Dancing With The Georges Lammam Band at Peña Pachamama

As I was planning to drop in on Amina Goodyear's Thursday night class, she invited me to a Friday night "open mic" to dance with the Georges Lammam Band at Peña Pachamama, a South American restaurant.

Georges Lammam is an extremely talented violinist and singer.  I mean, absolutely amazing.  I would definitely recommend going straight to You Tube to hear some of his music.

What's funny is that while I knew I recognized his name, I didn't realize why or from where I knew him.  But I'm so glad that I didn't realize it until later, because I'm sure that I would have been way too nervous to have actually said yes to this opportunity!

So, on Friday, April 22nd, I went to dinner at Peña Pachamama with two dear friends who had never seen me dance before.  I tried to stay calm, but I could feel the anxiety building.

There were 5 of us dancing that night, and we each had 2 songs to dance to.  I asked to dance to Aziza and Betwanes Beek.  I went second.

When Georges introduced me, he mentioned that I was a guest from Boston, and truth be told, it made me feel super special.  I'm definitely proud that I've had the training and inspiration of the dancers in Boston.

One of my friends tried to take a video, but he was promptly told that videos weren't allowed.  So, I took some screen shots from the video instead of posting the video here.  Not the best quality, but it's something.

I am really very proud of myself for going for it!  When Amira first asked me, I asked one of my fellow belly dance friends what she thought.  Of course she said, "Of course you should do it!"  So, I knew that if I asked anyone else, they would say exactly the same thing.

I kind of thought that perhaps it's a too-good-to-be-true type thing, so perhaps it just wasn't going to happen.  But it happened; my first time really participating in an open-mic event without relying on the safety of my teachers.

I'm really very proud.

Dropping In: Amina Goodyear of San Francisco

Since I was planning on being in San Francisco for 4 days, I figured that I should look for a teacher who might have a class I could take.  I found out through Shira.net about several teachers who seemed to be a good fit, but I decided that I would check out Amina's Performance class.

Amira Jamal's classes have had a focus on performance, so I knew that I could feel comfortable if we had to dance solo.

Since I was still learning my way around San Francisco via Muni, I made sure to plot out my trip to make sure I could get there early enough to introduce myself.  When the bus dropped me off, I couldn't believe how steep the hill was!  I'm not really sure why Google Maps insisted that I got off at that particular stop when there was a stop closer to the bottom of the hill and not too far from where the location was.  But the view was spectacular!

So steep! Cars have to park at a 90 degree angle!

Amina's class is in the basement studio of her house, which was really neat!  Considering how much studio rentals can cost, this was a great space to have.

There were about 5 of us in total, and it seemed like they had all been taking Amina's classes for a while.  I'm so used to the teacher leading the stretching, but Amina and her students seemed to be stretching mainly on their own depending on what their body needed at the time.

Amina then lead us through several run-throughs of several songs.  We would mimic her dancing and try to keep up.  She would redirect us when we weren't doing specific movements correctly, but for the most part we just followed along with her dancing.

I realized that this was somewhat of a middle road between my two main teachers in Boston.  Amira Jamal has us work on movements based on a warm-up drill, but we also do a lot of free dance, which has helped me hone in my improvisational technique.  Najmat goes through several short combinations which we would drill, and she would help us hone in on the specific muscle movements and steps.

Amina was right in the middle.  She was having us follow her movements, but they weren't necessarily choreographed.  It was quite a different experience, but I enjoyed the challenge.

She then showed us a video of ghawazee dancers with canes, pointing out that while they were dancing together they weren't necessarily doing the same exact movements.  A second video showed us two male dancers using larger canes in a tahtib, which is mainly danced by men and simulates martial arts.  The raqs al assaya would be the dance that is mainly done in a dance set.

We were then instructed to each dance with a cane, but not to do any of the tricks associated with it, such as spinning or twirling the cane.  After each person danced, we were giving a critique.  After all 5 of us danced, we danced a second time as a chance to improve based on the critique.

It made for a much longer lesson than I anticipated.  Nonetheless, it was quite a valuable time!

Amina pointed out that I have the tendency to not make enough eye contact with the audience - which is definitely true!  In an effort to connect with everyone, I quickly run through each person as fast as I can.  Instead, I need to learn to linger a bit longer to make the person feel like I'm dancing just for them.  My boyfriend would love for me to look at him a bit longer, so I've heard this critique before.

