06.03.08
Posted in BayouShimmySTUDIO, Bellydance, Community, Festivals, Workshops at 1:43 pm by shamsidances
I don’t even know where to begin to say thank you.
Our 2nd Annual Baton Rouge Bellydance Festival was simply…amazing…and it couldn’t have been so without help from many of you.
Friday nights “Jewels of the Mississippi” was a complete success. Performances from Ashley Eldringhoff, Christina Christ, Emily Meyers, Kryss, Noura, Shaia and Sidonia of the Sisters of the Phoenix, Shelly and myself were an amazingly diverse and rich array for so few acts. Kryss of course, laid down a brilliantly executed Barefoot Flamenco fusion set that had the audience reeling afterwards. Noura only frightened a few people in the front row with her helicopter wielding Raqs Al Assaya. Christina allowed the community to see how much and how hard she’s been working to perfect her own style and tribal technique - and it showed. Ashley presented two lovely, soft and beautiful performances that showed her quiet yet powerful style…all in her hand/self-made new costume from a ….well, we won’t say…we’ll let you ask her next time you see her. Sidonia & Shaia of the Sisters of the Phoenix rocked the house with their invocation of the Black Madonna in a performance that can only be definied as ‘Soul Stirring’ and awakened in many a deep reverence they had not known in many years, if ever. Mz. Emily simply exuded *cooool* with her smooth Classical Egyptian style. Shelly and I were just glad to be able to share the stage with so many of our friends and fellow performers.
Saturday’s workshops were well attended for the most part. There were 42 individual participants for 6 classes, with each individual taking approximately 2.3 classes each! WHOA! The girls from Opelousas, Eunice & Ville Platte were in FORCE can I tell you???? Iilea is a powerhouse of a teacher over there and had 12 students in attendance.
Saturday’s Student showcase and Amateur choreography contest was also a success. There were only 3 troupes in the competition, but they were all amazing. JUNGLE GUMBO of Eunice was the overall winner, with Las Hermanas of BayouShimmy coming in second and Troupe Soluna of Opelousas coming in third. Again, Iilea had 3 student troupes showing in addition to her own improvisational tribal troupe.
Again, I stumble over the many thanks I’d like to give…there are so many. If you were there, thank you. If you were a part of it, THANK YOU. If you supported, worked, said “what can I do”, or just gave me a shoulder to lean on, THANK YOUUUUUU.
A special shout out to Mr. Brian Andrews of Andrews Commercial Mortgage fame, for being our spur of the moment Friday night EMCEE. That man can make us all look better with his voice 
Thanks Brian. And to his lovely wife, and my friend and former dance classmate, Thank you for helping judge our Saturday competition.
Photos will be available shortly, so everyone hold tight.
~Shamsi
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05.23.08
Posted in BayouShimmySTUDIO, Classes, Community, Dancemeditation at 1:34 pm by shamsidances
A couple of years ago I was speaking with Dunya about dance technique and teaching dance technique. She related to me that she was so much happier with Dancemeditation because she didn’t have to put as much ‘thought’ effort into it. Perhaps those weren’t her exact words, but the sense was that Dancemeditaiton is restorative (more so than many movement forms) from a teaching standpoint, while technical classes can definitely be a drain if the student/teacher reciprocation is not working.
In January of this year I began a weekly Dancemeditation class at the studio and we’ve only missed 4 classes since then. I’ve got to state what a triumph this is (regardless that there are typically only 3 students, a different 3 most weeks though) Last night, while stuck in traffic and completely unable to get to the studio in time for Dancemed, I realized what this practice means to me; even if I cannot go as deeply into a session as a teacher than as a student.
One of the participants is a 15/16 year old, home schooler who showed up earlier last year with her mother for one Dancemeditation session, we’ll call her ‘K’. She didn’t come back for about nine months and it was then I found out that this girl (wisp of a girl) dances…everything. She was so busy with her other dancing that she didn’t have time for Dancemeditation. After I had the opportunity to speak with her, K informed me that this type of dance/work wasn’t new to her at all. She had already been involved in Somatic practices, contact improvisation and energy work…and K has probably done more at her age in these areas than I have yet to do! Fortunately, there are actually a few things I can show her she hasn’t yet seen.
A few weeks ago, I had that …thing…I’m still not sure what to call it…tap me on the back of my head and say, “hey, we need to whirl.” And so they did, or rather, I asked them to and they were thrilled to do so. Granted we only had two participants other than myself, but holy guacamole….
When I am ‘running the show’ I only get to watch instead of participate, but there’s an extremely beautiful thing that happens during a group whirling - and it never fails - when the whirlers are momentarily synched up and for one or two revolutions, they move as one. I know they don’t realize what is happening, but from the observer’s point of view, the visual is stunning.
This past Tuesday during Dancemed, we had two brand new souls to add to the session. They had never done the practice before, but I knew they would be alright the instant I said “Close your eyes and let your body move however it needs to move.” They just rocked the place. Perhaps that is my biggest joy in bringing Dancemeditation to our little corner of the world, I get to watch people who say they have no focus, or who say “I can’t dance”, or who, for whatever reason, resist other methods of meditative work finally let go and reach/touch that space that is deep within each of us calling and begging for our attention if we will only slow down and listen. The room lit up and literally crackled with energy, an energy so palpable the participants commented on it later.
This particular posting has been going on for exactly one month now…due to lack of focus toward writing on my part… but everything here needed to be said.
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