Dramatic Hair for Tribal Bellydance

One of two in a follow-along video series where I share one of my routines for getting dolled up for performance. Ladies with short hair take note, this one is especially helpful for you! Hope you enjoy it.

Getting "That One Move" - Zaphara's Perspective

Zaphara is a local Seattle legend. She has been dancing since the 70's, and almost every pro in Seattle has taken at least a class or two from her in their day (including yours truly). Alessandra interviewed her for her blog, and I saw a familiar theme. The "AHA! Moment" is pretty universal. And Zaphara's is particularly entertaining:

"I started taking a belly dance class at the King County Parks Department.  I loved the moves, but I just couldn’t figure out how to do an undulation.  It seemed the harder I tried, the worse I got, and I could see my teacher, Shamiran Pick, from Iran, looking at me like “she’s hopeless.”  During this time, Shamiran held her annual dinner show at the Edgewater Inn featuring her students and herself.  It was my first time watching belly dance, and I went crazy.  I loved it. 

After the show, I sat by myself, ordered a vodka and orange juice, and muddled over the experience.  When along came a handsome guy who says hi, sat down, and handed me his room key.  I responded by saying I’m married.  Which in turn, he responded by saying that’s okay, I’ll put the key at the front desk for you.  Well, the key sat at the front desk and I went home and told my husband.  My husband started laughing and told me I was naive, and that the man had thought I was a call girl.  After that sank in, I had another drink (and I never drank at the time) and turned on some George Abdo music, and started to dance in my living room.  Between the alcohol, happiness from seeing the show, and the shock of being solicited, the undulation came effortlessly.  And that was the beginning of it."

I was laughing out loud at this retelling of a unique "Aha! Moment".

Read the entire interview here:
http://alessandraraqs.blogspot.com/2014/03/interview-with-zaphara-part-one.html?spref=fb

So what was your "Aha! Moment"? I would love to hear what move confounded you, and what it took for you to break through.

I'll start. You can read about mine here.

Deep Roots Dance's Newest Instructor - Carmen!

Deep Roots Dance is proud to introduce you to our beautiful new instructor, Carmen. She will also be guest-blogging here at DeepRootsDance.com, and not coincidentally here is her first post:

Why, hello and welcome to my first blog post! I wanted to take the time to help you learn a little more about where this dance has taken me. I share these experience as a way to inspire and encourage you wherever you may be on your journey. As I ready myself to begin this new chapter in my dance journey, I have been reflecting on my beginning years and can’t believe where my path has lead me. I began classes simply as a way to exercise with no thoughts of performing and didn’t think about troupes.

After over a year of classes I moved to Colorado for school and found Nancy Montgomery of Bohemian Caravan. My first performance was her semi-annual student recital and now only realize that I have been performing since. I loved being able to share this art and having a group of women to support me on and off the stage. Once I was done with school I returned to Seattle and Deep Roots. I was humbled and honored when invited into Nomaditude, Shay’s student troupe. I had admired them from day one for their grace and confidence, thinking I didn’t have their ability. When you’re on the road for some time it’s easy to forget how far you have traveled.

Now my path has led me to the role of teacher, a position I never thought was for me. How then did I arrive to this crossroad you may ask? On those college nights where I had papers due or tests to study for, dance allowed me to remove myself from all my stress and worries and give me a moment to breathe. The worst of days would be made right once I danced and always left feeling revitalized. What I have been given because of this dance has inspired me to be there as others begin their own unique journeys. This is why I refer to dance as a journey – as with all paths, many twists and turns lay ahead that you aren’t expecting.

No two paths are the same, and that is okay. Each person gets something different out of dance. I hope to be able to help you along your journey and help you find the magic hidden in this dance. I so look forward to meeting you and beginning this new path together!

Mm Mm Monday - Nana Candelaria, Rachel Brice's Roots

Here at Deep Roots Dance, it doesn't take a genius to figure out we value the roots from which we all came. Nobody sprung fully formed from Zeus' forehead (though I joke to my students all the time that I have). Every dancer is the product of another dancer's inspiration and training.  So, too, with the ever-beloved Rachel Brice.

Here is a video of one of RB's earliest and most influential instructors, Nana Candelaria. A precise and playful dancer, you can clearly see her powerful influence on today's most famous fusion dancer.

Mm Mm Monday - Naemet Mokhtar

"The Woman Who Conquered the Devil" was one of her best-known films, Naemet Mokhtar was one of the film dancer greats. But her career was not as long as some of the better-known golden age bellydancers, and her departure from dancing was swift and mysterious...until 2012 when she turned up in an interview in the newspaper, El Fagr. You can read the translated version on Shira's website, but that isn't why we're here. We're here to see this delightful gem of a video, brought to my attention by the incomparable Cassandra of Minneapolis. I was completely mesmerized by her tiny shoulder shimmies, her luxurious figure 8's, and the swaying choo-choo shimmies...so much to Mm Mmmmmmm about!