Sometimes we discover a whole-body feeling for a movement when we step away from the details and let ourselves be inspired by the music, body, breath or an idea. Sometimes it helps to imagine the quality, texture or color of the movement. Channeling energy through movement is what makes dance engaging.

A movement most often comes to life when you add a part of yourself to it. Learning how to imbue a movement with your personality is tricky. It’s similar to reading between the lines or communicating without words. Thinking about what feelings inspire a movement can help you to make it your own. It’s the final layer, like seasoning a meal or icing a cake ;-). Adding your own flavor or spirit to a movement makes it compelling. Sharing the spirit of a movement is the difference between doing a step and dancing.

So, for the remainder of summer we’ll be exploring the essence of our dance at the studios and in our summer shows. We hope you’ll be part of the journey!

As performers, Eastern inspired dance offers us a unique opportunity to stretch the concept of time for Western audiences. We’re in no hurry. The heart of belly dance is rarely over-the-top, fast and furious. We share soft and subtle movements, sensitive to nuances in the music. Without rushing, we gently fall into each beat and allow the audience to be carried with us through the music. At its best, Oriental dance allows both dancers and audiences to savor the movement and music, transcending time. It may sound silly but, to me, this is the beauty of belly dance.

As students of this Eastern art form, it’s important to explore how relaxation shapes our medium. Though there are many dimensions to belly dance, I think relaxation is key to experiencing its essence. In the physical dimension of dancing there are two sides of every movement: activity and relaxation. The active side is easier to spot. Which muscles are you moving and what shape are you actively trying to create with your body? The second side of creating a movement is what is not seen. What parts of your body are relaxed and not moving? Are those areas full of breath and relaxation, or are the areas tight and full of tension?

Relaxation helps to channel our energies efficiently. Releasing non-active parts of our bodies (and minds) frees our attention to fully focus on the movement at hand. Belly dance can give us the experience being fully present in our bodies. Granted, these moments can be fleeting and far in between as we train and rehearse, but I think these moments of presence are universal in inspiring us and our audiences. So, with the firm belief that all good dance happens in the moment, here’s to a spring-training full of relaxation :).

Yours in dance,
Rachel

We’re in the process of redesigning the website and I’ve decided to include a window on “gratitude and dance” as part of the new site. I’d like to collect thoughts from students and community members about what belly dance has brought to your life and/or your thoughts on dance and gratitude. Please take a moment to contribute to our collective pool of reminders about why we dance. You can send them through our comments form. I look forward to hearing from you :).

I’m grateful for:

the political freedom we have to dance and express ourselves as we choose

the beautiful and creative people that share in building our Sahara Dance community

the silly times we have in the studio and our ability to laugh at ourselves

the incredible talent, leadership and professional commitment of our teachers

the soulful music that gives spirit to our dance

the dedication and kinship of Raqs Caravan members

the tremendous encouragement and support of students, family and friends

the pure joy and playful fun of raqs sharqi

I hope we all keep the joyful spirit of the dance close at hand throughout the holidays and beyond. I’ve come to discover that the light and beauty of belly dance is incredibly resilient. And, it comes in as many shapes, sizes and colors as there are women :). A better gift than most anything that can be purchased off a shelf, be generous and give yourself the gift of a consistent dance practice. Remember to treasure your time to just be in your body, enjoying the music and the dance, and letting go of everything else.

In the spirit of the season, I want to extend my gratitude to all of you for supporting and encouraging our local dance endeavors. Belly dance is continuing to flourish in DC and I’m so grateful for the strong community we have to share in, and bolster, the growth of our dance form. 2006 is around the corner and full of more good dance opportunities. I hope you’re all healthy, happy and able to come out and share in the shimmying spirit!

With much gratitude for good health, dedicated students, inspiring music, beautiful dance and wonderful friends to share it all with…

Yours in dance,
Rachel

For many of us as Westerners practicing an Eastern art form, the revelations are ongoing and deeply layered. Belly dance, at its essence, is Eastern. On the surface this means we encounter exotic music, rhythms, tonalities, compositions and instrumentation; all things our ears are unaccustomed to at the beginning. With a little exploration we stumble upon politically charged ideas of Orientalism, feminism, authenticity, nationalism, art and sensuality—all surrounding this dance form. This is heavy stuff. And it’s possible that in the shadow of these weighty ideas the beautiful and joyous dance that sparked our passion gets muddied. It’s possible to be overwhelmed and seek certainty.

But this is art. And this art form is particularly alive and well. The visceral truth and universality of belly dance is highly accessible; you can feel its beauty and power in your own body. And the Eastern notions that spawned this art form are accessible too. Relax. Enjoy the journey. Share yourself. Celebrate the music. Express what is authentic to you.

As a dear musician friend of ours often describes old time songs of the Arab world, “they’re a meal to be savored, they’re not fast food and not to be rushed through.” So it goes for Oriental dance and adopting an Eastern approach for understanding the art form. There is no end goal in exploration. Discover. Create. Experiment. Play.

Be gentle with yourself, with the dance and with your community of dancers. Harshness and criticism abound in this world. In Oriental dance we can find a natural medium to be accepting of ourselves and others. The music is rich, the lines are soft, the movements are fluid and the expression is deep and varied.

On that note, I invite you all to join us for a weekend with Karim Nagi in exploring the roots of our dance. On October 22 and 23rd Karim will teach 9.5 hours of Arab music, folkloric dance foundations and more. The workshops are open to all. They’ll be high energy workouts full of lots of information, and of course, we’ll have tons shimmy fun at the dance party. :) I hope to see you there!

Yours in dance, Rachel

Mastering an art form requires countless hours in the studio and belly dance is no different. However, belly dance is a holistic mode of expression and even on days when we aren’t in the studio we can practice good dance habits. Noticing how we initiate movements, where we hold tension, the expressions we make, the ways in which we carry ourselves… all of these observations build the body and self awareness that are essential for discovering and fine tuning our individual dance voices. Our dance practice can vary, but the commitment to dancing daily will help ground and nurture our art.

So, now that summer is officially over it’s time to start our shimmies! In the spirit of dancing daily, we hope to support lots of robust and flourishing dance practices and to see everyone at the studios often ;).

Yours in dance, Rachel