Dancers and Friends

Username:	Password:
Forgot your password?	Remember Me

Pictures
My pictures from the North Georgia / Blue Ridge portion of the trip are up on Flickr.

Chicago, IL: Arabesque 5-year Anniversay Show!
This should be a fantastic, high-caliber show. And even better, it's free!

( flyer behind cut )

Posture
I've been belly dancing (Egyptian and not Tribal) for about three years now and I'm currently on Teacher #2.

Teacher #1 was very choreography focused and spent a lot of time teaching us steps. When it came to posture, she instituted the standard "lift and tuck" (chest lifted, pelvis tucked) and she left it at that. She moved out of state early this year, and I started taking classes with the woman who was once her teacher.

My current teacher prefers a very high lifted chest, pushed forward over the center of gravity. She says that when we are in the correct position, we won't be able to see our toes when we look down.

I'm struggling with this, particularly because when I push my Double Ds forward over my center of gravity, I feel like I'm going to topple over. Not only that, but I can't see my toes over my chest too well with normal posture, let alone a forward lift.

I also think I look ridiculous. I look at myself in the mirror, and my teacher says I'm doing it right, but I can't help but laugh.

Yesterday my teacher showed us a brief video of some ladies under Dahlena's instruction and cited them as an example of excellent "lifted" posture.

One of the girls in the video was much more lifted than others, and while the other students and my teacher seemed to think she looked very elegant and regal, I personally found the exaggerated lift to look a bit silly and peacock-ish.

It reminds me very strongly of a little girl pushing her chest out, trying to look "sexy".

I really just don't like it.

I mean, I appreciate the importance of being lifted, having a nice straight back, staying tucked, keeping your shoulders down, etc... but do I seriously need to jack my ladies up THAT HIGH?

I'm five foot 2 and short-waisted, so there's only so much space I'm going to get between my hips and my ribs...

In any case, I don't really know where I'm going with this. Just frustrated.

Pfffttttt!!!!!
A mini-rant. Actually more of a scoff.

Someone on my FB flist posted: "Baladi veils :)" as an update.

Since when has any actual Baladi dancing included veils? Veils is Oriental. Veils is a Western gimmick imported into Egyptian dance. It ain't Baladi.

Blimey, this horse is quite high up. I may need to dismount, as I'm getting altitude sickness.

Afternoon jobs
I have spent the afternoon slaving over a hot laptop.

Mainly typing up the finished Awel Marra choreo notes, for the students to download, updating the website with class info for the new year, updating my calendar and the events page and the list of all the workshops I have ever taken, ever.

And printing up 87 wishlists for the secret habibi, because that's a job that literally requires shuffling a lot of paper about, I can't do it on the puter, my brain isn't capable of that. Dear Lord! 87 of 'em! I thought it would be smaller this year, because everyone is tightening belts, but no, it's bigger than ever.

oh god it's one of those weeks
First five people to reply with a prompt get comment fic; any prompts past that may or may not get a response.

Caveat: your prompt must be centered around one of my established universes (see the field guide if you need a refresher). As always, I reserve the right to punt if I can't think of anything, and trying to specifically play stump-the-chump will just make me grouchy.

On Dreamwidth: comment count unavailable

comments | comment (OpenID)

BELLYDANCING IN INDIA

Its so sad that Bellydancing is not as popular in India like its elsewhere.I create many lovely outfits and feel like dancing in them.Hopefully someday!

Kajal
www.modemystique.com

Bellydancing In India

Its so sad that Bellydancing is not as popular in India like its elsewhere.I create many lovely outfits and feel like dancing in them.Hopefully someday!

Kajal
www.modemystique.com

omg omg! oops!
There's a CSI community, did you know?

First off, I'd like to apologize for this announcement coming later than expected. But I'm finally here, ready to announce who won the first weekly contest, which was to ask a question you'd like to have answered by the CSI writing team!

Also, I'd like to mention that you guys made it SO HARD to pick just one as the winner! You all had awesome questions!

The winner of the first weekly contest is...

[info]replyhazy!!!!

Their question was: "Comparing what I read in the news about our local crime scene lab techs with what's shown on CSI, it seems like there is one area that's nowhere near reality on your show: workload. Have you ever thought about adding large backlogs and turnaround times to your plots in order to reflect how overworked many real life CSIs are?"

Congratulations, [info]replyhazy!!

You will be contacted via private message on LJ with further instructions as to how to claim your prize!

