Beginning the Rose Gold Art Deco Costume

Here I go again, attempting to make myself another costume even though I still have a separate belt and bra in progress that I've abandoned for the time being, along with a peacock blue costume which needs some serious upgrades and modifications.I'm hoping this one will give me the confidence to complete my other, unfinished projects.

Shushanna's costume tutorials are a godsend, especially her videos on the process of making her own pieces. Watching these has really inspired me. One photo in particular of her gold filigree bedlah in progress really struck me as quite beautiful. In it, she shows her pinkish-peachish base fabric with gold rhinestone chain and crystals, and the color combination is just lovely. Shushanna ends up almost entirely concealing the base fabric, changing the look of the overall costume composition so the peach element is very minimal and gold predominates. She chose the base fabric to match her skin tone to help further the illusion of filigree, so at that stage of her progress, it was a nude and gold costume which really appealed to me.

My skin, although very pale, does lean toward the warm end of the spectrum so peaches and oranges are usually flattering on me. I spent some time doodling some design ideas and decided to go to the fabric store to find what I needed to get started.

Believe it or not, it was difficult to find a nice peachy fabric. The clearance remnants section was the only place I could find what I was looking for. I found a fabric with a nice sheen and iridescent effect where it appears gold from one angle and rosy peach from the other. Thankfully they had enough for a bra, belt, and some accessories. I also picked up an accent fabric in a contrasting texture. I wanted velvet but the closest I could find to the dark gold in my head was in a faux-suede. I later ordered some rayon velvet online that I'll be using instead. I also bought some lining fabric and the thickest Pellon interfacing they had.

I followed Shushanna's detailed instructions and laid out the design for the front and back of a two-piece belt. The back ended up requiring three small darts. She doesn't specifically mention using fusible interfacing, but I chose interfacing where one side was fusible so the outside fabric stays put when I start beading.



In this photo you can see the front and back sections of the belt after I've fused the fabric to the interfacing with an iron and damp cloth (the still wet sections of the back are darker which is why the back panel looks mottled in color). I wasn't anticipating the texture of the interfacing to show through, but it does as the fabric is rather thin. It actually gives it a pebbled look which you can see in the photo below.

I then pinned the seam allowances around the belt bases and sewed them down using a straight stitch. Then it was time to sew the darts in the back segment so it would cup my booty in a visually pleasing way. I was worried that part would be difficult, but my Sharpie marks were great guides. The back panel ended up looking a little pointy once I sewed he darts in, but I think once I bead over it they will soften up some. I tried on the belt at this point and everything fit just as it was supposed to.



Now comes the fun part. Unlike my previous attempts where I basically decided to just wing the design, this time I had the general composition and patterns laid out beforehand. I decided to do an Art Deco theme after being inspired by a lot of antique jewelry I've seen recently, and that involves a lot of strong geometry and symmetry, so a preconceived design is a must in this case. Still, making the overall designs using the crystals, brass stampings, pearls, and beads I acquired does require some extra groundwork. I'm starting with the front of the belt.

The Art Deco period coincided with the discovery of King Tutankhamen's tomb in 1922, sparking the Egyptian Revival style. In homage to that and to the huge influence of Egyptian bellydance, I'm incorporating some ancient Egyptian-inspired elements like scarab beetles and ushabti figures.

The first time I laid out the design using an ushabti stamping in the center, but it wasn't quite what I wanted.


I know a large scarab will be the centerpiece for the back panel, so I decided to try one on the front also, and I like it much better. The elements below include some small tribal metal pieces, rhinestone chain, Swarovski crystals, and glass pearls. There will also be seed beads and sequins involved for extra sparkle.



At that point, I was still waiting to receive another shipment of beads I had ordered so I didn't want to actually get started securing things to the fabric. I'm going to use some slivers of soap to measure and mark out the general layout and then get to beading! Tomorrow is Spring Caravan so that will hopefully be a real motivator to get to work. Stay tuned for more progress and my design sketches.

Workshops & An Unintentional Air of Tribal

I finally had the opportunity to take a workshop with Amala Gameela of the Lehigh Valley, PA on December 15th. As far as I'm aware, she's one of the few teachers in the area who specifically teaches Egyptian style (most others I know of teach either American Cabaret or some form of Improvisational Tribal, hence my own dance background). Although I've tried my best to expose myself to the quintessential raks sharqi aesthetic, a live teacher is always preferable to video instruction.

This particular workshop was focused on the music of Egyptian singer extraordinaire Oum Kalthoum (alternatively spelled Umm Kulthum, Oum Kalsoum, etc.) and featured two musicians who would be providing live musical accompaniment. How could I pass that up? I already had exposure to the wonderful legacy of Ms. Kalthoum, so although I didn't leave with a lot of new academic knowledge about her life and work, the kinetic and experiential knowledge more than lived up to my expectations. I did learn that may of the classic, longer pieces that I had heard and assumed were written for bellydancers to have deliberate changes in tempo and mood to keep the dance lively and interesting were in fact originally Oum Kalthoum songs. Although it is generally considered disrespectful to dance to her vocal performances, the introductions, which are typically several minutes long in and of themselves, are considered cabaret bellydance standards. Songs that fall into this category include “Lailet Hob (Love Night),” “Enta Omri (You are My Life)," “Alf Layla Wa Layla (1001 Nights),” "Ana Fi Intizarak (I'm Waiting for You)," and “Lessa Fakir (Do You Still Remember?).”. You can hear these songs at 20 Songs Every Bellydancer Should Know.

