Making a cake and what this has to do with Belly Dance?

This past week as I was working with one of my students during her private lesson we were  discussing choreography and how to try and make sense of it all.  For beginners it is not an easy thing and it can actually be quite frightening at first.  As we talked we discussed where to start and how to add movements; this is where making a cake came into play.  We talked about how when we make a cake we first have to make sure we add all the ingredients, mix it together, preparing and then waiting for the end result when it is done baking.  When we choreograph we can think about it in the same way.  First we must decide what the ingredients or moves are to make a delicious choreography?  It is important to put your moves down on a piece of paper these are moves that you do well and ones that you enjoy.  Once you have gathered all you ingredients and have picked you music which is another blog in itself is when the mixing and preparing starts.  Once it is mixed and prepared you continually work at the choreography leaving you with a finished project or cake but when it is done baking it does not stop there.  We must ice our cake and our choreography adding layers and layers of sweet gooey icing and moves and accents!  This is what adds to you cake and choreography and makes it not only complete but delicious!

In class tonight as we were working on choreography to Dance of Eternity and as I was teaching chest circles with snake arms one of my students asked me “where do you come up with this stuff?”  It made me laugh because sometimes I do sit and just think about what kind of moves that I can teach and how I can do a move in a different way my students may not be accustomed to.  As a teacher it is important to challenge my students because I want each one of them to progress as well as be very well rounded dancers.  Sometimes I come up with stuff at the strangest times while at work or even I have been known to have ideas when I am cooking or even driving which can sometimes be dangerous! My family and I went to a Christian Rock concert this past summer and my daughter turns to me and says “Mom your belly dancing!”  The music moved me and I just started moving and I was trying out different moves. Sometimes ideas will also stem from other dancers and I will change it completly around or seeing a dancer do something different will stir my own creativity inside.  We never know when the urge and creativity hits us and I have realized that when it does hit I just have to run with it!

 Belly dance is a way to connect with your inner self and exploring your personal beauty.  It is not intended to seduce or entice.  Unfortunately, there are still a lot of misconceptions in our culture today that belly dancing is done to seduce and is used to tease.  Some also feel that that it is just like stripping or other exotic dance forms.  They have  been misinformed. Many times I have people come to me and say oh so you are an exotic dancer?  My answer is no, I am a performer and an artist and I express myself and celebrate being a women through my dance.  I do not seduce or entice anyone but I dance for myself!  It is an outwardly expression.  I am just like a singer but instead I dance to tell my story.   This is the biggest misconception and as my duty to my students it is important that I not only educate my students but the community as well. The origins of belly dance are women dancing for women.  It is a dance where we can celebrate our individuality and find what touches us the most finding our passion that lies deep inside within each of us.