This is from Persephone Dance Company's facebook page
So beautiful! Check out all those colours and textures!
Thursday, 12 January 2012
Monday, 9 January 2012
2011 - A Year of Dance in Review
After seeing this survey on a couple sites, I decided to take part! If you're not interested, that's fine, but if you are, then tag! You're it! I'm inviting anyone who wants to take the survey to go ahead and post your link in the comments below. For me, 2011 was my first full year of dance ever! It was a year full of changes, in dance and my personal life. It will be a year I never forget!
By the way, this brilliant idea is from:
Dilara of Dilara's Diary and AJ of Confessions of a Dance Pants Addict
1. What did you do in 2011 that you had never done before?
Participated in dance class for a full year, danced in front of others, went to Mexico :)
2. Did you keep your belly dance new year resolution, and will you have one this year?
Last year my goal was just to progress into level two, which I did in the spring. This year I am resolving to smile more!
3. Did you introduce anyone to belly dance?
Yes, I got my sister involved!
4. What travels did you take, and did you involve belly dance with them?
In March I went to Spokane with my mom and sister for a Bellydance Superstar show. Then in May I went to Mexico with my boy!
5. What would you like to have in 2012 that you lacked in 2011?
I'd like a bottomless bank account so I can purchase any skirt, necklace and bindi that catches my fancy. I'd also like endless energy! Haha - realistically, I'd like more confidence.
6. Which date from 2011 will remain etched in your memory and why?
July 25, because I found out that I would be bringing a new little dancer into the world!
7. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Progressing to level three in dance, starting this blog, buying a house and surviving the first 6 months of pregnancy!
8. What was your biggest failure?
Not practicing as much as I could have.
9. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Neither, thankfully!
10. What was the best thing you bought or made for dance?
I only bought a few hip scarves. I was given a beautiful jaipur skirt, and I made a coin bra and tassel belt!
11. What did you get really excited about?
So many things! Belly dance shows, Mexico, Haflas, starting new levels in dance, a new house, having a baby, Christmas holidays!
12. What did you wish you'd done more of?
Practicing.
13. What do you wish you'd done less of?
I'd say sleeping, but it was quite necessary for baby-building ;)
14. What seemed to get in the way of dance?
Lack of energy and motivation.
15. What was your favourite music from this year?
I really loved Bounce by Solace, To the Mother * East by Filastine, Marcha de la Vida by Balkan beat Box, and Aicha by Khaled. I need to expand my music repertoire this year so if you have any recommendations please let me know! My newest favourite is Sunrise Over Tribeca by Helm and Phil Thornton.
16. What did you do on your birthday?
I went out for dinner with friends, and also had a surprise luau party with family in my hometown!
17. What would have made your year immeasurable more satisfying?
I'm actually pretty happy with 2011 :)
18. How would you describe your belly dance style in 2011?
Well, I was a student of ATS. It was a year of intence growth and learning.
19. What were the major influences on your belly dance in 2011?
Mostly just my incredible dance teacher - trying to emulate her strength and grace.
20. Best thing about being a dancer in 2011?
Experiencing the benefits, sense of accomplishment, and joy from dancing and connecting more with dance friends. Also starting this blog and being introduced to the online belly dance world, and discovering they are a very supportive and fun bunch to twitter and blog with!
Okay your turn. Tag! You're it!
By the way, this brilliant idea is from:
Dilara of Dilara's Diary and AJ of Confessions of a Dance Pants Addict
1. What did you do in 2011 that you had never done before?
Participated in dance class for a full year, danced in front of others, went to Mexico :)
2. Did you keep your belly dance new year resolution, and will you have one this year?
Last year my goal was just to progress into level two, which I did in the spring. This year I am resolving to smile more!
3. Did you introduce anyone to belly dance?
Yes, I got my sister involved!
4. What travels did you take, and did you involve belly dance with them?
In March I went to Spokane with my mom and sister for a Bellydance Superstar show. Then in May I went to Mexico with my boy!
5. What would you like to have in 2012 that you lacked in 2011?
I'd like a bottomless bank account so I can purchase any skirt, necklace and bindi that catches my fancy. I'd also like endless energy! Haha - realistically, I'd like more confidence.
6. Which date from 2011 will remain etched in your memory and why?
July 25, because I found out that I would be bringing a new little dancer into the world!
7. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Progressing to level three in dance, starting this blog, buying a house and surviving the first 6 months of pregnancy!