The workshop started off with a brief biography and a more in depth discussion of the cultural influence of her music throughout the Arab world. We were provided with a handout listing a rough outline of topics and were encouraged to take notes during the discussion. I appreciated that the informational cultural aspect of the workshop took up about as much time as the dancing. Joseph Mamari, keyboardist, and Teo Alhaddad, drummer, who are both of Syrian descent, related their own experiences of her music and what it has meant to their families both here and in the Middle East. They described how she and her orchestra practiced so often they almost engaged in a type of group mind, each time they performed a piece it was different and still raw and emotive, and all without the aid of sheet music. It was really wonderful to see their faces light up as they described instances of their relatives enjoying her music. As a result they touched on the Arabic concept of tarab, which is a trance-like state caused by total immersion in the music, and how listening to her works often evokes this for Middle Eastern people.

It's been unfortunately rare that I've had the opportunity to learn about this dance and its music directly from Arabic people, especially in person, so this was a special treat for me. I cannot recall which specific Egyptian dancer and teacher (Souhair Zaki possibly?) bemoaned the fact that all of her foreign students were disappointed when she took time to elaborate on the cultural 'why's of the dance and instead begged to learn new steps and combinations, but I do not wish to be one of those types of students.

The second part of the class was, of course, dancing. We warmed up to "Alf Layla Wa Layla" and it was so wonderful to hear the strains of that song being played by a live presence in the room rather than a recorded track. I am lucky enough to know this song very well, and I think perhaps in this class I got a small sense of tarab myself. Amala introduced a few basic travel steps and built impromptu combinations with them to certain loops of the song. The moves were fairly basic so most of it was instruction of the "follow the bouncing butt" variety, but I found that a few traveling steps that had eluded me before when technically breaking them down and practicing them came much more easily when trying not to analyze them too much and just following along. After learning a few steps and combinations for both slower and faster tempos, Amala encouraged us to improvise with the music. We also experimented with "Enta Omri." The end of the workshop we had a drum circle where Teo improvised on his tabla and we took turns soloing. It was the most fun I've had in a long time, and after my own solo, Amala told me with a wry smile, "you have groove, girl!" (I'm assuming that is good!) I felt like I did better at improvising than I have in class before. I didn't do what Nadira Jamal describes as "scribbling" and was much more content to slow myself down and simplify.

All in all, it was probably the most enjoyable workshop I've ever had the pleasure of experiencing. When Amala offered a drum solo workshop with Teo Alhaddad on February 23rd, I was quick to sign up.

The workshop description made it seem like the topic would be about how to dance to a drum solo segment, however in reality it was more about which rhythms were typically used in different sections of the traditional Egyptian-style bellydance set and some appropriate moves to accompany them. This class was also highly enjoyable and followed a similar format as the first one. We received handouts with the names of a few common rhythms which we covered. We discussed the more technical aspects of them including the their time signatures but also touched on the cultural/geographical aspects. For instance, khaleegi is more common in the Gulf regions and isn't typically used in Egyptian or Turkish music, saidi is a rhythm from upper Egypt and is the one typically used for raks al assaya (cane/stick performances), fallahi is named after the farming class in Egypt where the drumming pattern originated. The conversation side-tracked a little bit and Amala discussed that depending upon where she danced in Pennsylvania, she tailored her shows to the ethnic communities in that locale. Apparently Bethlehem has a concentration of Syrians, Lebanese, etc. while in Philadelphia one tends to find more Persians and Arabs from the Gulf region. She also mentioned that in Islamic culture, it is rude to show people the soles of your feet (especially if they are in any way, shape, or form dirty) so one should always dance in some kind of shoe if performing for ethnic audiences. Apparently this custom is related to the fact that Muslims carefully wash their hands and feet before prayer. Although I knew some about the regional associations of the rhythms, the information about the differing concentrations of Middle Eastern people in my home state and information about appropriate customs while dancing was all brand new to me and was quite fascinating. There were a lot of interesting things brought up that one doesn't usually get in a typical class setting.

Again the second portion of the class we worked on a few (generally) basic steps and short combinations. We started with a basic chassé step circling the room. Amala commented that my carriage was so Tribal it was funny and I replied that it was completely unintentional. I had taken a saidi cane choreography class a few weeks before with Bridgitte so in that portion the footwork was a bit familiar, however it went rather fast and my grip on the Saidi Step is not wonderful. The khaleegi section featured a more folkloric Persian combination, which was rather challenging. We even did a little floorwork to the chiftitelli. We ended again with a drum solo.

