Shimmies, Sequins & Slippers

Quick Hello

2012-02-12T22:31:00.001+08:00

Hello friends! Hope you all had a fabulous New Years and Christmas! The weather has been fantastic this December so consequently my holiday involved beach, bikini and bubbly....and little else! Exactly how the holidays should be!

Just a quick post to catch up, so for once, I will be brief:

Raqstravaganza
Our belly dance showcase spectacular that we have been working towards for almost two years will be on the 17 March and I am super excited! The poster is just about done, it just needs a couple of last minute tweaks- but I should be able to post for you this week. The choreography is truly stunning- our instructor has outdone herself- and if you are in the area on that date I really hope you will drop by! More info to follow in the week...

Thailand
Yes!!! I will be going with my boyfriend and his family on the 28th April- so a nice little reward after all the hard work of the show! I haven't been overseas since the end of 2009 and it is my goal to travel at least once a year if possible- so this trip is a little overdue. I would rather struggle throughout the year to save for an awesome holiday than go out a bit more often, as I think travelling is definitely worth it. We will be going to Phuket and Koh Samui and I cannot fricken wait!

Getting in shape
As it happens from time to time (especially after the holidays) the waist line has been thickening in direct relation to the amount of mince pies I have been guzzling, so the next two months are all about getting in shape. Trust me, in our office, this is hard. There is always some well-meaning soul who enthusiastically deposits a macaroon/ chocolate brownie/ bag of chips on your desk....and it is beginning to show. So the plan is not to go overboard, but to rein in the goodies and up the exercise- and I should start feeling much better very soon.

Embracing change
Midway through to the end of last year was a period of major change in my life- some good and some bad. New job, studies, friends moving away- and also developments in my personal relationships- both good and bad. After having a relatively easy past two years, I had forgotten how scary change and turbulence can be. But I think the lesson I took from it was that change is inevitable, and everything is temporary- both good and bad times. We can only control how we deal with it and our own actions. If we can get weather the turbulence, and roll with the punches, we always emerge stronger and with more experience.

And that is all for now...I think 2012 is going to be a good one! x

An Unintentionally Intentionally Mean Post

2011-11-10T04:10:00.002+08:00

This is going to be one of things that we don't like to say out loud...at least when it is not whispered behind our hands and preempted with a pseudo-pitying "Ahhhh shame....". I am nervous about this post sounding mean-spirited, and I want to assure you before I get into it that it is not. Or at least not intended that way. Or maybe if a post is mean and the writer knows it is mean then it is intended as mean-spirited...but surely...ok enough waffling, I will just get to it, shall I?

How this came about is that the weekend before last was the International Oriental Dance Festival. This festival is a huge event on any Cape Town belly dancer's calendar- and even a few international ones- and one we start working towards pretty much from January. This year we were lucky enough to perform on both the Saturday and Sunday and although I didn't get to see as much of the performances as I would have liked, it was still a great day.

However, there was one performance I did see. I am not exaggerating when I tell you that it was one of the most abysmal things I have ever seen in my life. I would never mention who the dancer was (to be honest I didn't get her name) but her dancing was absolutely shocking and watching her performance made me die a little inside. The worst thing (or maybe the best thing?) was that she was completely unaware of the fact that her performance was atrocious. She was having a great time and thoroughly enjoying herself- in fact, she seemed to thrive on stage.

It was not that I didn't like the style or the music or that it just wasn't to my taste. No, I wish it was one of these things and I could diplomatically say: "It was not my cup of tea". It was her dancing itself that was terrible. I am sorry, there is just no way to sugarcoat it.

So my issue is this- at what point in our dance career do we feel we are good enough to take the stage? And if that point never comes, do we say: "To hell with it!" and take it anyway, or should we sit on the sidelines, never allowing ourselves to enjoy our moment in the sun?

I am in two minds about this. Have you ever watched someone auditioning on Pop Idols, X-Factor or one of those dreadfully addictive reality shows and thought, "Hell...why didnt her parents/ friends/ boyfriend tell her she couldn't sing and save her embarrassing herself in front of the whole country? Surely if your loved ones can't be honest with you, then who can? And I am not talking about those singing slightly off tune...I am talking about the ones that cause you to crinkle up your face with equal parts horror on their behalf and equal parts morbid fascination, as they belt out an unrecognizable rendition of Whitney's "I will always love youuuuuu" Of course, these are the very same people that always glare at Randall/ Simon/ Hated (yet usually bang on the money) Judge in shocked defiance when they are told that they are, in fact, not going to be the next Adele and that they should maybe re-look at their future career. This is usually followed by them cursing the judges and storming off with an unsolicited, "You will be sorry! I will never give up on my dream!"....and you kind of hope that somewhere down the line they, in fact, do.

Now this woman was a strong contestant for the belly equivalent of the Idols Bloopers awards. But she didnt seem to realise it. In fact, I have seen her do this dance before and she seems to thoroughly enjoy it. There is definitely no lack of confidence there.

Although there is a time and a place for new dancers to perform, I firmly maintain that to take on a stage is an honour. Being allowed to perform for an audience is an honour, and with that priviledge comes responsibility. You are representing the art form as a whole. I am not talking about a troupe dance or dancing for fun at a haffla- this will change the dynamics- I am talking about performing as a solo act on an international stage.

There is a fine line between having big dreams and believing in yourself and being realistic about your talents of lack thereof. The question is, where do we draw this line?

There are varying standards in belly dance, and everyone has their own taste and opinion of what they find to be good. I definitely dont think I am the world's best dancer, or that I am God's Gift to my audience. I constantly doubt myself and my ability. But I do think I am realistic about what I can and what I cannot do- of my strengths and weaknesses- and if I am performing for an audience I make sure I play within my areas of strength and what I feel I am good at, and stay away from my murkier areas. There are different contexts and occasions where one can experiment and try something new...and sometimes, it works. But I do feel that unless we are 100% confident about our performance, it is maybe not fair to inflict it on our audience.

And then, the other side of me (the much nicer little angel on my shoulder) thinks that I am being a bit of a self-righteous biaaaatch. If someone loves to move, who am I to say that they cannot get up on a stage and dance their heart out? If it makes them happy and they are doing it for them, who cares what I, or anyone else for that matter, may think? And even a hard-assed critic like myself always loves seeing the joy light up someone's face when they are doing what makes them blissfully happy.

I guess the bottom line, and why I feel the way I do comes down to this: For me, performing is actually about giving. You are giving of yourself to your audience and you are doing it for them. Great if you are enjoying it too! But they are your first and foremost priority and dancing for them should be treated like the honour it is. Performing for an audience is actually a favour they are paying us- they are giving us their undivided attention and we better damn well make it worth their while...because they dont have to watch us.
And that is something that we should never forget.

Benefese Performance

2011-10-10T03:24:00.000+08:00

Well helllooooooo dear readers...are there any of you left?!!!

I am not going to moan and do my usual the-dog-ate-my-homework-so-I-couldn't-blog excuses, cause I know you get it :) In fact, I was extremely touched by the comments on my last miserable post and want to give you all a big virtual hug for being such sweethearts! Your kind words really did help and I am trying out a few of the suggestions (especially the one from Susie about eating lots of yummy food heeeheee!) Slowly I am beginning to feel more positive and I am sure things will pull together in the end, like they always do.

Just in case you have forgotten I do actually dance inbetween all this whinging, I have finally managed to get the video of my performance I did at the BellyRing haffla for you all to take a peek at if you are bored. For once, I am kind of happy with this performance (well as much as I ever am with a video of myself) despite a few obvious mishaps, including a near stumble at the beginning when I do my drop, and of course, the obligatory in-performance earring loss (one would think by now I would have learnt my lesson and not wear that confounded pair?!)

The choreography is not my own (thank you Ruby from Cheeky Girls) but I love performing this- it is such a fun, happy piece of music. I adapted it slightly- I cut the original piece of music down because at 6 minutes I thought it went on a bit...and I chucked the Turkish drop shimmy, which, I am very sorry to say, looks like a dog in heat- and replaced it with the classier Egyptian shimmy...not 100% authentic I realise but much more to my taste.

Anyway, would of course love to hear your feedback on any areas of improvement and I promise to take it on the chin!

Mwah xxx

And a big thank you to this week's gorgeous Birthday Girl Alex, for filming!

Where is my mojo?!

2011-09-12T04:04:00.000+08:00

This will be a whiney post. I am warning you. So if you are adverse to whining, please shut your browser window now.

BAMMMM there goes my readership.

Ok, so this is not a happy, inspiring post, and will not inform, educate, entertain or be of any use to anybody. But someone said to me today that one should always write to express not impress, and there is just something I need to get off my chest (well not those...I kind of need the little bit I have ;)

Because this post sure as hell wont impress anyone.

Sooo...I have a confession to make.

I have lost (temporarily, I hope) my dance mojo.

Ughhhh it is so horrible to admit it! I am not sure what is wrong with me? We have had some fabulous dance events lately...our Haffla, Syncopate dance festival last weekend (blog post still to come so keep watching the BellyRing blog) and Asmahaan Festival this weekend. Ample opportunity to dance, lots of inspiring performances to watch, and being surrounded by pretty, sparkly things 24/7.

And I just don't care.

The strange thing is, all the elements are there- I should be more motivated than ever. I am loving my troupe so much! We had such a good weekend in Joburg- we bonded, laughed, acted silly, drank wine...you know...all the things girls do when they are together. I got to know all of them so much better and I truly love those ladies. Not only that...I can finally- wait for it- DANCE WITH ZILLS!!! I never thought the day would come when I could actually clang out a fairly decent rhythm on the little buggers without looking like Simple Sam in my movements. I mean, I am still no Ansuya- there is a longgggg way to go- but compared to where I was, I should be VERY proud of myself.

So why aren't I?

I just don't seem to care at the moment. Going to class is an effort. I have not done any obsessive YouTube dancer voyeurism in ages (although with J constantly moaning about my internet usage it does tend to take the joy out of web surfing) and I haven't gone weak-kneed at the site of a beautiful costume since I can remember.

I could say I am extremely busy. And that would be true. Would it help if I also told you I havent been to gym in weeks and that I have been shovelling junk down my mouth every single day? So it is not just dancing. I have lost my balance.

The problem is, once you start down that slippery slope, how do you climb back up? How do I re-inspire myself? I have gone through stages like this before, and they always pass, but never this bad.

So I guess, what I really need is some advice. What to do what to do what to do when your heart is just not in your dancing? How do you find it? How can I motivate myself again?

I want the joy back when I dance. I want to feel the freedom when I spin and the comfort in the gentle shimmies and undulations that seem to fit my body so well. I want to care again.

So please let me know...what do you do when your dance mojo is gone?

(almost) Wordless Wednesday: BellyRing Haffla Photos

2011-08-18T02:51:00.000+08:00

Right so I know I haven't posted in a while but I have been busy (getting tired of that old one, I hear you mutter) and I really do have a lot to share but it is late, and I am tired, and let's face it, at this time of night you probably dont want to hear my waffling anyway.

So I thought I would share the photos from our BellyRing Haffla this past Saturday with you, and other than a caption here or there from me- that would be it. As they say, pictures speak a thousand words so I think with such beautiful photos as these (taken by the fantastic Martin van Niekerk) I can get away with keeping my mouth shut. Trust me, it makes a refreshing change :)

One thing I will say though, was that it was a truly fantastic event, and without being biased, I think the nicest haffla I have ever been to. In fact, with the fantastic snacks, drinks, desserts and rather intimidating stage, it was a bit more of a show than a haffla. Jamilah did an amazing job of pulling it together and I am extremely proud to be part of the BellyRing!

So without further ado...

First ever performance by the Beginners class...beautiful!

Stunning performance by Alex of Maya, and also of The Bellydance Blog (which you should be following if you are not already)

Me performing my solo: Turkish-style Benefese...other than a near dive into the splits and losing both my earrings while spinning across the stage, I was very happy with how it went. Will post the video soon!

Spin, spin, spin

Guess who

Strong ending pose...ta da!!!

Beautiful Tenille, doing amazing things with a sword

Surika, who to me is as authentic a belly dancer as they come

Jamilah, doing a lovely Egyptian piece

Natasha, the queen of Turkish-style

Visually arresting dance by Maya studio, done in the dark with white veils and UV lights

Gypsy dance by Palance of the Winds (unfortunately I missed this one...I was too busy downing copious amounts of bubbly backstage)

Our final Bollywood number...such a fun dance to do and the crowd really enjoyed it. And I am mad about these costumes!

Martin has asked me to do a personal shoot with him and I am excited to see what we come up with as his work is fab, as you can see!

So I guess this post wasn't so wordless after all... ;-)

Alive & Kicking!

2011-07-28T18:27:00.001+08:00

Just a quick update to let you know I am still here (because I know you were losing sleep over my absence ha!) I have just been very busy- between my studies, preparing for my new job which I start on Monday (SO EXCITED!), finishing up at my current job, training my replacement, buying my new car and selling my old car, dancing (not that I have had too much time for that…!)…and, well, you get the point! But don’t worry, I there will be back shortly with some more of my long-winded, self-righteous posts, just as soon as I get some room to breathe.

Until then…

MWAH!!!

To Pop or Not? (and not the kind you do with your tummy!)

2011-07-12T21:04:00.013+08:00

This is a post I have been thinking about writing for a while but haven't until now as I don't really have concrete justification to back up my contradictory opinions- only what I feel. But today I decided that since it is my blog I can write what I damn well please, so if you disagree, please feel free to give me hell in the comment box below and we can have a claws-retracted debate ;-)

So something that has been annoying me is the increasing use of pop music in a few belly dance performances I have seen recently. Justin Trousersnake, Akon and of course, the ever-synonymous-with-bellydance (ahem!) Shakira are just a handful of the artists which have snaked their way into belly dance lately.

Now, what I don't want is for this post to digress into a debate about fusion...which I have a sinking feeling may be inevitable. With regards to fusion, I stand very much in the middle. I love well put-together fusion: I have seen some great Tribal, Spanish and Bollywood numbers that have been so different and stunning. However, there is an equal amount of fusion pieces which I don't like and I have also seen some very horribly executed experiments done in the name of "art".

One would imagine that the primary reason behind dancers selecting pop music for their performances is to make it a bit more palatable for a Western audience. It is a lot easier to get your average, non-belly crowd cheering and clapping along to "Hips Don't Lie", than say, "Warda". It is far simpler to hold the short attention span of a modern audience using music that they can relate to- which is why they don't perform to Irish music in Egypt, for (bad) example. My point is that it is not what their audience know and can identify with.

So this is where my hypocrisy comes in: I don't mind beautifully performed arty pieces to non-Arabic and non-cheesy pop music. I was blown away by a stunning fan veil dance I watched recently to Sarah Brightman's 'Harem'. I have seen a very cute duo performance to The Cure's "Lovecats" which I adored! No, I have no problem with any of these. All of my irritation is reserved solely for the cheesy pop artists of today: Britney. Justin. Akon. Beyonce. Rihanna. Shakira...the list goes on.

To throw another contradictory element into the works, please do not make the mistake of thinking that I feel this way because I don't like the above mentioned artists' music. No! The sad fact is that I am the biggest pop tart around! Put me on the dance floor of any club and I am the first one shaking my behind to "Single Ladies", or, Heaven forbid, "Smack That"!

So why, may you ask? "Why would you be such a hypocrite that you have no problem wiggling away to Kanye on the dance floor but you turn up your nose at me belly dancing at a haffla to 'Gold Digger'?"

My snubbing of these artists is reserved solely for use in Middle Eastern dance because I feel that making it too easy is cheating. It is a piece of cake to get anyone bopping away to Britney on full blast even if your dancing leaves much to be desired, but can you do the same with an upbeat Arabic song? Can you get the average Joe Soap so engaged by your performance and your interpretation of the music that, although he may never get to playing it on his MP3 on the way to work, he will at least appreciate it in context?

Here's what I think: part of the reason why belly dance is so compelling for so many of us lies in it's mystery and sense of the exotic. For me, I fell in love with the sensual movements, the beautiful costumes and the essence of the East which shrouded everything I experienced. I loved the whole package: the dance, the music which was initially so alien to my ears, the various theories about the muddled origins...Hell, I even loved the damn tea light candles and smell of cheap incense that were always present at belly dance shows.

Now you add pop music to a belly dance performance, and that sense of mystery completely disintegrates. Sure, your audience knows the song and has probably heard it on 5fm's Top 40 for the past 6 weeks, but what is special and unusual about that? With such a vital ingredient of what we know as Middle Eastern dance gone, it cheapens it somehow.

All you are left with is a lady in a revealing costume showing off sexy-looking hip rolls.

The magic is gone.

Please let me know your thoughts and your viewpoints for or against using pop music in belly dance- I love to hear differing opinions!

Stuff

2011-06-22T22:30:00.009+08:00

Yes, I know; not a highly creative or enticing title but I thought it fitting enough for a general update post to fill you in on some stuff that has been going on…

Totally Turkish

I am not going to do a proper review of this DVD (you will have to ask Kali to do one of her entertaining Happy Drunk reviews if you want that) but I will say that I am absolutely in LOVE with this DVD! The more I see of Turkish style, the more obsessed I become- I think it definitely comes a bit more naturally to me than Egyptian (but the jury is still out on whether I prefer it). The DVD contains a Turkish technique section (lots of spins, kicks and big saucy shimmies) a Roma tutorial (which I find fascinating- my only experience of Roma having been Didem’s interpretation of the Roman Havasi) and the choreography itself. I adore this choreography- it is challenging but I believe you should always try learning a choreo that is 1-2 levels out of your comfort zone. When drilled enough, it becomes second nature, and that way you can gradually grow and improve. This choreography can be performed with or without zills (there is an additional zill section) but let’s take it one step at a time, shall we? The choreo is difficult enough! However, it is broken down into manageable chunks, so it is not so daunting. The choreo is done to a popular 4/4 Turkish song called “Benefese” by Hasan Isakkut (don’t even get me started on what a mission it was to track down that song- fortunately I am like a persistent pitbull when I want something!) and I love this lively piece of music. My goal is to dance it at our studio Haffla in August so I am aiming to learn and drill 2x sections a week (the dance is broken down into 8x sections) which should give me plenty of time. I am dying to perform this.

I cannot recommend this DVD enough! Buy it!

Casablanca Nights

Juanie, Annemari, Jamilah, me, Monica and Leiro

Our troupe performed at Anita’s (my Belly Godmother) show a few weekends ago, called Casablanca Nights. I will be posting a full review of the night shortly on the BellyRing blog so look out for that. I was especially excited as I got to debut my brand new troupe costume (mine was not completed at the same time as the others’ as I was not able to attend International Belly Dance Day, so they had their's made first to save time…which, as you can imagine, killed me)

On stage

Our new costume is purple (the camera makes it look more royal blue, for some reason)- which matches the BellyRing logo- and the costume is super slinky with a clingy mermaid skirt. It was designed and made by Jamilah and I do feel rather goddess-like in it! It is beautiful!

And yessssss this is the same costume I was supposed to bead! Well that never happened…I managed to avoid my beading duties up until the last minute, and by that stage Jamilah had completed everyone else’s, so she was able to trim mine with the excess from theirs. So I effectively got away with it but I suspect next time I won’t be so lucky!

Studies

I had a bit of an epiphany this year and realised I missed learning. Sure I love my job (“by day” I am a Marketing Co-ordinator) but I miss stretching my brain with a constant influx of new information…hell, I think I even miss writing exams! Although at 26 I am no spring chicken I do believe you are never too old to learn and I also believe it will benefit me in my current position. I cannot afford to work part-time and finance my studies and lifestyle so I will continue working full-time and studying part-time via correspondence. It may take me a bit longer to finish my degree but I am not worried about that.

And what am I studying, may you ask? I have decided to do a Bachelor of Arts degree in Languages and Literature with specialisation in Creative Writing- a choice that was made by my heart and not my head- which I am completely okay with. As my second language I have chosen- wait for it- Arabic! What else?! Which I can imagine will be extremely hard via a text book, so I think I will need to track down a tutor soon!

I begin my studies in the next few weeks starting with Semester 2, and I cannot wait!

Teaching

Helloooo class, my name is Miss Foxy and I am going to be your teacher!

My teacher, Jamilah is going away on holiday to Belgium and Ireland (where she will be visiting my old teacher Lara) and has asked me to take her Beginners classes for her twice a week for the next three weeks. I am flattered, excited and of course, a little nervous. Jamilah is an excellent teacher- she teaches a really solid technique and has a great understanding of the dance, culture and history. She has high standards but is also extremely patient and attentive to all of her students. These are big shoes to fill. I am hoping that they will accept me and appreciate my way of teaching as it is a great experience for me. I will be teaching them a choreography of Jamilah’s which I haven’t had too much time to learn, but I feel fairly confident about. As they are beginners, a lot of the class will consist of technique drilling. I am a big believer in starting with a flawless technique and building on from there. Even after dancing for a few years, I often find these little gremlins creeping into my basics…at the moment in my Egyptian shimmy. The only way to fix it is to drill, drill and drill some more- whenever and where ever you can get away with it (without being whipped off to Valkenberg)

I will let you know how it goes- my first class is tomorrow!

That is about all for now…I am actually really inspired at the moment and practising a lot- and I also have the Yasmina workshop to look forward to this weekend!

