Workshops with Mahin!

Photo by Lee Corkett, costume by Mahin, beaded jewelry by me!

Yesterday I spent five hours in workshops with Mahin! It was great to be in belly dance workshops again, and I always like working with Mahin because she has a ton of knowledge, a great personality, and a good teaching style. Oh, and good taste in jewelry! I always love seeing pictures of her wearing the custom-made set I beaded to go with her costume.

Anyway, the workshops in question were on anatomy, 3/4 shimmies, and palm flames, so it was a really good range of topics and everything was applicable for all styles of bellydance. I'd taken a much shorter version of the anatomy workshop in Bisbee last year, so I was looking forward to the full two-hour version to cover even more ground, and I'd also purchased palm flame in Bisbee so it was well past time that I started working with them. And as for the 3/4 shimmies, well, mine always need work!

Belly Dance Anatomy and Injury Prevention was definitely my favorite workshop of the day. I really like knowing how my body works and how to take better care of it, and this workshop really gets down into that. Not only does Mahin talk about the different muscles used in dance, but she teaches lots of great stretches and exercises for conditioning your body. She even has a tiny skeleton that she uses to show you where on your body different muscles and tendons connect. I totally geek out on this workshop and will probably continue to take it whenever I get the chance.

Full on with 3/4 Shimmies covered a wide variety of 3/4 variations and how to pair them with foot patterns and upper-body layers. I enjoyed this workshop because Mahin introduced me to some shimmies that I don't often see in tribal fusion and some foot patterns that I never use. It definitely got my brains and muscles working! Plus she has a really smart way of breaking down 3/4 shimmies to help you remember how to do each one and to diagnose the problem if you're not getting it. I highly recommend this one for anyone struggling with the 3/4 shimmy or looking for some new versions to add to their bag of tricks.

Hot! Hot! Hot! Combos for Palm Flames covered palm flame basics since we were all beginners to working with them (well, I took an 8 week session years ago and haven't practiced since...), then concepts for working with them such as framing, tracing, and negative space, and then combined all of those ideas into a long combination. We also spent some time discussing nice ways to travel and turn with palm flames. It was a really good introduction to the prop. It also reminded me that I have not been working my arms and shoulders enough lately. Yikes! I'm a little sore today.

Over all, my head is full of new knowledge and new ideas, and my body is full of the pleasant aches and pains of a busy day of dancing.

A Productive Weekend

I had a really busy, productive weekend and I am feeling pretty pleased with myself and ready to tackle this week.

On Saturday, I was up in Phoenix for the bellydance swap meet. My friend Jen and I had both decided it was time to clean out our dance closets, so we shared a booth. We had just enough stuff to full up our rack and a couple of tables, and we got to spend the day hanging out (and taking turns going out to shop and socialize). I was worried that I wouldn't sell much, but I think I managed to move about half of what I brought with me, including two of the most expensive items in my booth. And I only bought two (matching) costume pieces and a piece of normal clothes, so in the end I was very successful. Plus I got to see a lot of dance friends that I hadn't seen for a while, yay!

Sunday is usually my day off, but this weekend I made an exception to study with Amanda Rose! I took her Dynamics Toolbox workshop, which is great for making you really think about how you can modify moves to make your performances more, well, dynamic. I was already aware of most of the concepts she spoke of, but had never really taken the time to think of the different ways they could be applied and combined to moves. The great thing was that while Amanda Rose does Egyptian-style bellydance, the workshop is really applicable to all styles of bellydance and only required knowledge of the same basic moves that are used in all styles. I definitely recommend it for the intermediate-level dancer who is looking for ways to really bring more dimensions to your work, especially if you're feeling stuck in a rut. Everything that she discussed was equally applicable to building choreographies or dancing improv, and the concepts could really be useful for making your at-home practices more challenging by adding different elements to your drills. I'm excited to start applying what I learned to my practice and seeing how it comes out in my performances.

Over all I am really happy with what I accomplished over the weekend!

Things I learned in Vegas

Professional photos coming soon, for now you have to settle for my pre-show selfie.

