Shut Up and Shimmy - Featuring Carmen!

Our very own Carmen Bellotti was the featured guest on the local podcast, Shut Up and Shimmy. Give it a listen and hear what it's like to go from student, to performer, to teacher, and all the challenges and joys it brings to grow in this dance. WAY TO GO CARMEN! Lelelelelelele!

CLICKY CLICK

Do More With Less - The Power in Simplicity

I have been thinking a lot lately about the phenomenon in the bellydance world of favoring volume over quality. Teachers are pushing students through levels (Six weeks in the beginner level? Welcome to intermediate!) or constantly introducing new concepts in lieu of polishing current skills (because they are bored themselves? are afraid of not being relevant?); and in turn instilling in their students the perceived higher value of lots and lots of movement and variety above the value of honing a manageable set of skills before adding on new things. I am seeing a lack of emphasis on repetition, control, discipline, and intention over flash. In doing so, we undermine a strong work ethic and diminish a sense of pride in the fundamental elements of Good Dance.

At the risk of sounding curmudgeonly and over-dramatic, at the center of it all I think we are failing as a community to nurture a mindful generation of dancers. What we need to make our mantra in this day and age of "sensory overload and on-demand streaming video constantly pumping overwhelming amounts of data into our skulls in a world which honors style-over-substance" is this powerful idea: "Do more with less."

Does Your Teacher Have Your Best Interests at Heart?

Gilded Serpent posted a link to their article recently, and it was very timely. I have been working on a blog post about a very similar topic. I enjoyed this one very much. Some highlights include:

"Is your teacher qualified to give you a proper foundation for technique as well as cultural references?
When searching out a Belly Dance teacher, don’t be shy about asking for the teacher’s credentials. If you are going to spend time and money learning to Belly dance, make sure you start the journey off with the right teacher so you won’t have to back-track later."

and

"Are your teacher’s classes and troupe a positive and healthy environment?
Most teachers of Belly Dance truly love to teach so they can pass their knowledge on to others. However, teachers exist who thrive on belittling and controlling their students. This type of environment may not be apparent at first glance, which is why it is important to occasionally take the time to analyze your dance classes and troupe experience."

The only ones I don't entirely agree with are the "develop your own style"--for ATS dancers, it is important to concentrate on a collective style, so it doesn't always apply to all teachers of all styles--and the 'performance opportunities' segment. I don't feel performing is a forgone conclusion for everyone. I think dance is a performance art, yes, but many seek it for reasons other than performing, and those motivations should be honored.

In fact, I think some teachers stress performance much too much, rushing students through the basics and trying to get them into troupes and on stage quickly, to the detriment of strong technique. 

I believe students should feel they have been prepared to perform--groomed for success!--and when they do perform it is earned through hard work and proven skill.

So read this brief article and see what you think!
http://www.gildedserpent.com/cms/2013/02/18/does-your-teacher-have-your-best-interest-at-heart/#

Reversal of a Policy - Men in Class

So I recently made an announcement regarding the change in my "no men" policy for my bellydance classes. The announcement was thus:

"I am finally opening my regular classes officially to all genders next session. If you want to know the story of why I made my classes women only in my early years of teaching until now, I am more than willing to tell you why. But even given very good reason, it has never sat entirely well with me to exclude men from my classes. 

I decided the day that our beloved John Compton passed that it was time to let the past be the past and move forward with my heart. I have had many male dancers who have inspired me during my dance life, and it has become impossible to imagine that I could continue to keep eager, willing, and potentially wicked-talented men--perhaps a future John Compton!--from coming to my classes and share in the joy that is bellydance.

To any men who may have been hurt or offended by my policy in the past, I apologize for ever making you feel unwelcome or under-valued in the  dance world. As I said, I am willing to explain why it is that the policy came to be--it wasn't always my policy, but one that grew out of specific experiences in my early years teaching and was a choice that was right for me at the time. But as of now, that policy is overturned.

I welcome your thoughts or questions should you have any. As always, my door is open. 

When the Roots run Deep, the tree grows mighty."

I did get some initial queries as to why my policy was put in place in the first place, and I am happy to share my experience for those who are curious.

