The reason this blog is a bit late is because Murphy’s Law came knocking at my door eventually breaking it down. I decided to write anyways to keep some of my sanity. I had been working on the Wednesday Training video when I discovered my transmission died on my car (Josey). The following day, Tuesday, I then realized as I was preparing to do the video again that the light stands were in the trunk of my car. My car was at the garage and long story short the video was held back another day. More minor things happened but by the time I finished with the video yesterday I was tired and brain dead. Actually towards the end of videotaping I saw a huge hole in the armpit of my outfit…if that is seen in the editing I will have to redo those parts over again…ugh!  I have decided to kick Murphy’s Law in the butt!

As most dancers who do their own choreography know, we can’t just leave alone what we have already choreographed. For example I didn’t like what I came up with in my original text for Wednesday’s class so I redid the combinations. This means that if I have to redo the video, I will have to go over each drill and see what I came up with. I think I helped Murphy’s Law without intending to. So with this week coming to and end I have decided to end it with my favorite drink, a margarita and enjoy the Super bowl with family. Murphy’s Law is not invited.

On a really good note, the Body Image issue of Jareeda came out and a Belly Dance Village member, Najla (Allison Flynn) had her first article published in color titled “Looking Through the Glass.” It was great talking with Najla on the phone, she was ecstatic, dancing on cloud nine. The photo of her is just beautiful and her article is a really good read. My article, “Second Act” was published in color along with the photo of my dear friend and mentor Barbara Sayre Harmon and myself representing Fall and Spring. I highly recommend investing in a subscription to Jareeda so that you can support Mezdulene and her long running magazine. www.jareeda.com

The 8^th editing of my book, The Divine Unrest, My Stories, Advice and Personal Views on Belly Dance is almost finished…yes you read correctly because writing a book just really means you edit and edit and…

I have been putting out quotes from my book on Twitter so if any of you are following me on Twitter, now you know where my quotes are coming from. I thought it would be interesting to see how people reacted to my quotes and so far they have been favorited by friends and dancers. My book isn’t a long book, it’s a little over 200 pages so for dancers it will be a quick. I’ll let you all know once we get it ready to publish. Three years and counting…we’ll have to celebrate some how.

Last but not least, Sakti Rinek and Barbara Sayer Harmon’s; videos will be next on my list of editing after the Wednesday class. I will be doing articles on the life and careers of both Sakti and Barbara so down the line you might see them in The Belly Dance Chronicles.  www.isisandthestardancers.com

Remember that you get access to all my videos if you become a member at www.bellydancevillage.com so what are you waiting for? My membership fees are pocketbook friendly plus you get a family support that’s dedicated to making sure your belly dance journey is as unique and special as you are!

A few weeks ago I ventured up to Taos, New Mexico and interviewed two very important and special women in my life. It was like going home and remembering where my passion started from even as naïve as it was. I went homeward bound to my belly dance roots because my dance journey really started in Taos. It was in Taos that I met Barbara Sayre Harmon and Sakti Rinek; the two women who would be instrumental in making my belly dance dreams come true.

On my trip up to Taos, I had forgotten how spectacular the drive was because everywhere I looked was breathtaking. Coming up from the canyon you are met with a panoramic view of the Gorge and the Taos mountains. They greet you like an old friend that has been around since the beginning of time. The view is always, fresh, new and awe-inspiring, no matter how many times I see it. In many ways, I said to myself, “I am home.”

The lingering memories of learning an ancient art form was almost like a pilgrimage going back to a place that transformed my life. From the day I saw dancers performing so many years ago, I knew belly dance had placed her mark upon me. Taos in many ways represents my temple of learning. Sakti and Barbara were the two women that took me by the hand and guided me into the poetic dance movements of ancient times. Sakti’s studio always had the feel of being an ancient sanctuary with a high priestess energy to it. As I entered her studio, I always knew I was there to study and to understand that the dance was a privilege to learn. Sakti’s curriculum was detailed and full of combinations that were easy to absorb and practice. To this day I find that Sakti is the one teacher through out my career that shared everything she knew about belly dance with me. Sakti always reminded me of a high priestess because she took belly dance and made it ageless. It was as if she took it from an ancient manuscript and brought it to life, always youthful with no apparent age to the movements. With ageless beauty emanating from her varied movements I knew when I saw Sakti dance that I wanted to be apart of this ancient heritage that was a rite of passage, the path of the enlightened and worldly belly dancer.

