flissy's blog

What I learn from being inappropriate

flissy — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 19:29:28 +0000

Last Saturday, my troupe, Kallisti Tribal, hosted our annual Inappropriate Hafla, a crazy event where all the bellydancers come out and dance to all the silly, naughty and otherwise outrageous things we'd never be able to do in an ordinary public setting.

For both pieces I danced in this year, I had to really ham it up. This is so hard for me! I think I have a highly developed sense of "self" and acting in any capacity does not come easily to me AT ALL. My mom has told me that there's no way I ever would have gotten away with anything "bad" when I was little because I would be so stricken with guilt, she could see it on my face right away. I'm reserved and yet I'm an open book. Typically, this isn't an issue when I perform dance, because usually the only expression that is required is a pleasant one, which comes easily because I'm happy and excited and having a good time when I dance.

Anytime I have an assignment in a workshop to emote or work on my face, it's a struggle for me, so you shouldn't be surprised to hear that for the entire time I was rehearsing these numbers, I felt ridiculous, and was certain I looked just as stupid as I felt hamming it up. Turns out, it totally works for what we did! It was a really good exercise for me. I don't think I'm going to be diving headfirst into the world of theatrical bellydance anytime soon, but I'm still kind of proud of myself for cracking my rock-solid dignified tribal presentation and getting some laughs in the process.

Here are the results:

ATS: Vocabulary versus Cues

flissy — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 02:00:55 +0000

Many times American Tribal Style Bellydance is described as a dance that uses cues to communicate what movement is coming next to the dancers. This is true, and I'm sure I have used this definition myself, but I have found that this causes some confusion. People get hung up on the cuing part and I've even had audience members come up to me and tell me that they look for the cues but they can't find them. That's because what the dancers are really relying on a shared vocabulary and the "cue" is often as simple as going into a new move.

Whether the movement is fast or slow, a movement starts somewhere and it ends somewhere else. Basic slow movements have no "cue" per se, but rather when you come back to center, you have the opportunity to transition to something else. In fast movements, the transition happens before the count of "1" and, again, the "cue" is often as simple as changing arm positions. More complicated movements have "cues" in the more conventional sense of the word in that they have a set up that indicates what is coming next, but for the most part, the gesture of moving from one position to the next one is enough information for your fellow dancers to understand what is going on.

Gee, isn't ATS easy?! Just kidding. It takes a lot of time to get even the most basic movements into your own body, then on top of that, learning how to transition smoothly, watching for those key transitions from the lead dancer and matching her. The final piece (which is a long time coming) is becoming so familiar with the movements and the format that all of those things happen automatically and you're not thinking about it, you're not mimicking, you're dancing and that's where the magic happens.

What I did on my Thumber Vacation

flissy — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 21:22:03 +0000

Three weeks ago I crushed my thumb in a grisly accident that doesn't need repeating. I fractured the bone so I am still in the process of healing.

I am just now letting go of anger and frustration about injuring myself. I was really mad about it because so many simple things were difficult or impossible for me to do, that's all I could focus on. I had no vision for what I could do, and I had a hard time accepting that it would just take time for me to be running full tilt again. I also realized how much I valued my independence and felt really guilty for counting on my husband to do everything for me (although he was happy to do it!). I'll be honest and admit that my slightly improved attitude has as much to do with the physical healing and being able to do more things as it does with any mental shift on my part.

I've taken the opportunity to work on drilling some dance technique more intensely. It was easier to ramp up my dance practice than to frustrate myself with trying to erase any hand pressure from my normal asana practice. Mat time is now reserved for some restoratives and a love affair with Supta Hasta Padangustasana. I've managed to convince myself that my entire body won't atrophy if I lighten my load for a few weeks, although I'm sure my first few Chatturangas are going to be really pathetic.

I've also been listening to Erich's talks and meditating more, because I was supposed to be doing that all along and with the sudden abundance in my schedule, I really have no excuse.

Kallisti Tribal Inappropriate Hafla!

flissy — Sat, 07 Aug 2010 19:35:30 +0000

In case you missed the news fromt Kallisti Tribal....

The 4th Annual Kallisti Tribal Inappropriate Hafla!

A Whole Afternoon of “OMFG DID YOU SEE THAT!!???!!” Enjoyment.

Saturday, September 4th
1 p.m. for Vending/Hangouts, 2 p.m. Show.
Stay until we kick you out.

Rain or shine!

NOTE: Location has changed from previous years!!!
5005 Arabia Avenue
Baltimore, MD 21214

Join us for a day of bellydance oddity, undulationious debauchery and just plain bad taste. Come prepared with delicious foods, drinks, a blanket. Leave your common decency at home.

Want to be a part of the scandal? Fill out an application to claim a dance spot. First come, first serve!

For Vending Opportunities, email Lyra.

There will also be a free/swap dance stuff box if you have any items you want to unload.

This is an outdoor event , so plan accordingly. Come a bit early to snag a space with some shade. You are welcome to bring your own chairs/blankets/whatever you need to sit and be comfy as it can get pretty packed (we hope). Parasols, sun block, and bug spray recommended.

Everyone is encouraged to being food/drinks to share, or at least to take care of yourself.

