Faces + Bodies = Expression

Came across a post on Shira's bellydance page, All About Belly Dancing, by Shira. I thought I would share this as I feel this should be a standard that all teachers of all dance styles should be open to. Not just because it allows the student to grow more, but because as a teacher you are promoting members of your dance community which results in positive experiences for everyone and as a teacher you want to see your students come to their full potential. So here is the article:

To All Students,
Regarding "Loyalty" to Your Teacher
By Amanda Niehaus


Dear students of this beautiful art form,

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

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

As your teacher, my job is to teach you; to inspire you to be your best. If I am a really good teacher, then I also will not be your only teacher. I will encourage you to study with other teachers who have skills and experience I lack. Because I am not the end-all, be-all of belly dance knowledge.

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

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

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

Your job is to learn and practice, not to worry about my ego. I will not be "mad" at you for moving to a new level with your dance. You need to worry about YOU, and making yourself a better dancer. I will never resent you and I will only respect you for moving onward and upward.

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

Yours truly,
Your dance teacher


On to other things, I came across this video of Zoe Jakes and Kami Liddle performing in Las Vegas, Nevada last year and I was so mesmerized by their performance that I really wanted to share.




Now I have to admit, I've always been attracted to tribal fusion bellydancing. There is just something so fluid with the movements and the skill of solid isolations that makes it so much fun to watch. My problem is that I just don't have the body size to really do this type of bellydance style nor the skill level. Although I am a firm believer that a dancer should not be cast out because of their size, there are just some movements that us plus-size dancers cannot do where the emphasis of movements gets lost. It's a sad thing that we have to accept this about our body size, but we do still excel in many forms of bellydancing and there are indeed moves that we do tend to execute better than dancers who fit the general ideal of what a bellydancer should look like. But one thing people should understand is that even though a dancer has the body, they don't always have the skill. I have seen plenty of dancers, through live performances and video, where they have the "perfect" body but lack the finess and skill. It's like taking someone who would fit the part because they are the right size to fit the costume being provided, but not the skill to make the look work. One thing I have noticed is that there are dancers out there that have been dancing for a while who neglect to be aware of their own body. Whether you are tall, medium, short, thin, large, oddly shaped, perfectly shaped, disabled in some way or in excellent health, we all need to be fully aware of what attributes we want to emphasis the most and use our disadvantages in ways that make us unique and appealing when we dance. Obviously you don't want to flaunt your weaknesses, but if you choose movements that are easier on your body for whatever limitation you have it actually makes it so much easier to enjoy dancing without the stress of enduring pain when doing movements that are hard to endure. Never be afraid to modify a move to accommodate what your body just simply can't do. You should never feel like you have to do a move the exact way it's being taught if you are limited due to injuries, disabilities or lack of flexibility. As long as you can do the move in a way that works for you, you should be just fine and people watching will enjoy your performance without knowing you had modified anything. Especially other dancers.

One thing I would really like to emphasize is your face when you perform. If you don't look like you are enjoying yourself, then no one will. I have danced with a few people who rarely smile. It's a serious face all the time and, in all honesty, it turns off the audience. You want the audience to be engaged in what you do, not watch you and wonder when you will be done because you look like you are doing a chore rather than showing how much you enjoy dancing. If you need to, start smiling when you practice. Whether you are at home or in class drilling, just smile. There are instances where smiling is not a requirement and it is all based on the mood of your dance. If it's dramatic and/or dark in nature, you don't want to be smiling, but you can still be expressive with your face. Below are examples of dancers who have the proper faces for the style/mood that they are dancing.

As you can see, not all of these dancers are showing a bright smile like the dancer in the first picture. But variations of smiles, smirks or even an intense look is bringing some sort of expression to your face that will help add to the mood your dancing. Here is an article from Ruri-Amari Dance: The Blog that discusses facial expressions that will help you improve your face from showing no emotion/pursed lips to a very emotional/expressive face:

Belly Dance – Head Orientation and Facial Expression Control
Posted on November 20, 2010 by AnnaBeth

We are dancers. We can control our hips, torsos, and arms like nobody else… but what about our most expressive body part? The body part which portrays our mood and intent in every day situations? I’m talking about your face! You can do the most joyous, bouncy dance in the world, but if your face is upset, angry, or sad… your audience will hone in on that feeling. Try it out: Get a friend. Perform for her a serious dance with a serious face. Then do the same exact dance with a goofy face, or a sarcastic smirk, or a huge smile. Ask her how each dance made her feel. Which did she like better?

How important is your face? You can do the most spectacular dance ever, but if your face shows boredom or lack of intent, your audience will pick up on it and get bored. Conversely, you can use your face to work in your favor. If balancing a sword, basket, or candle on your head is no big deal (you could do it in your sleep with one hand behind your back), you can express such concentration with your face that your audience will be on the edge of their seats! Some things to remember:

- Your facial expression shows the intent of your dance more than any other body part (sad, thoughtful, joyous, contemplative, dark, lighthearted).

- Your face can show the audience where to look. Raise one arm and do a hip shimmy. If you are looking at your arm, so is your audience. If you are looking at your hip, so is your audience.

