After more than a year, I've finally uploaded a video of myself dancing.
This was the first time I asked to be part of a Talent Show that was separate from my dance classes. I was so nervous! But it was a great experience.
It was awesome to have people recognize me throughout this weekend and compliment me on my dancing, asking me questions and such.
So, I hope you enjoy this video :)
Saturday, December 5, 2009
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Filipino Fusing with Middle Eastern?
Before I started belly dance classes, I decided that I needed to learn a bit about my own cultural dance first. Though I was involved with the Filipino Student Association at my undergrad, I never made it in time to join the dance troupes. However, there was a one-semester class for Filipino Dance.
As the class fulfilled a graduation credit, two of my friends joined me in the class. Though it was a small group, it was quite an enjoyable class. I learned a lot about the regional differences in the dances, and how most of the traditional dances are choreographed for specific stories or purposes.
For example, as the music and dance reflects the culture, there are Christian, Muslim, and Indigenous dances. The Christian-style dances reflect the Spanish colonization, featuring a lot of 3/4 beat music and socializing dances. Muslim-style dances reflect the influences from Indonesia and other Southeast Asian cultures, and mainly tells stories. The Indigenous dances are more drum and kulintang-based, and are more ritualistic.
My favorite part about the dances was the focus on the hand and arm movements. While it was so many years ago, I remember the teacher talking about the importance of grace in the arm movements. However, there wasn't necessarily much room for improvisation.
Nonetheless, I'm suddenly struck with the idea of fusing traditional Filipino dance movements with Middle Eastern dance.
I feel that I have to brush up a bit on the movements in Filipino dance. I know there is a Fhilippine Dance Company in Boston, but it doesn't seem very easy to get in touch with someone who could point me in the direction of classes. I might try to go through Boston University's Filipino Student Association, perhaps use my powers as an alum - no matter how minuscule they might be.
In the meantime, here are some clips I found on YouTube:
Traditional Southern/Muslim Filipino Dance:
Tribal Filipino Fusion with Belly Dance Fusion:
As the class fulfilled a graduation credit, two of my friends joined me in the class. Though it was a small group, it was quite an enjoyable class. I learned a lot about the regional differences in the dances, and how most of the traditional dances are choreographed for specific stories or purposes.
For example, as the music and dance reflects the culture, there are Christian, Muslim, and Indigenous dances. The Christian-style dances reflect the Spanish colonization, featuring a lot of 3/4 beat music and socializing dances. Muslim-style dances reflect the influences from Indonesia and other Southeast Asian cultures, and mainly tells stories. The Indigenous dances are more drum and kulintang-based, and are more ritualistic.
My favorite part about the dances was the focus on the hand and arm movements. While it was so many years ago, I remember the teacher talking about the importance of grace in the arm movements. However, there wasn't necessarily much room for improvisation.
Nonetheless, I'm suddenly struck with the idea of fusing traditional Filipino dance movements with Middle Eastern dance.
I feel that I have to brush up a bit on the movements in Filipino dance. I know there is a Fhilippine Dance Company in Boston, but it doesn't seem very easy to get in touch with someone who could point me in the direction of classes. I might try to go through Boston University's Filipino Student Association, perhaps use my powers as an alum - no matter how minuscule they might be.
In the meantime, here are some clips I found on YouTube:
Traditional Southern/Muslim Filipino Dance:
Tribal Filipino Fusion with Belly Dance Fusion:
Saturday, November 21, 2009
"My name is Cecilia, and I'll be your Goddess this evening."
Names have power.
Naming things has power - for better or for worse.
Names can be changed in order to remove or increase power.
Names are identity.
I personally love my name, in all its Filipino-ness, individuality, Simon & Garfunkel ode-inspired, and significance.
I've often thought about my name and how it relates to my persona. As I'm living a daytime life and a nighttime life, I know I can separate the two as not everyone knows about my belly dancing or my "night job." But the one thing I feel that I can't separate is my name.
In belly dance, it seems that most dancers have a stage name. Shira provides a great article about the process of deciding and finding a name. Though I know it's not a necessity, there is a lure in creating a whole new personality just by changing my name. The idea of being able to throw away all your cares and dance the night away is quite attractive.
Yet, I find it hard to give myself a name without giving the rest of me the cold shoulder.
So, I have considered a couple of names, most of which obviously has some significance to mermaids. Serena, the Spanish and Filipino word for "mermaid." Jullanar or Dyullanar, a mermaid that shows up in Thousand and One Nights, with the second version in the Filipino way of spelling it. Dyesebel, the name of a Filipino mermaid, popularized by written stories and film.
But...I also really like my own name. I don't know if I feel that I'm being dishonest about who I am if I take on another personality? Maybe it's that I feel like it would become just another thing for me to carry? Maybe I feel that if I'm going to learn as much as I can about Middle Eastern dance, that I need to go into it fully by giving myself fully, and that includes my name?
*shrug*
I don't know. But for now, as I'm not a professional dancer, I'm satisfied using my own name.
In my Athena's business, one that would require me to separate my night life with my day life, I proudly use my own name. Again, I feel like I can't create a whole different persona to match this other part of my life. It's almost exhausting just thinking about having to create a different persona.
Though, clearly, I would try to be careful about whom and what I talk about my night job, I still feel like who I am as a Goddess vs. who I am as a social worker needs to be compatible in order for me to even exist. With all my quirks, all my sillyness, and all my passion for helping you find your inner Goddess, what you see is what you get.
More recently, a new acquaintance told me that she was joining Passion Parties. Now, I don't know much about that company other than that they're based in San Francisco. At first, I was pretty bummed that I didn't have the opportunity to recruit this person. But, then I was really excited that someone was joining the team of women (in all the different companies) that try to bring others passions out.
Personally, I LOVE LOVE LOVE Athena's. The fact that this business fell into my lap was clearly fate. Starting with even the name of the company, highlighting the Greek Goddess of Wisdom as opposed to the Goddess of Love, I knew that I would be very comfortable. The geek in me that loves Greek myths absolutely perked up.
Then, there's the mission of the organization:
I take the role of Goddess quite seriously. I wear my Goddess pin proudly. I did not hesitate tacking that onto my name and persona. While it's still an addition to my name, it doesn't feel like a further extension of who I am, or another thing to carry.
As I've mentioned in a previous post, I've been juggling all my roles. I think that holding onto my name as an integral part of all the things I engage in will help keep me grounded and rooted. As I mentioned in the beginning, names have power...I think I'd like to keep both.
Naming things has power - for better or for worse.
Names can be changed in order to remove or increase power.
Names are identity.
I personally love my name, in all its Filipino-ness, individuality, Simon & Garfunkel ode-inspired, and significance.
I've often thought about my name and how it relates to my persona. As I'm living a daytime life and a nighttime life, I know I can separate the two as not everyone knows about my belly dancing or my "night job." But the one thing I feel that I can't separate is my name.
In belly dance, it seems that most dancers have a stage name. Shira provides a great article about the process of deciding and finding a name. Though I know it's not a necessity, there is a lure in creating a whole new personality just by changing my name. The idea of being able to throw away all your cares and dance the night away is quite attractive.
Yet, I find it hard to give myself a name without giving the rest of me the cold shoulder.
So, I have considered a couple of names, most of which obviously has some significance to mermaids. Serena, the Spanish and Filipino word for "mermaid." Jullanar or Dyullanar, a mermaid that shows up in Thousand and One Nights, with the second version in the Filipino way of spelling it. Dyesebel, the name of a Filipino mermaid, popularized by written stories and film.
Dyesebel as a tv show in the Philippines...must...watch.....
But...I also really like my own name. I don't know if I feel that I'm being dishonest about who I am if I take on another personality? Maybe it's that I feel like it would become just another thing for me to carry? Maybe I feel that if I'm going to learn as much as I can about Middle Eastern dance, that I need to go into it fully by giving myself fully, and that includes my name?
*shrug*
I don't know. But for now, as I'm not a professional dancer, I'm satisfied using my own name.
In my Athena's business, one that would require me to separate my night life with my day life, I proudly use my own name. Again, I feel like I can't create a whole different persona to match this other part of my life. It's almost exhausting just thinking about having to create a different persona.
Though, clearly, I would try to be careful about whom and what I talk about my night job, I still feel like who I am as a Goddess vs. who I am as a social worker needs to be compatible in order for me to even exist. With all my quirks, all my sillyness, and all my passion for helping you find your inner Goddess, what you see is what you get.
More recently, a new acquaintance told me that she was joining Passion Parties. Now, I don't know much about that company other than that they're based in San Francisco. At first, I was pretty bummed that I didn't have the opportunity to recruit this person. But, then I was really excited that someone was joining the team of women (in all the different companies) that try to bring others passions out.
Personally, I LOVE LOVE LOVE Athena's. The fact that this business fell into my lap was clearly fate. Starting with even the name of the company, highlighting the Greek Goddess of Wisdom as opposed to the Goddess of Love, I knew that I would be very comfortable. The geek in me that loves Greek myths absolutely perked up.
