Fabulous Friday - Jamila Salimpour Tribute Show

You want fabulous? I'll give you FABULOUS! Normally it is only one photo, no words. But this is a slideshow of photos and I wanted to give you context.

So for those who don't know, this past September Amy Sigil, Suhaila, and a bevvy of talented dancers and producers put together a tribute show to Jamila. Best of all? It was COMPLETELY SECRET. She had no idea it was happening until she walked through the doors of the theater and saw all assembled there. The show sold out and was an incredible three-part show, showcasing Jamila's early years in the circus, her nightclub days in San Francisco, and Bal Anat at the Ren Faire.

We are told no video will be made available. I just can't fathom that. But in the meantime at least, we have this photo slideshow taken by the talented Pixie Vision. I can't embed it, so click through, and enjoy!

http://vimeo.com/78312377

What ATS is and isn't - according to Z'iah of Awalim

Z'iah posted this quick n' dirty personal take on what ATS is to her.

"Like any language you are only as good as you practice. I speak many other dance languages/styles and don’t get to practice this one as often as I would like so I am not as fluent as I would like. I am regionally removed from where this language originated so my dialect tends to be a bit different than its originators. I have been speaking it within a small group for 17 years so we have developed slang that is only understood within our group, it is difficult to drop our slang terms when dancing with people outside our group but I am better about that lately. One of my main hindrances in ATS is that I learned the language a long time ago and so my dialect tends to contain lots of old terminology and not much new. Even with all those hindrances I can still dance with thousands of other dancers in the world at the drop of a hat with little, to no, prep ahead of time. That is just fun dammit."

Read the whole blog post here:
http://www.tribalbellydance.com/what-ats-is-to-me/

What is ATS to YOU? Would love to hear your thoughts in the comments.

Mm Mm Monday - Dragonfly Tribe

There are no words. I know you will all "get it". *moved* Get ready... 3...2...1...

When Will I Dance Perfectly?

Rina Orellana (Rall) is one of the most well-known former members of FatChance (woah, wait...isn't everyone a former member of FCBD now?).  More specifically, she was one of the original members--a petite powerhouse you fall in love with the minute you see her dance. (pictured below left, photo by Natasha Reed)

She has since moved on to flamenco and applied all that same power, dedication, and poise to her work there; and it will come as no shock that she is as accomplished and thoughtful in her work there as she was in the bellydance world. She keeps a blog about her experiences in teaching and performing flamenco, which I enjoy reading when I get the chance. I was just lucky enough to read THIS POST in which she emphasizes the love of learning over the perfection of performance. As you might imagine, you can plug in "bellydance" and related bellydance terms and get the same result:

"That first class for many students is such an overwhelming experience. The new compás, the coordination, the footwork, the aire. Some stop soon after because flamenco is so difficult. They wanted to DANCE not work on a gazillion other things.

But would a new student of piano expect to play a concerto after six weeks? Of course not. Most would study intensely to gain a certain level of proficiency. Others would happily play at a beginner level forever because it's just a hobby."

"If we were perfect at flamenco NOW, then there would be nowhere else to go afterward. It's the process of learning flamenco that is so rewarding. We must accept where we are in flamenco proficiency and enjoy it."

As a student, our job is to enjoy the journey. Take our time, process every stage of our growth, and really sink into the details. Any teacher worth their salt, as Rina clearly is, will emphasize this. Performances are brief. Classes and rehearsals are where the real meat of dance lies. If you don't love your time learning and pushing yourself in the classroom, you won't ever truly love dancing on a stage.

You may also like:
http://www.deeprootsdance.com/2011/11/importance-of-taking-your-time.html
http://www.deeprootsdance.com/2012/03/teaching-dance-my-job-is-to-expect-more.html

Vintage Costumes - Setting Dyes, Preserving Colors

In the tribal bellydance world, we love our vintage and hand-made items. Particularly we heart imported Indian costuming, such as Banjara cholis, Rajasthani or Jaipur skirts, and bandhani tie-dye style dupattas. Whether old or new, they are subject to dye transfer and fading, and are difficult to clean. Here is a method that will help set dyes for longer wear, and is a good method for freshening up older garments which may have "vintage odors" to go along with our own bodily contributions while dancing.

If doing multiple items, I suggest doing them each in their own separate baths to avoid color transfer between them.

1. Fill your kitchen sink or large tub with cold water. Add a 1/2 cup of white vinegar plus 1/4 cup sea salt or similar.
2. Swish around to dissolve salt as much as possible.
3. Put item in the sink and gently squeeze the vinegar/salt water into the fabric.
 NOTE: With any items with sequins/pailettes, be careful not to fold/scrunch them.
4. Leave soaking for 30-60 minutes.
5. Drain sink and rinse thoroughly with cold water.
6. Lay out to dry (do not hang, it will stretch) in shady spot. NEVER dry in direct sunlight, it will fade the colors and can damage vintage fibers.
    6a. If you are doing a small item like a choli, and have a rack in your
        dryer on which you can set items so they don't tumble, set to cool
        and lay item as flat as possible.