Danisa Workshop: Middle Eastern Rhythms

2011-06-15T22:37:00.008+08:00

I have been meaning to do this post for a while, but I have been busy (busy procrastinating). I finally have a chance to get to it...

The weekend before last I attended Danisa's 'Middle Eastern Rhythms and Application' workshop in Diep Rivier. My lack of musical knowledge is a worry to me and I am doing my best to read up as much as I can about the different rhythms. I have an excellent teacher but one hour of practise a week is not enough to learn everything so I have been trying to educate myself...with some difficulty. Out of all the workshops Danisa offered, I felt this one would be of most benefit to me at this stage in my dancing career.

We started the workshop a bit late (Murphy's Law, as by some rare trick of fate I was actually 20 minutes early...must be all the clocks J has strategically placed around our apartment in an effort to "improve my timekeeping", as he tactfully puts it) but immediately dived in to an energetic warm up to some lively Latin-flavoured tunes. Danisa is gorgeous in person- small and petite with this amazing wild mop of blonde ringlets- true "bellydancer hair", as I call it). She also moves fabulously and with an innate sense of rhythm. I so wish I had been able to see her perform live (I missed her performance the Friday before)

Danisa took us through four Middle Eastern rhythms, namely Baladi (this one I know from class), Saidi, Maqsoum and Malfouf. She also emailed us notes after the workshop which broke down a couple more rhythms. She explained these rhythms in depth, we then played them on our zills and then later identified them in several tracks she played. And....drum roll...I was soooo pleased to see that I have really improved with zills! We have been doing a lot of zills in class and thanks to Jamilah I am finally improving- and if I can do it (Simple Sam herself with zills) then anyone can do it- just takes practise. You have no idea how thrilled I was!

She also broke down some typical Saidi and Baladi combinations which we drilled with and without zills.

Danisa provided us with interesting little snippets (I had no idea that a Baladi rhythm was not called this in Egypt?!) and tips for dancing a specific style.

Lastly, she finished off by teaching us some Khaleeji moves- which I absolutely loved! So of course I have now gone mad on YouTube trying to find as many examples of Khaleeji as I can. I have never seen a live Khaleeji performance and I don't think I will any time soon- it seems to be quite rare in South Africa. I would love to learn more about this style as I find it fascinating, especially the symbolism behind the various gestures and hair tossing!

Our workshop group

Danisa was lovely; very warm and a great teacher. Even though English isn't her first language I think she did a great job of explaining and breaking down everything and it was definitely worth every penny, as I felt I learnt a lot.

Danisa in action...

Belly Godmother

2011-06-08T22:30:00.008+08:00

I have a Belly Godmother! (Haha geddit?!...nevermind)

You may remember that I wrote about fellow Cape Town dancer Anita who contacted me to offer me the last green silk veil she had in stock, and at an excellent price, after I posted on Facebook that I was looking for a South African stockist.

Well this week I posted a status on my Facebook wall moaning about how much I really really really wanted the Cheeky Girls' "Totally Turkish" DVD...and abracadabra! She waved her magic wand (well, actually sent me a Facebook message but who cares about magic technicalities?) and told me that she had a brand new, still-shrink wrapped copy in stock- and at a ridiculously good price. No exorbitant shipping and potential customs charges I would have had to pay had I ordered through Amazon (which ends up being almost as much as the DVD itself for us poor SA girls) and most importantly- no long wait. I am like a kid when I really want something: Must. Have. Toy. NOW.

I am collecting it from her on Saturday where I will meet her in person for the first time, as our troupe is doing a number in her show, "Casablanca Nights". I just want to take this opportunity to have an outburst (or "love burst" as I call it) about how much I love the Belly Dance Community! Man we can be a bunch of catty biaaatches but we can also be such lovely, supportive souls as well! In my experience (and hold thumbs I am never disillusioned) my dance acquaintances who I meet in person or through the various social media channels are a group of the loveliest, kindest, most supportive souls ever!

I have the Cheeky Girls' "Flawless Floorwork" DVD (thanks to another belly friend!) and Ruby is awesome, so I am super excited to try this one as I am kinda obsessed with Turkish style at the moment, as you may know...

Will still feed back on the Danisa workshop from last Sunday- but it was fantastic! And a couple of other bits and pieces so another blog post/novel is sure to follow soon!

Fun Friday: Five Things

2011-06-03T21:09:00.011+08:00

I haven't done one of these posts in a while...but after the official Week from Hell I feel like I need a bit of fun in my life!

A lot has been going on these past few weeks; some good stuff, some bad stuff- but mostly different stuff- new stuff I am learning about myself and the people around me. Learning is always a good thing.

So for this week's Fun Friday, here are Five Things I Have Learnt This Week:

1. Silk has a life of it's own

So, my new silk veil has arrived. Beautiful, silky, gorgeous...my first time dancing with it I ended up with a mouth full of veil for most of the song. Luckily it was a home test run! I have learnt that dancing with a silk veil is completely different when compared to dancing with a chiffon veil as I have done in the past. It is extremely floaty and has much more fluidity and movement- it literally has a life of it's own. You can only guide the veil. You have to let it lead you.

Pic from a kitchen tea I did on Sat with the bride to be...look at that movement in the veil!

2. Salad can be fun

I have no issue with healthy food, but I am not a big fan of salad. I don't mind it as a side dish to something- like say, a big bowl of lasagne...but not as a meal on it's own! Give me cooked vegetables...yay! A bowl full of oats...yum! A green smoothie...wooohooo! Salad? Na uh.

But I read somewhere that if you have a smoothie and a salad every day, you can pretty much eat what you want and you will be fine. So I have been trying a salad every day for lunch. What I have discovered, is that salads can be tasty and filling- the secret is all in the fun toppings! So now on top of all those crunchy greens I add nuts, cheese, dried fruit, avo, some protein and a delicious dressing...and hey, presto! Salad is actually not that bad!

3. MAC false eyelashes are the biznessss

I believe you can never be too rich, too thin...or have eyelashes that are too long. I am from the Kim Kardashian School of Mascara: more is more. I even had eyelash extensions for a while last year but the upkeep and expense was a bit much so instead I invested in The Best Mascara Known to (wo)Man: Lancome Hypnose. Hands down the best mascara I have ever used!

But there comes a time in every woman's life when mascara is just not enough to give us those spidery lashes we so desire. For gigs I always use El Cheapo false eyelashes which I find at the R5 store and discard after each use. These work fine, but my mom spoilt me with 2x sets of MAC lashes recently- a natural pair and a seriously-overboard-ultra-long-gale-inducing dramatic pair. I tested them out for my gig on Saturday and now there's no turning back! I am in love! The cool thing is that they are very good quality so if you look after them they can last a really long time. Goodbye nasty Chinese store lashes!

My super-long MAC lashes in action!

4. Sometimes speaking your mind is not always a good thing

There was a situation recently where someone I really care about and am very protective over was treated extremely badly. Being the concerned (read- interfering) person I am, I proceeded to deal out a scathing tongue lashing of note to the perpetrator.

Did I feel better? Initially yes, until about 15 minutes later when a tsunami-sized wave of shame came crashing over me. Did the person I was defending feel better? No- it dragged out the situation and made it more painful for them. Did the recipient retaliate? No, they turned the other cheek- which makes you feel that much worse to know your words have wounded someone so deeply. Did I make the situation at all better in any way? Absolutely not.

It is one thing to speak your mind and stand up for what you believe in and it is another to ruthlessly attack someone, no matter whether it was deserved or not. At the end of the day, if you want to argue with someone you believe has behaved in a way you consider beneath you, you have to drag yourself down to that person's level to do it. And it is not worth it.

5. You can never practise your basics too much

Your basics: hip drops, shimmies, belly rolls, hip circles, chest lifts etc etc...you can never drill these too much. Sometimes when we get caught up in learning new things little gremlins begin to sneak into our technique which can often ruin a good performance. Even when you consider yourself way past the beginner stages, I think it is never a bad idea to go back to the beginning and keep practising the foundation movements. This is also something I have realised this week.

And on that note, I wish you all a fabulous weekend! I have the Danisa workshops on Sunday so will feed back next week!

Ambra Photography Shoot

2011-05-23T22:15:00.018+08:00

More photos of me! Surprise!

(well, you can't say I didn't give you fair warning in the blog description up there ;-)

These are some photos taken of me recently by the lovely Mareli Basson of Ambra Photography. (you may remember the photos she took of me for the première of the movie, "Burlesque"). She is not only a great photographer, she is also a talented make-up artist- (my make-up in these pics is all her work) which I am sure must come in handy if you are constantly shooting diva's such as myself who love being attended to and fussed over!

When Mareli asked me if I would do a burlesque look for her, I told her that I was kind of "over" the burlesque look for now and wanted to try something different. Eventually we agreed on a compromise- pin-up hair and make up and an amazing leafy dress! The dress was an old Matric dress of Mareli's which luckily fit me like a glove (although I have no idea how- Mareli is such a Skinny Malink), which she then painstakingly spent 8 hours covering with real leaves one evening, while I was busy snoring away. I never claimed to be helpful.

We started off in Mareli's studio and later progressed to a magical forest glen. We recently had a fire just under the Helderberg Mountain and some of these photos were taken where the fire had actually burnt most of the trees black. The colours you see in the glen shots are authentic- those stark colours are not Photoshop. Amazing, haunting scenery which really offset the vibrant green of the dress.

The fabulous hair is by Natasha Heyns, who managed to make something of my rat-tailed mop which is in dire need of a trim!

Did I mention we even had not one but two assistants- Natasha and Mareli's lovely boyfriends (oh sorry Mareli...fiance! ;-) With all the hard work this lot put in, it would have been hard for me to mess these shots up!

Anyhow, after this I think that's enough showing off...for a little while at least. Lots of stuff going on at the moment- I will fill you in soon!

My favourite

Bellylicious Birthday

2011-05-16T20:47:00.009+08:00

It's my birthday today, happy birthday to me! :) I wanted to tell you (ok, brag) about what my wonderful man has got me for my birthday (of course, with a little guidance from me ;-)

Yasmina of Cairo

Yasmina of Cairo is visiting us in June and I had wanted to do her workshops when I first heard about them back in March from the Maya Dance Company. Unfortunately (and as usual), come the booking deadline in May and I was utterly broke and once again miserable that I would not be able to afford to attend another visiting star's workshops. That was until J said he would get it for me as a present...yay!!! So I have booked the "Baladi" improv and technique workshop as this is one style I would really like to explore more, and I cannot wait!

Here is a bit of background on Yasmina:

Yasmina, sometimes known as 'The English Rose of Cairo', has over twenty-five years of experience in the field of Egyptian oriental dance as a performer, teacher and choreographer. Originally from the UK she spent many years travelling and dancing her way around the Middle East before settling in Cairo in 1995. Here she performed with her orchestra for eight consecutive years, building a reputation as one of the city's best-loved dancers, and appearing at major Cairo venues such as Meridien Heliopolis, Safir, Pyramisa and the Semiramis Intercontinental hotels, the Nile Maxime, Tivoli Heliopolis, as well as hundreds of weddings and parties in Cairo and around Egypt. A long-time student of Raqia Hassan, as well as other Egyptian master teachers, Yasmina has spent the past decade teaching and performing at sell-out workshops and festivals worldwide, and developing her own unique style.

Yasmina is the producer of 'Journey of Desire', a full-length feature film exploring the relationship between Cairo and foreign dancers. Her music CD's, Layali Yasmina, Heya di Yasmina, Aheb Masr!, El Warda and Baladi w'Bas, are among dancers' favourites around the world.

In 2002 she gave birth to her son, Azzedine, and widened her cultural understanding of Egypt by coming full-circle and incorporating her original training into her life; she has worked extensively as a photo-journalist in Cairo and writes regularly for several Egyptian and foreign publications.

Yasmina says: "The day I was swept away by the sounds of Egyptian music and took my first steps down the road of oriental dance, I could never have imagined where that road would lead. To me, this dance has brought much joy, fulfillment, and depth of self-expression, as I believe it has and will do for countless others. No matter how small or great a part it plays in your life, it is always life-enhancing and ultimately good for the soul."

Love that!

Danisa from South America

We have not one, but two great dancers visiting South Africa in June. I hadn't heard of Danisa before, so when I got the email about her workshops from the Hip Circle I immediately YouTubed her, and was blown away! One seriously talented lady. I simply had to book a workshop with her, and decided to go with the "Middle Eastern Rhythms and Application for Oriental Dance" workshop. The workshop is described as follows: "Danisa will break down 4 to 5 rhythms that are applied to Egyptian and Lebanese music and will teach clear dance combinations that will help dancers to identify and interpret the rhythms with the body and remember them easily. You will learn how to create different dynamics with your body, as well as different movements and accents that suit each one of the rhythms".

A bit about Danisa:

"From the young age of 5 years Danisa started training in ballet, Argentinean and Spanish folk dance, salsa, meringue as well as oriental belly dance. She began dancing and teaching professionally in 1996. Danisa has also studies yoga, mediation and reiki with Swami Satchitananda and Devi Diani. She is a level 3-reiki practitioner.

She founded her own ballet, Isis Tears in 2006 and founded her own school of sacred oriental dance in 2006, developing her own style of dancing and teaching encouraging students to connect to their own femininity within.

Now danisa travels the world by invitation in a myriad of countries such as Spain, Egypt, Thailand, Indonesia, and Japan to name a few."

I will of course report back on how these workshops go.

And last but not least, my man also bought me this piece of beauty...

That's my beautiful, emerald green silk veil in the middle there!

I have been going on about silk veils for agesssss and was so excited when Anita from the Moondance Studio contacted me via Facebook after I had posted a status saying that I was looking for a South African silk veil stockist (I was going to order online from Amira but cancelled it when I found out about shipping, customs charges and potential hold ups, etc). Of course, deciding on a colour was a nightmare (gold? turquoise? purple?) but eventually I decided on my favourite Amazonian shade of green, which will compliment the costumes I have nicely. My lovely teacher collected it from Anita at the International Belly Dance Day this past day Saturday (which I unfortunately had to miss as I had a wedding) so I will get it from her at class on Wednesday and I cannot wait!

Now if you will excuse me, I have some birthday caramel cheesecake that has my name on it :)

A Defining Moment

2011-05-10T22:59:00.006+08:00

My brother and I were lucky enough to be given the opportunity recently to do a Dale Carnegie course. For those of you who are unfamiliar with Dale Carnegie training, it is a program for businesses based on Carnegie's teachings used worldwide. It was founded in 1912 and is represented in more than 80 countries.

The course comprises a proprietary process that uses team dynamics and intra-group activities to strengthen interpersonal relations, manage stress and handle fast-changing workplace conditions. Other subjects included are communication, creative problem-solving and focused leadership. (Thanks Wikipedia. You do all the hard work.)

The training is quite intensive and will run once a week for the next three months, but I am prepared to give it my all as I think the training will be extremely beneficial to me in all areas of my life- professional and personal. I have been to one session so far and absolutely loved it.

A strong emphasis of the course is on public speaking, which luckily I have always rather enjoyed (I am sure you never would have guessed, if my long-winded, love-the-sound-of-my-own-virtual-voice blog posts are anything to go by) Our first assignment is due this week, and comprises of a short, 2-minute presentation on any defining moment in your life that changed who you are forever.

Well I didn’t have to think too long at all…

And as I will be telling my tale to the class on Thursday night, I thought I would practise on you first :)

My defining moment came when I first saw the advert for belly dance classes.

Almost four years ago I was a rather miserable case. I had arrived back from London- a city I loved and never wanted to leave but had to due to visa constraints- to my small hometown in South Africa with no job, no car and no savings (not unless you counted my shoe collection). I was unhappy with my life and myself in general and just wanted to be anywhere else but home.

I had never been a sporty person (I was always the girl crossing the finish line last at Athletics Day’s) but had always enjoyed dancing- although I hadn’t danced in years at that stage. I remember being at my dad’s house one day and saw an ad for Belly Dance classes in the local newspaper, and I was intrigued- I had always held a fascination for the Middle East which started with my dad reading Scheherezade’s 1001 Nights to me at bedtime when I was little- and this sensual, feminine and exotic dance seemed like a good idea.

I cut out the tiny black and white ad and put it in my purse, where I promptly forgot about it for a couple of weeks. One day I was cleaning out my handbag (the one area of my life which is fairly clutter-free) and came across it, and decided to bite the bullet and call the number on the ad. I had no idea my life was about to change.

The lady I spoke to- the studio teacher- immediately had me enraptured with tales of her belly dance experiences, and I decided to sign up right away. After a few classes I was an official addict. Hooked. Or maybe “Hookah-d”. Har har.

It was not easy. I think people mistakenly think belly dance is easy until they give it as bash. It is not. There is so much more to it than you would imagine. There are lots of muscle groups involved which you have to learn to move independently. You have to have clear, defined isolations, graceful arms and nimble feet. So you have mastered the moves? Then comes the props and learning the various styles- a whole different ball game. You can literally spend your life studying dance and not know all there is to know about the culture, the history and the dance itself.

Some of the moves came easy to me, some took a little longer- but one thing that was always a given was my determination to get a move right. And I was brutally honest with myself. It wasn’t enough if the move was “almost there”, or “kinda right”- it had to be perfect and I had to look damn good executing it too.

I worked hard and practised whenever I could- I drove my family crazy with my constant jiggling around the house (my brother does a scarily good imitation of me doing a travelling shimmy). Within a year I was performing in public. I am a performer at heart and love nothing more than having an audience. Belly dance appeals to every bit of me- the feminine dance itself appeals to my love for dance, the culture appeals to my love for the mysterious Middle East, performing appeals to my love of the limelight, and the costumes appeal to my love for all that is pretty and sparkly!!!

My first ever performance with my first teacher Lara

My second ever performance

Backstage after my third ever performance

It has had a huge influence on other areas of my life too. For one, I am about 1000x more confident, capable and independent. If you can perform in front of an audience (and it is very scary- you love dancing so much you want them to love it as much as you do! Also- if you care about something a lot- you care much more how others think of you doing it) you can have the courage to do almost anything, I feel. I am much happier with my body- I gain and lose weight, and have my “good” and “bad days” like any normal girl, but I have learnt to love myself regardless of where it is. Because I know, that my body is capable of moving like maybe not everyone's can. Maybe I can even say I am a bit more interesting- if that’s the right word?- because I have discovered my passion. I find that people without any hobbies or interests at all are often not that interesting themselves. I am happy. Very happy.

I would honestly recommend it for every woman in the world who wants to feel better about herself and get in touch with her essence- her femininity. But like everything in life, what you put in is what you get out.

(I am supposed to finish off my presentation by describing 3 ways in which it defines me)

How it defines me?

1. I am healthy.

I have a strong body which is the instrument of my kraft and it is my responsibility to look after it as best as I can.

2. I am a dancer.

I can’t imagine ever not dancing.

3. I am a woman.

And I am very happy to be one :)

Haute Couture Choreography

2011-05-03T21:56:00.006+08:00

On one night this long weekend, I was lucky enough to have my apartment completely to myself, and after tearing myself away from TV screen after four hours of being completely and utterly engrossed in the Royal Wedding (which J recorded for me as I had to work) inspiration struck and I did some dancing.

Most belly dancers will tell you that those random, unplanned instances when the urge to dance takes over is when they do some of their best dancing. I am no exception.

Mostly, these stolen moments are reserved for spontaneous, improv dancing, where I just enjoy the music and let go, but this weekend I decided to put together a little choreo as well.

I love improv, and I am getting better at it, but I still love the structure of a choreo where every move has been careful calculated to highlight and fit the music to the best advantage. There are of course pro's and con's to both, but one of my favourite things about a nice choreography is that you don't ever feel like you are in danger of repeating your favourite "go-to" move one too many times. I also feel safer when I can forget about what I am doing next, let my muscle memory take over and carry me through a dance I know like the back of my hand, and concentrate on my facial expression and the audience.

So while I was having fun working out this choreography, it got me thinking. The choreography I was putting together was very lively, upbeat and a bit cheeky. It also incorporated a lot of my favourite moves. In fact, I think any one who saw me dancing it and who knows me would say, "Ah, that's so typically her!"

I do believe it is important to be well-rounded as a dancer and be able to perform all styles to all sorts of music- a soulful, beautiful dance to goose-bumpy music, a nice folksy Baladi, a playful Sha'abi number- and pull it off (I am not saying I can do all of this yet- just that it is my goal). But, if there had to be one, perfectly tailored-for-you choreo that summed up your personality to a tee, what would it be?

Like Haute Couture Choreography, if you will.

I do believe there are certain moves in belly dance which suit certain body shapes better. Personally, (and there are always exceptions to any rule) I think shimmies often look better on curvier girls, while more naturally graceful people pull off arabesques and turns a lot better than others. I believe this also influences our choreography- if we feel that we are maybe a bit clumsy, we may not be inclined to choose fast-paced music that inspires a lot of intricate foot work. And let's admit...chest lifts look really cool if you have a bust worth lifting! (Unlike me!)