- Your face will betray you… not your moves! If you ‘mess up’, chances are nobody will know unless you make that “oh crap!” face.

People subconsciously know the difference between a fake smile and a real one. “When a person genuinely smiles, the orbicularis oculi and the pars orbitalis contract in addition to zygomaticus major, causing the cheeks to raise and the skin around the eyes to crease.”(http://www.wisegeek.com/how-do-i-identify-a-fake-smile.htm) A large smile with eyes which are fearful or confused will make your audience uneasy.


So what can we do? What we always do… Practice! First of all, you will need a friend. Trust me. You can’t watch your face accurately while dancing. If you have no friends (wah!), you can use a video camera.

Exercise 1: Facial Twitches
If you have a dance partner, or someone who has seen you dance a lot, you can just ask them “What strange things do I do with my face while dancing?” If you don’t, then dance some dances for them and then ask. You may be surprised at what they say. Maybe you bite your lip or purse your lips, maybe you make really obvious fake smiles, maybe you blink a lot, or maybe you whisper to yourself (it does happen!). Your first reaction will be “I don’t do that!” Believe me, you do. Whatever they say, they wouldn’t lie to you. Now you know, and knowing is half the battle! =)

Exercise 2: Gaining Control of your Face
This exercise sounds easy, but it isn’t! Do a dance (choreographed or improvised) and don’t use your head or face. Look straight forward the entire time and don’t make any facial expressions. A friend comes in really handy here. They can tell you when you look to the side or make a face. You can’t trust yourself to catch it… you really need someone to tell you when you get off track.

Exercise 3: Intent
Before you do a dance, decide on your intent. What are you trying to say with this dance? If your inner goal is to ‘just make it through this dance’, then that is what will show on your face. Practice! While you practice your dances, pay attention to what you are saying with your face. Where are you looking? Is that where you want to be looking? Where should your audience look? Is your head orientation reflecting that? What should your audience be feeling? Are your facial expressions showing that? Remember, what you do in practice will come out in a performance.

Exercise 3: Choreograph a Look
In your next choreographed piece, add a head orientation to your dance. This can be especially powerful in group dances. There is something that produces chills when everyone, as a unit, moves their head in a precise look.

Like every other body part and every muscle, we need to condition our heads and faces. Don’t overlook this important aspect of your dance!

Always practice what face you are wanting to express based on what mood you are expressing. You may be surprised to find that you are more appealing to watch when you execute a look that captivates your audience. Remember, human beings base our emotions on what we see. If someone is showing an emotion, we are able to identify with that expression and know how they are feeling. As an example, I will display a picture of myself performing where it is obvious to tell I am not sure of what I am performing. Keep in mind that because I didn't know this choreography, I was basing all my moves on the queues being given by those in front of me and that this does show on my face:

This is proof that even though you may not know the choreography, you got to learn how to watch for queues without giving it away on your face.

So here is an assignment for you. Go look in the mirror and start practicing your faces for when you perform. Practice these faces while you practice your dance at home or in class. If it helps, play the music you are dancing to while looking in the mirror as you work on your facial work. The music will help you feel the emotion you want to show. You may be surprised when you look at the next set of pictures or videos taken of you at your next performance!

Feel the Burn!

Another workout in class! Whew! I'm definitely feeling it in my back tonight. We worked on twist moves, shoulder locks and shimmies, Egyptian step combos, another hip lift move, and a few pivot turns with layered arm/hand movements. I got a good lesson in balance when it came to some of the turns. These were moves that I had never done before, so having a chance to play with them and figure out where arm placement helps execute the turn was fun to experience....despite getting off balance a few times. I'm sad though that next week's class has been cancelled due to the 4th of July landing on a Wednesday. This means that I will need to do 2 classes back to back at some point in time in the next couple of weeks to make-up for the 4th of July class being cancelled. Shouldn't be too bad though as one of the classes offered before mine is more on the fundamental basics for Level 1 and 2a students.

I've been looking around online for a few lessons I could look at to help with some of my moves and found some by Seba on YouTube. Seba is one of the tribal dancers who is part of WildCard Bellydance. Here are a few of her videos:

Wild Lotus - Level 2 Move


Basic Egyptian Part 1 - Level 1 Move


Basic Egyptian Part 2 - Level 1 Move With Addition of Zills


There are a few more by Seba on YouTube. Although there are not many, these are still helpful in breaking down the most used movements in tribal dancing.

One thing that you may have noticed is that I have changed the layout a little. I felt I needed to do something a little different. Give my page a little more of a fresher look. One item I have added that may be useful to readers is the list of links to the left side. These are links to vendors where you can find a lot of items for dancing. From accessories, to props, to instructional videos, to costumes, to practice wear, and all other fun items to help you along as you dance.

Another item I have added is an Upcoming Events calender that is posted at the top. For now there is just a blank bar going across the page, but in the future this area will show upcoming performances to come check out if you are perhaps in the area.

Over time I will continue adding things here and there that may benefit anyone who may deem these links useful for their needs, especially to the vendors list.

