Interpretive Belly Dance – The Right to be”You”
by Leyla Najma · 4 Comments
Interpretive Belly Dance – The Right to be “You”
Every year represents something that each of us holds dearly to our hearts. There are even those experiences that we let go of like dust in the wind. This year I decided to get back to my roots and talk about why I started belly dancing and what intrigued me about it in the first place. I know I stated in my bio that I saw belly dancing at age 6 and fell in love with it, that’s a given. But as I got older there was something else about it that caught my attention. I saw a chance to achieve my individual freedom to move and dance my way and be accepted for it. In my early years the women who stood out in my mind, understood their own unique style. They gave a different take on choreography and dance interpretation. These women have stayed with me all these years because they taught me it was okay to be me.
In the years that it has taken me to understand what my style is all about, I found that there was a price I paid for being “me.” As with any dance form it’s obvious there will be a multitude of opinions that are usually targeted at other people’s dance interpretation and preferences. Dancers tend to follow a doctrine that leaves little room for creative latitude especially if the style is not to their liking. In our world even though it gives the impression that creativity is welcome, there are obvious artistic guide lines everyone is expected to follow.
“As a solo performer sometimes we have to bloom and become one with our community besides being that individual flower” Leyla Najma
I’m not talking about the basic fundamentals of belly dance and good curriculum; I’m talking about a perceived ideology that women carry with them into this dance. Water seeks it’s own level so most dancer’s find their home or community that fits their lifestyle. When we mix ideologies and preferences together the guide lines become fuzzy. Everyone changes what they feel doesn’t fit their creative interpretation of what belly dance is for them. For instance, Tribal Belly Dance is beautiful but it’s not my thing. When I took Tribal in workshops I found it to be confining and confusing. I think the Tribal look with multiple layering and rich textures is eye candy for the soul but even with the vibrant colors it’s not how I choose to present my dance persona. It’s another world to me but one that is apart of belly dance. So I look at Tribal as my first cousin who displays the beauty of belly dance with refined eloquence. Tribal is the ancient sister to modern belly dance, obviously a family of unconventional traditions.
“Combining all of life experiences, lessons learned and not learned creates the most beautiful design of all; the individual dancer.” Leyla Najma
On my quest for finding the “me” in dance I realized that as I performed in shows, restaurants and nightclubs, I was molding and sculpting my dance persona as I went along. The end result was “me,” a dancer that had her own articulacy and style. This doesn’t mean that what I became was always accepted, what it does mean is that I had come full circle and brought to life my artistry in dance. When a dancer stops asking for permission to be creative then you know she has become her own masterpiece.
“Sometimes dancers are born molded and nurtured in the arts becoming the living essence of what they represent” Leyla Najma
The last couple of years have been very interesting for me because I have had problems with some dancers critiquing my on-line videos without even bothering to take a class. They have opinions based on those age old ideologies that they brought into this dance from the beginning. Empty words can echo into any community leaving impressions that aren’t based on personal experience rather personal insecurities. Allowing for creative expression seems to be a thing of the past. I think this is because there are so many dancers vying for the coveted limelight. Acknowledging another dancers success should be a right of passage especially since there are so many fantastic dancers performing now. Maybe it’s fear or self doubt that keeps dancers from giving each other a high five. What ever it is, it’s preventing success from becoming an everyday occurrence because ultimately success knocks at everybody’s door.
“If a woman asks you a question, it’s better to tell her the truth because chances are she’s asking you because she already knows the answer.” Unknown
Interpretive belly dance isn’t only about methodology and curriculums; it’s about incorporating life into your dance persona. The tricky part is making sure each movement and gesture is honestly who you really are. Dancing somebody else’s choreography is okay to learn from but eventually the movement has to make sense to your body by dancing it your way. Becoming “you” in belly dance means that music is interpreted without second guessing how you choreograph to what you hear. It’s beautiful to see dancers performing making movement second nature to the rhythm in the music.
“Walking the path as a dancer takes the same amount of steps as everyone else; it’s important not to compare your footprint with others.” Leyla Najma
Interpretive belly dance in today’s day and age is an expression of a modern day dancer who continually has questions but knows where to put the answers. Belly dance is as complicated or laid back as the individual dancer. How we stand up for our dance and self expression is as varied a statement to the dance world as the individual dancer. So this year I wish all of you a dance of great exploration and rewards. May the treasures you find lead you back to yourself, the greatest treasure of all!
