First – the fun began yesterday when my dog, Boing, decided she wanted to get dressed up for Halloween. Not, I am not one of “those” per parents who actually goes out and buys her pet a clown suit and forces her to be man-handled into a costume. I believe that Boing has a stronger character than that and she is really an actor who could be a star – if only we actually trained her 🙂 So, I helped her compose her Boing Saga blogpost and let the fun begin.
The winner so far - go vote!
There were a few brave souls who ventured into the comments area, and then today, I remembered that WordPress and Polldaddy have joined forces and that i could actually include a little “poll”.
I added that this morning – please go give it a test drive! Always want to see how these things work!
The intention of this silliness was to change my own avatar for today = Samhain = to indicate a change of personality for the day – and to share some laughs at the funny shots we occasionally get of the Boing doing her thing! We will be getting dressed up again tonight for the Witches Gathering at Barrymores here in Ottawa – it should be a fun night!
Then I thought, well maybe folks would also get a kick out of what we, as humans, have done for Halloween in the past – just cause ’tis the season…. so, a couple of pics and some video by WTL!
Let me start by saying I feel like I spend a lot of time praising Ottawa’s Belly Dance community – to the point where I am wondering if it is starting to sound like a broken record! So I am hoping that some of you will add your comments below~ so that it does not just seem like me saying how fabulous Ottawa is!!
Gorgeous backdrops
Random shot of the Dancer’s BAzaar
Michele Roy’s displays
Michele Roy
This past weekend, of which I believe I have now recovered, issued forth two great events in which our community could participate [ the Zombie walk notwithstanding!]
On Saturday evening, the Belly Dance Teacher’s Fundraiser gave many local teachers the chance to strut their stuff in support of three charities close to the heart of the organizer, Catharine Crerar, owner of Daisies and Dragons Daycare. Money raised was donated to Kids Help Phone, Bereaved Families, and the Distress Centre.
While we all find ways to comment, constructively criticize, and whine a bit – we are human after all – I feel that every event has to have a benevolent dictator to make it happen. Committees can work, but often too much discussion amongst equal powers leads to inertia, so I would rather have one person lead the way, with a strong bevy of volunteers to help make it happen. This is also how I run my events, so I am a bit biased!
Catharine began these fundraising events years ago at Hartwell’s, and when they were moved to the Glebe Community Centre, the ability to serve food/ a meal was added. Some may not see it as a bonus for the evening, some do. There are waves of energy that put out the thoughts and comments that the ticket price is too high for the community to support, but perhaps the question we should be asking is, why would we not be able to support a $25 ticket price? If contrasted with other local Fundraising events I have seen advertised, $25 is nothing. I have been invited to $60,$100 and more events, some with a full sit down meal, some with only cocktails and some entertainment. Maybe we need to rethink our approach to these fundraising events from a bigger picture perspective.
And then, when I looked at how full the room was as the evening began, and there were plenty of folk willing to pay $25 to come enjoy an evening of beautiful dancers! For all of the comments begin tossed around, our hearts are in the right place and we do know that the right thing to do is support each other’s endeavors as best we can!!
The show was great – with lots of fabulous donated prizes – which I did not win – wonderful dancers and great volunteers. I could write an entire post just reviewing the show – maybe later once Lainie has posted pics!
Another topic of interest for me as a participant, volunteer, and general busy body at the event was hearing the energies brought up by the presence of the modern dance troupe from Makin’ Moves.
As I am primarily a belly dancer, and choosing on a path to enlighten those around me that belly dance is not derogatory, not shameful, not negative. The cliches, the assumptions, the inuendos are still there that it is a “hoochy dance“. Seeing it from someone else’s perspective though, are we suffering from an extreme case of denial? We undulate, we wiggle our hips, we pop our chests, we let our arms snake about sinuously – are we not aware of how sensual and sexy it can be? Maybe, just maybe, it is not wrong to be sexy.
This is your new mantra: It is not wrong to be sexy. Oh wait, positive phrasing required: It is good to be sexy!
