MECDA's professional conference 2011

Here's a super wonderful conference that is not to be missed by professionals or those becoming professionals in the bellydance field.
Yes, it's a real job...just like every thing else. Upon looking into this event, I can tell you I am drooling and drooling - this is something I want so BADLY!!!

Here's an excerpt of the conference:

This conference is a MUST if you’ve ever…
■wondered “am I ready to become a professional.”
■dreamed about opening your own studio.
■thought about quitting because you’re just not making a living wage.
■felt like the economy is kicking your butt, and you’d like to kick back.
■wanted to have the extra money to buy costumes and go to workshops without feeling guilty.
■figured there’s got to be an easier way to get paying gigs.
■been told “better keep your day job!”
■believed you had to be a starving artist.
■wished you could teach workshops locally or nationally.
■felt like producing your own DVD, but didn’t know where to start.
■wondered where to find students and how to keep them coming back.
■discussed holding a big event, but didn’t know how.
■wanted to learn how to run a successful troupe.
■been curious about the history and heritage of our dance.
■paid a fortune in advertising and wished you didn’t have to.
■been treated badly by another dancer protecting “her territory.”
■had a burning question and no one would give you a straight answer.
■wished you had access to event promoters and organizers.
■reached a point where it was too painful NOT to be a professional dancer, but were too intimidated or confused or fearful to get started.

I answered yes, Yes, YES!!!!

Then....I realized, the reality of opening up an new business hit me. Although it will help my business's growth, financially wise, I have to put it in the building so we can open our doors. Right now, it's a double edge sword with everything I do. Question is, which side of the blade will make me bleed less???

Putting that aside, if you are a pro, this is such a deal for the amount of knowledge rolling out in this intensive seminar! I would be there in a heartbeat - most of you know I'm the kind of person that thrives on learning and passing the knowledge on....
It's how we live.

If you can do this conference, do it. I know I would without a doubt!

Here's the link: http://www.mecda.org/prodanceconfretreat

Blog Hiatus=Room to Grow + Procrastination

It's no secret I tend to procrastinate in certain areas....blogging is one of them. I'm old school and like that personal contact more than the electronic thing. I also have that Face-thingy that keeps me in touch with long distance friends, family, and dancers all around the world.
Someting had to be compromised. This was one of them. Hopefully, I can blog at least once a month - ha ha....we'll see how this goes.

OK, round two...

What has Etoile been up to in the past two years???

Aside from classes, performing, and dancing, I have been rigorously trained under Aziza Sa'id to improve my dance, develop and apply my previous dancing skills both on the floor and behind the scenes. This process she projected will take a few years to fine tune, but I had all the necessary skills and leadership to be successful. With three of my closest dance friends for the past four years we intently listened. We were the grasshoppers of the master - just like that show Kung-Fu.

Late last year, all of us decided to branch out and be on our own - by way of OWNING our OWN studio. It would be three of us heading this business. Talk about being breathless...the ride of being an owner is much more thrilling than a roller coaster ride. You feel every emotion - thrill, elation, fear, anxiety, joy, nausea, all wrapped up with a scream. I cannot begin to tell you the challenges we encountered building this business up. Aside from our dance skills, I had strong marketing skills , sales skills, business skills, my business partner had mad technical skills, admistrative skills, and Aziza of course was the uber master of skill that were not covered between the both of us....seems like a piece-of-cake? Uh, no.

Things like Zoning, location, accessability, permits, contracts, etc. I'm just pulling out the main subjects....getting into details will be as long as our 32 page contract. Get the picture? The business is till in the final stages. More on that later.

Jumping to spring of this year, our world was jolted harshly when an unexpected emergency happened and Aziza had to move away. Now she was miles and miles away, giving us direction remotely. Now not only did we have first line of defense with the entire business by ourselves, but we also took over all the troupes and classes. I felt like I was diffusing a bomb and having the expert give it to me via a staticy radio two miles away that I could barely hear. Aziza's responsibilities are huge. She too has a job out there. We forget she too has a life to maintain, not ours. She cannot live our lives for us, and she has to live hers. Communication between a two hour time zone isn't easy....and she's a busy woman. We take it as it comes. Period.
Things were rough. People compared us to her, people dropped out because they had no faith, people left because they listened to rumors. I heard the good things and the not so good things. This saddened me.