Thank you everyone for participating in the first weekly contest and I hope you continue to enter into the future weekly contests!

Well, uh, that's great, except, uh..

The prize is a video game for a platform I don't own. oops! :-D

Well, it would make a good present for somebody, I'm sure. I was just really intrigued by the idea of what one question I would ask the CSI writers.

help help my knitting is stuck
I should be knitting on holiday gifts. Instead, I am knitting the Noro scarf.

Repeatedly.

I have just finished #5 and cast on for #6. I cannot stop knitting this pattern. The 1x1 rib is perfect for mindless TV knitting. The delight of seeing what the yarn is going to do next is more than enough to keep you occupied: oh, look, the colors are converging again! OH WOW, LOOK AT THAT CONTRAST. Hm, I'm not sure if I like that combination ... Oooooh, I wish I could do a project that's just those two colors ... etc.

And you know what's worse?

28 balls of Noro Silk Garden Lite

WEBS was having a sale. I have enough yarn for seven more of them.

( My favorite colorway of that bunch: )

not actually on friday

accessworld: Firsthand trip reports with an eye to accessibility.

leftoverresearchquarterly: What to do with all the stuff you've learned while researching a story.

On Dreamwidth: comment count unavailable

comments | comment (OpenID)

Ain't got 'dem happy feet...
I have bone spurs on both feet, plantar fasciitis and very low arches.

Tonight, we were learning Arabic in tribal class and while I could do the arms and the chest lifts, my feet were VERY unhappy to be on the balls the whole time. To the point where I'm considering asking Himself to rub them, where I normally cannot STAND to have my feet massaged at all.

Anybody else have issues with this? what can I do, if anything?

For practice, I generally just wear little socks to keep my feet warm since I haven't really found any dance shoes I like -- but I might be willing to reconsider if something gives my feet enough support.

Current Mood: sore

Trying to make the Money
I'm desperate to see him again, I simply can't wait til Feb and can't wait till he's rich enough to get here himself. So I've re-listed my ring and put some Coach stuff up on a selling community *sob*. I'm actually willing to sell my whiskey Ali!

I've already sold some smaller things, charms, mini skinnies, etc. Now I just need to sell a couple bigger items and I'll be good to fly. Heck, I may just have a fabulous party on saturday too. This last minute plane ticket will be about 150 bucks cheaper then one booked for February now. Weird.

But I'm excited. I have hired my teenagers to break up babysitting responsibilities for the weekend so I'll have a longer stay then the last time! Wheeee!

oh god it's monday again
Mondays, every week, let's celebrate ourselves, to start the week right. Tell me what you're proud of. Tell me what you accomplished last week, something -- at least one thing -- that you can turn around and point at and say: I did this. Me. It was tough, but I did it, and I did it well, and I am proud of it, and it makes me feel good to see what I accomplished. Could be anything -- something you made, something you did, something you got through. Just take a minute and celebrate yourself. Either here, or in your journal, but somewhere.

(And if you feel uncomfortable doing this in public, I've set this entry to screen any anonymous comments, so if you want privacy, comment anonymously and I won't unscreen it unless you tell me it's okay. Also: yes, by all means, cheer each other on when you see something you want to give props to!)

On Dreamwidth: comment count unavailable

comments | comment (OpenID)

Another Costuming question: Your dream pattern
So, imagine there was a pattern publisher, with a proven record of excellence, who decided to start a bellydance pattern line with good fitting, easy to make sewing patterns that you could make with a regular sewing machine. For what ONE garment or costume piece would you most like to have a pattern?

StickworkI
I taught a Stickwork Private lesson today. Normally I'd do PLs at my house, but there isn't enough ceiling clearance to do stick here, but I was able to book a Unisport dance studio for it, which meant we had lots of room (and Laura didn't even charge me for it! woot!)

But it meant that I spent last night reading though all (and I mean *all*) my old Stick workshop notes, and I remembered each one! I have had so many excellent teachers. But today I found myself focussing mainly on Nadia Hamdi and Yasmina, and stuff I had learned from them. Both of them very generous teachers.

And I am resolved that I will make sure I keep up my workshop notes again, because they are far too valuable a resource to waste.

Things not to do with maribou

Current Music: Maghrebika, "Kafa"

YouTube
What has happened to all my ratings? I had various four, four-and-a-half and five stars. All are now reduced to half a star. Either someone has been targetting me with zero stars to bring down my average, or somepinks wrong.

Hang it, I might just disable all ratings. (But will it stick at a measly half a star? Or reduce all ratings to nil?) It's not like I'm afraid of bad ratings, but that just looks odd.