Then, there's the mission of the organization:
Our Mission: To empower women down the path of sexual education in the safe, comfortable environment of their own homes by offering only the highest quality products presented by a trained Athena's Goddess.Right up my alley. Ever since I became sexually active, I've strongly believed that one should be educated about sex before engaging in it. In my 3 years of being a Goddess, the hardest part for me has been meeting girls who have engaged in sex not fully knowing their bodies or what pleases them. I'm not asking for folks to take an anatomy class or to study up on sex before getting into it. But even just to get to know your own body...it's something.
Goddess
I take the role of Goddess quite seriously. I wear my Goddess pin proudly. I did not hesitate tacking that onto my name and persona. While it's still an addition to my name, it doesn't feel like a further extension of who I am, or another thing to carry.
As I've mentioned in a previous post, I've been juggling all my roles. I think that holding onto my name as an integral part of all the things I engage in will help keep me grounded and rooted. As I mentioned in the beginning, names have power...I think I'd like to keep both.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Dancing to Live (Music)
When I first moved to Boston 5 years ago, I knew that I wanted to continue taking belly dance lessons. Since I considered belly dance a hobby, I didn''t realize that I would feel as passionate about the art as I do now. While I don't consider myself a professional yet, I think it's something I'm considering more and more with every new experience.
I've had the pleasure to interact and learn from fabulous dancers, and I look forward to continuing my dance and music education. Through the different teachers, I've been exposed to opportunities that I've never thought I would be a part of.
Well...let me backtrack for a second.
I've done some performing for most of my life - from piano recitals to orchestra and band concerts in high school. Perhaps because of my being trained classically, I've always been freaked out by improvisation. Even in jazz band, I was so unsure of my abilities that I didn't think that I could possibly pull off something as musically awesome as some of the old songs I love.
When I was in undergrad, I participated (performed and directed pieces) in the Queer Fashion Show. I loved that whole experience! Working with large groups of people and putting together an entertaining peice...oh, then the performance! I loved it. But I never performed on my own. I felt that the people who I performed with were like my backbone, giving me strength to go on through my anxiety.
When I began to belly dance, I anticipated a lot more troupe performances. When recitals would come around, I would get extremely nervous. I had to psych myself up, just saying to myself that I've done this before, there's nothing to worry about.
Four recitals later (in 2008), I gathered enough courage to perform at a casual talent show in Vermont. It was the first time I had sought out dancing alone for a group. I was so nervous! I couldn't even tell you about the massive amounts of butterflies in my stomach and the bullets I was sweating afterwards. But throughout the weekend, I received so many complements. People I didn't even know were watching came up to me in the days following my performance, complementing me and asking me about my dance background. It was an exciting feeling.
(Celebration of Expression, Photo taken by Cat O.)
Later that year, my fellow social workers and friends organized an event that created a safe space for women to express themselves. One friend read erotic poetry, another friend shared her baking wisdom, and I danced. It was my first time performing a full routine (though broken into sections) for a live audience.
2008 seemed to be the year I finally had enough "belly dance balls." Prior to the last two shows I wrote about, I was given the chance to dance with the Jewels of Jamal at the Athenian Corner in Lowell, MA. This time was different. This time, I danced to live music. Amira Jamal had been preparing us for this experience through all her classes, encouraging us to dance to songs we weren't familiar with.
(Athenian Corner, Photo by Albert Ma)
All of her lessons were flooding into my head at that moment. Don't forget to smile, make sure your hands are "alive," move around the floor. I'm surprised I didn't fall over from all the thoughts in my head. In the end, I survived. I knew that dancing to live music was another goal to add to my list of accomplishments.
On October 1st, a Boston Bellydance Meet Up occurred. One of my dance teachers and friend Najmat leads the Meet Ups, and I was eager to meet more dancers in the community. This was the first Meet Up event in almost a year, and it was held in the Basha Cafe in Cambridge.
Mitchell Kaltsounas and Aboud Ghazi were playing that night. I don't know much about the musicians in the area, but if my classmates and teachers like their music I figure there's something for me to learn. Mitchell and Aboud were awesome! The music was fabulous, and I was surprised to recognize as many of the songs that I did. I'd have to credit Amira Jamal for making sure that we exposed ourselves to the classical Arabic tunes.
As a Meet Up event, I had a blast. It's unfortunate that not a lot of people, including much of whom RSVPed, attended. But it was great to be there with dancers old and new. We were all wondering if there would be a featured dancer, but realized that we were the only dancers there.
Now, generally speaking, others danced. It was almost similar to being at a club, but with live music. Someone was celebrating their 30th birthday, so there was much dancing and celebrating to be had. But the Middle Eastern dancers were the first ones to get up there. At first, I stayed behind the other dancers. I danced to the music, and sang along when I knew the words. While I started using my fellow dancers as a crutch, I grew more and more comfortable with myself.
It was a liberating experience. I'm still a student, no doubt. There were rhythms and movements I was still unfamiliar with, and I know I still need to grow in my stage presence. But dancing to live music adds to this other dimension of interaction between movement and sound. It gives me more items to add to my checklist of becoming a more professional and educated and comfortable in my own abilities.
I've had the pleasure to interact and learn from fabulous dancers, and I look forward to continuing my dance and music education. Through the different teachers, I've been exposed to opportunities that I've never thought I would be a part of.
Well...let me backtrack for a second.
I've done some performing for most of my life - from piano recitals to orchestra and band concerts in high school. Perhaps because of my being trained classically, I've always been freaked out by improvisation. Even in jazz band, I was so unsure of my abilities that I didn't think that I could possibly pull off something as musically awesome as some of the old songs I love.
When I was in undergrad, I participated (performed and directed pieces) in the Queer Fashion Show. I loved that whole experience! Working with large groups of people and putting together an entertaining peice...oh, then the performance! I loved it. But I never performed on my own. I felt that the people who I performed with were like my backbone, giving me strength to go on through my anxiety.
When I began to belly dance, I anticipated a lot more troupe performances. When recitals would come around, I would get extremely nervous. I had to psych myself up, just saying to myself that I've done this before, there's nothing to worry about.
Four recitals later (in 2008), I gathered enough courage to perform at a casual talent show in Vermont. It was the first time I had sought out dancing alone for a group. I was so nervous! I couldn't even tell you about the massive amounts of butterflies in my stomach and the bullets I was sweating afterwards. But throughout the weekend, I received so many complements. People I didn't even know were watching came up to me in the days following my performance, complementing me and asking me about my dance background. It was an exciting feeling.(Celebration of Expression, Photo taken by Cat O.)
Later that year, my fellow social workers and friends organized an event that created a safe space for women to express themselves. One friend read erotic poetry, another friend shared her baking wisdom, and I danced. It was my first time performing a full routine (though broken into sections) for a live audience.
2008 seemed to be the year I finally had enough "belly dance balls." Prior to the last two shows I wrote about, I was given the chance to dance with the Jewels of Jamal at the Athenian Corner in Lowell, MA. This time was different. This time, I danced to live music. Amira Jamal had been preparing us for this experience through all her classes, encouraging us to dance to songs we weren't familiar with.(Athenian Corner, Photo by Albert Ma)
All of her lessons were flooding into my head at that moment. Don't forget to smile, make sure your hands are "alive," move around the floor. I'm surprised I didn't fall over from all the thoughts in my head. In the end, I survived. I knew that dancing to live music was another goal to add to my list of accomplishments.
On October 1st, a Boston Bellydance Meet Up occurred. One of my dance teachers and friend Najmat leads the Meet Ups, and I was eager to meet more dancers in the community. This was the first Meet Up event in almost a year, and it was held in the Basha Cafe in Cambridge.
Mitchell Kaltsounas and Aboud Ghazi were playing that night. I don't know much about the musicians in the area, but if my classmates and teachers like their music I figure there's something for me to learn. Mitchell and Aboud were awesome! The music was fabulous, and I was surprised to recognize as many of the songs that I did. I'd have to credit Amira Jamal for making sure that we exposed ourselves to the classical Arabic tunes.
As a Meet Up event, I had a blast. It's unfortunate that not a lot of people, including much of whom RSVPed, attended. But it was great to be there with dancers old and new. We were all wondering if there would be a featured dancer, but realized that we were the only dancers there.
Now, generally speaking, others danced. It was almost similar to being at a club, but with live music. Someone was celebrating their 30th birthday, so there was much dancing and celebrating to be had. But the Middle Eastern dancers were the first ones to get up there. At first, I stayed behind the other dancers. I danced to the music, and sang along when I knew the words. While I started using my fellow dancers as a crutch, I grew more and more comfortable with myself.
It was a liberating experience. I'm still a student, no doubt. There were rhythms and movements I was still unfamiliar with, and I know I still need to grow in my stage presence. But dancing to live music adds to this other dimension of interaction between movement and sound. It gives me more items to add to my checklist of becoming a more professional and educated and comfortable in my own abilities.
