I can’t believe it is March this weekend. I intended to
write in my blog so much more often during 2014, but alas we’re already almost
in the third month and this is my first post! So much has happened but I guess
I haven’t felt like I had anything to say, other than what a riot I’ve been
having, doing this crazy thing that I love so much. I feel like I’ve been
around the world and back in these first two months.... I guess in a way I have
though! Germany, Paris (twice!), Sacramento, Switzerland... That’s a fair bit
of travelling in 8 weeks!
So I’ve had some really great experiences so far this year,
and am very aware of how incredibly lucky I am to be spending my life doing
this. The past two weeks have been a crazy interesting time for me. It started
off with the unprecedented interest in Infusion Emporium, which is almost
entirely sold out (we have very limited numbers of our Saturday show tickets
left, and After Party tickets... that’s it!). The immense sense of
responsibility I felt after seeing the scramble for tickets, and the resulting
sadness from people who have been coming to IE for years but didn’t get tickets
this time, was colossal. It’s gonna be weird to have an IE without certain
people being involved in the whole thing. But I’m also excited to meet all the
new attendees, and it’s certainly a testament to how much IE has grown since
its humble beginnings four years ago. We’re planning something super special
for next year... if there is even a chance we can top this year’s!
After all the excitement and hullabaloo surrounding IE, I
spent the whole of last week participating in a training intensive for 8 West
Midlands based artists at the DanceXchange in Birmingham, called Strive. The
programme is a training and mentoring scheme for those interested in delivering
dance to vulnerable groups. I applied for this last year, and flew back early
from a gig in Slovenia in order to take the interview to be a participant. I
was really excited when I found out I had been selected, and a little surprised
given that the course was undoubtedly aimed at other ‘more respected’ dance
forms.
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| Photo: Jamie Christos |
I oscillated between feeling excited, daunted and isolated
throughout the week. I learned such a lot about how to approach working with
vulnerable groups, and in doing so questioned whether what I do is even
appropriate for working in those settings. I have yet to firmly formulate my
feelings on this. By day four I was feeling really like I had no idea what my
place was in the wider context of the dance world, and really feel like the
majority of the bellydance world in general probably don’t really understand
where we are situated within it. If nothing else, this course really
highlighted my lack of understanding of the wider dance sector. I spend so much
time wrapped in this bellydance bubble, and specifically tribal bellydance
bubble, that I have no idea what the trends and issues are that are faced in
dance as a whole. In explaining what I do and how I work to the other dancers
on the course, it seemed like they couldn’t get their head around the fact that
I have to travel all over the country and indeed the continent to teach and
perform; and their utter surprise at the notion of bellydance-only events
existing that keep me paying my rent and bills tickled me a little. But I am as
oblivious to their world as they are to mine. It’s definitely highlighted some
shortfalls in my knowledge, but the course also closed some gaps too, and I’ve
made some brilliant contacts for the future. It doesn’t stop there either – as
part of the course I will complete two placements at different organisations
and have access to a mentor completely outside of my arena to guide me through
it. I see this as a great experience not just for me but also for helping the
wider dance scene understand what we do – everyone was interested and wanted to
know more, so chipping away at people’s preconceptions a little bit at a time
hopefully will help us in getting somewhere with regards to how we are
perceived.
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| Top: Wreck It Bottom: photo by Nei Mad |
That week was absolutely exhausting physically and mentally.
But it was topped off by a wonderful day on Saturday, the highlight of which
was getting to perform with my ITS student troupe Wreck It, and seeing my
student Halley performing her first ever solo and nailing it. I have never had
the opportunity to feel so overwhelmed with pride for my students – on rare
occasions I’ve got to see some of them dance, but to get to be there for one of
them as they do their first solo performance, and to get to dance with my group
was so wonderful. It really highlighted to me that, although my schedule for
2014 is quite ridiculous with all the travelling I’ve got to do, I really need
to keep my focus when I’m home, and try to be available for them as much as
possible. I’m looking forward to dancing with them again this Saturday, and
hoping that some of them will also take the plunge and create their first
solos. It’s an exciting and really fulfilling time for me as a teacher.
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| Top: With Amy Sigil in Paris Bottom: Offenbach, Germany in January |
In my own work, I’m trying to have more focus and create
some new work for the stage. Been working on a group piece for Tribal Fest, and
have finally found a new song I want to choreograph a solo to, but the piece is
very intense and feels like it needs longer careful thought and consideration.
So I’m not sure when I will be sharing that with you, or what I will be dancing
to in the meantime!
The rest of 2014 holds a lot of exciting prospects for me.
Heading to Lisbon, Prague, Rome, Barcelona, Tallinn, USA, Dublin, Vienna,
Offenbach and Berlin for teaching gigs this year, with more being added all the
time. I’m especially excited about working on a collaborative workshop with
Kami Liddle for Tribal Art festival in Barcelona in April – that’s gonna be
fun! And lots of thrilling collaborative pieces are in the works. It’s a busy
year, that’s for sure, but I’m happy to be working so much and gaining so many
new experiences. Being on the teaching rosters alongside those that were my
teachers is a very rewarding and fulfilling occurrence, and one that I am so
grateful for.
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| Deep in concentration at Hot Pot Studio |
Fortunate to be travelling a lot this year, so I hope that I
will meet you during one of my stops, whether we’re old friends or yet to be
friends ;)
Till the next time!
A x
Heather Labonte and Alexis Southall performing Retrying at Infusion Emporium
A x
Heather Labonte and Alexis Southall performing Retrying at Infusion Emporium
Alexis Southall performing Swimming Pools at Tribal Roots Show
I definitely agree that we (bellydancers) often have no idea of the wider dance world, and I think this is part of the reason why the wider dance world has little interest in us. If we did more work outside of our bubble we might get further! I think a lot of new bellydance students have little encouragement to look outside of bellydance... there is possibly a blog post in that for me ;)
ReplyDeleteOne of my colleagues teaches bellydance to adults with learning difficulties and I think she has a new deaf group too (I could be wrong about that). Her day job is in the same area so she has specific skills with those particular vulnerable groups which she's been able to draw on in her dance teaching. It is a tough job but I know she finds it really rewarding.
Definitely connecting with your confusion about the gap between the wider dance world and bellydance. I find myself these days connecting more intimately to said wider dance world than my bellydance roots and feeling occasional frustration and disorientation at the gap between them. To me there is such richness in the potential dialogue, but there's a psychology on each side that stands as a barrier. That said, there is also a willingness to engage, mostly from seasoned professionals with an open mind. I'll be chipping away at the other side while you chip away from yours. How about that? x
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