Belly Dance Reality Show

Like many of you, I like to watch belly dancing videos. So I happened upon the Belly Dance Project Reality Show. I've thoroughly enjoyed all the dancers and the rainbow of costumes. I stayed up until 3 AM last night watching the end of season one and the start of season two. How odd I've never heard of this show or any of the contestants or judges. How could I be in the belly dance field for 33 years and not know these people? Ah well. Because of bandwidth issues I can only watch Youtube after midnight, hence the reason I was up until 3 AM. One thing I liked about the show is they feature dancers of different races and body types. At least they are giving all sorts of dancers a chance. That makes me happy.

I thought I was motivated to start dancing again until I saw a full length photo of myself today. That killed my motivation right there.

Dancing in Heels

Tonight was my first practice on the porch. I didn't get much dancing done because balancing on heels was challenging enough. I don't recommend dancing in heels, but sometimes you have no choice because that's what the choreographer or the club wants. So make sure you practice lots before the big show.

Since I have no idea where my dance bras went when I moved, I just made do by wearing my hip band as a top.  It might have even worked except for the pink fringe on the bottom that made a weird horizontal line right where I needed it the least.

Also, my camera doesn't work well at night, and getting a good photo on a timer is practically a miracle, but I'll share a few.

Glowing

At least I like my hair.

I love them but I can barely stand in them.

Killer heels can have a double meaning.

Veil at night.

Nicole Scherzinger, how do you do it?

Rainy Day Dance Practice

I confess I haven't danced much since moving here in Oct. There is no indoor place to dance, and who wants to dance outside when it's 100 degrees for 7 days in a row. Plus I've had injuries, including a pulled Achilles tendon, a pinched nerve in my left shoulder, and a pinched nerve in my lower back.  But today, between raindrops, I went out there and practiced. My arms felt like they weighed a ton. I practiced veil mostly, to keep the weight off my bad foot. Hey, at least I practiced. I'm so rusty, I feel like it will be a year before I can teach again. I miss the body I used to have. Sigh. It is super humid out, so I kept it short.

What Happened to Tribal Dancing?

Have you ever noticed how when tribal belly dance came along, it allowed for great experimentation and freeing ourselves from the cages of traditional dancing. And now, everywhere I look people are selling conventions and books and videos on 'how to do it right.' And the higher the ticket and the bigger the name, the more clout we are supposed to have as dancers and dance teachers. At some point you have to own the dance and make it your own. Otherwise you will perpetually be a clone of someone else.

Facebook For Belly Dancers

Follow my blog with Bloglovin One of my friends has become a belly dancing teacher. I assume it is tribal since that's the kind I've seen her do. And not too long ago I ran into one of my belly dancing students and met one of her students. Somehow Facebook makes belly dancing seem a lot more fun than I remember it. There sure is a lot of inspiration to be found there. I know some people wouldn't be caught dead on Facebook, but I've been able to connect with many of the dancers I've known in the past. A lot of them have either personal or business Facebook pages. I think if you are selling any kind of belly dance related products or services (lessons, costuming, seminars, etc.) it would be a good idea to join Facebook.

Cairo Carnivale

I am sorely disappointed that I didn't get to go to Cairo Carnivale this year. I couldn't find a ride, and honestly, I don't just want to be a spectator. If I can't be a dancer there or do the workshops, it's not really worth it to me, and I'm in no shape to perform right now. I have some sort of Achilles issue on my right foot. It pains me to walk nearly every day and if I can't walk, I can't dance.

I did talk to someone at the Apple Valley Park and Rec. yesterday and she said they are always looking for teachers, so hopefully I can start teaching soon and earn money towards getting a car. It's a long way to ride a bus and as any dance teacher can tell you, there is a lot of stuff to carry. I'm between sessions right now, so the soonest I could teach (if they say yes) is in the fall.

If you've never heard of Cairo Carnivale, it is on the Queen Mary in Long Beach CA and it is going on right now. If you are local you still have time to go to it and they sell tickets at the door. A lot of my Facebook friends are already there. I hope you are all having a blast!

Costumes on the Cheap

What's in your closet? This tutorial comes from Leilani. Tips on making a tribal-burlesque costume from bits and bobs you already own.
http://leilanidance.wordpress.com/2012/05/14/use-what-is-in-your-closet-to-create-a-belly-costume/

Flowers in Your Hair

How to keep those fancy hair ornaments in your hair while you dance.