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Viva La Diva Weekend Part 3 - Zambra Mora and Conclusion
Zambra Mora
Sunday's workshop had a smaller group in it, but I think that was for the best! With all the skirt-whooshing, we probably would have hurt ourselves and each other if the workshop was packed.
Though I've included a link about Zambra Mora, I was hesitant about posting more about it. The link I provided, however, repeats what we learned this past weekend about the style. Dondi and Titanya stressed that there's nothing conclusive about what they or anyone else has learned about the style. They know that it preceded Flamenco, and that it most likely was not an actual dance. But even in their travels to Andalusia and Southern Spain, they found minimal information. I found it fascinating that Zambra Mora was once outlawed and is such an underground style, almost to the point of denying all the cross-over and intermingling that is generally important in the birth of creativity.
Zambra Mora, which translates to "Moorish party," seems to be both fiery and earthy, often danced barefoot and proclaiming emotions. There's a focus on duende, or feeling a passion in the body and soul, and those emotions are expressed in the powerful movements and the noises that is often made during the movement. One interesting tidbit we learned was that "Olé" is derived from the Arabic "wa'Allah" ("by Allah" or "by God"). It might seem silly, but that information blew my mind!!! Though the more I think about it, the less I'm surprised, especially coming from a culture that has 300 years of Spanish rule behind it. I think it's just one of those things you don't really think about until someone points it out.
Another way to think about Zambra Mora is "Spanish Fusion." A lot of the power and movement in Flamenco comes from this style, and the moves and choreography we learned echoed it. At first, we learned a variety of ways to twirl our skirts around. Moving in a circle around the room was somewhat exhilarating. You could almost feel the energy swirling around with us. Then Titanya showed us some beautiful hand movements. That was definitely a highlight for me! I know I need to work some more on my hands, and like I've said before her hands are a great example to follow.
The choreography was definitely a little more difficult on this day. Much of the routine was with a partner, at times moving opposite them. There was also a lot of turning from one side to another quickly. A lot of time was spent on moves that involved turning around our partners, and then speeding it up. We luckily kept each other balanced, though. I also had to keep from tripping on my skirt! They have so much fabric on them, I had to roll up the top a little.
We danced to "Qadukka-I-Mayyas" by Jesse Cook
Like I mentioned before, making noises is part of the dance. Zaghareets, yips, and clapping all get incorporated into the moves - but when you feel it naturally, not actually choreographed into a routine. I like all the yipping and shouting that's part of the dance. I think that we were all concentrating so much on getting the moves down that we did a lot less exclaiming, though. It makes me think a bit about technique vs. feeling. The essence of both Middle Eastern Dance and Zambra Mora seems to be in the emotions and feeling the music enough to express it in our bodies. I think it's a powerful message - one I plan to carry with me in my future lessons.
Another lesson we learned was the difference in clapping styles between the Arabic and the Spanish. In Arabic, the clapping style is called a qaf, and it's with fingers open and somewhat separated. Qaf wounds more high pitched. In Spanish, the clapping style is called a palma, which is with cupped hands. Palma sounds deeper and more muffled. It was fun to compare the two.
Aside from their teaching styles and friendly nature, I thoroughly enjoyed their history lessons!!! They spoke a lot about their own histories as well as the origins of some of the movements. Through their personal stories, they taught us a lot about what works for different people's bodies and main Element, as well as what is appropriate in the various dance settings (from country to country or from club to wedding). For example, if you're dancing in an Arabic country, DO NOT accept a drink from a server (probably bought by one of the guests), because it means you'll be sleeping with one of the guests! Also, if tips are thrown in your direction, you have to avoid stepping on the bills - it's considered disrespectful because the Sheiks pictures are on the bills! Basically, Dondi and Titanya are a wealth of knowledge! There's so much more that they shared with us, that it's hard to remember everything as I write about it. If you get an opportunity to learn from them, it's worth it!
We barely got a taste on Saturday of what each of the Five Elements were about. None of us can say that we've become experts on it. If I ever get the chance (and the funds! Read more on that below), I would love to take the 5-day workshop with Dondi and Titanya! I think the workshops would really help a person gain some insight about themselves, their surroundings, and the people around them. Plus, they are both just fabulous people! I'm going to credit their warm and welcoming nature to them having grown up in the South Pacific (yay!). But, it was great to meet two fabulous and well known dancers, and to learn that they are so grounded and humbled. Perhaps when I travel to the West Coast again, I will ask them about any happenings in the community. I think many people always say that they welcome emails and keeping in touch. But when they said it this weekend, it's the first time I felt it was nothing less than sincere.
The Reason Why I'm Broke (but Happy) Now
The danger of attending a weekend-long workshop is that there will always be shopping. Oh, glorious, exhilarating shopping. This weekend, Viva La Diva and the vendors basically took over an entire section of the Courtyard Marriott. An entire hallway was full of sparklies and flouncies and swooshies. I spent WAY too much money.
Though I now need to really sell some things just to not be broke (wait....did you click on that link? Go ahead...do it....I'll wait..............ok...be sure to email me, okay? :D), I walked away with two new veils, a cover up/shawl, two silver rings, and a gypsy skirt pictured below. Ay...my bank account will be hurting...but I had such a fabulous weekend! I feel like a different dancer, more educated and armed with my arsenal of costumage.
I feel so blessed to have been a part of that whole weekend, and I look forward to next year's workshop!
Sunday's workshop had a smaller group in it, but I think that was for the best! With all the skirt-whooshing, we probably would have hurt ourselves and each other if the workshop was packed.
Though I've included a link about Zambra Mora, I was hesitant about posting more about it. The link I provided, however, repeats what we learned this past weekend about the style. Dondi and Titanya stressed that there's nothing conclusive about what they or anyone else has learned about the style. They know that it preceded Flamenco, and that it most likely was not an actual dance. But even in their travels to Andalusia and Southern Spain, they found minimal information. I found it fascinating that Zambra Mora was once outlawed and is such an underground style, almost to the point of denying all the cross-over and intermingling that is generally important in the birth of creativity.
Zambra Mora, which translates to "Moorish party," seems to be both fiery and earthy, often danced barefoot and proclaiming emotions. There's a focus on duende, or feeling a passion in the body and soul, and those emotions are expressed in the powerful movements and the noises that is often made during the movement. One interesting tidbit we learned was that "Olé" is derived from the Arabic "wa'Allah" ("by Allah" or "by God"). It might seem silly, but that information blew my mind!!! Though the more I think about it, the less I'm surprised, especially coming from a culture that has 300 years of Spanish rule behind it. I think it's just one of those things you don't really think about until someone points it out.
Another way to think about Zambra Mora is "Spanish Fusion." A lot of the power and movement in Flamenco comes from this style, and the moves and choreography we learned echoed it. At first, we learned a variety of ways to twirl our skirts around. Moving in a circle around the room was somewhat exhilarating. You could almost feel the energy swirling around with us. Then Titanya showed us some beautiful hand movements. That was definitely a highlight for me! I know I need to work some more on my hands, and like I've said before her hands are a great example to follow.
The choreography was definitely a little more difficult on this day. Much of the routine was with a partner, at times moving opposite them. There was also a lot of turning from one side to another quickly. A lot of time was spent on moves that involved turning around our partners, and then speeding it up. We luckily kept each other balanced, though. I also had to keep from tripping on my skirt! They have so much fabric on them, I had to roll up the top a little.
We danced to "Qadukka-I-Mayyas" by Jesse Cook
Like I mentioned before, making noises is part of the dance. Zaghareets, yips, and clapping all get incorporated into the moves - but when you feel it naturally, not actually choreographed into a routine. I like all the yipping and shouting that's part of the dance. I think that we were all concentrating so much on getting the moves down that we did a lot less exclaiming, though. It makes me think a bit about technique vs. feeling. The essence of both Middle Eastern Dance and Zambra Mora seems to be in the emotions and feeling the music enough to express it in our bodies. I think it's a powerful message - one I plan to carry with me in my future lessons.
Another lesson we learned was the difference in clapping styles between the Arabic and the Spanish. In Arabic, the clapping style is called a qaf, and it's with fingers open and somewhat separated. Qaf wounds more high pitched. In Spanish, the clapping style is called a palma, which is with cupped hands. Palma sounds deeper and more muffled. It was fun to compare the two.
Aside from their teaching styles and friendly nature, I thoroughly enjoyed their history lessons!!! They spoke a lot about their own histories as well as the origins of some of the movements. Through their personal stories, they taught us a lot about what works for different people's bodies and main Element, as well as what is appropriate in the various dance settings (from country to country or from club to wedding). For example, if you're dancing in an Arabic country, DO NOT accept a drink from a server (probably bought by one of the guests), because it means you'll be sleeping with one of the guests! Also, if tips are thrown in your direction, you have to avoid stepping on the bills - it's considered disrespectful because the Sheiks pictures are on the bills! Basically, Dondi and Titanya are a wealth of knowledge! There's so much more that they shared with us, that it's hard to remember everything as I write about it. If you get an opportunity to learn from them, it's worth it!
