Days 4&5: The Safe Word

The very first thing on the mirror in my dance room is this: The Safe Word is RELAX
I'm a much better dancer if I can let go of the pressure.  I tried to do that with my practice today. Just be free, and not worry about it. I mean, who am I dancing for? Just myself.

Tuesday night is the night I teach and so there won't be posts. My second class has been working on improv and I made the 20 minutes part of our class. We are actually moving on to something else next week but I told them that we would still devote 20 minutes each week to improv.

I may have tried to do too much too soon. I am back to dancing 6 days a week but I can't make it an hour every day. If I do an hour one day then I can only do about 1/2 an hour. I am thankful that I can even do that much but it's frustrating because I feel so far behind in my homework for my lessons. That brings me to the statement on the mirror under the safe word.

There is plenty of time to get there.

I actually wrote that in reference to a choreography I was rushing but I find it applies to all things. Not to say that I don't have goals, or even deadlines. But there is plenty of time to get there. Relax. Have fun.

Day 3: Psychic?

Ha! So not only did I title yesterdays post the title of today's email (and by today I mean the real day 3 which was a month ago) but I originally had titled it Day 3 before I realized my error and went back and changed it to Day 2.

Tonight we are going to my parent's for dinner. I didn't want to have to worry about getting home in time to do my chores and my dance practice so I am going to go home right after work practice, clean and then head out for my parents house. That does mean I won't have time to blog later.

But if yesterday was light and I made shadows, what do I do for shadows today?

Day 2: Allegory of the Cave

A morning of heavy cleaning had already wiped me out. I had dusted and moved a few things in my dance space as a part of that so the space was feeling refreshed even if I was not.

The great thing about Alia's Love Note e-mails is they give you a focus but not a command.

Day 2 was light. My dance room has an average dome light so I usually leave the blinds open. I knew that closing them wouldn't really block out enough of the afternoon sun to do anything but make my dance room less stimulating. So I decided I would have to imagine my play with light. I chose my tribal/fusion playlist today. My dancing was a sort of fluid posing which made me think a lot about line. I imagined I was shadow dancing or dancing behind a screen as I flowed from one shape to the next. The last song that came up was Jehan's Enter the Temple. While I adore her and her dancing, I think that song is like Kraft - it's the cheesiest. But today, I focused on the lyrics as well as the music and let the song guide my line/shapes and breath. It was actually fun. I should give that song more credit.

My big observation today was this. If someone who was not a dancer was given still images of a bellydancer dancing in street clothes and not made up in any way, would they be able to identify what was going on? Do our lines, angles, expression, etc give us away? It's something to think about. 

Improv Challenge Day 1: Back in the habit

The post title makes me think of Sister Act 2, which I kid you not is my dads secret favorite movie, and that seems appropriate since we are currently without a pope.

So I am supposed to be participating in Alia's 90 Day Improv Challenge, and I was going to blog about it. While I am technically doing those things, I am about a month behind. I got the worst cold I have ever had about 2 days before the challenge was supposed to begin. Not only did I not leave my house for 7 days, I also was not able to really dance for almost 3 weeks. The first day I tried to practice all I managed to do was change clothes and hook up my iPod before I was beat. So today I officially kicked off my altered timeline 90 day improv challenge. Why did I decide to blog about it? A little bit of accountability, a little bit of guilt for letting my blog sit unused but mostly to make myself analyze what I was feeling enough to articulate it.

So as this is my introductory post, how about a little introduction to how I practice to begin with. My dance room, there is a post with photos around here somewhere, has a mirrored closet. I like to make notes on the mirror with dry erase markers. It's easy to see when you are up close but they don't get in the way at all when you are practicing. On the left mirror I write the month and what my focus is for that month (sometimes several things). On the right mirror I write the dates of every day that I practice this month and under a big heading labeled Today's Notes I write anything I observed that I want to remember for my next practice. I also added numbers 1-90 that I can mark off as I work on this challenge and space for some little notes and observations on it as well.

March: shimmy drills, choreography (that I am learning from my teacher), syllabus (review for changes for my next session of classes), improv

3/2 Improv Challenge Day 1
Intentions: Get out of head
Notes: Shimmies make me think, push turn with V (a move I noticed I did and liked)

I decided that even though I would put my iPod on shuffle for this challenge I would stick to a playlist so as not to feel too disjointed. I decided that since I'm starting slow I would use my classic/traditional playlist. I warmed up to Oum Kalthsom to get into the mood. I set my timer for 20 minutes and hit play.
Not even a minute into it I found the ticking of my timer distracting. My dance room is very small but moving it across the room so it was opposite the sound system allowed me to focus on just the music. I found that the first song which was a taxsim that I was able to focus my mind on the steady rhythm while my body danced to the accordion. It felt like a really good start. The next couple of songs I was very familiar with and able to go on auto-pilot, I tried to really focus on breathing with the music. I need to figure out how to breathe with the music when it speeds up. When the music moved on to something unfamiliar I was having trouble not "thinking". I happened to turn toward the window and noticed some birds eating in the snow. I realized I could watch them and dance without thinking about my dance just feeling the music. Unfortunately, this distraction went too far and I started thinking about the other things I needed to practice and lost the intention in my improv.