I initially did not limit my classes to women only. I was very pleased and even proud that I was opening my doors to all genders--something which at the time most studios I knew of did not do, and was nearly unheard of in tribal/ATS studios, a style which was considered the domain of "female empowerment".  So I was a bit of an odd-one-out with my open door policy (another outlier was my mentor Paulette Rees-Denis of Gypsy Caravan, from whom I took my largest dose of inspiration in my formative dance years). Within my first couple of years teaching, however,  I had two incidents with male students who made me ultimately decide to limit my classes to women only.

Concise Teaching - fewer words, bigger impact

One thing I have always admired about Carolena's and Paulette's teaching, both, is their ability to distill concepts down to refined verbiage. That is to say, they take more complex details of technique and refine their teaching language so that the important points are all addressed, without overburdening a student with too much information. Of course they have lots of additional details they are keenly aware of, which they have learned through years of studying, dancing, and teaching; and while all of it is useful, it's not actually helpful or efficient to try and share every single detail when trying to teach someone else.

Today as I was driving home to the grocery store, I was thinking about how important this skill is. For instance, if I wanted to get someone from the grocery store to my house, I would say "Take Highway 99 south until you hit 145th. Hang a left at the light, right on 1st, then right onto my street. Our house is on the right hand side."

By contrast, when I am driving MYSELF home from the grocery store, the volume of information I know from this well traveled route is much greater, and I know little tricks and ways to make the trip more smoothly and quickly because of these little details. For instance, I know that the traffic on Highway 99 is difficult at some times of the day, so I may actually take a slightly different route depending on the day. If I do take it, once on the highway, I get in the left hand lane and watch for the lights as they cycle. If I hit 145th while the through-light is red, then I will actually plan to go ahead to 125th instead of waiting for the turn signal, as it will be a long wait through the full cycle until the turn light I need turns green. But if the through-light is already green, then I know the left turn signal will ping soon, so I hop into the turn lane and take 145th as planned. If I instead end up taking 125th, I have to go around the lake but that road turns into my street so there are no more turns to navigate, and in that case my house will be on the left side as I drive up. If I take 145th I skip the lake, but it means I have two additional turns ahead of me, and my house will come up on the right side... (You didn't really read all this, did you? Well if you did congratulations! You know how to get to my house...sort of!)

All that is a very long way of saying I know how to get to my house very well, with a multitude of options which I choose in the moment depending on various factors I have become familiar with over the 12 years I have lived in my house and going to that grocery store. But if I am telling someone ELSE how to get there, trying to disseminate all that information would just confuse the heck out of them! All they really need is a small set of instructions, and the rest of the information simply comes through individual experience.  They need to travel that path several times on their own, and through that repetition they will figure out their own little tricks and shortcuts to make the trip more efficient.

So yeah, dance is like that. Students really only need a simple road-map--a concise set of instructions on how to do what they do. As they practice and grow, they will learn more naturally on their own. 

And of course, in the case of driving directions, if a friend comes to me and says "Hey I will probably be coming up from the south this time, how do I get there?" I can give them new information that is relevant to their specific needs at the time.

What I mean when I say "Good!"

Anyone who has been in my classes for any length of time is very familiar with a common exclamation I make during drills or at the end of class: "Good! Really good job, guys!"

I say it so much, perhaps it has seemed to lose its meaning. I wonder sometimes if students think I just say it to "be nice" or as a wrote form of encouragement, which is not actually a reflection of what I think is capital G "Good".  But if one pays close attention, you will see that while it is true I say it often, I don't say it every time, and that I do in fact use it only when I think it is warranted.  So let me explain what I mean (and don't mean) when I say "Good!"

Good is not a reflection of perfection. I don't say "Good" because everyone has gotten all the details perfectly right. Good is a combination of factors I see displayed, such as:

• posture
• confidence
• doing the right thing even if it's not quite "there" yet
• error recovery
• smiles
• gaze
• awareness
• joy

All of these things, individually and in combination, are strong and important steps in your growth in the dance. When I tell you what you have done is good, I am telling you that you are on the right path, that you are progressing in the way I hope for you to progress, that you are demonstrating improvement in the skills I am trying to push you toward improving.  Good really DOES mean GOOD!

So rest assured, students, that I am not just blowing smoke and rainbows around when I say encouraging things frequently. It is because you are so frequently meeting or exceeding my expectations, it warrants a verbal pat on the back to let you know you are on track and that I see your efforts paying off. Trust in the word "Good"--when it comes from me, it's for real!