We barely got a taste on Saturday of what each of the Five Elements were about. None of us can say that we've become experts on it. If I ever get the chance (and the funds! Read more on that below), I would love to take the 5-day workshop with Dondi and Titanya! I think the workshops would really help a person gain some insight about themselves, their surroundings, and the people around them. Plus, they are both just fabulous people! I'm going to credit their warm and welcoming nature to them having grown up in the South Pacific (yay!). But, it was great to meet two fabulous and well known dancers, and to learn that they are so grounded and humbled. Perhaps when I travel to the West Coast again, I will ask them about any happenings in the community. I think many people always say that they welcome emails and keeping in touch. But when they said it this weekend, it's the first time I felt it was nothing less than sincere.
The Reason Why I'm Broke (but Happy) Now
The danger of attending a weekend-long workshop is that there will always be shopping. Oh, glorious, exhilarating shopping. This weekend, Viva La Diva and the vendors basically took over an entire section of the Courtyard Marriott. An entire hallway was full of sparklies and flouncies and swooshies. I spent WAY too much money.
Though I now need to really sell some things just to not be broke (wait....did you click on that link? Go ahead...do it....I'll wait..............ok...be sure to email me, okay? :D), I walked away with two new veils, a cover up/shawl, two silver rings, and a gypsy skirt pictured below. Ay...my bank account will be hurting...but I had such a fabulous weekend! I feel like a different dancer, more educated and armed with my arsenal of costumage.
I feel so blessed to have been a part of that whole weekend, and I look forward to next year's workshop!
Gorgeous skirts and veils and women!!!
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Viva La Diva Weekend Part 2 - Show and Competition
Viva La Diva Competition and Show
On my way to the Courtyard Marriott in Woburn that morning, I didn't think I would stay the whole day. With my weekends being so busy, I haven't had a lot of time to relax and spend time with my boyfriend and friends. But after Saturday's workshop, I had made some wonderful connections, and after telling my boyfriend about all the fun I was having he encouraged me to stay and get inspired.
I'm so glad that I did! It was my first Viva La Diva show, so I had no idea that it was going to go on for more than 5 hours!! But I love watching other dancers and hearing songs that I'm not familiar with yet.
Once Za-Beth posts up information about who the winners are, I'll update this blog with more of my impressions.
I was excited to see that one of my classmates with Amira Jamal was part of the competition! I was so proud to be there to cheer on Shakima Laila. She had performed some of her competition pieces to us in class, so it was exciting to see her in full regalia! She started up the night' festivities with one of her graceful routines.
I like that the belly dance community is so tightly knit. I'm sure that not everyone gets along swimmingly, but you can count on the fact that you will always see some familiar faces at an event. I asked Dondi a little about the differences between the communities on the coasts. She said it's a lot more competitive on the Westside, maybe because there's a higher concentration of them within a given radius and it seems like they're all trying to make it big. I definitely got the feeling of being "larger than life" from my small exposure to the Los Angeles bellydance community.
After Shakima Laila, the troupes performed. They were all so different from each other, but a lot of fun to watch! At one point, I whispered to Najmat who cam for the show, "God, I love bellydance." The costumes were just amazing! It seemed like a great thing to be part of a troupe, since you can learn so much from the other people you work with.
In general, the routines were super cute! Some involved tambourines (I mean, how can you go wrong with tambourines??), veil work, switching positions with other troupe members, and just having fun dancing with each other. For me, I feel like being in a troupe is much more reminiscent of how Middle Eastern Dance historically began, mainly since the moves - choreographed or not - center around sharing a space with other women.
Three performers I was fortunate to meet this weekend were Jenny Cohen, MiaNaja al Sephira, and Almasa Durriyah. After the competition portion of the evening, these three lovelies graced the stage with their performances, as well as other amazing dancers. It's pretty neat that these three came from outside of Massachusetts (New York, Maryland, and Rhode Island, respectively) to perform at the Viva La Diva Pageant. With varying degrees of life experiences and styles, I was inspired by these three lovelies. They were all graceful and really held themselves with a confidence that I'm trying to achieve, both off and on the stage - not to mention that they're all super sweethearts!
I also met Johara, who wasn't performing that night, but she encouraged me to think about dancing at the Middle East Restaurant - which, I'll have to confess, scares the bujeezus out of me! But, I'm working on it!!!
After the performance, the awards were given out. I thought it was super sweet that Za-Beth presented an award to all the participants. She stressed how important it was to have the memories, regardless of the outcomes. I think that message can get so lost in the world of competition. It was refreshing to see and hear a professional dancer with that mindset.
At one point, she even played the zills for one of the performers! She has amazing skills at the zills (that's fun to say out loud!) making it look like she's barely breaking a sweat. All you see are her hands fluttering about, and you hear the ringing.
Finally, Titanya graced the stage. She danced a Spanish Fusion piece, complete with veils and zills. It was such a treat to watch her dance! You could really see her theater background when she is performing. I don't know how to explain it, but there's a certain way that the theater folks behave and carry themselves.
To conclude the show, Dondi performed a wonderful upbeat dance. It's always a little strange, I think, to watch someone live when you're used to seeing them on a DVD. She recently had an adorable baby boy, who was present, and you could see her glowing from it. Both her and Titanya moved up and down the middle aisle, and really engaged and livened up the audience after such a long evening.
I truly felt inspired by all the beautiful women who danced their hearts out. Though I'm not one for competition, maybe by this time next year, I'll not be as nervous about performing at a venue such as this.
To be continued...
Part 3 - Zambra Mora and Conclusion
On my way to the Courtyard Marriott in Woburn that morning, I didn't think I would stay the whole day. With my weekends being so busy, I haven't had a lot of time to relax and spend time with my boyfriend and friends. But after Saturday's workshop, I had made some wonderful connections, and after telling my boyfriend about all the fun I was having he encouraged me to stay and get inspired.
I'm so glad that I did! It was my first Viva La Diva show, so I had no idea that it was going to go on for more than 5 hours!! But I love watching other dancers and hearing songs that I'm not familiar with yet.
Once Za-Beth posts up information about who the winners are, I'll update this blog with more of my impressions.
I was excited to see that one of my classmates with Amira Jamal was part of the competition! I was so proud to be there to cheer on Shakima Laila. She had performed some of her competition pieces to us in class, so it was exciting to see her in full regalia! She started up the night' festivities with one of her graceful routines.
I like that the belly dance community is so tightly knit. I'm sure that not everyone gets along swimmingly, but you can count on the fact that you will always see some familiar faces at an event. I asked Dondi a little about the differences between the communities on the coasts. She said it's a lot more competitive on the Westside, maybe because there's a higher concentration of them within a given radius and it seems like they're all trying to make it big. I definitely got the feeling of being "larger than life" from my small exposure to the Los Angeles bellydance community.
After Shakima Laila, the troupes performed. They were all so different from each other, but a lot of fun to watch! At one point, I whispered to Najmat who cam for the show, "God, I love bellydance." The costumes were just amazing! It seemed like a great thing to be part of a troupe, since you can learn so much from the other people you work with.
In general, the routines were super cute! Some involved tambourines (I mean, how can you go wrong with tambourines??), veil work, switching positions with other troupe members, and just having fun dancing with each other. For me, I feel like being in a troupe is much more reminiscent of how Middle Eastern Dance historically began, mainly since the moves - choreographed or not - center around sharing a space with other women.
Three performers I was fortunate to meet this weekend were Jenny Cohen, MiaNaja al Sephira, and Almasa Durriyah. After the competition portion of the evening, these three lovelies graced the stage with their performances, as well as other amazing dancers. It's pretty neat that these three came from outside of Massachusetts (New York, Maryland, and Rhode Island, respectively) to perform at the Viva La Diva Pageant. With varying degrees of life experiences and styles, I was inspired by these three lovelies. They were all graceful and really held themselves with a confidence that I'm trying to achieve, both off and on the stage - not to mention that they're all super sweethearts!
I also met Johara, who wasn't performing that night, but she encouraged me to think about dancing at the Middle East Restaurant - which, I'll have to confess, scares the bujeezus out of me! But, I'm working on it!!!
After the performance, the awards were given out. I thought it was super sweet that Za-Beth presented an award to all the participants. She stressed how important it was to have the memories, regardless of the outcomes. I think that message can get so lost in the world of competition. It was refreshing to see and hear a professional dancer with that mindset.
Me with Shakima Laila and her 2 awards!
Finally, Titanya graced the stage. She danced a Spanish Fusion piece, complete with veils and zills. It was such a treat to watch her dance! You could really see her theater background when she is performing. I don't know how to explain it, but there's a certain way that the theater folks behave and carry themselves.
