Why Yes, I am a Bellydancer.

I know quite a few dancers who are not on Facebook, where this was making the rounds a couple months back. Thought I would post it here for those who haven't seen it. And dammit, it's funny every time. And sadly familiar. But funny!

Maybe it will inspire a few Halloween costumes this weekend...

Don't Forget the Joy

Lauren Zehara (at right) recently posted this note on her Facebook page, and I wanted to make sure that a wide audience would be able to read and appreciate her simple yet profound wisdom--in short, that there is room for all kinds of dancers in the bellydance community, from hobbyist to professional and everything in between.  With her permission, I have shred the entirety of her note below. To read more excellent articles from Lauren Zehara, visit her web page at www.bellydancestuff.com

"Once in a while I feel like it's important to talk about the real reasons most of our students walk in the door, and the things they really want from us.

They signed up for a bellydance class because they thought it would be fun! They want to get some exercise and learn some dance moves. Leave behind their jobs, kids, responsibilities, maybe dress up in something sparkly or jingly and express themselves. Make friends, that's a biggie -- many of my students have confided in me that most of their circle of friends has come from the studio.

Those are incredibly lofty and important goals -- perhaps more important, on a human level, than competing for restaurant gigs or trophies.

Workshop Hosting - what you're really paying for

A recent discussion on a bellydance business discussion group brought up an old tribe thread on the same subject. The discussion was surrounding the costs of hosting a workshop instructor, and what the $150-$200/hr of workshop time with an instructor really translates into. Back in 2007 I wrote a reply in this thread from my perspective as a teacher, and thought I would share the slightly modified version of it here.

If $150-$200/hr for teaching, on top of room/food/travel, seems like a high cost, consider this rundown of how a workshop teacher's time is spent:

It's important to note that the term "hourly rate" is a bit of a misnomer. While the instructor may be teaching for only 4 hours, they are "on" much more than that.  And many teachers have to cancel or get subs for their classes at home, turn down other performances/gigs for the time they are away, get pet sitters or kid sitters...part and parcel of a traveling performer and teacher, but it's something that is sometimes forgotten when considering the value in a teacher's workshop wages.  For me, it is a pleasure to get to travel to new places, and meet, hang out with, chat up, and network with other dancers--it's an addictive, joyful experience! But at the same time, any teacher can attest that it is incredibly draining, and it is definitely "work" even outside of the classroom. That is an intangible "cost" to the teachers that is reimbursed, if you will, in the pay they receive. And even then, you won't get rich off of it (or outside of maybe BDSS, make a living wage off of it), and you have to do it for the love of it!

I Praise the Dance

I praise the dance,

for it frees people from the heaviness of matter

and binds the isolated to community.

I praise the dance, which demands everything:

health and a clear spirit and a buoyant soul.

Dance is a transformation of space, of time, of people,

who are in constant danger of becoming all brain,

will, or feeling.

Dancing demands a whole person,

one who is firmly anchored in the center of his life,

who is not obsessed by lust for people and things

and the demon of isolation in his own ego.

Dancing demands a freed person,

one who vibrates with the equipoise of all his powers.

I praise the dance.

O man, learn to dance,

or else the angels in heaven will not know

what to do with you.

- Saint Augustine

Your Dance Bag

The first night of every Level 1 class, I do a brief orientation with the students.  We go over simple studio layout (where's the bathroom, water fountain...), etiquette (being on time, no shoes in the studio, etc), how the session will go (that we run in 6-week repeats, finger cymbals week 3...), and I briefly touch on the idea of having a dance bag.  For Level 1 dancers, the bag is super simple--your finger cymbals, water bottle, and notebook.

As your dance world grows, so does your bag!  A little secret: I love bags. Not purses, BAGS. I love shopping for bags, assessing all their internal organizational pockets for their purpose...it goes right along with my love of office supplies and closet organizers, I suppose. I love everything to have its little "home". But I digress...

So once you have progressed past Level 1, what are some other common items to find in your dance bag?  Here is a checklist of potential things to keep in your dance bag at all times: