Dude, just TELL ME this isn’t perfect holiday “drum solo” material!! All the isolations and shimmies someone could show off to this!! XD I can just envision the choreo now! ♥♥♥
I dance a little to my own singing here, but predominantly, this isn’t a dance video, just so ya know. The only reason why I’m sharing it here is because I performed AT a bellydance show, where I was asked to MC (I was the “Mermaid of Ceremonies” XD), n’ offered a few spots to perform. :) So this was my first performance at Jamballah NW 2018, where I sang a Jennifer Cutting piece a cappella. :) I deeply hope you enjoy! ^_^ ♥☼♥
Oh! And if you do? It would be AMAZING if y’all would Like the vid thar on YT, and maybe even Subscribe to mah wee n’ burgeoning YooToob channel!! ^_^ If you like mermaids, or supporting VI folks, or curvy folx (let alone curvy mermaids XD), mehopes it’ll be a place you’ll dig! ^_^ ♥☼♥
Arright kats n’ kittens, I’ve been away for FAR too long, but I’m trying to get back into the swing of things, n’ it’s my FAVORITE time of year! ^_^ So let’s get creative and do it UP with some fabulous n’ fun bellydance! ^_^ ♥♥
Photos from my gig at Jamballah NW this summer. ^_^ (Images by Glissan Imaging. ^_^ ♥♥) I got to MC a GREAT bellydance show, as well as pop in a few impromptu vocal performances of my own! ^_^ (Both acappella, the first only backed by waves, which I also danced with in part, to my own singing. :)) I had SUCH a wonderful time! It was the best I’ve ever felt about a performance in.. as long as I can remember! ^_^ ♥♥♥ Thank you Elise and Narcissa Productions for having me! ^_^ ♥♥♥♥♥
This OP (“Bright Helen”) literally wrote in her post’s thread, and I quote: “Stop eating and go to the gym!”
…
Stop eating?? Stop eating… Really?? ‘Cause that’s healthy advice to give to people as an authority on.. anything..?? There are 675 things WRONG with this post & the attitudes n’ phrases of the OP, and that’s what we’re gonna discuss right here. Strap in, kids. This is gonna be a long one.
…
*takes a deep breath*
… There is no place for people or attitudes like this in the bellydance world that I have come to know and deeply, dearly love. Not as a person of size. Not as a person with a disability. Not as a person who happens to be short, or female, or poor, or ANY OF IT. I don’t know what bellydance world this poster comes from, but I want no part in it.
I have been a part of this community on 2 coasts now for over 9 years, and while I will NEVER profess to be an “expert,” I think I can speak from a place of relatively decent understanding of this world and its denizens. What I DO know, is that this artform is a place where ALL bodies can be free and feel welcomed and empowered and loved. ALL BODIES. Old bodies, big bodies, light bodies, dark bodies, male bodies, thin bodies, round bodies, petite bodies, different bodies, scarred bodies… ALL BODIES.
And while yes, for some, being successful means attaining/maintaining a certain aesthetic, I’ve also seen over the years that being a successful, “professional” bellydancer does not necessarily entail ANY one specific body type. XS
However, I also know definitively (from a personal and community perspective) that it’s attitudes like this that keep people OUT of dance. It’s this hatred of Others and hatred of Self that keeps people FROM attaining their goals as performers- professional or otherwise. BECAUSE of stereotypes and stigma like this. BECAUSE of hate and accepted, socially supported ignorance & bigotry like this. I also know (from a personal perspective and from the MANY people I’ve talked to over the years, dancer and otherwise), that it’s commentary like this that causes and encourages not only a generally negative body image in women n’ dancers of all sorts alike, but also
eating disorders, hardcore, genuine body dysmorphia, depression and lots more. -And that’s regardless of gender and artform/dance/pursuit.
See, this sh* doesn’t just hurt “fat people.” You’re hurting EVERYONE with this kind of hate. Doesn’t matter whether a person has 5, 50, 100 or NO pounds to lose- or whether they’re a dancer or not. These attitudes, statements and mindsets are ugly, toxic, mental poison to EVERYONE they touch, which is why posting n’ proselytizing this sh* is -not okay.- You’re not just hurting Becky who happens to wear a size 22 (although shaming her and making her feel horrible, unworthy and unwanted is still NOT OKAY). You’re hurting Jenny who’s been battling with anorexia for the last 15 years. Or Miles who’s been bulimic and hiding it from everyone he knows, because men are pressured to look a certain way too- but get taught that talking about feelings & reaching out for help are signs of “weakness.” You’re hurting Nadia, who never stops obsessing about what she eats or how she looks, because she was taught growing up that “people won’t love her unless she’s ‘beautiful.’" You’re harming Nancy, who’s been wanting to dance her WHOLE LIFE, but is afraid to even hit her first dance class because “dancers are always so slender" & “she could NEVER been seen in one of those outfits in public…” XS And what about any kids that might be reading this w/their folks, or over a lovedones’ shoulders..?? What kind of values & attitudes do you think you’re instilling in THEM, by encouraging comparisons between people, judging folks on how they look, and valuing people based on their appearances alone..??? You’re a public figure. Has it not occurred to you that you might be damaging SLEWS OF PEOPLE, just by a few hateful statements.. or in this case, one -awful- meme??
PLEASE STOP. Not only this, but allll of this kind of behavior. Just.. in general. Please stop putting others down to make yourself feel better. This is something that you should’ve been taught out of in kindergarten….