My boyfriend was waiting to pick me up in the parking lot, so sadly I wasn't able to stay a bit longer to more fully express my appreciation (I hope this blog entry will do). I waited with another woman, who also had a Tribal background, to say thank you and goodbye for the evening. This time Amala stated that she really appreciated how soft and fluid my moves were (in contrast to how some Tribal and fusion dancers can be very hard and harsh in their movements) and that it reminded her of how Egyptian dancers move. That was incredibly flattering as I really try to study and appreciate all types of bellydance. She also said we would be welcome to perform at her shows and haflas and that she welcomes various styles. If I can ever work up the nerve, perhaps I might take her up on that!

---

The entire experience got me thinking though how when I describe my background to Cabaret-style teachers, they seem to immediately focus on the Tribal portion of my education, even though in reality my own training has had at least an equal representation of Cabaret and my first classes with a live teacher were in Cabaret style. I become pegged as the "Tribal girl" in class and I'm not quite sure how I feel about this, especially as my gears have shifted to really focus on more traditional Middle Eastern styles. To clarify, it has happened with several teachers, not just Amala Gameela, and I'm certainly not blaming or chastising them for this trend - I'm merely contemplating its implications for me and my dance.

My hip scarves and belts do tend to have a more Tribal flare (i.e. they're not the typical jingly coin/beaded belts or spangled, netted ones) and my carriage and dance personality is less cheeky and flirty than most other students in those classes, but I wonder if that is really a reflection of the Tribal classes and workshops I've also taken or just a more general reflection of my overall character. I am of a quieter, darker bent in general and my social anxieties make it very difficult to be extremely sassy in class or performance opportunities (which is primarily why I have yet to do a solo after all these years). I'm also perhaps not the same type of person who typically is attracted to Cabaret style dance. Usually people with my tendencies do lean towards Tribal, at least if the resources are available to them to choose which genre in which to learn.

I don't have that bubbly, cutesy angle going on which so many Cabaret dancers possess, but neither am I the stiff-lipped, oh-so-serious Tribal fusion dancer I see so often on YouTube. In the comfort of my own home I have a sly sort of sensuality which lies somewhere in between the two extremes. I look like I enjoy myself, I smile, but I'm not winking or blowing kisses or looking over my shoulder with a surprised, open-mouthed expression like a vintage pin-up (not that there's anything wrong with that). I'm not a hair-tosser or prone to much hopping and prancing, yet I also don't lunge, do deep plié, nor exaggerated full-body waves, etc. I'm not sure where I fit exactly.

I admire dancers like Mira Betz who is her own sort of fusion, if you can call really it that. She said in an interview with Color Me Kelli regarding categorizing her dance that the Cabaret dancers don't think she's Cabaret and the ATS and Tribal fusion dancers don't find her to be Tribal, and yet:

"Everything else that is not those two things goes into 'Tribal fusion', for lack of having any other thing to call it. [Describing her many past interests and phases] This is who I am outside, as a teenager and growing up, but then this is what I do as a hobby and I love it. And then I realized, 'oh these don't have to be separate [i.e. her other interests and bellydance], I can be me in this dance.' So that was that fusion that happened and I went 'oh, who am I as a young, American artist, and how can I express that though this language of dance that I have?'"

My own dancing isn't a deliberate fusion of bellydance and some other form of dance like hip-hop or bhangra, or even a melange of multiple dance styles as I've only deeply studied bellydance (although I may have subconsciously adopted a hand gesture or something from watching other fusions). I'm not necessarily sure it technically is a strict fusion of Cabaret and Tribal. It inherits my own quirks and idiosyncrasies. Of course, pigeon-holing is not healthy, but it would be helpful to know how to best describe myself for when I do perform. What do I put in the program?

Blue Costume Blues

I was finally able to attend a Rakkasah East this past October. It's been some time since I've attended a bellydance festival. I was fairly proud of myself for not spending too much money while I was there, until on our way out when I returned to one stand to admire an iridescent peacock blueish-greenish 25 yard skirt that had caught my eye earlier. It was expensive and I couldn't really justify the purchase to myself. The shop owner was assisting another client and I waited to ask about something else I saw in the shop.

The owner brought out a blue bra to show the other woman. She didn't take a particular shine to it but for some reason I did. It was a fairly simple, royal blue bra in a cabaret style. It was too big for the other woman, but it seemed about my size. I'm not sure exactly how it happened but I ended up taking into the restroom to try it on. It didn't quite have the coverage I was looking for and the band was much too tight, but when I held it up it was lovely against my skin tone. There was also a matching belt. I don't even particularly like the color blue but for some reason it worked. On a whim, I brought the peacock skirt over to compare with the bra and it coordinated nicely.

At that point I was basically doomed because the merchant had a payment plan and I found myself ordering a matching bra and belt set like the one on display. Since I wanted a bit more coverage, we looked at some of the other bras that were offered to find a more appropriate size and the merchant wrote down the specific brand and size bra base that would be used. Although the halter ties look pretty, I'm a bit busty and need more support so I also requested a cross-tie back option like the maker's Tribal style bras and that was noted also.