For me personally...I love isolations and hip locks and I feel that they are one of my stronger moves. I also like lively, cheerful music that I can have fun with. I love being a bit cheeky. Lately when I dance, I find myself also bringing in a lot of turns, snakey arms, 3/4 shimmies and upward maya's. These are my kind of "go-to" moves at the moment, but this also changes all the time. A couple of months back, it was Egyptian shimmies, hip drops and chest lifts. But if I had to sum up a choreography or style that would best represent me in three words, I would say the words "Fun. Playful. Cheeky".

So this is what I want to know from you: I know you love multiple styles and music. I know it's difficult to narrow it down to just one. I know it all depends on your mood that day. But if you were a choreography, what are the three words that would best sum up your style, your attitude, your taste, your technical strengths...just you.

I would love to hear :)

My Favourite Belly Dance Blogs

2011-04-21T18:16:00.003+08:00

Happy Friday everyone! Oh it is not Friday you say? I am sure you will agree that it definitely feels like one. Although I am not going away for the long weekend (the man has another terminal case of man flu, poor dear. He gives himself another 3 hours to live...4 hours TOPS) I am planning on relaxing, baking and doing some dancing. I had a great dance class last night and am loving our new choreography, so I hope to get some practise time in this weekend.

At class last night I picked up the latest copy of RaqsAfrica, our very own South African belly dance magazine, and was pleased to see an article I submitted on some great belly dance blogs staring back at me from the back page. In the interests of saving space (I would imagine) they cut my article short so only the first five blogs I listed were displayed, and they took away the descriptions I gave of each blog. So I thought it would be a good idea to post the full article on my own blog. For those of you who follow me because you are interested in belly dance, I am sure you would also like to add these awesome belly dance blogs to your google reader, if they are not already there.

So, in no particular order...

Best Belly Dance Blogs!

A collection of belly dance blogs covering a variety of belly dance-related topics, to add to your blog roll!

Princess Farhana’s Blog
www.princessraqs.blogspot.com

The entertaining blog of famous belly dancer Princess Farhana includes great performance tips, stories from her travels and some fabulous make-up tricks from this self-confessed glamour junkie!

Bellydance Paladin
www.bdpaladin.com

The author behind the Bellydance Paladin blog tackles serious belly dance-related topics with astounding insight, and provides intelligent and thought-provoking essays.

The BellyRing Blog
www.bellyringblog.blogspot.com

Keep up to date with the exciting comings and goings of the Cape Town-based belly dance studio, the BellyRing.

The Belly Whisperer
www.naagadance.blogspot.com

The Belly Whisperer is a sassy and insightful blog by feisty US-based dancer, RetroKali. This writer will often have you laughing out loud as you read about her latest antics, delivered with wit, charm and a good dose of tongue-in-cheek humour! RetroKali also posts interesting reviews of belly dance instructional DVD’s, as part of her “Happy Drunk Reviews” series.

5. Shimmies, Sequins & Slippers (seeing as it's my article I am entitled to push my own blog heehee!)
www.shimmiessequinsslippers.blogspot.com

Shimmies, Sequins & Slippers is a warm and amusing journal by a Cape Town dancer about her journey in belly dance, and her opinion on a variety of hot topics in the local belly dance community. (It's really hard to promote your blog, especially in the third person, without sounding conceited, okay?!)

6. BellyLorna
www.bellylorna.blogspot.com

Lorna of Cairo is a Scottish dancer currently working and living in the belly dance capital, Egypt. Lorna was there for the recent uprisings and it is extremely interesting to read about the Egyptians’ struggle for democracy from the perspective of a resident and insider.

7. The Bellydance Blog
www.thebellydanceblog.wordpress.com

The Bellydance Blog is a blog by Alexandra, a Cape Town-based dancer and photographer who provides intelligent and opinionated views on an array of belly dance issues. Alexandra also gives feedback and takes beautiful photographs of local belly dance events.

8. Oriental Fire
www.orientalfire.blogspot.com

Tina is a well-travelled Australian dancer who resides in Gauteng. Her blog includes interesting articles, tips and tricks and details on upcoming workshops.

9. Dancing with a Spatula Wand
www.dancingspatulawand.blogspot.com

Dancing with a Spatula Wand is a lovely, entertaining blog by dancer and self-confessed foodie, The Blue Fairie. Not only does the author post about her life as a belly dancer- she also gives us delicious recipes to try out while we practise our shimmies at the kitchen counter!

10. Atéa’s Belly Dance Blog
www.bellydancingvideo.com/blog/

A collection of interesting belly dance articles, which will greatly help you in your practise.

11. Tempest’s Teapot
www.darklydramatic.blogspot.com

Tempest’s Teapot is the blog of well-known professional fusion dancer, Tempest. Tempest’s Teapot provides details on Tempest’s upcoming performances, as well as helpful performance tips.

12. Bellyzine
www.bellyzine.wordpress.com

Bellyzine is a blog by a student of the Feminine Divine, one of the largest studios in Cape Town. Bellyzine is also the name of her company, which makes gorgeous hand-beaded belly dance bra’s. Bellyzine blog includes information on upcoming local events and workshops, as well as great costuming tips.

13. Crumbs in the Costume Closet
www.lilithnoor.blogspot.com

Crumbs in the Costume Closet is a blog by UK-based dancer, Lilith. Lilith writes about her dance experiences and shares costume tips in such a warm and engaging way that you can't help but like her instantly.

And there you have it! It was hard to narrow it down as I love reading so many belly blogs, but these are my favourite I think. I would love to hear what your favourites are- belly dance related or otherwise- I am always on the lookout for fabulous new blogs to follow!

Have a great holiday!

Thelonious Studios Shoot: Softest of the Softs

2011-04-19T15:56:00.009+08:00

A couple of weeks ago Dewald Brand of Thelonious Studios contacted me- he wanted to know if I would be interested in doing a shoot with him for a series of photographs he was putting together- the 'Softest of the Softs'. As the name implies, he wanted a very natural, soft look and feel. The concept was simple: me on a couch in his studio using a fluffy blanket as a prop- alternating between a black and a white one.

I had a look at some photos from the series which he had already taken, and loved them. The emphasis was less on dramatic clothes and make-up and more on the girls' natural beauty. I haven't done a shoot like that before- I seem to usually do more glamorous stuff- so I was really excited to do this one.

Dewald was lovely and relaxed and put me at ease straight away- he was a pleasure to work with :) I was really happy with the results- I really like the effect he applied to the pics which made my hair appear lighter- perhaps its time for a change? ;-)

Anyhow, here they are...

All photos by Dewald Brand of Thelonious Studios

Meat-Free Monday: Egyptian Koushari

2011-04-04T17:12:00.014+08:00

So if you follow my blog, you will know I have a bit of a fixation with food. I love reading about food, I love discussing it, I love making it, and most of all, I love eating it. I am a fairly healthy eater by nature but am definitely not a calorie counter, as I believe if you are eating good, unprocessed food most of the time the rest will take care of itself.

I would sum up my "eating style" thus: I would say I eat extremely well 80% of the time, but definitely indulge on a regular basis- I have a serious sweet tooth and have never been known to turn down a chocolate brownie- my absolute weakness! I never feel guilty about it though because a life without chocolate is not one worth living. At the same time I like healthy food, and I like the way it makes my body look and feel. If I have been overdoing it for a few days I just tone it down for the next few. It's all about balance.

I have an enormous appetite (my boyfriend always laughs at the size of my helpings) and eat lots of fruit and veg, healthy fats and one would probably describe my diet as very high in carbs...but they are mostly wholegrain, low GI (brown rice, oats, wholewheat pasta etc). I am not a big meat-eater by nature, and have toyed with the idea of becoming vegetarian...but I am not ready for it at this stage. But a high-carb diet probably doesn't work for everyone- I have a friend who claims to gain weight if she so much as looks at bread, even though she is extremely healthy. I think it's important to discover what works for you.

J, my man, is a complete carnivore and an extremely fussy eater. He could happily live off burgers and beer for the rest of his life. His idea of a veggie serving is the onions and garlic he adds to his spaghetti bolognaise sauce. He would rather eat his own arm (meat!) than eat spinach, or, god forbid, celery. Or mushrooms. Or avocado. Or tomato. Or cucumber. Or broccoli. Or a salad.

You get the point.

So you would think that we struggle to live together. Strangely not. We have reached a happy compromise during the work week where I cook one night (Mondays), he cooks one or two nights (with a little "guidance" from me ;-) and the rest of the time we sort ourselves out as we have conflicting schedules. And because Monday is my night I insist that we always have a Meat-Free Monday.

(How I got him to agree to this, I have no idea)

But I am not such a mean girlfriend. I always make sure I include lots of food he likes, and other than one or two fails (tofu mush anyone?) he usually finishes all the food on his plate without complaint. Occasionally, there is even the odd compliment. On the nights he goes back for seconds, I know I have got it right.

I think as a population, we eat far too much read meat, which has been proven to have detrimental effects on our health. I try to limit it to no more than 3x a week. Of course, there are the ethical aspects of eating meat too but that is a whole separate discussion. I believe, even if we don't want to give up red meat for good, it is wise to reduce the amount we consume per week.

Since living with me (back pat!) J is much more healthy, rarely gets sick any more (and this man has chronic "man flu"!) and is happier in general (but I think this is just the effect of my presence haha!) He also weighs 9kg less. Shewwww.

Now, enough waffling and back to the point of my post.

A few weeks ago, I was reading some or other article which mentioned Koushari. For those of you who have been to Egypt, you may recall the rice-noodle dish which is a huge part of their everyday diet. It is extremely filling, a little spicy, and very tasty.

I decided that I would try re-create the recipe in my kitchen for Meat-free Monday last week. After checking out several versions online, I came up with my somewhat adapted recipe below:

The night before, I made the Harissa, a fragrant chilli paste. I was tempted to be lazy and omit this but it was worth the extra effort. This keeps for about a month in the fridge and is delicious- quite hot but with a great flavour. It was extremely quick and easy:

HARISSA

Ingredients:

10x fresh jalapeño chillies

4x dried chillies

3x cloves garlic, minced

salt to taste

3x tablespoons olive oil

1x teaspoon ground coriander

1x teaspoon ground caraway seeds

1x teaspoon cumin

Soak the chillies in hot water for 30 minutes. Drain. Remove stems and seeds.

In a food processor combine chili peppers, garlic, salt, and olive oil. Blend.

Add remaining spices and blend to form a smooth paste. Cover top of paste in olive oil to prevent drying and store in airtight container.

Ok so not the prettiest picture ever, but tastes great!

Next came the Koushari itself:

KOUSHARI

Ingredients:

250ml lentils

125ml wholewheat macaroni

250ml brown rice ( I used brown and wild rice with spilt peas)

4x tablespoons olive oil

Salt to taste

1x onion, chopped fine

2x fat cloves garlic, crushed

1x can tomato purée

1/3 of a jar of Ina Paarman's Tomato & Basil pasta sauce. I think tinned tomatoes would work fine too.

Freshly ground black pepper

For serving:

Harissa mixed with a little olive oil

Crispy onion bits

Cook the lentils, macaroni and rice separately and then fry the rice in 2 tablespoons of oil. I cook my lentils in vegetarian stock for extra flavour.

Once cooked and drained, mix all three together with a little olive oil and salt.

Fry the onion and garlic in the remaining oil. Add the tomato purée and pasta sauce and 1/4 cup water, and bring to a simmer for a few minutes until it thickens slightly. Mix together with the lentils, macaroni and rice and season to taste. Heat gently and then add Harissa to taste (I like my food quite hot so added about 3 teaspoons to the whole bowl)

Tomato mix on the left, the lentils, rice and noodles prior to mixing with the sauce (and of course some wine!)

Lentils, rice and noodles mixed with the tomato paste and Harissa

Add a little steamed veggies to your plate for a fully balanced vegetarian meal

It was very yum and came out just like I remembered it, if I do say so myself!

And the verdict from J? He came back for seconds...but not of the veggies :)

April Fools Fun Friday: Foolish Costumes

2011-04-01T20:39:00.014+08:00

I am not in a nice mood today. What has started as a good day has gone rather sour. So what's a tired, grumpy girl to do?

Why, cheer herself up by snickering nastily over ugly belly dance costumes of course!

(Yes, I am feeling particularly mean and uncharitable, don't mind me)

Us belly dancers tend towards excess- I for one have an ostrich-like obsession with shiny things and love my costumes dripping with sequins and glitter...but there is a line, albeit fine. I know "To each their own" and all that, and I realise some believe that you should aspire to that drag queen belly dancer look, but I just don't buy it. You can be glamorous, over-the-top and tasteful, all at the same time.

How? See my Dream Dance Costumes.

But I was a nicer girl that day. Today, in honour of April Fools Day, I will do the polar opposite- revel in laughing at the most foolish and ridiculous belly dance costumes ever!

Here you go!

What?!! You mean to say you DON'T own a transparent belly dance costume?!!

The height of sexy

I have seen worse but...what is that awful growth off the boob? I can't handle random growths on costumes!

Curtain netting, doilies and some random roses...urghhh!

Eye see youuuuu

I like the top but what's with the crotch...errr...CONCH shell?

I hate the fabric, the cut, and most of all, I hate those ridiculous round bra cups (which you see every where in Egypt). Honestly, does this shape flatter ANY woman, big or small?!

Another Stripper Mermaid special...at least they make up for the horrid costume with the practical shoes

What kills me about this costume is that the potential's there. I mean, the skirt is pretty and nicely cut, but with those boobs in the way who would ever notice?

Ok enough of that, if you would prefer to visit a nice girl's blog check out Alex's. She did a great post of their show, Fusion in the Forest, this past week. I went to go watch it on Saturday and loved it...it had a bit of everything- jugglers, fire poi, martial arts and of course, fabulous belly dancing. I wasn't allowed to take pics of this show (but doubt I would have got good ones anyway- it was in a forest and my happy snappy is not geared for challenging lighting) but the photographer's pics came out beautifully, so check it out! And take their outfits as an example of HOW to do costuming properly!

My friend and me at Fusion in the Forest...such an amazing show & venue!

Fun Friday: Fabulous Fans

2011-03-18T17:43:00.007+08:00

Excuse cheesy title, just couldn't help myself!

I know I skipped last week but in all honestly, with all that was happening in Japan, I felt a bit bad doing a Fun Friday that was clearly so un-fun for so many people.

(and quite possibly, I might also have been too lazy)

But it's a new week and this Friday I thought I would do a post with some great performances incorporating one of my favourite props (and hands down the prettiest)- the fan veil!

I chose all of these clips because a) The prop does not detract from the "quality" (is that the right word?) of the dance and b) Just because I love 'em. Enjoy!

I thought I would start off with a local dancer- Tenille of the Feminine Divine- in honour of her birthday today :) This lady is an amazing performer and I love this dance of hers, where she is her usual graceful, sensual and divinely feminine self!

I think this dance is so beautiful and this dancer is adorable! I love how she mouths along to the words- I know most people can't stand this but I find it extremely endearing when a dancer gets so carried away by the music that they cant help but sing along- especially in a live performance. I think even the most experienced dancers still get a bit of nerves when dancing for an audience (which I think is completely healthy!), so for a dancer to relax enough once on stage and enjoy herself so entirely that she even sings along without realising it, is very impressive to me. Also love love love the ripply water effect of the pretty blue fans, which compliments this beautiful piece of music so well.

Bozenka is the Queen of the Fan Veils, in my humble opinion, as you cannot help but envy her skill with them. Just a pity about the rubbish video quality.

On a more serious note, and back to the Japan crisis- check out the blog post my brother did on the subject here. It saddens me that a crisis always seems to flush the ignoramuses out from under their rocks, so they can irritate the rest of us with their stupid, insensitive comments.

...Sorry, I simply cannot end off a Fun Friday post on such a depressing note, so back again to a happier subject- enjoy the long weekend fellow South Africans! :)

Fun Friday: Rockin' Drum Solos

2011-03-04T17:34:00.005+08:00

I have been a little low on inspiration lately. I am not sure if it's the pressure I have been under at work recently, the relative dissatisfaction I am feeling with some areas of my life, or if it's just that time of year.

So, I have come to the conclusion that my attitude needs changing. I have always been a positive person so it is especially hard for me to feel so negatively about things. If you are unhappy with your circumstances, change them. If you cannot change them for whatever reason, you can change your attitude towards them, and make the most of our situation. It's not that my circumstances are bad at all- in fact, I think for the most part I lead a very blessed life. But I am feeling in a rut, and there are a few things that are making me unhappy.

As a result of all of this, I have been a little de-motivated when it comes to dancing. I have been slacking off with my beading (although when you get home between 7pm and 9pm every night it is difficult to bother with beading, especially when you don't particularly enjoy it in the first place), not practising my zills and spending very little time thinking about dancing (which is very strange for me- because while I don't always have as much time to dance as I would like, I always spend a good deal of time thinking about it!)

So in order to give myself a bit of a kick up the butt, every Friday for the next few weeks I will be posting a themed selection of my favourite videos which I find inspirational, as part of a "Fun Friday" series.

So this Friday, just for fun, I am posting a couple of my all-time favourite drum solos. Let me know what you think!

I would also love to hear any recommendations you may have in the comment section- the more inspiration I am exposed to, the better! :)

1. Bozenka

Bozenka did a series of workshops in SA last year, and while I think she is a great dancer (and amazing with one of my favourite props- the fan veils) I chose this drum solo because if you listen carefully, it is the same music I used for my solo at the iamlovechild festival (although she has a live drummer). I find it so interesting to see different movement interpretations of the same sounds.

2. Sadie and Kaya

Love them or hate them, you can't deny Sadie & Kaya's technical skill. A fast-paced, complex drum solo is the litmus test of a dancer's technical skill- you cannot hide behind the music. When Sadie or Kaya perform a drum solo alone, their talent is boasted to maximum capacity. When they do one as a tight duo, like this one, the effect is twice as mind-blowing.

3. Rachel

An old favourite. This was one of the first pieces I have watched of Miss Brice's. And I still love her just as much then as I do now. I love the slow, snakey and graceful arms contrasted with the sharp pops and locks of her drum solo.

4. Didem

This was pre-Turkish Barbie transformation, and I think she looks much more lovely here. I love this drum solo of hers, I love the wind and I love the fact that her smiles are so spontaneous in this number.

5. Cassandra

For some reason I can't embed this, so click here to view.

I first stumbled across this dancer in Belly Dance Forums. She had posted a mermaid costume she had made, which sounds at risk of looking tacky, but was, in fact, absolutely gorgeous (of course, it helps that I am obsessed with mermaids!) She had linked to her latest video on YouTube and curious about the dancer behind the awesome costume, I checked it out. I thought she was absolutely fabulous! I was reminded of this when a friend sent me a link to her channel recently. I love that she looks like she is having a blast, and she also looks like a lovely person- like someone I would want as a friend.

6. Helene

And last but not least, the gorgeous Helene...just because I have a serious girl crush on her!

Love List

2011-02-14T20:53:00.017+08:00

Happy Valentines everyone!

I am a sucker for any festive occasion and I just love any reason to celebrate! I see Valentines Day as the perfect excuse to let the people I care about know just how much they mean to me.

And to eat chocolate.

But as you know, I am a bit of a Material Girl too, so it doesn't just extend to people, oh no...there's a whole bunch of material things I am lovin' on this month...

So in honour of Valentines Day, here is my Love List :)

1. Dermalogica

Yesssss, I know it's pricey. But as the saying goes, you get what you pay for. I have always used cheap ass stuff but as a little Christmas present to myself, I decided to go for Dermalogica's Skin Mapping and buy the products prescribed for my skin. And let me tell you- it has made such a difference! My skin was going through an extremely difficult stage where it was breaking out in rashes, whilst being simultaneously dry (on my cheeks and eyelids) and oily everywhere else. I have been using Dermalogica for almost 2 months now, and it is back to normal...and not only that- it is smooth and healthy looking. As someone who has always struggled with my skin, this has made the world of difference to me. I think skincare should be the one thing that we invest in, as we wear our skin everyday and it's made to last a lifetime. Plus, Dermalogica is costly, but the bottles are HUGE- I can see my facewash lasting for well over a year. Better still, Dermalogica products are not tested on animals and use only quality ingredients.

2. Zills

This blog journals my tempestuous relationship with the little buggers. On one hand, they are my favourite prop as they are the most challenging to learn and require serious skill and co-ordination...and on the other hand, well...I just don't have have that skill and co-ordination.

But...the winds of change are upon us!

We are learning a zill choreo in class. It is challenging, but luckily I have a very good teacher, so she breaks each section down into tiny, manageable chunks with tons of drills thrown in for good measure. And while it is not yet easy for me, the over-whelming feeling of useless-ness has passed and I am beginning to feel that if I just keep practicing, maybe one day I may be able to add zills to my repertoire after all!

3. Lindt Dark Chocolate with Chili

My latest chocolate obsession...seriously, have you tried this stuff?!

4. Day Outings with Friends

I am over (but most likely temporarily) the go-out-to-a-nightclub-and-get-drunk thing. I don't know if it's the beautiful weather, or my current busy schedule, or just plain growing up, but I really am over having my whole weekend ruined by a hangover and the sinking feeling that I may have made an idiot of myself the night before (unfortunately, experience has proved this feeling to be fact) At the moment, I am really enjoying spending quality time with the ladies I love outdoors, in a beautiful surrounding, with a glass of wine (ok, so I am not totally over the booze!) I am so lucky to live in such a beautiful country and I have really been appreciating it lately. Recent outings with my girls have include wine & ice-cream tasting trips (Somerbosch do the most amazing wine&ice cream tasting, and set in the heart of a Stellenbosch vineyard- beautiful!), picnics and long walks on the beach.