When the timer dinged, I turned the music off. I didn't even let the song finish. I still haven't gotten up to doing very much cardio dance since my illness and didn't want to overdo it since I had other things to practice. I moved on to my shimmy drills and worked on my choreography. I only had a 50 minute practice because I was feeling beat. After stretching, I did do my favorite yoga for abs DVD. I can't let all the abwork I did coughing my head off go to waste ;)

Shared Post: Amazing Egyptian Spa Themed Birthday Party

It's not often I use the "Share to Blogger" function on Google Reader but sometimes a post is so awesome that I don't trust y'all to click it when I post a link.
So check out this Egyptian Spa Themed Birthday Party from Hostess with the Mostess. This is a great idea for kids parties or you could do an adult theme with real spa treatments (you could upgrade the jewelry, but I'll be honest, I think the macaroni bracelets are awesome) or even make it more spa in concept for an outdoor soiree. So many awesome ideas that I just had to share. If you love it click through and give HWTM some love.

Amazing Egyptian Spa Themed Birthday Party:
Hostess with the Mostess®

This Egyptian-inspired “Cleopatra’s Spa Day” party that Bettijo of PagingSupermom.com threw for her daughter’s 7th birthday is – in a word – AMAZING!

Egyptian Birthday Party Highlights

Designed & styled with the help of her co-blogger Aimee, the Paging Supermom gals not only created a wonderfully unique and imaginative party atmosphere here, but they also put a huge emphasis on creative activities a for the kids…from “jeweled” Egyptian collars that the girls created using their fingerprints and paint (!) to a Sandbox table where they were encouraged to play and “exfoliate” before they were treated to manicures and Egyptian-inspired painting. There are so many more fun details to share, but one of my very favorites has got to be the downright fabulous DIY Gold Arm Cuffs that Bettijo made from empty toilet paper rolls, macaroni and spray paint. Oh. My. Goodness. I’m tempted to Page Supermom for my own birthday party! ;)


Read on for more fabulous party images + all the creative details…













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PARTY DETAILS, as told by Bettijo…
: 

