Posts tagged learning

Day 29. (Long-but FUN-one ahead. Readers be warned. ;))

—Today I learned to find the joy in the little things. ^_^

Throughout this day I put dancing off.. and put it off and put it off and put it off some more. ..And BOY, was that a big mistake!! *lol* When I fiiiinally got down to dancing tonight/this morning; OMG it was SO MUCH FUN!!! ^_^

I was hurty and sore and looking none too forward to dancing tonight, so when I finally made myself go to it, I started out slow, determined NOT to aggravate my ankle, or this weird neck thingy I’ve been somehow stirring up. So I started off in the middle of the livingroom at like 5am, just sitting on a little rocking hassock, thinking I’d do all chair dancing tonight. BZZZZ!!! WRONG!!

For the first lesson of today, I learned that chair dancing is one thing, but chair dancing w/a rocking surface to park your bootie on is TOTALLY another. ^_^ Having the ability to move your lower half a little bit makes it MUCH more entertaining and enjoyable, as you can still keep your weight off of whatever’s hurting you, but you still get to MOVE a bit to the music, beyond solely stationary jiggles and lifts. You can do seated Mayas and Incase of course, but w/a rocking seat, you can also do FORWARD and BACKWARD figure 8s (some people call Camels), and work on isolating your lower half while you concentrate on your pelvis, too!

-In fact, I think this’d be a great technique for people trying to learn the back/forth pelvic figure 8! (Especially if it’s the isolation that’s giving them trouble.) My first bd teacher taught us this great analogy of imagining your pelvis is on a roller coaster: Starting out level in bd posture, you graaadually climb the hill/track, then crest over it, go dowwwn the slope, curve under back towards Home, and eeease your way back into starting position. ^_^ But I’ve noticed that lots of beginners have issues w/this movement, and even moreso w/keeping their upper halves sationary while their lower bodies go for a ride. So tonight w/the hassock, as I was using it to go back & forth easily w/o being on my feet, I realized how easy it was to DO that movement, w/o much effort when it came to keeping my body (ribcage up) straight. It kinda made me wanna pull hassocks into the next class I get the opportunity to help out with. ^_^

But after the first song, the music had LONG gotten to me, so I got up. ^_^ -And it turns out, putting your music on Random and challenging yourself to be smooth, calm, take it easy, and work in smaller movements CAN BE SO MUCH FUN!!! ^_^ (Especially when you add the challenge of still working to be just as expressive & illustrative of the music as you are when you can be a bit freer in your movements. ^_^) How neat it is to find expression in the tiniest sharp hip lift, or be reminded of how facial expressions & moving parts slowly can be JUST as expressive & passionate (if not moreso) than constantly going hard and moving all grand and fast!! ^_^ There’s a certain freedom & playfulness in being slower & steadier, too. ^_^ ..More.. intentional. :D And if there’s comedy in the music, have the chance to play off on what’s happening in the music can be -that much more fun,- and an opportunity to ham it up! ;D

Plus, this let me work on my transitions, which I’ve always had a little trouble with. I’ve always found it tough to say.. switch from left hip figure 8s in front to right hip figure 8s in front. I never know how I’m supposed to change my stance, or work the motion so it’s fluid. Plus I’ve always been a little hesitant of finding transitions between one dramatically different move to another. How do you get that all to work out and be fluid and seamless, w/o looking like you’re stopping & going between each move..? Well.. turns out, moving slowly makes you really focus on how to (gracefully & artfully) get from one move to the other, ‘cause there’s no frantic hopping or jumping from one point to the other. You gotta sliiiide or work another swirl of a hip in there, and that feels fantabulous. ^_^

Moreover, being forced to dance more slowly makes your dance more intentional and thoughtful somehow… It gives you time to go from mind to heart & back again as you travel through one loooong move, and allows you time to enjoy both aspects. :) While you’re taking one looong, wiiiiide hip circle around during 16 counts, you have time to plan your next meovemtn AND feel how good it is to travel there, in the moment, and that feels delectible. ^_^ N’ when it’s over, you just ooooze onward and go from there.. like improv, w/out all the panic. *lol* So, SOlovely. ^_^

Now, of course sometimes the music got to my head & I realized I was going faster or moving more grandiosly than I’d planned… But pulling it back was no big deal, and retuning to the “challenge” was both fun & engaging- not frustrating or disheartening at all. :) (And there was no shamein losing track, either. It was just like “ah-ah, girrl, you’re gonna hurt yourself again. Cool it down..!” *lol*) All said, it was too much fun- playing w/songs, keeping myself still and slow & easy, and glorying in the smaller movements to express the PERSONALITY of the music. ^_^ I loved being able to enjoy and love and laugh and revel in each moment, w/o feeling rushed. *beams*

Plus it was great learning that I could be easier on my weary body, while still dancing w/alll my heart, n’ having LOADS of fun.. ^_^

What a super challenge! ♥♥ I’m really likin’ the feel of this, and DEFINITELY wanna make do this again in future. ^_^

♥♥♥

La Playlist de Esta Noche:

1. Christ Brown - Forever
2. Collide - Frozen
3. Disney’s Beauty & the Beast (OST) - Gaston
4. The Bawdy Balladeers - The Clockwinder
5. Balkan Beat Box - Hermetico

♥

Day 28.