This is the power we are creating when we dance – embracing that feminine energy which comes from our grace, our flow, our sensual energy. So, if we can embrace this kind of thinking – and maybe you disagree – leave me a comment below, I want to hear from you! – but if we can go on the journey of allowing ourselves to be the sensual beings that we are, why do some of us look down on these other dancers? The Dollhouse Dance Company were covered completely – albeit some great thighs were shown, but the shorts covered lots, and the tops were full coverage, so, nothing wrong there…A lot more flesh is shown on television on a regular basis that we saw up close and personal during their routine.
And they are strong dancers! I challenge most of us who only belly dance to take on some of those moves for flexibility and balance! I admire their strength, and their journey. I took a moment to talk to them after their show, because I was so impressed by their routine. They recognize that their style of dance may not go over well at a full-on, children in attendance, family event. For them, Catharine’s fundraisers offer them the perfect venue to show their skills in what could be considered a sister field of dance. As we chatted, they reminded me of the very things I spoke of above, the undulations, the hips moving – all very strong female power moves 🙂 Maybe we can think about the idea that, just because the costumes are different, the moves a bit stronger, we are still all sisters in dance.
Anything else I need to express? Hmm, well, I do re-iterate that we are a strong and community minded group here in Ottawa. We still express ourselves quietly in back rooms – perhaps the influence of it being a government town – we then come together, pull up our bootstraps and get down to helping each other. So good for us! Please feel that pat on the back!
About a week and a half before the Dancer’s Bazaar, I realized that I only had three volunteers, based on the emails I had received at that point from those offering to help. The other responses were from about 5 of my previous crew members who had other obligations and would not be able to attend!
AAAHHH !!
So, I hit my Facebook group up with a message to all of the Attendings and Maybe Attendings. My plea for help was answered whole heartedly by 12 people!!! And many more wishing they could help!
These fabulous souls showed up at various times through the day and did so much to help out that “thanks” is SO inadequate! I am hoping that the Brad cookie and drink helped express my heartfelt appreciation!
The day was beautiful, so I was very pleased to see that over 340 people had come in by 3 p.m., when we handed out the final door prizes and opened the stage to Zahra Haddad and her drummers. After that, though, even more people came through, so I am sure we hit closer to 370ish before we closed off at 4 p.m.
The vendors put so much work into bringing their goodies, and setting up their displays! I am always impressed by how creative these entrepreneurs get! Thanks to their participation, I am able to give this community a varied selection of products that hopefully everyone was able to find what they were looking for on Sunday.
And if you could not find it, you know you can contact me for some custom sewing work 🙂
So, immense thank you to everyone who came out, sent good wishes if they could not attend, and especially those who shopped!
Reminder to check my Dancer’s Newsletter to find out about more of these amazing belly dance related events! Workshops, Shows, mini bazaars, you never know what is happening next unless you check it out online, or subscribe!
Where:
3 RD AVE & LYON – Glebe Community Centre, Ottawa, Ontario. Google Map
EAT-DANCE-PARTY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
and raise funds for:
“KIDS HELP PHONE”
“BEREAVED FAMILIES” & “DISTRESS CENTRE”
You are cordially invited to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the rich culture of Bellydance in the Ottawa Region
7 pm, Saturday October 18th, 2008
Glebe Community Centre (corner of 3rd ave. & Lyon)
* Wonderful performances by your favourite teachers
* Surprise Guest performers
* Great FOOD !!! by Corner Cafe/Mona’s
* AMAZING PRIZES *
Two Weekend Get-aways courtesy of STARWOOD Hotels
Authentic Dance Belt from Egypt courtesy of OASIS Dance
Beautiful Handmade Silk Veil courtesy of Shibori Borealis
Tickets: $25
AND on Sunday…..
TAV CREATIONS PRESENTS the Dancer’s Bazaar
Sunday, October 19, 2008
12:00 PM to 4:00 PM
Where:
260 McArthur (Knights of Columbus Hall), Ottawa, Ontario. Google Map
A Dancer’s Bazaar The largest gathering of Ottawa area dancers with the best selection of new and used costumes, fabrics, music, accessories and more to buy, sell, swap and trade!