"OH MY GOD, I'M DOING IT!"

I recently read a blog post on Portland Flamenco Events entitled "Do you know what just happened?" and it reminds me of a little anecdote I relate to my students when I am teaching them shimmies.

Taking a trip into the way-back machine, there was a time when I was a baby dancer and was struggling mightily with my 3/4 shimmy--specifically my bicycle shimmy. I had some friends I danced and rehearsed with outside of classes, and one evening as we were warming up, I looked around and saw all the other ladies shimmying around the room like it was nothing. Every one of them had their shimmy down. I had been working really hard on my shimmy, and not just in class. I was practicing my shimmy in elevators, in line for coffee, vacuuming, walking the aisles of the video store...basically every little chance I got I was trying so hard to get my shimmy down. It was really demoralizing to look around and see my fellow students doing it so effortlessly (like the beautiful Mimi Fontana of Manhattan Tribal in the photo right).

Teaching is HARD!

I really enjoyed this article. Written by a school teacher about teaching adolescents, so much is still true for teachers of all ages and subjects.

See the full article at http://www.musingsonlifeandlove.com/2010/09/13/the-hardest-job-everyone-thinks-they-can-do/

"And boy, were my eyes opened. I understand now.
...Teaching isn’t just academic content.

Teaching is understanding how the human brain processes information and preparing lessons with this understanding in mind.

Teaching is simultaneously instilling in a [student] the belief that she can accomplish anything she wants while admonishing her for producing shoddy work.

Teaching is understanding both the psychology and the physiology behind the changes the [human] mind goes through.

...
Teaching is offering a sympathetic ear while maintaining a stern voice.

Teaching is not easy. Teaching is not intuitive. Teaching is not something that anyone can figure out on their own. Education researchers spend lifetimes developing effective new teaching methods. Teaching takes hard work and constant training. I understand now."

Inner Child, Meet Outer Adult. Now Dance!

As children, it is so natural for us to run and jump and climb and tumble and spin.  We are always in motion, from the time we are born squirming and wiggling, to when we first crawl (and boy do we get fast at that!), to when we walk and then run. Then there's no stopping us!  What we didn't understand when we're little, we now know--movement is a way we explore ourselves and our world. We are testing out boundaries, experiencing new sensation, developing new proficiencies, learning where our balance is, where our strengths are, exploring lightness and motion and feeling, connecting with others...movement is all these things when we are growing up.

For me, dance as an adult is still all these things. I get to do it all on a more conscious level, but just as I was as a child, I am still learning about myself and the world around me through experimenting with new movement.  I challenge my limits, learn new skills, gain strength, connect with others, try and fail and try again, I laugh and cry, and ultimately find my balance.  Through dance I get to return to my childish ways, but through a new medium which honors who I am as a grown up at the same time.

For me, bellydance in particular nurtures the child and the woman, both, in me.

As a teacher I see it unfold--I get to tell adults "Just try it! Play! Mess up, it's okay!"  How often are we told this in our adult life? 

In every facet of our adult lives, the sentiment is constantly reinforced that being an adult is all about meeting expectations, avoiding mistakes, doing everything "right" or face shame or consequences. In dance class, this is one time we can struggle with new ideas again and again, and we are not only encouraged and supported in it, we have fun with it!!  We are told we have our own path to walk, and ultimately we don't have to conform to someone else's pace or vision. And simultaneously we are learning so much about our body mechanics, and our relationship to others both spatially and emotionally.  We learn about accountability and commitment, and experience the divine exhaustion of good physical work.  We get to be a kid again, and yet learn so much about ourselves as a mature adult. Worth every penny, worth every minute...

From a series of quotes where people are talking about their experiences working with Walt Disney:

“The thing that was extraordinary about all the people (who worked with Walt Disney) was that they embraced failure. Within those walls there was constantly the reminder that it’s OK to fail, that it was OK to be human, that it was OK to experiment, because that’s how you blossom as a student.” — Andrea Favilli, Imagineer and sculptor (2001)

Teaching Dance - My Job is To Expect More of You (and then some...)