Last night I was exhausted & just didn’t feel like DOING it that day, so.. come the end of the night, I decided to get into my bed n’ “voice dance.” ^_^ I found a variety of tracks that inspired me to sing along (especially improv with) the music, closed the door so I didn’t disturb anybody, and snuggled into my bed to set to it. Turns out, even if you’re just intent on singing, the body tends to have a mind of its own, and I danced in bed anyway. ;)

I couldn’t letterrip like one would want of course (a; ‘cause it was the middle of the night, and b; because it’s hard to belt it out when there’s ANYBODY else at home-‘cause that means the TV is blaring until they’re unconscious). But that did give me a refresher course in keeping the throat open and still singing -correctly,- even if I was in bed, laying down, & had the keep the volume, way, way down. :) Plus believe it or not, singing (and subconsciously dancing in my bed ;)) taught me a few lessons about dancing, too.

When you’re singing w/a song (especially improving), it’s not always good form to just go and go and go. You’ve got to learn the art of timing, of listening, of responding to the music, and feeling when the time is right to sing, or stay quiet. You’ve got to let your brain and your heart do a duet of sorts, while you intellectually ponder when you might next come in, where you should go from that note, when you might wanna stop, hold a note, etc. But you’ve also got to FEEL the music- really- like in dance, become one with it. Because otherwise, whatever you’re doing w/your voice along w/the music is just noise.

So singing last night was a reminder of things like rests, of mindfully, thoughtfully listening, and of letting your brain & heart form this interesting kind of double helix, that gradually wraps in and around and through whatever piece you’re listening to.. dancing to.. or singing with. ^_^ It made me mindful of accents and rests, of that sort of synergy musicians and their singers, as well as their dancers can have.. and strive to have, at every collaboration. It reminded me that w/o mindfulness, just dancing w/ALL heart can be chaos, and w/o heart, you might was well be hearing a car alarm toll along w/your music, or seeing a Newton’s Cradle tick-tick-tick back and forth, like a mindless metronome to the beat.

It reminded me of the art & poetry inherent in dance, and in the collaboration of musician & singer, as well as musician & dancer. It reminded me of listening so you know when to come on strong, or when to just bloody STOP. *lol* It reminded me of rests and cadences and all the juicy moments you wait for as ANY kind of performer, regardless of medium, and of that succulent moment when you grab it- as well as that moment where you go too long, stop short, miss your cute, or whiff it all together. ^_^ Plus it was fun to dance along in my mind, and to take a piece of that mental-emotional connection & plot out routines to each of the pieces- even if only in flits and fragmentations. :) ..I guess that’s where my bed-dancing came from.. my over-active imagination, my attention-span issues, and a booty that just needs to MOVE when the music is inspiring. ;)

I hope you danced AND sang w/your body last night.. in whatever you did, too. ^_^

♥

Playlist for Day 28:

1. Rhea’s Obsession - Mahakala
2. Conjure One - Damascus
3. Beats Antique - Louie’s Lullaby
4. Rhea’s Obsession - Spill Elixir
5. Shanghai Restoration Project - Babylon of the Occident
6. Cirque du Soleil - Egypte

♥

You know, it’s funny… When hearing the litany of teachers many dancers would list upon mention of their training (when I was a total, newbie beebee dancer), I said to myself “I could never remember all of those names!  How do these people remember every, single, person that they ever learned from???”  

..And now as I look back on my years of being enchanted by this dance, I realize that I can indeed remember aaaalllmost all of mine. :)

First there was Amira of Roanoke, who taught 1hr intros courses at conventions in VA.
Then there was Bambi of NoVA, who also taught me in similar fashion at a 1hr class or two at local cons.
Next came the one a teacher at Starwood 2004, who taught me another intro hour course.
And then I visited MD, where the lovely Latifa taught me yet another 1hr intro class- but this one had a wonderful bit of beginning choreography. :D
Years later, I eventually developed the nards to take a REAL bellydance class, & ended up taking 2 or 3 from the incomparable Galena of MD. :)
And while I was still living up in NoVA, I took one Intro to Tribal class from Belladonna.  (Whom I got to learn from again; a few years later, only a few months ago, and looong after moving here.  Sadly it wasn’t a full course, but thankfully I was lucky enough to be able to take one more class from Bella; a sword workshop! :D  I helped Radford University’s Middle Eastern Dance Club attend, and as I was working w/them at the time, I got to go, too. ^_^  *happy shimmies*  And today, I wish I could have the chance to learn from them all again. :)

It’s strange.. in the grand scheme of things, you wouldn’t think people would remember the names of folks they encountered from so many years back- and often so briefly…  (Especially in comparison with all the other crap in daily life I regularly forget. ;))  In some small, quiet way, I’m still a little surprised now and then that so many of us remember our “dance lineages,” so to speak.. you know?  (And if you study for a while, that’s a lot to remember! *lol*)  ..But we do, and once in a while, I still think of all my teachers too.  
-Especially now that I’ve begun to get more serious about the dance. 

