David Tutera's Belly Dancing Bride Episode and a Bollywood workout DVD

Oh my gosh, I loved it! Bringing Belly Dance into a wedding was a crazy idea, but David Tutera made it work and she was so sweet and her husband was so happy that she got what she wanted! Who would not want a wedding that looked like this?

A Belly Dance wedding that is beautiful, tasteful, and mind blowingly colorful, I loved it, I felt inspired. I am seeing everywhere evidence of what happens when people make their dreams come true.

On that note, one of my Bollywood teachers, her business partner and her have just released their new work out DVDs. They followed their dreams and founded Doonya Dance, and brought Bollywood to the D.C. area. Having had several classes with Kajal, I know how hard she can push, and believe me, if you want to loose weight, Bollywood is the way to do it and have fun. I never lost more weight then when I was doing Bollywood and I'm so excited to start again.

Here's the link if you want to buy them, they are currently # 11 on Amazon's top sellers in Exercise and Fitness DVDs. Doonya: The Bollywood Dance Workout Complete. Let's get to number one! Move over Jilian Michaels, Bollywood is taking over!

Happy dancing everyone!

Contra Dancing at Glen Echo, MD

I went Contra Dancing on Friday night. According to a source, contra comes from the French "contre" meaning "opposing"*. Your partner is always opposite you. You stand in long lines and dance dizzying shapes with almost everyone in the line, as well as a little with your partner in every movement. The caller gives the basic steps in the beginning and everyone falls in line pretty quickly.
And when I say dizzy, I mean, the entire world is spinning, except the shape that happens to be my partner's face. It was glorious! I wore the wrong shoes, so my feet were killing me in about an hour into it, and do not wear a sweater, no matter how cold it is outside, unless you've got a thin t-shirt underneath, so you can peel that sweater off!
It was amazing, it was so quick, I didn't have time to be nervous. Plus I get to meet almost every person in the room. Must have helped courtship and marriages in the day!
It reminded me of the time at my friend's wedding. She loved the Scottish dance "strip the willow", so we did it at her reception. I'm proud to say that I think I've improved since then.
For those of you who'd like to learn, here's a simple, somewhat grainy video on "strip the willow" It's great fun, I highly recommend it!

I felt like I was in a period piece, those fancy dances where the ladies where the long frocks with not much bodice, and all the gentlemen are done up in cravats and shiny shoes. So much for my turtleneck. Glen Echo was beautiful at usual, the Spanish style ballroom has a blend of romance and color. Here's a picture from the website. I hope you can all make it out there at least once, you won't be disappointed!

http://www.glenechopark.org/dancing.htm

*http://dancefl.us/contra/history.php

Balance

Balance, you must find the balance!
But because pier posts in the sand on a beach where I can practice the crane are hard to come by in Northern Virginia, I look for other techniques. Below are a few websites the offer some info on working on balance.
This one is pretty good. 
http://dance.about.com/od/adultdancers/qt/Balance.htm
http://www.danceadvantage.net/2011/01/19/better-balance/
http://www.dance-forums.com/threads/developing-good-balance.5352/
Hope these help! I would like to be able to do the Argentine Tango without falling like a klutz.

Skyfall

When I hear the music for Skyfall by Adele, I knew it would be the perfect platform to build a dance on. When I was in college, I took several theater classes. I was never very much good, but I did learn somethings about preparing to play a scene. One trick is to take your lines and with each line, assign an emotion. It's harder then it looks, but it helps to understand what you are trying to express, and it helps the internal to become external. Skyfall to me is about overcoming something that should have destroyed you, and being stronger for it. It's about not betraying yourself and having the kind of confidence that comes from belief in the truth, not knowledge in the perception of truth.
Assigning emotions are key to dance. One of my favorite dancers, Angel Corella is so adept at it, you could almost say he dances with his face!

The End of the Year

It is with mixed feelings that I say goodbye to 2012. So many things happened, both amazing and trying, but all were good. I learned to ice skate. I learned the Argentine tango. I went to Ireland. I made many, many new friends. I have many goals for this year, and there are many things I want to improve on and do better. But the most important goal is to be happy! And for my dancing in 2013, I have a few things I want to work on:
My balance
My dance repitoire
My body strength overall
I want to work on my swing dance, it's very social and will help me meet more people.
I want to work on tap too, I only did it a few times and it would be a shame to waste it!
I want to have joy in doing something I love!