5. Sardines

My man calls them "creepy little fish" and they are creepy. But in my quest to stay healthy, I am trying to include more fish in my diet. I am not much of a seafood fan (although I like sushi and tinned tuna) but after reading about how good sardines are for you, I decided to live on the edge and bought myself a tin, and the rest is history!

6. Ballet

Black Swan is largely to blame with my renewed obsession with ballerinas (I especially love the ones with a few screws loose!) but seriously, I absolutely love this beautiful dance. My Gran used to take me to the ballet when I was a child and I have always maintained that if I were to do any other type of dance, I would want to do ballet. Unfortunately though, I don't have time for it, so I will have to settle for being a passionate audience member. The Nutcracker will be on in Cape Town in the next few months and I am dying to see it!

7. MAC Make-up Brushes

These were a Christmas gift from my boyfriend's lovely mother. I have never had "fancy" make-up brushes before and I am loving these! They make such a difference to my make-up application.

8. Yoga

I have recently started Yoga at the gym and I love how relaxed and supple I feel afterwards (although I am the most un-flexible person in the whole class!)

9. Veil

I have never been a huge fan of the veil; I have always felt it to be a bit too delicate and precious for a proverbial "bull in the china shop" such as myself. But lately when I have been having my impromptu (and always the most fun) dance sessions in my lounge, I have found myself picking up a veil more often than not. I am not quite sure why- but I am enjoying the feeling of gentleness, sensuality and gracefulness that dancing with a veil brings.

10. Benefit Stay Don't Stray Eye Primer

When I was living in London, I was a huge fan of Benefit make-up, so I was overjoyed when the Benefit range was released in South Africa (have you tried Hoola?!) Unfortunately however, the nearest outlet is quite a drive from where I stay so I haven't had a shopping expedition...yet. I won a hamper of products a few months ago and this was one of the things I won. I have never used a primer before and after using this, I don't think I will be without one again. It makes the whole eye area silky smooth and uniform, my eyeshadow goes on easily, I don't have to use as much to get the desired intensity and it lasts forever. I heart you Benefit.

11. My Man

And saving the best for last...my handsome boyfriend. I don't always tell him but I think he knows just how much I appreciate him. Good men don't come around often and I am so lucky to have found someone so kind, gentle, loving, supportive, honest, loyal and very essentially a man in the best possible sense of the word. I love you J.

xxx

Mixing Belly & Burlesque

2011-02-09T21:50:00.011+08:00

Sooooo, there's a new Issue of the Week on the Belly Dance Teachers in SA forum on Facebook: Belly Dancers performing Burlesque. As usual, opinions are divided with some remaining respectfully diplomatic and others getting their bedlahs in a bunch.

The opening discussion started as such:

"...there is an issue surfacing in the SA bellydance community that I feel needs to be discussed openly. It concerns the performance of burlesque dancing by bellydancers, as well as the publishing of a calendar featuring topless bellydancers. As someone who has spent years in the industry trying to change the public's perception that bellydancing is associated with stripping, I feel that these activities just reinforce the negative stereotype that bellydancers have had to struggle against. What are your thoughts? I am not attacking anyone personally but I would like to know the rationale of those on the other side of the fence, have SA bellydancers generally decided this is ok, etc."

I am not going to go into the whole calendar topic as I haven't seen it myself and from what I understand from reading the various view points in the forum, it may have been blown out of proportion. The producer claims that the objective of the calendar was to highlight the beauty of real woman, in all shapes, sizes and different professions- and not to be a gawking fest of belly dancers without their clothes on...also, the organiser claims it was done very tastefully and all bits were strategically covered...so I will leave that subject up in the air for now...

Some argued that as belly dancers, we try extremely hard to project a respectful image, and the fact that some of us perform burlesque often confuses the public and may lead to an increase perception that belly dance = stripping. One dancer fumed that she she did not want to be associated with anything that resembled stripping- implied or otherwise. Another said that she would not want to do anything that may jeopardise her respectable reputation as a dancer.

On the other side of the fence, were the belly/burlesque dancers themselves, who countered that they didn't see anything wrong with it, as long as both were kept separate. One dancer said that it was belly dance itself which gave her the confidence to expand her horizons. She commented, "I don't think that one should say that because someone is a belly dancer, they can't do burlesque, that's like saying that someone who is a lawyer can't be a belly dancer, because the one image doesn't suit the other." There were also a few other dancers who didn't perform burlesque, but didn't see a problem as long as the two didn't mesh.

I will risk the wrath of a few and say that I do think there is a correlation between the two. Not in the obvious sense- I don't think belly dance should be sexual or include stripping of any form, but as I have said before I do think both arts embrace sensuality (always depends on the artist though) and in my experience, both can increase your confidence and pride in your own body. When I (usually silently and creepily) lurk through the Ministry of Burlesque forums, I am always fairly surprised by how many burlesque dancers are belly dancers too. I have also read an article on Shira's site, about how burlesque has it's roots in belly dance. The veil, one of our favourite props, is used to conceal and reveal the dancer in a beautiful, sensual manner...much like one of the main principles of burlesque. So there definitely is a link between the two.

I tend to agree with Princess Farhana's (who is both a respected belly dancer and burlesque artist) opinion that you can do both, but that they are two different beasts and should not be crossed (although I have seen burlesque-inspired belly performances by her before...no stripping but incorporating elements of burlesque costume and giant feather fans).

However, there are always a few that mix the two in one performance. Although my opinion is that it is a good idea to keep both separate, we are all entitled to our own views and some may feel differently.

Like this lady...

Look familiar?

Yes, she is the woman who performed the immortal Vampire Fusion belly dance (via Dancing with a Spatula Wand)...obviously one lady who is not shy of...ahem...experimentation. While I understand that art is open to interpretation blah blah blah (insert PC disclaimer here) and I don't like being mean about people (at least not in public...heeheee!) I will say that I think that this is NOT how it should be done. Neither belly nor burlesque.

A year ago, I was asked by my beloved belly dance teacher Lara to perform a burlesque routine at a studio Haffla. I was still very new to burlesque, and in eagerness to show off my newfound interest I agreed. After thinking it over for a few days, I contacted Lara and told her that I had changed my mind- that I did not think it would be a good idea.

In all honesty (and many will disagree), I don't think there is anything wrong with a burlesque performance at a Haffla. Us belly dancers are generally more open-minded people and a fun-loving, women-only audience is the ideal group to introduce burlesque too, if you want to add some variety to a studio party. Likewise, a belly dance performance at a burlesque variety show can expose an audience to a beautiful dance art.

Actually, I would prefer performing burlesque for a ladies-only event (like a Haffla) as opposed to a mixed one, as there is never any risk of a seedy element coming into play. That is why most belly dancers and burlesque dancers will never perform for male-only events, like bachelor parties.

However, I turned it down. Why? Because I was belly dancing at the Haffla that night and didn't want to mix the two sides or my performing persona at one event. Maybe some would have enjoyed it and I am pretty sure there would have been a few disgruntled dancers on their high horse, but I did not want to risk offending anyone at a gathering where everyone is supposed to have a good time. The two are very different arts and while I don't necessarily believe that they cannot be performed at the same event, I do think that if we are both a belly dancer and burlesque performer we should not perform both roles at the same function, or- worst case scenario- as part of the same act.

I don't think it is fair of anyone to tell you what you can and can't do in your spare time. But at the same time, you need to exercise some judgement. Will it look good in your teachers resume if you are a part-time stripper? (extreme example but you get my drift). No one can force you to do anything but I do think that you need to accept that people will judge you and you will have to live with the consequences of your actions. For example, you may go to a birthday function, perform a beautiful, tasteful belly dance set and then ruin it all by hanging around at the party afterwards and getting sloppily drunk. No one can force you to go home after your set, but is it professional to stay and behave inappropriately? No. May a perception arise that belly dancers are sloppy good-time gals and not suitable entertainers for a classy function? Probably.

Personally, I find burlesque a tasteful, fun form of entertainment that is just a little bit naughty. I see absolutely no problem with being a belly dancer and a burlesque performer if both are kept separate. I know there are some who will balk at the possible association of belly dance with stripping by the fact that an artist may perform both on (different) occasion- but really...this is the 21st century, and people are beginning to find out what burlesque is about. It is becoming more and more socially acceptable and popular. Just like most people now days have at least seen a belly dance performance and don't expect some harem stripper.

And it has to be said, but most people hiring us belly dancers for a function are doing so because they want fun, classy (and dare I say it?) sexy entertainment, and do not want something that they would see at a kiddies school play.

Let's be honest girls- unfortunately 90% of the time we are not hired for a gig because the host has some deep, cultural respect for the dance form and for the Middle East- we are hired because they want to see a lady in a sparkly costume shaking her stuff.

To borrow from the legendary Chopper, I think we all need to lighten the **** up.

Just saying.

Premiere of Burlesque: The Photos

2011-01-26T22:55:00.010+08:00

...for you to look at if you are bored and mindless trolling the web...

All photos by the lovely Mareli Basson of Ambra Photography

You can read about the event in my last blog post

Roxy de Light at the Premiere of Burlesque!

2011-01-20T23:17:00.009+08:00

I had my first burlesque gig as a solo artist on Wednesday! The gig was a short performance at the premiere of Christina and Cher’s new movie, Burlesque- which I was dying to see anyway so a bonus was that I also got to watch the movie for free afterwards and take a friend. The event was arranged by Smashbox and Ster Kinekor through Black Orchid Burlesque, who were organising local burlesque performers to put on a short act at the various premieres throughout South Africa. Although I am no longer part of the Black Orchid Burlesque troupe (I resigned last year) they called and asked if I would perform for the theatre in my hometown, Somerset West, as a solo artist…so I simply had to say yes :)

It was a ladies-only premiere (but some men still sneaked in…really boys?! Can’t you be without your women for three whole hours? Because I doubt any one of you wanted to come in your own capacity- it is the ultimate chick flick!) and they had giveaways and a little goodie bag to take home. Before the movie started, I was to do a short, surprise performance in the actual cinema, as the “real-life trailer”, and to show the public that we do have SA-style burlesque!

Me at the premiere- photo by Mareli Basson of Ambra Photography

I did my “The Lady is Really a Tramp” routine with a short fan veil section at the end. I was a little worried as there were a few older ladies in the audience and our town is rather conservative, so I wasn’t sure how it would be perceived (although it is a very “PG” act) but it went down well, thank goodness! I guess if you are going to watch a movie titled “Burlesque”, you don’t expect “The Sound of Music” type entertainment!

The movie itself was highly enjoyable- I have always been a huge Christina fan- I grew up with her and Britney! I think she is an amazing vocalist and performer and she has always been my idol. I loved the movie- the singing, dancing and costumes were amazing...not to mention the gorgeous men! However, it does differ from traditional burlesque and branched more into the cabaret side of things- think Pussycat Dolls rather than Dita von Teese or Vicky Butterfly. All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed it, and would recommend it for the perfect girls night out!

So as I mentioned in my Goals already, I would like to break out as a solo artist this year. I have decided my first step is to get up a web/facebook page, so I have roped the talented Grethe into doing a shoot for my page (she did my last shoot), with make-up by Gabbi Katz- the QUEEN of theatrical make-up in my opinion! Check out some of her work below…how fricken amazing is she?!

With these two ladies on board, I can't go wrong :)

I can literally tell you about my ideas for tons of acts I want to do, but for now I think I need to concentrate on refining the 4x acts I do have. Otherwise it gets ridiculously expensive with costumes and so on. If I had to describe my burlesque style I would say it is rather playful, cheeky and fun, and I lovvveee working with a kind of “storyline”, as opposed to just a classic, glamorous striptease. I like my music, costume and act to all make up a short tale.

With Burlesque (in my opinion), you don’t need a particularly huge amount of skill as a dancer (as with belly dance or any other dance form) but I think it does help if you can move nicely. Like belly dance, you also don’t need a particular body type. What I think you do need, however, is to be creative, with lots and lots of stage personality and a tongue-in-cheek sense of humour. Because without the facial expression, saucy winks and interaction with the crowd, you are left with a very flat performance.

Burlesque was almost unheard of in South Africa a few years ago, and I think with the launch of the movie Burlesque this beautiful art will quickly make a comeback, and I can’t wait to be a part of it!

Are there differences between SA Belly Dance and the rest of the world?

2011-01-12T17:15:00.010+08:00

Sometimes when I am reading a foreign blog article or a post on an international belly dance forum I come across something that makes me go, "Wow that’s interesting…didn’t think of that” or I am surprised by some aspect of how another dancer interprets the art.

It makes me wonder- is there a huge difference between belly dancing as we know it in South Africa, compared to the rest of the world?

For sure, an instructor’s style and interests will influence her teaching and the knowledge she passes on to her students, which in turn will affect their perspectives. But I am not talking about that.

It seems that, when compared to other countries, there are vast differences between belly dance in SA and the rest of the world. The main differences I have noticed are:

1. South African dancers seem more wary of fusion than the rest of the world
Things such as Vampire Belly Dance, like in this video (thanks Blue Fairie!) would never appear in South Africa- maybe thankfully! But seriously, when it comes to fusion, we pretty much only have straight ATS and Tribal- possibly some Spanish fusion at a push. The more "out-there" stuff- ballet fusion, burlesque fusion- even gothic belly dance- is extremely rare in South Africa.

2. There doesn’t seem to be as much emphasis on the various types of folkloric dancing or more traditional Egyptian dancing; American Cabaret seems to be the primary style
Occasionally we will have an international dancer visiting our shores who will hold folkloric workshops, but there is limited exposure to more traditional styles. The majority of our instructors teach either Modern-Egyptian or American Cabaret. At a few belly dance shows in Cape Town I have seen some Saidi or Raqs Assaya pieces, but I have never seen any Khaleeji, Tahtib, Ghawazee and so on.

3. Very little exposure to Turkish style

4. Limited access to costumes, workshops and props
Because belly dance appeared here a little later (which could be due to apartheid, amongst other reasons) we are a little behind the world in terms of ease of accessibility to costumes, props etc. Ordering online and having something shipped is notoriously unreliable in SA- in fact, Amazon won't even ship to us anymore due to packages constantly being "misplaced" by our dodgy post offices! In terms of workshops, well-known, international dancers do not travel here too often- and when they do they come with a hefty price tag. Now you may argue that these are the rates they charge all over the world- but remember, our currency, the Rand, is extremely weak. Therefore, a famous dancer will charge (and will be entitled to) their standard high fee for workshops, converted to Rand. For us it will be more expensive as we earn less in comparison to the rest of the world- it is not tiered accordingly.

Having said all this, I am glad to say that I have noticed a change in the last year, and it seems that availability of belly dance paraphernalia is slowly improving as the community grows.

Which brings me to...

5. Large community in a relatively small area leads to possessiveness
I speak for Cape Town here as I am not sure what the situation is like in the rest of South Africa. The belly dance community in my area started as a very small group and has grown rapidly over the last few years. Consequently, I think we are in danger of market saturation- too many dancers in too small a space. Although some may disagree, I think that the Afrikaans contingent in South Africa especially is inherently more conservative, and many have discovered belly dance with a vengeance- a dance form in which they can express their sensuality and retain their dignity and sense of propeirity. As the dance community blossoms, I think that a few (not all) of the existing teachers tend to become possessive of their students and don’t always encourage them to seek knowledge from local teachers outside of their studio. Thus, many students remain loyal to their teachers but often do not grow to their full potential as dancers.

6. This may sound in contradiction to the above point, but I believe the South African audience is a very open one
There is an article on Shira.net about lack of respect towards dancers and being viewed as "sleazy" because you belly dance. In my (admittedly short) experience, I have not really come across this attitude when I tell people I belly dance. Maybe because of our melting pot of cultures, our audience is generally more open. Although there are some who may think it is more sexual than it really is, in general I have found people to be politely curious, and I have yet to be judged negatively because of it.

7. Live music…it is extremely rare that a dancer will perform with a live orchestra
We just don’t really seem to have them here!

8. Male belly dancers
I have never come across any in South Africa

These are the differences I have noticed in my community. South African dancers: I would like to hear if you agree or disagree, or if you have noticed any other differences. International dancers: Do you think belly dance differs in your area? How?

2011 Goals

2011-01-06T19:28:00.008+08:00

I hope you all had a good Christmas and New Year and are not yet back at the grindstone, like me!

Scrolling through my Google Reader, there seems to be a ton of bloggers making New Years Resolutions. As you may know, I am a keen maker (if not always follow-througher) of Belly Resolutions myself. What can I say, I am a sucker for lists of all kinds.

This year, I have made a list of new goals for all areas of my life…so this year’s list is very long… muahaha! I thought, as it is the beginning of the year when all good intentions are made, I would set some new Belly Resolutions for myself this year. I am a nerd like that.

But to make things a little different, I have added some more personal goals as well this time (Stephi- you are my inspiration here!) I feel posting them will help keep me on track to achieving them and in a way, hold me accountable. My blog acts as my public diary, so it is very “me-focussed” and my posts are written with opinions based on my own experiences, or what is important to me (I admire those who write well-researched, informative posts on various topics- I still can't think why any of you would want to read my me me me blog, but thank you to those who do! I promise I am not a narcisstic witch in real life! ;-) Anyway, I read somewhere that to achieve any goal, you need to first clearly identify what that goal is. In my experience, opportunities have a way of landing in our laps when our thoughts have been focussed on that very thing…it is almost like, once we open ourselves up to a possibility, the universe gives us what we wish for. That is why I believe we should always put out positive energy and not dwell on negativity.

But that doesn’t mean there is no hard work involved…the journey is the fun part after all.

So without further adieu, here are my 2011 Goals:

Belly Dancing

1. Practise between 3-5 hours a week

2. Attend at least 4x workshops in 2011

3. Purchase Isis wings and I silk veil (I absolutely must have one after borrowing Jamilah’s for a recent performance)

4. Watch as many live performances by other dancers as I can afford

5. Purchase one new costume

6. Work on arms and transitional movements, and on slowing down movements

7. Try to learn how to make a costume (ambitious I know!)

8. Choreograph 3x new dances

9. Practise my zills for a couple of minutes each dance practise

With regards to last year’s goals, I am proud to say that I have greatly improved my layering, Egyptian and ¾ shimmies, I “got” the stomach flutter (wooohooo), I attended 4x workshops and I finished my drum solo choreo. I didn’t, however reach my goal of practising at least 3x per week :(

And then for the more personal ones:

Health

1. Healthy eating. Cut down on meat. Cut down on processed food and sugar. No more excessive chocolate or rubbish sweets!

2. Go for my yearly gynae check up and oral hygienist (didn’t go last year!)

Money

1. Save all money made from performing into 32-day notice account

2. Start paying off credit card and leave credit card in safe where I cannot use it!

3. Stick to my budget

Other

1. Get a new blog header and make blog prettier (cough cough…NICK… :)

2. Do something new: Start a course or learn a new language

3. Read the entire Dark Tower series by Steven King. Last year I finished the Sword of Truth series by Terry Goodkind (brilliant!) and I am told this one is even better

4. Continue with Meat Free Monday (My man and I have started this and I am slowly getting the dedicated carnivore to acknowledge that there are other vegetables in the world besides potatoes and onions)

5. Spend more quality time with my friends and family

6. Learn to meditate (I know "learning" to meditate sounds strange but I remind myself of that scene from the book Eat Pray Love where she is trying to meditate but keeps thinking of decorating a room in her apartment)

7. Travel to another country

8. Try out one new recipe a week

9. And last but definitely not least, I would like to re-launch myself as a solo burlesque artist. I have missed it horribly and cannot wait to start performing again! So watch this space :)

And that’s it folks. I am excited about this year and what it will bring. I have a feeling it is going to be a good one for us :)

Performance at iamlovechild Summer Festival

2010-12-20T17:52:00.004+08:00

This will probably be my final post for the year, and my last post before I go on leave and enjoy the remaining few days of 2010. Man this year has flown! It seems the older I get, the more time flies by- or is it just me?

I finally have some pictures from the iamlovechild Bright Street Festival, which was a huge success- congrats to the iamlovechild team! And a…gulp…video of my performance (thank you Alex!), which I have mixed feelings about. On the night, I thoroughly enjoyed my solo- it seems like the more I perform the more confident I become and it was a great, lively audience as well which always helps. But then…I saw the video and reality set in- I was faced with all the things I didn’t like because unfortunately, the camera doesn’t lie. I was quite upset to be honest but after watching it a few more times I thought I was maybe being too harsh and tried to look at the good points as well.

So...without further ado...here it is

In order to be objective, here is what I don’t like and do like about my solo that night:

I DON’T LIKE:

A lot of the choreography (my own)
My floppy/ messy hands
The part where my earring fell from my ear mid travelling shimmy
I moved a bit too fast with the veil in the beginning as I do when nervous- I was aiming for slower, more sensual movements
Too many up/down hip locks and I went blank in one part, which unfortunately shows on my face
My dirty feet! (But in my defence, we were expecting to dance on the stage not on the tar, which we were only informed of when we got there! ;-)

I DO LIKE:

My Egyptian/ straight leg shimmies! I have been working really hard at them and I think they have improved a lot
My happy face on stage…I was having fun and I think it showed!
Over-all, I am happy with the technical aspects of my dancing but I feel I need to slow down a bit more and complete each movement fully

But don’t take my word for it- watch for yourself and let me know what you think! I would really welcome having objective, honest feedback and not just the slightly rose-tinted, biased views of my non-dancing family and friends!