She also said that I have the tendency to move too quickly.  I need to feel the beat more than be 100% on the beat, if that makes any sense.  I do end up scribbling a bit, especially if I feel nervous or unsure about what's coming next in the music.  But I know I need to slow down a bit in my movements, add some more gooeyness in it (as Najmat would say).

Overall, it was a great lesson.  I enjoyed meeting all these Bay Area dancers and seeing the talent the West Coast has.  Though her style was different from what I expected, Amina has a lot of experience and expertise in the dance.  It was definitely a pleasure to take a lesson with her.

"From Tassels to Sequins" - Review for Belly Dance New England

For the complete article with images, please visit:
http://www.bellydancenewengland.com/sequins.html

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If you are completely new to the world of belly dance, then hopefully you made it to the "From Tassels to Sequins" event at Moody Street Circus in Waltham, MA, on Friday, April 1st. Showcasing dancers from all facets of belly dance, Baseema Moirae and Melina of Daughters of Rhea organized an entertaining and exciting show that could have acted as a great introduction for all that is belly dance.

If you have yet to visit the Moody Street Circus, drop what you are doing and make your way there immediately. The studio is beautifully laid out for both dance and circus classes, and it turns into a wonderful show venue for the many events that take place there. The posters of past events that cover the walls are only a sampling of the excellent events that have yet to be produced at this wonderful venue.

This event, preceding a weekend of workshops, featured Oregon-based dancer Sabine. She is known for her tribal-style moves and double-sword wielding abilities; the focus of the workshops. Considering that she and her two scimitars were the finale of the evening, the entire show was extremely strong from beginning to end. Every performer and troupe that walked onto the dance floor was high-caliber, the top performers of the New England area and then some.

Shimza, a new American Tribal Style (ATS) collaboration between Baseema and Sara Ford, opened the show by staying true to their name (Gypsy word for joy or happiness) and set the example for the joy that one should feel when dancing.

Bellybeat once again impressed the audience with their visually appealing formations. Their fusion-style choreography and movements were akin to sirens calling out to the audience to join them.

When Aurel walked onto the stage, she commanded everyone's attention as she balanced a tea tray on her head while descending to the floor. There is humor and a down-to-earth quality to her cabaret style that is refreshing, and there is no doubt that she has abs of steel under all that beading.

Ombellyco then brought us back to the ATS part of the belly dance world. It honestly blows my mind that ATS is mainly improvisational, but that all the dancers in a troupe understand the cues well enough to follow along. Ombellyco's formations not only exemplified ATS, but it also reminded me of a fractal, where each part is a copy of the whole.

Najmat is basically glamour personified. Her Egyptian-style dance is ever-captivating, and even though the wrong tracks played for the second part of her performance she never fails to impress.

We then had the pleasure of a sneak peak of Sabine's talent when her troupe, Tribalation, performed. It was clear in their dance that Sabine and Kathryn truly love the dance and have found true sisters in each other.

Denise, a member of the Boston-based Vadalna Tribal Dance Company, seemed to slither onto the dance floor. There was something about her dancing that almost made me want to rub my eyes in disbelief – her movements were so graceful yet sharp that I was almost convinced that I was watching a CGI instead of a real person.

When Kaylin stepped out in her beledy dress and whipped her veil around her effortlessly, I was absolutely mesmerized. There were so many instances during her performance when I took mental videos to bookmark for later practice.

Jaylee impressed the audience with her precise moves. She hit every break and every accent without fail. You could see the audience trying to keep up with her, but her pops and locks were much too quick for the human eye.

Sara Rodrigues Cabral graced us with the beautiful artistry of her piece entitled "Jewelry Box". There is so much imagination in her pieces, it is clear that she has been dancing and creating as long as she has been on this earth.

Before Sara could leave the stage, Melina's husband Sasha walked onto the stage. As they pretended to flirt with each other, Melina, the Mistress of Moody Street Circus herself, floated onto the stage and "caught them in the act". As she pulled out her dagger and her sword, you knew that she was not one to mess with. I personally could never tire of watching Melina balance the sword on the dagger she's holding in her mouth. Her Greco-Turkish style of belly dance is just so full of energy and surprises; you can't help but bow down to her.

The Magnolia Devi Dance Company from Maine then showcased their ATS skills. They were exciting to watch, especially when they slinked down to the floor. However, perhaps because of the seating arrangement, it was somewhat difficult to see what was happening when they were doing floor work.

Di'ahna Restry is a dancer who knows how to entertain. It was fun to watch her interact with the audience while combining a slow song with a fast song, her movements echoing the emotions and sensations of love, the subject of both songs.

