It’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!
What’s on Leyla’s Mind
by Leyla Najma · 6 Comments
Re: Exercise and Sexy for my Man
Lately I have been getting women coming in and taking my free classes who are looking at belly dance for various reasons. There are more women who are doing belly dancing for toning their stomachs, exercise or for their boyfriends and husbands. Another young gal said her father wanted her to learn belly dancing and of course I wrote and asked her to explain. But what I am finding is that with the changes in the modern world there aren’t as many women getting into dance to become performers or life long students of dance.
It didn’t occur to me to start belly dancing for my husband or boyfriend and I was in a state of total sell absorption meaning belly dance consumed me. What I’m really saying here is that I didn’t belly dance for anybody else but myself. I feel the same way that famed actress Shohreh Aghdashloo does in regards to either being born an actress or being born a dancer. You don’t become a dancer you are born a dancer who listens to or understands her calling. Most dancers live their lives validating their calling which means a life time of training and dedication so they can transform into their divine inspiration. It’s a calling that takes women on the side paths of lessons, and experiences that make for great adventures. We become the Indiana Jones of our own lives because we search for teachers from far off lands and we travel in search for spiritual guidance and enlightenment. Basically what I am saying is for any woman who has the mark of the Goddess, they are born dancers and they die dancers.
The “sexy for my man” is understandable because we are empowered as belly dancers especially when we understand our bodies. But I think with the connection with belly dancing to stripping we need to explain what belly dancing really does for women. The sexual self is only one of the many aspects of who we are. There is sacred and spiritual meaning to dancing and in many ways when a woman understands herself in a sacred way she shows characteristics of the Goddess. I don’t mean this in a silly way that we are all Goddesses, I think for many of us we have become strangers to the Goddess concept because of it’s meanings misuse. Belly dance makes the path going back to the Goddess fun but also we learn so much about who we are.
There were many Goddesses in Egypt that represented many things to many people. Hathor symbolized the vengeful eye of Ra, Bastet was the Goddess who protected the Pharaoh in battle. Isis was the Goddess of rebirth and fertility and Sekhmet was the Goddess of war and chaos. I think each woman has a specific Goddess that she has an affinity with which makes belly dance different from all other dance forms. We dance in constant connection to the ancient beliefs of the Egyptians and other cultures. To understand the present sometimes we need to experience the past.
I can understand that belly dancing can be intriguing for many women who didn’t experience the drive to dance from a young age. But it’s important to look up the history of this dance form whether you’re a novice or someone experienced. Look up the different Goddesses the Egyptians gave offerings to and see who you have a connection to. If anything it’s fun and it will give you a different viewpoint of what you think belly dance is.
