fractured, and our message was becoming more an over-practiced speech than the extemporaneous pure communication in the moment that we have always striven to express. We were trying to be all things to all people, and we were losing the sense of who we were at our core. Who were we, anyway?

We had reached a critical mass. The wave had swollen and was now ready to break upon the shore, to then be pulled back and be ready to swell again. That is the cyclical nature of creation and destruction, life and death, and so too with the creative process. It sounds a bit like Sisyphus, doesn't it? Always pushing that big boulder up the hill, only to have it roll back down and begin again? But truly, in my experience, it has been enlightening and empowering to push and push and push and make it to that peak! Then we get a few moments to rest while the boulder "resets"--what a glorious view it is from up there. And maybe this time I will push it up a slightly different path...ya know...to get a different perspective.

I am trying to avoid taking that same path--of trying to adapt all the time and develop so many different voices to speak to different audiences. I want to find a middle ground, and embrace the idea that not all performers are for all venues, and that being recognizably yourself in all situations is a virtue, not same-old boring as we are made to believe in the information age. I am relearning who I am as a dancer, and who my troupe will be as a collective. I want to be free to experiment with many different ideas and aesthetics, but simplify overall. Pare down. Pull back. Turn inward. Look in new directions, evaluating if that is the road we really want to take in the long term. Some of the tweaks and changes may not even anything most people on the outside would recognize right away. It's in the details, and the subtlety of these elements is where the greatest overall impact is found.

Who am I as a dancer? I am a fusion tribal bellydancer, this much I know.

Your 2010 Wish List: how's it going?

2010-08-14T11:55:00.000-07:00

At the beginning of the year, I created a 2010 Wishlist, which you can see HERE. It was an anti-resolutions way of listing goals for myself for the coming year, and I challenged you to do the same. Did you make a list? If so, how is your list going? We're a bit over the 6 month mark for 2010, so it's a good time to see what progress we have made.

For my list, my weight is down about 11lbs. I was down as much as 15, but gained some back over the summer with all the stress. I am back on the wagon and working toward the goal of better health once again.

Re-evaluating dance in my life is one I have had no choice but to stare straight in the face. And to be truthful, I don't have any answers there, yet. But I am on a continuing journey right now that is taking steps toward greater understanding of this question.

I am definitely more organized, but have a loooong way to go with regard to that. Case and point: my desk as I type this message. Ugh. But in other areas of my life, home and business, I have been cleaning up and taking stock, which is good.

So how about you?

Web design and what it means to me...

2010-08-13T11:04:00.001-07:00

Web design has been at the forefront of my work this past week. With the dissolution of my troupe, and the lengthy hiatus from my dance over this summer, this fall is an opportunity for a little reinvention. Nothing too drastic mind you, but definitely a re-branding is in order before the Tribal Dreams Festival in November, and Tribal Revolution next year. Taking down the old websites will be hard, but cathartic perhaps.

The tricky part to my dance as a business over the years was compartmentalizing the different dominant aspects of my experience. I was a teacher, but was a director of a troupe which was shared with another person. Technically our troupe was born before I was teaching, so when I began to teach was when the roads diverged strangely. When we taught workshops, sometimes it was as "Shay" and sometimes it was as "inFusion", and more often than not the person hiring didn't understand the difference. When I sold merchandise, some was mine, some was the troupe's, and people would have to write two different checks if they bought items from each. This was very confusing for students and promoters. After all, when you take a workshop with Carolena, you don't wonder if you're getting a workshop from her or from FatChance. It's not either Paulette or Gypsy Caravan. It's understood that these two entities are inexorably entwined. Not so with me and it was a source of tension for many years.

Now I am given the opportunity to re-structure my dance as a business, and it's been hard to get excited about. Because committing to it means finally closing the door, once and for all, on a period of time that was so fulfilling and blessed. The ending was hard, and continues to be, but the years prior were the stuff of dreams. To write The End on that page is...character building, let's say. What I have to keep telling myself is that just because what has come before was incredible beyond my imagination doesn't mean the best is already behind me. There could be more ahead I can't imagine, too!

So designing a new web page is a fun creative venture that can be a tiny step toward these changes. I need to embrace the future, whatever it will be. And frankly, learn to enjoy the process of change as I experience it today.

And so it continues...

2010-08-12T11:45:00.000-07:00

**Please note: If you are reading this on Facebook, I am on a FB cleanse right now and I am not participating much. If you want to comment on this post, please visit my blog at http://thetribaldancer.blogspot.com/**

It's pretty nonstop here at the Moore household. Last week I got word that my eldest brother, Ken, was in the ICU with severe pancreatitis brought on by a gall stone that had become lodged in his system, blocking his liver function. His digestive system basically shut down, and he was unable to eat anything, subsisting on IV saline alone for about 4 days. My sister was down there helping care for him that week, and the day after she left, I flew down to take over. He was home, but not very mobile, so I was doing laundry, cooking meals, and generally keeping him company. By the time I left 5 days later, he seemed to be doing much better, but was still in a fair amount of pain, distended belly, and various portions of his endocrine system were still swollen and not working at capacity. The day after I got home, he was back at the doctor getting more tests and x-rays, and potentially re-entering the hospital. I have not heard from him since his x-rays yesterday and am keeping my fingers crossed.

More lighthearted bits and bobs after the jump, I promise.
Here at home, I am gearing up for starting classes again next month. Unfortunately, with all that happened this summer, I never could get the foot surgery I had planned to. And sad to say, my brother's home is an apartment with parquet over...CEMENT. So no cushioning at all, and my foot is really messed up in pain from walking on that all day every day. But the show must go on. So I am starting back with only two classes, and praying that I can hold out until the holidays and maybe take another hiatus around Thanksgiving (after the Nebraska workshops) and get the surgery and be done with this pain!

Also I am doing some nesting. Bought some new bed linens, including some lovely huge, colorful euro pillows to dress up the bed when its made, which makes me smile. Today has been about getting my yarn stash as moth free as I can. I have had some yarns in the bottom of a bin in the living room that got eaten up. So I am doing a freeze-thaw-freeze cycle to try and kill the buggers off. I bought some new plastic bins and cedar blocks to store them in once this process is completed, and hoped that will be good enough.

I finished my first colorwork project while hanging out at Ken's. I made Eunny Jang's Endpaper Mitts for Chris. He was long overdue for some new fingerless mitts--he asked for some last year, and I started a pattern I was making up myself, and I made one of them...and ran into second glove/sock syndrome. I didn't like how those were turning out, honestly. These, I LOVE. I plan to make some for myself. They were SO easy! And I learned how to combine Continental and English knitting! It was my first time doing English style knitting, actually, so doing it in combination on a colorwork project means I am pretty damn proud of what I accomplished!

The pattern is harder to see up close (like a camera held in one hand photographing the mitt on the other hand ;), but looks great with a little distance. Chris was thrilled, which makes me beam.

When I finished that, I started to get some more blocks worked on my Dianna entrelac shawl. This is a photo from before I got another row onto it. This one is going to take some time...but I am loving how the colors are revealing themselves.

The weather is improving as the week goes on, which is nice. Spent some time in the garden today, weeding, deadheading, and watering. I keep meaning to take some new pics to share here, but keep not getting around to it. Some things are really blooming beautifully (like the petunias are TAKING OVER THE WORLD), and others are struggling (like the creeping lady's mantle that squirrels apparently adore to no end and keep digging up), but overall the garden has been thriving. I especially love my heliotrope, in all its purple glory, and the coleus are hanging in there and looking firey and spikey. Pics when I get the chance.

For now, it's back to working on my new website and getting ready to announce the class schedule and get that ball rolling. I hope your summer is going well, my friends.

Catching up a little...