Finally, Sabine's scimitars were placed on the stage. Truly, I could have watched her maneuver around and over the swords for much longer than she did. She moved effortlessly on the stage, while balancing not one sword but two. I could imagine a "Do not attempt this at home" disclaimer underneath her. She is truly a master at the Raks al Sayf, and the swords are merely an extension of her arms.

As someone who is more accustomed to the sequins aspect of belly dance, it seemed that there was a bit of a skew towards the tassels in this show. However, considering that the headliner represented ATS, and represented it gloriously, the tassel skew was appropriate and not unwelcomed. The variety in performances left me feeling inspired to try some new things in my own dance practice.

Congratulations to Melina and Baseema for a wonderful show and thanks for helping to enhance the belly dance landscape of New England!

Amar Gamal's Classes in Bridgewater

For the past several months, Amar Gamal has been in Massachusetts teaching beginner and continuing classes at the Maha Yoga Center in Bridgewater, MA.

Firstly, Bridgewater is extremely far from Boston.  With traffic, it's even further.  Luckily, I'm going down to Bridgewater with a friend, so the ride is a lot more enjoyable.

At an extremely reasonable price, it would have been crazy to say no to this opportunity to take weekly classes with a Belly Dance Super Star.  I'll be honest, I couldn't help but feel a bit star-struck.

She is an amazing dancer.  Absolutely graceful, poised, and precise.  Being in her class really makes me extremely aware of what I'm lacking or not doing right.

We're doing a series of combinations and then putting them all together.  Interestingly, I find myself able to pick up the combinations fairly easily.  However, I know I need to really clean up the moves and transitions.  I am proud of myself for keeping up with the lessons, though!

I am glad to have had such a diverse background in terms of dance teachers.  I feel like each one of them has helped to give me a strong foundation.  I'm excited to have Amar Gamal's teachings as part of my foundation as well.

Silencing the Noise

As someone who doesn't necessarily considers herself as a "professional dancer," in that I'm not really in high demand to do anything, there's still a lot of negative thoughts that still float through my head once in a while.

I know that I've come far in the past several years, showing more confidence in my performances and just generally having more fun.  But I still get really nervous right before a performance.

It's kind of funny what kinds of negative thoughts will flit through our heads in times of nervousness.  I think about whether I'm doing the dance justice, if I'm wearing the right kind of costume, if the costume will do something unexpected, if the music does something unexpected, or if I'm entertaining enough for the audience.

I have learned to push those thoughts away just as I'm about to step on the stage, but I wish I could learn to push them away during practice.

A couple of weeks ago during Amira Jamal's class, she lead a conversation about being present.  While we should be aware of what our bodies are doing (are our arms and hands full of energy? are we tucked? are we smiling?), are we able to ascend being physically present to being mentally and emotionally present?

During the undulations portion of our warm-up drills, I somehow became extremely disconnected with myself.  My undulations weren't doing what they usually would be doing, and Amira noticed it as well.

I remember thinking, "What in the world? This doesn't feel right..."  But I just kept going instead of stopping or really trying to figure out what was wrong.

Amira asked, "So, you were aware of the fact that something was wrong.  What could you have done to fix it?"

Seriously, she asked me a question that is basically defining my life right now.

I told her I couldn't answer that question, as it's literally been something that's weighing on me.  The more I thought about it, the more emotional I could feel myself getting.

Being in this state of unemployment with no direction has really been difficult for me.  At my last full time job, I was able to thrive because I was able to put a lot of my own ideas, and thus a lot of myself, into the work.  Because I was able to get out most of my ideas or even just be able to talk about them and hash them out, I think I was able to let the rest of my creativity flow through my dancing.

Does that make sense?

So, because I've been basically stagnant in my professional life, it's starting to affect my dance and my health.  It's almost like once I realized that I was blocking myself from creative expression, my body reacted to it by stuffing my sinuses and giving me a sore throat.  And honestly, I'm so angry at myself for letting it get the best of me.

Meditation and Chakras

I think what I'd like to do in the next couple of weeks is to sit quietly or with some soft music playing.  I would like to learn how to meditate and really quiet my ever-moving mind.  I will try to make sure that if any ideas do surface, that I write them down or draw them out. 

Holding on to it all hasn't been productive, and I need to try something new.

What has stood in the way of your dancing?  Is there a zone or a frame of mind that helps you to be creative?  What techniques do you use for silencing your mind?