This past May I attended Yasmina Ramzy's final Belly Dance Blossom festival. I was fortunate to be on the panel Raqs Sharqi as Revolutionary, with Christine Sahin and Amara of NYC. It was fabulous, as are all of Yasmina's events. But the main … [Read more]
How to develop stage presence at home (and on video)
Alexander the Great conquered the known world. Everywhere there was fell to him. He did a good job, too, keeping the local culture culture intact. But his big love was conquering. When he got as far as there was to go, when there were no more … [Read more]
Four Stages of Belly Dancer Evolution Part 1
I teach writing at a state college in Vermont. I mostly teach first-year English Composition. Students learn how to compose a college paper—how to find something to say, and how to back up their points with evidence. Students evolve fairly … [Read more]
The Dream of Another Life
Back in 2006 I went on a long trip of several months. When I got home, nothing had changed. Nothing. My little town was exactly the same as when I left. It was terrifying. I felt like I had never left, that none of things I had done really happened. … [Read more]
90 Days Countdown!
Here’s another 90 Days Love Note. We’re counting down to the start of this year’s 90 Days with a Love Note a day through March 11th. Day 15: How to sneak it in I don’t know about you, but I like to have fun. In some ways it is my downfall, … [Read more]
90 Days Last Call!
Here’s another 90 Days Love Note. We’re counting down to the start of this year’s 90 Days with a Love Note a day through March 11th. Day 71: How to “face” the music… We’ve all seen the glued-on smile—the frowny class face—the distracted counting … [Read more]
Day 82: How to accept praise (+ grow as an artist)
Here’s another 90 Days Love Note. We’re counting down to the start of this year’s 90 Days with a Love Note a day through March 11th. *** When I was a kid, my grandmother assured me she would pay for all my college textbooks. Not having any idea … [Read more]
D78: Ou est la danse de ma tante?
"Ou est la plume de ma tante" is French for "Where is my aunt's pen?". It's a classic sentence from old language-learning books. It’s great to learn a new language. There are many challenges—the right accent, the inflections, everything you need … [Read more]
Day 39: What is the most beautiful move?
Here's another 90 Days Love Note. This one is Day 39 from 2015. We're counting down to the start of this year's 90 Days with a Love Note a day through March 11th. *** Think of the most wonderful dancer you’ve ever seen. Everything they do … [Read more]
Day 18: How to have your own style (and what that really means)
I grew up on President Street in Brooklyn, NY in the 1970s. You grew up somewhere else, somewhen else. Each of us has been marked by our micro-culture: our family, our location, our environment, as well as by the larger culture of our respective … [Read more]