2010-07-29T23:31:00.000-07:00

**Please note: If you are reading this on Facebook, I am on a FB cleanse right now and I am not participating much. If you want to comment on this post, please visit my blog at http://thetribaldancer.blogspot.com/**

Obviously, I have been in hibernation mode lately. I am sorry, dear readers, for being absent. I honeslty had no idea how many readers, and how far flung my readership was, until I got that little widget guy on the left there. Wow! Thanks to all you anonymous readers who have been visiting and hanging in with me while my blog has been latent.

Catching up a little after the cut...
Last Saturday was my MIL's celebratory memorial. It was small, but special. The sun was shining, we ate good food, met old friends, and I got to share a slideshow I made (at Stephanie's behest), which went over really well. I was surprised how many people had never heard Warren Zevon's "Keep Me in Your Heart For a While", which is one of my favorite songs in the world, and only moreso when I got to put it to photos of an incredible woman like Pat. (Look up info on the recording of that song, and you can see why I cry hopelessly most times I hear it).

My friends Amy and Erik welcomed their second child, a sweet little girl they named Vera, into their family that same week. I got to meet her just days after being born, and it's exciting to see their family grow and change in the time I have known them. I am grateful for their friendship, and am blessed being a part of their circle of love during a time when I need friends most.

Gardening continues to be a fantastic success. The squirrels apparently approve, and that is a new frustration, but all-in-all, everything I am planting is flourishing this year. That is a new one on me. I keep having to hack back my petunias relentlessly, and they keep surging back in huge displays of color, while my ground covers, which you would think would be the most aggressive, are pretty low key. There is still so much to do.

And I have been knitting. Just finished my Luna Moth shawl this week. It’s my first lace project, my first major blocking project, and my first “from a chart” project. Blocking lace…what an exciting treat!

Disappointing, though, was that I could only do 5 repeats of the pattern instead of 6 because I was out of yarn, and while others found theirs to be long enough with this number of repeats, it was awfully small for my taste. Other than that, I am really pleased with the results. Here are some picks of the blocking process (for my non-knitting friends, blocking is basically setting the fibers into the desired finished shape by washing or wetting the fibers, and then pinning it and letting it dry, at which time it is set or blocked)

Before blocking, fresh off the needles

On the bed, pinning into shape.

Only took a few hours to dry.

Complete!

That is the briefest of rundowns. Hope you all are enjoying your summer!

The Guest House

2010-07-09T17:15:00.000-07:00

**Please note: If you are reading this on Facebook, I am on a FB cleanse right now and I am not participating much. If you want to comment on this post, please visit my blog at http://thetribaldancer.blogspot.com/**

Many thanks to Paulette for sharing this wisdom in her most recent newsletter.

The Guest House

This being human is a guest house.
Every morning a new arrival.

A joy, a depression, a meanness,
some momentary awareness comes
as an unexpected visitor.

Welcome and entertain them all!
Even if they are a crowd of sorrows,
who violently sweep your house
empty of its furniture,
still, treat each guest honorably.
He may be clearing you out
for some new delight.

The dark thought, the shame, the malice.
meet them at the door laughing and invite them in.

Be grateful for whatever comes.
because each has been sent
as a guide from beyond.

-- Jelaluddin Rumi,
translation by Coleman Barks

The timing of critique.

2010-06-30T12:02:00.000-07:00

Recently on an instructor discussion group, a fellow teacher asked a question about giving feedback to a student after a show

Question:
"I was recently at a student show put on by another instructor where one of my students performed in a group choreography. At the break she asked me what I thought. I told her that she was doing well with the choreography, obviously knew it, but she needed to get her eyes off the floor and look at the audience some.
She then told two of my other students that were there as spectators (when they all went out for a smoke) that I was criticizing her.
Seriously, I didn't think I said anything that would be taken wrong but obviously I did.
I repeatedly tell my students when we start learning about performing in front of an audience not to stare at the ceiling for divine guidance or constantly look at the floor, so this is something that she has heard before, over and over and over.......

What should I have said or not said? If I wasn't asked I would have kept my mouth shut."

"Shay says:
I want to start by saying that I felt your feedback was perfectly appropriate and not at all overly critical. But I think the timing of it was what caused the issue.

I make it my policy to not allow critique AT a show--only general encouragement and positive commentary at the venue, and save the critical discussion for later. We are very vulnerable when we perform, and when we're done it is common for our brains to immediately jump to the negative. I encourage dancers to believe the performance space is a very positive and safe space, free from self-talk and negativity. The rehearsal space is where we get down to the real work. To be clear, I don't think you were being "negative"--teachers understand that critique is neither positive nor negative, but all of it is tools to become better and stronger. But not all students understand this, and even we as professionals have a hard time taking in critique when what we would most like to hear is glowing praise, yes?

You may not have the opportunity to see her in a "rehearsal space", but perhaps saving any critical feedback for another time would have been of help in this case. Give her a few "'atta girl" comments, and then tell her that if she would like to hear a more detailed assessment, you would be happy to talk to her later in the week (or e-mail her or whatever she likes). Then the ball is in her court as to whether she wants to receive more guidance from you, she can prepare herself to best receive the feedback you are offering, and you have set the tone that the performance space is a safe and happy coccoon.

Just some food for thought!"

And don't forget the "feedback sandwich" technique when delivering any feedback! It may not seem important that it was two nice things and then a critical thing. Just changing the order of the feedback to nice-critique-nice can change the perception of the interaction for the student from "she criticized me" to "she complimented me and gave me a good tip". Always end on a positive!

For a really great article on instructor critique, check out this page:
http://www.dynamicflight.com/avcfibook/evals/

And this short blog entry has some good tips for artists on how to accept critique, and learn to continue to be open to it. Maybe this could inspire a handout for some teachers to give their students when they advance to performance level?
http://www.bearskinrug.co.uk/_articles/2007/01/24/taking_critique/

Question for today...

2010-06-29T10:35:00.001-07:00

What was the last thing you did/accomplished which made you truly proud?

Neruda...

2010-06-24T02:25:00.001-07:00

Mom Moore has always loved Neruda, and instilled a love of it in her son, who found the sonnet below today. He hopes to include it in her memorial somehow, and I think it is simply perfect.

Rest in the care of Your Father's arms, Mom. We love you so dearly. Thank you for the inspiring example of selfless love and giving you demonstrated in every aspect of your life in the time I have known you. You gave more of yourself in your time on earth than many could muster in three lifetimes. You were truly a gift in this life, and will surely continue to be so in the life you now go to. Thank you for raising such an amazing son, who has become my best friend and true partner in life. Your unconditional love lives on in his sweet heart, and I feel so honored to be a part of your family.

"When I die, I want your hands on my eyes:
I want the light and wheat of your beloved hands
To pass their freshness over me once more:
I want to feel the softness that changed my destiny.

I want you to live while I wait for you, asleep,
I want your ears still to hear the wind, I want you
to sniff the sea's aroma that we loved together,
to continue to walk on the sand we walked on.

I want what I love to continue to live,
And you whom I love and sang above everything else
To continue to flourish, full flowered:

So that you can reach everything my love directs you to,
So that my shadow can travel along in your hair,
So that everything can learn the reason for my song!"

Sonnet 89
Pablo Neruda

The longest day of the year...

2010-06-21T15:22:00.001-07:00

**Please note: If you are reading this on Facebook, I am on a FB cleanse right now and I am not participating much. If you want to comment on this post, please visit my blog at http://thetribaldancer.blogspot.com/**

Today is supposed to be the longest day of the year. But I think yesterday was bucking for first place. Stephanie called early in the morning and told us to come over right away. We didn't get that message for three hours. Pat had woken up and was not responsive. Just staring. She refused food and water and pain meds all day long. She was still responding one-word answers to some things, and even put together short sentences in the morning, but by afternoon and evening wasn't speaking much at all.