Maybe one of my kind flisties could give me a dummy 5 star, to see if that changes anything?

New York, NY Dances of Vice Festival III: The Grand Shipwreck Ball

The Dances of Vice Festival in New York returns on November 20-22, 2009 in a three-day nautical themed flight of fancy that will be held in several stunning historical locations and feature performances by New York bellydance troupe Bastet, as well as a number of anachronistic and chimerical amusements, including a presentation on 18th-19th Century European fencing styles, 18th Century ballroom dancing, sea shanties, live Baroque harpsichord and classical music, historical costume inspired fashion shows, and more.

Those interested in sailing away with us this month can find more information about the Dances of Vice Grand Shipwreck Ball at www.dancesofvice.com.

( Read more... )

Layali (the event formerly known as Shahrzad)
Of the nice...

I enjoyed most of it. There were some nice performances including two of my Foundation Course Students. I really like Sarah Malik, she dances like she really means it. And

One of the dancers, having danced in the first act came up to me in the break, and said that since I was a Master Teacher (what?!), could I give her some feedback on things to improve. I told her I'd been watching for enjoyment, not for critique, but I'd watch more carefully when she was on in the second act. I admire her for asking. I think I pointed one thing out that she already realised, and one thing she hadn't really thought of, but as soon as I did point it out, she understood exactly what I meant.

Leila was pleased to see me, which was good, I don't want her to think I'm being snotty or diva-esque. It's a good showcase, and I'm very happy to support it.

Shouf is a really nice restaurant, as far as I can tell (we were in the basement bar). I had some of their mezze, which were very tasty. I fear the room is a bit small- I was late, I'll admit, but I had to spend most of the night sitting on the floor. It's a good job I'm supple, isn't it? I will definitely have to make sure I get there more promptly next time, or take a cushion. It was dead easy to get to, so I have no further mutterings on that score.

There were three people taking photos, which seems a tad excessive, but hey... I'm looking forward to seeing them online in the next few days.

Of the bad...

I guess this isn't objectively bad, but it tweaked my WTF sensors. A tribal fusion dancer, wearing regulation tribal bra & belt with melos (stripey ones, I am jellus) doing typical TF, to Tango-based farty robot music. With no discernible tango references at all. She was wearing a black fedora (and this is really only for

raziaraks), but it would have been better with a black fedora! She wasn't doing TF terribly well (oh yeah, like I'm any kind of judge), it was all too soft and isolation-less, half-arsed popping & locking. And no Tango! Grrr!

Sunny. I know he's a sweetie, and boy can dance. I wish he'd use his abs more than his lower back, because he'll regret it when he's older. But, hey, that's up to him. This was the first time I'd seen him perform. His costuming is terrible. It's worse than terrible. It's cheap and tacky. It looks like it was cobbled together from something else, though I can't imagine what. And it shifted. When it's in exactly the right place, it just about covers the essentials. But when it twisted round, I got a full view of the Sunny arsecrack, and I had to studiously avoid looking anywhere near his hips when he was facing in my direction. Don't forget I was sat on the floor, so I was right at arse (and crotch) level. Not good. At all. In fact, very very bad.

It's not like there are no options for male dancers. There are some very good costuming options. And a set of dance briefs that holds everything securely and covers properly can't cost that much, surely?

There was a dancer there who seemed to be top of the bill and had come up from Oxford. Her intro said she was training with JWAAD, which I took to mean, teacher training. If so, I'm astonished. She might have done the foundation course (which is about safety, rather than about improving your technique dramatically- that's covered in the Diploma Course), but her technique was sloppy and I wouldn't have graded her as more than an Improver2, and that would have been generous. You have to be Intermediate to get onto the Diploma course. I can't believe she'd be on it. Of course, she could just mean she goes to classes with a JWAAD teacher, but that doesn't constitute training with JWAAD, and frankly it makes JWAAD look bad, if she's claiming she's part of it. I may have a word with Yvette about it, and see what she thinks.

But yes, mostly it's of the good.

Read My Hips! November 12 at the Lafayette Grill in New York City
November is National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), and Bastet is participating with their latest show Read My Hips.

Come see stories told through movement and music. Let's get together for a night of good food, good company, and (of course) lots of dancing. And if you're participating in NaNoWriMo this year, come meet and commiserate with other writers.

$10 cover ($5 off if you pre-register by email before November 10th), $10 food/ drink minimum. This is a Belly Dance For Change event, and all door procedes go to NaNoWriMo's Young Writer's Program.