I felt like I was pushed out of the nest too early - I didn't need this....feeling almost discouraged with what I saw and heard.

Just....

Then....

As I started to question myself....

It. Hit. Me.

We had been trained all along. We already HAD the info and knowledge all along. We had been trained effectively. It was there all along and we are already doing it. What happens happens. What choices am I to make today that will affect my tomorrow? I asked myself, does the forest only contain 100 trees? NO! There are more...and new ones grow every day. I needed not to stand in the compost, but to plant the new seeds to make it grow to it's full potential....
So, it's time to get off my duff and recollect to become the new Phoenix.
What we have now is the dawn of a new era. Composed from the old...and reborn anew. The forest will be green again. I shall conntinue to dance.

Lesson learned again. Listen to your dreams and aspirations, don't listen to or let others discourage or put down what you aspire to do....

Just as I tell my students, I will never allow anyone to quesion or discourage what you love to do.

On my way to my Black Belt...and why...

Aziza Sa'id's Black Belt in Belly Dance!

I have entered something that would be a no-brainer for me. I have joined in the special program our instructor set up for those who want to step up. A special program that progresses from a "white belt" up to the coveted ""black belt...
Each level has assignments given out to be fulfilled an once it is completed satisfactorily, you move on the next level.
This is a wonderful program for those who want to grow in the art of Bellydance.

I thought this would be an easy lateral supplement to my bellydancing experience...
That is until I completed the first assignment. It started out as nine pages, but by the time I was done, it ended up to be 11 pages in all. I never realized there was so much in the Middle Eastern Arts...I never knew there was so much to learn, I never knew how much I really didn't know.
Which makes me wonder with all those who "teach" bellydance, how much of "bellydance" do they really know??

In a field where there is no 'real' vocabulary (other than tribal), countless ways and variations of shimmies, hip drops, and arm work...it's no wonder why many women are still confused and 'don't get it' when they go from instructor to instructor.

The problem is, when someone is not fully understanding of the whole dynamics of the art of Bellydance, it will inadvertently steer them wrong. I have seen instructors just teach what they know, how they learned it, or how they like to teach it....essentially creating zombie clones and leaving little room for upward growth.

What I love about my beloved teacher Aziza Sa'id is she passes EVERYTHING to us - every pearl of wisdom one can imagine. Granted, I have only been with a small handful of bellydance teachers, but I have been around the dance block several times enough to know a good teacher from a bad teacher, and of course one that is classified as awesome. But who else passes information so you can learn and grow, push you to your limits so you can perform, compete, teach, and get a job in bellydance???
Being a niche in the subculture of ethnic dancing, bellydancing isn't like competitive ballroom dancing...it's one that is misunderstood, feared. That being said, with all the questions people are afraid to ask, I feel confident that being in this program will answer what people are afraid to ask and be able to teach the art of bellydance properly with the knowledge and history behind it....

I'm excited when people learn, I'm excited when they're happy....there's a whole lot of excitement an joy going around! If you want to join the program, send me a message and I'll send you the program info!

Notes to self....

Just as I thought I am an uberly prepared performer, there are a couple more things of importance that I should ALWAYS consider....it's not Murphy's Law, but it's common sense...a "DUH!" moment...

Keep in mind, this is February and our performance is at a county faire at 5pm....

-The sun still goes down early...

-It gets cold (to California Standards...)

-and a possibility of an asthma attack can occur....


Last night, all three happened. I had no light. I had to find my costume pieces like I was reading braille.
My own body heat saved me, but my poor hands were like icicles in 45-50 degree weather...
...and yes, all that smoke from the faire food blowing my way gave me a near acute asthma attack...

I'm all better now, but it had it's scary moments...and I'm fine.
Life is a learning lesson :)

Belleh Danceh!

I could not resist!

For the Bellydance addict...

As Tribe lays dying, I've got lots of information packed to the gills. I can't figure how I want them posted on Facebook, I'm not even going to do MySpace. I abhor MySpace.

So not to confuse or scare my 'other world' friends and family, I'm posting the bellydance related stuff here. Every day, Facebook is looking like a promotional social utility... If I ever figure how to make Facebook work like Tribe, then this blogsite will be deleted. There's nothing like Tribe. It's a shame it's doing what it's doing now.

Keep this marked - I will post links, interests, and VIDEOS of interest!

Raq ON!!!!