 

I am back from Vegas and hopefully back to a normal blogging schedule! I'll be writing about the Las Vegas Bellydance Intensive in a couple of places, so to save myself from repeating myself too much, here on my personal blog I'll share some helpful tips for surviving in Vegas, some LVBDI-specific and some not:

 

1. Don't drive up to Vegas on the same day that you are performing. I was stiff and sore and it took a lot of makeup to cover up the marks that my sunglasses left on my nose. Plus I was stressed about getting checked in and touched up and changed into my costume on time!

 

2. Hotels in Vegas are huge mazes, as are their parking garages. Leave yourself plenty of time to get to wherever you are going.

 

3. If at all possible, go off the Strip to eat. The food will be more affordable, tastier, and you will have a shorter wait time and better service.

 

4. If you have to go someplace off the Strip (for instance, over to Target to buy some things you forgot to pack), go as early in the day as you can, because there will be almost no traffic and you'll find a better parking spot in the Flamingo's garage when you come back.

 

5. If you're a tea addict, pack your own electric kettle, tea and mug. You'll save a ton of time and money by not having to get your fix from the coffee shop in the hotel. Bonus tip: You can also bring Cup o Noodle or some other "just add hot water" soup options for quick lunches. Hey, it's important to save money to shop, gamble, or go to an expensive buffet.

 

6. Go to the evening pro shows at LVBDI! Yeah, the tickets were $30 each this year and I'm guessing they'll be around the same next year, but the shows feature a lot of top-notch talent and are held in a beautiful theater with great sound and lighting and stadium seating so everyone gets a good view. And where is this theater? IN THE LIBRARY! Way to go Vegas, putting your tax money to good use!

 

7. Can't afford those show tickets, or the workshops you want to take? Volunteer! I did a volunteer shift at the merchandise booth on Saturday afternoon. It was really easy! I sold things to people, but mostly I told people where the bathroom was, or sent them down to Information or Registration if they wanted to swap workshops or buy tickets or register for 2014 or whatever. You can also volunteer to be a workshop helper and check people in and help the instructor with the sound system and whatever else they need, and you get to be in that workshop for FREE. Plus volunteering is a nice way to meet people.

 

8. If you can wake up early in the morning, it's totally worth it to take a workshop at 8:30 on Sunday morning. I found I was waking up early, so I signed up for one while I was there, and since I was the first person to show up, I was able to actually sit and chat with the instructor (Paige Lawrence) for a few minutes. Then we had a small group, which made for a really intimate experience where everyone got to interact, ask any questions they had, and discuss the exercises we were doing.

 

9. Vegas apparently exists in some sort of timewarp to the 1960s where men think it is OK to call a woman "baby" and "hun" and waiters think it is ok to snuggle up to you when taking your order. And that's not even getting into the bro-dudes. Make sure you have someone you can vent to when you get hit by a wave of sexism.

 

10. Don't over-indulge! Be mindful of any morning workshops or performance slots you have, and act accordingly. It's tempting to stay out late drinking and partying, but then you miss out on the LVBDI experience because you got caught up in the standard Vegas experience! 

The Inner Dancer taught me how to Dance Like a Queen!

This weekend I had the pleasure of taking a workshop with Samantha, aka The Inner Dancer, aka winner of the pro soloist category in 2013's Belly Dance Queen competition. I interact with Samantha on Facebook via her "Leave It On The Dance Floor" group and had seen her dance at Club Bellydance, but this was the first time I had the chance to study with her and she did not disappoint!


I signed up for the Dance Like a Queen workshop which was about the mental and emotional aspects of dance rather than physical technique. I really love classes that dig down into things like motivation and stage presence and dance persona and how you approach dance, and this covered all of those things. I feel like in the long run, this sort of workshop stays with me and has more impact on my personal dance journey than learning physical technique, which is harder to properly absorb in two hours.