To conclude the show, Dondi performed a wonderful upbeat dance. It's always a little strange, I think, to watch someone live when you're used to seeing them on a DVD. She recently had an adorable baby boy, who was present, and you could see her glowing from it. Both her and Titanya moved up and down the middle aisle, and really engaged and livened up the audience after such a long evening.
I truly felt inspired by all the beautiful women who danced their hearts out. Though I'm not one for competition, maybe by this time next year, I'll not be as nervous about performing at a venue such as this.
To be continued...
Part 3 - Zambra Mora and Conclusion
Monday, August 24, 2009
Viva La Diva Weekend Part 1- Dondi & Titanya's Five Elements and Middle Eastern Dance
It's been a really busy August.
It's been a really expensive August.
It's been a really wonderful August...so far.
In my decision to expand my raqs sharqi education, I signed up for the Viva La Diva workshops hosted by Za-Beth. I had been looking forward to this weekend for a while. Since August has been so busy - and expensive! - I've been too broke to take a month's worth of Najmat's classes (and they're not even that expensive!). All I could do was rely on my Netflix queue. But I do so much better in a classroom. I've missed a lot of the interaction with classmates.
This past weekend, however, was exactly what I've been craving all month.
Za-Beth was hosting Dondi and Titanya Dahlin, two fabulous dancers who I've only recently discovered but fell in love with their stylings immediately.
I discovered Dondi through the Bellydance Superstars, which seems to be how many students have found her. She has this amazingly infectious smile and is a mesmerizing dancer. After watching her (and the other Supah Stahs) on the DVD, I Googled and YouTubed like crazy. I loved how relaxed she seems while she's dancing, like it just took no energy at all.
Through the powers of Google, I discovered Titanya. I wasn't sure what it was, but I felt a sort of simpatico with her style. Oh wait...it's because the first thing YouTube led me to was Titanya as a mermaid. I mean, really. Is there anything else I need to say kids? Alrighty then.
Dondi and Titanya's workshops focused on The Five Elements on Saturday and Zambra Mora on Sunday. It looked like the weekend was not only going to be a busy one, but an inspiring one.
Titanya, me, and Dondi - Smiles all around!
It's been a really expensive August.
It's been a really wonderful August...so far.
In my decision to expand my raqs sharqi education, I signed up for the Viva La Diva workshops hosted by Za-Beth. I had been looking forward to this weekend for a while. Since August has been so busy - and expensive! - I've been too broke to take a month's worth of Najmat's classes (and they're not even that expensive!). All I could do was rely on my Netflix queue. But I do so much better in a classroom. I've missed a lot of the interaction with classmates.
This past weekend, however, was exactly what I've been craving all month.
Za-Beth was hosting Dondi and Titanya Dahlin, two fabulous dancers who I've only recently discovered but fell in love with their stylings immediately.
I discovered Dondi through the Bellydance Superstars, which seems to be how many students have found her. She has this amazingly infectious smile and is a mesmerizing dancer. After watching her (and the other Supah Stahs) on the DVD, I Googled and YouTubed like crazy. I loved how relaxed she seems while she's dancing, like it just took no energy at all.
Through the powers of Google, I discovered Titanya. I wasn't sure what it was, but I felt a sort of simpatico with her style. Oh wait...it's because the first thing YouTube led me to was Titanya as a mermaid. I mean, really. Is there anything else I need to say kids? Alrighty then.
Dondi and Titanya's workshops focused on The Five Elements on Saturday and Zambra Mora on Sunday. It looked like the weekend was not only going to be a busy one, but an inspiring one.
Titanya, me, and Dondi - Smiles all around!
The Five Elements and Middle Eastern Dance
Being Asian/Pacific Islander, Chinese philosophy is something I've been exposed to as a child. I've always had a respect for it, but I've only really started learning more about it in the past couple of years (thanks to the boyfriend!). I've been able to learn a lot more about qi/ch'i and how it helps to explain so many things where Western medicine fails. It seemed like an appropriate way to learn more about Middle Eastern dance.
Dondi and Titanya introduced the Five Elements to us, stating that we each carry all 5 within us but will sometimes utilize one or two elements more so than others. In their explanations, they also broke down the way Water, Wood, Fire, Earth, and Metal play into personality types. I must say, I recognized many people in their explanations.
Concerning a 5-part Middle Eastern Dance Routine, Fire would represent the entrance, Water would represent the Veil and Taxim, Earth would represent the middle and grounding piece, Wood would represent the drum solo, and Metal would represent the ending piece. The Dahlin's mother, Donna Eden is an internationally respected author and practitioner of the Five Elements and Energy Medicine. So, with their understanding of the Elements ingrained in them since childhood, they've really come to understand how to use that energy towards their goals. I could go into more detail, but I why reinvent the Element Wheel?
Check out Titanya's article about movement and the Five Elements!
I thought it was really interesting, actually. After listening to their descriptions, I can say that I am mainly an Earth-Water person. Even my astrological signs point to that (I'm an Aries-Taurus Cusp and a Water Dog)! I am eternally a mother - and even considered that to be my answer to "What do you want to be when you grow up?" I definitely like to be closer to the ground, and prefer walking in my flip flops or barefoot if I can get away with it (as I type this, I've already walked around my office barefoot several times today!). Also, I feel like water has played a huge role in my life - from being born on an island to insisting on moving to Boston because it's by an ocean. When I first moved to Boston, I was so turned around! Generally, I'm pretty good at maps, but I kept confusing myself! For some reason, I could point to where the ocean was from any point of the city, but I couldn't tell you if I was North or South or East or West! It's like my body knew where the water was...but my brain was so used to it being to the West of me!
After their explanation of the Five Elements, they started breaking down some choreography for us that utilized all 5 elements. The workshop was attended by 20-25 people, and we mainly moved in a circle for the first part. As the room was longer than it was wider, there was a little bit of trouble in getting all the moves down. There were several times when I knocked into the woman in front of me! After the lunch break, we partnered up. I think putting the group into partners was a great way to get to know more of the women in the workshop and helped us learn the moves better.
The routine was beautiful and really fun! Definitely some challenges along the way, but I think I would be able to add some of the moves to my own repertoire. Titanya has a very energetic style (Fire, indeed!), and she reminded me a lot of my younger sister in the way she spoke. Her moves were definitely more "Here I am!" and flowy. She has absolutely GORGEOUS hand moves, which she credits to Polynesian Dance (another reason she reminds me of my sister..I'll probably be asking my sister to help me with hand movements the next time I see her!). Titanya was a lot more of a visual and physical teacher.
But when we thought the challenge would be over, Dondi handed us a drum solo! Though it was a quick piece, it definitely got a lot of us energized. Dondi's style definitely leans a lot more towards putting things into a concise explanation (soooo Wood!). But she also urged us to keep moving forward in the choreography. For myself, I don't think I felt like I was behind in any way, but I do wonder about those that take more time to learn. Dondi is much more of a "practice makes perfect" type teacher.
We danced to "Fe Yom Welaila" from the album "Tabel Ya Issam" for the first piece, and one of the drum solos from "The Dancing Drum by Issam" for the Drum Solo.
I enjoyed Dondi and Titanya teaching together! After their explanation of the Five Elements, you could really see where their strengths and challenges were. They seem to balance each other very well. Dondi would help to better explain movements, while Titanya was conscious of making sure everyone could see the movements.
To be continued...
Part 2 - Show and Competition
Being Asian/Pacific Islander, Chinese philosophy is something I've been exposed to as a child. I've always had a respect for it, but I've only really started learning more about it in the past couple of years (thanks to the boyfriend!). I've been able to learn a lot more about qi/ch'i and how it helps to explain so many things where Western medicine fails. It seemed like an appropriate way to learn more about Middle Eastern dance.
Dondi and Titanya introduced the Five Elements to us, stating that we each carry all 5 within us but will sometimes utilize one or two elements more so than others. In their explanations, they also broke down the way Water, Wood, Fire, Earth, and Metal play into personality types. I must say, I recognized many people in their explanations.
Concerning a 5-part Middle Eastern Dance Routine, Fire would represent the entrance, Water would represent the Veil and Taxim, Earth would represent the middle and grounding piece, Wood would represent the drum solo, and Metal would represent the ending piece. The Dahlin's mother, Donna Eden is an internationally respected author and practitioner of the Five Elements and Energy Medicine. So, with their understanding of the Elements ingrained in them since childhood, they've really come to understand how to use that energy towards their goals. I could go into more detail, but I why reinvent the Element Wheel?
Check out Titanya's article about movement and the Five Elements!
