Monday, December 28, 2009

Willow's Winter 2010 Bellydance Newsletter

http://www.mynewsletterbuilder.com/email/newsletter/1410138987

Willow performs "Jillina Bellydance Evolution" Choreography

Please enjoy this video of me performing a choreography by Jillina, used as an audition for the Bellydance Evolution show.

Make-up Resources on the Web

I have been finding a lot of really great resources for make-up on the internet and I wanted to share a few of those resources with my readers.

Clumps of Mascara is a blog by a women who started out reviewing mascara on her blog, now she does make-up reviews, and talks about beauty products and treatments she has tried herself.

Here are some Youtube video tutorials that give step by step instruction on how to create the "Arabic Eye" performance look, and other fun looks. These videos will help make it easier to achieve a beautiful look for performance or other special occassions. I can't wait to try some of these out myself!

Teal Arabic Eye
Arabic Eye Make-up
A beautiful Pink and Black Arabic Eye
Arabian Peacock Colorful Eye Make-up
These are great to get started with. Be sure to check out other make-up tutorials on your own from the "Related Videos" on the right sidebar of each page.


New England Raqs Sharqi is a brand-new network for connecting the New England bellydance scene. You can create a member profile, upload pictures, list events and participate on discussion boards, as well as check out other member's profiles, see events listed and read the blogs and posts of other dancers from the New England area.
My profile at NERS - http://neraqssharqi.ning.com/profile/ChristineDempsey

Saturday, November 7, 2009

Thrillin' Zills and Drills - Finger Cymbal Workshop with Willow

Thrillin' Zills and Drills - Finger Cymbal Workshop with Willow

Saturday, November 22, 2009
12:00 - 3:00 p.m.

Location:
Shakti-at-the-MAC
743 East Chester Street Bypass
Kingston, NY 12401


Never played finger cymbals before? Willow will teach finger cymbals from the beginning!

Have some experience but need more technique and practice? Willow will also teach fun and challenging drills to bring your cymbal playing up to the next level!
  • How to fit and sew your elastic
  • Basic cymbal technique
  • Break-down of basic and intermediate patterns
  • Cymbal pattern drills with bellydance moves and dance steps
  • Special patterns that go with Middle Eastern Rhythms - Baladi, Masmoudi, Chifte Telli and more!
  • Tips to bring your cymbal playing to the next level!
  • Willow will have Turquoise International Finger Cymbals FOR SALE!
Price - $35 in advance / $40 at the door (space permitting)

Registration for this workshop has closed. Thank you!

Thursday, October 22, 2009

Rakkasah East Performance Video

Here's the video of my performance with Angelique and the Bellydance Collective dancing to "Raks Bedeya" at Rakkasah East, October 2009, in Somerset, NJ. Enjoy!!!

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Dance is my job

I had a revelation today. Bellydance is my job. I've said this before, like when I've justified the expense of getting pedicures before a performance. But it just actually sank in, the full realization of it.

I was driving to my other job this afternoon - my clothing business - thinking about doing an on-line class tonight. Then I realized I was in class last night (Monday), I like to do on-line classes and practice on Tuesdays, I teach on Wednesdays, and I'm gearing up to start a new class on Thursdays. I often rehearse on Fridays, and I dance around the house a lot on the weekends and other times when I'm just puttering around not "officially" dancing. And yet, when I think about how much I dance, I don't think I dance enough.

My dance education is very important to me and a serious priority in my life. I read books about the history and culture of the Middle East. I read about creativity and being an artist, and about teaching dance. I study rhythms and different styles of Middle Eastern music. Taking weekly class and regular workshops is a requirement in my life for me to feel right. I practice choreographies to stay sharp. I improvise so that I can keep my chops for when I get called for a performance on short notice and to come up with new material to present in classes and workshops. I also try to do some classical dance training, such as ballet and jazz, to help improve my dance form overall.

I teach because I have a passion an obsession with bellydance and want to share it with other people. I have put a great deal of time, energy and money into my bellydance education over the past 17 years and I feel that if I can share bellydance with others, and get paid for doing it, all the better! Bellydance is such a positive influence in my life, and I've seen the positive transformative effects of bellydance in so many other women.

I spend time making high quality, professional costumes. I just finished a costume that I wore with Angelique and the Bellydance Collective at our Rakkasah East performance. It was the smoothest a costume has gone for me, and I'm inspired to make a new bra and belt set very soon! I've made some serious costumes in the past, always re-constructing the bra from scratch, and not leaving on any of the "lingerie" components on it, so that it will look professional and last a long time.

