Bellydance For The Everyday Woman

Embracing what bellydance is to you After hearing one too many comments on costuming choices on stage and in practice, I realize that this really is the basis of the attitude of bellydance in modern society. It is an art form that has grown more and more popular since the 70’s yet there is still so much people don’t understand about it. People feel the need to treat it like a dirty little secret, and those of us who dance feel the need to defend ourselves for loving it. What I am most saddened by, is listening to fellow bellydancers commenting on “proper attire,” commenting on slutty costume choices stating that their own is more traditional, or professional, or acceptable. That for some reason adding a sheer belly mesh makes you less trashy, and that a coin bra and a full skirt is less offensive than a form fitting sequined dress and a bedlah made of beaded fringe and sequins. Why is it that society must encourage us to diminish such a beautiful dance that gives us so much to our soul and spirit to a costume….and for that matter the type of costume. My first real lesson in embracing your power through the dance,  came to me the night my friend Amanda and I attended the “Bellydance Superstars” show in Las Vegas. Watching those women embrace their power on stage…to watch them dance in such a sensual way yet still retain their strength was empowering. Our two seconds of fame….you can see us (sort of) on the DVD “30 Days to Vegas”   If you are dancing to show off your breasts, to have people leer at the curve of your hips, to comment on the sheerness or cut of your costume….then you are not there for the right reason. The strength and power of your dance….the ability to make someone feel, to have them gasp at your beauty and your femininity and sensuality comes from the power of your dance and your ability to connect with both sides of your female nature. That is what makes you a bellydancer, not a costume.     So dance little sister, dance…for as long as you dance this ancient woman’s dance will survive and laugh in the face of all attacks. As long as there are women, it will go on beating and living, it’s proud strength passed on from woman to woman.  (Taken from “Grandmother’s Secrets”)  

We all know how important it is to live in a strong community where everyone is valued for their unique talents. Building a dance community is no different. It is important to build, strengthen and cultivate each member of the community. I hope this podcast sparks some ideas that will help you fit into, cultivate and celebrate everyone in your community.  

We all get nervous leaving the comfort of our pack.” The group of women we love, that we learn with and learn from. Despite this fear, it is important to venture out and try new things and learn from new people. This podcast is a quick discussion about that and a review of my experience at the 2014 Las Vegas Bellydance Intensive. It is my hope that by listening to me and a few other women, you will feel comfortable venturing out to seek new adventures.  

  My hope for every dancer is that they feel and are accepted into the Sisterhood of bellydance early. That bond is what makes the bellydance experience so special to all of us. I was lucky to have found an amazing teacher and an outstanding group of women who I bonded with and made my pack. It is in our nature as women to want to be a little wild at times. we crave creativity, we crave expression of self. Very much like wolves, women need to run with a pack of like minded women who love and support them. Part of being in a troupe is being a member of a pack…and that is the power of dance. “If you say to a woman how lovely she is, or how beautiful her art is, or compliment anything else her soul took part in, or was inspired to help with, something in her mind says she is undeserving and you, the compliment-or, are an idiot for thinking such a thing to begin with. Rather than understand that the beauty of her soul shines through when she is being herself, the woman changes the subject and effectively snatches nourishment away from the soul-self, which thrives on being acknowledged.” Clarissa Pinkola Estés, Women Who Run With the Wolves: Myths and Stories of the Wild Woman Archetype   Troupe Zarifa – and our teacher Joan “Hyam” Hopkinson Pictures taken right after diagnosis, In the middle of treatment, and at our Tribute Hafla after her passing.      “The Dangerous Old Woman” “It is the nature of the saplings to quake in the winds; hesitant, learning to hold their own places. But, the older trees, with their years of testing and being tested, they are the ones who, whether in the long stern winds or misty gales, sway the most. Less a bouquet of tentative trembling first-time buds, now much more the leaf-perfumed hips of a hundred wide women dancing—these old ones, regardless of form, sway, by heart, to the music that thunders through them.” —Clarissa Pinkola Estés, PhD http://www.clarissapinkolaestes.com/index.htm

Performance Anxiety is something that every dancer has to deal with no matter how long they have been dancing. There are many ways to help alleviate this. Ultimately it all comes down to what works best for you, but we discuss methods that many dancers use to help this problem.     “Snake Hips – Belly Dancing and How I Found True Love” http://www.amazon.com/Snake-Hips-Belly-Dancing-Found/dp/1556525222  

No matter how you came to this dance, no matter your age, your background or how long you have been doing it. Remind yourself often why you do it in the first place. Think about being a child when we all danced…for the love of it, because rhythm is in our blood…starting out with our heart, and you are compelled to dance. Remember what that felt like before society made you feel embarrassed…… Remind yourself that among your sisters on the dance floor, you have found a safe place to be who you are and a safe place to discover the rest of you…   Remember Movement is life…..Dance is life…..and it Feeds Your Soul. Youtube links mentioned in this podcast http://youtu.be/NW8qUKxQiQU – Produced by the Ontario Arts Council http://youtu.be/Q8r-WEDI_N8 – Abbotsfordbellydance.com

Props are a great way to add flavor to your dance if done well and with moderation. In today’s modern bellydance, there are MANY props incorporated into routines. Today’s podcast talks about 4 specific traditional props, with some historical info about each one, and a few tips to make learning them a bit easier.   As always, these are my own opinions gathered from research and conversations with other dancers. Feel free to add input by commenting. Links mentioned in this podcast Sharifwear DeVilla Amina Samia Gamal

Today I picked the subject of Drills and the importance of drilling. Any guesses why I picked this topic? It certainly isn’t because I’ve figured it out or are perfect….I wish! This is something I personally struggle with as does my troupe. As I have done research and read interviews about some very big name dancers, it is actually refreshing to hear them admit that this can be a problem for themselves as well. Everyone recognizes Miss Rachel Brice by her beautiful tattoo that wraps around her hip. She explained in an interview that she needed a reminder of the importance of practice. It is written in Sanskrict and from the Yoga Sutra # 1.14 It says “Practice becomes firmly grounded when well attended to for a long time, without interruption and with reverent devotion.”

The longer I am involved in and do research about the dance community, I have discovered that there are more “home studio” dancers that you would ever imagine. I consider myself one of them. We are women who will never be stars on a big stage, we just love the dance and how it makes us feel. We study locally, in small dance studios, gyms, and in homes. We study from live teachers, on line, taking workshops and practicing with the ever expanding DVDs that are being produced now. We are women of a wide variety of ages, geographical locations, financial demographics and educational backgrounds. We are single, married, divorced, dating…we are daughters of aging parents, stay at home mothers, working women in a wide variety of careers….all wanting to take some personal time for themselves. We are “Everyday Woman.”