My job is to push you, to challenge your limits.  If I am doing my job right, I am regularly encouraging you to move out of your comfort zone, test your stamina and bend your brain. Some classes you will leave sweating and exhausted, but I don't consider my work with you to be a drill sergeant. Some classes you will leave with your mind percolating with discourse on history and creativity, but I don't consider my work with you to be only dance theory. Some classes you will leave frustrated, some you will leave exhilarated, some you will leave feeling a mix of both; but in all cases I want you to leave feeling awakened and accomplished.



My job is to expect more of you than you might think you are capable of.  At times you may feel frustrated or even resentful of what I am asking, but I promise you that I won't ever ask anything of you that I am not confident you will be able to achieve. All I need from you is effort and an open mind. Together we will reveal what you're truly made of.


My job is to help you set realistic expectations.  While sometimes I will push you when you want to hold back, at other times you may feel I am putting the brakes on when you want to rush forward.  My goal is to instill enough trust in you to believe I have your best interests at heart--I want you to be able to put your best foot forward, and sometimes that means pulling back, reigning in, paring down.  I want you to be proud of everything you create, and never regret rushing a moment of your dance path that you could have sunk into and savored.

Class Ettiquette "Rules"

I found these class ettiquette rules for another instructor's class online, and found it interesting to say the least. Give it a read. I wonder what you think...

DANCE CLASS ETIQUETTE by [name removed]

These rules are not only for studio dance class use but also for workshops and classes around the world. These rules are innate to all dance forms. Rules are expected in mainstream dance where teachers demand and get respect. Furthermore all students benefit by dance classroom protocol.

1. Show respect for the teacher.
In Eastern disciplines such as martial arts and yoga, the teacher is revered, worshipped, and given great loyalty and respect. Teachers have worked long and hard and made many sacrifices to master their arts. Many have dedicated their lives to dance.

2. Be on time.
There is no excuse for being late. It disrupts other students and the teacher when someone arrives 10 minutes late. You forego essential warm up stretches. Try to be there early if possible. Also try not to miss classes as this also disrupts the flow of the work and leaves you missing work. Which means things have to be repeated.


3. Position yourself relative to your dance expertise.
European dance students begin their studies at the back and earn their position in the front. If you feel confident that you will catch on quickly and perform movements accurately, try to get a position up front. However, if you are a beginning student or do not grab the moves quickly then stay to the back of the room where you will have more advanced students to follow.

4. Wear Suitable Attire.
Do not wear costuming to class. This is very inappropriate. Beginner students have a tendency to do this. Save your sequins, etc., for performances. Costumes are made to perform in not take class in. Check to see what is appropriate for your style of dance class.

5. Keep Talking and Giggling to a Minimum.
Part of the fun of dance class is the interaction with others but there are limits. Don’t chat incessantly. Keep your attention focused on the teacher. If you have a question ask the teacher.

6. Avoid Being a Know It All.
By all means never openly challenge a teacher’s expertise.

7. Take Notes When Sitting Out.
Do not wander in and out of the class space while a teacher is teaching. If for some reason you cannot continue, quietly apologize and go the side. Take notes. Do not talk! Do not shop! If you go back to participating in the class go to the back and quietly resume.

8. Let the teacher teach.
You should under no circumstances voice an opinion in a class. Try to focus on how this teacher can expand your dance horizons. Do not compare openly to other teachers. Do not complain about how a movement is presented or that it is too difficult or too easy.

9. Pay Attention.
Whether it be a demonstration or a verbal instruction. You are paying for a class and so are others. Make sure you and others get their money’s worth. In addition you will benefit in the long run. Be a good participator and a good sport. You are in class to learn and to be taught.


10. Be Open Minded.
You will benefit by learning all you can about the given subject.

So what do you think? Do these look like "universal class rules" to you? Is this what every dance classroom should look like? Why or why not?

The Importance of Taking Your Time

This may seem obvious to many, but sometimes I think it bears revisiting this important fact: becoming an intermediate or advanced dancer is so much more than the number of moves you know.  Unfortunately, many teachers "sell" it this way, encouraging students to leapfrog through the class material, drawing students in by boosting their egos but without the attention to detail that would help them become truly strong dancers.  The result is a group of highly motivated and excited dancers surely; but they lack the refinement, control, and polish that they could have if they were instead encouraged to take their time.  They are given quantity over quality, and what's worse is they usually don't know any better.  How could they if no one is setting that example for them?  The teacher who is supposed to be helping them understand what it truly takes to really grow in their dance is sending the wrong message.