It's hard to describe this workshop. It was a very personal process, with a lot of self-evaluation, group interaction, and really thinking about, well, how we think about dance. I feel like overall, the theme was about having a healthy view of where you are in dance and a good idea of where you want to go and how you're going to get there. It's about not seeing yourself as two separate people (AJ the regular person and Sophia Ravenna the dancer), but as one person who feels pretty good about herself and is able to bring a genuine expression of who she is to the dance floor. It's about intertwining your personal development with your dance practice.

As it turns out, one of the things that I love about Samantha as a dancer, teacher and person is that she thinks that technique and emotion are equally important. She knows that the really amazing dancers are the people who have both of those, and she wants to train people to bring it all to the dance floor. I'll have a couple of opinion posts in the near future that expand on my feelings on the topic, but let's just say that it always makes me happy when someone else backs up my opinion that you have to work hard and bring authenticity of emotion to your dance, too.

What really stood out to me about this workshop specifically was that my classmates ranged from really new beginners to established pros and teachers, and it seemed like everyone was getting at least a little something out of it. It's rare to be in a really good all-levels workshop.

I'd definitely recommend this workshop to just about anyone who is serious about dance, but especially those who are looking to go pro, who feel like they've got an unhealthy relationship with dance (for instance, carrying around a lot of negativity about where you are or what you can't do), or those looking to really dig deeper into how they think about themselves as a dancer.

Tribal Fest Days 2-3

 Henna death's head scarab by Debi the Henna Crone, who rocks hardcore

Sorry about the lack of an update yesterday, the wifi here doesn't work very well at night but it does work well while everyone is actually at the Festival, so here's a quick post!

Rundown of my workshop experiences:

Costuming with Dusty Paik. Not only did I take two pages of notes on costuming, but Dusty is freaking hilarious and I love her.

Slinky with Deb Rubin. One of my all-time favorite teachers, really breaking down how to make your slow just ooooooze with decadence.

Impulse with Donna Meija. First of all? There's something about Donna's voice, it's very lovely and soothing. This is a good thing, because she murdered me with an hour and fifteen minutes of hardcore warmup, so if she didn't sound so nice I might have hated her. Really enjoyed her approach to motivating movement from different parts of the body and playing with momentum.     

And now, per the request of Miz Becka Bomb, more shopping pictures! Here's some of my pretty jewelry. I've received 100 compliments on that beetle ring. Glad there are more people in the world who love beetles! Also glad I found a spiky bracelet that fits PERFECTLY.

 These fabrics are going to be a costume together. I am thinking a bustle skirt with the chevrons running down the center, and maybe I can put some chevrons on a bra too?

These green scarves were stupidly cheap and you can never have too many green scarves.

Tonight is the Meet and Greet Trick or Treat with the teachers, and tomorrow the performances begin! Eeeeee!

Tribal Fest Day 1

 I brought my laptop, so you get updates from the Fest! YEAH! So here's me all ready for the Unmata Pillow Fight choreography. I made that pillow! And since I had 6 hours of workshops with only 2 15 minute breaks, I got to rock the pajamas and pigtails look all day. Good thing I have super fashionable PJ pants with peacock feathers on them.

All of the workshops that I took were great. The pillow fight was fast-paced and fun. Western Technique for Eastern Dance with Cera Byer had me doing things I didn't know I could do and taught me so much. Bold and Sassy with Naimah was an intimate class with great combos and so much good attitude. Those latter two are teachers I'd never studied with before and I loved both of them.

I was going to be a good girl and not buy anything tonight, just pick up things I had pre-ordered. Well, that obviously didn't happen. First I found a cute beetle ring that fit me and was only $16, and since there was only one I figured I should grab it. No biggie. But then I hit the Mishu booth and there were green lacy things, and well, I blame the 6 hours of dance for my total lack of self-control. How could I say no?

But this wasn't even my big purchase. You'll have to wait on that one, the seller is putting on the finishing touches :)

Other highlights of the day: meeting and getting hugs from Blume Bauer and Dusty Paik! I love meeting people in "real life" for the first time!

OMG MIRA BETZ!!!!!!1111oneoneone

Members of Skirt Full of Fire and Fire & Gold with Mira Betz and her cute little baby boy.

