Shay has two Mommies...no, wait...four...no...

This week I have been musing a lot on how I got to where I am today. What have my roots been? How do those humble beginnings and tentative steps still inform who I am today as a dancer, as a director, as a teacher? So I have been running down the list in brief of all my dance mommas and aunties. I have taken many many workshops of course--and there are many dancers who I have had limited contact with (due to distance or time in history), yet still had a profound effect on me from afar--but I am confining this to teachers I have studied with or been influenced by directly over a significant period of time.

Blast from the past: vintage Raqs al-Hamra

A blast from the past! Sorry, there was no embedding was available that I saw:

Our first foray at The Northwest Folklife Festival, back when we were Raqs al-Hamra before we changed our name to inFusion Tribal.
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x20e3_infusion-tribal_music

This was our first choreography, ever. Done to Cybele, no less:
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x20e6_infusion-tribal-3_music

And while we're at it, BOOTILICIOUS! Our first real hip-hoppy fusiony piece. We loved it so much. Makes me cringe and laugh at the same time. :)
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x20e4_infusion-tribal-1_music

Our first sword choreography (version 2.0 with floorwork laybacks)
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x20j0_infusion-tribal-6

Our first year at Capitol Club, when only Renee, Michelle, and I were doing it every month. And one of my first solos there:
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x20i2_infusion-tribal-2_music

And for contrast, a few years later at the Northwest Folklife Festival:
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x20ii_infusion-tribal-5_music

January 22, 2010 Newsletter

JANUARY CLASS NEWSLETTER


CLASS REGISTRATION OPEN
Registration is open now for all classes, including the new special session of HULA! Yes, Thursday nights we will be learning Hula and Polynesian Dance with guest instructor Cathy of Hukalani Hula. She is a warm, engaging, and knowledgeable teacher, and I can't wait to share her with you all.
8:30-9:30pm Thursdays.

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER ONLINE NOW

*Please note, Kathy's guest-taught hula class does not qualify for multiple
class discounts, so you must register for it separately and not as part of a
multi-class registration.

Lots more after the jump...

Toilet Squirrel - A Story

So I am a member of the Ravelry community, and each year they have the BOB Awards, which is an excuse to call to light some of the best patterns, best projects, best yarns, best contributors, and in this case, the best or funniest threads in the forums. This is one of the contenders for 'Funniest Single Post'. I loved it and had to share!

Oh and hey, if you're also on Ravelry, I would love to friend you!

Enjoy. :)

"Yes, Virginia, There Is a Squirrel in My Toilet. You May Not Believe How It Got in There, but Here’s One Way to Get It Out
By Beth Nabi

It wasn’t December. It wasn’t my chimney. And it sure as snowballs wasn’t Santa.

Beginner vs. Advanced

I have found that one of the largest differences between a beginner student and an advanced student isn't necessarily what you are able to achieve, but what you *believe* you are able to achieve. It comes from a combination of willingness to try, confidence in your strengths, and the ability to roll with your struggles, push through with grace, and try again.

Other than raw ability, what do you find are some differences between beginners and advanced dancers?

ATS Boot Camp and Dance Jam - Jan 11

Kicking off the new year right with a kick-butt pair of workshops offering a good workout, and a lot of laughter and fun!

Not a current student of mine? Anyone with ATS foundations, regardless of whether or not you study with me regularly, will find these workshops valuable for refining technique and exploring some new ideas.

-OR-

If you are a student of mine who has been away for a while, these workshops will be a fantastic way to return to the dance, brush up on your skills, and be introduced to some new changes and concepts since you last danced with us.

*********************************
ATS BOOT CAMP AND DANCE JAM
Monday, January 11, 2010
Phinney Neighborhood Center
6532 Phinney Ave N, Room 7

7pm-8:30pm Foundations Boot Camp - $15
8:30-10pm Dance Jam - $10
>> or pre-register for BOTH for only $20! <<
$25 for both at the door
*********************************

ATS Foundations Boot Camp
Get back to basics with this wham-bam THANK YOU MA'AM! refresher course. After a brief warm-up, we will review all the ATS foundation skills from the ground up, rockin' through the entire Level 1 course material to get the new year off on the right foot. Refine the foundations that are integral to becoming a stronger, more confident dancer at all levels.