I am a member of a professional dance company. We may not get paid for what we do right now, but I take my commitment to this group and these women very seriously and make it a priority in my life. There very well may be professional paid gigs to come in the future for ABC. With my commitment to ABC comes the responsibility of rehearsing on my own when we have upcoming performances, to be at all group rehearsals and put my best effort forward, to have professional conduct, attitude, and costuming, and yes, to do the homework that our director assigns to make us better performers, not just better technicians of choreography.

I just bought 8 CD's at Rakkasah, which I'll talk about in a separate post. That's a good chunk of money to drop at one time for music. My husband said he'd never be able to buy that much music at once. But the music is to be used in class and I've already found a couple of new songs I want to perform to. I'm also looking for new songs to choreograph to for my students.

So, when I thought about all of those things, I realized that dance is my job, for real. I used to feel guilty about time and money I put into dance, thinking it was a selfish, self-indulgent thing to do when I should be spending time on more "productive" things like cleaning my house or doing more sewing. But I'm so over that now! I give myself permission to dance every day if I want to, because it's something that is an integral part of my life and who I am! And I give myself permission to take a time off from dancing, the way one would take time off of a regular job to take a vacation, so that I don't burn out and feel over-burdened by responsibility to dance.

But most of all, I give myself permission to not feel guilty about the time, money, emotional, mental and physical energy I put into dance. If I didn't dance and all that comes with it, I wouldn't have this pleasure and joy in my life fuels the fire in my soul so that I can flourish in creative ways and help enrich the lives of the people I choose to share my life with!

EDIT: I wanted to add that I've come up with a new "motto" after this past Rakkasah - "VIVA LA BELLYDANCE"!

Monday, September 28, 2009

Got my work cut out for me

I have been writing dance notes by hand for years and years. Since before I actually started teaching, sometime back in 2002 or 2003, I think. I have kept these handwritten notes in spiral notebooks, binders and folders for years, not all in the same place. I've even written class notes on post-it papers and little note papers, and find them lying around every now and then amongst completely unrelated things. One of these days, I really have to go through all of my hand-written notes, organize them and type them into the computer. I'm sure that if I actually went ahead and did that, I could write a book!

The first step I need to do is to get all of my notes together, and organize them into categories, so that I can start to go through them, see what I've got and get them into some semblance of order, to be transcribed into digital format. One of these days...

Sunday, September 20, 2009

When I'm Sick :(~

I feel horrible. Headache, body aches, fatigue, off and on fever, and this cough, ripping my throat apart. But I just want to dance. I have choreography clips running through my head. Both the choreo. ABC is working on for Rakkasah and combinations for teaching. Can I do any of this? No. I tried to do an on-line bellydance class yesterday, but I could only sit in my chair moving my arms and pretending to move my hips. No energy to get up and actually do the moves. After 10 minutes, I was wiped out.

I'm restless and bored. I just want to be able to do things. Lying around, I can't fall asleep, walking around, I get tired and just want to lie down. This flu thing sucks, and sucks the life out of you.

Tomorrow night is class/mandatory rehearsal. We're performing at Rakkasah in 4 weeks. I know the choreography, but I certainly need fine tuning - all of the rehearsal time I can get. I don't know if I'll be able to drive the 45 minutes to get to class, nevermind actually participate. Breathing is compromised, lungs hurt. My stomach muscles are getting a workout just coughing. Maybe that's the upside to this.

I also have to teach Tuesday morning and Wednesday night. I'm sure I'll be fine by Wednesday, and hopefully not contagious anymore. And even if I'm a bit tired, I can probably still muster enough strength to bark out instructions, even if I can't participate fully in class this week.

But Tuesday morning is a private lesson at a woman's house who has a 2 year old. I don't know if it is prudent to go there. I'll see how I feel tomorrow evening. I wouldn't want to infect the house with the flu, nor wear myself out by dancing too much.

I haven't been sick like this since 2005, DAYS before the first Hudson Valley Hafla, where I was hosting Alta Gracia to teach and perform. I also had a student performance and a solo planned. Sadly, every time I lifted my arms during the workshop, I quickly got out of breath. And I'd brought Alta Gracia because I wanted to study with her. By the end of the day, I was able to perform with my students, and actually made it through my own solo, which was comprised in part by floorwork. If you have ever done floorwork, then you know how strenuous it is.