My new goal for this week will be to attend a drumming circle taking place this Sunday. As this is an informal event of people getting together and just playing drums, this is something that I know will become a valuable learning experience. It is unknown if I can make it for sure as I have other plans taking place in the earlier part of the day, but I know something like this is a good experience. As of right now, it seems like there will be quite a number of people in attendance.

To wrap up this post, I would just like to say one thing. Never be afraid to take a risk when you know that the outcome will benefit you in the long run. Whether that outcome results in a stronger dancer, a better attitude, better connections with other dancers in the community or being a better person overall, it's always something that will impact your life for the better that would never be regretted. You will be a healthier person at the end.

Motivation and Inspiration

So this week's class was amazing and definitely had me hurting the next day. This is a good thing mind you! The classes I'm taking at California Art Academy are tribal bellydance classes and this 2 month session focuses on strictly techniques. So the instructor has setup each class as a workshop. In the first class to kick things off, we worked on hip lifts, chest lifts and arm raises. I will admit, I struggled with some of the moves because this is different form of bellydance than what I had been learning. When we had begun layering the arm raises with the hip lifts in a ghawazee dance, I kept throwing myself off. Needless to say....it was frustrating on my end lol. I got the general move down, but I needed more hip action going, which you would think wouldn't be difficult for a full figured woman with some extra curvature. Wrong! So I have a few things to work on from this class so I may better understand the movements. One in particular that I had problems with was a hip lift done on the leg you have your weight on. I couldn't understand why I wasn't getting it...until I realized I wasn't over my knee far enough to have the room to move >_< But once I was shown by the instructor, it became easier to do. I wasn't nailing it, but I was closer in doing the move correctly. I also had a nice surprise when I attended the class. I was excited to see that the "Project Bellydance: Next Top Bellydancer" winner from last year was taking classes as well. That's right! Andalee was learning a new style to add to her amazing repertoire of dance. Talk about being nervous learning next to her lol. For those who may not have seen the first season debut last year, you can see some of the episodes here: Next Top Bellydancer

I have also begun boosting my motivation for learning this new style by watching some tutorials and performances on tribal bellydance on YouTube. I have found watching some of the troupes really get me going in wanting to learn. Watching WildCard Bellydance, Black Diamond Bellydance (student troupe for WildCard Bellydance), Fat Chance Bellydance, and others inspires me as some of these groups do feature members of the same body type that I have. Nothing says inspiration like seeing someone who is very similar in body size do what you do and see how graceful they are. I've included few video links below of some of these girls putting on a wonderful show.

Fat Chance Bellydance


WildCard Bellydance


I have also been watching a video that was a gift from my father about 3 months ago called Shimmy Shimmy Drop Drop. It goes over a lot of tribal movements and very valuable as a learning tool. The instructor on the DVD does an excellent job of breaking down each movement covered and then slowly speeding the movement up so you, as the student, can see how that move evolves into a fluid action. You even see the instructor's troupe demonstrate each section of the DVD in a short performance, stringing all the moves you have learned in one section together in a seamless demonstration. I highly recommend this video if you are wanting to learn a few moves for your dance.

Last item I wish to promote, before bringing a close to this entry, is to ask you to go check out the Cheeky Girls Productions website. It has a large selection of instructional DVDs of all styles of bellydance, including DVDs covering stage presence, solos, props, choreography, body motion, and combinations. This site also has clothing and dance accessories available for purchase as well. So check them out and see what treasures you may find! Click here!

As a final note, I will begin setting challenges for myself. Each time I complete a challenge, I set a new one. I figure that if I treat this as a game of some sort, it will help me focus a little better in learning something new and keep it fun! My first challenge I will be putting in place will be the weight changing hip lifts I just went over this week. Once I get these a little smoother, I will add some of the chest lift movements so I may begin to strengthen my layering...as that is pretty weak right now. Maybe this would be something that may help you in your dancing. Pick a move each week or every other week and work on building that move up to be as fluid as you can make it in that time period. Never be afraid to ask other dancers how they would break down the move you are working on or looking online for a tutorial. Each person has a different way of learning a move from using comparisons to better understand the flow of the movement to emphasizing where your body/muscle should be at different stages of the move.

Until next time, enjoy your dancing and look to what inspires you to move what you were born with!

It's MY Life, MY Decision, MY Journey

I am very disheartened by the act of some members from the previous group I was with. Someone had found this blog and decided to print my last entry and present it to my former instructor, who in turn presented a portion of it to the rest of the group in order to make me seem like the bad guy for leaving. First of all, this is very unprofessional and childish on both my former instructor’s part and the student who found this blog. Yes this is public, but this is my journey and recordings of what I am going through. A lot of what is posted here are topics that were brought up by other members who have felt the same or have confirmed things going on in a verbal environment instead of writing it like I am. None of what I have posted here is new to anyone because they had shared the same issues at some point. Some of the issues that had been discussed had been brought to the instructor’s attention and nothing had been done and we had to learn to deal with what was happening. I can’t help feeling the way I do on things, but it was not my intention to stop being friends with those who I learned from and danced with. So what has happened is that instead of approaching me and discussing what I had wrote to better understand where I was coming from, I was banned from ever returning to my former group if I decided I wanted to come back.