Ethos - the distinguishing character, sentiment, moral nature, or guiding beliefs of a person. 

This is one of my favorite words because it goes straight to the core of who a person is and what they choose to be. Oh, to be the Emily who is so in tune with this part of me! 

 

 

Running

I am beginning  a new sport, running. I've detested, despised, loathed this activity since middle school. When you are the fat girl in the class, running is the equivalent of showing off everything that people make fun of to the absolute maximum. But, I'm 29, and it's time to put that old demon to rest. Plus, I love the pictures that people have been posting of things they see from their weekly workouts, and being a treasure hunter, I want to find those moments too!
So, here the goal:
To be able to run two miles straight in four weeks.
Week 1:
Day 1: Warm up, walk quarter mile. Run half mile, walk half mile, run half mile, walk half mile, walk quarter mile.
Day 2: Jullian Michaels kettlebelle workout, or 30 minutes of walking, or 45 minutes of elliptical.
Day 3:Warm up, walk quarter mile. Run half mile, walk half mile, run half mile, walk half mile, walk quarter mile.
Day 4:Jullian Michaels kettlebelle workout, or 30 minutes of walking, or 45 minutes of elliptical.
Day 5:Warm up, walk quarter mile. Run half mile, walk half mile, run half mile, walk half mile, walk quarter mile.
Day 6:Jullian Michaels kettlebelle workout, or 30 minutes of walking, or 45 minutes of elliptical.
Day 7: Warm up, walk quarter mile. Run half mile, walk half mile, run half mile, walk half mile, walk quarter mile.

I admit that I am cheating just a little. I'm starting on a Sunday, which means that day seven is a Saturday, so that next Sunday will be my rest day going forward.

I'm really excited, I felt a rush of adrenaline when I complete the second set of running. 

For info on the rest of the weeks, here's the link. 

http://running.about.com/od/trainingschedules/a/Four-Week-Beginner-Training-Program-To-Run-Two-Miles.htm

Like I said, I'm really excited to be starting this new adventure. I hope that instead of using dance as a way to loose weight, I can now enjoy dance more because I am training my body to prepare to dance well. 

By the way, I went to Ireland a few weeks ago! The people were awesome and the group I was with had a salsa lesson from one of the local teachers. So much fun! I'm still working on my balance, perhaps running and weight training will help with that.

It's 6 AM and I'm Dancing!

Okay, so it's not 6 AM anymore, but when it was, I was dancing around my apartment, to almost no music.

Even though things are rough now, it's important to start the day early, with a good attitude.  When I dance, I shake off the chains of what I think reality should be and rediscover what it truly is.

Ice Skating Notes

Because no other adults have signed up for the slot, I am basically getting private skating lessons for the next six weeks. Yesterday was great and I want to get my notes down. There is almost no ice time during the week, so the only time I can skate is Friday nights and Saturday lessons.
Fundamentals: My hips and shoulders need to be square with each other. Keep the arms down and loose. Lead with the hips forwards. 
1) One foot glides - Picking up the foot and gliding balanced on one. Shift my entire weight to one foot before I take it off the ice. Balance is key. Be sure to bring the foot up, not back to maintain balance.
2) Forward Swizzles - Turn the feet out, bend, push and give it some power, bring the toes back in, feet together, rising as I do, forward, then again, feet out, bend, and push.

3) Snow plows. Push down with the ankle, and out with the other leg, the ankle of the leg is turned in, then goes out. Marion drew two hearts on the ice and I had to try to scrape them off.
4) Slaloms- Got almost no where with these, will need to practice. Weight over one knee, the leg bent, other leg straight. Straight leg is the push off leg, making this pattern on the ice.

Notes for myself: Don't LOOK DOWN AT THE ICE! When I look at the ice, my weight shifts forward and I will loose my balance. Focus on letting my muscles learn the moves. Marion might give up on me if I keep doing this.
My fears are, getting hurt, falling down and looking like an idiot. Pep talk: I will fall down, the accomplishment is worth the pain, and I already look like an idiot, but as I practice I'll get better. I must work through my fears with discipline and constancy if I am to become a good skater.
I felt more comfortable on the ice yesterday then I ever have before.Next time, pay for the extra ice time, it would be good to get the practice. Ask more questions about blade work, where my feet are and weight needs to be, and what edges do.
Continue with strengthening ankles and improving balance. Try to work out at least twice a day, before and after work.
Question I ask myself, what is my end goal with this? Do I want to just be competent on the ice, or do I want to learn how to dance, or do advanced moves?