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Sphere: Related ContentIt’s All In The Company We Keep
by Leyla Najma · 4 Comments
I wanted to write a bit about the belly dance journey and to let you all know that every once in awhile the rose colored glasses come off and reality starts to set in even for us belly dancers. Sometimes women think that self fulfillment will happen magically with this dance and to be honest with you it takes work. But it’s the kind of work that feels more like an entrepreneurial quest. We make the journey what it is, a success or a spiraling drama. At times they kind of go hand in hand but how much really depends on you.
Just remember that you are the same person years later in the dance and the only changes are the levels of success you have with your dance and with yourself. It seems like it’s easy to forget our purpose in this particular dance field especially if you have professional aspirations and you have been at it awhile. Even women who take belly dance classes for self fulfillment reasons only can get caught up in expectations in what type of fulfillment will happen. We really are in charge of our own outcome but more times then not we forget we are our own leader and we start following someone else’s path. This is a major problem for many women because with any type of art we really have to create our own masterpiece. Even dancers who are apart of a troupe bring in their own artistry. With this type of visual art in front of audiences it is easy to see why belly dance has an occult like following.
As with any dancer, I started out with dreams and aspirations and they have never left me but the brutal reality of life as an entertainer and performer has tarnished my naive sensibilities. But in saying this I also have to admit that I am a stronger and more focused person because of what I have experienced. The constant drama of the stage will make any woman a seasoned performer but the important thing to remember is not to lose yourself in the lessons.
The key to the belly dance journey is to stay true to your path and follow your own gut instincts. Did you all know that gut means “God” in Scandinavian? So we just have to remember that God talks to us constantly through our gut feelings. And the gut feelings are apart of us being our own leader but of course with some help. Oh and by the way, this reminds me, sometimes you can feel alone in dance but creativity is really like a life time partner………she’ll never leave you alone and the best part of all is you will always have her by your side.
If we focus on our own gut feelings and creativity the lessons of the stage seem less dubias and more satisfying. At the end of the day it really is about fulfilling the promises that we make to ourselves even if they were made long ago. The journey is about “you” and how you live life. The journey isn’t about about who did what or what somebody said because ultimately it’s about what you think of yourself. Friends or no friends you will always be the one walking your path.
Last thought; it occured to me that part of the journey is being the kind of friend to ourselves that we search for in our community. It’s all in the company we keep so with my gut, creativity and inner knowing of who I am I guess I really am not alone. It’s a good feeling!
Sphere: Related ContentThe American Silk Road
Through out the year there have been many experiences and lessons that have taken me to places I never expected. There were roads less traveled that caught my attention. Walking down them made me realize that we can’t always learn our lessons from conventional methods. And I also learned that I can say no to a lesson that keeps coming back.
An African Priestess who mentored me years ago told me that we can always say no to the Universe and that our request will be honored. I know what some of you may be thinking; how can I say no especially if it is a lesson that is necessary for my growth? Sometimes in our gut we know when there is a lesson that comes around that just isn’t necessary. Realizing this can release the chains of “society expectations” that we carry around with us on our journey through life.
Our American heritage seemed to be added to the melting pot of the dance world. In many ways our lives are intermingled with each other to the benefit of us all and to our detriment. This leads me to new insights gained from this year, insights that surprised even me. With each step I took with my yearly path of my dance education I realized that years from now maybe none of this will matter. Because I realized that in the end all that really matters is how I create my dance for myself. Does my dance end with me or will it live long past my dieing breath? Does my mark on the belly dance world even matter?
Is life like a catalogue where we can pick and choose what we want just as long as we intend the right things? This can become so vague because everyone has their own agendas. What is right for one person might not be right for another. How each dancer walks her path to me is a big deal. I usually will look at a dancers portrayal of how she views dance because it is a good indication on how she lives life. And one of my surprises for this year was that just because someone has been in this business for years doesn’t mean that they don’t carry insecurities with them all the way through their journey.
It is as if the insecurity in itself is a precious bundle that she carries along with her to insure that in the end it will all validate why she walked her journey the way she did. Is she “me” as well? Do I carry my insecurities with me only to make sure I intend things just to validate why I carry them around? I found the answer to be yes and this was the biggest surprise of all!
Walking still further I realized that there will be those who come after me who will hear the whisperings of my name and wonder who I was. So early in the year starting in March I made a solemn vow to myself to bring solutions to various problems that dancers come across on their path. I heard the complaints even from my own mouth and realized that the answers have always been visible and accessible. I just was so busy complaining I couldn’t see the answers that were right in front of me. My surprise was how easy the answers are to see once one is willing to look. Adding to this I noticed there are those who will not look under any circumstances because to see would invalidate their complaints. It is amazing to see that those who complain help the rest of us find the solutions and in doing so we walk our paths with greater ease.
So this is one of the aspects of the melting pot we are all apart of and this is what makes walking the American Silk Road the greatest lesson of all. How we walk says a lot about how we live and how we live says a lot about who we are.