There is a reason why there are so many underlying problems in this group and the main issue is that these problems are not properly being addressed. So since people have decided to take the childish route in handling this in an adult manner, I will be completely honest here. No, I will not be dropping names, but I’m going to share what is going on so that people may learn that this is not how a group should function or act so that people who may come across this understands that these problems should not exist. When you have a group that has underlying problems, you need to address them directly and not sit there and hope they go away. These problems, if left unattended, will corrode the group. That is exactly what has happened in my former group. I was approached by two members to help out with an event because no one else who had been asked in the group wanted to do it. The three of us came up with the idea, JenCee, to continue doing performances that other members were not interested in doing as Ananka. We had opened up to the other members to invite them to join us. No one took the opportunity and soon after we closed the invitation foul rumors started up. I don’t know the reason why, nor do I understand why this was done. We had one person decide the next year that they wanted in and we allowed them to join, but they didn’t speak up on any ideas they had, nor did they contribute. They had expected us to have every thing already lined up to be practiced on which is not always the case. Each year JenCee tries to work on something new and therefore we start from scratch with throwing ideas around concerning choreography, music, and a possible story to be portrayed. So the person left and decided to tell people incorrect information as to what was happening and how they were treated. This has since caused problems with misunderstandings from the instructor and other students as to what we were doing despite the fact that we were being upfront and honest about our actions with the instructor and anyone who asked what was going on. Nothing was withheld when we were asked about our activities and the handling of situations.

There were also people who were complaining that some students were throwing them off because they may have been having a hard time with choreography. Instead of addressing the issue head on and even trying to work with that person, there was talk going on behind others backs about who upset so-n-so because such-n-such keeps happening. I stepped in and told them they needed to talk to the person or bring it up to the instructor so that the instructor may work with them. I was getting to the point of telling the person myself who was having problems so they were aware of the issue, but I said nothing to the person it involved because it did not affect me and it was not my responsibility to say anything as it was not my issue, but someone else's. This was not done and this issue continued until feelings got hurt. The only people to blame for this outcome are those who were complaining who did not take the time to step up as an adult and take care of the issue. Allowing it to fester causes problems and ignoring it will not make it go away.

You need to communicate if you have an issue. End of story. This game of talking behind one’s back and not being honest with each other is what kills a group. You can’t work with someone if you are not addressing issues and finding solutions to make it better. For me, it kept surrounding around my involvement at opportunities to do something extra that people kept turning down when they had the invitation to join or take the next step forward in the larger group. People refused to come talk to me personally and made the decision to talk to others with their complaints and misunderstandings who were not fully informed of what may have been going on. I withdrew from people because I was tired of what I was hearing. The less I shared or told people, I felt the better I was going to be with keeping the drama out of my life. Issues still happened, but without my involvement. I made the decision to pull back because people were not willing to fix whatever problems they had and they let it bleed into the group.

I made the decision recently to start taking classes at the California Arts Academy because I felt that my time with my previous group was over because I couldn’t handle the negativity anymore, but I was not fully ending that relationship with people in case this new path was not where I was suppose to be. I had brought up some comparisons in my last entry that I noticed were not acceptable to me for how classes were run, but that was my personal opinion like those that had been shared by other members in the group outside of class. Now I have an issue where someone made the decision to print out my blog entry and share it with the instructor instead of coming to me directly to get clarification or more information regarding why I had wrote what I did, which caused me to be banned from returning because not all the information was presented. Mostly this was due to the fact that I don’t need to share every detail on this blog and there were key points I was trying to point out that were more important than back story.

My main reason for leaving had nothing to do with the instructor, despite some of the measures I disagreed with I had continued learning from her for 3 years without much complaint. My true reason for leaving was based on the behavior of specific students. The failure in being honest with each other and undermining everyone, including the instructor, was unacceptable. Not all the students did this, but those that did were making an experience that was suppose to be positive become very negative. I did not like the negativity I was feeling especially while I am having a hard time in my life outside of dance with the death of someone very dear to me and fulfilling discussions I had with them to make me a better person and have a better outlook on things. I may have been too honest in my last post about what I didn’t like going on, but when you fail to take responsibility for your actions you let the group you are involved with fail. I do not wish any ill will on my former instructor nor the students who are causing problems, but I do hope that the one who is the cause of this upheaval gets a very hard lesson in understanding that there are just some things you don’t butt into because it is not your life, not your issue, not your decision and not your place to take matters into your own hands that do not concern you, especially when you may be the person who is being the hypocrite. I try to be honest with people and I admit to slip ups. But I take responsibility for my mistakes and grow from them. So in this latest blow of losing my first place where I had my love for bellydance be nurtured, I now will focus on the next step of who I am to become and to further my love for bellydancing without the negativity that had been festering.