Today she is aware/alert, but not saying anything. She is allowing water to keep her mouth wet, but still refusing to eat or drink. She can't really swallow anything right now anyway... Stephanie, Nathan, and Gina have been nonstop in their caring for her, even sleeping on the floor in her room last night to make sure she had someone nearby whenever she needed them.

Pat is surrounded by a lot of love right now. Friends and family coming by all day long, dropping off flowers and food and cards. We sat with her all day and night. We are back today by her bedside, trying to keep her comfortable, and saying the things we need to say.

It's understandably somber and quiet here. There isn't much to be done, so it's just *being here* that we can offer. And that is what we are doing...minute by minute, hour by hour, day by blessed day.

Friday, there you are...

2010-06-18T18:05:00.001-07:00

**Please note: If you are reading this on Facebook, I am on a FB cleanse right now and I am not participating much. If you want to comment on this post, please visit my blog at http://thetribaldancer.blogspot.com/**

It's Friday, and I am not sure where the week went. Time is flowing strangely right now. Some days fly by, and some hours seem to drag on forever. The sunshine is most welcome today. Started cleaning up the area where Chris' "outdoor kitchen" will live. Piles of leaves from past seasons, branches from the recent hedge-hacking, a bag of god-knows-what, trash, old cardboard...how did this all GET here?! UGH! Already it looks pretty good, but a long way to go yet. I have to pull up all the old cement pavers, pull up the rotten plastic the original owner put down, cut out all the shooters from the lilac bushes, re-level, then a new weed barrier, sand, and new pavers. Whew! Hoepfully I will get some more work done on that this weekend, if the weather holds.

Went for my visit with Mom Moore today. She says she was feeling a bit better today still. Every day she feels a little better. But she still can't get around well at all, sit up or lay down on her own, that sort of thing. The drugs really do a number on her, but she is talking more and even laughing a bit. I hope she is feeling significantly better by the time her birthday rolls around, on July 5th.

Today...and tomorrow and so on...

2010-06-17T23:09:00.000-07:00

**Please note: If you are reading this on Facebook, I am on a FB cleanse right now and I am not participating much. If you want to comment on this post, please visit my blog at http://thetribaldancer.blogspot.com/**

Today began as an adventure in entrelac knitting (see example to right, NOT my work, but a fine example). I have long wanted to try this technique, and since I wanted a little break from my lace shawl I am working on, it seemed a good time to take on some new techniques for kicks. Not only is this a chance to try the new effect, but it also gave me an excuse to try to learn reverse knitting. That is, learning to purl from the right side, eliminating the need to turn your work as frequently on a project such as this one which would require it constantly. So far so good, pics coming of my own work soon.

This afternoon was my first afternoon getting to take care of Pat, my Mother In Law. Chris' boss has graciously allowed him to take some personal time as needed to care for his Mom, so today he got to come with me while I started to learn some of the routines for Pat's comfort. My heart is breaking for everyone in Chris' family right now, and the prospect of volunteering for this heavy task was freaking me out, but I am truly honored to be trusted to be a part of the care of this amazing woman. As I told Pat today, my father didn't ask for help when he needed it most, so I didn't have a choice in caring for him in any way. In this I have a choice, and while it is hard on everyone to figure out the ins and outs (of course MOST of all Pat herself!!), it is a circle of trust and love and caring I am blessed to be a part of. I am thankful for being asked.

Stephanie, Chris' sister, possesses such a gentle soul and practical mind-a perfect combination in such circumstances. She is preserving her mother's dignity and frankly taking care of f*cking BUSINESS for her family in a way we can all only pray for should we find for ourselves in such need. Not only with daily health and comfort issues, but also taking over Pat's home business on the side of her own multiple jobs, Stephanie is a rock star. And I have decided her husband Nathan is just an angel, no question. This clearly is his family, too, deeply and without question, and all the ways he is devoting his time and energy to doing everything he can to support Pat and Stephanie on all levels is yet another miracle of time and place and people that Pat finds herself surrounded by.

Chris is making time in his very hectic life to be there for his Mom, and for his grandfather who also needs extra support right now, especially in the absence of his daughter who has been his caretaker for many years. I love Chris so much for his deep love for his family, and admire the way he is trying to balance stresses in impossible circumstances, while managing to keep a (mostly) even keel and offer so much love and support to those around him. His boss is being amazingly accommodating of him right now, and I can't thank them enough for freeing up Chris as much as they are able during a time when they could be pressuring him harder to meet some critical deadlines they are up against this week. I thank God for the very loving, human support they are offering my husband in the way of time and understanding.

I also have to give a shout-out to my friend Michelle, who has been an incredible resource of information, strength, encouragement, wisdom, and support. Michelle was the primary caretaker for her mother during her battle with pancreatic cancer, and thus has a lot of experience with all stages of the process, and has taken a lot of personal time to write generously informative and supportive mails to me, answering so many questions, easing fears, and letting me rant it out when I needed an ear. Pat and her family have no idea how much positive energy and caring is flowing from this woman they have never met.

Aside from the medical/daily health stuff, being there is mostly getting to hang out with Pat, knit or crochet, watch TV, chat, and just...be. Which, frankly, is what both of us need right now, and thus is yet again the Universe arranging for everyone to get what they need. Thanks, Universe. I'm listening.

If you are reading this, and have some prayers or energy to offer on behalf of my MIL, it would be most welcome. It may be the case that she stops chemo altogether, pending some further testing. We would love to see her having more energy and improving her comfort and quality of life, whatever the decision, and that is our prayer. If you would add it to yours, thanks in advance.

Road trip roundup

2010-06-15T23:49:00.000-07:00

**Please note: If you are reading this on Facebook, I am on a FB cleanse right now and I am not participating much. If you want to comment on this post, please visit my blog at http://thetribaldancer.blogspot.com/**

The trip to Bend was just what the doctor ordered. Being surrounded by love and laughter at a time when we need it most=happy, relaxed Shay and Chris. And despite Gretchen's complete inability to chill on the entire 6+ hour drive (she was very very stressed, panting, pacing the WHOLE TIME), once there she was a gem of a pup and it was awesome to have them both there to cuddle and be near. It relieves our stress to have their fur to run our fingers through, puppy kisses to collect, and general cuddles.

Our Gypsy Fire family is just an incredible bunch of women, and now we can include their hubbies and children in our glowing review. What a joy it was to meet them and get to know them a little. Quinn was a wonderful host, as we knew she would be, giving us time and space to find our groove, and being completely accommodating.

Bend itself is beautiful, and the weather turned incredibly sunny the day after we arrived. This allowed for dog park time, walks along the Deschutes river, delicious local organic food enjoyed on the deck, seeing Gypsy and Sister Fire perform at an outdoor bazaar, drinking local beers on the bar patio, and hot tub time under the awe-inspiring canopy of stars. Got some color on my skin, and some joy in my heart. We truly didn't want to leave.

Even the drive home held its delights. Quinn recommended a state park stopover on the trip home, which took us to a stunning view of red rock mesas and canyons--a popular rock-climbing area. After a short "hike" in the intense sunshine, our visit was topped off with fresh huckleberry ice cream in the shade of an accommodating tree.

We are already looking forward to a return trip, to spend time with our loved ones and to take in more of the outdoor activities we didn't have time and energy for on this trip.

Road Trip

2010-06-10T10:17:00.000-07:00

Today, we're gettin' the hell outta Dodge. That's right, it's Road Trip Time.