Every woman who goes into the farthest reaches of her heart knows that magic is alive and by proxy we are its ambassadors. Whenever I walk up to Barbara’s courtyard I am not only taken back in time but I think time stands still out of reverence. It’s a vortex of magical fairies, dragon flies, and an array of flowers of all colors and shapes leading up to her cottages that are alive with whimsy and delight. Walking into Barb’s studio is a piece of pure enchanting revival to the eyes. Everywhere there is a painting that leads you to another one and then another so that the senses are filled and slightly intoxicated with pure creativity. The colors seem to emanate off canvases that come to life telling their story from creative inception to completed masterpiece. For a dancer, the atmosphere can easily captivate the mind and stimulate the creative link between creativity and inspiration. With both studios apart of my up bringing and training in belly dance, it is no wonder that my dance persona is part enchantress and priestess. I think with most women, this is our rite of passage and one that we often forget.

Coming back to Taos was like coming home after a long pilgrimage where I ventured out looking for answers to many questions. I started off each adventure as a naïve novice and as time passed the proficient dancer emerged. As I was driving up to Taos, my accumulated experiences somehow looked me square in the face when I looked into the rear view mirror and I wondered if any of my experiences had amounted to much. I realized my fear was like a dress that shows off all my imperfections and magnifies them with no regard or consideration for my state of mind. I was wearing my fears of inadequacy with the details of a skilled seamstress.

The interviews in many ways were a long time coming. Barb has been living the painters life most of her life along with Cliff Harmon her husband and comrade in arms. Barbara is one of the top female portrait artists in the US besides being a well received writer of children’s books. Sakti has been living the belly dancers dream, traveling around the world for over 36 years. She has been performing and teaching her unique dance style to hundreds of women from all walks of life. They both radiate a kind of accomplishment that not many women can pride themselves in, a life time of creative study that results in endless works of art. The creative process became a way of life for both Barb and Sakti so much so that they have become one with the essence of their own inspired design. It is because of this very reason, I felt it was time to interview them for my membership site and get their stories out to aspiring dancers and artists.

Its funny how we think the world views us like we view ourselves, it’s really not a realistic way to think. As I met with Barbara and Sakti, my apprehension just melted away and I had the best time laughing and talking non-stop the whole time I visited and interviewed both of them. When I was looking behind the video camera and listening to Barb talk, I realized that there just aren’t women like Barb anymore. Her eloquence and refined gestures made me feel like I was in the presence of a legendary actress. In many ways each painting is a script or a story that has individual meaning to whoever looks at it. If I closed my eyes, I could hear the whisperings from each portrait that was surrounding me. That’s why I love going to Barbara’s studio, it’s a magical place that transports me into a world that is always waiting to be discovered or rediscovered. There were a few times I wanted to pinch myself just to make sure I was really there listening to Barb talk about her early years or the tidbits of information about Martha Graham. I decided right then and there I didn’t need Google or Wikipedia because Barbara was a walking encyclopedia. The amazing thing about artists is that they are sponges for every topic they come in contact with. There seems to be no stone unturned by the curious artist and I realized that creativity demands a studious mind. Barb symbolized this with brilliance and genius.

Sakti was as vivacious as ever just as I remembered her. I really think she found the fountain of youth and is keeping mum about it. The studio had a new floor that her boys (obvious young men) Eli and Adam put down for her. It was even more beautiful then I remember and with the new sitting area with large windows over looking her pond, it was just enchanting.  As we began our interview it was so much fun to relive Sakti’s stories and adventures with her. Sakti did what every belly dancer dreams of doing; she not only made a living with belly dancing but she became successful with it as well. But the difference here is that Sakti was “living” the belly dancers life instead of just talking about it. In the end trains, plains and automobiles become as familiar as each hotel room. It’s a gypsy life that isn’t for the faint of heart but for those who pursue it, the end result is enriched memories of cultures, people and places. Sakti’s portfolio isn’t just full of shows, workshops and performances she has the memories of each experience that lives inside her. The difference between a professional hobbyist and old school dancer is how they live their lives and what they carry within them. Experience is the upper hand in this case. You feel the experiences as soon as you walk into Sakti’s studio.