Dancing Outside

To me, there's nothing quite like dancing outside, whether its in the bright sunshine, in the rain, or under the stars, there is something special about it. On of the first pictures my mom has of me is when I'm dancing outside. I remember dancing to Robbie Rob's "In Time" from Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure. I remember my Mom telling my I had a gift. A few years ago, a friend who own a spa in Alexandria, Izalia's, had an outdoor party with tribal drums, it was AMAZING! I remember she had a lavender lemonade stand and going back and forth from that to the dancing, with the hanging lanterns and mirrors she'd hung in the trees, it was magical. I remember her mom dancing in a beautiful white gown, and making sure that everyone was comfortable. And by the way, her mom is deaf, and she danced with such amazing joy.
Like I said there is something wonderful about dancing outside.

30 Day Shred

I'm on day 4 of my 30 day shred, and wow, do I feel a difference! When I first started, I could do less then five minutes and my legs were killing me for two days. But, I got back in the saddle, it stretched my legs out and I've been working my way up. I'm at 21 minutes now before I had to do modified versions. I love how the exercises stretch and strengthen my muscles at the same time and how I am still covered with sweat, six minutes after ending. Thanks Jullian!
To round off this day with dance, I turned on my new favorite soundtrack, from "Mirror Mirror" and belly danced to "I Believe In Love". I focused on the arm movements at first, head pats, snake arms, lotus and diamond (those are my favorite, so exotic looking! Then on the second round of the song, I just went and did what I thought was fun. I tried to pretend to play the flute while at the same time pretending to be the music coming from the flute. I wasn't satisfied with the results, but it reminded me that sometimes having pictures in my head about what I am trying to be as I dance helps me dance better. Also, really thinking about the lyrics and what they mean to me, that helps the focus and find ways to express it.
I read about the 17 people who were killed today in Afghanistan for dancing. I feel so sad that there is such actions in the world. I am also so grateful I live in a country where there are men and women willing to fight for even my most basic rights. So to all the service men and woman, thank you, you and your families are in my prayers always. If anyone feels to do so, please tell the next armed forces member "Thank you." It takes courage every time, but it always makes a difference.

Bollywood Ice skating.

So today I thought about on the Metro how fun it would be to learn to skate really well, then cheoregraph a routine with Bollywood music on ice. I wonder if it's ever been done before. Let me check YouTube.
Okay back now. I didn't see any that I really liked, but if you have one you'd like to share, feel free! TO me Bollywood dancing is about joy, drama, grace, and passion. Ice skating has this too. There must be a way to combine the two.
What do you think?

Stake Dances

Another Dance memory: Stake dances. Growing up, my church had bi-weekly youth dances, and I used to live for them! Packaged rice krispie squares and Brittany Spears, with N'Sync, that was what I loved. My favorite thing was to get a bunch of people in a circle and everyone would just dance. Sometimes someone would go to the middle and everyone would cheer, but it was just fun seeing everyone together.

Ice Skating

Today, I learned to ice skate! I never could get the hang of it when I was in high school, and a few years ago tried again, but lacked confidence, and man it hurt something awful! But I think I must be stronger now, because it was easier then I remember and I stayed on the ice for an hour with only two breaks! Push, Push Push slide. It was a little daunting because everytime I tried to move faster, I would stumble, but I only fell once. My little niece was there too, and she was doing really well. My sister, her mom, was in the same class and we really had a blast. I am hopefully going back next Friday, and next Monday's lesson.
How is skating like dance? You must face it without trepidation and smile the entire time, with confidence! And don't look down! I'm so glad I am conquering this!