We're heading down to Bend to spend some time with friends, get away from the everyday reality/life/crap, and just try and relax. Chris and I haven't taken a road trip in a shockingly long time, though I have taken many with other girlfriends over the years. I am looking forward to taking one with my best friend starting this afternoon. :)

This will be the first road trip for our dogs, however! We would always have Chris' Mom doggie-sit for us when we went anyplace, and that not being an option for this trip, it's an opportunity to give them an adventure and see how they do. It will be 6+ hours in the car each way, plus staying in a strange house, with two other dogs to boot. I am confident Loki will be the gem he always is--he is St. Loki, I swear. But Gretchen...she is a Bitch. And fancies herself Alpha much of the time. So going to another house with another Alpha Bitch...let's just say she may spend much of her day in a crate and on a leash. Which is fine by me. She could use a little extra socialization and humbling. ;)

It's also nice to think that we will have them with us when we go to bed at night. That is always one of the hardest things when we travel. When the action of the day is through, and we're crawling into bed, we almost without fail make some comments about how we wish our dogs were there to cuddle. It's just not "good night" without our fingers running through black fur and scritching pink bellies, and receiving the requisite puppy kisses. So having that on this trip is a joy.

So what's on the agenda for the weekend? Eating, drinking, hot tubbing, laughing, dog-cuddling, sleeping, repeat.

Knitting lace and learning charts (and kicking ass, and taking names)

2010-06-09T12:51:00.000-07:00

**Please note: If you are reading this on Facebook, I am on a FB cleanse right now and I am not participating much. If you want to comment on this post, please visit my blog at http://thetribaldancer.blogspot.com/**

I am working on my first knit lace project this week, which also happens to be my first attempt at learning to read knitting charts. For those who don't know what that means, it is basically a visual representation of written knitting instructions. It can turn:

R 31: k3, yo, k5, sk2p, k4, yo, k1, *(yo, k2, sk2p, k4, yo, k1)*, yo, k2, sk2p, k4, yo, k1, yo, k1, yo, K1, yo, k1, yo, k1, yo, k4, k3tog, k2, yo, *(k1, yo, k4, k3tog, k2, yo)*, k1, yo, k4, k3tog, k5, yo, k3 (79, 119, 159, 199, 239…..)
R 32 K3, Purl to last three stitches, K3
R 33: k3, yo, k6, sk2p, k5, yo, *(k1, yo, k1, sk2p, k5, yo)*, k1, yo, k1, sk2p, k5, yo, k1, yo, k1, yo, K1, yo, k1, yo, k1, yo, k5, k3tog, k1, yo, k1 *(yo, k5, k3tog, k1, yo, k1)*, yo, k5, k3tog, k6, yo, k3 (83, 123, 163, 203, 243….)

into:

(click to see full size)

This is a snippet of the pattern I am working on, the Luna Moth shawl by Elann (must log in to view/download pattern, but here is a blog post with pics of someone's completed work). These are rows 31-33. Imagine what it looks like all written out for all the rows of this shawl!

Charts are done on a graph paper "framework" as seen here, and does a great job of parsing long sentences of instructions down to a simpler, cleaner readout, which also happens to help one envision better the pattern as it is supposed to appear in real life. On larger, complex projects, the descriptions of what you are supposed to do can get quite long and involved, and as you can see can take up three or four lines of text to describe one line of stitching. It can be hard on more complex patterns to keep your place as you're reading ("Wait, was I on the K1 YO K1 in the first sentence or the second...") Charts are pretty much line-by-line representations, with minimal written directions on how to use the chart (a key), and any special instructions for repeats (say, when making a triangular shawl like this one, which gets larger as it goes along and thus repeats the pattern more as it grows). This also makes them a bit more portable, and in my opinion easier to chat and knit simultaneously, as I can track my progress and keep my place much more easily than if I were reading the longhand instructions. Why didn't I try charts earlier? I coulda' had a V8! *thunk*

Being that this was my first time, I was bound to make some mistakes. And I did! Good for me! Essentially, when knitting flat, you are going back and forth, right? You knit to the end of the work, turn around and knit back the other way, and so on. So naturally the CHARTS do the same thing. Every other row is read right-to-left. I hadn't quite grokked this, and as a result, began my work as if I were reading the written instructions. Natural, no? Read left-to-right on every line. I can see now how foolish that was, and perhaps a more complex pattern would have knocked me upside the head much earlier on to help me realize my mistake. But this pattern is a mirror image pattern--that is to say, each side is identical to the other, just in reverse. So it wasn't immediately apparent that I was doing every other line backwards from its intended design. Not until I had gotten a good 6 hours of knitting into the project. Oops!

So I frogged it out (frogged=rippit in knitspeak) and began over again yesterday afternoon. I am about halfway back to where I was with the incorrect interpretation, but far wiser in the ways of lace knitting from a chart. It's a good thing I am a "process knitter". That is to say, I enjoy the process of knitting, and learning new techniques and seeing new patterns unfold, and am not as invested in the outcome. So while I indeed hope to finish this shawl, and gift it to someone special, for now I am enjoying just keeping busy with my hands and my mind while I wait for this new stage of my life to unfold.

A little something every day...

2010-06-09T12:33:00.000-07:00

**Please note: If you are reading this on Facebook, I am on a FB cleanse right now and I am not participating much. If you want to comment on this post, please visit my blog at http://thetribaldancer.blogspot.com/**

In the past year, I have been taking some workshops in book writing, as I have a couple books in my head waiting to get out. And one of the top things I run into everywhere I go is "Start a blog, write something EVERY day." Which inspires me to ponder, as I am sure anyone faced with this challenge rightfully would, "What the hell am I going to write about every day that anyone is going to want to read?" I do a pretty good job on a bi-monthly writing regimen, and have even been known to write some gems weekly for a stretch. But daily?!

So I suppose this is a word of warning to my regular readers: things might be a bit mundane at times, trite, brief, and even meaningless...but you will see me writing every day* regardless of whether any sort of inspiration has struck yours truly.

Luckily, my blog is already set up to be easily filtered by topic. So if you come here just to read about dance, or just about costume and make-up tips, or something of that nature, you can click on one of the links at the top of the page and see if there is anything new tagged with those topics. But if you're a glutton for punishment, and just want to read whatever drivel happens to turn up on the front page, you're in luck! There will be a lot more drivel!

I have even created a tag for it. When I am not writing about anything in particular, I will tag it "daily drivel". There. All set, eh?

*There will be days when I will not be near a computer for whatever reason, and we can just give me a pass those days, shall we?

I'm not fine...but I will be!

2010-06-07T15:11:00.000-07:00

**Please note: If you are reading this on Facebook, I am on a FB cleanse right now and I am not participating much. If you want to comment on this post, please visit my blog at http://thetribaldancer.blogspot.com/**

My friend Arya has a wonderful blog that I pop over to read now and again. Today, I caught up on a past post where she mused about the word "fine". What struck me was this portion of it:

"Fred: "Oh, hello, Alma. I haven't seen you in so long. How are you?"

Alma: "Hi Fred. I'm fine. How 'bout yourself?"

**********************************

Does the above greeting sound familiar? Have you been Fred or Alma - either on the receiving or giving end of a "fine"?
...
The truly sad thing about the overused "fine" is that it is usually a lie. A flat-out lie (just read the links above to read various definitions). Usually, everything about the person saying they're fine tells us otherwise. Alma looks disheveled. Her skin is waxy and her eyes have dark rings. She seems to sag, as if drained. And yet, when asked by a friend how she's doing, she tells him "fine". She could simply say, "Oh, Fred. I'm having a tough time right now. I appreciate you asking how I'm doing, but I don't feel like talking about it." She could be honest without going into details, "I'm not well, but I'll be okay." Somehow we, as a culture, have all become "fine" even when we're not."

My thoughts after the jump...
Talk about synergy! I had this very conversation with my husband this weekend. As you all know by now, my family is struggling with a beloved family member who is very ill. At a gathering this weekend, when I asked my SIL how she was doing, she told me "Fine", and smiled half-heartedly, knowing full well I knew she wasn't, and communicating with her face, and a hand squeeze, that she was not at all fine. But it was as if she had to go through that motion, even with me, because she was practicing it so much lately.