The working dancer lives a novel life that is a daily script made with continual rewrites but that is why it is so enticing for the average woman; it’s a nonsensical way of life. If women were any less complicated it wouldn’t seem logical but because we are who we are, it’s the perfect way to stimulate the senses and reawaken the soul. As Mae West said, “I’m no model lady. A model’s just an imitation of the real thing.” We either live our lives to the fullest or live to regret not birthing our dreams. And to me that’s the difference between women who go out and live their lives versus those who watch from the side lines, they make magic happen. So in my interviews prepare to meet two amazing women who made magic happen and to date are still living their lives to the fullest yet leaving room for new adventures, scripts not written and performances yet to be danced. It’s the blank canvas of life that allows us to paint masterpieces of our desires.

I will be eternally grateful to Barbara and Sakti who have imprinted upon my heart, joy; friendship, laughter, loyalty and the desire to succeed. They showed me this by example and it is only fitting after all this time I come homeward bound to my belly dance roots to thank the two women in my life who made all the difference and helped me become the woman that I am today.

If you are curious about my membership site, check it out and become a member. I have many videos to view and as you can see many more to come. www.bellydancevillage.com

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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Dancing in the age of now is a question that has been on my mind for quite awhile. The best statement I can remember hearing is from the legendary Bert Balladine, “You have nothing to dance about until you are over the age of 30.” I didn’t understand this statement years ago but I sure do now. It hits home and has made itself comfy as the years have come and gone. Each year has given me a gift of introspection and wisdom that has occasionally felt like a reprimand but I’m old enough now to place it where it needs to go.  Life’s lessons aren’t about taking to heart the little inconsequential things; it’s about seeing the big and understanding where we are in the scope of things.

I think as dancers, we should step back from ourselves and see who we are in the moment. Is the image in front of us, what we imagined years ago? Every experience in dance is an unexpected roller coaster ride which makes it so exhilarating. Today I realize that I love to go forward and twirl around but going backwards makes my stomach queasy. Women can be the cat’s meow or the cat’s claw depending on individual perspectives that might be skewed to begin with. Learning how to release pent up issues and emotions has been a learning experience for me. I’ve dealt with a few curve balls in the last three years so I learned to play the game in a way that makes catching curve balls more fun then being hit by them.

Dancing in the age of now isn’t something that I have done very well. Dealing with myself on a daily basis is really like dealing with a full time drama queen. I understand me but after awhile I get tired of dealing with what I am versus what I was. So I wanted to talk about being in a place of comfort that has no regrets or misgivings regarding life…yeah right. If my age was a person she would be a confident and experienced woman. So I wonder why I want to be younger with less of both? Just because we age doesn’t mean we get any smarter. My youth has this lingering effect of giving the illusion that good times are only associated with her. What’s crazy is I believe her sometimes.

Dancing in the age of now isn’t always easy to explain. I often think about when dancers ask me how do I know how to place moves together to create a choreography. It’s always been a tough question for me to answer because through trial and error, I’ve learned to hear what the music is telling me. What I hear, I express through movements, gestures and traveling steps. How could I tell my daughter how to walk when she was one years old? She had to learn to pace herself and place her weight in a way that allowed for her to take those first steps. Once she learned to place each foot in front of the other, she was running! The lesson is about feeling what’s inside instead of waiting to be shown how to do something. Following what we know to do isn’t always easy in a world that tells us what we should be doing.

Let’s be honest here, being in a place of comfort for women really isn’t possible. I can hang in my pajamas and watch a movie and be comfortable but that’s not exactly what I’m talking about. Can I walk out of the house without make-up…no. Would I let my grey hair come out naturally…hell no! So comfort isn’t something that is naturally apart of a woman’s mind set. High heels, diets, wrinkle creams and everything else that goes into a woman’s daily regimen of creating herself has nothing to do about comfort. But in a very unconventional way it’s a comfort in itself. It’s really not fair because we get to wear vibrant, sexy and bold clothes along with make-up and bling. We can do so much with our hair and make a statement with it up or down. I think that’s why men don’t mind what we go through to be beautiful; they get to see the end results of our laborious efforts. So who is the smarter of the sexes…women of course!

Dancing in the age of now is kind of like a diary showing us our idiosyncrasies.  We never stop being who we are; we just become better impersonators of ourselves. I wonder if I really knew what I was like, would I want to be my friend? I think this would be a good question for women to ask themselves.

So my opine is pretty simple. It’s not just about accepting myself; it’s about understanding who I am. At this point I feel like I’m back home in my old room sifting through memories with them all leading up to the present me. As a Simone DeBeauvoir quote states quite well, “One is not born a woman, one becomes one.”

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!

