New Class with Nawar at Dreams Bellydance Academy!

Greetings, all!

Wow, half a year has passed since I last wrote.... so amazing how time flies. Life has been busy and exciting! I quit my [day] job and landed one the week after (declined it, have been on a nice hiatus for a few weeks but accepted it later...), I performed in my first belly dance theater production, SHUKRAN, produced by Nathalie Zarate of Dreams Bellydance Academy and the Miami Bellydance Convention, and I started an event planning company with my cousin (Design Envy Events -- website will be launching soon so stay tuned!). I decided to take life into my own hands and pursue my dreams, which of course, also include belly dance. :)

My new Level 1 class begins on Saturday, July 9th at 1:30 PM at Dreams Bellydance Academy. I am thrilled and honored to be teaching Nathalie's belly dance style. The world of belly dance is a large one, no doubt... but it always blows my mind how different the dance can be; from the names of movements to the execution. You never forget where you came from and I am happy to have received my foundation but I have learned a great deal and I've been growing as a dancer. I am pleased with how far I have come and can't wait to grow even more.

So, the actual purpose of this blog is a pinch of information and a pinch of public humiliation. I've shared my whereabouts for the past six months so here comes the public humiliation part. I know this is something quite common nowadays... blogging, I mean, ... however, I am hopping on the bandwagon. I am probably at my heaviest weight right now and I think I've reached my max. It hasn't helped that I live in one of the hippest areas with lots of fabulous restaurants that I can't get enough of. Add to that the fact that I've been pretty stagnant for the past five weeks since I've been on my self-proclaimed vacation and that equals weight gain. I am putting my foot DOWN. For clarity, I will be doing it the "right way" and not by means of fad diet or cosmetic surgery. That's right! I'm forgoing Rocco's Tacos, Bayshore Thai and La Bonne Crêpe... at least for a while ;). I will be - dare I say it - exercising!! There are some things that happen to us in life that are out of our control. Weight is not one of them! I will be recording my journey on WBDA!

I am debating whether or not to post my starting weight... but I will check in weekly, announce what better be my loss for the week, or my gain, and will do so leading up to my "25th" birthday. Note the air quotes on that...heehee.... I am highly motivated and I know I can do this the right way this time around.

Visit www.dreamsbellydance.com for all of the fabulous new classes being taught at the studio, including a sexy belly burlesque course taught by Valerick Molinary, and a morning Summer Shimmy Workout class taught by Annemarie, and I will check back in a week! Don't forget, Level 1 starts Saturday, July 9th! See you there. Wish me luck!

2011 Thus Far?

As we often start off the New Year with goals and resolutions, it is a good practice for us to regularly review our progress to ensure that we are on track. After all, if we aren’t progressing, we aren’t growing, right? So, how much progress have you made with your belly dance goals in 2011 thus far?

Let’s see…I have discovered a gold mine of a teacher in Aubre Hill and transformed my bellydance style after meeting and training with Ansuya. What honors! I have also had the opportunity to attend my first Belly Dancer of the Universe Competition in Long Beach. This event was truly amazing: dancers competed to live music that they had never heard before. They also had to compete in a drum solo face-off immediately after performing to unrehearsed live music . These women (and one man) were truly talented. This year has gotten off to a great start for me and bellydance. I feel that I have learned so much in just a little bit of time.

I can’t wait to see what the rest of the year has in store: continued training with Aubre Hill, meeting up with WBDA’s Jenny Nichols at my first TribalFest in Sebastopol, CA, June workshops with Rachel Brice, my 3rd Zulu Lounge experience (where R.B. herself will be performing), workshops with Anasma and so much more!

Next up though: my 2nd Raqs L.A. experience this weekend! Last year Taaj and I flew out from Atlanta to attend this event. Now, I will be attending as an L.A. resident! It’s amazing how much things can change in just one year. I am especially excited about April Rose’s Bellydance vs. Hip Hop workshop. Ssssssss!!!!

So, how has this year been thus far for you?!

~Daneen

My Dance Style: Freedom Style

I had the opportunity of seeing Ansuya perform Saturday night. She was amazing! Since I started belly dancing a few years ago, I have had the opportunity of introducing my friends and family to something new. I had another opportunity to do so this past Saturday night. I gave my friend a head’s up while driving to Donavon’s Studio Iqaat, “Now, you will be seeing two styles of belly dance tonight: traditional cabaret and tribal fusion. You will see what you envision when you think of a belly dancer as well as another version.” The best way that I could define fusion style was as the form of belly dance that is not performed while in a sequenced costume with heels and a skirt to traditional Middle Eastern music. But rather, when performing a fusion number, the dancer would be in pants with gaudy silver or copper jewelry dancing to hip hop, rock or eclectic music.