When some people feel down, they drink, smoke, eat junk food, or gamble; I buy things, especially bellydance things. As a result I have all sorts of interesting costume pieces: a striped bustle here, a Tribal belt there, a top there, lots of bits and bobbles and Kuchi coins, but very little would actually go together to form a cohesive costume. I reasoned with myself that at least this is a set and all I would really need to do is accessorize. The price for the set wasn't excessive for the quality (you do get what you pay for and bellydance costumes can get very pricey) and I understood upon inspecting the craftsmanship that I would need to make reinforcements and improvements, for example I wanted to eventually replace some of the plastic beads with crystal and reinforce the stitching and fringe, but it was still the most I've spent on a costume in one shot.

Payments were made and the costume came in the mail. I was so excited to try it on. Sadly, the band of the actual bra is 4 inches less than the size written on the form, the cups have a good amount of padding at the bottom which makes them a lot smaller than they initially seem, and it has halter straps and not the cross-ties I requested. I can fit into it, but it has less coverage and more lift than I would have preferred and is a lot tighter. I can probably use a bra extender (since the original bra back with the hooks is still present hidden under the ties) to help with the tightness but I'm probably just going to have to live with the cups. A piece of trim on one half of the belt is off-center but I don't think that will be too difficult to realign since it is only loosely sewed on. Still, the bra and belt, along with the peacock skirt, which is simply amazing especially tucked and bustled, comprise a real costume set I can actually use once I get the balls to perform solo.

Return

It's been over a year since my last post. I've lost several followers since the last time I checked up on this blog, and it makes me a little sad, but I cannot really blame them, especially since my last post was such a sour note.

Thankfully things have gotten better for me in general, although I still struggle some days, but I've been returning to the things I love. I'm beginning to wonder if I'm actually bipolar as I consistently alternate through these phases of not being interested in or motivated to do anything and then being intensely involved in all sorts of subjects simultaneously.

Some of my new ventures have taken up a lot of my time and energy, so I haven't been able to be very engaged in local bellydance events or classes and in keeping up to date on blogs in virtual bellydanceland, and it's resulted in some serious bellydance withdrawal. Next week I shall have my fix! :D

I start a Zills and Drills class at the Tribal Bellies Studio on the 5th. The Tribal Bellies Studio is the center of the most tight-knit bellydance community I've encountered in my area and I really look forward to going back and partaking of that egregore. I also really adore fumbling my way around with zills and so far I have not found any other teachers who place such an emphasis on playing them. I had teachers who took maybe 20 minutes of one class in the entire session to discuss zills and walk in a circle while playing, but even in non-zill oriented classes we worked with zills every single class at Tribal Bellies.

Although I've been anxiously awaiting it since I registered, another part of me is shaking her head, convinced that I must be a crazy person after all to try to stuff my Wednesday schedule even more densely. That is the day where I already have a private harp lesson, errands/cleaning, about a 2 hour (round-trip) commute to a hospital where I then play the harp for a couple hours, and an Ancestor ritual in the evening along with some crafting/art-making if I can fit it in. I'm also hoping to take part in a weekly Harp Circle held at said hospital (also on Wednesdays) which start on the 13th, so that will be another thing to add to the list.

But back to bellydance... I'm really thrilled about Rachel Brice's new venture in online classes: Datura Online. Although I would love to take multiple classes a week like I was doing for a while, it's just not feasible. Datura Online presents a really nice option to get an extra dose of bellydance basically wherever you have access to WiFi. The classes offered are also not solely in Ms.Brice's own particular tribal fusion style; she has brought a few other teachers on board the project to diversify somewhat. I imagine as Datura Online evolves, more teachers may be participating to provide special workshops.

Baby Steps

I've been in a serious rut for the past several months, hence the lack of blog posts. Depression is something I've had to deal with for most of my life, but lately it's been worse than usual. Over the years I've become slightly better at allowing myself to be thrown headlong into projects so that I simply don't have the extra time to dwell on it (this is actually one instance where having so many hobbies and interests turns out to be useful), but there are times when this strategy doesn't work and the gravity of the depression is just too strong. Like an unavoidable undertow it drags me under and threatens to drown me. I end up consumed by guilt and anxiety, in a state of mental/emotional paralysis, mired down by a lack of motivation. Outside of my necessary interactions with people at work and grocery store, etc. I try to be entirely cut off from others and wished to remain that way.

My interest in bellydance, along with my interest in essentially everything else, suffered and came to a virtual standstill. I had paid for a whole 12 week session of Tribal classes and couldn't bring myself to attend even half of them, I wasn't seeking out more Cabaret classes or workshops, I didn't want to attend any events (if I hadn't paid for my BDSS tickets months in advance I probably wouldn't have gone to the show), and obviously my blogs were not updated.

I'm just starting to return to the surface, although there are still the occasional days when depression's grip is unusually strong, and I've been missing my involvement in dance. A few weeks ago I began my second set of American Cabaret classes with Mirjana and have been doing okay. I'm not yet ready to return to Tribal classes though due to the high level of interaction required. Depression leaves me especially sensitive and rather agoraphobic, and while I can currently cope with being in a class with others, I could not handle the lead-and-follow and mirroring/silhouetting exercises which are a huge part of learning ITS. Right now it's just baby steps (with hip drops perhaps?) for me.