Pink Gypsy

Penny over at the Pink Gypsy updated my listing. It's here: http://www.pinkgypsy.com/fayme/zelena.htm Make sure you refresh your browser to see the new updates. If you've wanted to take belly dancing but had no idea how to find a local teacher, her site provides links to many resources, so pop over and see what's in your neighborhood.

HIgh Pony Tail With Hair Extensions Tutorial

This high pony tail is a great look for belly dancing.

Tumblr

Since I can't resist the appeal of Tumblr, I started a fashion Tumblr, which morphed into a belly dance Tumblr, so if Tumblr is your thing, follow me over there. http://splashionbellydance.tumblr.com/

Costume Inventory

I posted this in my recycling blog and realized it would probably get more use here.

I need to inventory all my belly dance costumes.  Then I can repurpose things into other things.  Like old veils that are too worn to use can be gleaned for fabric to make hair scarves, belly covers, and sleeves.
Belly dancing coins can be cut off and added to new costumes. Broken barrettes can be repaired or the beads and trim can sometimes be re-used.

Bras that no longer fit can get new straps and trim. And any damaged beadwork that can't be fixed can be cut apart and added to hats or turned into appliques.

Sometimes dancers have swap meets and trade their old costumes with other people. Since women gain and lose weight constantly, your rejects may be someone else's best find of the day.

New Year's Day Dance

I started the New Year off right with some belly dance practice.  It's cold out but if the Rose Parade marchers can parade in it, I can dance in it.

It's a Whole New Year

I got some bitchin' trim to use for my steampunk belly dancing outfit. I'm just not sure if I want to put it on my hat or my hips or what. I only bought a yard of it. Maybe I should have bought 2 or 3 yards. 

I may be having a moment of insanity, but wouldn't it be wonderful to belly dance every single day of 2011? I'll get right on that.  At least it would make my self portraits on Project 365 more interesting. I don't have anyone to dance for anymore. So I guess I'd be doing it for my own self. My boyfriend isn't the least bit interested in belly dancing. In fact I showed him a video on youtube because I think it's funny and because it shows big women in a positive way, and he thought they were good dancers. The choreography was blah. The dancers were out of sync. But they did have bright sparkly tight fitting outfits that showed lots of T and A. He's a guy, haha, its the only way I can explain it.

Photos taken at Ren Fair in Irvine last year.

Do you have any dance goals for 2011?

SCA and Belly Dance

Recently I went to an SCA collegium and attended a belly dance class. Due to a mix-up, the teacher wasn't there but we all chipped in a step or two and someone played middle eastern music for us on her cellphone. We danced for about an hour and talked for awhile. It was great to meet some new dancers.

I hope we can make a gypsy camp of sorts at some of the shorter day long events so we can dance more often, instead of just at an SCA war once in a while.

Staying Warm

It's always nice to have a belly dance cover up (cloak, aba, robe, caftan) that is a bit on the warm side. You can wear it before and after your show, parade, or gathering. You might want one in a thin fabric or a heavier one for colder days. Make sure it is easy to get into and out of. Pick a color that will go with most of your costumes. A neutral like gray, camel or taupe would work out well. If you have embroidery or beading skills you can show them off on your cover-up. If you get ambitious you can even put your dance name or troupe name on your robe.

About those videos

Watching dance videos is inspirational and great and fun, but don't forget to turn them off and actually go do some dancing.

World Belly Dance Day

I just found out about World Belly Dancing Day on May 9. I found a local event I can go to but it might conflict with some Mother's Day plans. http://www.worldbellydanceday.com/join_world_belly_dance_day.html Go ahead and go to their website to see what's shakin' in your area. If I go, it will be to the one in Yorba Linda, CA.

Teacher From My Past

I was surfing photos on Flickr and ran across a listing about one of my former belly dancing teachers. I'm glad she's alive and well. While my troupes have always flopped, hers have always prospered. And I found out the troupe has a website so here you go: http://www.benatseratdancers.com/ I think I first met her in the early '80s. And as far as I know she's always taught for Morro Bay Park and Rec. I've been all over California several times since then. I have to admire her stability. Go Patti GO!

Are you a Belly Dancing Librarian?

I'm met quite a few and love this site devoted to that topic. http://www.sonic.net/~erisw/bdlib.html I ran across it years ago and I'm happy it's still up there. So I'm glad to share it with all of you.

There are also a lot of belly dancing nurses. Perhaps there's a website somewhere for that as well.