Well, if you have ever seen Ansuya perform, you are very likely to understand the conundrum I experienced when trying to ‘categorize’ her dance style. She entered the stage gracefully spinning with her long flowing hair, red sequenced bra, two veils, coin sash over her pants, and of course, zills. Clearly these are signs of a cabaret dancer, right? Wrong! Shortly after she made center stage, the beat dropped and all heck broke loose! Ansuya danced with soft and light as well as sharp and hard movements. She also performed floor work with body undulations while in a full back bend. I’m saying to myself, “I’m not quite sure where to place her. Which style does she belong to?” I knew that she was belly dancing because I could clearly see the veils, zills, turns, camels, shimmies, back bend, snake arms, etc. But, where does she fit?

Even though I could not determine where to place her, all I could think was, “Wow!” When watching Ansuya, you see the emergence of all things feminine: sassiness, flirtation, confidence, empowerment, sensuality, and seduction. She exuded all of these qualities while also commanding respect.

With having two main belly dance styles in my mind, I have been really contemplating on which style I would pledge my allegiance to: cabaret or tribal fusion. Cabaret has a very special place in my heart as it was the first style of belly dance to which I was introduced. However, there is a part of it that feels constricting and limiting because the expectation is that you will be ‘ladylike’ by society’s standards. So, I have been drawn to tribal fusion where the expectation is that you will push the envelope and show strength as a woman. Still though, as soon as I begin to think of myself as a tribal fusion dancer, I miss the association with cabaret.

Having been facing these questions about my journey in belly dance, I am convinced that watching Asunya perform and having the opportunity to study with her on Sunday was definitely a divine occurrence. I now know that rather than choosing cabaret or tribal fusion, I can choose both styles and everything in between. Furthermore, I don’t have to limit a single choreography to fit within one style either. When discussing this at her workshop on Sunday, Ansuya described her style as ‘freedom style.’ The next time anyone asks me which style of belly dance I study, my answer will be freedom style! Thanks Ansuya!

~Daneen

No Destination; Only the Journey

It has been two days now, and my glutes are still sore! On Sunday, I attended Part 1 of Aubre Hill’s Technique Intensives. Though I have been a student of this art form for almost 4 years now, using my glutes in belly dance is unchartered territory. I found myself becoming frustrated and embarrassed for struggling with what seems to be a fundamental of fusion dance. Despite my background being in traditional Egyptian cabaret, I have dabbled in fusion. Shouldn’t I have mastered the basics by now?

Then, I remember Aubre’s opening message: we are erasing all judgments and negative self-talk while we become fully aware of our bodies as we awaken muscles that lie dormant within. She informed us that there is no such thing as perfection with this art form because we are always discovering new layers and combinations that challenge us while also maintaining what we have already discovered.

Ahhh, Aubre’s message reminds me to breathe and take it all in stride! In belly dance, there’s no destination…only the journey. I can’t wait for Technique Intensives Part 2. Obliques, get ready! Until then, I'll be drilling my glutes. ;-)

~Daneen

Technique Tune-Up Intensives with AUBRE

January 23, 2011 - Glutes, Glutes, Glutes
February 13, 2011 - Oblique Fun
March 20, 2011 - Beautiful Arms, Hands and Upper Body
April 10, 2011 - Turns and Traveling for Belly Dancers
May 15, 2011 - Geometry of Hipwork

Visit www.dancegardenla.com/events.html for registration details.

Learn more about Aubre Hill at www.aubredance.com.

Resolutions

January 1, 2011

Alright, so.... I was really trying to avoid making resolutions this year because, let's face it... I'm still waiting on me to work on things I promised myself from 1995 but considering the fact that the Mayan calendar predicts 2011 to be our last non-apocalyptic year, perhaps I ought to start making up the for the last 16 years. Here are my top five for 2011:

Number 5: Spend less time behind a computer screen.