It was a great night, and our entire troupe had a fabulous time performing. Other than a few little hitches, I think we did great! I especially loved Jamilah’s very cute and cheeky solo, which was a big hit with the crowd as well!

BellyRing Performance Troupe

My solo- veil intro

My Tabla Solo

BellyRing performing at iamlovechild Bright Street Summer Festival

And…almost R30 000 was raised for the Imibala Sponsor a Child initiative! Yay!

I went to a sword workshop yesterday held by Tenille of the Feminine Divine, who is well-known for her skill with the sword. I had a great time and left with a lot of new knowledge. Some of the things covered were:

Why the sword is such a powerful prop and where it may have originated from (it was said that it could have originated from the slave era. The slaves learnt to dance with the sword on their head to show their masters that they may be in slavery, but in their spirits they are free). Tenille said she loves how the masculine energy of the sword is the perfect balance to the sensual, feminine movements of the dance
Tips to create better grip between the sword and your head (glue, sandpaper and candle wax were some of the ones mentioned). Tenille recommended a head scarf for better comfort but advised that balancing the sword on your head without a scarf does appear more impressive)
Lengthening the neck to prevent later stiffness in the shoulders, and freezing the head to keep the sword balanced
How to isolate movements to prevent the sword from falling during travelling steps, shimmies and upper body movements. We also did quite a few drills, which was quite a workout!
Tricks such as sudden drops, floor work and spinning with the sword on the head
Best places to balance the sword (we tried fingers, wrist, hip, head, chin and chest…of course, with my lack of the necessary endowment I had to almost break my spine whilst leaning back far enough to get the sword to stay put!)
Tenille recommended that we always present our sword to the audience, build up slowly and finish with the harder balancing tricks last. She also said that she feels a sword performance should be the last dance of the set, as it showcases the fact that the isolations involved in belly dance are a serious skill and not just butt-shaking!

I picked up a lot of useful tips and tricks, and a very cool one where you get down with you back to the floor, sword on head, lift yourself off the floor using your hands and do a belly roll. Then you tip your head forward, aiming the sword at your stomach, where it should fall. You then continue your belly roll and the sword should move with your belly. I have my last gig of the year on Wednesday and I cannot wait to try this out! Although the zills are my favourite prop (because of my struggle to learn them, I have the outmost respect for dancers who have mastered them!) I think the sword may end up being my personal best prop to perform with.

Anyway, I am over and out until the new year, and I wish you all a wonderful festive season with lots of fun, family and bubbly! Have fun and be safe! xxx

What's in your Bag?

2010-12-06T21:30:00.004+08:00

So, I was on the way to a gig in Rawsonville near Worcester on Friday (Rawsonville, by the way, is Latin for the middle of fricken NOWHERE) and was just about to get in my car and drive off when I did a quick mental inventory of everything I was taking with. That’s when I realised I had almost forgotten something rather vital.

MUSIC.

Disaster averted and dutifully taken down a peg or two, I realised that no matter how long we have been doing something, we are never too experienced for The List.

Now I love lists. I have lists for groceries, lists for weekends away, lists of chores I need to complete on days off- I even make lists of things to be happy about when I am feeling down. So why I went to this gig without following my usual procedure and writing out a list of things I would need is a complete mystery to me.

The List is essential for belly dancers because you never want to be in a position where you arrive at a gig unprepared or missing something key. Especially when the gig is somewhere as un-populated and as far removed from civilisation as Rawsonville (I guess I should be grateful they even had electricity to play my CD)

Fortunately, I grabbed my CD in time and the gig went off without a hitch. I actually arrived on time (my time-keeping skills seem to have improved thanks to my boyfriend, who has brainwashed me into almost believing that being perpetually late is a sign of disrespect for the other party). It was a beautiful setting (middle-of-nowhere places, on the plus side, usually are) and I performed at a grand old estate house, outside and underneath the stars. The theme was Middle Eastern and the ground was scattered with colourful rugs and the trees were draped with gauzy scarves. It was lovely. They even had a tiny stage for me (+- 1.5m x 1.5m I would guess, so hardly any space at all, but a girls gotta do what a girls gotta do)

But the point is, we all have our lists and rituals before we dance, depending on what we find works for us.

I usually write out my list the day before an event, as I have a tendency to forget vital things which I usually remember during the course of the day. I carry my list with me so it allows me to add to it when neccessary. Before I do a gig and depending on what is required, my checklist looks something like this:

On the morning of the event:
1. Run through choreographed performance pieces
2. Check costume I plan on wearing to ensure all is in order (unfortunately, as I cannot sew, I don't know what I would do if it was not in order)
3. Burn 2x CD’s of music I will be using (one acts as back-up)
4. Ensure am fairly well-groomed: hair washed, eyebrows plucked, legs shaved etc etc (yes, I do need to be reminded of this)

Then I pack:
1. Chosen props (for me this includes sword, fan veils and cane- at this stage in my game, zills are not yet on that list :(
2. Veil
3. Music
4. Touch-up make-up
5. Snacks and water if wont have time to grab dinner later
6. Safety pins (always good for emergencies)
7. Hair clips
8. Deodorant (unfortunately I am a sweaty-type excitable person)
9. Garmin (oh Garmin, where oh where would I be without you? Literally…where?)
10. Wallet, cellphone, keys, contact person details etc.

Now I want to know, what am I forgetting? Or what do you pack in your bag before a gig that you feel is essential to take with?

I AM a lovechild

2010-11-26T16:50:00.010+08:00

The first post I ever wrote, over one year ago (can’t believe I have been blogging for a year now!) spoke about my brother’s company, iamlovechild. To save you the lonnnggggg journey back to that post, iamlovechild is basically an umbrella company comprising of a group of young, creative individuals who are able to offer their client a complete package to suit their requirements: be it music, photography, design, performance and so on.

Over a year ago, these delinquents launched their company with a bang. That bang was called "A Night in White".

love children

Spot the brunette

The launch party was fabulous and a huge success.

They even had a fantastic belly dancer…

;-)

We didn’t hear much from iamlovechild after that but I am sure there was much going on behind the scenes…elaborate conspiracies for world domination and all that jazz.

Until out of the blue, rumours of a new event started taking place….a street festival?

It turns out, some bigwig who attended the iamlovechild party last year loved the concept and has asked iamlovechild to look after the entertainment for the annual Imibala Bright Street Festival.

So from what I gather, iamlovechild has pulled out all the stops and the event promises to be a night to remember (or forget, depending on your idea of a good time)

Here is the write up:

Join IAMLOVECHILD on the 7th December 2010 in support of the Imibala Initiative (www.imibala.com). Last year, we gave you A Night in White. This year, we've put a fresh spin on things.

Enter: BRIGHT STREET SUMMER FESTIVAL 2010

Offering a diverse range of entertainment, the Bright Street Summer Festival is going to be one night you don't want to miss.

Entertainment includes:

LIVE MUSIC:
Heldervue
Jesse Jordan
The Akelian Circus
Heather Waters
Various guest performers

DANCERS:
The Belly-Ring Troupe
Balletopia Dance Group
The Dark Shadows Dancers

OTHER ENTERTAINMENT:
Fire poi spinners
Fire breathers
African djembe drumming
Magicians and fortune tellers
Installation art performers

AS WELL AS:
Photographers
Models
Christmas gift stalls
Food stalls
Wine and beer garden

And the best part?

All proceeds will go to the Imibala Sponsor a Child Programme.

Kyle, one of the founding iamlovechild members, approached me a month ago begging me to ask the BellyRing performance troupe to grace the event with its presence. He couldn’t offer us money, he told us, but he could offer us a BIG ASS STAGE and an AUDIENCE.

Maybe not quite the deal of the century, but seeing as my brother and his girlfriend gave us a great photoshoot (and subsequently…ahem…improved upon nature somewhat using Photoshop) the time had come to call in the favour. Plus it is for charity.

But in all honestly, we don’t need much of a reason…us divas are always psyched to perform ;-)

The event will be on the 7 December and we cannot wait! We will be performing our (deceptively challenging) new choreography, Lara’s Oriental Lament (an old favourite), Jamilah will be wowing us with her solo, and yours truly will be opening the stage with my new choreography.

At the moment, nerves and excitement are battling over who will take precedence.

Hopefully my solo will be filmed so I can post it for you, as I always welcome constructive criticism from fellow dancers (but not as much as I welcome gushing compliments ;-) and I am also super excited to wear my new gold costume!

So watch this space!

Before I forget...the BellyRing website is now live! Go check it out :) www.belly-ring.co.za

I'm Back! (poorer then ever)

2010-11-15T22:58:00.006+08:00

So I arrived back from my holiday on Saturday happy, relaxed and browner (but unfortunately also pudgier) only to find a pleasant surprise- my interview is now up on The Belly Whisperer as part of Kali’s brilliant “Why should I care series?” Thank you Kali! For those of you who love all things belly dance and haven’t yet visited this blog, I advise you to do so now- Kali provides an interesting, entertaining, and most of all witty perspective on the dance we all love so much (honestly, this spunky lady has me laughing out loud more often than not!)

I promised several posts which I didn’t get to in the madness to get all my stuff done before I left. However, I will tell you that at the International Oriental Dance Festival Gala Evening (to avoid ever re-typing this mouthful, let's just call it the IODF) I had a FABULOUS time with the ladies from the BellyRing, and was blown away by some of the acts- most notably Soma (watching some of the international dancers, I must say that Soma are definitely on par with some of the greatest ones- their performances are always of an international standard and never fail to blow the crowd away), Maya Gaorry (beautiful what I love to call “Egyptian Egyptian” style), Paola Blanton (super babe from Brazil), and Pablo Acosta (absolutely amazing male dancer). I will post pics as soon as I collect them from a belly friend- I didn’t have my camera with me that night.

I also did the Sha’abi workshop (after getting horribly lost on the way to the venue and arriving just in the nick of time as usual- I must have a traffic angel watching over me). Abir and Magdy were originally meant to give the workshop but they never ended up arriving in South Africa due to some personal tragedy, so the fabulous Paola Blanton gave the workshop. I loved her extremely sassy choreography and she moved like a dream. Sometimes when I do a workshop with someone so skilled I cannot help but feel inadequate- she is such a talented dancer. In addition to being a awe-inspiring performer, she is a patient teacher who breaks down the moves well, making it very easy on us mere mortals.

Jamilah, Paola Blanton and me

And…I love sha’abi!

I have a special soft spot for it now that I have actually experienced it- it is cheeky, cute, a little rude. Perfect for me :) However, the choreography is deceptively challenging but I thoroughly enjoyed it. Especially Paola’s naughty little gestures which definitely spiced it up!

After the workshop I briefly popped in at the IODF fringe programme at the Waterfront in time to see Maya dance- they were great as usual – and squizzed around at some of the stalls before rushing off again. Was a little sad that we weren’t performing this year but next year we will, definitely!

I am craving dancing at the moment and (boring as it may sound) looking forward to getting back into my routine after a lazy, junk-food saturated but awesome time in Sun City!
(and for those of you who care- NOOO, I didn’t win any money at the casino. My luck in competitions clearly doesn’t extend to the casino. I lost every blasted cent I had! Argghhhh!!!)

Halloween...My Favourite Day of the Year!

2010-11-02T19:39:00.011+08:00

(other than my birthday and Christmas)

Why do I love Halloween so much? Well the obvious reason is dressing up! For anyone who loves play-acting and dressing up, Halloween is the perfect excuse to let your inner diva free and go all out as what you have always wanted to be!

Reason no 2? Trick or Treat! While I admit this is not big (at all!) in South Africa, for me it is an excuse to pig out because if I want to follow an American tradition properly, then that's what the people in America are doing after all.

And lastly, I love creepiness! I love cobwebs, grinning pumpkins, witches, broomsticks, horror stories and all that goes with it!

Does my love of Halloween extend to dressing as a mummy? Or sheet-draped ghost? Or blood-drenched vampire?

Hell no.

Sorry, but my love for the dark and gruesome does not include my own costume. I like pretty.

I usually go as a gypsy cause it's easiest. This year, I wanted to do something REALLY different, so I went as a fairy.

Har har. Ok, I know fairies (especially skanky ones) on Halloween are a dime a dozen, but I had a really pretty green dress I wanted to wear, so for the sake of originality I left the wings and called myself a wood nymph.

The outfit

From the back...this dress was a present from a friend in London, and although I absolutely love it, it is a nightmare to wear- hence the fact that I have only worn it twice

My lovely friend as a flamenco dancer

Flamenco and fairy...ahem...wood nymph make-up

Alex as a sailor, Adele as a burlesque starlett and me

Wood nymph hair included my hairpiece from Turkey, flowers, peacock feathers and random tiny braids

Phil the birdman, my handsome brother as Jack Sparrow, and his girlfriend Jess as Lady Gaga

Pirate Nick, Lourens the Ringmaster and Richard as a giant co..er..rooster

The brother and me

We did a Halloween party pub crawl and had an absolute blast!

Still to come this week: my blog post on the International Oriental Dance Festival and Sha'abi workshop this past weekend, and then on Friday I am off to Sun City for a week! Whooohooo!!!

Prickly Topic: What are your Rates?

2010-10-25T21:39:00.009+08:00

I belong to a group on Facebook aimed at belly dance teachers and professional performers, called “Belly Dance Teachers in SA”.

Now I do not have my own studio, but I do perform gigs and get paid, so I guess that would put me in the latter category.

A very interesting discussion has recently arisen on the group forum regarding performance rates. A touchy subject indeed.

It appears that in South Africa, there are vastly differing rates being charged by performing belly dancers. At one end, you get what I refer to as the Pro’s- they are ladies who have been dancing forever, have the most gorgeous costumes and run the largest studios. Any belly dancer worth her salt knows of these ladies. This is where most of us aspire to be. For the sake of privacy, I am going to refrain from mentioning any names.

In the middle, you get the Almost There’s. These ladies can dance, put effort into their costuming and performances, attend workshops and constantly try to broaden their knowledge- but still have a little way to go.

And finally, at the other end of the spectrum, are the Hopeless ones. These are the ones that consider themselves great dancers (but hardly ever are); cannot see their faults objectively and therefore cannot work on them; act inappropriately, often “playing dirty” (i.e. send snoopy emails posing as a potential client to discover another’s rates, ruthless undercutting) and generally bringing down the standard of belly dancing as a whole.

Now, I am definitely not the Morality Police, but having known a few dancers of every type, can safely say that the last category is extremely dangerous to us all.

The topic that generated the most interest in this group was the subject of rates. There was a gripe amongst the Pro’s that there were other dancers out there who were undercutting them, and they were therefore losing out on gigs because of it. I completely understand this frustration: belly dancing is an incredibly expensive passion to have- not to mention the hours of work constantly put in. For a lot of dancers, their studio’s and the gigs they perform are their livelihood, so to be undercut by a substandard dancer with a cheaper rate must be horribly annoying, especially as most clients do not realise this inherent difference between the two.

However, there was another argument from a girl who, by her own admission, seems to consider herself an Almost There (my words, not hers). She explained that she might not have been dancing as long as some of the Pro’s, but she considered herself good at what she did and loved it with all her heart. However, she did not feel entitled to quote the same rates as the Pro’s as she had not been performing as long. The general response to her was that she was selling herself short, and that she needed to up her rates as she was bringing the standard down. One Pro said that it was like a vicious circle- the Almost There had lost out on a gig a while back by some dancer who charged almost half of what she did, whilst the Pro had lost out on a kitchen tea to some “Almost There” who charged much less than her. The consensus was that, without an industry standard, we are in danger of selling ourselves short and undermining our art as a whole.

I too consider myself an “Almost There”, and must admit that I can see the other Almost There’s point as well. I would also feel presumptuous to charge the kind of fees the Pro’s command (and are entitled to), and I also feel that because I live in a small town, the price people are willing to pay is generally set at a lower bar. But should I give up dancing and performing for gigs if I don’t consider myself at their level yet? I hope that answer is a resounding “HELL NO!”

I also consider myself good at what I do, pleasant to watch and I pride myself on always acting professionally. I am running the risk of blowing my own trumpet, but I have never received anything less than raving reviews.

Although impossible to regulate, I firmly believe we need an industry standard in our community, possibly graded on two levels- maybe Professional (Pro’s) and Semi-Professional (Almost There’s). In my opinion, the Hopeless ones should not be charging for performances at all. Perhaps then, this will also help the client to differentiate between the two and decide whether they would prefer to work on a budget, or spend extra for the more experienced girl.

I charge between R700-R900 for a 15 minute performance, and I have once lost out on a gig to a dancer who the client snottily claimed would dance four hours for R400. Errrrr….is that even possible?!

But this too is not always the easier path- how would you differentiate between the two? You cannot base the grading purely on years of dance experience. We have all seen great dancers with few years tucked under their bedlah’s, and the opposite- ladies who have been dancing for many years, who are not really all that good.

But let's put that aside for a minute- let’s pretend there was a way of accurately judging standard and categorising dancers- what would the rates be?

The agreed rates on the Facebook group seemed to be as below:

1x standard 15 minute belly dance performance, per dancer (excluding transport, waiting fee etc.):
Semi-professional: R800-R900
Professional: R1000-R1800

However, I fear that until a way is found to regulate this, more and more good dancers will lose out on gigs as the market becomes over-saturated.

What are your thoughts? Do you think there should be different rates for different standards of dancers?

Girl Crush

2010-10-15T19:58:00.004+08:00

My latest bellydancer lady crush? (I probably have far too many for a straight girl)

Helene from Norway!

I have only discovered her recently (you may remember her from my Sha'abi post) but am simply in love with the way she moves. Beautiful! Exquisite!

So here's a lovely Friday diversion for you...

Have a great weekend!

Lady Fenyx Photoshoot

2010-10-13T22:54:00.011+08:00

You must be sick of looking at my face by now. I am.

But I had to post them as I absolutely love these pics, taken of me by the fabulous Grethe Rosseaux of Lady Fenyx Photography. Man is she one gifted lady, photography being only one of her many talents.

Let me tell you, after we finished this photoshoot she casually sat herself down at the piano in the living room of the location where we shot, and started pounding out this masterpiece that would have brought Beethoven to tears.

Oh…and did I mention…she also plays clarinet and sax?

I do hate those all-round prodigies. But I am spiteful like that.

However, much as I do despise these types, I couldn’t help but like her instantly when she introduced herself: “Hi, I’m Grethe, and I am generally unpleasant”. How can you not love someone who describes herself as such?! Needless to say, she was far from unpleasant, and I had a fabulous time gossiping with her and the make-up artist.

We shot these at a beautiful mansion in Erinvale (not mine unfortunately…but a girl can dream) and another very talented lady did my make-up- the beautiful Sherilyn Curran. And it was rather fortunate that she is so skilled, as she had her work cut out for her that day; once again, I arrived crusty and hungover and a lovely shade of grey. Just gorgeous.

(How many of my blog posts mention booze? It is rather worrying)

Not one to shy away from the obvious, I presented myself to these two ladies by throwing my hands in the air and exclaiming, “I need you to make me beautiful!” To which they replied, “Umm….yep…we can pile on a lot of make-up…then there’s always Photoshop…”, trailing off into a worried silence.

I said talented ladies…I never said tactful.

Non-the-less, Sheri pounced on me and a mere 20 minutes later I took a look in the mirror- and I liked what I saw :)

And here are some of my favourites...

These ladies offer photography/make-up packages for functions, weddings etc. so if you are ever looking for someone, I can highly recommend these two.

The Hunger Diaries: My Two Cents

2010-10-06T19:36:00.012+08:00

Have you read this article?

Running the risk of hopping on the blog bandwagon (especially considering I write a pre-dominantly belly dance-focused blog and not really a “healthy living” one) I thought I would give my two cents on the whole matter as reading the article provoked a major reaction in me.

When I first started blogging a year ago things were a lot different. My personal circumstances were not good, I had picked up weight and was unhappy with my body and myself, and generally felt de-motivated and directionless.

I have never been overweight but last year I reached a point where I was the heaviest I have ever been. I was never overly-concerned with my body before but I was active and ate mainly healthy food. When things were not going too well at home, things started to slide almost immediately. I was eating too much and generally living like a slob. Even though your BMI may be within the recommended range, you know when you feel uncomfortable in your own skin. It sounds like a cliché but as I was so miserable I turned to food. Big Time.

I can remember exactly how I started reading healthy living blogs: One day I was scanning though the weight-loss forums at handbag.com, hungry and miserable after drinking my low-calorie meal replacement shake, when I noticed someone who posted frequently- username Just a Girl (or Jags). What Jags had to say went against everything I believed up till then a diet should be- she spoke about interesting, delicious-sounding healthy food and eschewed all low-calorie diets/fasts/ quick fixes. I was intrigued…who was this character? I followed the link to her blog and after reading it, was hooked.

