Season of Gratitude - 2019 Edition

TL:DR - I AM SO FREAKING GRATEFUL GUYS

I cannot believe that November is already greeting its final days and December is ready to rock my world.  A lot has happened since my last post - I apologize if this isn't written very beautifully but more like a summary. Part of the value of this blog for me is capturing some of my favorite moments and analyzing them so that when I'm older and wiser and more forgetful, I can both relive a fun experience and see how much I've grown spiritually, emotionally, physically, mentally, and bellydancerally. #technicalterm

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The Art of Belly Dance: Emotion - RECAP TIME

The Art of Belly dance show was not even 6 weeks ago but feels far away from me. I think I'm the type of person that doesn't experience all of the emotions in the moment, but rather I store them for processing later and I haven't taken it off the shelf yet. Something that I am incredibly certain of is that I am so grateful for my friends in dance and the amazing audience members that joined us for this one.

In Raqs Sharki there is a balance between being an artist and an entertainer and often times dancers get to wear the "entertainer" hat and the "artist" hat gathers dust in a corner (though I look upon it longingly). The Art Belly Dance at the Sapphire Room and the Big Bad-Ass Belly Dance Show at the Visual Arts Collective are two of the very, and I mean very, few times where I get to reveal my real heart and the emotions that I want to express. 

​I hope I was still entertaining as I performed for everyone, for that is a HUGE value of mine as a performer, but I am so privileged and grateful that I had a chance to dance out my emotions and not pray that my inner musings are "good enough" or "interesting enough." I always feel whole when my friends are in the room and you all showed up for me and gave me a huge gift - I hope you liked what I left on the stage for you. 

The emotions I danced a solo to were "regret" and "attraction" - two words that inspire me immensely. Which piece from the show (didn't have to be mine) inspired your emotions? 

Travels to Twin Falls - Mini Tours are a THING

Cecilia and I have had the opportunity to go to Twin Falls, Idaho a couple of times during the fall to dance for several wonderful establishments including Persian Coffee, Saffron Indian Food and Rock Creek Celebration Center! 

We had so much fun getting to know the wonderful people of Twin Falls and connect with our friends that live there!  We can't wait to get back there (as part of our 2020 Vision - haha) and hopefully even more of these mini-Idaho-tours will materialize as Raqs Sharki takes over the Gem State! 

Starbelly Student Salons are AMAZING - they are more than just a great student event, they are a great event PERIOD

I think my weirdly long title says it all!  I love the Student Salons because all of the amazing people involved with Starbelly School of Dance (including... ME) get to strut our stuff and show off all of our hard work. I love seeing everyone in their beautiful costumes with their heads held high and their finger cymbals twinkling enthusiastically. Here are some pictures that were nabbed of me during the last salon and a few of the beauteous women that allow me to dance with them. 

Scorps are Choice - You're choice too! 

All of the Idaho based Starbelly Dancers performed at this really fun EDM event. It was amazing to see the Gem Center of the Arts transformed into a ravers paradise celebrating mysterious and passionate Scorpios!  

It was also so much fun to dance while EDM Idol DrumSpyder was playing/spinning/DJ-ing/help me - part of the joy of this event was the energy he brought to his music and how he played FOR the dancers and the crowd. I hope he comes through town again because this whole event was just cool.  Thank you to BEB Events and all of the people involved in this event - it was our pleasure to celebrate your birthdays! 

Transformation - Revelation - Tussication

I may have said this before, but I believe that growth comes from feeling uncomfortable.  If something is bothering you, you adjust and change. Our discomfort is ultimately what drives us. Isn't it often said that the "right" path is often the "hardest?"  I'm sure that there are many highly intelligent people who would disagree with me, but I know that when something is bothering me it is my body and spirit's way of telling me that I have WORK to do. Valuable work. 

With this in mind, and a receding head cold, Cecilia, Chad, Bayla, Alyssa (my long-distance love) and I attended some amazing workshops put on by our collective inspiration, Myra Krien.

"Is this the point where you talk about your girl crush?!" you scoff at your screen - but Myra isn't the type of woman that you have a girl crush on. She is so deeply wise, inspiring and generous, I couldn't pigeon-hole her into someone I have a "crush" on or someone that anyone has that sort of ownership over.  Myra is like a force - can you have a crush on the feeling of sunshine? That about sums up how I felt about Myra in my heart as I walked in the door of the workshop. 

Physically though, I felt like CRAP. I was over the worst of the cold and I could breathe, but I was just exhausted. Why does this matter?  I think that my physical ailment actually let me tap into the workshops in a more emotional way - I didn't have the actual energy to maintain my walls and barriers and I just let things happen to me in a way that I wouldn't necessarily do normally. That in itself is a huge lesson for me - and I haven't even said anything about the series of discoveries I had during the three workshops Myra held. I'm still absorbing it all and processing it through my body so that things will stick, but I did want to share the testimonial I wrote for these workshops with you all so you can capture a glimpse of the magic from my perspective. 

A workshop from Myra Krien is more than just a series of combinations or even dance concepts - Myra sees every dancer and creates powerful moments where the people in her class can be connected to one another, themselves, and to something larger. I've never seen a teacher so seamlessly combine dancers of every level and customize content so that everyone will have something helpful to them immediately but also as they grow into the dancer they are meant to become. Myra generously shares every ounce of her presence and vast knowledge with her students to the point where you wonder, "has she left any for herself?" ... and then you watch her dance and realize that you can't even guess at the wealth of knowledge this amazing woman has in her brain, heart, and spirit. I highly recommend involving yourself with Myra's teachings as soon as you can. Why are you still reading this?

AND ON TOP OF THAT WE GOT TO DANCE WITH RITIM EGZOTIK AN AMAZING BAND BASED IN PORTLAND AND YES, I AM IN FACT YELLING. The guys in the band are all warm and talented and I had the opportunity to dance to Luxor Baladna with a sub woofer (yassss) and I hope I did justice to a bitchin' electric guitar taqsim. I am addicted. 

I hope it goes without saying that I am so grateful to Myra Krien for making these workshops happen.  Additionally, thank you to Ritim Egzotik and the wonderful crowd that attended the show after a long day of glory. Finally, thank you to team Starbelly for joining my on wonderful adventures and especially to our wonderful hostess, Alyssa, who definitely has a tea addiction.

​There should be some video in my gallery from this in a few weeks. 

We got some stuff coming, and then it's 2020! 

Below are some promos for our up and coming shows! We will be doing our usual spot at Taj Mahal but December means that it is time for our annual holiday bonanza at Sofia's Greek Bistro!  Reserve your spots because it WILL fill up. Additionally I will be joining the Starbelly Student Troupe (SST) at the Festival of Trees this Sunday.  Follow the Starbelly Dancer Facebook Page to keep up with our last minute gigs and special events (New Years Eve is looking to be pretty awesome, just saying).