So I just spent the past weekend studying with Mira Betz and I am so stoked! This was my second time doing a weekend of workshops with her, but the first time I around I was a much less skilled dancer and spent a lot of time struggling with technique without really soaking up much knowledge. This time around I still struggled with some of the technique, but I absorbed a lot more and I learned so much!

The funny thing is, looking at what I wrote two years ago when I got back from the last intensive, I see that I thought I had learned a lot. And I guess I had. That time around I learned about ways to improve my posture and my general technique and the importance of not being a lazy dancer. But this time I was able to go even deeper, and learn about artistry and awareness and complete commitment on stage. Once again, I feel like I got exactly what I needed exactly when I needed it.

One thing I really liked is that Saturday's workshops were less about dancing and more about bringing in theater and emotion to your dance, which is of course something I've been working on. There was also a class on keeping your improv dynamic, which was also right up my alley since I don't choreograph.

But the best part was how interactive the workshops were. It wasn't "just follow me while I do this combo", there was a lot of discussion and back and forth and partner exercises. I feel like this really kept me engaged and probably helped me retain the knowledge a lot better.

I'd like to gush on and on and on, but I am trying to break my habit of novel-length blog posts, so I guess I'll just go write in my dance journal instead.

Swap Meet (Busiest Weekend Part 3)

I went to Yasmina's Bellydance Swap Meet to try to sell my jewelry. On that count, I was not very successful. I made one sale of three items... to a non-dancer who decided to see what was going on with all those tents at the women's center. But that's OK. It helped me make some definite decisions about what I'm doing with my jewelry this year.

Aside from the whole "sitting there all day not selling jewelry" aspect, the swap meet was great. I took a fan veil workshop from Yasmina and also bought myself a pair of fan veils from her (the nice thing was that she had loaner pairs for people who wanted to try it without investing in the prop, but I knew already that I wanted them). I'm pretty excited about fan veils and am already working to use them to "Crooked Muse" as opposed to the traditional veil I have been using.

I also had a nice time talking with people all day. My booth neighbor was Dawn Z who does silk dying (she made my above-mentioned veil) and is just a really sweet woman. We helped each other set up our pop-up canopies because that is never a one-woman job! I saw a lot of other Phoenix-area dance friends that I hadn't seen in a while, and Jess Walker from here in Tucson was up to teach a workshop and spent some time at my booth chatting with Jolie and I.

Oh, and of course I shopped. I was going to not buy things if my sales didn't go well, but that didn't really last. After being so good at the Desert Shakedown, I couldn't resist finally buying some new costuming! I got a great little overskirt and tie-top from Gail aka Rukshana, and I scored a really sweet pair of never-worn batik-dyed real Melodia pants (not those cheap rip-offs) for a ridiculously low price. They fit me like a dream! People were watching me check them out in the mirror and telling me to buy them from halfway across the event, so of course I had to give in to peer pressure.

I will not be returning to the swap meet as a vendor (unless it's to share a booth with a friend to clean out our dance closets), but I will definitely come back for workshops and shopping! It's a great event to learn new skills, see friends, and pick up costuming.

I'M GOING TO TRIBAL FEST!

Well, I found a way to shake myself out of my funk... This morning, I registered for Tribal Fest 13! I stayed glued to my computer until the shopping cart went live, with a handy list of the workshops I had decided on (an agonizing process! so many options!), so I was able to pounce and get into all of my first choices. I'll be studying with 3 awesome teachers I've had workshops with in the past, and four new-to-me teachers!

I cannot even tell you how excited I am about this. I've wanted to go for the past two years, but things kept getting in the way. But this year, thanks to the support of my two biggest fans (my husband and his mom), I am going to find a way to make it happen. I've already been selling off all the costuming bits that don't quite fit or don't quite go with anything else, and I've got a couple of big shows with my jewelry business planned, so I should be golden.

Now no matter how "blah" things get in Tucson, I can remind myself that in X months, I will be at Tribal Fest, so I need to keep practicing to be in tip-top form for my workshops. I can't wait! It's going to be the Best May Ever.

Jam-Packed Saturday!