After reading Jag’s blog for a few weeks, I began to include some of her recipes and try out some of her ideas…anything would be better than my daily meal plan which consisted of a small breakfast of Weetabix with skim milk, diet milkshake for lunch and dinner binge (I was always so hungry by dinner I would often throw my diet out the window and binge, only to feel guilty the next day). Following Jags lead, I started off with a big breakfast of oats with nuts and fruit, a salad or pita with some rice and protein for lunch and whatever I felt like for dinner. I also got my butt of the couch and started moving more. At that stage, I only belly danced once or twice a week- the rest of the time I was a couch potato. And I also started my own blog.

Sure enough, the small changes paid off, and I lost weight slowly but surely. I began to look forward to my meals again. When I reached my goal weight, I also had the sense to stop. If you have been reading my blog since the beginning, my early posts were all about what I ate and how often I worked out. I was still discovering how to achieve a balanced diet. I think I probably started this blog as way of helping me lose weight and holding me accountable for what I put into my mouth. As I got used to blogging, healthy eating became a habit, I found my own blogging style and my blog evolved to what it is today (what that is, however, I am not sure ;)

I still am fascinated by food- but I always have been. I am always on the lookout for the next yummy recipe I want to try. But through blogging, I also discovered other blogs- belly dancing, photography- you name it. Reading Jag’s blog led me to other healthy living blogs, and I follow three of the “Big Six” mentioned- “Kath Eats Real Food”, “Healthy Tipping Point” and “Carrots ‘n Cake”.

When I read this article, I was shocked. Were these the same women I had been following for almost a year?- because they sure didn’t sound like the same women.

The ones I had been following were an inspiration to me. They made great healthy meals, worked out often, and never starved themselves. They loved food. They allowed themselves the odd chocolate. They led happy lives and were fulfilled in both their personal and professional lives.

They were definitely not emaciated. They looked healthy and as wholesomely American as apple pie.

The “quotes” these ladies made and the "crimes" they were accused of, I have never read in their blogs. At least not in the context in which they were portrayed in the article. Caitlin was accused of being obsessive about running- she is a marathon runner for goodness sake! I am a belly dancer- does it make me sick and obsessive if I write about and practise belly dance all the time?

Same goes for their food. They are accused of being sick and obsessive because they post photographs of what they eat. What the article seemed to forget was that these are food/healthy living blogs. That’s what they are about. And blogs look pretty with pictures. And I for one love a bit of food porn.

The point is, if the blog is about healthy living and healthy food- why cant they discuss that? Generally speaking, a blog is not a diary about your entire life- professional, personal and so on- so not all these aspects will be covered in detail. I am sure there is more to their lives than just food, just as there is more to my life than just belly dance- but that is my passion and therefore the primary thrust of my blog.

And where was this article posted? Marie Claire. A magazine feauring skinny models and “wonderful” dieting tips. Three words: Pot. Kettle. Black.

Do I think people can become obsessed with these blogs and try to copy these six? Yes. But if they were to copy these six ladies by the book the biggest risk I can forsee is them becoming healthier and getting in better shape…if you ask me, a lot less worrying than the obesity crisis in America.

As with all things, what you read and how you interpret it depends on your own mind. But then, I have never been one to buy into the whole theory that violence on TV promotes murder or supermodels in magazines promote anorexia. For me, reading a healthy living blog provides me with my daily food porn fix, recipe ideas, and acts as a source of inspiration if I am feeling de-motivated about working out. I read a post, maybe mull it over, then get on with my day without giving it much thought again. Reader responsibily is key. You cannot blame that person for you trying to emulate them. Yes, people may be able to draw something negative from a healthy living food blog, but if you are suffering from an eating disorder, harmful material can be found anywhere. Even in the pages of a magazine.

And that’s my two cents on the matter.

Now I’m off to go find a snack.

Turkish vs Egyptian Belly Dance: Where do you stand?

2010-09-29T20:28:00.010+08:00

My latest obsession: Turkish style.

I have been ready up a little about it lately and have been trying to find out the main differences between Turkish and Egyptian style belly dance. I happened to stumble across a nice summary here via Tina's blog . The article describes Turkish style as follows:

• Energetic
• External projection of energy
• Lively
• Athletic
• Dramatic
• Sexy
• Powerful

What’s not to love, right?

Any reader of my blog will know that I am a huge fan of Didem. Other than being an obvious stunner, I also find her technique and mastery of the movements extremely impressive. From the articles I have read about her, she has been dancing from a young age and it is a defining part of her early years (as I am sure is the case with many professionals).

Mmm...to be honest, after reading the above, I can’t really identify a legitimate reason why I love her so much- there are many technically skilled and beautiful dancers- and I know many accuse her dancing of lacking soul- but I just do.

Other than the obvious differences between Egyptian and Turkish belly dance in music and costuming (Turkish style lends itself to be a bit more skimpy) I was curious to determine if there were any essential differences between the different dancers and how they responded to the music. Turkish dancers lacking a deep connection to the music is an opinion that keeps on popping up in a few dance forums.

I found a great one-liner that summed up the key difference between Egyptian and Turkish style nicely: Turkish belly dancers strut while Egyptian belly dancers glide.

It is true that Turkish dancers (at least the ones I have seen) do lend themselves to strutting. Maybe they could even be accused of lacking the deep appreciation of the music inherent in many Egyptian greats. My dance teacher is a huge fan of Dina. I have watched numerous video clips and just have not taken to her. But Jamilah loves her for her emotion and feeling for the music. And then there is the opposite extreme: Turkish dancer Asena, Didem’s predecessor on the Ibo show, appears horribly “blank” and emotionless whilst dancing.

But there is just something about Turkish style I love. The sexiness? Confidence? I am not too sure but most likely it is the the show-offiness. I do think it’s unfair that they are criticized for lacking this connection to the music, however. As the article highlights, Turkish dancers are trained to showcase their moves, and not primarily to act as an enhancement to the music, as with Egyptian style.

Then there are, of course, the zills. But do not get me started on this today.

Maybe part of the reason I love this style is because when I try choreograph a dance (and I am no expert at choregraphy) I tend to try fit in as many exciting or complicated moves as possible, instead of letting the music dicate how I should move. I don’t consider this a strength at all, and connecting with the music and letting go is something I would really like to work on, but there it is.

(Contradiction? Working on letting go? But read Kali’s great post on reacting to the music here)

In South Africa there are not mainly teachers even trained properly in Egyptian style, let alone Turkish, so I think it will be a long time before I ever get to do a workshop in this style. Hopefully someday. In the meantime, there is always still so much to learn.

As an afterthought, check out Didem’s interpretation of the traditional Roman Havanski. I found her to be very different in this (when compared to her usual style)- more playful, less sexy. She looks like she is thoroughly enjoying the music, and I love that. Didem is of Rroma (gypsy) descent and proud of it, and I thought she was wonderful in this dance.

Burlesque Glamour Shoot

2010-09-16T17:13:00.008+08:00

So a few weeks ago I mentioned a burlesque themed photoshoot? Well here are the pics! I was lucky enough to work with two exceptional photographers, Adele Kloppers (you can check out more of Adele's photos here) and Alexandra Graham. Alex is a belly dance friend of mine and has her own blog, The Bellydance Blog. Photography is another one of her interests and talents so when she heard I was doing a shoot with her friend Adele, she decided to tag along…and I am glad she did!

We shot the photos at a local Cuban restaurant, Buena Vista, and the lighting was a lot worse than we anticipated. Luckily, Adele’s boyfriend showed up with these heavy-duty industrial lights which saved the day. I have come to realise that there are few flaws good lighting and a little Photoshop can't fix ;)

I imagined the photos coming out a little more pin-up kitch, but the photoshoot took on a life of its own and the end result was a little more moody and sultry...which I am actually really pleased with. Different from what I was expecting, but very cool!

Below are some of my favourites. I wore some of my burlesque costumes and did my own hair and make-up (when I say “did hair” I basically climbed out of bed and attempted to shape my bedraggled mop into some kind of recognizable shape with my hands- my hair doesn’t respond well to hairbrushes!)

Afterwards I gave Alex a lift home and we ended up having a spontaneous cup of tea together and talking shop (read, “belly dance”). It was so nice to discuss ideas, costumes, music and of course, share a little bitchy gossip with someone who dances as well! Later that day I went home and finished my new drum solo (yesssss…finally! All 3.41 mins of it!) and then headed out to celebrate with a friend…and ended up stumbling home at 4am (my boyfriend: “This is a good hour to be coming home!”, Me: “Hic!”, Him: “Look at you, you are stumbling all over the place!”, Me: “Its these heels!”, Him: “What heels?! You took them off at the door already!", Me: “Oh…so I did”) so all in all I would say it was a pretty successful day! ;-)

Photo by A. Graham

Photo by A. Graham

Photo by A. Graham

Photo by A. Graham

Photo by A. Kloppers

Blog Peddling

2010-09-15T16:12:00.005+08:00

Please excuse my shameless promotion of the new blog I have created for our studio, The BellyRing. In there we will be posting updates about what we are up to, exciting events and just fun belly-related stuff in general. There is only one post up so far but there will be more soon…please check it out, and if you like, follow :) (said in a hopeful, wheedling voice).
You can view the blog here.

I have also done a blog for the i.move Studio where my belly and Nia classes are held- this blog will detail classes, workshops and some interesting articles on the forms of movement that we practise at the studio.
You can check it out here.

And this will be the last of my pushy-ness, promise :)

BellyRing Photoshoot

2010-09-03T20:00:00.007+08:00

And here we are...some of the best shots from our troupe's recent photoshoot!

A HUGE thank you to my brother Nick and his lovely girlfriend Jess for all their hard work!

Yours truly

Juanie

Jamilah

Jeanne

Leiro

Renate

Monica

Myself and Jamilah

Lovely ladies...the BellyRing troupe

Sha'abi!

2010-08-27T20:43:00.003+08:00

Well, I pretty much ate and drank my body weight at a Poker Evening last night, which was a lot of fun but almost not worth the pain this morning! I actually stuffed myself with so many delicious snacks that when I woke up this morning my belly was still bloated and full and I had no appetite for breakfast (unheard of for me- usually I am starving three hours after my last meal, regardless of how much I ate, and I always wake-up and head straight to the kitchen). I am a pretty healthy-eater in general but when I pig out I can consume more than most people do in a week. I try not to stress about it as a life that doesn't include the odd pig out isn't one worth living. I have also had a lazy week and haven't really done much exercise at all (work has, however, been mad!). So all in all I am feeling really hungover and sorry for myself and I am dying to have a nap.

But instead I am checking out Bellydanceforums.net

I received an email a day or two ago for this year's 5th International Oriental Dance Festival. I performed at the one last year with Layali, but will not be dancing this year. However, I will definitely go watch, and decided I would take advantage of some of the international artists flying down for the event and do a workshop or two.

In my quest to explore different styles, the Sha'abi workshop caught my eye. Sha'abi? No clue what that was. The workshop was to be held by Magdy and Abir Youns, whose work I am not yet familiar with.

The workshop was explained as such:

Sha'abi is the name of a style of living, a style of dance, and a style of music. The word is Egyptian Arabic شعبي and refers to the poorer, commoner sections of the city. An English equivalent might be "ghetto." The name came to characterize the style of music enjoyed in such neighborhoods. The style is somewhat rougher and more playful than the rest of Egyptian pop music. Naturally, the style of dance acquired the name "sha'abi". The dance is more assertively sexual than is ordinary Egyptian dance.

Intrigued, I immediately took to net to see what I could find.

What I discovered was that Sha'abi appears to be a newer form of dance, appearing in the last 30 years or so, after the Third Arab-Israeli War. It is a style of music and a dance adopted by the working classes, and looked down on by the higher classes. It has been described as rude, playful, cheeky, aggressive and the music's lyrics often offer a social/economic/political commentary. The dance style is said to be rougher than Raqs Sharqi, and more urban than Baladi. One website described it as having a similiar earthy feel to Baladi, but more edgy. Some see it as the "hip hop of Egypt", with Baladi being folkloric, and Raqs Sharqi as classical. One person summed it up; Baladi is what your parents listened to, Sha'abi is what you didn't want them to know you listened to!

Intrigued, I searched YouTube and came across this, which I thought was absolutely cheeky and gorgeous! The gum chewing is meant to represent the "street style".

I think she totally pulled off a style of dance that many in that culture consider vulgar or crass, with a playful, cheeky and fun edge. Beautiful!

I also found this- he is great as well:

From what I have read, it completely appeals to me, and I can't wait to take this workshop in October! If any of you are familiar with Magdy and Abir please let me know what you think of them?

Jamilah has asked me to do a solo at an event on the 24th September so I decided to use it as the perfect motivation to finish what is quickly becoming a painful and tiresome drum solo choreography. I have cut the music to add on a pretty mid-tempo start, and I will enter with fan veils. The music then leads on to the drum solo (with no fan veils, obviously).

I also wanted a new costume for the event but I am seriously broke right now, so decided to have a skirt made to go with a plain gold bedlah I have. I was torn between a deep emerald green or gold skirt, but eventually decided on gold as they didn't have the shade of green I wanted. And I have always wanted a solid gold costume :) The fabric is beautiful with a subtle shimmer- will post a pic once its all done!

Am off shortly and plan on climbing straight into bed- I am getting to be such an old grannyyyyyyyyyyy! But I need my beauty sleep for a fun burlesque-themed photoshoot I am doing tomorrow with Alex and Adele!

Behind the Scenes of The BellyRing Photoshoot

2010-08-24T21:25:00.010+08:00

And so, this past weekend we had the much anticipated BellyRing photoshoot of the new troupe!

The shoot was scheduled to start at 10am, but I had promised to arrive at 9.30am to help with the setup. However, I typically underestimated the amount of time of faffing and prep it would take to get me camera-ready and I arrived just after 10am in my usual harassed flurry, muttering apologies. I think the girls were just grateful that it wasn’t 10.30am.

My brother Nick and his girlfriend Jesse were our photographers for the shoot and also doubled as my assorted props carriers and assistants, as all aspiring diva’s need an entourage ;-) They were absolute stars, having to put up with a gaggle of giggling drama queens, who constantly demanded that our cellulite be airbrushed out, our double chins removed and our boobs made bigger (well that one was just me). You see, when I suggested that we use my brother and Jess for the shoot, about 60% of my decision was based on their photographic talent…the rest on their Photoshop skills ;-)

I was super excited when I saw the set- Jamilah (our teacher) and Leiro had outdone themselves. They had created a beautiful exotic looking harem set-up with gorgeous rugs, tambourines, shisha pipes and more. I was even more excited by the yummy looking plate of snacks and of course, a little dutch courage: 2 tempting bottles of JC Le Roux.

The set

Monica and I (the self-confessed alcoholics of the troupe) decided that 2 bottles were far too little to buoy up 7 nervous ladies, so we set off to the liquor store around the corner to stock up.

Upon our return, most of the girls were busy with hair and make-up and Jamilah and I went about assisting where we could. I had arrived with my hair and make-up done so just needed to change into one of my costumes for the shoot. However, when I went to my bag I was confronted with a far more interesting sight…a rail full of exquisite costumes- Jamilah’s own collection.

I think all of us girls had a field day playing dress up with her costumes…its funny, no matter how beautiful your own costumes are you always get sick of them and everyone else’s just seem so much more exciting. I am the type of person who will lust after a dress, only to buy it and wear it once. So when you consider that I have worn the same three costumes countless times, you can imagine just how sick of them I am by now.

Jamilah's envy-inspiring costume rail

The first costume I tried on was a gorgeous turquoise and black number, made locally by a friend of Jamilah’s. I had my solo shots taken first and pranced about the set dancing, posing and generally acting like a 6-year old. After I had broken the proverbial ice the rest of the ladies nervously took to the set, while the rest of us shouted encouragement from the sidelines and suggested poses- some useful, many ridiculous.

After a while (and several classes of champagne later) we all began to loosen up and that’s when the fun really started. Jamilah was playing some awesome music which really set the scene, and I whipped out my fan veils and had a great time dancing around the studio with them. Then we all did a costume change and took a few “action shots” of us dancing with veils, fan veils, or playing the tambourine. In my experience, some of the best photos are the unposed ones- when you are just having fun and not thinking about the camera- and hopefully we caught a few good ones.

Me playing with my fan veils

Jamilah posing with bubbles!

Me and the irrepressible Leiro Erotica!

Our blonde bombshell Monica giving the brunette look a bash

Me, Juanie, Renate, Monica

Myself and Jeanne

The damage

After about three hours and several bottles of sparkling wine later, we finished off with a few fun group shots of the entire troupe. It was an awesome day, and I think all of us had a blast. My brother has assured me that we will have the photos by the weekend, and I cannot wait! Will post them as soon as I get them. In the meantime, he has sent us two “teasers” from the shoot…

Renate

7 Things about Meeeeeeeee

2010-08-19T21:15:00.004+08:00

I was recently nominated for "Most Versatile Blogger" by the lovely Jags and as I find these things fun (yup I am one of those irritating types who will send you friendly surveys by email with subject lines such as "Getting to know you better" and "Me in 3 words of less") here are 7 things about me, as part of my nomination conditions :)

Nomination Conditions:

(*) Thank whoever gave you the award (thank you Jags! And to all reading this- do yourself a favour and check out her blog- she is an amazing inspiration for those of you interested in healthy living and weight loss)

(*) Share seven things about yourself

(*) Nominate 15 newly discovered blogs

(*) Let your nominees know about the award

So here goes...7 things about me!

1. My great passion in life is belly dance, closely rivalled and sometimes surpassed by food. My default thinking (when I am not thinking about something in particular) is about one of these two things. I can spend hours trolling the YouTube watching videos of performances, or finding exciting recipes to try. I also consume by body weight in food at one sitting.

2. My boyfriend often tells me that I am like a 6 year old the way I get so excited about the smallest things and dance around when I am having fun. And how I get moody and grumpy if I am hungry, tired or not getting my way. I prefer, “young at heart” :)

3. I am obsessed with the weather and check it every day. I will be able to tell give you the full 7-day forecast on any given day.

4. I have no interest in any type of sport- be it soccer, rugby, tennis, golf, car racing- whatsoever; much to the disgust of my boyfriend. And as with everything in my life, if I have no interest in it I don’t know anything about it- not even the most basic of knowledge. I am the type of girl who will comment “Is the bloody soccer on again?” with my boyfriend deadpanning, “It’s rugby”.

5. I tend to make impulse decisions and once I have decided something, I stick to it. I have never stayed in an unhappy situation for long as I believe that being happy is the most important thing in life. Therefore, people are often shocked at how quickly and cleanly I can leave a boyfriend/ job/ bad situation without a backward glance.

6. I have always been a performer and used to put on shows for my parents when I was young. I have also always loved the camera, and when I was a toddler every time someone pulled out a camera I would strike a standard pose- my leg raised slightly in the air…kind of like a dog weeing :(

7. I am definitely a girl’s girl and have a group of girls who I love like family. My mom always said, “Never trust a girl with no other girlfriends because there is a reason for it” and I have always found it to be true. I am also the organiser amongst my friends and am always planning our next get together- which always revolves around food!

And my list of nominees are below:
1. Lady Magnolia: Adventures of an Aspirant Burlesque Starlett
2. Jo: Beaucoup de Travail
3. Nick: Dragonseed
4. Kis: Kismetisms emporium of the old
5. Laura: Kitten of Discord
6. Dax: Relax with Dax
7. Minki: Between the sheets
8. Shelley: Shelley's Bellydance Adventures
9. Lourens: Social Shinobi
10. Susan: Susan goes to England
11. RetroKali: The Belly Whisperer
12. Alex: The Bellydance Blog
13. Jesse: Chaos and Castings
14. Rouxmia: When Rouxmia Writes
15. Juno: Scrumptious South Africa

What's in a Name?

2010-08-16T21:40:00.007+08:00

Roxanne

We have an upcoming photoshoot this weekend with the new BellyRing dance troupe which will be used for the website (still under construction). My brother's lovely (and very pretty model girlfriend) Jesse, who also happens to be a whizz with the camera (don't those all-round talents just make you sick) has kindly offered to do the shoot for us.

Jamilah sent us an email this week asking for our belly dance names (if any) which will then be added to the website. She also sent us this link for a few suggestions: http://www.bdancer.com/med-guide/names/fnames.html

Now, I have never selected a dance name as I have never really thought about it, and didn't feel much need to. But now I am beginning to second guess myself...maybe I should?

For burlesque, I adopted the stage name of Roxy de Light, which is not too far removed from my own name- Roxanne. My reasoning was that as my name was derived from a song based on a woman of "loose morals" (read; a hooker) that it would be a rather fitting for my burlesque character;) But still, it was rooted in my own name- I felt no desperate need to separate the two and thereby distance myself. In fact, I liked the link to my name.

While on the burlesque stage, I do reveal a more confident, flirty side of my personality- but it is one which is always, and has always been there- just a tad more over-the-top. It is not a completely different character which I have created. I believe that when choosing a stage name/burlesque name, we do so to let a more uninhibited side of us loose, or display another aspect to our personality, that better enables us to perform. By using another name, it acts as a mask, allowing us more freedom to act as we wish.

Roxy de Light

I think there are two main reasons why people would choose a stage name- one is the reason I have given above- and another is for simple glamour and a bit of old-fashioned mystery. Let's face it, Dita von Teese sound infinitely more exotic and sexy than plain ol' Heather Sweet!