Skeletons, ghosts and names on tombstones greeted us at the Haunted Hips workshop in Abilene. We arrived in Abilene after driving the long way around to get there and thankfully settled into comfy beds at the hotel. Even our 3 legged blue heeler, Mr. Zippy was out like a light, snoring away and dreaming of that unreachable rabbit. Saturday morning was upon us in what seemed to me to be only ten minutes of sleep but I know I am exaggerating a bit.

The Haunted Hips workshop was finally happening and I was ready and anxious not only to get started but to meet all the wonderful women who travelled to the workshop from out of town. The Magic Lamp Studio director Jami Chance is about the nicest and most gracious hostess I have had the pleasure to work with. Jami and I met through my online videos a few years ago and we have been dance friends ever since.

Saturday was a day full of opposition hip combinations that is based on the Hip Phylosophy curriculum. It was a day of laughing and dancing which is always the best way to learn dance. Everyone who came to the workshop came through the 4 hours of instruction with flying colors. There were different levels of dancers so it was an interesting mix of beginner dancers to professional. Sunday was a mini choreography on Continual Soft movement and group participation. It was my favorite class of the weekend because the girls took combinations apart and put them back together in various ways and then performed the combinations for each other. I think in the Sunday class the girls were able to see that putting combinations together can be fun and both groups came up with wonderful variations on the combinations. They could actually see that what they came up with not only worked but looked beautiful all at the same time!

The Saturday evening show was full of great energy and I must say that Jami did a wonderful job training her girls. Each performance was full of high energy and the evening flowed effortlessly and easily. It was just one of those shows that was a joy to be in. At the end of the evening Jami brought me roses and we all danced to live music by a wonderful drummer named John. It was the perfect ending to a perfect evening!!

When the end of the workshop came it was sad to leave. Jami’s family is just as gracious as she is and we feel so fortunate to have met Jami’s husband Steve, daughters Brittany and Bekah. Thank you so much for making our stay wonderful and memorable. And thank you Jami for letting me off the hook for forgetting the lights!!

This past weekend I was able to do a workshop with my students and at the same time showcase  the curriculum that I have been  working on for a better part of a year.  What is so exciting about  this new curriculum is that it is the end result of students understanding choreography in a way that makes sense to them.

What I mean by this is students are learning  to understand their own choreography. The curriculum shows them how to connect the dots.

The one thing that I have noticed especially with the emails Daniel and I have received through out this last year is that many dancers don’t understand how to interpret movement to music or they don’t even know why they move a certain way to the music, they just follow their teacher. Some dancers have said that they learn the same moves over and over again but  the reason behind the move is not talked about.

I think as teachers we have to take a good look at our own curriculum and than stand back so we can take a good look at what we are teaching.

Connecting the dots never made more sense to me than it does now. We can’t just give students a glimpse of something and than hope they get it, we have to show them what happens when the dots are connected. What is so exciting right now is that the end result of my curriculum is showing itself in each and every dancer that I have.  I have beginner students who I started with this curriculum and they are advancing in leaps and bounds. I have students that have come back to me that are amazed at the changes and they can see the difference in what they had already learned to what they are learning now.

The online classes have really helped evolve this curriculum and my teaching ability. I have many students and dancers to thank for helping me understand that when a student is learning how to dance she has to be taught in a way so that she can enjoy and understand the process.

The formula is simple; opposition hips and understanding how they work together or apart. Layering with opposition hips and understanding when to work in your right and left sides. Transition steps and transition moves used to change with the phrasing in the music.

If students are given a repertoire of moves and combinations and they are taught how to use them than eventually the body will relax and take over. Once the body relaxes and takes over than accents,exaggerated moves or pauses along with level changes, lines and angles can be used in the dancers own unique way. The end result will be a dancer that is confident and well trained.

So for all you teachers out there think about how you train your students because once a student understands how to connect the dots,  the dancer in her will emerge before your very eyes and it is a beautiful sight indeed!

The other day I was talking to my students Julie and Amy and I told them that this one combination came to me in the shower of all places. But another student Judy inspired the combination but why the heck did it evolve in the shower? Another group of dynamic turns came to me in a dream but I woke up before I figured out how I did them. I remember saying to myself  in the dream that I had to remember the turns and I woke up actually talking to myself.

That was a little creepy having a conversation with myself and than answering myself!  The other morning lying in bed I worked out a 6 week course curriculum and figured out how to make each class lead into the next.  Is creativity possessing me through choreography?  If so it is the kind of possession that never leaves you alone and can turn you into an eccentric old dancer who toots her own horn even if nobody is listening.