Check out this pre-show shot of Skirt Full of Fire (front row with the fabulous LEGS!) and Fire & Gold (back row with the gorgeous tops!) prior to performing at An Evening of Dance, hosted by Belly Dance Tucson with headliner Sadie!

This was such a crazy busy Saturday! First, I went to one of the Sadie workshops because a friend had a scheduling conflict and offered to let me take her spot. It was a drum solo secrets workshop, with lots of drills and locks and fast-paced combos. I got a great workout! Drum solos are so amazingly hard and it was hard to keep up with Sadie. However, I felt pretty good. All the time I've spent in class for the past year has really trained my brain and body to be quicker at picking up unfamiliar material, or at least faking it well enough that I'm not a hot mess and throwing others off. Sadie did a pretty good job of explaining everything she taught and had a really friendly attitude. I can see why she's so popular! This was her first time teaching in AZ, so a lot of dancers came all the way from Phoenix for the chance to study with her.

Then I went to my troupemate Liora's house so we could do our makeup together. We shared makeup and she gave me some great tips because she used to work at Sephora and she's a fashion photographer, so she really knows her stuff! She helped with my eye makeup and made it look awesome. I also got to wear the new Eye Kandy glitter that Jen brought me from Vegas. WOO glitter!

At the show, we were the opening act, which is always my favorite. When you start the show, you then get to kick back, relax, and watch all the other great performances, which is exactly what we did. It was a jam-packed show (I wish I had a copy of the group shot!) with numerous troupes and soloists, topped off by a set by Sadie, who even went into the audience and got people up to dance. I thought this was great because it meant that those who were seated farther back also got to see her up-close and enjoy her dazzling stage presence.

I was pretty tired by the end of the night, but such is the life of a dancer!

Sharon Kihara

Hello there, internet. Did you miss me? I was sick in bed for a week. It was wonderful *eye roll*

I got well just in time to head up to Tempe for the Sharon Kihara Spring Intensive at Plaza de Anaya! I had only purchased one workshop this time around, since I decided to spend all my fun money on a tattoo, but I also bought myself a ticket to the show, because really, $15 is a STEAL for the sort of show that Plaza always puts on for the intensives! It felt really strange to be at the show and not have been at workshops earlier in the day, though, and then it felt strange to get up this morning and have a few hours to hang out instead of rushing to the workshop!

The one workshop that I did take was SO MUCH FUN! It was all about creative collaboration in a group setting. We were split up into random groups and we had to come up with a story, and then a choreography to express it. I found it really amazing how much 7 people from varying dance backgrounds could accomplish together in just an hour. All four groups came up with really beautiful choreographies, it was great to just sit and watch them. I had a wonderful time working with my group, I was lucky and ended up in the same group as two of my former Anaya troupe mates and a few other people I knew!

Sharon struck me as a very warm, friendly, and fun person. I didn't get much of a sense of her teaching style, since this particular workshop was more geared towards group interaction with her guidance, but friends who had taken the entire weekend spoke really highly of the more technical ones, so I have a feeling I'd enjoy learning more from her in the future.

Now I'm ready to throw myself back into dancing this coming week. I can't wait to see my Fire & Gold troupe mates tomorrow night!

UNMATA!!!!!!

What a weekend! The Unmata workshops kicked my butt! Lots of high intensity, fast-paced dancing in a crowded room on a really warm weekend. I had an amazing time and got a serious workout. I got to see dance friends from Tucson, Phoenix AND Bisbee, too!

If you get a chance to take workshops with Unmata, go for it! They have a really unique tribal language and they're just so much FUN to learn from. I like how Amy Sigil runs her workshops, it felt like there was very little wasted time and the way she switches back and forth between doing things quickly and slowly allows you to catch back up if you're struggling. Plus she just breaks things down really well, drilling the separate parts and then sticking them together.

The show was also great. Anaya Tribal and Anaya Tribe were the opening acts and I think we did a good job of kicking things off :) Cari and Tiffany did a badass sword piece and then we all did some fast tribal with zills to a fun song to perk everyone up. After that was a variety of Tucson and Phoenix dancers, cabaret, tribal, soloists, duets, troupes, student groups, and then a long set from Unmata to cap it all off!