I think adopting a dance name can be a good thing, and makes sense for so many of us, but not necessarily, for me. I have never been an especially private person, and while there are a few areas of my life I like to keep separate, I am essentially an open book. For me, a dance name has never made sense, because the person I am when I dance, is the same person I am every day. The same girl who dances around her office, sings at the top of her voice, and loves to be in the centre of things. A show-off.

Therefore, there is no real need for me to have a dance name, as there is no hidden persona which I unleash, and feel the need to dance behind.

While I am not saying these are particularly good qualities, it is just the way I am, so I think for now, Roxanne the dancer will have to remain Roxanne.

Still just Roxanne

If you have a dance name, what were you reasons for choosing it and what does it mean to you?

Feeling Lacking

2010-08-05T21:59:00.005+08:00

Something I am very curious about are the different styles of belly dance. And when I say styles, I don't mean Tribal/Cabaret etc. I am talking about the more traditional stuff: Classical Egyptian, Modern Egyptian and Egyptian Folklore dance.

I met with our new teacher Jamilah last week to discuss some things (I will be helping her promote the studio) and as us dancers do, we ended up nattering away for some time. Jamilah is very drawn to the more folkloric dances- Saidi, Khaleeji and so on- and intends on doing some of this with us later in the year.

Jamilah, our gorgeous new teacher

I am the first to admit that I don't know much about it at all- I scour the internet and abuse YouTube as often as possible in an attempt to sate my dance addiction, but after almost three years of dancing I know almost nothing about folklore or the origins. Despicable! And I call myself a belly dancer.

I have seen a little of the folkloric stuff and I have seen some brilliant Raqs al Assaya performances, but I don't know much about the history, costume and background. I have spent all this time working on my technique, which I think is important, but i think it is even more important to know why you are dancing this way.

But I am definitely a student who is eager to learn and have gone on a mission to investigate as much as possible.

Jamilah has pointed me to Pearls of the Gulf, who I have never heard of before, and I found this:

I absolutely love this! I am so excited to find out more- I think I am only beginning to realise just how much there is to learn.

I am having an incredibly uninspired, feel-sorry-for-myself week, where I feel I suck at everything, and I am not exactly where I want to be in terms of my dance career. I tend to assign timelines to myself, such as "after 3 years, I should know this", and "after 5 years, I should be there" which is motivating but also runs the risk of setting yourself up to fail.

So I am trying to go back to the roots; remembering when I lapped up anything i found on the subject, and even talking about it gave me butterflies. Most importantly, I am just trying to just enjoy the dance, and not worry about all these timelines and comparisons I make with others.

Because after all, if we don't do it for the joy, why bother?

First Lesson with Jamilah & Goodbye to a Friend

2010-07-23T20:34:00.012+08:00

We had our first lesson with Jamilah on Wednesday. I must say, I actually really enjoyed it. I love workshops because I like changing things up a bit and learning with a new teacher is a challenge. They have different methods, techniques and names for associated moves. When you have been dancing with a teacher a while, you begin to adopt their style and I often find myself imitating Lara's way of movement. I have always been one who can imitate fairly well which has been both a help and hinder to me in dancing; a help in that I can learn new moves easily by copying the teacher, and a hinder in that sometimes I feel I need to focus on developing my own style more. Lara is a fabulous dancer, but I still want to dance like me, if that makes any sense. A good example of how we adapt to our teachers way of dancing was in class the other night, we were going over old choreographies that we had learnt. There was one that another class did that I didn't know, but I danced along for fun, and I was able to pick up on a lot of movements and sequences just by anticipating my teacher's moves.

So having a new teacher is a challenge, but an exciting one. We are learning a very "Egyptian Egyptian" choreography, for lack of a description, which is challenging but cute, flirty and very feminine. We will be later adding zills to it (gulp!) I like Jamilah's way of moving and I also like that she is a perfectionist. When I do something wrong, I like to be told- as I told her before we started. I think she was a little anxious about filling Lara's shoes, but she needn't have worried- we are a very easygoing class and appreciate everyone's different styles as they are.

We are working on a new move that I am struggling with- the Egyptian Twist or Jewel step, but it is coming slowly. I tend to get obsessive when I don't know something and I have found myself doing it at Pick n Pay, in meetings...rather embarrassing really. But never the less...it is coming! :)

But I think we are all going to miss Lara terribly and Layali has become a tight little unit. I love all those ladies so much and am glad that at least we will keep dancing together. We had a surprise party planned for her last week Wednesday, and then she sent us a message asking us to meet for dinner on Monday. After a mini-panic we all decided to meet up both nights. So on Monday the Layali troupe met for dinner and on Wednesday after our last class with Lara we whisked her off to Jeanne's house for her surprise party with the whole studio, including our new teacher and good friend of Lara's, Jamilah.

It was a fabulous evening which included lots of food, wine, gossip and laughter around a roaring fire. We were paid a visit by a mysterious "Madam Erotica" who had us all in fits of laughter. On Monday night, Lara had gifted each of us with a beautiful handmade gold Layali bag, DVD of our performance at the Haffla and a beautiful pen for taking choreography notes. On Wednesday we returned the favour with a gift voucher for a pampering session so she could treat herself before she leaves.

We are all sad to say goodbye to an excellent teacher, who has become a good friend to all of us as well. It is like a chapter closing and it is very, very sad.

We will miss you Lara!

Popping the bubbly...dont worry, she is not a pregnant lush- she had the tiniest sip!

Lara and the fabulous Madam Erotica!

And it all got rather ridiculous...

As you can see...

A good look on me, yes?

Us with our fabulous bags

The beautiful embroidery on the bags

Layali Haffla 2010

2010-07-14T22:52:00.018+08:00

I am finally getting to post pics of the Layali Haffla- 2 months late :(

But as the saying goes, better late than never...

Layali performing Oriental Lament. Thats me in the front with the dark hair

Marissa from Soma Tribal Fusion Belly Dance Studio. Stunning piece. Marissa did a workshop with us a couple of weeks ago and its always great to see her in action.

Gorgeous Elisha from Soma

Maya, a local fusion studio, did a great Tribal piece

Lara's class of young belly beauties- adorable! Proves you are never too young (or old!) to start!

Jamilah, who is to be our new teacher. She is a lovely dancer and although I will miss Lara madly, it will be interesting to learn with another teacher- different styles etc.

Surika performing a Saidi piece. I think she is a natural performer with extremely dynamic stage presence. And I love her figure; I consider it a real belly dancer's body- curvy but super toned!

Tanya. I adore this costume which she made herself.

Elisha again. Dammit that is one stunning woman...I think I am a little in love!

Nia demonstration we did with Jeanne from i.move. Unfortunately this and the opening dance with Layali were the only two times I performed that night. I had planned to do a solo which I didn't finish in time and cancelled at the last minute

Lara and Jamilah's dance with Isis wings. I think this was my favourite dance (and I am not just biased as it's my current and future teacher). This dance had three parts; a dramatic and pretty wing part danced to classical music, a modern Egyptian mid-tempo section followed by a drum solo. Loved the different elements of this, danced by two fantastic dancers

Tearful speech by Layali to bid Lara farewell

Haffla hair and make-up: done in my usual last-minute rush (explains the flower- bad hair day- and unbrushed hair)

Madame Zingara

2010-07-09T21:18:00.023+08:00

For those of you who have not been and intend on going, read no further as I dont want to spoil the surprise for you :)

If you are planning on going but are just very nosy, read anyway- but dont say I didnt warn you!

So you may ask, "Who/what is Madam Zingara?"

You could just click on the link above, or if you are too lazy to navigate away from my post- it could best be summed up as a cross between a circus, burlesque dinner theatre and freak show.

My type of thing exactly.

Madame Zingara used to be based in Cape Town but the venue burned down a few years ago and they decided to take the show on the road and go on tour internationally (I think I have got my facts straight?) Madame Zingara's Theatre of Dreams returned to Cape Town in May for their Love Magic tour.

My girlfriends and I decided we had to go so we booked and paid for tickets, and shortly afterwards I won two tickets on the Relax with Dax blog (yep I am unaturally lucky when it comes to competitions...it's genetic as my mom is always winning stuff- last year she even won a holiday to Mauritius. With all this inherited luck it's probably about time I entered the Lotto ;) so I decided to take my man the second time around, for his birthday.

The Outfit:
At Madame Zingara casual doesn't really cut it (at least in my books) so you dress up! (I will take any excuse...)It is flipping freezing at the moment so that was a consideration, but being the typical girl that I am I didnt let that get in the way of a good outfit.

Madame Zingara Round 1: Night out with The Ladies
For my first night there, I decided to wear a LBD with my black corset (laced with pink ribbon) over it and my fascinator mini top hat. You gotta have a hat.

Round 2: Night out with The Man
Green dress with black coat thing (which has no practical use in keeping out the cold at all, but I think it looks cool so never mind that)

The Company:
Round 1: The....errrr...mostly ladies

Round 2: My gorgeous man, slightly less comfortable posing than his camera-loving girlfriend!

The characters:
What I love about Madame Zingara is the host of colourful characters that mingle with the guests. I felt very much at home here ;)

Theme:

The concept of the Love Magic show revolved around a magical township- a very "uniquely African" theme. A little village was created with colourful shebeens and tin shacks surrounding the main tent area. There are also some fun random elements, such as the golden horse (not quite what you would expect at a township?) and a boutique, so you can stock up on accessories for the show.

Having fun at the boutique

The show:

Was truly excellent both times round! We were spellbound by a hula dancer from Vegas, gorgeous Ukranian brothers on trapeze, a Magician, creepy contortionists and many more. My boyfriend's favourite act was the show-stealing roller skate duo at the end, but he also loved the Magician and male ballerina. I must admit, he moved like magic- so much grace (he was only in the show I saw with my boyfriend, not the 1st time I went). I think my favourite act was the Ukranian trapeze artists- not just cause of their gorgeous bodies (hey, a girl can look!). I loved the intense and hauntingly beautiful music of their act, and moody blue lighting, which lent a very "Twilight" feel (I am such a sucker for that kind of thing). I also loved the girl swinging on the chandelier at the end. My least favourite act was probably the Magician, but then I am more of a stunt kinda girl. But the whole show was fantastic.

Some pics (stolen from Madame Zingara- you are not allowed to take photos of the show):

"3 Tons of Fun": Three saucy mamma's with voices as big as their booties

Male duo on trapeze

Great balancing act...these girls were so petite but amazingly strong

The food:
Ahhhh I could dedicate a whole blog post to the food itself...in a word...divine!

On my second visit to Zingara my man and I were upgraded to a golden circle ringside table at no extra charge, as they had a cancellation (that luck thing again!)

We were given a delicious and refreshing welcome cocktail on arrival and once seated were brought a "plate of nibbles". Said plate of nibbles consisted of a fabulous butternut soup, lovely fresh bread rolls, breadsticks, a pomegranate and rocket salad and bruchetta with beetroot and goats cheese. Mmmmm!

After that the starter wasn't really neccessary but who was I to complain? Butternut ravioli in a creamy sauce with pinenuts...more mmmm!

The first time I went to Zingara I ordered the Chocolate Chilli steak. I am not a big steak eater but thought I would give it a bash as it is their signature dish. I split it with my friend and shared her (equally delicious) seared salmon with sweet potato. My steak was done perfectly, the sauce was dreamy (my mouth is watering writing this) and it was served with a side helping of butternut (maybe a slight butternut overkill?) and potato bake.

Second time round I had the springbok shanks on mashed root veggies which I actually preferred- gorgeous!

For me, the piece de resistance is always dessert. I loved Madame Zingara's idea of serving three mini desserts in one- takes all the hassle out of choosing! A trio of chocolate torte, tiramisu-flavoured creme brulee and strawberry mousse was presented, and promptly devoured. I think my fav was the chocolate torte; dense, chocolately rich and not too sweet. I looked forward to finishing off my man's as he doesn't have a sweet tooth but unfortunately it proved too tempting and he polished off the whole thing. Honestly, men are so selfish.

I would have taken more pics of the food but I couldn't...I was too busy eating.

Always happiest by the food

Tickets for Madame Zingara start at R300 which seems pricy but isn't really if you consider that you are getting a 4-course meal, cocktail and show. The drinks are also reasonably priced and the service is extremely efficient. I definitely recommend Madame Zingara to anyone who appreciates excellent food, amazing performances, crazy characters and a magical night out.

Thank you Madame Zingara and Dax, I will be back (especially for the risotto- the one main course I haven't tried! ;)

Roxy Resigns

2010-07-02T21:16:00.007+08:00

This was a hurried sketch done of me by artist Selma Albasini on a scrap piece of paper, using a ball point pen and in dim light, whilst watching one of our shows. Although falsely flattering in the mammary region (I am not complaining!) I think its awesome!

I have resigned from the Black Orchid troupe for personal reasons, which I wish to keep off the internet.

This is not to say that this is the end of the road for Roxy de Light- I love burlesque and I hope to don my corset and garter again in future- but for now I would like to focus on dancing and several other avenues which I am busy exploring.

I did have a fantastic time performing with the ladies and wish them all the best in their future endeavours.

From left to right: Tipsy Sherry, Mistress Melody, Roxy de Light, Scar-Lit Hearts, Kitty Fay (Kitty resigned a month or so ago), Diva Disastar and manager Fox on top

Layali Photoshoot

2010-06-30T15:08:00.012+08:00

Our beloved belly dance teacher is leaving shortly so we took some Layali troupe shots at the studio a few weeks ago. I have posted some of my favourites. I now also (finally!) have the Haffla photos so that post will be up asap!

Wonderful, wonderful ladies

Cheeky!

Butterfly

Eyes

Beauty

Teacher...friend

Bits and Pieces

2010-06-29T20:08:00.012+08:00

I haven't written in a while so there are a few things I wanted to post about, so please excuse an "all-over-the-place" post! (btw- I am NOT apologising for not posting! I have been paranoid about this since reading Kali's post ;-)

First of all, i.move studio had a fantastic Open Day on Saturday. The goal was to give people a chance to try out some of the various classes the studio offered, including Nia, Pilates, Tai Chi, Qi Gong, Gyrokinesis etc. There were also various talks on nutrition, relaxation sessions and massages offered. I took some friends along and we were there by 8am sharp- rather enthusiastically early for a Saturday! Our intention was to do 3 classes but we managed 2 before sneaking off for breakfast; namely, the Nia and the Tai Chi.

Each session was intended to be 30 minutes but Jeanne (Nia instructor and owner) gave the class her all and I would say we danced for a solid 45 mins. I really wanted my friends to try Nia as I knew they would love it, and I was right- they both commented on how much fun it was, and how joyful and energised they felt afterwards. They also liked the fact that you could make each dance "your own", in that there is no "right" and "wrong" way. There are no mirrors in the studio, which stops first-timers feeling self-conscious when doing the "free dancing". I love belly dance for the technicality and focus involved, but conversely it's also nice to switch off and let go when you move, as we do in Nia.

One of my friends who attended the Open Day with me does a lot of dancing and said she would like to start as it would be a great help with her current latin classes- especially the "letting go" aspect. They were also really impressed by Jeanne, whose energy and unflailing positive, happy aura always makes classes with her so enjoyable.

I have noticed in Nia that Jeanne often picks themes. Saturday's class had almost a "River Dance" feel, with related moves and music. I have also noticed Latin themes and African themes. My personal favourite in Nia is the "Sky Dancing", which is very elevated and high-energy.

The Tai Chi session was relaxing but I didnt feel as much burn as I would like to when working out. However, I did feel calm and centred after the class. Lesley (the instructor) warned us beforehand that even though she was fit when she started Tai Chi, she could barely walk after her first class. Despite this, I felt fine; but then I do think she took it easy on us newcomers ;-)

On Friday, Black Orchid had a show at Obs Cafe Theatre; "A Night with Black Orchid". The show went well. I did a magic-inspired routine using my silk veil fans. For music, I used Tchaikovsky's "Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairies" and Nina Simone's very sultry, "I Put A Spell on You".

Backstage at A Night with Black Orchid. Camera packed up again so couldn't take anymore :(

Speaking of silk veil fans...I currently have in my possesion a new burlesque instructional DVD called "Silk and Feathers", which teaches the art of fan dancing using large feather fans, small marabou fans and silk veil fans. I can't wait to try it out! I also still need to work on the "Flawless Floorwork with Ruby DVD"... ahhhh- I wish there were more hours in the day! Will feedback on both when I finally get around to giving them a bash!

I did a shoot last night for the new Black Orchid Burlesque collection: a divine spread of handmade fascinators, garters, suspenders, gloves, feather boas and other bits and pieces. Diva Disastar and Scar-Lit make these themselves and I can attest to the fact that they are exquisite! The girls asked me to be their model and as I do have a little bit of a love for the camera I was happy to oblige ;-) Will post the results of the shoot as soon as I can, as well as let you know where you can purchase the Black Orchid goodies as soon as they are launched.

Then the exciting news is- I am moving! My man and I are moving to a swanky new apartment in Harbour Island- it is absolutely beautiful and overlooks the mountains and harbour. It is a bit pricy, but I guess you get what you pay for and I am beginning to feel unsafe with some of the unsavoury types living at my current complex. So he is moving in now, and I move end of July. Can't wait!

The best part is, the apartment is two bedroomed and I get to use the spare room as my dancing room! This was one of my requirements when we discussed moving in together. As I currently live alone, whenever I feel like practising I just switch on some music and dance around my lounge. Obviously this will be a bit difficult living with someone else, so the spare room will now act as my "mini studio". There is lots of cupboard space for my costumes, coin belts and dance accessories, and I am trying to track down big mirrors to put up on the walls. I will take a picture once all done :) I find having a designated space makes me more motivated to practise.

Something else I am very excited about?

(I am such a loser)

My housewarming present from my mom:

A two-in-one blender and food processor!

I have been wanting one of these for ages! I only have a hand-held blender which is useful but doesn't compare to a proper blender, and the food processor is another neccessity for all the nut butters, pate's and beloved banana softserve which I want to make! I am also dying to try Katie's fudge babies! Between my man and I, we will have a pretty kitted out kitchen!

Sheesh, just occurred to me today...you know you are food-obsessed when you are more excited about a food processor than a new pair of heels! There are an awful lot of exclamation marks in that last paragraph ;-)

Next item on my wish list is a juicer...does anyone perhaps want to get me a housewarming present? Heeheee!

Another Sexuality vs Sensuality Debate- this time in Burlesque

2010-06-17T20:34:00.007+08:00

Unless you have been living under a rock for the last few months you will have noticed that our lovely country is hosting a major sporting event. A Soccer World Cup in fact. Even someone as completely disinterested in sport as myself has been (somewhat) swept along by the excitement of this massive event and I even find a slightly warm feeling enter my stomach when I hear Waka Waka on the radio (a RED HOT feeling enters my head however when I hear one of those blasted Vuvuzela's! Argghhhh!!! I make a point of hitting the perpetrator on the head with their own vuvuzela when confronted with these ardent blowers in confined spaces- works like a charm ;)

Therefore, when I was told that Black Orchid would be performing for a well-known Football Federation (I am not mentioning the country's name but let's just say they are not known for their modesty or devoutness) I was very excited and rather proud. It was a private function to be held at a beautiful venue in the city. The entertainment was to include us burlesque dancers, a belly dancer, a juggler, a fortune teller and even a live cheetah, to pose with the guests for photographs (pity he didn't eat them...)

We were scheduled to start at 9.30pm, so Scar-Lit Hearts and Diva Disastar headed down for the opening number- a very cute Moulin Rouge act with no removal of clothes whatsoever- we call it our "PG routine". From the cramped change room where the rest of us were huddled, it sounded like the ladies met with a great response and when the dancers came back up they were breathless and exhilerated from a great dance and crowd reaction.

Shortly afterwards however, one of the organisers came to tell us that certain ladies in the crowd had been "shocked and offended" and didn't want to see anymore. We were all confused as the dance was so tame- and from what I heard- the crowd loved it! In the months that I have been performing burlesque I have never experienced a reaction like it- in fact- even the more conservative people who are wary with pre-conceived ideas about "striptease" have been enthusiastic and complimentary after seeing the show itself and experiencing its innocent and playful nature.

They didn't want the belly dancer to go on either, for fear of offending the women in question, so we all sat waiting and waiting and waiting to find out what was going on...

Eventually the organiser asked us to hang around until after the ladies in question left, to finish the rest of our set. Eventually, at 12.30am, we went on. As you can imagine, I was rather unimpressed, having waited 3 hours and still needing to endure the 45 minutes drive home in the rain. Nevertheless, we started again, and after one dance were told that the women had "had enough".

To add insult to injury, the crowd were rude- the men either extremely lecherous or completely oblivious while the women glared- I have to say it was the worst audience of my life.

This has hit a bit of a nerve with me as there has recently been a debate on the Metal4Africa website about the fact that Black Orchid Beasties will be performing at the upcoming Metal4Africa festival in July, with our pictures plastered all over the article. You can read the discussion: Sexuality in artform, and it's occurrence in South African metal.

As I have mentioned in an earlier post, Black Orchid Beasties is the gothic burlesque division of Black Orchid Burlesque. I have performed with them once before, but the whole heavy metal scene is not really my thing so I have decided to stick to the traditional burlesque shows.