8. What was your biggest failure?
Not practicing as much as I could have.
9. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Neither, thankfully!
10. What was the best thing you bought or made for dance?
I only bought a few hip scarves. I was given a beautiful jaipur skirt, and I made a coin bra and tassel belt!
11. What did you get really excited about?
So many things! Belly dance shows, Mexico, Haflas, starting new levels in dance, a new house, having a baby, Christmas holidays!
12. What did you wish you'd done more of?
Practicing.
13. What do you wish you'd done less of?
I'd say sleeping, but it was quite necessary for baby-building ;)
14. What seemed to get in the way of dance?
Lack of energy and motivation.
15. What was your favourite music from this year?
I really loved Bounce by Solace, To the Mother * East by Filastine, Marcha de la Vida by Balkan beat Box, and Aicha by Khaled. I need to expand my music repertoire this year so if you have any recommendations please let me know! My newest favourite is Sunrise Over Tribeca by Helm and Phil Thornton.
16. What did you do on your birthday?
I went out for dinner with friends, and also had a surprise luau party with family in my hometown!
17. What would have made your year immeasurable more satisfying?
I'm actually pretty happy with 2011 :)
18. How would you describe your belly dance style in 2011?
Well, I was a student of ATS. It was a year of intence growth and learning.
19. What were the major influences on your belly dance in 2011?
Mostly just my incredible dance teacher - trying to emulate her strength and grace.
20. Best thing about being a dancer in 2011?
Experiencing the benefits, sense of accomplishment, and joy from dancing and connecting more with dance friends. Also starting this blog and being introduced to the online belly dance world, and discovering they are a very supportive and fun bunch to twitter and blog with!
Okay your turn. Tag! You're it!
Friday, 6 January 2012
Brilliant Belly Dance
We all know there are many physical benefits to dancing, but did you know about the mental and intellectual benefits? Excercise has been shown to improve mental clarity, alleviate and prevent depression, aid in the regulation of hormones (and therefore mood) and can even give you a temporary high. Well, studies are showing that it can actually make you smarter! Unfortunately not every style of dance can take this kind of credit - the more improvisational, the more an impact it will have. This is no trivial impact either - we're talking a 76% reduced risk of dementia as we age.
Now let's explain. Almost any excercise or dance is a wonderful hobby to pursue well into old age. However, for intellectual benefits, only those which require quick critical thinking have the power to boost our intellectual clarity as well. Quite simply, if our muscle memory has been doing the same thing for years, and we could practically perform on auto-pilot, our brain is not making any new connections - it just follows an old path that is well ingrained. When we do any kind of improvisational dance, our brain constantly has to make snap decisions, and this is what keeps us sharp.
When leading in ATS, we are making many decisions about which move to perform next, based on the music, mood, ability of dancers around us, and probably other factors I'm missing. When we follow it may seem we're in much a more passive role, but in fact we are constantly reading the body language and cues of our leader. Of course we know as well that often the leader hat changes quickly - during turns, fading, etc. All of this quick decision making is what makes improvisational dance stand out from the others in this aspect of health. Not that we needed another reason to keep dancing! ;)
Source:
Richard Powers 'Use It or Lose It: Dancing Makes You Smarter'
His website: http://richardpowers.com/
Now let's explain. Almost any excercise or dance is a wonderful hobby to pursue well into old age. However, for intellectual benefits, only those which require quick critical thinking have the power to boost our intellectual clarity as well. Quite simply, if our muscle memory has been doing the same thing for years, and we could practically perform on auto-pilot, our brain is not making any new connections - it just follows an old path that is well ingrained. When we do any kind of improvisational dance, our brain constantly has to make snap decisions, and this is what keeps us sharp.
When leading in ATS, we are making many decisions about which move to perform next, based on the music, mood, ability of dancers around us, and probably other factors I'm missing. When we follow it may seem we're in much a more passive role, but in fact we are constantly reading the body language and cues of our leader. Of course we know as well that often the leader hat changes quickly - during turns, fading, etc. All of this quick decision making is what makes improvisational dance stand out from the others in this aspect of health. Not that we needed another reason to keep dancing! ;)
Source:
Richard Powers 'Use It or Lose It: Dancing Makes You Smarter'
His website: http://richardpowers.com/
Thursday, 22 December 2011
My New Years Resolution - To Smile!