On a more positive note, as the depression-related apathy wears off I'm also gaining more of an interest in art-making, which has been even more chronically neglected than my bellydance activities, so I'll probably be taking a break from classes to work on art. I have a whole slew of bellydance DVDs I should be working with anyways I suppose.

Tribal Superstars: Performance DVD Review

not as described | 2 out of 5 stars
Available via: Bellydance Superstars Shop, Amazon

The BDSS website describes this as a "best of" collection, however what isn't made clear is that the content of this DVD consists only of what Copeland and Co. might consider to be the "best of" what they have previously included on their own releases. There is no new performance material included here, instead this DVD is a compilation of various Tribal style pieces spanning from the very first Bellydance Superstars to the latest Bellydance Superstars: 3D Volume 2. If you have seen or happen to own a number of BDSS DVDs, chances are you will already be familiar with all of the performances on Tribal Superstars:

1. Rachel Brice, "Saraab" from Bellydance Superstars
This is classic Rachel in all her dark, snakey glory. Unfortunately the camera work is classic to the original Bellydance Superstars DVD meaning that the angles may include prop items from the set partially obscuring the dancer, and shots are often cropped to exclude a significant part of her body.
2. Zoe Jakes & Issam Houshan drum solo, Bellydance Superstars: 3D Volume 2
3. Sharon Kihara, "Bear Hides and Buffalo/Proper Hoodidge" from Tribal Fusions
4. Kami Liddle & Sabrina, "Inars" from Tribal Fusions
5. Fat Chance Bellydance, "Tin Tin" from Tribal LA: Live in Los Angeles
6. Elizabeth Strong, "Romski Cocek" from Tribal LA: Live in Los Angeles
7. Mardi Love, "Whiskey Sunrise" from Tribal Fusions
8. Tribal Superstars, "The Dude" from The Art of Bellydance: Live from Shanghai
9. Samantha, "Wayward Farewell" from The Art of Bellydance: Live from Shanghai
10. Tribal Superstars, "Saiidi" from Bellydance Superstars: Live in Paris at the Folies Bergere
This was when the Tribal Superstars included Rachel Brice, Mardi Love, and Sharon Kihara. The other group piece included on this DVD is the newer incarnation of the troupe with Kami Liddle, Samantha, Sabrina, and Moria Chappell.
11. Zoe Jakes & Elizabeth Strong, "Dope Crunk" from Tribal LA: Live in Los Angeles
12. Kami Liddle, "A Necessary End" from Tribal Fusions: Volume 2
Note: The music is cited as "Saltillo" by A Necessary End but in fact the song title and artist are reversed. I discovered this when I went to search for the song on iTunes.
13. Moria Chappell, "Engrish Bwudd" from Tribal Fusions: Volume 2
Note: The credits claim the music as "Ping Heng/Sleeping Somber" by Solace but this is definitely not the case.
14. Urban Tribal, "Derivations" from Tribal Fusions: Volume 2
Although this is from a newer release in the BDSS catalog, this particular recording also seems to suffer from a lot of periodic cropping which is especially egregious in this case since Urban Tribal rely so much on the overall composition and interaction of their troupe. You cannot appreciate this when forcibly focused on just the upper body of one dancer.

If you have not previously been exposed to these particular pieces, or if you enjoyed some of them but do not already own the original DVDs on which they appeared, this might be a worthwhile investment, but otherwise I don't think it is really worth the purchase price. I felt mislead both by the descriptions on the BDSS online shop and the Amazon website into buying it, believing it to have at least some never-before-professionally-released performance footage from the impressive roster of dancers listed on the cover. Although this is a very subjective assessment, I cannot help but feel this DVD really does not represent the best work of these dancers as captured in the pre-existing BDSS collection. I also get the impression that there may have been a rush to release this DVD, considering all the typos and incorrect information in the credits.

The only worthwhile, new material included on this release are several interviews with various Tribal dancers and Miles Copeland. These are substantial interviews too, not just a few stolen, hectic moments before a show in the dressing room — this section rivals (or exceeds) the length of the performance portion of the DVD. The dancers describe their influences, the challenges of being in an internationally touring bellydance troupe, and some of their experiences from the road among other things. I particularly enjoyed hearing Carolena Nericcio talk about how she came up with the cue system for ATS dance. Almost all of the Tribal Superstars discuss the fact that unlike their Cabaret comrades who have a plethora of bellydance fashion designers from whom to commission costumes for each show, the Tribal Superstars craft their own costumes and are responsible for their own extensive hair and makeup. Moria actually displays the belt and bra is is working on to coordinate with the color scheme of the other Superstars and tells the story behind some of the components. It was also interesting to see most of the dancers without stage makeup (Zoe, Kami, and Sabrina seemed to be only wearing very light makeup. Moria was interviewed still in her stage makeup and elaborately-done hair). The contrast is striking and it allows for a better realization of all the time that must go into preparing for a show.