The debate was that certain members of the metal community felt that burlesque exploited women and did not want to see "this kind of thing" on a metal stage. As you can imagine, this greatly upset me as I honestly believe burlesque if fun, playful and innocent- and contrary to what they believe- empowering to women. I would never do anything that made me feel degraded.

And honestly...metal heads being offended by a couple of burlesque dancers?! Whatever happened to sex, drugs & rock n roll?!

I commented as such on the post and received some very positive comments in response, as well as some negative ones. While I respect everyone's point of views, I do feel that the whole argument is so ridiculous.

So once again, I find myself almost feeling defensive about the same old subject.

I have discussed sexuality vs sensuality before relating to belly dance (here and here), but I feel that the same can apply to burlesque. What it basically boils down to is people who are not comfortable with their own sexuality having a problem with yours. Burlesque is adult entertainment and a bit risque-I mean, it definitely ain't tap dancing. But really- exploiting women??? Belly dance and burlesque are very different artforms- but there are quite a few similiarities. Both are sensual, both embrace femininity- in fact- did you know burlesque actually has it's roots in belly dance? (Read Shira's article here)

...and both can also lead to a specific type of person feeling threatened by the performer's sexuality.

Or am I not seeing both sides? I would love to hear your views.

Soma's Introductory to Tribal Fusion Workshop

2010-06-14T22:45:00.005+08:00

Marissa from Soma came to do a workshop at the i.move studio on Sunday for us local girls (love this workshops-close-to-home thing!) The workshop focused on an introductory to Tribal Fusion- to be exact:

Tribal Fusion Combo’s and Choreography: Focus is on smooth transitions and flow within your performance – these techniques will be taught via learning a Tribal Fusion Choreography

Marissa is the one on the left

I was very excited as I am a huge Soma fan (as I am sure my regular readers will know!) and Marissa is a very experienced performer and teacher- she has been belly dancing for 10 years and has done intensive workshops with some big names- Ansuya, Tamlyn Dallal, Sharon Kihara, Moria Cambell, Kami Liddle, Petite Jamilla, Sonja, Maureen, Philippa, Noelle and Kimberley Mackoy. While I dont think the amount of years one has been dancing is really that important when determining how skilled a dancer is, (I have known some dancers who go on about the amount of years they have been dancing at any given opportunity- but are really rather rubbish) Marissa is a well-known and respected dancer and teacher and you can see she really knows her stuff.

The workshop started with a little talk by Marissa on the origins of Tribal Fusion and ATS in America, and she pointed out some cool things about it, Namely; the pops, locks and isolation techniques fused with a folklorish background; the music and more modern aspects of it often appeals to today's audience who don't always "get" some of the more whiney arabic stuff; and let us not forget- the totally awesome costumes!

I had done a little Fusion before with Maya so knew that it was not easier than cabaret/ Egyptian- and in many aspects- a lot harder. However, even though I consider myself pretty fit I was not prepared for the achiness today as muscles I hardly even knew were there reminded me of their painful existence!

Marissa showed us a Tribal Fusion choreography which she taught to her "beginners"- but I think most of us found it flipping hard! The girls from Maya coped well (they do a lot of Tribal at their studio) but the rest of us were all rather retarded ;-) It was like apartheid, with these serpentine dancers on one side of the room, sidewinding away like no one's business, and us Cabaret girls struggling with even the simplest Tribal pose! ;-)

Other than the obvious, I think there is also a big difference in the movements of both styles. Tribal is more slinky and snake-like, Egyptian is more flowy and pretty. I like them both for these very differences, but having only really learnt the one style, I did struggle quite a bit with some of the Tribal combinations and sharper movements. A lot of these moves were alien to us and I caught a few of us (myself included) putting pretty, Egyptian-style arms, for example, to a sharp, jerky Tribal movement. However, the Tribal emphasis on isolation and economy of muscular movement (not engaging a muscle that is not needed to perform a specific move in order to free it up for layering) is something that every dancer can benefit from.

I kinda started getting the dance choreo towards the end and we ended the 2.5 hour workshop with some shimmy and layering drills- which I think are 90% responsible for my stiffness today! I did love it though and would like to delve more deeply into Tribal at a later stage. However, I probably wouldn't recommend a workshop like this to beginners- I don't think it's a good idea to try learn other styles until you have been dancing a particular style for a few years at least and know all the basic moves. And I also think (and many will disagree) that every belly dancer should start with classic Egyptian to get their foundation and basics right before switching over to another style.

I have acquired (I know those italics look dodgy- I didn't steal it I promise!) a new belly DVD- Flawless Floorwork with Ruby- which I skimmed through last week and it looks FABULOUS! I am going to give it a bash in the next few days and review it later this week. Floorwork is something I have never learnt so would love to try incorporate it at some stage.

The Thorn In My Side...

2010-06-03T20:17:00.005+08:00

the bane of my life, the splinter in my eye, the rain on my parade...

Behold,

THE ZILLS!

While I am prone to melodramatics, I assure you, this is not a case in point. Zills are such innocent-looking little things, but do not let their harmless appearance deceive you...they are treacherous! Just when you think you have a rhythm down, low and behold, they will clack inappropriately the minute your concentration wavers for even a second! God forbid you attempt a shimmy or even the most basic hip circle with them on your fingers; all the co-ordination and technical skill you will have acquired as a dancer over the years will depart right out the studio window and you will be left looking like Simple Sam, trying to simultaneously pat his head whilst rubbing his belly in a circular motion.

Or maybe that's just me? :(

Some good news though: I now have (one!) rhythm in my zill repertoire - it is a basic baladi- dum dum-tec a tec-dum-tec a tec-dum tec- but it is beginning to sound more and more like it's supposed to, instead of like a toddler clanging spoons. However, what I look like whilst playing this is not a very pretty picture. I simply cannot dance properly while playing zills! Picture me standing there, brows knitted in extreme concentration, eyes fixed on zills held up close to my ears to make sure it sounds right, hips swivelling manically whilst I attempt a skill-less hip drop at the same time...let's just say even Simple Sam would look graceful in comparison to me.

But the point is, it is coming, slowly but surely. The gallops/triplets are still a nightmare though, as is pretty much everything else...Just call me One Rhythm Roxy :(

But I am determined not to give up- as I have said before, the zills are my favourite prop which is mainly because they are so damn difficult. Any fairly accomplished dancer can pick up a pair of Isis wings and look pretty, but the zills require serious skill and co-ordination. One can almost graduate to "professional" level while managing to dodge them for years, but I want to be one of the elite few who can stride on stage, clang out these awesome rhythms whilst executing a perfect 3/4 shimmy with awe-inspiring skill, smug expression fixed firmly on face as if I could do this in my sleep.

A girl can definitely dream.

On another note, I am very excited that we have the amazing Marissa from Soma Tribal Fusion Belly Dance Company coming to give us a workshop at the studio. These girls are seriously good and I look forward to trying out a bit of Tribal!

Here's a clip of Soma's performance troupe dancing at the Ansuya showcase:

The Most Amah-zing Breakfast Ever

2010-06-03T16:50:00.006+08:00

Oatmeal Soft Serve Breakfast Parfait:

I have stolen this idea from possibly my favourite food and health blog, Oh She Glows. If you want to see some simply beautiful breakfast parfait creations go check her blog out; they far outdo my masterpiece shot with a dodgy old camera.

What is not dodgy however, is the taste. The taste is simply divine.

This is has become my "Friday Breakfast" which usually excites me so much that I can't sleep on Thursday nights. However, when I got home last night I burst one of my tires (oh the never ending fun of cars! I would be quite happy to trade in my licence and revert to my school-going days when my mom drove me everywhere- except she probably wouldn't now :( Do I have any chauffeur volunteers out there.......? Anybodyyyyyy? ) so I decided that I deserved a special Thursday morning breakfast.

So without further ado, here is how to make:

Banana Soft Serve
Freeze a banana overnight (peel it first!)
The next morning, add the smallest smidgen of milk and a teaspoon of peanut butter (you dont need peanut butter but I put the stuff with everything!) and blend until it obtains an ice-cream-like consistency. Trust me- this stuff is the best invention ever! If you want to read more about it, see Gena's post, aptly titled, "This Post Will Change Your Life" (it does!!!)

Its should look like so...

Next is the oatmeal:
1/2 cup of quick-cooking oats
1/2 cup fat free milk
1/2 cup water
1 tbsp ground flaxseed
1/2 tsp cinnamon
drizzle honey

Cooked on low heat for a couple of minutes.

I have also made this before with 'overnight oats"- basically, oats soaked in the above mixture overnight (except I ommit the water and add half a cup of yoghurt instead) and left to "set" in the fridge. Up to you!

Next is the fun part- the layering!

I start with the oatmeal, followed by a layer of chopped dates, and then a layer of the banana ice-cream- repeating until the glass is full, for a sundae like effect.

Try it! It definitely beats boring old cereal or toast in the morning!

Meat-Free June

2010-06-01T18:28:00.004+08:00

If you have ever looked at my Blog Roll (sorry...still can't get over the link to good ol' bog roll!) you will notice that a great number of the blogs I follow are food-focused. Mostly food and belly dance, with some random blogs thrown in here or there which tickle my fancy. This reflects my primary interests in "real life".

Although I haven't spoken too much about food lately, I read these blogs pretty much every day and food is a topic constantly on my mind; I am always thinking about what to make, a new recipe, an old recipe...what can I say; I am obsessed :)

My family and friends tease me- to them I am the girl who is always hungry with a mammoth appetite and an insane fixation on food. But I like to think my attitude towards food is pretty balanced too; I eat healthily and on occasion indulge in treats or have seconds. Life is too short to deprive ourselves but it is also our duty to be good to this body for our time in it.

With that in mind, lately I have been reading numerous vegetarian, vegan and raw food blogs (my favourites are listed below). While a lot of these approaches are a bit too extreme for me, I do agree with a lot of the content; namely, that we should include more fresh, raw and unprocessed food in our diet, and that most of the population consume far more meat than is necessary and even healthy.

Now, let's get this straight- while I have never been a big meat-eater (if anything, I am a carbs freak- give me roast potatoes or yorkshire pudding over the roast lamb any day!) I do like the taste of meat. I don't crave it as such, but every now and again I will feel like beef nachos, a burger or a nice mutton curry.

My diet at present is a good mix of lots of fruit and veg, wholegrains, minimal processed food, meat +-2-3 times a week and CHOCOLATE ;-) If I had to classify my eating habits, I would say my diet mostly mirrors the Mediterranean diet pyramid; lots of nuts, grains and legumes, little meat and fish, healthy fats, dairy and red wine. I think most dancers or athletes are more aware of what they put in to their bodies.

I have been reading and seeing a few things lately, as a result of following these vegetarian blogs, which has given me cause for concern. While no tree-hugging hippy, it does bother me how badly the animals are treated; but, like most meat-eaters, I have chosen to not really think about it in the past. However, reading these blogs has brought a lot of uncomfortable practises to my attention and it is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore. In addition, I worry about the hormones and antibiotics they pump into the animals we eat- and think that this can lead to nothing but trouble. I really believe that these additives play a strong role- if not cause- many lifestyle diseases of today. This is a huge concern for me with there being a strong history of cancer in my family (mom, aunt, gran, grandfather...)

Of course there are numerous other reasons to not eat (or cut down) meat other than cruelty to animals and hormonal interference (including enviromental and other health-based factors) but these are the two main ones which motivate me.

Earlier in May, I decided to go Vegetarian for one week to see how much I missed meat. To be honest, I didn't at all. I had a great time playing around with different dishes and loved everything that crossed my lips. After the week was up, there were lots of functions and birthdays on, so I resumed eating meat but noticed an immediate slowing down of my digestion. The week which I was vegetarian I also had more energy and felt rather fantastic in general.

I have decided to go meat-free for the month of June and see where it takes me. When I say meat-free, please note that this won't include fish, eggs or dairy. I will still continue to eat these. Whilst I will probably be harrassed for not going the whole hog and still wearing leather/ eating fish/ dairy (why do you always get those people who feel that it is their duty to criticize another's lifestyle choices?)- I am not going to let this bother me as I believe that we all have to go on our own journeys, and doing something positive (however small) is better than nothing at all. I am also switching all of my milk, yoghurt and eggs to free-range as I feel it is a bit better.

My main concern about becoming fully-fledged vegetarian/ pescatarian, if I am truthful, is not life without meat, but more a lifestyle concern. I often eat at my parents or friends' places and am dating a dedicated carnivore. I really would hate feeling like an inconvenience if I am to dine with them.

So, I am not committing yet to going full vegetarian but I figured I have nothing to lose and by trying it out for a month I can see how I fare. At the very least, it will teach me to adjust to minimal meat consumption.

I have been making some fabulous veggie dishes the last few weeks and if my blasted camera only worked I could photograph them for you! Last night I made a beautiful butternut and orange soup, and today for lunch I had a "wrap" (I used a large cabbage leaf to make a wrap) filled with lentil curry, avocado quacomole (avo, lemon juice, salt, cayenne pepper, chopped chilli, finely chopped coriander) and strips of red pepper. Seriously YUMMMM!!! Go try it now :)

So be prepared to see some interesting recipes from me this month (hopefully with some pics!), and I will keep you updated on how I am doing, inbetween belly and burlesque posts (2 of which are pending- Layali Haffla & the Grand Finale of Taking It Off On Broadway!)

My favourite foodie blogs:

Healthy "real" food: Kath Eats Real Food
Vegetarian: Healthy Tipping Point
Vegan: Oh She Glows
Raw: Choosing Raw

2010 Belly Resolutions: 6 Months Review

2010-05-24T22:44:00.006+08:00

Apologies for not yet posting on the Layali Haffla held last Thursday- my camera was being temperamental and I therefore am waiting on photos from a friend as I hate posting without pics. Alex from The Bellydance Blog has beaten me to it- so you can check out her post if you simply cannot bear the suspense! ;-) Rest assured it was a fabulous night though with some amazing performances!

However, it is time for me to review my 2010 Belly Resolutions which I set for myself roughly 6 months ago. By reviewing on a bi-annual basis I can make sure I am staying on track :)

So, just to recap, here were my resolutions which I set for myself on the 18 November 2010:

1. Master props: zills, sword, Isis wings, veil fan and cane
2. Educate myself on the various rhythms associated with belly dance...DUM TEC ;)
3. Attend as many workshops as I can afford, starting with Ansuya's
4. Watch as many performances by other dancers as I can afford
5. Teach myself the "stomach flutter"... (this one baffles me!)
6. Obtain a new costume (I want to try get at least one or two a year)
7. Practise at least three hours a week (Unfortunately, this is realistic for me with my schedule- I wish I could do more!)
8. Work on improving belly rolls, hands and arms, 3/4 shimmies and layering
9. To stay healthy and fit, and work on my endurance. Honestly, 4x +-3 minute songs back to back kills me!
10. To put together a few more dances, of my own choreography, for performing

Ok, so here is the tough part; how am I doing? Please feel free to give me a brutal butt kick in areas where I am slacking ;-)

I have also revised some of them to make them more a) specific or b) realistic:

1. Master props: zills, sword, Isis wings, veil fan and cane
Oh dear- think I was a bit over-ambitious when I wrote that! I should stick more to specifics, such as 'be able to do one basic dance with zills' or 'practise said prop for one hour per week'. I have not "mastered" any of these; however, I have started playing around with a few. I am enjoying the sword and am learning the tips and tricks...and it is going well. As anyone who knows the sword will tell you- it is all about balance. Is you are isolating properly you shouldn't have a problem. The rest is easy...but it looks so impressive!

Zills: Up until recently, I must confess that I have hardly picked them up! But my lovely teacher, bless her ever-optimistic soul, has started teaching us a zill dance. I must admit though, that there is the faintest glimmer of hope, that if I keep practising I may just get it.

It is very faint though.

Isis Wings: Nada as of yet. Haven't even bought them. But they look so pretty :(

Veil Fans: Actually dancing with them quite a lot, but more for burlesque at this stage.

Cane: Nothing yet...but at least I have purchased the cane (and have once again used it for a burlesque routine! Props are so pricy...I try get double use out of them ;)

REVISED GOAL: Be able to dance with at least two props confidently by the end of the year.

2. Educate myself on the various rhythms associated with belly dance...DUM TEC
I am spending a lot of time online and reading up about the origins- this is helping me slowly gain understanding of not only the history, but the various associated rhythms too. For your interest, here is a great article I found on Turkish dancing and music. If you are not already on there www.bellydanceforums.net is also great source of interactive information.

3. Attend as many workshops as I can afford, starting with Ansuya's
I couldn't go to Ansuya's workshops on account of being horribly broke, which I am very upset about, but I am keeping my eyes peeled for upcoming workshops. I attended Akasha's Shimmy Drill workshop in March, and am looking forward to an introductory to Tribal with the Soma workshops Layali will soon be hosting.

REVISED GOAL: To make this goal more specific, I have revised it to read: Attend at least one workshop every 3 months. So far so good.

4. Watch as many performances by other dancers as I can afford
I have been lucky enough to see some great performances by other dancers this year, but the event which sticks out the most for me was the Ansuya showcase. She was mesmerising and every other dancer who performed was top class!

REVISED GOAL: To watch a performance every 3 months.

5. Teach myself the "stomach flutter"... (this one baffles me!)
GOT IT!

6. Obtain a new costume (I want to try get at least one or two a year)
Nothing yet...but I have some ideas/ inspiration

7. Practise at least three hours a week
This is one I can happily say I have kept up- in fact most weeks I do 3-4!

8. Work on improving belly rolls, hands and arms, 3/4 shimmies and layering
Some days are easier than others for whatever reason- but I am still practising. I wish my Egyptian/knee-driven shimmies were more ripply but I am practising...

9. To stay healthy and fit, and work on my endurance. Honestly, 4x +-3 minute songs back to back kills me!
I am keeping in shape and maintaing my healthy weight, buts still think my stamina is not where it should be. I am trying to improve this with running.

REVISED GOAL: In addition to increasing endurance, I would like to improve my flexibility (which is currently zero) so I am aiming to be able to do the splits by the end of the year.

10. To put together a few more dances, of my own choreography, for performing
Finished the choreography of a new veil dance for the 2 girls I teach, starting my sword choreography (any day now! ;) and half way through a new drum solo.

REVISED GOAL: To finish my drum solo, sword dance and one other new dance of my own choreography by the end of the year.

Next time I will review these resolutions will be December- let's hope there is a bit more progress, eh?

Black Orchid at the Joy of Being a Woman Event

2010-05-17T19:46:00.020+08:00

Inbetween all the birthday festivities this weekend (my birthday was actually yesterday but I am definitely not one of those "one-day" celebration types...I like mine extended ;-) I had a gig with Black Orchid Burlesque at the Joy of Being a Woman event in the BMW Pavillion, Canal Walk on Saturday.

With over 800 women attending, it was to be my largest audience ever and you would think I would be nervous- but for some strange reason I wasn't (think all the birthday planning took my mind off it!) until I had to go up on stage- then the nerves kicked in!

There were some great performances, most notably the ever-inspiring Soma troupe, as well as an amazingly talented and beautiful young violin player. Think a gorgeous Vanessa Mae-type playing haunting violin melodies superimposed on a house beat with energetic back-up dancers and you get the idea. There were also give-aways, motivational speakers, dancers, pamper treatments, cooking demonstrations etc- basically- almost all of my favourite things under one roof!

Oh- and one of the coolest things I saw was the Dr. Fish stand...

Basically you dunk your hand/foot or whatever in a tank filled with these little fish which nibble the dead skin off your exposed body part- thereby exfoliating and softening your skin. Weird!

The Black Orchid girls rocked up dressed the part, and we created quite a stir...

We were to do two troupe dances followed by a solo each. For the event, I decided to go with a classic burlesque routine which I thought the ladies would appreciate. I did my Lady/Tramp routine which I performed at last year's Best of Burlesque competition, but with a few changes. The last time round I hired a dress, but I decided that this would end up too expensive if I perform this routine again in future, so I nagged my mom to make a dress for me. We went to the fabric store, and I chose a Stepford Wives-inspired pink checked cloth, with white material and lace for the apron. I thought the pink better suited the act than the blue dress I used last time. I used the same music as last time- the precious "My Favourite Things" abruptly changing half-way through to "The Lady is a Tramp" by Ella Fitzgerald, to mark the Lady revealing her true Tramp-y colours.

The dress

Beneath the dress I wore my ruffle-bum panties, with my black corset laced with some dotty pink ribbon which I found:

With my early birthday present from the Black Orchid ladies- which went perfectly!

Gorgeous miniture top hat from the Black Orchid Burlesque collection

I was very happy after my act as there was such a fantastic audience- people dont realise how much performers feed off the crowd, and what a difference a responsive crowd makes! The women loved it- there was definitely a more enthusiastic response from them than any mixed audience I have performed for. It just proves my belief that burlesque can be very empowering for woman- the exact opposite of modern day stripping and porn which can often leave the woman in question feeling desperate and degraded (please note I say "often" not "all the time", as this differs for each person).

Anya Kovacs, who did my photoshoot a couple of weeks ago, was there to take photos of our performances, so will post them as soon as I have them.

And on that note, check out one of the photos she took of me from our shoot...I am thrilled with the results! Such a cute concept!