Open to all – free admission
Meet teachers, check out class schedules, get costume information, and much more!
Something for everyone – young and old – men and women! Come on out and enjoy the afternoon!
The Dancer’s Bazaar hosts over 40 tables of goods and services to appeal to the shopper in us all!
Looking for zills? Sticks? Veils? Skirts? Music? Anything you can think of, and many things you might not have thought would come in handy – tote bags and cover-ups, baladi dresses, and accessories to complete any outfit! Whew! There will be new stock from Egypt, Turkey and of course from our local artisans and designers. And be sure to check out the many deals for used costumes as well.
There are many vendors who are connected to the belly dance community who are offering products and services that might not automatically seem like a bellydance purchase, so come with an open mind! Remember this is a cash and carry event – credit cards are not likely to be accepted by most vendors. And as in the past, many new vendors will be coming out, so there will be a huge selection of products available!
Get the bilingual Miniposter (403 KB PDF) with all the details!
Vendors:
Randi Cherry ~Sahara Art~Carlos Rojas and Brigitte Chavez~Zamira~Gurel & Ayfer Karaocku ~Karen Jennings~Jocelyne Khan~Zahra and Jewel~Natasha’s Treasures~Samia/Enchantress of Egypt~Tara Heft~Half Moon Street~Imports by Nikita ~Shibori-Borealis~Patricia Zaid ~Julie Tierney~Dorothy’s Magical Fairy treasures ~Hollywood Music~Dalia’s collection~Boutique de danse baladi de l’Estrie ~Infineight~Boutique Baladi~DanceStudios.ca~Creative Clothing By Roxane ~Fashion Impex / Belly DAnce Supply~Suzie Lafrance~Sha Vega’s Tarot Tent~ TAV CREATIONS/Halyma’s Belly Dancing For Fun~B. Good’s cookies
I have been meaning to sit and write an article about professionalism. As a dancer, as a business owner, as a human being, professionalism for me is an all encompassing set of choices. Reflected in our actions and reactions to situations we find ourselves in, it gives us a chance to look at a bigger picture than just our little world, to see that our actions and choices do affect others.
There is a philosophy that floats around self-help groups based on the concept of, ” I cannot change anyone else, I can only change myself.”or even ” I am not responsible for the actions of others, only my own.”
Both of these sentiments can be used to guide ones actions in a very positive light. But they can, like any other catch phrase, be used to justify odd and selfish behavior that serves no purpose but to alienate and disturb.
If we behave in a way that takes into account only our reactions and consequences, we may be “being ourselves”, “living true”, and growing into a place of confidence and integrity. But if it goes so far that we become so ignorant of others needs in order to accommodate our choices, that can go too far. Divas, dictators, and invaders come to life.
We “cannot please everyone all the time” is another statement that can be used to justify extreme actions that defy emotional intelligence. Does it really mean that you should only please yourself?
We live in an assortment of societies that to some degree all have “working together” as an integral part of human evolution. As familial clans grew into tribal groups organized to survive by working for the benefit of their groups interests, conflicts could erupt between “rival” tribes/clans.
None of this is new, so I won’t belabor the point, but I guess my real question is, when are we going to reach that point where the tribal lines are blurred enough to allow us to be that global village? It might be totally unrealistic. It might be so far off in the future that I won’t see it in my lifetime, but maybe working in our own little universes, we can keep working towards it.
But what is it? With so many different cultures and civilizations to deal with, at what point is one deemed equal to another, equal but different? And can we co-exist without coming to blows if our ideals are completely different? “Being civilized” has been both a curse and a blessing. In the name of “civilization”, a lot of wrongs have been committed. Also in the name of religion, political beliefs, and so many other excuses for bad behavior have affected our world in epic proportions.
AND what does this have to do with professionalism?