Well, all I can say to sum this up is that I had to write something here. It's been a while since I created and last posted in this space, and I felt I needed to put something down. I'm young and healthy and I know I'll feel better soon. But in the meantime, I'm feeling a prisoner in my own body, mentally wanting to get up and DANCE, but physically unable to muster the energy or enthusiasm to do so.

Monday, September 7, 2009

Weeklong Intensive with Anahid Sofian

This past week, I took a weeklong intensive with master instructor, Anahid Sofian from NYC. This was an incredible opportunity to study with a master instructor who has been bellydancing and performing since the 1960's, with a rich history of experiences to draw from and share with her students. She has a background in ballet and modern dance and much of what she taught this week had a modern-dance influence, which was interesting and inspiring!

Anahid taught finger cymbal technique, a drum solo with finger cymbals, a choreography based on the Awalim (learned women) from the harams of the 18th and 19th centuries and floorwork. You know how much I love doing floorwork! All of these classes were full of new ideas and concepts and I loved working with Anahid in such an intensive and intimate environment.

Anahid also had two guest instructors - Elias Sarkar and Eva Cernik. Elias is a highly educated and accomplished musician who played oud and violin for the class and talked about the different maqams or modes/scales of Arabic music. He talked about how the maqams fit together, and how to structure a performance to live music and work taksims into the show based on the maqams of the songs you have chosen to dance to.

Later that night, Elias, along with other fantastic musicians, played live for the participants of the weeklong intensive to perform in the Gala Party and Show at the Lafayette Grill. I performed to a slow, heavy 9/8 and a Turkish Karsilama. The band was amazing and all of the performers we beautiful!

Eva Cernik taught favorite moves from her own person repertiore, after an electrifying performance the night before at the Lafayette Grill. Eva has a highly energetic style of dance, even through the slow sections, and has amazing control in her seemingly wild turns and subtle isolations.

As you can guess, Eva taught many turns and spins, coupled with quick accents and fast isolations. There were barrel turns with quick directional changes and beautiful arm patterns to go along with the moves and turns. I loved learning this material and can't wait to work these new moves and steps into my own performances and classes!

The Anahid Sofian Weeklong Intensive was a fantastic experience for me, as I consider my dance education the most important aspect of being a bellydancer. It is important to me to study as much as possible, so that I can continually grow as a dancer and teacher and be inspired to create new material for myself and my students.

I encourage everyone who studies bellydance to take classes with as many instructors, from as many different dance styles and backgrounds, as possible. It is in this way that you will grow as a dancer, be able to develop your own personal style that makes you unique and inspiring, and continually push and challenge yourself to new heights! Happy Bellydancing!

Getting more activity everyday

Do you know how to incorporate more physical activities and exercise into your busy schedule?

What with work, family obligations, running the kids around after school and just plain tiredness, where do you have time in your life to incorporate more physical activity, nevermind a regular exercise program? Well, it's easier than you think. It only takes a few minutes at a time to accumulate 30 minutes of activity into your day. You can achieve the benefits of physical activity in short 5-10-15 minutes sessions throughout your day. Every little bit you do is good for you. The key is to start with small doses of activity and build from there. Soon you will feel great and look for more ways you can incorporate physical activities into your day that will leave you feeling great and improve the quality of your life!

What can you do to increase your activity level and improve your health and well-being? Start small. Here are a few small steps you can take to increase your activity level and start reaping the benefits of a healthier active lifestyle:
  • Park farther away from the entrance to buildings. Walking a few dozen extra feet takes minutes of your time and gets you up and moving. This will also help improve your mood and get feel-good chemicals - known as endorphins - released from your brain to improve your mood and lower your stress levels.

  • Use the stairs rather than the elevator. No one says you have to start by climbing all the way to your 10th floor office or apartment. Take the stairs for a floor or two and then get on the elevator. Every week, increase the number of floors you climb and soon you will be avoiding the crowded elevators completely and feeling full of energy and mental alertness by the time you get to your office or home every day!

  • Take a walk after lunch. Rather than sitting at your desk for an hour eating lunch and reading a magazine, get up. Go for a walk. Take the stairs and get outside. Walking after a meal helps improve digestion and relieve the feeling of "fullness" that creates that mid-afternoon lethargic feeling that makes you want to go home and take a nap. It also burns a few extra calories and gives your mind and metabolism a boost to help you through the rest of your afternoon.