Feel free to bring hula hoops, poi, bubbles, or any other fun lawn toys for general hanging out.

NO KIDS ALLOWED!!!!
Though we love the kiddies, this hafla is for adults only. Since some content may not be suitable for children, we are asking that no one under 16 years old attend. Not that we're planning for crazy, full on nekkid, but we want performers to feel comfortable with doing more risque or racy pieces. So, sorry, but the little ones need to stay at the homestead.

Serpentine Review: Drills

flissy — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 13:02:33 +0000

So I've spent some more time with Rachel Brice's Serpentine DVD. As I mentioned before, it's a ton of material so it is taking a while to wade through it all. Rachel has posted sample practice schedules to help tackle the material and develop a structured practice that makes sense.

Anyway, this review is supposed to be about the drilling, so let's move on.

Shimmy Drill. You'd think shimmying for thirteen minutes straight would be boring and tiring, but no. It's all fun all the time. Lots of work with layers over standard big shimmies, but also 3/4 on the up and on the down, vibrations, and choo-choos.

Leg Strengthening Drills. Like the Shimmy Drill, this is a great full-body warm-up. There are simple, easy to follow movements that build upon each other to create a short combination, followed by some deep level changes.

Isolations. Honestly, I was underwhelmed by this portion of the DVD. I don't think the drills are long enough to be particularly beneficial. And I say that as someon who has an extremely short attention span when it comes to drilling! However, I did like the use of multiple foot patterns with each isolation. I just wish it was longer because it takes a while for my brain to shut up so my body can just do what it's supposed to.
There's not much explanation on how to execute the movements, which I suppose is fine for more experienced dancers, except that even I was confused by nuances such as the two "different" kind of chest lifts. Also, having two troupemates dealing with shoulder/upper body alignment made me hesitant to go full-force into the big shoulder isolations.

In conclusion:
Overall, I am a huge fan of Serpentine. I have a pretty strong personal practice of yoga and dance, but I do still like to use DVDs, especially if I'm in a creative rut or if there is something particular I want to work on. I'm sure I'll get a lot of use out of this one because it has so much content but they are in segments short enough to insert into a longer practice. I am crazy about the shimmy drill. I've used the yoga as a warm up and as a cool down several times already. Seriously, this is probably the safest yoga practice I've seen on any DVD (including the yoga DVDs I've seen!) and it is a really nice pace for any part of the practice.

I would not recommend it to an absolute beginner because there is just not enough detailed instruction on how to execute basic moves safely and effectively. For someone who has some experience and body awareness, I think this DVD set is an excellent resource.

Kallisti Tribal at Shems's Hafla

flissy — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 12:57:44 +0000

Lyra & I representing Kallisti Tribal at Shems's hafla on Saturday, July 10th. Shems put on a great show and I was super impressed by the caliber of her students. They did a fantastic job! It was a real treat to see such a great lineup of cabaret dancers since I spend most of my time out and about in the tribal scene.

Serpentine DVD Review: Just the Yoga

flissy — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 16:18:01 +0000

I just got Rachel Brice's new DVD, Serpentine. It's two discs and a ton of material so I will have to write up my review in several installments.

Today I did the yoga portions: Yoga for Bellydancing (about 30 minutes), Yoga for Backbending (about 15 minutes), and the Finishing Yoga Practice (about 20 minutes). I also watched the backbending lecture.

I know I'm biased but I think yoga is an excellent complement to bellydance. I warm up with yoga, I take yoga breaks when I'm practicing dance, and I cool down with yoga. That being said, I'm generally not a fan of yoga in bellydance DVDs and workshops. Most bellydance teachers are not yoga instructors, and in a workshop situation, if there is a large crowd, there's just no way to get around to everyone to see that everyone is safe. Also, not everyone who dances is into yoga, and they might not want to be paying for yoga when they signed up for a dance program. However, Rachel Brice is also a yoga instructor, and in fact, the yoga is a fundamental part of this DVD, so she gets a pass on my judgement on yoga in dance DVDs.

The yoga instruction is excellent, and all the practices are gentle enough to be appropriate to a beginning level yogi, with the exception of Urdva Danurasana (Upward Bow/Wheel) in the backbend portion, and even that is given as an advanced option. The postures throughout the practices are excellent for building strength and mobility in the shoulders and upper back, which is essential for developing stamina for the posture of tribal style. For that reason alone, I'd absolutely recommend these practices for my students who struggle with posture. In addition, she did many variations of Salambasana (locust), which, in my opinion, is one of the best asanas for your back because it safely works the the muscles while building flexibility at the same time. The finishing practice has lots of love for the lower back, which felt fantastic after working on some intense backbends.

On to the backbending portion: As I mentioned, the backbending lecture, while short, was informative and clearly presented, stressing again the importance of upper back flexibility. I feel like the backbending yoga practice could have been a bit longer, but I felt sufficiently warmed up to tackle combination 4 to the "Whisper Hungarian in my Ear" choreography which includes moving to the floor for "The Zipper" (a floorwork layback), and a rise up to standing in this twisty-layback thing. The instruction in the choreography was okay, but I would not recommend attempting it if you are unfamiliar with the zipper. For floorwork training, working one-on-one with a teacher is best, barring that, working with a partner and the FCBD Floorwork DVD would be better than trying to puzzle it out with the brief instruction on the Serpentine DVD.