I find new teachers run this risk the most.  They may have a lesson plan written out to teach two moves in a given night, and then later report "but they got through all that so fast, I taught them three more things!"  Woah, slow down there m'dear.  Have you really given them all they could absorb--nay, NEED to absorb--in the 15-20 minutes you had to break down and drill those moves?  Or could you have dug a little deeper into what you already had to present them? And in the course of your sessions, is one or two times through the body of material really enough to be throwing new challenges at them?  Or would they benefit from doing it again, looking at it from fresh angles, entrenching it ever more deeply into their minds and muscles?  Perhaps some very talented students are truly ready for new material after a few repetitions, but most are not. Frankly, even among those who learn that fast, they will gain so much by being encouraged to take their time, and dig into the details of the movements they have in front of them right now, before tackling on new material.

Doing vs. Teaching

I am a pretty competent cook. When people eat my cooking, I get lots of compliments, and I know my way around my kitchen. But if someone asked me to teach a six week course on cooking, I am not sure I would do such a great job. I think the best I could offer would be to teach a different recipe every week. I would definitely teach the ones I know best, not necessarily the ones someone should learn as a foundation for strong cooking skills. I wouldn't be able to talk very competently about what went into making the recipe, be able to clearly explain why the flavors balance the way they do, or confidently suggest what substitutions one might be able to make to tweak the flavors or caloric contents...

A question of musicality...

On Tribe, a fellow dancer shared a wonderful link to spark a discussion about how you learn and/or teach musicality in bellydance.   It ties into yet another Tribe discussion on the Tribal Bellydance tribe where a fellow member asked about whether you "count" or "feel" the music, which this article also addresses.  The article is about salsa, but the concepts apply, and offers good food for thought, so I thought I would share!

Here is a snippet:



"To the many who try to downplay the use of counting music, consider for a moment our beloved salsa music that we yearn to dance to. Those musicians count their music. In the words of “The Unlikely Salsero” Don Baarns, “Music ain’t random.” It has structure. No matter how dynamic or unconventional a song is, it has structure. The count is the structure of this music. A band has to count its music the same so that each member can be on the same page, or else musical chaos ensues. When each band member is playing his or her role and instrument, doing something different from one another that still somehow gels together into the beautiful sounds we hear, the count is the common ground that they all return to. I dare anyone to try to convince a legitimate musician or band not to count because it’s not important. The members of the band cannot simply “feel” the music. Each band member thinks differently and has a different personality, and therefore will not feel or interpret the music the same as the next. If each member only relied on his or her “feeling”, the song would be an un-danceable mess. This is no different for us in this partner dance we call salsa. If you are dancing with another person, you are dealing with another mind, another personality that will not feel the music the same way that you do, not to mention the fact that person is of the opposite gender (but that’s another story). The count is there so that you both will be able to be on the same page, the same way that the members of a band would. If the musicians that produce the music we dance to feel that counting is important, why shouldn't we?"


DanceNerdsUnite also has a post about musicality that I really enjoyed reading.


"Musical dancers, on the other hand, never disregard the music to fit in more tricks. “You can see the effort in a nonmusical dancer—they are often step-driven,” says NYC ballet teacher Deborah Wingert. “Musical dancers don’t just turn until they stop. They turn until they have to move on to the next point in the music. Musical dancers never get so caught up in steps that they ignore the music.”"

Dance Injuries - Having a Plan C

Dance Advantage listed an article recently on dancers and injuries. Specifically the idea that injuries can take away dance from your life. I am familiar with this, having been on and off battling a severe back issue, and more recently knee problems surfacing, and my foot issue which will require surgery I cannot afford at present, which leaves me in pain every day just walking around, let alone dancing.  I have had to give a lot of thought to the possibility that I may not be able to have dance as my career any more, and how betrayed by fate it has made me feel over the past few months.  This is something I am really really good at--the first thing that really resonated with me so deeply, and was validated in the opinions of my peers as well. To imagine it not being my profession any more was impossible to contemplate, and yet I had to give it some serious "face-time" in my meditations this summer.

So this article is somewhat encouraging in its tone and message. Summing up the message in one line:

"As a young dancer, I felt pigeonholed into thinking that I only had two options (dance or don’t dance), when plan C was as simple as being a barefoot dancer who wears shoes – and it took me six years to figure that out."