Dancing in The Circle

Because I have a lot of posts to make up for, I've decided to record some of my favorite dancing memories.
My parents moved our family in the late 80's to a Virginia home. I remember being scared to death of the second floor, I'd never lived in a house that was so big before. It was on five acres of land, with lots of trees and an Indian wall that soon became one of our favorite places to play. The drive way came straight towards the house then split into a circle, with a wide grassy area in the middle. We called it "The Circle". We'd ride our bikes and banana cars around and around it.
I remember dancing in the circle when I was about 6 or 7. Mom has pictures of me with my arms flung out, and my mouth is open, like I was singing to myself, and my little bottom is stuck out at an angle. I remember thinking I was so pretty.  I'll post that picture as soon as I get a copy.
Dancing, for me, is a way to express what I feel in harmony with something that is higher then myself. It almost seems to make me a better person and soothes and fills something inside me. I thought yesterday how my life would be if I didn't have legs. I think I would still dance with my arms and if I lost my arms, I'd dance with my body. It's simply that amazing.

Dancing can help you win! Full race version.

Last Saturday I went to the Annapolis Irish Festival in MD and it was so much fun! I bought a dress, a girdle with a muslin shirt, (Halloween, I'm ready for you!) plus a necklace made of chain mail (blue with a pretty pendant of a ship on it. But the best part? You guessed it, the music and the dancing! I only heard two of the bands, but one of them, in the early afternoon was going strong, when they noticed a little girl, about 8 or 9 years old dancing in the Irish style. What do these guys do? Invite her up to dance for the whole crowd! She did an awesome job too. Little Sarah Jane, you are one in a million!

This morning I looked at foot strengthening exercises. I've always had sort of flat feet and I tend to walk on the sides of my feet. I'm hoping I can correct with the stretches and training. Today I had to stoop to pick something up and I focused on my feet and not my legs as I went down for it. It made a world of difference.

Been way too long

Stress and Dance

These past few weeks have been really stressful. I finally got my application for Graduate School in, my apartment is back in order, and I've been worried about finances. But it struck me last Wednesday that all I did was worry, worry, worry. I wasn't having fun. So after a road trip with my brother, and a much needed session of Bollywood dancing, I am ready to go.

I didn't realize how much I missed it until I was back in the class. I love belly dancing, but there's not a lot of jumping around, and Bollywood has LOTS of jumping.  My teacher is amazing. She knows how to make these crazy things we do with our hands look graceful and beautiful. She has a great love of what she does, that's one of the most important things a person can have about anything they do. Love begets talent and talent begets greatness.

Ballet, Another B.

Interestingly enough, I've recently become enamored of Ballet. I saw a production of Swan Lake with Gillian Murphy and Angel Corella and my heart was lost! I've even bought a ticket to go see the Barcelona Ballet company perform in April in New York City, I'm so excited! See the interview with Angel Corella at the link here! He's made it a personal quest to rekindle ballet in Spain and now owns (or runs, not sure) the Barcelona Ballet.

What is it about this dance that I love? It's evolving every day, but I think it's the admiration for the skill of the dancers and the marriage they make between the movement of the human body and the music they choose. Even if it's not classical, but something more edgy, showing the grace of the human form in all mediums inspires me to work harder and reach for a better me.

If you want to read a great book about Ballet and how it's fast becoming a lost art try "Apollo’s Angels: A History of Ballet" I started listening to it on tape and am so impressed. Dancing used to be a way that Man tried to become closer to God, believing that moving the body to music, which music brought the mind closer to God, the soul was then brought in closer communion with the divine. That makes sense to me. Many times I have felt spiritually and emotionally cleansed after I dance and I feel like I want to keep going.

Improv Bellydancing

Yesterday I took advantage of Born 2 Dance Studio's makeup policy and attended a class on improv dancing. We worked mostly on traveling and I can tell that's going to take a lot of practice. Trying to lift my hips and walk at the same time takes great coordination.
My favorite part was when we got to just focus on the music and dance the way we wanted. I closed my eyes and tried to imagine the music around me. Sometimes it had a gold tinge to it and one song had a deep blue feel. It helped to close my eyes and imagine I was alone in the room. Then today I was looking for something in my office. I just got a new file cabinet, but am still in the process of taking advantage of it. I turned on Discowale Khisko and found it in no time. The hardest part was getting back to work! Here it is for your enjoyment! I love the choreography, it's fun, flirty and still full of meaning that Bollywood films are so good at bringing out.If you are having a bad day, lift your shoulders like these guys do, you'll be smiling in no time!

Happy Dance

Everyone Needs a happy dance. Here's mine! I got an almost bulls eye in archery. There are so many opportunities to be happy. Make your own little happy dance! I dare you!