I, too, have been doing my best lately to not lie about how I am, without inviting too much inquiry or bringing others down. Fact is, 99% of the people who ask how you are doing are only interested in hearing something offhanded and ideally positive, and don't want to be drawn into any greater recitation of difficulty or drama. They aren't *really* asking how you are. It is simply just a common greeting, not really a question. So when people ask, I have a stock answer that sounds upbeat, but also isn't a lie. Right now my response is "Keepin' busy!" And I am. What they don't need to know is that I am undertaking a lot of busy-ness to distract myself from a miserable set of circumstances in my personal life. That videos and soundtracks of regrets and fears are playing endlessly in my mind, and weighing on my spirit, and that I have very few people I can even talk to about it. That is not what they are asking, and so I am being polite and offering a return greeting on par with their desire for shallow cordial exchange.

It's not a lie. I'm not fine, but I'm keeping busy. Or as Arya put it so beautifully, "I'm not well, but I'll be okay."

2010-05-29T12:25:00.001-07:00

Poached Salmon with Basil Sauce

2010-05-22T22:19:00.000-07:00

**Please note: If you are reading this on Facebook, I am on a FB cleanse right now and I am not participating much. If you want to comment on this post, please visit my blog at http://thetribaldancer.blogspot.com/**

This recipe was dinner tonight. The first of the season Copper River Salmon came into Amazon Fresh on Thursday, and we snagged a couple filets to enjoy. We didn't have any parsley, but I assure you it was still delicious without it. Also I cooked the salmon skin-on, and the wine we used was not particularly dry, but worked great regardless. I slightly undercooked the salmon, then put it on a plate under tightly wrapped foil to cook the rest of the way during the set aside and "keep warm" portion of the recipe instruction, which worked out perfectly.

I am continually shocked that all the other ingredients we happened to have in the house. For a couple that didn't cook much until a couple years ago, the change in what we consider staples is pretty amazing.

Chris and I started an herb garden just yesterday, and we harvested a few leaves of basil for this recipe from the fresh starts. I am hoping that by this time next year, the side of potatoes and other ingredients will also come from our new vegetable garden we plan to start in the coming year. It's kinda cool that Chris is into all this. It is still so strange to me to want to dig in the dirt, but to have him by my side doing it (when his back allows ;) is a spot of joy and distraction during a difficult time.

Oh and definitely try this recipe! It's The Yum!

POACHED SALMON WITH BASIL SAUCE
1 tsp. butter
3 tbsp. minced shallots
4 (8 oz.) salmon fillets, skinned
Salt and pepper
1 tbsp. butter
1/2 c. Chablis or other dry white wine
1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
2 fresh sprigs parsley
1 bay leaf
1/2 c. whipping cream
1/2 c. chopped fresh basil
1/8 tsp. ground red pepper (or a dash of pepper flakes)

Melt 1 teaspoon butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Sprinkle shallots over butter. Arrange salmon fillets in a single layer over shallots; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Dot salmon fillets with 1 tablespoon butter. Add wine, parsley and bay leaf. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. Remove salmon to a serving platter, and keep warm.

Bring liquid in skillet to a boil; cook until liquid is reduced to about 1/4 cup. Remove from heat; remove and discard parsley sprigs and bay leaf.

Gradually add whipping cream to liquid in skillet. Return sauce to a boil; cook 2 minutes or until sauce is reduced to about 3/4 cup. Add basil, lemon juice, and red pepper; stir well. Serve salmon with warm sauce.

You don't love the dance...

2010-05-15T11:27:00.000-07:00

I came across an article I remember reading before (and maybe even posted here, not sure and didn't have time to search), and thought it was timely and interesting to read. From Aziza Sa'id's blog

Today my students were teachers, Belly Dancing and Yoga. The first of today’s Big Questions is one of my favorites… Why Do You Do What You Do? Dance? Yoga?

And people gave some real truths in answer: Because it’s fun; Because in it I find acceptance, of myself and others; Because I feel beautiful; Because I feel at peace; Because it is a way to create and express myself; Because I feel healthier; Because I feel better in and about my body when I do.

Because I love it.

And here’s where I need to say… No. You don’t. You do not love yoga, or dance.

You think you do, but you don’t. The “it” is not the object of your love… you do NOT love yoga or dance.

What you really love is Who You Are when you do it.

The dance, the yoga, it is a vehicle. It is the way, the path, the mechanism. It is Your way, it is what is working best for you right now, and may always be what works best for you, but it is still just a tool.

Consider this… when I taught ballroom dance for a living, nobody ever came in because they needed to learn to waltz. They THOUGHT they needed to learn to waltz… but… did they really? Was it that they needed a box step and a hesitation and an underarm turn to make their life complete?

"Really, I just desperately NEEEEED a box step! Pleeease! I am not whole until I have one!"

Or did they need what those moves were going to give them? The ability to go and do something fun with their spouse? The confidence to talk to a beautiful woman and know they were going to be able to entertain her? The knowledge and relief they would not look like fools on their wedding day?

What you really love is Who You Are and How You Feel when you do it.

It’s like strawberries. I say I love strawberries. But really, is it that I love them? Or is it that I love the sensation of their taste? The feeling of delight that comes from looking at their shiny redness? The stimulation of feeling their smooth and stubbly brail exterior? The sweet and sour satisfaction of eating them? What I love is the sensation of strawberries. I am grateful for their existence, but what I love is how I experience them.

What you love about yoga, about dance, is how you experience yourself and the world and others when you do it.

So… to my teachers I say… what is it, really, that you love?

Because once you know that, you will know what and why you teach. And then you can really teach it.

Garden 2010 - now with 100% more garden!

2010-05-03T15:17:00.001-07:00

I am NOT a gardening gal. Green thumb? Nope, black as they come. I have killed more plants and shrubs than I care to say. Even when I tried reaaaaally hard to keep it alive. Kaput.

My Mom has always been a lover of gardens and flowers, and even had her own florist shops for many years. I remember her carving out a plot along our back fence to start a little vegetable garden, from which we would pick sweet peas and baby tomatoes, and dig up fresh carrots and turnips. I marveled at how she could make things flourish, and enjoyed the literal fruits of her labors, but her green thumb and love of the garden did NOT grow within me. I have traumatic childhood memories of spreading beauty bark around our family yard, in the hot sun, under intense protest from all four of us kids who had been forced into what we believed to be tantamount to child slave labor. Oh the SPLINTERS! This was what "gardening" was to me. Splinters. Hot sun. Complaining and dragging our feet until Mom finally let us go run in the sprinkler. I don't remember her trying to engage me in the garden in a fun way, but I am absolutely certain she made efforts throughout my life. I simply wasn't interested and have no memory of those times.

So when Chris and I were shopping for a house, I was of the opinion that a smaller yard was better. I threw up my hands and said, "You want a yard, YOU have to tend to it." Kind of like the puppy every kid wants, Chris wanted a yard just like in his fantastical minds-eye. Mowing the lawn would be his zen. And I decided from day 1 that I would do as little as possible and it was in his hands.

Chris' love for a lawn ended swiftly when, during our destination wedding and honeymoon, Seattle went through an unprecedented heatwave. In our 2+ week travel away we were sad to return to a dead lawn and struggling plant life. Having no yard savvy at all, we threw up our hands and said "someday" we would redo it anyway, so we might as well let it do whatever it wants. And it did. Weeds galore. Large dead patches. We gained two dogs in that time as well, and our precious little girl's urine was like holding a giant magnifying glass over the lawn in the mid-day sun--dead patches everywhere. The grass grew into the once-tended beds, choking out long established plant life. Some tenacious shrubs managed to survive our reign of terror, but for the most part, over the 10 years we have lived in our home, we let the yard become more and more of an eyesore with each season. We clean it up enough to throw summer parties, but even then we tend to cover as much as we can with a bevy of carpets we have acquired over the years, so no one has to walk on the hard pack covered with spikey brown grasses and weeds.

