I Am A Dancer

I am a dancer.

I twirl, leap, and spin.

I jump, pirouette, and tap.

I am a dancer.

I feel pain and fear.

I feel defeat and failure.

Yet, I keep going.

I smile, I practice, I perform.

I have grace and beauty.

I do not dance because I am happy,

I am happy because I dance.

I hear the applause.

I perform and do my best.

Sometimes I fail.

I don't give up.

For I am a dancer.

I am brave and strong.

I dance not for fame and glory.

But for how I feel inside.

I am happiness, joy, love, and excitement.

Strife, talent, joy.

Determination and beauty.

I am a dancer.

- Author unknown

Fabulous Friday - Ruth St. Denis

Ruth St. Denis in Radha

New York Public Library Collection

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!