So if you are wondering what lesson it was that kept coming around the corner; well lets just say that I realized my place in my community has a lot to do with how I feel about myself. I paid my dues along time ago and those who were trying to remind me of my place did me a favor. I finally looked down the road I have traveled and realized I have come a long ways. And as the saying goes, “I may not be there yet, but I’m closer than I was yesterday.”
Happy New Year and may your journey on the Silk Road be everything you can imagine and more. As Henry Ford once said “You can’t build a reputation on what you’re going to do,” so make this year count and just do it!
Blessings,
Leyla Najma
Sphere: Related ContentIn The Beginning……….
Many students/ dancers who write in to me and tell me a little about themselves are doing so because there is a need and desire to connect with someone who understands. And I am here to let all of you who write me know that I do understand.
In the beginning of my belly dance travels I couldn’t find a teacher for at least two years. I traveled working cattle so that meant I lived in remote areas. So I started to buy videos and practice when I had the chance. But like many of you I longed to connect with someone who could show me how to dance and become the belly dancer of my dreams.
After searching for a long time I found a wonderful dancer who took me in and started to teach me the foundation movements. As most beginners I was hungry for every move she taught and I had such enthusiasm that at times she felt a little overwhelmed. My first teacher was not so much a teacher as she was a performer. Her heart was on the stage and after about 4 months of dance class one day she told me she was no longer teaching me. No explanation was given and as my heart dropped I knew this meant I was again in a position where I had to find another dance teacher. My next teacher was a great inspiration but she let me know that she was already an accomplished dancer and that most probably I would not become her caliber for many, many years. This didn’t deter me at all.
What I did find with my second teacher was a disconnect between her and me that made me realize that if I am learning from someone who thinks only of herself than there isn’t much of a relationship. If a teacher doesn’t look out for you than you know you have someone that sees the world that revolves around only them and there is no room for you.
When we get a move or we accomplish a choreography, we want someone there who understands and claps and yells with us. There is no better feeling in the world than to be with people who understand what it takes to belly dance. Sometimes our families can be happy for us but they don’t always understand either.
I remember one time I finally was able to do a group of combinations and there was nobody around except for my horses, goats, geese and chickens. I was actually outside practicing in front of them. As I was yelling and jumping up and down the horses started to run, the chickens and geese ran around me and my goats were kicking up in the air. It was pretty funny and I will always remember that moment.
Another time when I was practicing outside my big draft horses thought it was time to get their heads scratched. So they would come right up to me and stick their big heads in my way. So as I said before our families don’t always understand what we are going through especially if they are the four legged kind.
Standing and looking down our belly dance path can be pretty daunting at times especially if we can’t see the forest for the trees. It can all become a blur and this is why a teacher is so important to most students. She can take those rose colored glasses off and give a student a different way of looking at movement, music and choreography. But like some of you I had to look for the right teacher. In the end I was very lucky because I have studied with amazing and talented dancers/choreographers/teachers through out my travels.
So as I have said before I understand how most of you feel. I have been there and the one thing that I would like for all of you to know is that I do read what you write. Some of you make me smile because I remember similar experiences that you write about. I remember the years without a teacher and this is one thing that I would like to change for anyone who is experiencing this now.
Most of you who are beginners are going through your own rights of passage. We all have done this especially those dancers who have been dancing for years like myself. Know that you are not alone and that as I progress with my 0n-line videos and get them out to each and every one of you, I think of the emails you send me and hope that I can create solutions to some of your problems.
As my favorite saying goes;
“A candle loses nothing by lighting another candle”
Sphere: Related ContentKeeping the Heart in Belly Dance
by Leyla Najma · 3 Comments
Well as you can see I didn’t fall of the planet and I’m back in the saddle ready to start the New Year. It occurred to me that many of you would be off, spending time with family so I decided to wait and write my New Years/Christmas blog, “Keeping the Heart in Belly Dance,” when you all had time to read it. So I hope your Christmas was happy, joyful and inspirational.
As I was off gallivanting about I was thinking about what I would write about. I think many of you read my blog for various reasons. My bluntness might be unnerving to some or maybe my viewpoint is different enough and that’s what some of you are looking for. For whatever reason you read my blog I wanted this one to be something from the heart that gives you a peek into my secluded backroom opinion on belly dance. I try not to hide too much from my dance readers but it became obvious to me months ago that my tongue occasionally gets me into trouble. This is a twenty four year opine of thoughts on our dance regarding where we are going as a dance community and the future of belly dance. Does it look good? That’s a good question.