Come 2009, we were finally sick of our own neglect, and set out to plan and budget for our new yard. It included reducing the lawn size to less than half, adding an efficient irrigation system, creating a new patio area to add another outdoor room, thoughtful placement of stone, and even a water feature with small fountain.

We did tons of research, and I used Google Sketch-Up to create a visual representation of our plan, which could in turn help us calculate square footage and thus plan the amount of our bulk materials. We hired a stump grinder to come out and tear out an old dead tree stump and mulch it down to make way for the patio. We had a guy come out and till up EVERYTHING--nothing was left except some key plants and shrubs. The old dead lawn was gone, and we had a clean slate! Daunting! Exciting! We staked out the yard and worked to level it with appropriate drainage sloping. We had a day-laborer come out and dig out lengthy trenches for us to lay piping for the irrigation, as well as run electrical to the shed (A light! With a switch! A place to plug stuff in!) and to the corner where the water feature would go in. We built a raised bed with cinder blocks where the fountain would go. Backfilled it with a ton of soil, and did the initial placement of the pre-formed pond liner. Filled in all the trenches, spread 4 yards of topsoil, and with the help of some friends we lay sod over the intended lawn area. Man, we did a LOT in 2009! We were just starting to dig out 6" of soil over the rest of the yard, and preparing to order the stone for delivery so we could get the walkways put in by the end of the nice weather...and then we both got swine flu, overlapping our illnesses by about a week. The last month of nice weather was gone, and we were physically weak and deflated that our yard was now part beautiful lawn...and part mud pit.

Let me interrupt this story, dear reader, to make a point of mentioning that even among all this work, there has been essentially zero gardening. Landscaping maybe. We were digging shit up and running tubes n' stuff. The only flowers I planted were in the raised bed in the front of the house. Up until a few years ago, it used to be home to some very mature evergreen hedge-thingies that mainly blocked our view out our front window. I dug it out, put in some new soil (not enough, everything died my first season), and made it into my little green-thumb test-kitchen. Last year was the most I had planted there, and a few things flourished. But so did the casually tossed wildflower seeds I had tried to nurture years before, which inexplicably decided to make their appearance years later! But I digress. Bottom line: still not really "gardening" much at all. Still not very excited by it.

Welcome to 2010! The nice weather is making brief appearances as spring is springing, and we have again turned our attention to the yard and what we hope to accomplish. Chris has been a loving caretaker of the new lawn, and it is flourishing under his caring hand. The rest of the yard we had tilled up last year, ready to be a clean slate, is now coated in weeds and scrubby grass clumps because it was essentially turned and left to seed. It's worse than ever. Our plans have scaled back for financial considerations, as we want to put more into savings should we be called upon to help Chris' Mom in the future if she is unable to work. But this has forced us to be more thoughtful about what things we can do in bits and pieces, affordable chunks, that can have the most impact. And I find myself, for the first time, truly EXCITED about gardening! I mean, I go to bed at night excited to get up in the morning and go out and see what I can dig or plant or rake or whatever gardening people do.

I started with my little front bed I spoke of. This year I decided to try and make it more three-dimensional, and add more textures and elements. Kind of a floral diorama if you will. A trip to the thrift store, followed by a trip to Sky Nursery, topped off by an afternoon trying different configurations of plants and additional decorative elements I found around my house, turning the soil, planting, and mulching, and this is what I created:

The Full Bed

The left side, with a green glass vase full of decorative pebbles, a new climbing flower on a rusty mini-trellis, a surviving viney groundcover from last year's planting put into a wide flat red bowl and set on top of a brass pot turned upside-down as a pedestal, and in the foreground the Mexican lavender that survived from last year as well.

The right side of the bed, with a little collection of stones dug up from the back yard trenches, with creeping phlox tucked between them. The red basket was an old Ikea basket I wasn't using any more, filled with an ornamental grass I bought.

Moving to the left of the red basket, a tiny paned window/mirror I used to hang on my wall in my old apartment, with a tiny bindi stuck to one of the panes. Behind the snapdragons is a God's Eye that Chris' sister made us for a stocking stuffer one Christmas.

One more step to the left. To the very right edge you can see a little sandy-colored "pedestal". It was a really old candle my Mom gave me post-college. The candle long since burned down, I scraped out the rest of the wax, filled it with decorative pebbles and some pieces of broken pottery. To the left of that is another Ikea basket that was such an obnoxious orange I never kept it out anyplace, so I buried it partway and planted it like a tiny container garden. My fave find at the thrift store was that little piece of statuary that looks like maybe the top of a carved bedpost or something.

And back where we started at the left, I chose this viney-buddy because they said it was a "vigorous climber". This was proved out immediately when I was trying to separate one from the display to purchase, and I had to disentangle them from one another because they had wound themselves around one another. Here is my guy less than 2 weeks after being invited into my garden and introduced to the mini-trellis. Awwww!

I am so proud of my little multi-media garden. I hope everything grows and proliferates in the coming weeks and months to transform it further!

Then I got inspired to do something nice for the back yard. A trip to Earthwise allowed us to procure some salvaged windows, and whipping through Lowes we picked up some cheap window boxes and some fastening hardware, and voila.

Sorry the pic is a bit blurry and crooked. I was trying to grab pics between rain squalls today!

I want to change the old hardware on the shed to make it a little prettier, and at the next party I want to string some lights along the front eaves.

With the leftover flowers from the window boxes, I decided to replant two large planters I had attempted to design years ago, but had since mostly failed and gotten weedy.

This planter is all new plants save for the viney guys along the front edge, which survived the old planter design. It's a good sign if they survive my neglect, they will hang around a long time! The pink-and-white striped petunias made me think of circus tents!

This pot has the lavender from two years ago, and more of the viney-guys. I just added the snapdragons and petunias to match it up a little more with the other planter.

By now, Chris is digging on my motivation to get things rolling. He suggested on Friday that maybe I could tackle a small corner of the front yard while he was at work in his office. Basically a 3X6 foot area area just in front of the raised bed we intended to put a mounded bed, maybe fronted with bricks or stone or something. We hadn't really decided. But right now, it was a pile of sandy soil and weeds that had been dumped there over the last few years. I grabbed my gardening gloves, trowel, shovel, and rake and head out to assess the situation. I used the shovel to start to mark out where I thought the bed might go best. And I realized that the whole front of the house needed a nice mounded bed. I marked further down the front of the house, and even a little around the corner into the side yard. I had my work literally cut out for me. I wanted to preserve the good soil underneath, so it meant I had to weed it. All of it. By hand n' stuff.

So I lay down a chunk of cardboard and set to digging up all the tenacious weeds and grasses in one section, shoveled down deep to turn the soil, and moved down to the next section. I was dirty, sore, and exhausted. It had begun to rain. But the air was fresh and almost warm--enough that with the exertion I was down to my tank top. The drizzling rain felt refreshing, and the results I was getting were so satisfying. Clearing away all that clutter and creating a pristine bed in which new growth could take hold. I was on my first gardening high! I kept plugging away, and when I was done I had weeded the entire area. Chris was blown away!

The next day, despite still feeling very sore and tired from all I had done, I was eager to get back to it! So we hopped over to HD and picked up some clay brick (actually cheaper than the recycled brick we had planned to pick up for the project. Sorry, finances won out over upcycling this time!); and despite feeling a bit sick, Chris helped me dig out all the beds to lay down some wet cardboard as a weed barrier, and I put the new brick border down. This is what we had when we were done:

You can't see it very well, but it gently curves in a couple places, in a meandering shape that will define the gravel path we plan to put along the front of it as a walkway from the front door/driveway to the back yard.

More soil will be on top of this bed, but we are going to order it along with other soil and bulk materials we need for other projects. And there near the center is the pretty new filigree hose caddy, replacing the rusting aluminum one that was nailed into the brick by the original owners.

