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Jan. 23rd, 2006 12:44 pmChickadees in a snow-covered tree with little red berries = perfect new england winter scene. That was the view outside my office window, until the chickadees flew away.
Went to Katia's workshop on Tunisian dance yesterday--it was quite fun. Tunisian dance isn't belly dance per se, even though some of the movement vocabulary is similar; it's really an interesting hybrid of African and Arabic folkdance, lots of percussive twisting and patterns of footwork that seems more African, but combined with an upright Arabic posture. I thought it might leave my lower back sore, but to the contrary my lower back and even more remarkably my hamstrings are the most relaxed they've been in a while. I have the choreography notes and the music, I should start doing this for therapy :) (somewhat predictably, Katia's feedback for me personally was that I have beautiful movement and a lovely figure, but I have GOT to get my ribcage forward. Sigh. I remind myself that I have made a lot of progress esp. now that I'm doing yoga and I can't undo a lifetime of postural habit all at once, but it's still frustrating.)
Danced at the ME later that night, to the same music that I danced to in Amira Jamal's class last week plus a drum solo and finale. It went much better in many ways than it did in class, because I got really good feedback there. Unfortunately I heard my music starting while I was in the far back of the room still in my coverup, so it was a scramble to get out there and I never did get a good grip on my veil--it was a semi-circular veil and I'm pretty sure I had it by the curved edge, d'oh. Luckily I ditch the veil a minute and a half into the song. Everybody seemed to be having technical difficulties of one sort or another last night (cds that wouldn't play, forgotten costume parts), so I fit right in. The best part of the night for me was that there was a table of Arabic women who gave me the eye on my way in, but by halfway through the first song they were smiling back at me and clapping along. That felt awfully good. I think it is probably a cross-cultural constant that guys are more easily pleased by dancing girls than women are, who inevitably hold fellow women to a higher standard, especially when you mix in issues of cultural representation and appropriation. I feel very good about capturing the right spirit of the music and being a good entertainer, even if my technique still needs improvement.
By the time I got home I swear my legs were made out of lead and I could barely climb the stairs to the house. Today I am clearly still worn out, but in a good way for the most part. My neck is strangely stiff so I hope I am not becoming unwell again. Waiting half an hour in the snow for the bus this morningmay not have helped. Lots of tea for me...
Went to Katia's workshop on Tunisian dance yesterday--it was quite fun. Tunisian dance isn't belly dance per se, even though some of the movement vocabulary is similar; it's really an interesting hybrid of African and Arabic folkdance, lots of percussive twisting and patterns of footwork that seems more African, but combined with an upright Arabic posture. I thought it might leave my lower back sore, but to the contrary my lower back and even more remarkably my hamstrings are the most relaxed they've been in a while. I have the choreography notes and the music, I should start doing this for therapy :) (somewhat predictably, Katia's feedback for me personally was that I have beautiful movement and a lovely figure, but I have GOT to get my ribcage forward. Sigh. I remind myself that I have made a lot of progress esp. now that I'm doing yoga and I can't undo a lifetime of postural habit all at once, but it's still frustrating.)
Danced at the ME later that night, to the same music that I danced to in Amira Jamal's class last week plus a drum solo and finale. It went much better in many ways than it did in class, because I got really good feedback there. Unfortunately I heard my music starting while I was in the far back of the room still in my coverup, so it was a scramble to get out there and I never did get a good grip on my veil--it was a semi-circular veil and I'm pretty sure I had it by the curved edge, d'oh. Luckily I ditch the veil a minute and a half into the song. Everybody seemed to be having technical difficulties of one sort or another last night (cds that wouldn't play, forgotten costume parts), so I fit right in. The best part of the night for me was that there was a table of Arabic women who gave me the eye on my way in, but by halfway through the first song they were smiling back at me and clapping along. That felt awfully good. I think it is probably a cross-cultural constant that guys are more easily pleased by dancing girls than women are, who inevitably hold fellow women to a higher standard, especially when you mix in issues of cultural representation and appropriation. I feel very good about capturing the right spirit of the music and being a good entertainer, even if my technique still needs improvement.
By the time I got home I swear my legs were made out of lead and I could barely climb the stairs to the house. Today I am clearly still worn out, but in a good way for the most part. My neck is strangely stiff so I hope I am not becoming unwell again. Waiting half an hour in the snow for the bus this morningmay not have helped. Lots of tea for me...