Have you ever watched a show where the performer looked miserable? What about one where you can read their lips - counting the steps? It's never a pretty picture. A frown has the potential to turn a beautiful performance into an awkward, bored and stale show. Thankfully we have the frown's much stronger nemesis at our disposal, free to employ at will: the smile.
Smiling really shouldn't be an issue. If we love to dance, why wouldn't we be smiling? However nerves, anxiety and self-consciousness can easily result in pursed lips and even a frown and furrowed brow from concentrating. The most beautiful costume, the msot incredible make-up - it all amounts to nothing without a smile.
So what do we do? We train ourselves from the very beginning, using muscle memory. We build a smile into the basics of each move. When considering an Arabic for instance, we can think about the count, the movement of the chest lifting, the movement of the lower abs contracting, the movement of the lips smiling, the movement of the feet, etc. Notice how the smile wasn't an afterthought? It is just as important as any of the other muscle motions, and can be trained into our memory just as well.
The reason I bring this up is not because I'm a perfect smiler and everyone else is horrible. Oh goodness - far from it. It's because I struggle with it so much - and finally pictures have been taken that show my worried face! I love dancing. I do! However I am naturally quite shy and self-conscious - and this comes out very easily in my face! Here is my proof:
Smiling really shouldn't be an issue. If we love to dance, why wouldn't we be smiling? However nerves, anxiety and self-consciousness can easily result in pursed lips and even a frown and furrowed brow from concentrating. The most beautiful costume, the msot incredible make-up - it all amounts to nothing without a smile.
So what do we do? We train ourselves from the very beginning, using muscle memory. We build a smile into the basics of each move. When considering an Arabic for instance, we can think about the count, the movement of the chest lifting, the movement of the lower abs contracting, the movement of the lips smiling, the movement of the feet, etc. Notice how the smile wasn't an afterthought? It is just as important as any of the other muscle motions, and can be trained into our memory just as well.
The reason I bring this up is not because I'm a perfect smiler and everyone else is horrible. Oh goodness - far from it. It's because I struggle with it so much - and finally pictures have been taken that show my worried face! I love dancing. I do! However I am naturally quite shy and self-conscious - and this comes out very easily in my face! Here is my proof:
These pictures aren't the greatest quality, but you can still see exactly what I'm talking about: no smile! In the picture on the left it actually looks like I am biting my lip! *Palm to forehead.* Strange to see, because I was having such a great time! These weren't from a performance either, this is just dancing for fun at the Hafla!
*Sigh* now you have seen my smile-shame. Look at pictures and videos of yourself dancing, I hope you're not as bad as me but you might be just as surprised! There is almost always room for improvement. If anyone has any tips please post them in the comments section below as well!
One more thing - we should have a big smile on our face for dancing fast, of course. If we dance slow with that same smile though, we might look a little crazy. My dance teacher suggests a soft, close -mouthed smile. She says to think of a smell that you love, and imagine smelling it and smiling. It works very well when you remember to think about it! Popular ones in my class are vanilla, chocolate, coconut, bread baking, and flowers.
Hope that helps any of you that struggle as I do! Let's resolve to SMILE! :)
*Note: There may be some dance forms or performances that require a different look. What I have written above applies to general ATS performing.
Friday, 16 December 2011
Christmas Hafla 2011
Wednesday my dance group had our annual Christmas Hafla! It was so much fun. For two hours, I got to eat great food, listen to great music and dance with the coolest ladies I know. We did SO much dancing. It was tiring but such a joy! The Level 3 ladies, including myself, and my teacher with us at one point, danced for the other girls! It was nerve racking but so wonderfully empowering. We got some great feedback too though that the others really enjoyed watching us. So much love in our little dance group.
Here is a picture of me and a friend at the hafla (sorry about the poor quality):
Here is a picture of me and a friend at the hafla (sorry about the poor quality):
So you can see I kept it very simple this time, my gypsy rose skirt from Flying Skirts, Red choli, coin bra, bindi from Kuhl Jewels and necklace and mirror belt that were gifts from my mom. My hair was up in a bun surrounded with red and black roses, to match the red/black gypsy theme! You can see my baby bump too!
My friend here is wearing a gorgeous peacock feather skirt with orange underneath, several fringe/sparkle belts layered, a purple sweetheart choli and coin bra she made herself as well! Beautiful! Of course she has a bindi from Kuhl Jewels as well! (No outfit is complete without one, am I right?!)