In trying to figure out where dance fits into my definition of self , this article presents the idea of creative experimentation with the ways dance slots into your life when factors seem to push against that possibility.

In other news, I started Music Monday a few weeks ago, and pre-loaded some posts to release on Mondays. Then didn't go back and check to see if they were posting. Oops! I had them in the queue, but hadn't released them for posting. So keep an eye out for Music Monday NEXT Monday, and hopefully I will have that all cleared up and ready to post for your auditory enjoyment.

Teacher Loyalty Redux

Because I think it bears repeating, and with a little caveat added to the end:

"To All Students,
Regarding "Loyalty" to Your Teacher
By Amanda Niehaus
with a few edits by me personally
(originally posted at Shira.net which is a fantastic resource for all things bellydance. Check it out!)

Dear students of this beautiful art form,

I am a teacher. I teach because I am passionate about this dance and I want others to share my passion.

I am not teaching because I require a fan club.
I am not teaching because I require devotees or because I need hero worship.

As your teacher, my job is to teach you; to inspire you to be your best. If I am a really good teacher, then I also will not be your only teacher.

What makes a good/bad teacher?

http://danceadvantage.net/2010/08/11/define-dolly-dinkle/

I had never heard of a Dolly Dinkle before, but it sounds all so familiar when compared to complaints and opinions voiced in the bellydance community. All artists have the same concerns...

One commenter wrote:

"Dolly Dinkle schools offer no technique or curriculum. Their schedule often reflects whatever is hot at the moment- lyrical, contemporary instead of ballet; all hip-hop; etc. 

Dolly doesn’t teach vocabulary or history of the dance forms. Ballet is not the only genre with this! So many students don’t realize hip-hop and breakin’ have a vocab and history! 

A well-rounded education: technique, history and vocab PLUS improv, choreographic, and performance opportunities makes a great studio."

Not alone...

Seems I am not alone in my feeling the need to hibernate my dance a little bit. Paulette's latest newsletter came out today, and here is a snippet:

"Now I need to take a little more private time for myself.  I have decided to take a year’s sabbatical from performing, and some teaching. I, too, need time to feed my soul, to process, and to find out where I am in the dance now. I do know that I love to teach, and therefore I have a few select teaching engagements in the next year, which I am excited about... 

But I cannot go on full force like I have been, and continue my life on the farm with my husband and my adorable menagerie, and also run my fabulous new shop, Cultivator General Store. I need to take time to find out what my next dance steps are...


My amazing troupe, the Gypsy Caravan Dance Company, will be on hiatus as well, with the other dancers off to their own adventures for now. My dancer/student/friends, the Caravan Dance Collective, will continue on without me in some shape of a troupe, to their choosing, while I take my time on my private journey. I am thankful for their support with my decision. And who know where I will end up?"

Read the full newsletter HERE.  Scroll near the bottom to see this portion.

Paulette, I wish you well on your road through these questions, and hope you find answers that fulfill your heart and soul. (And I know I still owe you a visit, Momma. *mwah*) The journey continues...

Q&A: Intellectual Property and Students Teaching

Q. "I was hoping for input from someone who's developed their own [tribal improv] method and the "proprietary" nature of the material.

I have students with their own performing group here in town, but up to now, the group improv format we do in class is off limits unless you're performing with [us], so they don't use it or teach it in their group.

They do, however like to use my choreographies & adapt my choreographies for their performances, & that's OK -

But I know that when we release the [troupe] format on DVD they'll be all over it. I know they'll ask me about using it when it comes out. I'm too close to tell how I feel about it. I don't want to make any blanket statements on it one way or the other (Yes, use it; No, don't use it) based on *nothing*.

You don't love the dance...

I came across an article I remember reading before (and maybe even posted here, not sure and didn't have time to search), and thought it was timely and interesting to read. From Aziza Sa'id's blog

Today my students were teachers, Belly Dancing and Yoga. The first of today’s Big Questions is one of my favorites… Why Do You Do What You Do? Dance? Yoga?

And people gave some real truths in answer: Because it’s fun; Because in it I find acceptance, of myself and others; Because I feel beautiful; Because I feel at peace; Because it is a way to create and express myself; Because I feel healthier; Because I feel better in and about my body when I do.

Because I love it.

And here’s where I need to say… No. You don’t. You do not love yoga, or dance.