( I see you shimmy in anticipation )
We hope to see you there!

brian meets loch ness

brian meets loch ness
Originally uploaded by mishakitty78

thoroughly “castled out” (which was a phrase we’d find ourselves repeating often for the rest of the trip…silly Americans!), we decided it was time to officially meet the loch. Brian wandered down first and sat perched on a stone. He has this thing about always trying to touch the water –earlier he’d met up with the thames in London, the water in bath, and the estuary in wales. It’s rubbed off on me, now, too – and I like to feel the world’s waters on my skin. Loch ness was cold, in that ancient “here there be dragons” sort of stygian frost way, and I was delighted to have the opportunity to encounter such a shiver. We decided that, so far, this was the coldest water we’d found on the trip and happily watched as ducks swam beyond our reach.

We scooped up a few rocks, asking first of course, and then moved along for our cruise.

a highlands wedding

a highlands wedding
Originally uploaded by mishakitty78

standing upon the northern wall, enjoying the view of the loch and hills, bagpipe music drifted up to us. I couldn’t figure out exactly how that was possible, until I realized I was standing in the Scottish highlands listening to a LIVE PIPER. Now, of course, we’d see pipers later (apparently you can’t throw a stone in Edinburgh during tourist season without hitting one) but here, in the highlands where they originated, it was something that I never would have expected. But there he came, walking down the path to the castle. Turns out, there was a wedding and he was part of the tiny ceremony of just bride, groom, and piper. It was incredible to be standing on the wall, listening to the music as it came floating through the air.

and then, I smiled, because somehow it seemed like dad had something to do with this…

castle urquhart

castle urquhart
Originally uploaded by mishakitty78

as we drove from one place to the next, ever-present in the background was the famous loch. The waterway was not quite what I’d imagined, indeed it was much much larger, and its deep inky blue-black waters left much to the imagination. I could easily see, as we zoomed along in the tour bus listening to our most excellent guide, how one could conjure up a beast plunging through the depths.

Truly in the highlands, we had the loch to one side and the hills to the other. We passed a few farms and even spotted a highland cow (respectfully pronounced COO), shaggily cute in its pen with more normal-looking relatives. The woods were deep and almost as dark as the loch, but really the main focus of our touristy brains was keeping our eyes peeled for any sign of the legendary beast.

After the cairns, our tour proceeded on to Urquhardt castle. You’ve probably seen it - just about any tv documentary on the loch features a birds-eye view of the castle, zooming in to show its crumbling walls before panning out for a picturesque view of the water. The bus pulled up and deposited us on the top of the hill at the visitor’s center and the castle was below us, sprawling out along the water’s edge. We watched a short film on the history of the jacobites and the residents of urquhardt (which, we discovered later, is the family of one of brian’s co-workers! and, yes, in that “oh our family has a castle in Scotland but they got kicked out of it” kind of offhand way of someone who had no idea how neat it was!) before grabbing a quick bite to eat and moving onward to the castle.

What once must have been an imposing site was now torn asunder. The castle’s munitions store had been set alight and the entire thing burned and exploded – chunks of the wall can still be found scattered about the site. Sad to see such a beauty scarred in the name of keeping it from “falling into the wrong hands.” But it was still impressive and had a gentle, if dark, gloominess to it that was perfectly suited to the surrounding hills and dark, quite loch. There are no roofs at Urquhardt; just open sky and stoney walls, so it was interesting to walk through the rooms and try to imagine the site pre-explosion. Very different, too, from the tower of London where everything was nearly just as it had been for centuries.

corrimony cairn

corrimony cairn
Originally uploaded by mishakitty78

the next stop on the tour was a cairn. Now, in Scotland, a cairn is a burial site. This one was just outside of town – about a 10 minute drive – and situated in the middle of a cow field. Our excellent guide explained that this burial site was a chambered burial site that is left from prehistoric times. The tomb itself consists of a mound covered in piled stones surrounded by standing stones that ring the tomb. The capstone, which would have once covered the mound and served as a sort of roof, had long since disappeared. This allowed a full view down into the burial chamber. The passage into the chamber still had its roof, though, and it was intriguing to see such a small entryway into the main central space. Our guide assured us that it was ok to walk up onto the pile of stones and we carefully picked our way up onto the mound. It was very peaceful, here, and I was glad that we’d chosen to come on the tour that would allow us to see this ancient site.

more about the cairn