Sunday we were supposed to go to a friend's little girl's 3rd birthday, but Chris was flat out sick, and aside from just feeling crappy, he didn't want to spread anything potentially contagious. So with the unexpected day free ahead of me, I decided to tackle prepping another mounded bed. Under the dogwood tree in the backyard had been piled with excess soil from the sod project, and like everything else had been left to weed over. Plus the dogs had made it a favorite spot to do their business. It was an icky messy pile of yuck. I grabbed my rake and raked out all the feces, and then got down on my hands and knees again to pull every last week and clump of grass. Then I dug down and turned the soil, and raked it all pretty. We had expanded the bed to wider than we had first intended, making the center of the bed difficult to reach from the edges, so I wanted to put something low maintenance back in there. It is also a full-shade area, so I knew I had to be careful what I tried to grow there. Well, lookie here! Two stubborn ferns from other parts of the yard, defying our every (inadvertant) efforts to kill them over 10 years. I carefully dug them up and put them in the bed to get started in their new home. And here is what that looks like:

Not very exciting, I know. Wish I had a before/after, because THAT would get you excited.

Finally, I started marking where the stone pathway will be, delineating the other planting beds yet to come and the new doggie mulch area in the plans:

So that is what I have accomplished in the last week-and-a-little-bit. I have a lot of planting ahead of me, and I am actually excited about it. And daunted. I want to do it right. I want to keep these things alive. I need to succeed at this right now, because lord knows I need some happy spots in my life right now. Growing things. Living things. Creative things that are coming from me that are flourishing. My gardener is coming out of me at a time when my soul really needs to tend to its garden. No coincidence, I am certain.

If you are a gardening type, and have recommendations for easy, low maintenance plantings (we are Zone 8-9 in Seattle), I am all ears. I have these brand new beds, and when I get back from Kauai, I want to get some things in there!

Making Money Off of Dance = Less Love?

2010-04-28T10:59:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I feel a little upset when people imply that because I dance as my vocation, that somehow I don't do it for the love of it. My personal take on it is that I love it SO MUCH that I rearranged my entire life, gave up a sizable income I used to make in more lucrative jobs, and passionately commit my energies to being a more knowledgable dancer, a better teacher, and a professional and polished performer. That isn't to say that those who don't follow my same path don't love it as much as I do--the stars aligned such that I could devote my life to it as I do--but conversely it doesn't mean I only do this for the money or for what it "gets" me.

So I think it is unfair for either side to accuse the other of lack of love driving their decisions in what is or is not appropriate to be termed bellydance. But I strongly believe that lack of experience, a lack of empathy, and/or a dose of ignorance can combine to create a dancer who is unable to appreciate why people fight so hard to define bellydance, tribal bellydance, etc; and why these same dancers eschew the idea of boundaries and responsibilities which the name "bellydancer" encompasses.

I feel blessed to get to have dance be my primary focus in my life. I thank Paulette throughout the year for "giving me my life", because she is the one who so inspired me to pursue dance as a profession through teaching. It was by taking workshops with her, and watching her example of integrity and community-building, that I found what I wanted to do with my life. I knew I wanted to build up a community through the dance as she did. I wanted to help other dancers with a call to tribal bellydance find their place in the dance more easily than I did (there was no tribal teachers in Seattle when I started learning, and I wanted to change that for my city). I have spent thousands of dollars and thousands of hours over the years traveling, studying, researching, practicing, and developing into the dancer and teacher I am today. And I have soooo much more yet to do. I will never stop learning. But all of these efforts paint the picture of someone who does it for the love. Because God knows I have spent more on the dance than I have gotten back monetarily, but what I have gotten spiritually, mentally, and physically from it is immeasurable. It is for that often intangible reward that I press on day after day, year after year, to be the best I can be; for both myself and for the students who put their trust in me.

I never got into bellydance for the money, I didn't make a career of it for the money, and I still don't make a livable wage off of it, at least not the life that I live right now (my hubby pays the mortgage, my friends). I fell in love with it, just like so many others who pursue it, whether they be hobbyist or pro. And my love affair grew and become more and more consuming of my being, just like so many others. Just because I was motivated and empowered to make it my career doesn't mean any of that has diminished. And in many ways, I think we who do it for a living have to fight the hardest to keep the love alive--when all you have is fun in the dance, it's easy to love it. It's harder to stay in love when it's real *work*! When it is your career, it's easy to become exhausted, throw up your hands, and give up when you have so many business details that can muddy the simple joy of it. The fact that we pros stick around, participate in the community, give our opinions, listen to others, share our knowledge, and continue to be passionate about what we do, rather than become jaded and blase about all the details of the art, speaks to our love for it.

So the next time you hear someone imply that pros don't do it for the love, send them over here. Let them have a chance to reconsider what they are saying, and appreciate what it means to make your avocation your vocation.

Wise advice: Let It Go

2010-04-19T15:36:00.000-07:00

Gibson Pearl posted this today, and I thought it was beautiful.

This is something I found long ago...I modified it a touch. Maybe it's something you need to hear right now. Maybe you know someone who needs to hear it. In any case...

**************************************

There are people who can walk away from you. And hear me when I tell you this:

When people can walk away from you, let them walk.

Don’t try to talk another person into staying with you, loving you, calling you, caring about you, coming to see you, staying attached to you. I mean hang up the phone. When people can walk away from you let them walk. Your destiny is never tied to anybody that left.

People leave you because they are not joined to you. And if they are not joined to you, you can't make them stay. Let them go. It doesn't mean that they are bad people; it just means that their part in the story is over. And you've got to know when people's part in your story is over so that you don't keep trying to raise the dead.

You've got to know when it's dead. You've got to know when it's over. Embrace the gift of good-bye.

If you are holding on to something that doesn't belong to you and was never intended for your life, then you need to LET IT GO.

If you are holding on to past hurts and pains...LET IT GO.

If someone can't treat you right, love you back, and see your worth...LET IT GO.

If you are holding on to some thoughts of evil and revenge...LET IT GO.

If you are involved in a wrong relationship or addiction...LET IT GO.

If you are holding on to a job that no longer meets your needs or talents…LET IT GO.

If you have a bad attitude...LET IT GO.

If you keep judging others to make yourself feel better...LET IT GO.

If you are struggling with the healing of a broken relationship...LET IT GO.

If you keep trying to help someone who won't even try to help themselves…LET IT GO.

Let the past be the past. Forget the former things. New life is today.

The Perfect Storm: Two Big Things, One Long Week

2010-04-13T16:39:00.000-07:00

My online family has been concerned over my recent spate of obviously bereft emotional postings on Facebook, and I haven't been able to share too much. I am sorry to have to have been so cryptic and distant, but it's all news that needed the right time to be shared. Beyond the cut is more than you might even want to dive into, but if you're interested in what's been up in my world (and I assume that is why you are all here), here's the scoop, in three parts:

BIG THING #1 - "FUCK CANCER!"
BIG THING #2: A FAREWELL FROM INFUSION TRIBAL
WHAT THE FUTURE HOLDS

BIG THING #1 - "FUCK CANCER!"
Last week, my dear Mother-In-Law was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Now, if you knew Pat at all, you would know that there is probably not a single other person on the planet who deserves such awful news *less* than she does (not that anyone deserves it, but ya know what I mean...). She is the most incredibly giving, generous, unconditional-loving person I have had the pleasure to know. And she gave me my awesome best friend/husband, having passed so many of her incredible qualities on to my life partner, and his sweet younger sister. As a single Mom for most of their lives, she struggled mightily at times to keep body and soul together, but with her family's love, faith in God, tenacious spirit, and refusal to go down easy whenever any difficulty comes her way, she is in so many ways an inspiration to those around her. So this news, in a nutshell: Fucking. Sucks. But we're counting on Pat's tenacious spirit and faith to come through again throughout what lies ahead.