Behold, we have video!

One of my fellow Daughters of the Hip members uploaded a high-definition video of our performance to You Tube:

(Tribal Spirit's aforementioned performance can be seen here.)

I got started a little late during one part of the choreography section since my compulsive shaking was making it difficult to get my scimitar properly in place, and as I previously surmised, I definitely looked too stiff during the sword balancing segment. My range of motion is normally not that limited. The improv section was a little better and I did loosen up some, but you can still tell I was not really at ease up on stage. I can in fact layer a 3/4 shimmy over my Turkish but my body just wasn't cooperating that day.

I wish there was some way to simulate the presence of an audience during practice so I could work at surmounting my fears, but to my knowledge there is no such way other than actually dancing in front of live people. While there are strategies and exercises for overcoming stage fright and developing a strong stage presence, I think you can only truly "practice" performance by actually performing. There is no substitute for the real experience.

This brings up the dilemma of a dancer's readiness to perform versus his or her desire and intent to do so. A few other bellydance bloggers have posted recently about this issue (Tempest and Miischelle for example) and I think it is a worthy one. I agree with the other bloggers in that I do not think baby beginner dancers should be performing for the general public, especially without the explicit caveat that they are beginning or student dancers. In other words, beginners or even intermediate level dancers shouldn't be masquerading as professional performers.

However, once a dancer has gotten a fair amount of learning under her belt* and has the go-ahead from her teacher, I think it is beneficial to perform as a student at haflas or events for fellow dancers, friends, and family. Practice, both on and off stage, makes perfect, and amateur dancers should have appropriate venues to practice their performance skills so they can improve.

Just to clarify (and so I don't sound like a giant hypocrite), our performance at the DE Hafla was as a student troupe. Our non-professional status was noted as such both in the printed program and by the announcement immediately prior to our performance.

*

I don't think there is a hard and fast universal rule as to what the proper time period of study might be prior to performance at the type of events I suggest would be appropriate for amateur dancers — it would vary from dancer to dancer depending upon how long the dancer has been taking classes, how many classes per week he or she takes, how much time outside of class the dancer devotes to practice, the innate ability of the dancer to learn the movements.

Sweet Relief

Yesterday was quite a day. My boyfriend and I arrived about an hour early (we anticipated that the drive to Delaware would take longer than it did) so we decided to take a walk on Main Street. It was a pleasant walk, however it had to be one of the hottest days I recall in this already sweltering summer so by the time we got back to the restaurant I was already drenched in sweat and exhausted.

I was told our performance went well and that even during the choreographed section the four of us were in-sync with each other. None of us dropped our swords and we did not miss our cues from what I can tell. I'd still like to see the video footage to critique my own performance though.

Danielle, Colleen, Kristin & I in mid-"swashbuckler" move. I'm all the way on the left.

Personally, I was so nervous that I was physically shaking — so much so that I feared it might be perceptible by the audience, but apparently it wasn't from those I queried afterwords. The shaking did make sword balancing that much more difficult though, even with the added stickiness provided by the hairspray on my head and beeswax on the blade that I did not use during the rehearsals. As a result I wasn't able to articulate as much as I would have liked while the sword was on my head and probably looked a little stiff. In addition to that, the space had a row of skylights which shed direct sunlight into my face virtually the entire time. I found that mentally I wasn't afraid of the audience and having them so close while dancing despite my body's reaction, but with sun being so bright I could not see them anyways. In most of the photos from the event, at least one of us was completely obscured by the blinding light. If you happen to be on Facebook, you can view my full album here and observe the phenomenon yourself.

I'm in the lead position here for the Tribal improv section of our piece. I think I was just thankful to be able to see for a moment.

There were a number of other great performances that took place that evening. Tribal Spirit did a delicious improv piece which included a lot of cute moves I don't think I've ever seen them do before. They seem so at ease performing and they give the impression that they are dancing not mainly for the spectator's enjoyment but for their own. I am jealous :) I'm hoping a video gets posted of their performance also.

Fatima Bassmah was the headlining dancer this month. I think she would make a perfect Snow White with her raven hair, red lips, and flawless fair skin. She danced twice that evening with a number of props. During one piece she balanced a bejeweled sword on her head while standing on glass goblets. I've never seen wine glasses used as a dance prop in person and was duly impressed. She later did an encore dance with an expertly weilded cane and then a final, upbeat dance to what I believe was a Sha'abi song.

Black Dragon Bellydance did a lovely skirt dance with lots of flourishes and spins. Naja Haje took the part of a serpent emerging from the snake-charmer's vessel: complete with huge basket, a bearded, flute-bearing snake-charmer, and a veil with a design evoking the brown and white pattern on a cobra's head. The music fittingly featured the ney as the prominent instrument. I wish I could have better seen the work of the dancers who immediately preceded and followed ours but I think I was so distracted about our own performance that I didn't get a chance to properly appreciate theirs.