To the person who now watches this and wishes to continue sharing what I post here for their own purposes of destruction, please do. It shows that you are the weakest link in the group and you refuse to see that your toxic ways are what hinder you from becoming a beautiful dancer with a great outlook on life. You may have forced a door closed on me, but I share my experiences publicly for those who are interested to see me grow or to somehow make a connection with me in terms of similar experiences or just wanting to catch little tidbits here and there that may interest someone in a way that they can use my ideas/knowledge for their own use to impact their life in a positive way. I am sorry that some people have taken one entry and didn’t take into account that these things have been shared by others for a long time or the suggestions given to people were ignored. I am sorry that people made the decision to believe whatever they were being told without getting to the bottom of things first in order to educate themselves before giving an incomplete story. But I am not sorry for speaking my mind and being true to myself. I am not here to please others or bend to their will through any manipulating they have planned. If I feel something is wrong then I do something about it. Maybe the people who are causing problems should try to do the same and be concerned about themselves only instead of making a wonderful experience for others be turned into something horrible and toxic. Stick to your own business and don't worry about others.

If you want to be a better dancer, than be a better dancer. That means encouragement and mentoring others. If you feel you would do better in another class, then try it. If there are workshops that you want to try because you feel that it will give you a better understanding of movement or music, then try it. If you have a better way about achieving a move that would benefit someone else too, share it. Leave the drama outside. There is no room for it in bellydancing. If you are jealous of someone, find out why you are jealous and insecure, don’t place the blame where it doesn’t belong because odds are it’s something you are unhappy with concerning you and only you. Become the beautiful person inside yourself instead of letting others dictate to you who you should be, how you should look and tell you that you are doing something wrong without giving legitimate reasons as to why. You should never be limited to one way of learning when there are people out there who are offering a chance for you to excel further without guilt. You should be going out of your way to be better and not expect it to be handed to you on a silver platter. I’m changing my world for the better. Yes, this whole situation has marred something that should have been kept positive and killed the relationships I was trying to keep with some people, but I can only look forward to what is now awaiting me.

So stick around. This is only one little smudge that doesn’t affect the bigger picture. I will keep growing while those who seek to destroy others will only falter and be left behind in a very small lonely world that they are creating for themselves.


“Don’t make assumptions. Find the courage to ask questions and to express what you really want. Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings, sadness and drama. With just this one agreement, you can completely transform your life.”
~Don Miguel Ruiz


“Don’t take anything personally. Nothing others do is because of you. What others say and do is a projection of their own reality, their own dream. When you are immune to the opinions and actions of others, you won’t be the victim of needless suffering.”
~Don Miguel Ruiz

New Chapter

I’ve been doing a lot of reflecting over the last few months. I am currently in the middle of taking a break from belly dancing to figure some things out. It’s been rough having to readjust to life since a special person in my life is no longer around to sharing things with anymore. Death can be cruel. But once I was presented with an opportunity to take a break from dance 2 months ago, step back, and look at my life, I’ve realized there were a lot of things that I needed to do in order to completely transition what I had started last year.

Last summer I had been mulling over the possibility of leaving the current group I was with along with the instructor I had been learning from for 3 years. I was finding that I was having a hard time meshing with some of the personalities in the group as time went on and the instructor was overlooking things too as time progressed. I was even the target of anger and jealousy a few times as well due to misunderstandings or failures to talk things out with me to have a better understanding of where their unhappiness was coming from. I’ve mainly kept to myself in this group because I was the newbie who jumped lengths to catch up to those in the class who had been dancing 3-5 years longer than myself. There was jealousy that I had been brought up so soon and was learning faster than those in my class. It was very awkward. As time went on, some of that negative energy from the situation dissipated, but was renewed again as people became frustrated with their own shortcomings and rumors began to spread within the group. I found myself being forgotten about for practices outside of class and felt the isolation take place. I later found the source, but once the source was removed, the hint of unhappiness was still lingering under what was suppose to be full acceptance of who I was in the group. It became unfixable drama.

So during these 2 months I had to step back and really think on what I wanted for myself out of belly dancing. I mean, I had started learning for myself and only for me. I’ve always been a musical person and dancing took the place of playing music when what I wanted was not longer available to me. I had to stop and think why I was becoming unhappy with where I was, why I beginning to feel irritated about my involvement with things, and why I was hesitant about taking the front stage when it was open for the taking. The discord in the group was the answer and more specifically how it felt like I was the excuse people were using for the negative energy. People were unwilling to realize that they had weaknesses they were not willing or ready to fix, where I was taking the bull by the horns and just dealing with it to the best of my ability (with lack of instruction or encouragement by my instructor). This negative energy multiplied when I was placed at the front of the stage because of the resentment others had for their own short comings and lack to take the initiative. They push me to the front while in the back they fume under the surface of the water. They pushed me to the front because they didn’t want to be there, but complained because they were not given the opportunity. Originally I thought taking a 2 month break from classes would possibly help ease things, allow the other girls to do without me and let them find their footing. I was wrong. After being gone a month and rejoining the group for a performance at Fresno State University for their annual Vintage Days event, that under current of negative energy was still there. Many of the girls kept their distance from me like I carried the plague. Honestly, it was no surprise to me, but I had half hoped that the negativity would be lessened. So I performed and did fairly well for not being in class to practice everything with everyone for a month. I had to use my own personal time to be sure I still remembered what we were to perform for the event. I also found out that the group began learning a new choreography, but they are still not focusing on technique (which is really needed right now). From my understanding, they did 2 classes of technique before being thrown into a new dance.

