so what does it all mean?
Feb. 2nd, 2004 11:09 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
owlkeymeSo my boss got bit by the inspiration bug over the weekend for an ad for Valentine's Day. I have no problem doing rush work, but the more I thought about it, the more it seemed it would be a waste of resources. My last 'real' boss (back in RI), used to waste a shitload of money on advertising, because he lacked proper timing and the finesse for it. In this case, great idea, no way for it to realistically bring in money in the time allowed. So luckily, as I was trying to explain this, the universe echoed my thoughts with the impossibility of getting the ad in the papers in time (needs 1 week lead time). She was having a rough day, so I felt bad, but tried to encourage her about planning something for Spring. Maybe it will inspire her later, but it didn't seem to be today. And well, when I finally did sit down at the store's computer, it turned out the monitor was so bad I wouldn't be able to do squat with it. And it's on dial-up. She's going to upgrade the system and get dsl or cable shorty, so we can design like fiends then. I hate working on POS's.
After I work, I went down to the Palo Alto Art Center for Azar's Monday night classes. Because I had stuff to do waiting at home, I decided just to take the earlier class, which was a beginner's...and wow...if you ever at some point in your dance career feel stupid over something, go drop in a beginner's class, and see how far you've come. I also discovered it makes me really uncomfortable to have a bunch of beginners trying to follow after me, especially on rotating steps...and I'm half in the mood just to mess around...I either speed up, add shimmies or slow down when I remember where I am, and totally lose my place...Azar looked over at me and did that look again, and told me to move to the middle of the pile. "ME???" "Yeah YOU *smirk* you were wandering off.." And then I didn't miss a step, cause I knew she was after me LOL. And then she went after my hip lift again. I'm doing a jazz/tribal step, and not doing a proper return...apparently it's the far more difficult move to actually do, but she thinks the more classic Middle Eastern one looks much better with my style. So I must "and return". :P Damn evil hips!
The truth is that I'm a non-athletic, uncoordinated, short-circuited hazard that somehow manages to luck out when it comes to belly dancing (for the most part...hehehe...what's a choreography?) My goal is to somehow be rooted in my body, and aware of all of its parts and my intentions, while connecting to the music and the audience at the same time. The secret to pure fluidity is ultimate control, yet total relaxation. And somehow, it all makes sense.
After I work, I went down to the Palo Alto Art Center for Azar's Monday night classes. Because I had stuff to do waiting at home, I decided just to take the earlier class, which was a beginner's...and wow...if you ever at some point in your dance career feel stupid over something, go drop in a beginner's class, and see how far you've come. I also discovered it makes me really uncomfortable to have a bunch of beginners trying to follow after me, especially on rotating steps...and I'm half in the mood just to mess around...I either speed up, add shimmies or slow down when I remember where I am, and totally lose my place...Azar looked over at me and did that look again, and told me to move to the middle of the pile. "ME???" "Yeah YOU *smirk* you were wandering off.." And then I didn't miss a step, cause I knew she was after me LOL. And then she went after my hip lift again. I'm doing a jazz/tribal step, and not doing a proper return...apparently it's the far more difficult move to actually do, but she thinks the more classic Middle Eastern one looks much better with my style. So I must "and return". :P Damn evil hips!
The truth is that I'm a non-athletic, uncoordinated, short-circuited hazard that somehow manages to luck out when it comes to belly dancing (for the most part...hehehe...what's a choreography?) My goal is to somehow be rooted in my body, and aware of all of its parts and my intentions, while connecting to the music and the audience at the same time. The secret to pure fluidity is ultimate control, yet total relaxation. And somehow, it all makes sense.
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Date: 2004-02-03 01:46 pm (UTC)LOVE IT!
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Date: 2004-02-03 08:29 pm (UTC)C
Sooooooo true
Date: 2004-02-03 11:00 pm (UTC)There's a point where going back into the beginners class is EMBARASSING!!! Susan combined her advanced/intermediate-beginner classes to just one due to lack of enrolments. Don't get me wrong, she does a great job of catering to multi levels and all, but I hate feeling so conspicuous. When you have a mistep and the whole back third of the room has the same one... That's why I like to stand at the back.
She was doing shimmies and walking shimmies for the begining gals. I was in my customary back right corner and one of them actually turned around and said "wow you sure are jingly" so I did the glib *it's all about the jingles* and went back to my jingling. The same one that made the stripping comment.
I'm in the same place you are, where you aren't so much worried about having the exact same hip in the exact same spot as everyone in the class, but learning to actually move to the SONG. Susan's left handed, so her DUM isn't necesarrily where my dum is. My flourishes are different than hers too. I can channel *her* and be fairly right on until she notices I'm just shadowing her and she throws in lead changes to wake me up.
That fluidity and control thing seems to happen when you feel like you know the moves, and can dance them rather than just do them. Every so often I have a brief shining glimpse of it before it moves off into the elusive future. I don't want to dance like susan, I want to dance like ME. I love her to death and all but she's got a whole different style than I do. I want to dance to middle eastern music with the same ease as american nightclub music. Just feel it and go.
Last night she got all bent at me cause I asked her if she knew any debke stuff. Her response was "I guess I don't know everything anymore" Later I asked her about the sideways belly roll and she got a little twisted about that too. :( I was going to show it off for her, but after the comment she made, I opted not to.