…
Oh, and ftr..? To all of you dancers and would-be dancers out there, whether you ever plan on setting foot on a stage or not..? If your dance teacher, troupe leader, etc. talks to you this way, makes you feel badly about your body, or attacks another dancer for theirs, professional or not, it’s time to find a new dance teacher/troupe/leader. It’s one of my most shared posts from this blog, but apparently, the info bears repeating. Shaming is NEVER the way to go. NEVER. I don’t care if your motives are “good.” Talking to people like this is never, never, never all right. You don’t get positive things done by hurting people. That’s not altruism or “helping.” That’s causing harm in the world, plain & simple. And this life is hard enough.
I don’t know your story just because you’re thin, and you suuure as hell don’t know my story just because I’m fat. STOP THE JUDGEMENT AND HATE. #allbodiescandance
If you’ll be in the Portland, OR area, you TOTALLY oughta come out to SEA the incredible afternoon show JamBallah NW has in store for you!! XD The enchanting dancers will rrrreeeeel you in with their skilled & artful moves, and if you’re very, very good (or.. very, very bad ;)), you might just catch a glimpse of a siren song from the “Mermaid of Ceremonies’” as well! XD (My injuries may have prevented me from performing on stage as a dancer, but thankfully, I can still raq my mermaid skillz! ;D)
GA tickets are $5, & folks taking Saturday workshops get to see the show for free. :) Plus there are vendors and a number of other shows & classes featuring world-renowned MED performers n’ teachers o explore throughout the weekend! (And whether you RSVP through my little event portal, Yl'luria MCs at Jamballah NW!, or via the o-FISH-all event page, JamBallah Northwest Festival- 2018, is no big thang. What’s important is that we SEA your shining face there! ^_^ 💝💝)
For more info, please visit https://app.arts-people.com/index.php?show=86749. or check out the JamBallah NW page for further deTAILS. ;D We hope you’ll join us tomorrow, Saturday August 11th @ 12:30 for what’s sure to be a FINTABULOUS show, & I look forward to catching some of you there! ;,D 🌊💙🌊💝🌊💙🌊
So over the past 10-15 years, as I’ve been trying to branch out, grow a following and sell commissions, there’s one phrase I’ve heard more than any other.
“I’d love to support you, but I have no money.”
And you know, I get that. I understand. I don’t have any either. But here’s the secret. The most powerful and useful thing you can do to support an artist? It doesn’t cost a penny. Reblog their posts, signal boost their commissions, advertise their patreon./ If you have commissioned them, or do support their patreon? Write a review, tell your friends, share their links. Keep circulating the tapes.
Every post is an artist laying themselves bare before you. You have the power to make them into somebody. You can make them into a big name, you can help bring them an income. All you have to do is share.
Here’s a handy infographic.
If artists get only likes, they never get any exposure. They find no followers, they make no money, and feel worthless.
But with reblogs, who knows how far they could reach? New people could see their work and follow them, and maybe one person will spot that commissions post or patreon promo, and maybe offer to help support them. And it didn’t even cost those followers a penny to reblog the post.
So please, anyone out there. If you enjoy an artist’s work and can’t afford to give any monetary support, you can give them something more powerful. A voice.
And authors, too. Please reblog and share author commissions!
To use the first 200 reblogs of this post as an example:
That orange dot is OP! Look at how far those first few reblogs spread this post!
Can I also add!!!!!!
This doesn’t work if you repost art.
Especially when you remove the credit, you break the web of connections. Only only only ever repost an artist’s context if you have ALREADY asked them and they have ALREADY given EXPLICIT permission
This holds true for ANY artform! Dancers, singers, makeup artists, sculptors, YouTubers, even mermaids! ^_^ Sharing can work WONDERS, even if you may not necessarily see it at the time! ^_^ ♥♥
Hey mermaids! Bellydancers, Burlesquers n’ other performers! Hey costumers n’ cosplayers of all kinds! If you’re an animal lover who uses makeup (especially if you also happen to be on a budget), now’s a great time to check your e-mail if you’re on ColourPop’s subscriber list! (Or if you’re not, to get on it- pronto! :)) They’re offering a decent little savings on shipping w/a certain coupon code; and my thought is, this might be a fabulous chance to treat yourself AND do some good at the same time- all for less than it’d normally run you! ^_^ (I mean, their whole site is up for this offer, so you can splurge on other stuff too if you want, but I’m taking this opportunity to get the NKLA stuff where I couldn’t previously because of the shipping costs- maybe alongside a few other staples I’ve been needing n’ wanting to check out from them to boot. ;D) Personally I’d get the whole collection if I could, but for now I’m getting Shiny and Ritz, & keeping “BAM!-” their red lippie in the NKLA collab set- on my wishlist. :)
And this isn’t a “part of the proceeds go to..” or “5% of the profits go to..” situation. NO. ALLof the proceeds (CP doesn’t make a thing off of this collection) go directly to NKLA. -And once I get mine in the mail, I’ll have something fabulously good to review on my channel- that I can feel GREAT about! ♥♥ XD) So if you do belong to their e-mail list, “LUCKYYOU!” (And if you don’t, they might just send you a new message after your welcome note- so keep a watch out!) ;D ♥♥
♥
For everyone on my bellydance blog as well. :) ♥ Time to pamper ourselves while doing some good, for less! ^_^ (Great for makeup users on a budget- who wanna explore new makeup onstage AND off and/or give more freely to truly worthy, reputable charities- w/o that extra cost of shipping getting in the way. ♥^_^♥) It’s a win-win! ^_^ ♥♥♥