A week later I attended the Visalia Renaissance Faire under my own gypsy guild I had created for not only dancing and drumming, but for those people involved with renaissance faires who wanted to play thieves, storytellers, palm readers and other roles for the Romani culture for the 1500s time period. Only the members of JenCee attended and the husband of one of those members. We had the surprise of seeing Tanjora participating in this faire under the name Banat Tanjora. Since my guild was listed as wandering, we had the opportunity to join Tanjora in their encampment at the end of the first day of faire to drum with them. After the faire was over for the day, my guild members left for the night and, as I was camping at the grounds, I had the opportunity to speak with the instructor for Tanjora along with the other members who were there. It was nice speaking with them and sharing stories, experiences, jokes, etc. Later that night, I was lying in my tent thinking about how well I had connected to the members of Tanjora and thought it wouldn’t hurt to drop-in on a few classes that were being offered by the instructor through California Arts Academy.

That Monday I went to the beginners class (Level 1) to see if I may want to start there if I were to join. The class was simple and more of a refresher for me, but it had been a long time since I had gotten that much of a workout in class. It was even refreshing to have time to stretch before and after we began going over movements. There is the surprise for people who didn’t know. My other instructor doesn’t take time to stretch before and after the intermediate class. She reserves that for the beginners and then hops right into things for the intermediate/advance classes. This is a big no-no for any dance class to skip any type of warm-up and cool-down periods. You increase your risk of injury without warming up to it and cooling down to avoid cramps/stiffness. After feeling good about my experience, I returned the following week to try one of the intermediate classes (Level 2B as Level 2A was cancelled due to not enough students). Again, it was another class where I was getting quite a workout that also had built in time for stretching before and after getting into the dance.

Now here I am, 2 weeks after attending those classes and facing the biggest decision I have had to make regarding dance. And you know what sucks about the Leo tendencies? You tend to be loyal to those who you respect and value. But there are times where you have to break that loyalty when you realize something is not working. I have had to come to that difficult decision. I have appreciated the 3 years of experience I had received from Ananka Dance Company. It was a great place to start and build my enthusiasm for learning more belly dancing, but as I hit a plateau and ran into issues that were hindering me from progressing further, I have realized that I can’t remain where I don’t feel right. I don’t like being used as a reason for people to be upset with themselves. I don’t like the fact that I was not being encouraged to further myself. I don’t like that I was limited to a small number of performances throughout each year with no opportunity for more. This was why JenCee was created so we could do those performances Ananka was not interested in doing (we’ve had to place that ambition on hold though due to a one of our members expecting a little dancer/drummer).

So after a lot of thinking I have decided to close a chapter with Ananka and begin a new chapter with Tanjora. I don’t know how soon I will be performing, but since I am just starting a new experience, I’m not looking to be on stage until next year at the earliest. I am quite fine with this as long as I am getting the learning experience that I deserve. I feel I will be happier here, especially since I have had the chance to interact with a portion of the members before I made any decision or commitment.

To close this entry, I would like to share pictures with you of JenCee and Tanjora from the Visalia Renaissance Faire April 28th-29th 2012:

Further Education

I never realized how hard it would be to keep up a blog when too many things have been happening. Forgive me for not updating more often. Due to family health problems and recently having a close friend who has been my support in everything the last 10 years pass away, it’s been a rough time in keeping up with things.

But I am here to update a few things to share with you.

First off, I have been looking into doing additional dance lessons. I’ve been slowly feeling like I’m treading through stagnant water on a number of things that I have been learning in dance. It feels like there is more pressure on learning a dance for a performance where many combination moves are recycled over and over again in the same sequence with not much attention on different combinations or focus on technique. It’s like a production line. Push to get everything together, do the performance, repeat. Not much time or room to perfect the moves we do. I’m also realizing that if I wish to learn to dance with props and zills, I would have to learn on my own or from a different source.

Now I wish to make it clear that I am not upset with my dance instructor. She’s a wonderful dancer and instructor for beginning to intermediate lessons, but I see that if I wish to excel in new interests within the dance in order to continue to grow, I will need to go somewhere else for my learning. I also would like to make it clear that I am not leaving my dance group either. At least not right now. I know that as dancers grow, they will eventually have a different focus and move on to another group to achieve what their focus may be. It is not a bad thing, it is just something that many dancers go through.

I have been doing some research and found 2 instructors that I would like to learn from. First being the tribal form of belly dance. This instructor teaches both the traditional tribal along with some of the tribal fusion that has become very popular over the last few years. I have always been interested in the tribal form and I think this is something I will definitely pursue this next year.