The amount of hours I spend looking at a computer on a daily basis is absurd. I use one at work for eight hours and then come home and try to convince myself that I will merely "check my email". In this era of social networking, e-commerce and online audiences of people who broadcast how cute their puppy looks while sleeping via Youtube really makes it difficult to leave the couch and be more productive. Well, NO MORE! I'm going to work on that this year... starting right after I finish typing this blog... ;)

Number 4: Get more sleep.

For some reason, I found it extremely difficult to sleep at a decent hour last year. I blame it on the computer and the awesome re-runs of Criminal Minds that I've become addicted to lately. I used to go to bed at a reasonable hour - 10 PM, no later than 11. Now, I drag myself to bed around the 1 or 2 AM hour. Last year alone, I lost approximately 730 hours of sleep, or roughly 30 days. 30 days!! I'll never get that time back. This MUST change.

Number 3: Travel more.

There is so much world out there for me to experience and this year, I want to see more of it! I want to visit three countries I've never been to, surround myself with new culture and try new food. Well... I take the food part back. I am the pickiest eater and won't eat something simply based on how it looks when it's alive so... maybe I'll just stick with surrounding myself with new culture. :)

Number 2: Finally get rid of Joey!

Some will know what I mean, some won't, and I'm ok with that. :)

And my number 1 resolution for 2011... drumroll please... Maintain a positive state of mind.

I'll admit, I have not been the most positive person in the world. In my mind, the glass is usually half empty. What a sorry way to live, lol. I have an uncle, well, he's my mom's uncle. I'm not sure what our relation would be labeled as on the family tree but let's just call him my uncle. The man is in his 70s but you would never know it. He has looked the exact same since I was a little girl. He hasn't a care in the world and for that reason, he hasn't a wrinkle on his face. I always joke with my mom and ask her where the fountain of youth is that he drinks from or when his next Botox appointment is because there is no way he can look so youthful and vivacious at his age! He always has a smile on his face. I have never once seen him get angry - it's so amazing. I want to be just like him when I grow up, starting today. I will try my best not to honk and flip off people who turn into the lane I'm coming down, only to then drive 10 MPH in front of me.... I will try my best not to be so self-critical whether it be my hair, weight, my choreographies or what have you.... I will try my best to maintain a positive outlook on life in general and remind myself that there are so many people in the world who would kill to have my "problems" because for them, it'd at least mean three meals a day, clean water and a roof over their heads. I am truly blessed to live the life I do and I will remember that daily.

I realize that around January 30th some will have gotten wasted every weekend, smoked 60 packs of cigarettes, or decided to see for themselves whether or not Morgan Spurlock was really on to something in "Supersize Me". Whether you've vowed to stop drinking, quit smoking, lose weight, etc., I wish you an amazing 2011; or perhaps you've decided to start this year off resolution-free. Simply remember that our lives are a result of our states of mind... and in the words of Drake, my current love, "...everybody dies but not everybody lives." It's 2011. Live, my friends, LIVE! LoL. HNY!

Yum

2010: A Year in Review

Well, here we are again; another end to another year, and what a year it has been! I moved back to South Florida, lost friends, made friends, went green and recycled dates one too many times with the wrong man-friends, got a new "day job", bought way too many pairs of shoes, moved into a new place, fell in love with Drake.... so much has gone on but the one thing that stays consistent in my life, like man's best friend, is belly dance. I didn't think it was possible to fall any deeper in love but by the looks of my waving white flag, I've surrendered. It's a sick love affair. Belly dance has been there for me in the morning, late at night when I close my eyes, hoping to reach REM before the alarm sounds, and all the hours in between. I dance while showering. Who does that?! -Sidebar, if you do that please email me so I can feel less strange. End Sidebar-

Shortly after being exposed to belly dance a few years ago, I felt confined. I felt as though I'd hit a ceiling and could not advance to where I wanted to be for multiple reasons that I won't divulge here. I did not wish to color within the lines or be a cookie-cutter dancer, bringing one's opinion of what a dancer should look like or dance like to life. I'm not a puppet. I've always been a "think outside the box" kind'a gal. I just want to be me. This year, after my move back home, I felt a surge of growth. Whether belly dance, ballet, hip-hop or any other genre out there, dance is all about growing; learning from others to become a better and stronger dancer and this year, I got the growth I've been seeking and can't wait to continue. I actually place my head and back against my living room wall and, using a ruler and marker, I note my belly dance growth. If you didn't think my dancing in the shower was weird, this'll do it. ;)

In 2010, I stood out and was "recognized" by big-named talent on three occasions while participating in various workshops. Yes, I counted because it meant so much to me. Leave me alone! They were such humbling experiences and lit a fire under my butt to grow even more and continue to be me. Who knows, maybe I'll enter competitions next year. I'm a Libra, which means I don't handle rejection well so I'd have to be emotionally prepared to face the consequences of losing if that happens, ha!