Her prognosis is actually stronger than many others who have faced this form of cancer. You can read "What you NEED to know about pancreatic cancer" on my friend Michelle's note here: http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=153990643938 Her mother passed away from this cancer recently, and she was a primary care provider for her Mom during her fight, so she has a lot of firsthand information and insight on the topic. You may not be able to read it unless you are friended with Michelle, so if enough people are interested, I will get Michelle's permission to post it here or something public where others can read what she has to say. The statistics are not great, but it doesn't deter us from focusing all of our thoughts toward a positive outcome.

Pat starts chemo within the week, and we are not just engaging capable doctors and nurses, but also invoking the power of prayer and positive energies to help support Pat and her loved ones in what will be a difficult time ahead. Please add yours to the collection if you would.

More news as it becomes available...

BIG THING #2: A FAREWELL FROM INFUSION TRIBAL
All good things must come to an end, and as trite a statement as that may read, it is also true for inFusion Tribal Bellydance. A lot has changed in the eight years since the troupe was founded, full of growth, personal evolutions, and creative discoveries. It has been an exciting, and even life-changing, ride for all of us. But the time has come to explore new opportunities and challenges; and while our hearts are heavy at the thought of no longer being a part of this incredible collective we have been blessed to forge together, it is with continued undeniable love and support of one another that we each move in new directions.

The final appearance of inFusion Tribal will be at the World Rhythm Festival at the Seattle Center at the end of April--Sharon will be teaching a workshop on Saturday April 24th at 11am in the Center House - 4th Floor, Room H (with "vintage" t-shirts and hoodies for sale!); and most of the troupe members will be performing on Sunday the 25th at 1pm on the Mural Stage. As for myself, Cues & Tattoos was an incredibly fun and rewarding performance, and I have chosen to mark it as my final performance as a member of inFusion.

We are so grateful for all the support and enthusiasm our friends and fans have shown us over the years. To add another trite-but-true statement, it really would not have been the same without you. Your positive energies flowing so generously toward us, on and offstage, has been a huge part of who we are and what we were able to create, and we are infinitely thankful. Performing for you has been a privilege, and has created lasting joyful memories for all of us.

Take heart, this is surely not the last you will see of all of us!! Sharon's classes and workshops will continue (though there will be a planned break in May due to vacation travel and Memorial Day building closures), and the student troupe, Nomaditude, will be continuing to dance at events throughout the year. Renee will soon be back teaching yoga, and plans to resume teaching dance classes in the fall. Keep an eye on our website and Facebook Fan Page to keep up-to-date with inFusion's former members, so you can continue to support each of them in their new ventures, wherever their path leads them.

Thank you again, from the bottom of our hearts, for a fantastic eight years.

WHAT THE FUTURE HOLDS
As I said in the announcement above, my classes and workshops will continue as they always have, as will Nomaditude. Beyond that, with all that is coming together in a perfect storm for me right now, my immediate focus is on taking some time to self-nurture, refresh and refill the emotional and creative well, and soak up the positive ju-ju that the world has to offer. But as a lifetime lover o' the stage, you can bet that it won't be too long before I will be concocting something new for all my tribal-lovin' friends and fans out there. Keep your eyes peeled for the next incarnation of my creative energies.

I am incredibly grateful for this extended family the dance has brought me--all your loving words of support and encouragement have been beacons, and I feel wholly blessed. All my love to you.

An April Horoscope

2010-04-11T09:55:00.000-07:00

A good friend sent me this today, saying it reminded her of what I am dealing with now. Woah!

"April promises to be a month of transformation. Several significant planetary transitions occur, challenging us to find novel recipes to make use of their nourishment. One of the key features of the month is the opportunity to reconsider past decisions and rewrite our history or reframe the latest new chapter of our lives. Sometimes we need a do-over.

If you didn’t get all your clearing out and organizing done while Saturn was in Virgo, you’ll get another shot at it when Saturn goes back into Virgo on April 6. Since October 29, we’ve been experiencing the latest directive from Saturn—get your relationships in order. Now we get to go back and rework what was left over from the previous two years. Even though you may already know what Saturn in Libra is bringing to you, chances are good that you have some serious Virgo work to complete. This is essential groundwork for your next great plan in life. If it gives us a sense of relief to have this “extra time,” it also takes us back to unresolved dilemmas leftover from 2008-09.

These dilemmas will involve the Saturn-Uranus opposition that we have been learning through since mid-2008, with previous peak dates of November 4, 2008, February 5, 2009, and September 5, 2009. We still have two more contacts to go, one of them on April 26 at 29 Virgo/Pisces. By now, we should have at least gotten used to whatever issues these planets brought out in our lives. An odd combination of structure and freedom is beginning to emerge, perhaps in a startling form. It isn’t over yet, but we have more insight than we had before about how to find our way through the maze...."

iPod Touch worth it?

2010-04-03T13:04:00.000-07:00

Today a student of mine asked about iPod Touch on her FB, and it got me thinking about my Touch I got for Christmas and how it has been working out for me in the intervening months. I wrote her a lengthy reply, and thought I would share it here. I know a lot of my fellow dancers and teachers use iPods extensively, and might benefit from hearing my experience.

Q. My ancient ipod classic is on its last legs. Anybody have an ipod touch? Thoughts? Why would I get one of those v. another classic?

I have owned three iPods--a Classic 20 Gig, Nano 2nd Gen 4 Gig, and Nano 4th Gen 8 Gig. I hardly ever used my (old, heavy, clunky) Classic 20 Gig to its fullest capacity because it was so hard to scroll through so much music. The click-wheel is truly an incredible innovation, but it has its limits. 20 Gigs was TOO MUCH music, and the interface being limited on purpose for simplicity made it cumbersome to use at that size. Then my 4 and 8 gigs weren't enough. The 4 because it was way too small to keep all my class and troupe music on and still have anything left over for my own listening pleasure, and the 8 because that now had a color screen and was also storing album art, the occasional movie, etc. But even at 8, despite some innovations in the interface software, I was starting to get that old familiar irritation of having a limited interface for a lot of data.

Enter the iTouch. I got the largest version, because I wanted to be able to use all its features without having to choose what can and can't fit--I wanted all my dance music, plus some music for myself, and some videos. So far I have barely scratched the surface of its capacity, and though I am glad I made the choice to get a large capacity one, most people can probably get away with the mid-range for uses like mine.

As for the interface, it is just as intuitive as the other iPods, but with even more robust navigation options for accessing and working with your data. Though I have more music on it than my other iPods, I can get to it all faster. I can edit on the go playlists without having to start from scratch. When browsing lists, I can skip to a letter of the alphabet without scrolling interminably to get there. I can switch from Album to Artist without going back-back-forward, I just click on an icon at the bottom of the screen. Things just move a little faster, smoother, easier. Also a lot easier to read and see the body of information displayed thanks to a nice big screen.

Plus I have a calendar that interfaces with my Google Calendar, and updates whenever I am near an open WiFi connection (which I am a lot). I have a weight/calorie tracker to help with my diet efforts. Last night pulled up my Last.fm program, plugged it into our stereo, and played a Sneakerpimps-inspired playlist for a party. I ripped a copy of my favorite bellydance video to have on hand for reference of basic movement verbiage used in teaching. I can take a quick note for later reference--the virtual keyboard on these are shockingly easy to use. I have a few games to pass the time when waiting for appointments, or to pass to a friend's child to amuse them while we chat over tea (yes, I have some toddler-specific games for just that purpose ;). The list goes on.

I wish I could have an iPhone, but I won't switch to AT&T (too many friends who have been unhappy). I would love to be able to use 4G and not have to be near WiFi anytime I want to access the net (though I have a G1 phone for that), and I would love a camera in it. But those are my only complaints. I think the iTouch is really handy for my uses. Food for thought.