Again, I believe that our choices and reactions affect every aspect of our lives, and choosing to be professional in every situation can be a positive choice to make. That is not to say that I want to be stiff and at a distance from everyone I deal with, from new clients down to my closest family members. It means that the respect accorded to the stranger I meet on the street who needs a helping hand should also be accorded to my closest friends and family.
The training, through observation and experience, I received growing up was not always polite and respectful. Mixed messages in those formative years, of expected behaviors outside the home to showproper manners, and the demonstrated and experienced behavior in the home valuing a “witty barb“. It has taken me a long time to grow up and become my own person who does not need to be “mean” all the time. Though it really does creep in, once and a while, and comes out of me before I can stop it! My apologies to those who are the occasional victims of my past training!
This affected how I taught belly dance in the beginning, giving me some presumed freedom to isolate and pick on students who were not “getting it”. After witnessing a similaract of teacher superiorityat a dance workshop I attended a few years into my teaching, I saw it from the other side. While the person isolated and picked upon was not me, it was one of my students who was a good dancer, and I felt the pang of embarrassment when she was singled out. I immediately resolved to make an effort to offer constructive suggestions if someone was really not understanding the move. Though I still occasionally slip up, I do try to be more positive and supportive in my treatment of my students.
Fortunately, that early training did instill the ability to be professional when working. I have always tried to make sure that I arrive slightly early or on time for any gigs that I am hired to dance at, and my very nature of being a control freak lends itself well to being pretty self-contained before any event. It takes some time and experiences to know what you can entrust to others, and what you need to make sure you do yourself, and how to do it gracefully and politely.
Always make sure you take your music to the DJ. Suggest he/she test it before your performance so that you’ll know if the disc will work in the player they have. Most professional systems will not have a problem, but some cd players won’t play MP3 discs. Have a back up if you can! When in doubt, burn an audio cd.
Always be prepared for whatever kind of changing room you are offered. It might be a large space with a mirror, it may be the largest stall in a public washroom, it may be the coat check room. If you can have your make-up done in advance, it saves time. If you can be partially dressed in costume, it saves effort. But each situation is different.
Not always a pretty sight!
I arrived on time to a wedding a few years ago, and they were running early in their evenings plan. They had wanted me for 8:30 and I was actually at the hall by 8:15, fully dressed, in a caftan, walking in the doors of the building. To my right, a man was practically running out of the building in a black tux. He spotted me and followed me back in – “Oh great, you’re here!. We’re ready for you now, is that okay?”
“uh yeah…” I say, as he runs off. ” You need my cd…” I try to quietly yell.
He comes running back as I am quickly wrestling out of my caftan, in the main foyer of this banquet hall, and I can only fold it and place it on the floor near a plant. Fortunately my husband was outside in the car with my ID etc., so I did not have to worry about that.
Halyma and the caftan!
The music starts and I dance, and then I am done! Payment arrives within moments of me gathering my things in the foyer [ this includes my glasses and outdoor shoes!, and I leaving before I was even supposed to have started dancing! A positive experience as I was able to adjust my timing and was fully prepared upon arrival – I really enjoyed that one!
Other events have had me waiting in my car for 20 minutes after I was supposed to dance as they finished supper. It happens. You deal. Or you indicate in your contract/ brochure/ guidelines that you send your clients what happens if they make you wait – they pay more.
While I have only had my brochure for my Dancers For Hire services on my website for about 2 years now, it has been a blessing. I don’t have to remember to email all of the little details, they are already written up on a pdf that the potential client can download themselves. And it feels a bit more professional to be able to provide it. I had created the first one when people were asking for private lessons, and developed both info sheets as a result!
With all of this wading through the shallow end of the professionalism lake, I was also inspired by DanceAdvantage, who wrote a 2 part series on the same topic recently, and her article is so worth reading!
My preferred policies:
Please as many people as you can, including yourself – keep it “Win-Win” for everyone involved!
Build your community through acts of support and appreciation, not words and rhetoric.
It is okay to say, “no, I cannot” but try to offer a solution, recommend someone else to do the job, help in any way you can that won’t infringe on your moment of self preservation!