I guess our teachers leave more of an impression on us than most might surmise.  ..Maybe because we’re so open mentally, emotionally & personally when we dance.  Maybe because they’re all distinctive and wonderful people who teach us a variety of new things in many different ways. 
And maybe it’s both. :)  

But clearly, our teachers leave an impression on us- one that goes way beyond the ability to recollect a few “simple” dance moves.

So to all you beautiful teachers out there, I guess all I have to say is “thank you for being wonderful.”

♥♥♥
Ylluria

Often when watching bellydancers I think quietly “hey, I can do that!” :)  
(As a big girl, that’s a great feeling.. to’ve found something that for whatever reason, I’m actually kinda good at. :))  I’m by no means FABULOUS at it, mind you, but I am grateful to say I’m somewhat of a quick study w/most things *knocks on wood*, and that can be a HUGE blessing. :)  (Though there are various moves I still have to work on a TON, and I -suck- at learning others’ choreo, so don’t get me wrong- I do have my hurdles. ;))  And sometimes I’m proved wrong in thinking “hey, I can learn that,” but that just makes me more determined to learn. :)  

And when I see something that clearly is not within my reach yet, or if my first attempts prove futile, my first thought is “OOH!  I WANNA LEARN HOW TO DO THAT!!” :)  (..Often with the next thought being “hmm.. I wonder how that’s done…”  -This then frequently precedes me getting up out of my chair (or going home after the performance) & actively trying to figure out said move. :D  

Sometimes I get it, sometimes I don’t, but when I do have a more advanced dancer nearby (in casual settings- I’d NEVER query someone at a performance), I’m also not afraid to ask them “hey, by the way, how did you do “x..?”  In my experience, most dancers are happy to teach students of the dance a thing or two. :)  -And if you want more, well.. that’s what classes are for! :D

How ‘bout you?  How do you face new moves or talented dancers’ arts when they’re clearly not within your perceived “league..?”  How do you approach new movements and steps that are yet to be within your reach?  And how do you see your lexicon of movement developing in the past, as well as in the future..?

Getting My Groove Back, and Insanely Grateful For It, ^_^
Ylluria 

What constitutes a “talented” dancer to you?  Is it someone who picks up new moves easily and quickly, and who executes them well straight out of the gate?  Is a talented dancer someone whose movements seem to flow inexorably together, appearing to be easy and fluid, no matter how wildly they turn or how complex you know the actual motion (or layering of motions) to be?  Or is a talented dancer one who can learn & retain choreography well; only needing to go over a new routine once or twice (if that) before they’ve got it down..?  

Is a talented dancer someone who isolates & breaks down movements automatically, with razor-sharp movements and muscles moving in places you didn’t know exist..?  What about a person who travels effortlessly, or one who has incredible, unending amounts of energy..?  Or what about someone who has an innate sense of power and drama?  Maybe a great sense of musicality or character is most important to you?  

Or perhaps one who can put together any costume from nothing but a few nuts n’ bolts, a pair of scissors, and their grandmother’s rubberband set that they found in a box marked “1973..” is your definition of “most talented?”  Do you prefer people who can perform beautiful, improvised pieces naturally and effortlessly when put on the spot?  Maybe those who can perform unbelievable shows w/o suspecting that they may be called to dance that day/night?  Or do you think audience interaction and synthesis/empathy is most important..?  And what about gravitas..?  Is a “talented dancer” someone who can walk into a room and captivate everyone in it, silencing the crowd with with just a look, the simple lifting of a toe, or the flutter of an arm, wrist, veil, lash or hip? 

Is it someone who can use 1,000 different props, or perform in a thousand different styles?  Or is it someone who only knows one prop- one style- but who can positively BLOW YOU AWAY even if they only know one..?  Do you consider a “talented dancer” one of these things, or must a truly “talented dancer” possess them all..? 

Personally, each of these qualities are attributes I admire in many “talented dancers.”  They’re elements which I think we should (and likely do) all pursue, and seek to achieve individually as we journey along our own paths of dance.  

-But I also know that we all have our own priorities.  We all have differing subjects and styles, matters & materials which lay closest to our hearts, for a bevvy of different reasons.  So, in all seriousness, which qualities do you value most in a “talented dancer..?”  Or must the truly great possess each and every one, in order to achieve real, lasting success?  

What are your thoughts..?