Saturday, July 30, 2011

Motion365 - Day 223: Ancient Ruins

This is a duplicate blog entry from Motion365, my personal dance adventure from 2010-2011.  Notable entries have been copied to this blog so students and fellow dancers may enjoy the ponderings and combos created from the experience.
 
July 30, 2011
Song: Ancient Ruins (4:56) by Issam Houshan from Wassan Pharaoun

Happy National Dance Day! 

Exactly one year ago today I attended the Elementally Tribal Halfa (hosted by TMI Tribal in the Eau Claire/Chippewa Falls area) and related veil workshop with Stefanie Masters.  It was a day filled with friendship building, breath-inspired learning, and overall goodness.  That evening I performed Ancient Ruins under the evening sky and was amazed I lasted a near five-minute song without collapsing in exhaustion.

Today I attended my first workshop since that time.  How fitting it would again land on National Dance Day.  And this time I was blessed to celebrate with yet another movement legend…the incomparable Kami Liddle!  The day was filled with learning new stretches, funky layering combos, ways of breaking down moves and piecing them back together with different moves thrown in the middle to complete entirely new movements, and lots of squeeee inducing excitement.  Perhaps one of my favorite moments of the day was during the second workshop when Kami taught us some mini combos which we strung together in a lil choreo.  She cranked up what sounded like a remixed version of Adir Adirim and we danced, danced, danced.  As we were doing so, all I kept thinking was, “It’s national dance day and here I am dancing to a funked up version of my favorite bellydance song with my movement hero just feet away from me.  Squeeeeeeee!”

The evening was also filled with lifetime memories as I performed in the same show as this Bellydance Superstar.  I “rubbed elbows” a bit backstage when I found I was putting on my red lipstick directly next to Kami who was putting on her stage makeup.  I maintained calm and attempted not to get too geeked out.  :o)


Before I knew it, it was my time to head on stage and perform for a near packed house.  The lights dimmed and I sashayed out to the stage in all my jingle coins.  Up came the lights and I shimmied and shook with everything left in me.  Smiling audience.  Excited body.  Soaring spirit.  And in the end, an eruption of applause, zaghareets, and cheers as I exited back into the dark.

Surely, this was a day I won’t soon forget!

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