In 2010, I was fortunate enough to be invited by Nathalie Zarate, owner of Dreams Bellydance Academy and founder of the Miami Bellydance Convention, to teach at her studio. No matter what kind of day I had from 9 AM- 6 PM, the minute 8:45 PM rolled around I was the happiest and luckiest person because I got to escape and share my interpretation of music and movement with a wonderful group of women. Teaching has always been an awesome feeling.

In 2010, WBDA was born! Momma Jenny [no relation to the pizzeria] and momma Nara got together and hatched a beautiful baby and I am so excited to be a part of it. I guess I'd be a second cousin to this baby but no matter the relation, I love it unconditionally. It was an honor to team up with WBDA to throw the April 2010 hafla and I cannot wait to work with them on future projects. Love you, ladies! Let me also shout out daddy Lee and the wonderful work he does as well!

When I sit and reflect, as I so often do, 2010 was a pretty good year but I am sooooo psyched for what is in store for 2011. January is already looking fabulous and there is so much more in the works. I can't wait to share my experiences with you as they happen. I can't give it all away now! Who wants to see a movie after being told what happens? Not me! So, you'll have to stay tuned. ;)

Happy New Year, everyone! Until next year. :)

Rakstar 2010

This past weekend, I attended Virginia's 10th anniversary celebration - Rakstar 2010. The 4-day event took place in Miami Beach, FL and dancers from all over, including dance friends Faaridah and Hadil of Atlanta Fusion Belly Dance, flew into South Florida to take part in this memorable event. Several workshops were offered, taught by masters of our craft: Asmahan, Yousry Sharif, Amir Thaleb, Jillina and Virginia herself. In addition, the weekend was full of fabulous shows (with guest performer Karim Nagi) and a competition so there was a little something for everyone!

I participated in two workshops and was a guest of the Friday night theater show, so aptly titled "ONE". There was such a wonderful, eclectic mixture of art within the production. To sum up, one's eye was dazzled with sand, instruments I've never seen/heard before, chairs, modern dance and even aerial silks! Beautiful performances were executed by Virginia, Wa Nour al Ayun and Fuzion Dance Artists. There was a mixture of Oriental, folklore as well as world dance fusion numbers. I particularly loved Act 2, which included Indian, Spanish, Asian, African and Brazilian fusion. I loves the Samba. Yes, I said "loves".

One of the highlights for me was Karim Nagi. This was my first time seeing him live and it was just absolute, unequivocal FUN. I officially love him. His performance, his expressions and little nuances... his ability to engage a crowd and generate this dynamic energy are all admirable qualities. Good, Pure, Fun. Asmahan performed two numbers as well and it was impossible for me to take my eyes off of her. She entered the stage "Asmahan style" - love her entrances - and put on a fabulous show. I've only ever seen her dance on YouTube, which, damn! If you haven't seen her, YouTube her... so, watching her move in person was wonderful!

Regrettably, photography was prohibited so I don't have photos to share but I gather that professional photos will be available for viewing at some point.

On to the workshops...

My first workshop was an Oriental number taught by one of Egypt's star dancers, Asmahan. The room was packed with eager students who wished to study with her. The choreography was stunning. STUNNING. Asmahan has such a commanding presence and one just can't help but to stare. I learned a lot from her workshop and can't wait to add some spice to my own creations.

My next workshop was with Jillina. What can I say about Jillina? She is amazing. I wish tiny, real-life pocket-sized Jillinas were available for purchase in stores so that I could carry her around with me where ever I went. Her personality is ridiculous (a good ridiculous). I had the time of my life in her workshop - and not just because it was a drum solo (anyone who knows me knows drum solos are my "ish") but because people just want to be around Jillina. She has such a pleasant and inviting, silly, girl next door personality... add in her kick-ass choreography and dance ability and you've got a belly dance girl crush. I loved every moment of her workshop.

BIG thanks to Virginia for hosting such a fabulous weekend of dance and to everyone who assisted in putting the event together. I was very happy to be exposed to the work of belly dance powerhouses in living color. Workshops make us better dancers and I can't wait for the next.

Happy 10 years, Virginia!