Overall, I'm really happy with this DVD already. I'm especially looking forward to the drills because that is the one thing I struggle with in my own practice because I totally get bored with myself. I need someone to make me keep going, even if it's just through a screen!

ATS Classes start July 21st!

flissy — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 19:26:59 +0000

I'm excited to announce a new session of classes!

Fundamentals of American Tribal Style Bellydance
Wednesdays 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM
NEW 6-week session begins Wednesday, July 21st
$84 session
$17 drop-in
B.Funk Dance Studios
10291 Baltimore National Pike
Ellicott City, MD 21042

Registration and details.

Notes from a novice meditator

flissy — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 17:43:49 +0000

In yesterday's post I said, "I think it's totally normal to suck at meditation, and if you think that you suck at it, you're probably doing it right."

Allow me to clarify.

If you have ever "tried to meditate" you might have had (or still are having) the same experience as me. I sit. Immediately there is a barrage of thoughts. I mean, I live with my own head all day, and here I am, trapped with only myself and my thoughts. It's bad enough sometimes to live with yourself just in a normal situation, but then to subject yourself to an onslaught starring every thought, inclination, regret, and wondering you've had all day or ever. On a good day, it can be tiring, and on a bad day it can be downright painful. Please tell me this has happened to you.

Turns out, all those super annoying thoughts that crop up are just fits of tension releasing. You can't get down to the root of yourself, or your spiritual connection (or whatever it is to you personally) without disposing of all the mind junk. I am reminded of when I was working through the book The Artist's Way, where there is a practice of writing three pages every morning of whatever comes to mind. Just like that, I'm in a place where I think of meditation as kind of a cosmic brain dump.

Actually, maybe it's more of like a cosmic recycling program. All these weird random thoughts that crop up, "Did I say the right thing?... What am I supposed to do next?... My ear itches... I wonder whatever happened to that person I knew once... Man I feel stupid... " and on and on... those aren't thoughts I need anymore. They're not part of me. They don't define me, and in fact I need to just toss them to get down to my most me-ness. And as I shrug them off and surrender them in meditation, God (or your inner self, or higher power, or whatever works for you) can refashion them and hand them back to me if there is any truth lurking within, or simply take away the clutter so I have more clarity.

I'd like to think that even if I don't have a life altering spiritual epiphany during my seated meditation, I am still "cleaning the glass" so that when I am looking out at a situation, I can, as Erich says, "have the bravery to do what your inner wisdom is suggesting."

Reporting back from my weekend with Erich Schiffman!

flissy — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 15:42:48 +0000

Wow, I'm flying high after a weekend with Erich Schiffmann at Yogaville. This was a big deal for me because I have wanted to study with Erich ever since I was introduced to his book during my teacher training in 2008, and also because in nearly ten years of practicing yoga, I've never taken a retreat or stayed at an ashram.

The workshop was “Essentials of Freedom Style Yoga.” However, Freedom Style is a non-style in that there is no technique except for the using meditation as a channel to express your practice. In Erich's Freeform classes, there is meditation, some preparation through some asanas that he leads, and then he cuts you loose to do your own thing, then more meditation.

In a way, this is how I have practiced yoga from the beginning. Actually, I can't see why you wouldn't practice yoga this way. I did yoga from DVDs and books and making stuff up on my own, and only dabbled in classes until I got really serious about working toward teacher training. It was only then that I got all these new rules about how to do yoga and how to teach it. I was struck by one of my friends who had brought her book for Erich to sign, had NO written in big letters on the page for fish pose because our teachers had said we should never teach that one. Really? Never? Another attendee said that a superstar yogi had said “there is no reason to ever do pigeon.” Really? Never? Those kind of decrees really frustrated me in teacher training, and continue to frustrate me now. I also get cranky when people ask me what kind of yoga I teach because I don't identify with any particular school of yoga. I pick and choose things that resonate with me. It was so encouraging to hear from Erich that this is a perfectly valid approach to practicing and teaching. I feel like I also got some insight into how I can continue to cultivate my practice by following my own inclinations. I'm on the right track.

At the same time, it was a very challenging workshop because at the core of Erich's teachings is meditation, and frankly, I suck at seated meditation. There, I said it. This warrants a post of it's own, so for now I will say that I think it's totally normal to suck at meditation, and if you think that you suck at it, you're probably doing it right. So yeah. I need to work on that with more discipline since I intend to continue doing yoga the way I am doing it.

In addition to the amazing lectures by Erich, his asana sequences are just … magical. I hope that after thirty more years of yoga I can offer sequences like that. He also a world-class hugger made extra fun because he is so very large. This weekend was so very good for me. I'll follow up with at least one more post about meditation and about my experience of staying at the ashram. Good times. While I can't wait to study with Erich again, I'm also feeling refreshed and ready to grow my practice in other ways, too.

If you want to hear Erich's teachings for yourself, he has a bunch of talks available on his website!