Your Reflection
Welcome back! Glad to see you again. I want to talk about a common thought in all student’s minds – “These moves don’t look the same on me as they do on _________. I will never be able to dance … Read More
When Will I Dance Perfectly?
Rina Orellana (Rall) is one of the most well-known former members of FatChance (woah, wait…isn’t everyone a former member of FCBD now?). More specifically, she was one of the original members–a petite powerhouse you fall in love with the minute … Read More
Permission to Make Mistakes
One thing I emphasize in my classes is that everyone should feel free to make mistakes. In fact, it is the only true route to growth, since humans by nature are imperfect and learn through trial and error. (Check out … Read More
The Wasted Energy in Comparing Ourselves to Others
The very first night of our six week series at Deep Roots Dance, we have about a 10 minute orientation. During this orientation, we cover the practicalities such as how to check in for classes, the lay of the land … Read More
The Language of Bellydance – Another Take
We often liken our dance to a language. In class, we explore the idea that we are learning individual letters when we drill, individual words when we learn moves, and then as we learn to dance we are stringing those … Read More
“OH MY GOD, I’M DOING IT!”
I recently read a blog post on Portland Flamenco Events entitled “Do you know what just happened?” and it reminds me of a little anecdote I relate to my students when I am teaching them shimmies. Taking a trip into … Read More
Watching and Learning in the Dance Studio
The “Taking Correction” portion of this anonymous handout has been making the rounds on Facebook. I wanted to share it in its entirety, because the entire thing is just so awesome. Enjoy! Watching your fellow dancers Technique, timing, corrections, there … Read More
Don’t Forget the Joy
Lauren Zehara (at right) recently posted this note on her Facebook page, and I wanted to make sure that a wide audience would be able to read and appreciate her simple yet profound wisdom–in short, that there is room for … Read More
Fresh take on a TEDTalk – impulses
Two months ago, I posted a TEDTalk which featured Benjamin Zander talking about getting modern audiences to love classical music. I didn’t tie it into anything dancey, I just really was moved by the video and wanted to share. Today … Read More
Just try it.
If you have been taking dance from me even a few weeks, you already know this: I love digging in to the minutiae of movement. I could talk all night about precise foot placement, body line, muscular impetus, how it … Read More