In my research I have come across a website with a good article on how belly dancing impacts us in a healthy manner. So I would like to share this with you and provide you with the link so you may check it out on your own time if you do not have time to read it at this point in time.

Health Benefits of Belly Dance

While we know for certain that belly dancing is fun, it has other favourable side effects as well. Below are two articles that describe the impact on belly dancing on your physical health.

The Health Benefits of Belly Dancing
Belly-Dance is good for you

The Health Benefits of Belly Dancing
Sheri Waldrop
Source: http://www.discoverbellydance.com/discoverbellydance/vol_3_no_1.htm

Raks Sharki, also called belly dance, is a form of dance that many are familiar with. But few understand the effects it has on the human body. The graceful hip drops, rolls, and pivots of this dance form utilize muscle groups in the abdomen, pelvis, trunk, spine, and neck, working with the body instead of against it. Unlike ballet, which can potentially alter and deform the skeleton, or other dance forms that work against rather than with the body's physical inclinations, raks sharki is based on movements that come naturally to the female form. There is a wealth of health benefits awaiting those who practice this form of dance.

Improved posture and muscle toning
Our spinal column contains more bones and ligaments than any other part of the body. Its 33 vertebrae are stacked together in a column joined together by cartilage and ligaments, and almost every movement of the torso depends upon its flexibility and function. Muscle groups that attach to the ligaments and vertebrae create movement in the trunk and pelvis areas. Raks sharki tones these muscles and maintains flexibility in a safe and effective manner.

During the dance, the movements of hip drops, circles, figure eights, and shimmies put the joints and ligaments in the lower back and hip through a full range of gentle, repetitive motion. This movement helps increase the flow of synovial fluid (nature's lubricant) in these joints. When movements are done properly, the pelvis is tipped forward, or tucked somewhat; a neutral position that can help prevent lower back problems. Raks sharki can help relieve stress to the back, counteracting the almost constant compression of the disks that occurs from sitting and a sedentary lifestyle.

These toned muscles improve posture and help prevent back pain that can be caused by the unnatural curving forward of the spine that occurs when muscle groups are weak (lordosis). Small muscle groups deep in the back that are normally under-exercised are used and strengthened. The muscles surrounding the hip, the largest joint in the body, are used and exercised during hip drops, and figure eights, enhancing flexibility and suppleness. Improved hip flexibility can lead to improved balance when walking as well.

Arms and Shoulders are exercised when doing lifts, circles, or the rippling motions of snake arms, toning muscle. This toning effect is often evident early on, since holding the arms aloft are an important element of the dance, even for beginners.

Because a woman is on her feet, moving during the dance, it is considered a weight-bearing exercise. Weight-bearing exercise can prevent osteoporosis and strengthen bones, and the overall toning can lead to an improved self-image, as the dancer becomes more balanced and poised. Raks sharki is considered a low-impact exercise, meaning the risk of injury is minimal when movements are done correctly. The benefits of belly dance can be enjoyed by women of all ages; men and children are participating in the dance as well, and reaping the same benefits.

Weight loss
According to Dr. Carolle Jean-Murat, M.D., raks sharki can burn up to 300 calories per hour. This estimate will vary, of course, depending on the intensity of your dancing. Combined with a healthy diet that involves sensible eating, raks sharki can without a doubt be part of a sound weight loss program.

Many dance classes take place only once or twice a week. For even better results and enhanced cardiovascular benefits, try combining the flexibility and muscle strengthening of raks sharki with an aerobic routine, such as swimming or bike riding, on the days you don't have class. Your entire body will feel the benefits as the aerobic exercise works large muscle groups, and the dance enhances strength and coordination of small muscle groups in the trunk, hips, and arms. Also, many exercise physiologists recommend doing just such a routine: alternating one form of exercise with another, for maximum benefits.

Preparation for childbirth
The movements of raks sharki make an excellent prenatal exercise regimen that strengthens the muscles used during the childbirth process. The toned abdominal muscles and natural hip tucks, which are similar to the "pelvic rocking" taught during prenatal classes, teach the expectant mother how to move her pelvis. For women who desire natural childbirth, this form of exercise through dance, with its emphasis on muscle control not only facilitates natural childbirth, but also makes an excellent post-natal exercise that helps encourage abdominal tone. During those first weeks after giving birth, when caution is needed while healing from the birth process, these movements work the muscles gently and effectively, if done very gradually.

Stress reduction
In this day and age of almost continuous stress, the subtle rhythms of raks sharki and the traditional movements are calming. The repetitive movements of the dance and the concentration needed to do them can help a mind filled with daily stress to "let go" for a while and relax. It's hard to worry about deadlines at work when you are thinking about getting that next drop just right, or while making sure that you are in time with the music.

One effect of stress is that our bodies tense up, causing contractions or spasms in muscle groups, such as those in the neck, shoulders, or back. When a muscle is contracted, lactic acid builds up, causing the "soreness" or pain that occurs. Blood flow to the affected muscles decreases as well.

Raks sharki, on the other hand, gently stretches and uses these vulnerable muscle groups, and as they are utilized, blood flow increases and lactic acid is flushed away. Stressed muscles relax as they are gently exercised, relieving the "clenched" muscles often seen in our society. The body becomes supple and limber, and practitioners frequently report that pain diminishes in the back and neck areas.