This week is the first full week of classes for the new session for me. Two classes Monday evening, a lovely, cool and sun shiny 12 kilometre walk on Tuesday morning, and two classes Tuesday evening brought pain to my apparently not as in shape as I thought body by Wednesday am.
Once before, about 2 years ago, after sitting in a mini-van for a drive to and from Toronto for a family event, I experienced sciatica. Caused by many different possible actions, but I am guessing that time it was caused by the extended sitting, it actually took over a month to really go away.
So, here I am again, with the same symptoms wreaking havoc and preventing me from adequately torturing my students last night – but they were all doing really well even if I could only poke and prod at them for certain moves!
I am supposed to be on the couch or in bed, as last night’s sleep did help immensely. And I am sure that the exercise I did get in class helped too. I’ll get there very shortly, but I felt like sharing.
Take care of yourselves, get plenty of varied exercise, but don’t push so hard that you hurt yourself!
My thanks to Vashti and Erika for being able to come out and join me at the Bay, Bayshore!
We performed as part of the entertainment between fashion show sets during the Live Artfully Funky Fashion show.
Performing at these events can be approached from a few viewpoints, but really adaptability is what is needed. That and professionalism! And these ladies were great for both!
Actually most of my Belly Dancing For Fun Dancers have behaved professionally and been flexible – that’s why I choose to work with them!
We arrived with the barest of information – only having been able to confirm the evening before what length of time our show was going to be. So, dropping from 15 minutes that included a few solos, to 5 minutes, of short and sweet intermission time dancing was not so bad.
Note: Sometimes organizers forget that the performers actually need to know what is going on, other than be there on this date for this time! We were not the only performers in the event and I think the others were given the same kind of haphazard information. What matters is how you deal with it – I don’t want to train this organizer that it is okay to wreak havoc by not giving out pertinent information, but I also want her to know that we can work with last minute changes to the plan in a friendly and self-sufficient way.
We knew where to meet, and that our contact would arrive to take us to the changing room when she passed by – she was dealing with a lot so no worries there. I always try to imagine the worst case, and in many situations it involves stepping around a corner and dropping the cover up and placing our stuff near the dj booth or backstage – out of the way, but handy. Fortunately, she arrived and we headed off with her so that final costume adjustments could be dealt with!
When we got there , we found the main stage quickly enough so before even seeing our contact, we met the Dj. I gave him our cd, so that was taken care of – I try to always make sure I talk to the dj directly if I can. The few times that someone else has offered to take the cd to the dj has seemed to go badly, so lesson learned.
We were told to come out when we were ready, so that meant we would use our veils as cover-ups for the few minutes that we would be waiting for our time on stage. That gave us a bit more time to see how the crowd was filling up and decide on a “game plan”.
With no advance knowledge of the staging area for events, it is not worth trying to establish much of an advance plan. You brainstorm when you get there and be creative and flexible, assuming that if one of the group forgets, everyone keeps smiling and works it out somehow!
The plan worked perfectly! Three dancers: Vashti with her large veil up on the catwalk first with Erika and I worked our large veils while off on the sidelines amongst the crowd, ready to be cued up. Then Erika took the catwalk and showed off her double veils [ I assume from the Veiled Eye] at the time in the music when she knew would work for them. Then she cued me up and I was able to play up the taxim and have some fun!
And then I invited them back onto the catwalk with me, sans veils and we all were able to improvise, switching places as we danced, taking turns at the front, and playing with the crowd!
It was fun, short and sweet, and a great experience! I even had one of the audience chase after us as we were off and done to find out where she could take classes! Her kind words included how she was sitting with her Lebanese friends and they were very impressed with my dancing – always a bonus for the ego!
We had time to head back stage, get some quick shots and then change into regular clothes as WTL and I were heading off to a wedding east of Ottawa. I love the fast and furious shows – you get ready, dance and go!