I hope I have the opportunity to perform again in the relatively near future, though my preference would either be without a prop or with one that wouldn't impale my foot if I accidentally dropped it. I'm grateful to Vikki of Hipnosis who wrote the choreography and guided us through the rehearsals and for the three other ladies who danced with me.

Crossing my fingers

Tomorrow will be my second official performance. Needless to say I'm really nervous (just writing about it makes me anxious).

Three other ladies and I will be dancing a hybrid sword choreography/Tribal improvisation piece at the monthly Drum & Dance Hafla hosted by Lorelei in Newark, Delaware. We are dancing as Daughters of the Hip, the student troupe from the Tribal Bellies Studio. Later in the evening Tribal Spirit, who is sort of like the "big sister" troupe to Daughters of the Hip, will also be dancing.

Other than the workshop where we actually learned the choreographed portion, we've rehearsed four times. I think I have the choreography section down, but whether I can remember it when on stage will be another matter entirely. Being rather new to balancing and dancing with a sword, I've been trying to forge a friendship with my new dance partner, a Balady Scimitar, and hopefully we will get along well tomorrow. Almost everything about this performance is fairly new to me, which makes this one more nerve-wracking than the previous one. I should really be more positive!

From what I understand, two people will be videotaping the performance, so in the not too distant future there will likely be some YouTube footage to reference.

Dance Styles, Class Styles

I am really enjoying taking two classes per week, each in a different style of bellydance. Pragmatically I need the exercise, but I find that Cabaret and ITS (i.e. Improvisational Tribal Style) classes balance each other out quite nicely. It is not just the more obvious contrasts between the dance styles that offer a pleasing variety, although that is certainly part of it, but the differing manner in which they are taught and the cultures that have grown around them. Each class style has its benefits and its frustrations. In the past when I have just taken one style of bellydance at a time, I either found myself craving more creativity or more structure whereas in taking both styles I am able to better satisfy both desires.

My Tribal classes provide a very consistent regimen: there are only a limited amount of movements we learn in a session, the drills are the same throughout the class, the order of and the general instruction style is the same. We even tend to use the same music throughout the course. Even if I do not know the move we will be learning that day, I usually know what to expect and in what order things will occur: warm-up, drills, zill practice, instruction, practice incorporating the new move, and a cool-down. The entire program of Tribal classes follows a very specific path with each class building directly upon the next. The whole number levels (Level 1, 2, 3, 4) focus on increasing the dance vocabulary while the interim levels (Level 1.5, 2.5, 3.5) focus on group formations, dynamics, and practicing the moves more in the context of the group dance.

My Cabaret classes on the other hand are more fluid. We do start with the same stretching routine and generally do some similar drills (we almost always do shimmy drills), and we end with more stretching, but the main bulk of the class is much more open. My teacher takes suggestions from students as to what we might like to work on that day and the instruction itself can end up taking different avenues depending upon the class's reaction or aesthetic reasons, for example if we are practicing a combination and the sequence or transitions are not flowing nicely the combination is altered to address the issue. These classes are not nearly as stratified and are usually just divided into Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced level courses.

The varying class styles are largely a natural outgrowth of the two different approaches to the dance. Of course this is not to say that all ITS classes are as highly organized as mine have been or that all Cabaret classes leave as much room for interpretation as those I have taken, but there is an internal logic which guides the class style based upon the dance style.

ITS/ATS by necessity needs to be structured so that the students learn the proper form and timing to dance as a unified group without choreography. One of the things I learned in my Graphic Design classes in college was that the goal of a successful typeface was to create a "beautiful set of letters, not a set of beautiful letters" and the same is true for an ITS troupe and its component dancers. The format does not work if the cues are not clear and people deviate from the standard movements. The group formations are not determined just by what will appeal to a spectator but primarily to allow each of the followers to have a clear sight-line to the current leader. The downside to this is that ITS is some ways can hinder personal expression since the aim of the dance is to be a harmonious group. If a dancer puts too much of her own spin on a step it makes her stand out and distracts from the audience's perception of the group as a whole. (Carolena Nericcio discusses this idea a bit in one of her recent blog entries.) For those that primarily find the joy in dance by connecting with and interpreting the music, ITS may not be the best choice since the format does not cater to music with many quick transitions and tempo changes. In some cases the music in ITS may largely serve as an aural backdrop where only the main beat or phrasing of the music determines the movements (e.g. fast, slow) rather than the emotional content or the meaning of the lyrics, etc. On a positive note, the nature of ITS as a group dance fosters a unique closeness among those who regularly dance together. The constant group practice provides direct interaction with your class peers. Unlike in choreographed group dance as found in Cabaret style, you are not simply dancing with each other but in response to each other — you must constantly be aware of what your leader and troupe-mates are doing and react accordingly.