  • Drink a glass of water. Drinking water also helps with digestion and alleviates the feeling of wanting to snack in the afternoon. Thirst is only the third symptom of dehydration, with tiredness being the first. Drinking a glass of water wakes you up, giving you more energy and helps increase your metabolism so that your body will burn more calories and feel more energetic throughout the day. Water also helps cleanse waste and toxins out of your body, which can make you feel sluggish and out-of-sorts.

  • Walk around your yard. When you go outside to get your mail in, take a few minutes to walk around. Smell the sweet summer air, enjoy the warmth of the sun on your skin, walk around your yard and look for new flowers and plants that you may not have noticed before. Watch a couple of squirrels chasing each other around a tree. After a few minutes outside, you will feel refreshed and energized and ready to open that mail and deal with the next thing on your busy to-do list.

  • Put on music and dance around your house. When you're washing the dishes or doing the laundry, put on some upbeat music that makes you want to move. You won't be able to resist the thumping beat of the music and your body will just want to move naturally. Dancing while going through your daily routine improves your mood, increases your metabolism and burns more calories than just sitting reading a magazine and drinking coffee waiting for the laundry to be done. Plus, dancing helps keep you feeling younger! Who doesn't want to feel younger and more energetic all day long?

  • Take a class! Whether your preference is Yoga, Martial Arts, Spinning or Dance, you can probably find a class in your area that fits your schedule and will bring a new level of activity and excitement into your life. Plus, you will meet more people who are interested in exercise to help support your new active lifestyle as well!

Breaking up exercise and activity sessions into smaller increments helps keep you more active all day long and creates life-long habits that you will be more likely to stick with, rather than trying to incorporate a major workout plan into your life and finding that you don't stick with it.

There are many small things you can do to increase your activity levels throughout your day. And if you have a day where you're just not feeling it, take a break. Take the elevator and take that nap after work. You work hard and you deserve it! Your body and mind need rest and recovery as much as they need activity. So, listen to your body and never push yourself beyond your reasonable limits. Rest and relaxation is just as important as exercise, and when you're well rested, you will feel mentally and physically stronger and be ready to add that next flight of stairs on your way to work tomorrow!

Benefits of Exercise

In addition to being a bellydancer, I am a certified personal trainer and I wanted to share with you a list of some of the benefits that can be derived from a regular exercise routine.

Most people know that exercise is good for them and that there are many health benefits to regular physical activity.  But in this day and age of hectic schedules and technological convenience, most people don't think about what those benefits are, or how they can achieve a healthier active lifestyle themselves.

So, what are the benefits of exercise, you might ask?  Let's take a look at them and how you can improve your quality of life through increased activity and exercise.

Benefits of Exercise Include:
  • Reduced risk of major diseases such as:

    • chronic heart disease
    • chronic lung disease
    • high blood pressure/hypertension
    • diabetes
    • some cancers
    • clogged arteries/arteriosclerosis
    • obesity
    • mental health disorders
    • stroke
    • pre-mature death

  • Lowers bad cholesterol levels and increases good cholesterol levels.
  • Helps reduce body fat/obesity.
  • Helps improve bone density, which prevents weak brittle bones that are prone to breaking (osteoporosis).
  • Improves cardiovascular and cardiorespiratory function.
  • Increases muscular strength/builds lean muscle mass - stronger muscles increase your metabolism, which burns more calories and fat.
  • Decreases stress and improves mood - relieves symptoms of depression.
  • Prevents and relieves back and joint pain.
  • Increases energy levels so that you can do more and feel better all day.
  • Increases natural life-span and improves mental awareness and quality of life for older individuals.
  • Increases physical intelligence, strength and coordination.
  • Increased coordination and strength make everyday tasks such as carrying groceries and housecleaning easier and less stressful on the body.
  • Improves mental clarity and alertness.
  • Improves posture, which helps increase self-confidence and feelings of well-being.

There are so many benefits of exercise, it's unbelievable that not everyone participates in some form of physical activity on a daily basis.  But it’s true.  More than 50% of adults do not get the recommended 30 minutes of moderate to intense physical activity 5-7 times per week as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), to maintain good health and prevent major health problems.

Do you know how to incorporate more physical activities and exercise into your busy schedule?  Read my next post "How to be more Active in your Everyday Life" to find out!