And the video clip![youtube=http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=iHmbIcEphgo]
I have been having a fun week. Fun in the sarcastic, OMG, what else would the universe like to send me. But, intermingled within moments of clarity, FUN!, in the, wow, what a great person! or, what a gorgeous day for a walk! or what, you are giving away muffins on the street corner? [ This happened in front of a little cafe in centretown as the end of the day was fast approaching, so rather than throw out their last dozen pastries, they sent out a guy with a trya, and gave them to passers-by! See, what FUN!]
I choose to take on sewing work based on how “fun” it sounds. Well, most of the time. I also choose to take on larger jobs that I know will give me a bit of challenge, but I’ll make some cash and get really rolling on that savings plan/emergency fund/ holiday bonus.
I choose dance gigs based on what kind of energy I get from the person booking, what kind of return I’ll get on the investment of time and energy [ they are not all paid, some are promos, some are volunteer/charity, some are paid handsomely].
And then I make work for myself. I am at the beginning stages of developing a small line of products [ more about this gradually will be revealed as I feel it is the right time to do so!]. I am working on planning two events for this fall/winter, that have both offered up new challenges. Even though both the Dancers’ Bazaar and the Ottawa Centre Class Party are events that I have organized for years now, and have been at the same locations for 5 years – Bazar, and 2 parties – OCCP, both threw little loops of fun at me this fall.
I know that things change, and we must learn to adapt in order to keep growing as people, but geez! And if you subscribe to the power of mind over matter, am I creating these realities myself? Was I bored? Did I feel it was too easy? If so, I need to get a grip on my reality and smack it around a bit!
Fortunately, I do honestly believe that “the Universe always takes care of me” deep within my core being. But. unfortunately, another of my core beliefs has been that you have to work to achieve things – if it comes too easily, you don’t “deserve” it. Maybe I am creating my own reality, with it’s bumps and lumps, to keep me thinking that I am working hard enough to overcome these challenges in order to get what I deserve!
Again, if so, some smacking around is due! Won’t that be FUN ?!?
I am looking forward to these events and whatever they bring to my life, along with the many projects I have in the works – for my own business line, for my clients, for my students.
I am blessed with a fabulous husband, a lot of really great friends – really great friends – and enthusiastic students who always remind me of the joy of learning! And teachers who come in all shapes and sizes, who remind me of the way I want to be/act/exist, and those who remind me of how I do not want to be/act/exist.
Thanks to you all for the roles you play in this fun life of mine!
And thanks to me, for being the fruity character that i have become, with a lot of help along the way, and here’s hoping the Fun continues for a long time!
We’ve been back a little while now, and WTL has been going through the pictures from our trip. I think he is on day three of editing, sorting and tilting his head since he won’t waste time rotating the pics while in this preliminary stage.
Boing is not pleased to be back. While she found it cold camping at times, she always had fresh air, shade or sun at her disposable [ 11 straight days of sunshine can spoil a little dog], and her camping chair always had a blanket on it ready to warm her as needed.
She also found the canoe trips were fabulous, even to the point of relaxing au centre behind me on the last trip we did.
We have come home to her being forced inside most of the day, and a new neighbour for her to bark at: a ground hog has taken up residence in a wood pile beside the building. And it runs across the yard just out of her reach, and drives her crazy. Guess we’ll let the landlord know one of these days!
And back to the pictures – yes, we’ll get them up on Flickr soon. Then I’ll post again, and WTL will post as well and you can all click through them merrily!
Twas the Year of the Heron up at Pog this summer – many spottings of two different Herons, and some fabulous pics. We also saw a fair number of dragon flies, a bat, a baby bear, and many, many dogs. Most on leash, and most set up as dog alarms that would go off as soon as anyone walked past their site.
Oh yes, and I have gone through the Eco-Survey responses to date. I will leave it open for more responses until the end of this week and announce the winners on Monday the 8th. If you have not take the time to fill in your own responses, feel free!
The largest gathering of Ottawa area dancers with the best selection of new and used costumes, fabrics, music, accessories and more to buy, sell, swap and trade!