Since Cabaret is not restricted to a set vocabulary it is able to more easily accommodate the teaching of many variations of a movement. For example a basic hip lift can be presenting with various ways to frame the hips with the arms, it can incorporate a kick, twist, or level change etc. An educated teacher might also be able to advise what variation is more typical to Egyptian or Turkish style bellydance, for instance. Cabaret classes are free to explore these tangents and can afford to be a little more spontaneous. However, this same openness could potentially lend itself to a less effective learning environment where the presentation of so many possibilities may not allow time to adequately drill the core movement and ingrain it properly into muscle memory. Without a set class progression complete with a specific roster of movements per session, you may find that certain ones are either repeated or not discussed at all, and it can be more difficult to gauge what you have accomplished in that session. In addition, if the instructor tends to create combinations on the spot and you happen to like one in particular, you must be sure to write it down or commit it to memory as that exact same combination may never occur again. As this style of dance tends to highlight solo dancers, it is more encouraging of dancers to develop their own style as distinct from the whole class group and even that of the instructor. I have had numerous Cabaret teachers emphasize that the point of learning to dance was not to become a clone of the teacher but to gain the tools to hone one's own voice as a dancer.

I think there are more interesting parallels to be drawn between the style of dance and the way it is taught, and I find the contemplation of the similarities and differences between dance/class styles fascinating so there may be other entries down the line which continue to explore this topic. As I've only taken Tribal classes with one studio, I'd be interesting in hearing what others have to say about the setup of their Tribal classes and if your experiences are congruent with mine. I've taken Cabaret classes with four different teachers over the years so I have a better idea as to what might actually be dictated by the dance style and not just the individual teacher's own preferences, but I'd still like to know about those experiences too. I imagine a more specific Cabaret format like Suhaila or Jamila Salimpour's might more resemble the arrangement of my Tribal classes but that level of structure doesn't seem to be typical of most Cabaret classes.

New Cabaret Classes

I started a new round of classes in AmCab style bellydance last evening with a new teacher.* Mirjana was offering both beginner and intermediate level classes Monday evenings and I agonized over the class for which I should register. At this point, I'm beyond hip slides and snake arms and would like some more varied material, but I'm extremely hesitant about considering myself an intermediate level dancer.

As there is no universal standard of what distinguishes a beginner from an intermediate level class (a class with one instructor could be much more challenging and involve such different material than one with another instructor) it is difficult to gauge where one might be properly situated within a certain teacher's curriculum unless you are already very familiar with it. I did not want to assume that I would have the skills and knowledge necessary for an intermediate class. To be honest, there is also the fear of overestimating my abilities and constantly embarrassing myself in front of more experienced dancers should I choose the higher level class. I'm reminded of a quotation which was posted on the cork board at the Tribal Bellies studio which, to paraphrase, says: "Beginning dancer: knows nothing & is willing to learn from anyone. Intermediate dancer: thinks she knows everything & only wants to learn from masters. Advanced dancer: realizes that there is always more to learn, is willing to dance with & learn from everyone." Although this is only a generalization, it definitely does hold some truth in my experience, and I do not wish to find myself in the middle category.

So I wrote to Mirjana, explained my dilemma, gave her some background on my previous classes, and asked which class would be more appropriate for me. She recommended the intermediate level so the decision was made, but the anguish was not over on my part. After actually registering for the classes I had nightmares akin to those I had prior to the first day of school. I realized how much I had been working myself up over the "intermediate" issue, beyond the conscious and into the subconscious level.

I arrived to class, which strangely enough is held in a building which was once my father's elementary school, very nervous and unsure of what to expect. The room where the class was held looked like it was converted into a wrestling practice space complete with thick, plastic-coated padding covering nearly the entirety of the floor. I wasn't really prepared for that and during class my bare feet kept sticking to it, but where the chalkboards once were are now large mirrors which is a plus. The class itself was not as intimidating as I had feared. Most things I picked up quickly however there were one or two things I struggled with, but that also seemed to be the case with the other students so I didn't feel hopelessly inferior. It's hard to make an assessment after just one class, but for the moment I'm glad to say that my fears were probably just an overreaction.

* A few months prior I was taking Cabaret classes with Suffiyah Monday evenings and was really enjoying them, but the person she was renting the space from apparently was months behind on paying his rent to the landlord and was subsequently evicted so we lost the studio space. A few weeks went by and no suitable alternative was found. Most of the other students were able to move to Wednesday nights which wasn't an option for me since my Tribal classes are that evening, so I've been on the lookout for other Cabaret on Monday classes.

Serpentine: Belly Dance with Rachel Brice 2-DVD Set

On pre-order. Enough said.

Honestly, I didn't even have a choice in the matter. It was like the button clicked itself, and Paypal magically dispensed the money from my account of its own volition.

I'm surprised by the pairing of WDNY and Ms.Brice since she has been so closely tied with Copeland and BDSS productions in the past, but I for one am glad for the partnership. I have her first instructional DVD, Tribal Fusion Belly Dance, and it is good overall, but the production quality is not stellar (and the editing in the brief performance was awful). WDNY DVDs in my experience tend to have much better lighting, uncluttered sets, and just have a general clean, crisp appearance to them. Plus the pricing cannot be beat: on the WDNY website the 2-DVD set is only $24.98 with free shipping (at least to the US). You can't beat it with a bejeweled cane.