I thought it was really interesting, actually. After listening to their descriptions, I can say that I am mainly an Earth-Water person. Even my astrological signs point to that (I'm an Aries-Taurus Cusp and a Water Dog)! I am eternally a mother - and even considered that to be my answer to "What do you want to be when you grow up?" I definitely like to be closer to the ground, and prefer walking in my flip flops or barefoot if I can get away with it (as I type this, I've already walked around my office barefoot several times today!). Also, I feel like water has played a huge role in my life - from being born on an island to insisting on moving to Boston because it's by an ocean. When I first moved to Boston, I was so turned around! Generally, I'm pretty good at maps, but I kept confusing myself! For some reason, I could point to where the ocean was from any point of the city, but I couldn't tell you if I was North or South or East or West! It's like my body knew where the water was...but my brain was so used to it being to the West of me!
After their explanation of the Five Elements, they started breaking down some choreography for us that utilized all 5 elements. The workshop was attended by 20-25 people, and we mainly moved in a circle for the first part. As the room was longer than it was wider, there was a little bit of trouble in getting all the moves down. There were several times when I knocked into the woman in front of me! After the lunch break, we partnered up. I think putting the group into partners was a great way to get to know more of the women in the workshop and helped us learn the moves better.
The routine was beautiful and really fun! Definitely some challenges along the way, but I think I would be able to add some of the moves to my own repertoire. Titanya has a very energetic style (Fire, indeed!), and she reminded me a lot of my younger sister in the way she spoke. Her moves were definitely more "Here I am!" and flowy. She has absolutely GORGEOUS hand moves, which she credits to Polynesian Dance (another reason she reminds me of my sister..I'll probably be asking my sister to help me with hand movements the next time I see her!). Titanya was a lot more of a visual and physical teacher.
But when we thought the challenge would be over, Dondi handed us a drum solo! Though it was a quick piece, it definitely got a lot of us energized. Dondi's style definitely leans a lot more towards putting things into a concise explanation (soooo Wood!). But she also urged us to keep moving forward in the choreography. For myself, I don't think I felt like I was behind in any way, but I do wonder about those that take more time to learn. Dondi is much more of a "practice makes perfect" type teacher.
We danced to "Fe Yom Welaila" from the album "Tabel Ya Issam" for the first piece, and one of the drum solos from "The Dancing Drum by Issam" for the Drum Solo.
I enjoyed Dondi and Titanya teaching together! After their explanation of the Five Elements, you could really see where their strengths and challenges were. They seem to balance each other very well. Dondi would help to better explain movements, while Titanya was conscious of making sure everyone could see the movements.
To be continued...
Part 2 - Show and Competition
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
"Whatever Lola Wants" at 90 years old
On August 15th, my family celebrated our Lola's (grandmother) 90th birthday. Though her birthday is actually in September, the majority of family members (from San Francisco, Chicago, and elsewhere) were able to come in August.
It was a big to-do. There was a section in the Universal Hilton's Cafe Sierra reserved for our large family (and it's not even half of them!). My sister was responsible for making about 100 mini cupcakes as party favors. My mom and cousin were working on the program, which included a picture slideshow of my Lola's life. My siblings and I joked that it was almost like someone was getting married!
My sister and I (and one of our nieces) helped to provide some more entertainment for the day with some dances. Interestingly, because my sister learned hula in Los Angeles and joined a troupe there, my family has been privy to the style and culture of hula. Though I've been learning belly dance for about 7 years, most of my learning has been on the East Coast. I think my parents and siblings have seen one video of me dancing at a recital, but the majority of my family has never seen me dance live.
So, I thought this would be a great way for my family to see me, especially since I rarely see them except for the holidays. At first I struggled with making the performance more choreographed than it needed to be. But, I realized I was forcing it with 2 weeks to come up with something. I usually work on a piece by listening to the songs over and over, and when I feel something, I go with it. Often, though, I listen to a song over and over on the T or at work - so I can't exactly attempt to choreograph something in those situations.
At some point, there was a decision made that the family would all wear red. However, I did not get that memo. So, naturally, I came with a luggage full of green clothes! If I had known, I would have probably brought the one red trumpet skirt I own, and worked my costume around that.
The night I was packing, I figured I would be wearing a costume that I'd danced in before. But, I was set on using the veil I had practiced with. Quickly, I modified my outfit, putting together a skirt and veil that I had never danced with before. The skirt doesn't actually fit me well, but with the veil wrapped around it and a couple of pins, it looked pretty good. Really, it worked out perfectly! I wore my harem pants underneath, since it is around my family and I figured I'd be slightly more modest. I also know that most people who aren't necessarily as educated about bellydance are always looking for the coin belt or some form of jinglies. I decided to put on the belt I recently bought at Velvet Gypsy in Venice Beach. I also wore a bra that I've worn with both my Mermaid Parade costumes as well as for bellydance recitals. I thought it worked out quite well, actually. I made sure I packed my safety pins, as well as a back-up outfit just in case I changed my mind mid-flight. But the outfit was perfect, somewhat mermaid-y, and green of course.
I danced to Natasha Atlas' cover of "Whatever Lola Wants," quite appropriate in a way.
(Taken from my Ate Jocelyn's camera)
Then I switched it up and danced to Tony Chamoun's Lola. Thanks to Nepenthe for the tip!
I think my family had no idea what they were in for. I encouraged them to clap along to the beat when it was appropriate, and I shimmied my little heart out. Many of my relatives approached my sister and I afterward asking us about how long we had been dancing and complementing us on our performances. It was pretty awesome, actually. It felt great to dance for my family. I hope I was able to open their eyes a little bit to the world of belly dance. I think my Lola enjoyed it, too.
It was a big to-do. There was a section in the Universal Hilton's Cafe Sierra reserved for our large family (and it's not even half of them!). My sister was responsible for making about 100 mini cupcakes as party favors. My mom and cousin were working on the program, which included a picture slideshow of my Lola's life. My siblings and I joked that it was almost like someone was getting married!
My sister and I (and one of our nieces) helped to provide some more entertainment for the day with some dances. Interestingly, because my sister learned hula in Los Angeles and joined a troupe there, my family has been privy to the style and culture of hula. Though I've been learning belly dance for about 7 years, most of my learning has been on the East Coast. I think my parents and siblings have seen one video of me dancing at a recital, but the majority of my family has never seen me dance live.
So, I thought this would be a great way for my family to see me, especially since I rarely see them except for the holidays. At first I struggled with making the performance more choreographed than it needed to be. But, I realized I was forcing it with 2 weeks to come up with something. I usually work on a piece by listening to the songs over and over, and when I feel something, I go with it. Often, though, I listen to a song over and over on the T or at work - so I can't exactly attempt to choreograph something in those situations.
At some point, there was a decision made that the family would all wear red. However, I did not get that memo. So, naturally, I came with a luggage full of green clothes! If I had known, I would have probably brought the one red trumpet skirt I own, and worked my costume around that.
The night I was packing, I figured I would be wearing a costume that I'd danced in before. But, I was set on using the veil I had practiced with. Quickly, I modified my outfit, putting together a skirt and veil that I had never danced with before. The skirt doesn't actually fit me well, but with the veil wrapped around it and a couple of pins, it looked pretty good. Really, it worked out perfectly! I wore my harem pants underneath, since it is around my family and I figured I'd be slightly more modest. I also know that most people who aren't necessarily as educated about bellydance are always looking for the coin belt or some form of jinglies. I decided to put on the belt I recently bought at Velvet Gypsy in Venice Beach. I also wore a bra that I've worn with both my Mermaid Parade costumes as well as for bellydance recitals. I thought it worked out quite well, actually. I made sure I packed my safety pins, as well as a back-up outfit just in case I changed my mind mid-flight. But the outfit was perfect, somewhat mermaid-y, and green of course.
I danced to Natasha Atlas' cover of "Whatever Lola Wants," quite appropriate in a way.
(Taken from my Ate Jocelyn's camera)
I think my family had no idea what they were in for. I encouraged them to clap along to the beat when it was appropriate, and I shimmied my little heart out. Many of my relatives approached my sister and I afterward asking us about how long we had been dancing and complementing us on our performances. It was pretty awesome, actually. It felt great to dance for my family. I hope I was able to open their eyes a little bit to the world of belly dance. I think my Lola enjoyed it, too.
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Swaying My Hips Right (Coast) to Left (Coast)
Venice Beach, CAOn Thursday, July 30, 2009, I decided to check out a belly dancing event while I was visiting Los Angeles. Since I feel like I've been able to learn a bit more about the belly dancing community in New England, I was curious to compare it with the Los Angeles belly dancing community.
I found Meryem Vani's Showcase on the LARaqs.com website, which is a fabulous website for any belly dancer beginner or advanced. Teachers, costumes, events - it's all there! If you or someone you know in Los Angeles is looking to dip their toes into the world of raqs sharqi, this is a great website to introduce them to! I was very excited to have found that website.
It became suddenly clear to me that one of the major differences between the LA and New England belly dance communities was the size. Los Angeles, being a ginormous city, has the capacity to hold a variety of talented dancers, workshops, and events within its county lines. While Boston (my East Coast home) also has a wide variety of dancers as well, many of the events and workshops are not as easy to reach. As someone dependent on the T or my bicycle, it costs me not only a workshop fee but also a Zipcar membership. Even my Athena's job is an investment if I need to travel far. Strangely, perhaps because of the concept of the "county lines" or because I have more control over the space, things don't seem as far in LA even though I'm much more dependent on a car.