If this post feels a little disjointed and full of run-on sentences it is because I am totally exhausted from 8 hours of workshops and staying up too late after the show last night! But it's a happy exhaustion!

Makeup Workshop

Day 337 of practice.

Today I went to a 3-hour makeup workshop taught by Jolie (and hosted by my former carpool buddy Dawn who I do not get to see often enough but have seen 2 days in a row now, yay!). This was really good for me because I honestly do not know what I'm doing with makeup. I only started wearing it at age 27 and I have pretty much taught myself how to apply it which means I was doing a lot of things wrong. Not even from a stage makeup point of view, but just from a not looking awful point of view. I feel confident that with a little practice, the things I learned today will help me look better for performances big and small but also for date nights with my husband.

Not really dancing but good for my dance career so it is pretty much counting as my practice for the day. By the time I got home it was cold and rainy and gross and I did not feel like doing anything more than stuffing myself full of pasta and then relaxing on the couch in fleece pajamas. Look, I don't do cold, OK? And we're having lows in the 30s before it's even officially winter. I did do some glute isolations and my shoulder stretches and that is it!

Coughing my brains out

Days 307-310 of practice, sorta.

Well, my year of dance kind of fell apart with this sickness. I flat out did not practice on Thursday and Friday. I was so sick, and in such a bad mood from being sick, that it just didn't happen. But you know what, I'm okay with that. I've been doing this for over 300 days and I only missed one before, also when I was sick. So I think I've proven that I can practice every day. I'm going to continue onward, having acknowledged the fact that sometimes I am physically and/or mentally incapable of doing anything that truly resembles dancing. From now on, sick days will be for non-physical dance journey enrichment -- maybe I'll spend the day watching videos on YouTube, or sorting through new music, or reading a belly dance magazine or on-line articles.

Anyway, the weekend was full of dance. I went to the Plaza de Anaya Intensive, featuring Elizabeth Strong and Silvia Salamanca. I couldn't fully participate, due to low energy and coughing fits, but even sitting on the sidelines and taking notes when I got too tired was fun and inspiring. Plus the show pretty much knocked my socks off! Other fun parts of the weekend were carpooling with Jolie and getting to know her better, spending the weekend with my great friend Jen, and being paired up with awesome fellow Tucsonan Gina and my beading belly dance friend SaraBeth for an exercise in upper Egyptian group dancing :) All that and I got a badass femme fatale hairclip from local vendor extraordinaire Kyla, as well as DVDs from both instructors so I can pick up more of their style when my health improves.

Now I'm left with a horrendous cough but a strong desire to dance (especially since my husband found more awesome music tonight), so I'm facing a week of going to my dance classes but dancing at partial capacity -- Jolie has already given me permission to skip the torturous crunches, push-ups and hip bridges during her warm-ups, probably because she's had to listen to me cough all weekend :)

At the Shakedown

Day 281 of practice.

I'm at the Desert Shakedown taking a workshop, selling jewelry, performing, and hanging out with my awesome friends. Oh yes, and shopping. Definitely shopping. This post has been pre-scheduled. Come back on Sunday for a review of the event!

Take that, sickness!

Days 231 and 232 of practice.

So, yesterday was lame. I did a bit of chair dancing but then zonked out in bed before I could actually practice. Today, however, was 4 hours of workshops, practicing for my performance, performing, and lots of open dance. My feet hurt, and I'm tired, and my voice is threatening to go out, and I am SO GLAD that I left the house and danced today.

Now... more sleep!

Raaaaaachel Briiiiiiiiice!

I love this picture! Rachel Brice and Vorpal Shimmy! (I'm now an honorary member of Vorpal Shimmy. I live too far away to participate in practices, but I like to think that I provide valuable services in the area of brain storming, awesome music suggestions, moral support, and occasional emergency jewelry supplying) If you're wondering why the gentleman in the front row is holding up his cell phone, it's because he's displaying a picture of our friend Meghan who had to go to a wedding instead of spending the weekend at the workshops.