A wonderful quote says:

“Everything in the universe has rhythm. Everything dances.”-Maya Angelou
So maybe what is happening is that when we open the mind to inspiration it’s like opening the flood gates to creativity that rushes in with the power of the ages. I suppose that it would be easier if creativity came at the same time everyday but than wouldn’t that be a stagnant way of creating?  So creativity comes visiting  in my dreams, in the shower, in the car, when I’m dancing with students or without . And since creativity is directly from the Universe than this explains why there is a constant stream of ideas and moves coming my way.

How many of you feel this kind of divine unrest? It’s almost as if everything you look at has the beginnings of a movement. The tree branches blowing in the wind can be  either slow and sinuous  or fast and powerful movements. It’s all in the eyes of the dancer and how the tree is talking to her.  Students do this to me all the time. The best combinations I have ever come up with have been the inspiration of dance students who inspire me with their talent!

“One must still have chaos in oneself to be able to give birth to a dancing star.” -Friedrich Nietzsche

So a choreography state of mind is what keeps the dancer alive and in her element.  I didn’t understand this years ago because I didn’t see movement anywhere I went. I think when a dancer finally embraces her own individuality she can finally see what was hidden from her. It’s almost like being in a magical land that at first appears barren and devoid of life than all of a sudden things appear before you that you never saw before. Maybe the possession creativity has on us just keeps us seeing the magic in life and than we see her rhythm and than we dance to her melody.

“We dance for laughter, we dance for tears, we dance for madness, we dance for fears, we dance for hopes, we dance for screams, we are the dancers, we create the dreams.” -Anonymous

So for now my students crack up laughing at my madness and I keep on tooting my own horn but the best part of all is my students hear me and they don’t mind listening!

For the last 8 years there has been a huge change not just in my dance career but also in my view of the world. There is one man responsible for this and he is my husband Daniel. Now you can only imagine what it’s like to be married to a belly dancer who has occasional outbursts or  rant and raves over the littlest things.  But Daniel watches me sometimes in amusement and other times with a blank look on his face that says, “Not again!”

One thing for sure Daniel is a trouper with a seasoned belly dance husband attitude. I often wonder what our husbands really think of our dancing which includes the drama that goes into each production, performance or dance class. They sit in the audience watching us perform knowing what we have put into our dance and than the first thing out of our mouth after the show is over is, “How did I do?” Now this really is not a fair question and it is pretty much a set up. They know this if they are seasoned and if they are not, they learn very quickly what not to say. Of course we want honesty but than we also want praise mixed in for good measure.  I remember one performance I asked Daniel how did I do and he said, “How do you feel you did?”  We looked at each other, me of course frowning and Daniel with a blurry eyed look because it was midnight.  He told me I danced beautifully as always and had a distraught look on his face pleading with me for us to go because it was so late and his back was hurting. So off we went and I realized as we were walking to our hotel room that there were no complaints from him the whole night. Sometimes we can forget that even for our husbands the dancing can become a blur. And we can also forget how good we have it with them.

Recently  Daniel came back stage after watching  a show I produced with my dear friend Rozana al Jinan and he gave me a big hug and told me what a great job we had done. He almost seemed amazed that we pulled off the show because it was not an easy show to produce.  For the belly dance husband when his wife does a good job it some how  validates  his hard work making sure she stays sane. Sanity leaves at an alarming rate towards the end of most productions. Daniel seems to understand my insane chatter during shows and performances so because of this I am able to focus on whatever I’m doing. Not many husbands  can do this so it takes a special man to be a belly dance husband.

Drama in belly dance is a given and if we don’t  have our sanctuaries at home than the stress of our dance could really take a toll on us. So I am always grateful that Daniel understands this as well. Sometimes I’ve come home on cloud nine and other times I’ve crawled in with a battle weary look on my face. Either way Daniel greets me with a hug and understands. This is the whole point about being a belly dance husband, they understand what we go through.

Since Daniel has put so much of his time into my belly dancing we both agree that it’s about time everyone who comes to the website  read about his viewpoints of belly dancing. So I’m excited that Daniel has agreed to put more of his time into writing to all of you. And if any of you have husbands who need advice Daniel is here to help. As women it is so important to understand that our husbands go  through belly dance stress too. Since Daniel is a seasoned belly dance husband he’s here to help. So look for more articles, advice and tips from my husband and I will be here as well to help all of you with your dancing. So you all have a belly dance team to help you out and I am blessed that my husband is the other half of me.