If you are not a current student of mine, this workshop will be of particular value to get a feel for me as a teacher and for the class culture, to see if we would be a good fit for your further studies in tribal bellydance. We'd love to meet you!

Tribal Dance Jam
This workshop is ideal for Level 2 and up dancers, but is *open to all level dancers* who are interested in the challenge of trying new things. We will be focused on different formations and collaborative relationships within the dance, including duets, trios, one-two-triplet, and open chorus. ***We will also be reviewing the NEW foundation formation we will be using beginning in 2010, based in ATS tradition. You don't want to miss this chance to get a head-start on the changes!***

Registration and full details at
http://mandalatribal.com/workshops/upcoming

Sorry for the short notice, m'dears. Please register or let me know as soon as you can if you plan to attend!!

The next session of regular classes begins the week after MLK holiday, the week of the 25th. In addition to our regular classes, we will have a special session of HULA on Thursday evenings. You don't want to miss out! http://www.mandalatribal.com/classes/schedule

Happy New Year everyone!
-Shay

Passionate teachers...

I have been thinking a lot over my holiday break about what it means to be truly *passionate* about something, and in particular, what it means to be a passionate teacher. It is more than showing up and conveying material in a clear and professional manner. It is conveying an EMOTION, it is about building enthusiasm, and demonstrating that enthusiasm, in the work you do and share with your students. And they in turn reflect that joy and commitment in their expression of what you have taught them.

Greg Breniburg is such a teacher. "Mr. B" as he is called by his students at PS22, is a true inspiration not only to his students and fellow staff members, but to the world at large. And personally to me as a teacher, I find him an amazing example of the teacher I want to be. He has taught kids more than music, and demonstrated more than what it means to teach. He is an example of *passion at work*, and I am duly moved. Enjoy!

http://www.beyondtheordinary.net/greggbreinberg.shtml
http://ps22chorus.blogspot.com/

Your 2010 Wishlist!

So a new student and friend, Kelly at Seattle Yogini, called me to action with her idea of a 2010 Wishlist. Oh I love this! A 2010 WISH LIST! I, like Kelly and I am sure others, resist the idea of resolutions, because they have become something to almost be mocked because they are so often broken. I don't want to make promises to myself I won't keep, which feels like a further self-defeating practice. Wish Lists sounds like goal setting without breaking promises! Thanks, Kelly, for the great inspiration!

As for my list, I will have to meditate more on it, but however cliche, I know being more healthy is high. I have eaten and DRANK wayyyyy too much in the latter half of this year, and my continued issues with my knees, foot, and back are surely exacerbated by weight gain. I want to feel strong again, most of all, and more fearless! Those were things I always valued in myself throughout my life, and I want to preserve that "Sharonness" through my late 30's, 40's and beyond!!

I also want to re-examine the role of my dance in my life, both in teaching and in performing. I know I adore it, but identifying more specifically what I adore about it, and how I can keep those aspects of my love for it without burning myself out. I want to help my students stay enthusiastic and connected, and that relies on ME staying enthusiastic and connected. Finding the right boundaries and creative motivations, and knowing when and how to let go seems the key.

Being more organized is always on my list. I can be stubborn with myself, and resist "busy-work" when it comes to my home and my finances. I would like to nip that in the bud with some new daily habits for self-care and simplifying.

Spending more time with new friends, and specifically friends who are creative, childlike, and fun-seeking like me, is another goal. I have loved nurturing my crafty relationships in the past couple years, and feel my dormant creative self re-awakening as of late, and I want to keep that momentum going, both inside and outside of dance.

Okay, now you!! What is your 2010 Wish List?