So, as you may have already gathered from my exhausted posts over the weekend, the workshops were pretty amazing. 10.5 hours over the course of three days, and pretty high-intensity stuff, too. I'd forgotten how good a deep muscular tiredness really feels (though it does make it hard to catch up on all the housework).

Let's start with Rachel Brice herself. It was a real treat to find out that not only is she a phenomenal dancer and a great instructor, she's just really nice and encouraging and fun to be around. I was especially touched by how she worked with the newer dancers in the workshop, helping them through the more challenging exercises. I also liked that on Saturday and Sunday morning, she asked us at the start of the classes if anyone had any specific issues they wanted to work on in the warm-up, then built a yoga practice around that.

After the yoga, we'd learn some combos and then do them at increasing speed for a good cardio workout. There wasn't a day that I didn't get drenched in sweat! I wish all belly dance classes were that intense, maybe then I'd be as slender as Rachel and all the other tribal fusion greats ;)

As it turns out, my favorite part of the workshops was the part that I was most apprehensive about -- building our own combos. I don't tend to think in terms of combos when I do improv, it's all about whatever the music tells me. So I didn't feel like I was really capable of developing combinations. But Rachel broke it down in a really sensible way, and she also had us work in pairs. It was really nice to be able to share ideas and brainstorm on sticky parts. On both days, I worked with my friend and Anaya classmate Jen (standing in the center of the back row in the above photo), which was great because not only do we have similar skills and vocabulary to draw from, but she has family here in Tucson and comes to visit sometimes, so we can get together and practice our combos in the future. I'm very excited about what we came up with!

Another thing that I enjoyed was the "Scales" which are series of belly dance moves to practice together, like a musician playing scales. They're the perfect way to grab a few minutes of practice here and there on a busy day. I definitely want to drill them until I remember them, so I can make use of them when I go on vacation later this year.

On Saturday night, there was a big show to go with the workshops. Rachel performed two pieces, and the rest of the show was filled with some of Arizona's best dancers, performing in a variety of styles. Pretty much every performance blew me away. I also got to see Eric Salazar and Bastet, from NM, who performed separate solos and a really beautiful duet piece. I'm pretty sure it was the first time I've seen a man and a woman perform a belly dance duet, and the dynamic was awesome (helped along by the fact that they're both great dancers and they had gorgeous costumes).

The picture above is from the meet-and-greet held after the show. Rachel Brice and a few of the other performers were on stage, chatting, signing, and posing for photos. I thought this was really nice as it gave people who weren't taking the workshops a chance to get a photo and a signature and talk a bit with the dancers.

All in all, I had a really amazing weekend. I learned so much at the workshops, I was delighted by Rachel Brice and her awesome business partner Sol (who handled the organizational details, merchandising, and putting out tasty snacks during the breaks!), and I got to spend time with friends that I see far too infrequently.

Rachel Brice Day 3

Day 156 of practice.

I am home from Tempe! It's nice to be back home with my pets and all my stuff, but on the other hand I miss my friends, and there's the sad knowledge that I will not go to more Rachel Brice workshops tomorrow.

I had 4 more hours of workshops today and I'm so beat! All weekend, the workshops were really intense and high energy. I'd forgotten how much I missed the feeling of having a really good workout. On the other hand, I don't really have enough energy to scare up some dinner and clean the house.

Come back tomorrow for the full-length workshop review!

Rachel Brice Day 2

Day 155 of practice.

4 hours of workshops with Rachel Brice today. Totally awesome! Not only that, but a great show tonight, with Rachel, local dancers, and dancers from NM.

But now I'm about to eat some late-night pizza with my friends, so I'm going to keep it short. Once again, detailed post coming Monday.

Rachel Brice Day 1

Day 154 of practice.

I'm in Tempe for the weekend, taking workshops with the one, the only, RACHEL BRICE!!! So amazing! Tonight we had two and a half hours, going over drills and combos. Then I went out with my friends for dessert, so I'm in this crazy tired, sugar buzzed state. Expect a more coherent review of the weekend come Monday :)

PS: My abs hurt.