Raks sharki is a fun, healthy way to exercise. It can be a creative outlet that conditions, tones, and allows a woman to tune into the natural movements of her body. It can refresh, relax, and/or exhilarate. So why wait? Find out where classes are held locally, or visit Bhuz.com to look up a class and join in this centuries old dance!

Advisory: Many doctors have suggested belly dancing classes as part of rehabilitation from injury; it is, however, important to check with your own medical provider before starting any new form of exercise, especially if you are over 40, pregnant or have medical problems. Most injuries related to "overdoing" for the beginner can be avoided by warming the muscles first and by remembering to do some basic stretching afterward. Listen to your body's signals. Raks sharki, or belly dance, is a wonderful and gentle way to begin to condition your body.

Belly-Dance is good for you
by Angelique
http://www.angeliqueandfriends.com/good.html

Many people are surprised to learn that Middle-Eastern Dance, commonly known as "belly-dance," involves much more than the belly! In fact, belly-dance can benefit many parts of the body. Here are some of the health benefits of Middle-Eastern Dance:

Exercising the carrying muscles without impact. A belly-dancer uses her quadriceps, hamstrings and glutes to hold her steady as she performs hip movements or travels smoothly across the floor. However, even though she gets a great lower-body workout, the amount of impact to her knees and ankles is minimal. Impact is measured not only by how hard our feet strike the ground, but by how much stress is placed on our joints. Using this measure, most of Middle-Eastern dance is considered non-impact; some tribal and folk dances are low-impact.

Building the back muscles evenly. Belly-dancers use their torsos a lot-much more than ballet, modern or tap dancers. Only jazz dancers come close to our use of rib movements and undulations. These movements, coupled with shoulder movements, exercise the back muscles, and they exercise the muscles evenly. Strong back muscles prevent back injuries, and they promote good posture as well.

Exercising the arms. New belly-dance students are always surprised by much they have to use their arm muscles. Belly-dancers have to hold their arms up for long periods of time, and it actually takes quite a lot of strength to perform arm movements slowly and gracefully.

Aiding digestion. It's true! Exercising the abdominal area, not just by rolling the belly, but also by swaying the torso, helps food move along the digestive system. Any form of exercise will have this effect to some degree, but belly-dance is especially good for this purpose.

http://www.atlantabellydance.com/ProspectiveStudents/ClassHealth.html


Regarding upcoming performances, in just a few weeks Rogue Fresno 2012 will be in full swing. So I am busy with Ananka Dance Company in working on getting last minute details completed so we are prepared for our performances. We will be performing on the following dates and times:

March 3rd at 4:00pm
March 4th at 8:30pm
March 10th at 2:30pm and 7:00pm

Our theme this year is Fantasy Fiction where we will be exploring China, Egypt and the Middle East. It should be a great show and I will be sure to get pictures posted when I receive a copy some time after the two week event.

I’m also still working on finding a way to have some performances posted for viewing. There have been some difficulties in uploading video and having the footage freeze while the audio is still going. In some cases the video keeps going but the audio drops out completely. Needless to say, it’s been a headache trying to figure this out. I’m still hopeful to get something posted for viewing.

Successful Rogue 2011 and Other Updates

I have neglected this blog, forgive me. A lot of things have developed since my last post. Ananka successfully performed another Rogue Show worthy of much talk among other performing groups. We had received several positive comments and many people are currently excited to see what we will turn out next Rogue Show in March 2012. Below are a few pictures from our show "Down The Amazon":






































Currently we are preparing for our student party towards the end of September as well as the Hanford Renaissance Faire and Fresno Fair. As soon as I am able, I will post dates as to when the later of the 2 performances will be happening for public viewing.

Regarding JenCee, we have decided to take a break for now. Due to a lot of unforseen circumstances, we felt it was the better decision to focus on our lives before tackling extra performances outside of Ananka. We have at least 2 festivals in line for next year. We hope to participate in the Desert Dance Festival along with Cairo Caravan. We will also continue to perform as a subgroup with Ananka at Fresno State's Vintage Days, Fresno Faire and any other performances we are requested http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifto perform at under the consent of our instructor.http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif

On a more personal note, I am currently looking into additional belly dance classes under a different style than what I have been learning. Andalee Owens from Visalia, CA, who recently participated in Project Belly Dance and won the competition, has agreed to take me under her wing. For more info on classes by this wonderful dancer and updates as to where you can find her, here is her website information:

http://www.andalee.com/andalee/HOME.html

You can also find her on Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=655270293

If anyone wishes to know who is offering belly dance classes locally, I will be more than happy to share this information. There are a variety of styles out there to choose from and not one is more popular than the other. Please remember that Bellydance is a form of expression and is not based on erotic dancing as many claim it to be. It's more of a celebration of dance and a woman's body.

"It is not the movements that make a dance beautiful, it is the emotions that inspired the movements that make it beautiful." -Kristy Nilsson