But the Boston/Greater Boston belly dance community extends to both the Massachusetts and New England communities. I think it's great because of how far reaching the community actually is - extending to multiple states! Coming from Los Angeles, I always thought it was pretty neat that folks in Boston could feel some camaraderie with the entire northeast corner of the country. On the other hand, I definitely enjoyed only traveling a little more than 2 miles to the belly dancing event.
The Showcase was located at the Tsunami Coffeehouse Theater in Silverlake, not too far from where I (my parents) live. Unfortunately, I didn't get to check out the actual coffeehouse before they closed, but I have had my eye on that place for a while! Aside from Perhaps on my next visit home, I will check it out during the day time.
I didn't make it in time for the short workshop that Meryem Vani held, but the women that participated told me all about it. One of them found this event through the LARaqs website as I did, and the other woman told us that she was part of the Bellydance Meetup Group, more specifically the Hollywood-East LA Bellydance Meetup Group. To further illustrate the point I made about the space and size, this one section of LA has currently 182 members. The Boston Bellydance Meetup Group currently has 297 members - but certainly, not everyone's address says "Boston." Craaaazy!
Zahir, who is not only part of Meryem Vani's Troupe Zaghareet but also an entertaining MALE belly dancer, was the MC of the event. He introduced about 7 dancers, including himself and another male belly dancer who's name I can't remember at all. That first male dancer was mesmerizing - balancing a tray of candles on his head and moving so slowly, from the floor to standing up.
Completely forgetting myself at the event, the only other name I could remember was Jennelah. To be perfectly honest, she was my personal favorite, perhaps because she was more my style. She had on a beautiful sparkly costume, and maintained her poise even with a slight technological malfunction of the CD player. Most of the belly dancers and groups were great, ranging from beginners to teachers. It made me feel more comfortable about my own performance level, especially since I felt that I could have a more educated opinion about the dancers.
The one woman who spoke to me earlier about being part of the Meetup Group interestingly had a lot of questions about belly dance, from the costumes to the styles of dance. At first I was shocked - because I always feel like everyone else knows WAAAY more than me. It was a good reminder for me, though, that I do know quite a bit more than I give myself credit.
At the end, there was a group dance, where the performers and audience members all got up to dance. For the first time, I didn't even hesitate getting up to dance with my peers, feeling secure in my own knowledge and body. I managed to convince a friend of mine to join me, and she stated after watching all the performances that she was absolutely intrigued by the dance and wanted to learn some of the moves.
Overall, while it was only one event I attended, I am so glad that I did! I'm not really sure what I expected. I've come across some interesting belly dance experiences in Los Angeles - from a class that felt like the teacher was teaching just to watch herself in the mirror to a store owner/teacher saying that he "doesn't teach housewives." I guess I was nervous that it was going to feel snobby and distant. But everyone was so welcoming!
Near the end of my trip, I wanted to spend one more day at the beach, but I also wanted to return to Boston with a new costume item. I hopped onto LARaqs.com before heading out, and found that the Velvet Gypsy was just along the Venice Beach boardwalk! While many of the items were tourist-friendly, there were some fabulous items that caught my eye.
It was great to find a store that was exactly where I needed it to be - reducing the amount of time I would waste in traffic.The day I move back to LA, I will feel secure in knowing that I can easily find and join the belly dance community. Not that I'm planning on moving back any time soon, necessarily. But I do miss my Los Angeles, and it's nice to feel like I still have a home and can make an updated home there.
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Ramblings and Eggs
Earlier this year, I was speaking to my belly dancing teacher, Amira Jamal, about feeling insecure about my dancing. I was in a belly dancing rut. Though I was trying to listen to more belly dancing music when I could, I wasn't really connecting with it. I felt that I wasn't being creative enough with my steps when we would improvise during class. I felt like, "Well, I'm no professional, and I don't really have any goals necessarily."We even talked about it in class with my classmates, and they made me feel so much better. They talked about their own experiences, and how they're not all going towards being professional dancers. They talked about using their own standard set of moves until inspiration hits them. And they talked about connecting and not connecting with the music, and how it's okay to not connect sometimes.
After speaking with them all, I felt I had a better grasp on what was bugging me. I was focusing too much on hammering the skills and the music into my system without any real direction.
So, I realized that I needed to expand my knowledge not by hammering, but by exploring the belly dance community. But more importantly, I needed to embrace the image of myself as a dancer and performer.
I hesitated so long because I didn't trust myself. I definitely have a habit of dabbling without getting fully immersed - and really only because I didn't think I could be that good at anything. Below are some examples.
*I've been playing the piano since I was 7 and the bass since I was 10 (that's right, the big ol' upright). And while I've played bass for a year in the University Orchestra at UC Santa Cruz and I have an electric bass and keyboard at home, I rarely practice. I'd love to find the time to practice more. I've even tried to schedule it into my life, but it's just not happening.
*I've made jewelry and sold little pieces, learned how to use a sewing machine and made a couple of purses for myself, and I've stenciled/silk screened a couple of designs onto my own clothes. While some folks turn it into a profitable passion, I just haven't been able to do it. I've even been told at crafty-type fairs that I could sell seashell necklaces similar to the ones I always wear - which I've put together. But...you have to invest something to make a profit. And I just haven't had the funds to really invest.
Now that I've been a Goddess for almost 3 years, I'm fully invested in that business and I love it! As a part-time job, I couldn't ask for more. At this point, starting a side business in seashell necklaces or even practicing my musical instruments seems like putting too many eggs in my basket.
That's another thing that's made me hesitate so much. The eggs in my basket.
With belly dance, it's definitely another very expensive investment. Just classes alone is an investment. But clearly, I can't just dance without pretty shiny things, so the cost of costumes has to be taken into account. Mentally, I know I was still super nervous about performing in public - even though I had already gone through several recitals and even organized an event to help new performers get accustomed to putting themselves in the public eye.
Interestingly, I realized that if I can go around with a luggage full of sex toys and wave them around, I could probably grow some belly dancing cojones. So, after dancing at the Athenian Corner in Lowell in May 2008, then for the Quarry Hill Talent Show in August 2008, then for the Celebration of Expression in October 2008... AND after some serious mental training, I embraced the image of myself as a dancer and performer.
I started looking at the different online belly dance communities - Yahoo! Groups, Facebook, bhuz.com, etc. I also love that my classmates always came back with new information and skills from different workshops they attended. So, I made it a point to look for workshops and events to attend, and use my wonderfully talented classmates as resources. I also knew that there were many teachers in the Boston area, so I did some research and signed up for more classes. Finally, I attacked my Netflix queue, and now have found several belly dancing DVD's that I've used for both exercise and skill acquirement (and they're consistently kicking my butt!).
So, after I found my belly dancing cojones, I am now juggling 3 eggs. Day job, Athena's, and belly dance. At this point, I'm still not seeing belly dance as another way to make profit - though that would be sweet! But, I'm just trying to grow in my skill set...strengthening my cojones...and trying to juggle these eggs without dropping them.
Monday, June 22, 2009
Life Lessons from the Mermaid Parade 2009
Lessons I've learned from the Mermaid Parade (thus far):
Lost Angels in Coney Island
Below are select pictures of me swirling around the boardwalk in my completed costume. All my pictures can be seen at:
http://picasaweb.google.com/thegreenestmermaid/MermaidParade62009#
Lola Staar's Dreamland Roller Rink - Mermaid Parade Ball Location
Leti in all her colorful glory.
Running with a silk veil by A'kai Silks
I wore some extra toule around my hips, along with one of my favorite hip scarves.
Ta da!
- Regardless of the weather conditions, the Mermaid Parade is always worth it.
Walking in the parade isn't as exciting if you don't have a routine planned out. (Pic from Mermaid Parade 2007)- If you're going to walk, and you don't have a routine planned, you better have an amazing costume or just smile and wave at everyone - people will love you either way.
- The Mermaid Parade Ball has a lot of potential - good music, great performances, entertainment in dancing or rolling around. Either way, it's better to share with others.
- Charge your camera batteries and empty out your SD card beforehand.
- You can't be squeamish
or blush easily
. 
The Boardwalk at Coney Island has chicharrones (the flour kind sold from a shopping cart on the streets of L.A. and other Mexican-populated cities)!- When in doubt, dance dance dance!
- As with anything, the Mermaid Parade is the best when experienced with awesome people and great friends.
- Any of the statements above could substitute "life" for "Mermaid Parade."
Lost Angels in Coney Island
http://picasaweb.google.com/thegreenestmermaid/MermaidParade62009#
Lola Staar's Dreamland Roller Rink - Mermaid Parade Ball Location
Leti in all her colorful glory.
Running with a silk veil by A'kai Silks
I wore some extra toule around my hips, along with one of my favorite hip scarves.
