That's me, 10 years ago. Carolena Nerricio and I were starting up our mail-order businesses. I had the honor and the priviledge of witnessing (and in some very very small ways, contributing to) FatChanceBellyDance grow to the fabulocity it is today. How amazing that time flies like it does...
10 years later, I'm starting up classes again. I did bellydance classes from 1994 until 2000. I was the web mistress for Austin Belly*Dance web site for something like 6 years and I've maintained the Austin Belly*Dance announce mail-list for about 7 years now.
I stopped bellydance for a few reasons, but the main one was Mara just wouldn't sit still for it any more. She wasn't interested in hanging out at the shows while her daddy and I either performed or watched. She had other things to do. The other reason (and this one is far more potent) was that I couldn't get past my anxiety about performing. And for some reason, most people in bellydance are all about performing. Perfectionism got in my way. I didn't (and couldn't) understand that you had to fail over and over at something before you succeeded. That just wasn't part of what I'd experienced in life. Either you are good at something, or you are not.
Raising a child and knitting (yes, knitting! All praise the Knitting Goddess!) has changed me quite a bit. My body is so much more flexible and strong due to a thriving yoga practice, walking, biking, hiking, and doing my own yard work. I'm still able to pick Mara up and she's about 74 lbs. But the knitting... Ah, the knitting. It has really changed my perceptions and softened my perspectives on how to learn something and how to practice it. It is not "Do or do not." It's more like "Practice." If you do something with an end result in mind, it will be over. It can't continue on. Yarn has taught me that. I could go on and on about it.
So, finally... Austin's bellydance community has reached a maturity level to support tribal dance. It's been here struggling for over 10 years. I went to the FatChanceBellyDance HOT seminar back in... was it 1998? It was *fantastic*. There were so many dancers in attendance. But tribal never *really* took off here at that point. There were no classes. No structure within which to practice and commune. There were a few of us who loved it, but not enough passion and dedication to spark the energy it takes to gestate a full blown tribe. And now, there is! Oh, gloriousness!
Don't get me wrong. They've been building up for a while and my family situation has finally allowed me to reintegrate with the bellydance community. So, it's not me saying what amounts to "I told you so". It's me rejoicing in finding this ready-made community of fine, well-made, organic, independent womyn practicing something I love. It's me feeling so incredibly lucky that this community waited for me and welcomed me when I grew up enough to truly appreciated it. I feel as if I've come home.
Bellydance. Parenting. Knitting. Yoga. Crochet. Bellydance.
So, look up some bellydance! A big zaghareet to you all!
6 comments:
Andrea...I'm a friend of Lisa's. Are you dancing with Lori down on S. Lamar?
I've been wanting to go, but hesitating to commit to a weekly deal.
Hi, Sinda! Yes, I'm dancing w/ Lori :). You don't have to go every week. You can pay as you go. It's $10 drop-in. It's pretty big fun...
I know, I really should - she said one could do the occasional class...
My husband will be out of town for most of the summer, so maybe I should plan on going this Spring while he is still here.
Maybe I can talk Lisa into joining me!
Wouldn't that be a blast?!? :) :) :)
Sinda, what do you mean, "my husband will out of town for most of the summer"??? Where is Jesse going? Also, maybe, to the dancing. Much depends on Monkey getting home at a decent hour.
Ummm... If Monkeyman knows you are going to bellydance classes, won't he *want* to get home at a decent hour? ;o)
Not that I'm saying you'll put on a personal show on for him or anything, but it's like The Sweet Potato Queen's Promise. You know, you'll get around to it someday, but first, you need all these classes and really cool hip belts and time off to do them and oh, go see a few shows so you can do recon? (Not to mention what it does to those... ahem... internal muscles {wink wink}...)
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