I am part of a discussion group on LinkedIn and there was a new topic that really caught my eye. A belly dance teacher who had been teaching for about 25 years asked if it was normal to feel uninspired and exhausted from teaching. I thought to myself, this was going to be a good topic of discussion. There were many responses back to her and the most typical one was for her to become a student again and learn from someone that inspires her. She said she had already done this and it helped to a point. I have done this myself and found that the problem really doesn’t have to do with inspiration; it has to do with change. In the beginning of the impassioned dancer’s quest for knowledge, the journey keeps her fresh and entertained. The newness of the dance and all the information coming at a dancer can keep her satisfied for years it seems. It’s not so much the dance looses its appeal, it’s that the dancer within grows and she can become restless wanting to expand her horizons in other ways. There isn’t much in regards to articles or manuals that address this belly dance transformation. To me it really is about understanding that if we don’t grow with this dance or if we don’t see the growth, it can take a toll on the psyche of any dancer.
As the years have progressed I realize that in my youth, belly dance represented the feminine side of who I was and I carried this image with me everywhere I went. It was my calling card and I relished in my choice to become a belly dancer. As each year progressed, this excitement changed into exhausting lessons that left lingering impressions upon my psyche. I had no idea that life’s lessons would be mixed into dance lessons. I had no idea that in some ways this dance can become very cut throat. The dance itself doesn’t deceive us, some of the women who participate in it do. It’s like a game of chance, sometimes the rules can change at a moments notice because of other players. Success is the winning card and some dancers who strive for this are con artists in disguise.
But why would anyone think that this dance is not apart of every day life or life’s experiences? Is this a naïve way of looking at belly dance or is because belly dance is the reprieve from every day life? Belly dance was for me a calling not so much an escape but I must confess that in later years it was an escape from the doldrums of everyday life. Being the center of attention can become addictive and in some ways our downfall. My sister made a comment one time that irritated me but as you all know, sisters say things in a carefree blunt way. She was looking through my dance magazines and she said, “Most of the women who dance seem to be really self absorbed.” I looked at her and said, “So does that include me?” Being the older sister she laughed and said, “Of course.” My ego though feeling bruised did an about face and I stuck my tongue out at her and walked away. Weeks later I got to thinking about her statement and I realized that in order for us to survive in this dance, it was necessary to focus on our goals. So yeah, okay, as dancers maybe we are self absorbed but we have visible goals that are easy for anyone to see. I don’t think we are shallow in this sense, we are easy on the eyes and our objectives are easy to follow.
Some of the topics that I picked up on through out the year seemed to be a thorn in some people’s side. I’ve had plenty of thorns in my side through out the years and found that while they might not have been my preference, they were necessary for me to grow. Maybe what happens is that women get into this dance form thinking that they have more control over their dance path then with every day life. It’s really a misnomer to think there is any more control over a dance path then a life path with family and work. I thought my dance path was more fulfilling at times but then sometimes the price I paid was usually in ways that didn’t come calling until later on and interest seemed to be added on without me knowing it. Dance in some ways took over my everyday life that seemed to be in the shadows of an overpowering and calculating existence. It didn’t just sneak up on me, it slowly possessed me. And I had to think to myself, “Is this really me?”
The older I get the more I realize that dance is and always was an outlet for me to gain confidence and a sense of achievement. Some of the women I have met through this dance form became apart of my self confidence progression. Lessons learned sometimes seemed to be like high school level but it occurred to me that just because we get diplomas and graduate doesn’t mean we have graduated from the emotional stigmas of life. Lessons can come full circle if they aren’t learned the first time around. Sometimes if I see a lesson coming my way that look familiar, I tell the Universe “no” and it feels really good. I’ve learned that saying no doesn’t mean that I am missing out on anything and as a matter of fact it’s helped me relax and enjoy life a little more.
So if there is anything that I would like to share with you all this year it’s the fact that dance and our home lives intermingle with each other from the very beginning of choices and desires. I’m sure many of you know this but I didn’t know to what degree until I looked back to see why at times I was discontented with both. They are the twins of our conscious minds that remind us that as women we are not only unique but complicated. Our wardrobes are combined with every aspect of our lives. Look in your closet and you’ll see, belly dancer, mother, wife and business woman. Somehow they all fit together because they are apart of our desires and aspirations as women.
Keeping the heart of belly dance is about understanding who we are as women and realizing that we juggle so much to keep our desires and home life alive. If we could see ourselves through someone else’s eyes we would probably see amazing women. Take this year to see how amazing you are and look back at all you have accomplished not just with your dancing but also with your family life. Be amazed at your accomplishments, smile at your successes and be grateful for the fact that you did it all on your own terms. Happy New Year to the most amazing women I know.
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