Ta da!
Monday, June 15, 2009
Pearls for the Parade
The Annual Coney Island Mermaid Parade is on Saturday, June 20th.
Every year, in celebration of the Summer Solstice, people come from all over in their best ocean-themed regalia to parade through the streets of Coney Island.
I first went in 2006 with a great group of friends, and we had an amazing time.
2006 Mermaid Parade
In 2007, we tried to be part of the parade, but found that it was much more exciting to watch than to participate. That is, we didn't have any routine planned. Perhaps if we did, we would have had a better time walking in the hot hot sun.
Every year, in celebration of the Summer Solstice, people come from all over in their best ocean-themed regalia to parade through the streets of Coney Island.
I first went in 2006 with a great group of friends, and we had an amazing time.
2006 Mermaid Parade
2007 Mermaid Parade
As you can see, I've worn generally the same costume every year. The mermaid tail is basically a Disney's The Little Mermaid version, and my top is a bra from my belly dancing closet. Some of the costumes from the parade are amazing, though! Super intricate, very creative, and absolutely beautiful for the most part. I love watching people in all their glory during the Mermaid Parade.
Since I took a break in 2008, I feel super re-energized about the parade. This year, I get to go with my best friend, another Los Angeles transplant on the East Coast. And because I'm sure that Leti will have something awesome to wear that she constructed with her own two hands, I was definitely inspired to work on my own costume again.
Initially, this bathing suit by a Victoria's Secret caught my eye:
Swim 2009 Catalogue
Since I took a break in 2008, I feel super re-energized about the parade. This year, I get to go with my best friend, another Los Angeles transplant on the East Coast. And because I'm sure that Leti will have something awesome to wear that she constructed with her own two hands, I was definitely inspired to work on my own costume again.
Initially, this bathing suit by a Victoria's Secret caught my eye:
Swim 2009 CatalogueSo, I bought just the top, and I thought about just putting some embellishments on it. But, it makes my boobs look ridiculous. They definitely don't have any lift in them, even with the little halter strap it comes with.
Luckily, I have a variety of bras that I was planning to get rid of because of a variety of things (generally falling apart, straps dig in in certain spots, just doesn't make my boobs look boobtastic, etc.) In the end, it seemed better to embellish the bra than to use the bathing suit top. Even more luckily, I had the perfect teal bra to match my tail.
On Saturday, I biked downtown and gathered materials at Winmil Fabrics in Chinatown and Windsor Buttons in Downtown Crossing. I think these are two fabulous hidden jewels in Boston. They've got fabric, trim, buttons galore, yarn, netting, beads.......I get so overwhelmed in stores like these!
Pearls, Beads, Coins, Needle & Thread
Luckily, I have a variety of bras that I was planning to get rid of because of a variety of things (generally falling apart, straps dig in in certain spots, just doesn't make my boobs look boobtastic, etc.) In the end, it seemed better to embellish the bra than to use the bathing suit top. Even more luckily, I had the perfect teal bra to match my tail.
On Saturday, I biked downtown and gathered materials at Winmil Fabrics in Chinatown and Windsor Buttons in Downtown Crossing. I think these are two fabulous hidden jewels in Boston. They've got fabric, trim, buttons galore, yarn, netting, beads.......I get so overwhelmed in stores like these!
Pearls, Beads, Coins, Needle & Thread
I love pearls. They're so beautiful, and it doesn't hurt that they come from one of my favorite places in the world - the ocean. I found the pearl and rainbowish beads at Windsor as well as the coin trim. Though the main project is for the Mermaid Parade, I couldn't stay away from belly dancing touches.
We can't pretend that mermaids don't have nipples..but they can at least be pretty...
We can't pretend that mermaids don't have nipples..but they can at least be pretty...
I knew that I wanted to have nipples on my costume. For all my bravery, especially not being skinny or having flat abs, I just can't walk around all day with just pasties. I just can't. It's too much exposure for too long, and even this girl needs some shade once in a while.
Initially, I thought about just having netting all over the bra, but it turned out that it would seem much better to go a simpler route. I definitely had to put in little ornamental touches, like the mother of pearl areola and gold seashell nipple, and the little starfish in the middle of the bra. I also wanted to incorporate some shimmies into the bra, and added the coins. In the end, I felt that I should still incorporate the Victoria's Secret bathing suit top, but I would wear it under the bra. So, ladies and gentlemen, here's my first mermaid bra/belly dancing top:
LOVE!
Initially, I thought about just having netting all over the bra, but it turned out that it would seem much better to go a simpler route. I definitely had to put in little ornamental touches, like the mother of pearl areola and gold seashell nipple, and the little starfish in the middle of the bra. I also wanted to incorporate some shimmies into the bra, and added the coins. In the end, I felt that I should still incorporate the Victoria's Secret bathing suit top, but I would wear it under the bra. So, ladies and gentlemen, here's my first mermaid bra/belly dancing top:
LOVE!
I still plan on adding a little bit more to my mermaid tail, just to make it slightly different and to really personalize it. So, even if the beads don't all line up, and the nipples are a little low...I love my little attempt at bedazzling. Though this isn't a career changer for me, I'm really proud of myself for taking the time and energy to create this beautiful mermaid accessory.
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Saturn's Return
Entering my late mid-twenties (disguised as my early late-twenties), my friend Joya clued me into "Saturn's Return." According to this astrological theory, this is the time when lots of changes occur - goals are attained, milestones are reached. Though it's not supposed to be about painful upheaval, I wouldn't be surprised if there wasn't some of that thrown into the mix for the fun of it all.
Since April 23rd of 2009, I must say there have been a lot of things going on in this 27 year old's life. From the more personal part, I've had to make some decisions about how far I'm willing to stretch myself for other people. But, that's not necessarily something I'm ready to get into in the blogosphere (god, what a word I never thought I'd use...).
With my night job, I felt like there needed to be a change. I love the intimacy (pun intended!) of the house parties. But I knew I needed to take it to another level. So, I started with my personal contacts (especially Perry - the personification of a Rolodex), and received a couple of great leads! As of today, I will be doing a gig on June 14th at the Savant Project in Roxbury. I am super excited to get this kind of exposure for my business! The owner of the Savant Project seems like a great guy, and he seems to be doing quite well in that area. I also have one other person to get into contact with. Hopefully, before this week is over, I will have made contact and will have another meeting with a bartender about doing a bar promotion.
Then, there's belly dancing. It's an expensive hobby! But I love it. I've been signing onto different networks, learning about workshops in the area, and signing up to take classes with different teachers. I loveAmira Jamal, but I have a tendency to become super faithful to my teachers. While I think being faithful is a good thing, it can also limit a persons education. I was bummed that she wasn't going to do a summer session, but it was a clear sign that I needed to get out of that comfort zone. So, I've signed up as a member of the New England Belly Dance Association, signed up to take an upcoming workshop, and am planning to check out Najmat's classes at the Green Street Studios. Once I can afford it, there's a whole slew of workshops that I'm wanting to take before October.
I want to be wary about screaming, "Go ahead, Saturn!! Bring it on!!!"
But, for now, it doesn't feel too bad at all.
Since April 23rd of 2009, I must say there have been a lot of things going on in this 27 year old's life. From the more personal part, I've had to make some decisions about how far I'm willing to stretch myself for other people. But, that's not necessarily something I'm ready to get into in the blogosphere (god, what a word I never thought I'd use...).
With my night job, I felt like there needed to be a change. I love the intimacy (pun intended!) of the house parties. But I knew I needed to take it to another level. So, I started with my personal contacts (especially Perry - the personification of a Rolodex), and received a couple of great leads! As of today, I will be doing a gig on June 14th at the Savant Project in Roxbury. I am super excited to get this kind of exposure for my business! The owner of the Savant Project seems like a great guy, and he seems to be doing quite well in that area. I also have one other person to get into contact with. Hopefully, before this week is over, I will have made contact and will have another meeting with a bartender about doing a bar promotion.
Then, there's belly dancing. It's an expensive hobby! But I love it. I've been signing onto different networks, learning about workshops in the area, and signing up to take classes with different teachers. I loveAmira Jamal, but I have a tendency to become super faithful to my teachers. While I think being faithful is a good thing, it can also limit a persons education. I was bummed that she wasn't going to do a summer session, but it was a clear sign that I needed to get out of that comfort zone. So, I've signed up as a member of the New England Belly Dance Association, signed up to take an upcoming workshop, and am planning to check out Najmat's classes at the Green Street Studios. Once I can afford it, there's a whole slew of workshops that I'm wanting to take before October.
(Picture taken by Nina Lytton)
Now, all of this takes a lot of money. Money that my day job doesn't necessarily help me out with. But, it feels great to have made all this headway with these 3 parts of my life.I want to be wary about screaming, "Go ahead, Saturn!! Bring it on!!!"
But, for now, it doesn't feel too bad at all.
Monday, June 1, 2009
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