I hope your Christmas parties are full of just as much joy :)
Thursday, 8 December 2011
Style Inspiration: Peacocks
This beautiful bird has always been admired. Its vibrant colours and impressive plumage have ushered the peafowl into various religions and cultures. In Hinduism they are associated with the god Saraswati, standing for patience, compassion, knowledge. In Asian spirituality they represent Kwan-Yin as an emblem of love and good-will, and in Christianity they represent eternal life. They have a long history including a part in Greek mythology as well.
Regardless of their lore, the peacock is an awe inspiring creature whose dress we can borrow from to colour and influence our own styles in life and dance.
Regardless of their lore, the peacock is an awe inspiring creature whose dress we can borrow from to colour and influence our own styles in life and dance.
Wednesday, 7 December 2011
The Tribal Way: Reboot
Miss me? I know it's been a while! We are all moved into our new house now, and baby is being much nicer to me too. My energy has (mostly) returned and nausea is at a minimum. Again if anyone is interested, my pregnancy/personal blog is here: http://ttw-babyadventures.blogspot.com/?zx=ab3658f2d680cca8
So I'm going to try and give The Tribal Way a reboot with more regular posts, which I hope will be much to your delight! Today I'll just give you an update on how Level Three has been going, but I have a post ready for tomorrow with lots of gorgeous style inspiration pictures!
So I only have one week left of Level Three. In the last several week we have covered the Doubleback Half Turn, the Arabic Orbit, Barrel and Sahra Turns, Sunanda, and Turkish Shimmy with arms and a turn and circling. My favourite out of those? Doubleback Half Turn without a doubt, and the Sahra turn for slow. Sunanda is fun too, just a bit more simple. The Turkish Shimmy move is fun too, with the different arms and the turn - but the circling part throws me off still! I have a problem with getting dizzy and short of breath very quickly, which I hope is just pregnancy related. It's still fun though.
I'm excited for the first session of Level Three to be over. That may sound strange, but the first session of each new level is so very challenging and stressful for me! The second session is always a million times better. Instead of just learning a new move and barely keeping my head above water, there is already a basic understanding of the move that I can build on. That's when it starts to get fun - when you can do the move, but now you get to work on it and fine-tune it until you can do gracefully and with correct posture, angles etc. This process of course lasts forever, but each time it is relearned a move becomes more engrained in my muscle and heart and more of a joy to do.
The Sahra Turn we learned last night is just beautiful. When our teacher first showed us what it was, I thought she must be doing 3 moves, not one, as there are so many parts to it! However after we practiced more, I saw it become a graceful combination of moves we already know. The forms of each action within the move are elegant and poised. I can't wait to work on this one until it comes naturally!
Alright my lovelies, wishing you shakin' shimmies!
Til tomorrow...
Chella
So I'm going to try and give The Tribal Way a reboot with more regular posts, which I hope will be much to your delight! Today I'll just give you an update on how Level Three has been going, but I have a post ready for tomorrow with lots of gorgeous style inspiration pictures!
So I only have one week left of Level Three. In the last several week we have covered the Doubleback Half Turn, the Arabic Orbit, Barrel and Sahra Turns, Sunanda, and Turkish Shimmy with arms and a turn and circling. My favourite out of those? Doubleback Half Turn without a doubt, and the Sahra turn for slow. Sunanda is fun too, just a bit more simple. The Turkish Shimmy move is fun too, with the different arms and the turn - but the circling part throws me off still! I have a problem with getting dizzy and short of breath very quickly, which I hope is just pregnancy related. It's still fun though.
I'm excited for the first session of Level Three to be over. That may sound strange, but the first session of each new level is so very challenging and stressful for me! The second session is always a million times better. Instead of just learning a new move and barely keeping my head above water, there is already a basic understanding of the move that I can build on. That's when it starts to get fun - when you can do the move, but now you get to work on it and fine-tune it until you can do gracefully and with correct posture, angles etc. This process of course lasts forever, but each time it is relearned a move becomes more engrained in my muscle and heart and more of a joy to do.
The Sahra Turn we learned last night is just beautiful. When our teacher first showed us what it was, I thought she must be doing 3 moves, not one, as there are so many parts to it! However after we practiced more, I saw it become a graceful combination of moves we already know. The forms of each action within the move are elegant and poised. I can't wait to work on this one until it comes naturally!
Alright my lovelies, wishing you shakin' shimmies!
Til tomorrow...
Chella
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