When I started brainstorming ideas for an Egyptian-themed birthday party I immediately had an idea to build a big tent in the backyard. I ran the idea past my husband (who is used to my crazy elaborate party ideas by now), and being the darling Superdad that he is, he figured out a way to build a tent-inspired structure using mainly wire, fabric and safety pins! (See Faux Tent how-to below.)
The tent turned out amazing and definitely set the scene for the rest of our activities. My daughters’ other request was that this year be an all-girl party. With that in mind and pulling on my experience as founder of spa and bath brand, Bath By Bettijo , I centered on a Cleopatra’s Spa Day theme.
We divided the tent space up into 4 main areas: Food Table, Pillow Corner, Spa Table and Activity Area. Each space had it’s own functionality, but I wanted some way to unify all the spaces. I decided to collect the pieces for each space’s activity (except of course the food display) into matching wooden trays placed in each area. My husband built and stained these simple wood trays for under $5 each (See Wood Tray how-to below.)
PARTY FOOD:
My co-blogger Aimée and I tend to like minimalist and modern styling, but since the whole idea of this food table was a spread fit for an Egyptian Princess, we wanted to create a feeling of richness and abundance. This meant going outside our comfort zone a bit and piling things on the table to fill it up. We’re very excited with how the food table came together.
I baked six loaves of bread using this recipe. It is the EASIEST bread recipe ever – I baked all 6 loaves the morning of the party – that’s how easy it is! Not only is this bread as easy, but it also tastes wonderful and looks so natural and beautiful. Plus when baking vs. buying artisan bread, you save yourself lots of dough. Literally!
In keeping with the whole idea of “Spa” we tried to keep the food selections relatively healthy and natural but still fun and kid-friendly. We served whole dates, pears, chocolate coins and other fruits in pretty glass jars. Sliced bread, grapes, blackberries, olives, veggies and a selection of cheeses were presented at the guests fingertips, and the girls were invited to snack throughout the party.
I really loved the “Sand Cupcakes” made from the always delicious Krusteaz Cinnamon Streusal muffin mix. These are a breakfast favorite at my house, and one morning, a few weeks before this party, we were eating them, and I remember thinking how much the topping reminded me of sand. Aha! Sand Cupcakes are perfect for an Egyptian party!
Attalie thought a pyramid cake would be so cool, and I wasn’t sure exactly how to pull it off. Aimée came up with the idea of making a giant Rice Krispie Treat pyramid. We formed the base by making two batches and molding into a tapered square bowl I already had. The top portion was formed by hand using part of a third batch of Rice Krispie mix. I created the rough shape by hand and then pressed each of the four sides at and angle repeatedly on a wooden cutting board until we were satisfied with the shape. Then I pressed the top and base pieces together. To cover the seam and add a little sparkle, we finished the cake with white-and-gold, Egyptian-patterned ribbon. I mitered the ribbon’s corners so the pieces would fit right with the diagonal lines of the pyramid’s edge, and then I secured the ribbon in place with pins (which we were sure to remove before serving!)
PARTY ACTIVITIES:
When the girls first arrived at the party they were greeted by a fun sign on the door and then ushered through the house to the backyard where they met our “caravan.” We had them remove their shoes and change into socks and then each girl received a headband (made out of colored elastic seam binding like this). We began with a couple of gathering activities that would be easy for the girls to quickly join in on as they arrived. We had crayons and the Fill-in the Pharaoh’s Face Coloring Pages  set out on a table as well as a Sandbox for playing and “exfoliating” before their manicures.
Once all the guests arrived we began our first craft, Egyptian Collars adorned with fingerprint “jewels” made using red, blue, green and gold tempera paint. We set the collars aside and let them dry.
Next each girl made her own jewel bracelets, and during this activity we had the girls take turns at our spa table where they were treated to a royal makeover. First up was a pampering manicure including a Dead Sea Mud Mask; hand massage using Organic Whipped Shea Butter, topped off with gold nail polish. Then each girl was given Egyptian black eye liner and red lipstick. Finishing touches were a set of Gold Arm Cuffs that I’d made ahead from empty toilet paper rolls, macaroni and spray paint (See how-to below) and a giant gemstone ring.
After the girls completed their spa treatments we invited them to lounge in our Pillow Corner. I was trying to think of some simple activity to provide in this area that would be interesting but very unscripted and sort of quiet (since we were trying to create a spa atmosphere). My first thought was reading books, but that didn’t seem very partyish. Then I remembered how my daughter pours over the rock collection my aunt has in her backyard. Attalie is totally obsessed with rocks so I decided to surprise her by borrowing a bunch of my aunt’s rocks to set out at the party. I totally pictured all the little girls gathered around a tray of shiny, pretty rocks using a magnifying glass to “inspect” them — adorable in my mind, but I was sure it probably wouldn’t go over that way in person. BIG SURPRISE – it totally happened. Somehow the zen-like atmosphere rubbed off on them (or maybe it was the lack of boys?) but after each girl was done with her makeover, she joined the others in the Pillow Corner where they admired their bejeweled selves in a gold mirror, inspected the rocks and whispered and giggled. It was precious!
We gathered the birthday gifts in a wooden crate in the Pillow Corner and after all the guests had received their makeovers, Attalie sat on a bench and opened her presents.
PARTY FAVORS:
Each of the girls left the party decked out like an Egyptian Princess with her own pretty bottle of Cleopatra’s Milk Bath.
I knew we’d hit the mark, when just before leaving a couple of the moms remarked to me at how relaxing this party had been. (Yes – they thought a 7-year-old’s birthday party was relaxing!) Certainly it hadn’t felt relaxing to me at all (as the hostess it never is), but those words were the best compliment they could have given me!
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HOW TO MAKE THE FAUX TENT:
Our Superdad is responsible for this genius tent. Of course the specifics will vary based on your own location, but here’s some basic instructions to get you going. We started by setting three, 10-foot 2x4s into buckets of concrete and let dry for several days until solid. Next we attached three evenly spaced eye bolts to our back patio. We placed the center eye bolt 12 inches higher than the ones on the sides to give the tent shape. We also attached three eye bolts to the tops of the 2×4 posts. Then we placed the buckets on the far side of our yard, in line with the bolts on our patio. Since our yard is in the midst of a makeover, we didn’t mind digging holes to bury these buckets and make things more stable. We stretched tie wire (from the hardware store) from each eye bolt on the back of the patio to it’s corresponding eye bolt on the 2x4s. Pull it REALLY tight and secure well so it can support the weight of the fabric. We placed two perpendicular lines of tie wire to frame the front and back of the tent.
We purchased a total of 32 yards of white fabric (60-inch wide) and cut it into three lengths. We used a polyester fabric that reminded me of parachute material, but we selected it simply because the price was right (definitely a good time to check out the dollar table). We draped the three strips of fabric over the wire frame, overlapping the edges of each strip by about six inches. Then we let the ends hang down created the illusion of tent walls. We secured the fabric to the wire frame with safety pins. If your day is windy (like ours was) you’ll need to attach some kind of weights.
To dress up the tent I used inexpensive ribbon clustered onto a safety pin and easily attached to the wire frame. The colorful strips that created the back “wall” of the tent are courtesy of Aimee’s old living room – they are Pier 1 Imports window panels purchased several years ago.
HOW TO MAKE SIMPLE & RUSTIC WOOD TRAYS:
For the tray’s sides he used inexpensive pine 1x2x8s (you’ll need one for each tray) for the sides. Then he cut all three of the bottoms from one lightweight board, cut down to approximately 15×19 inches. He used small tack nails to attach the bottom and sides together, sanded and finished with a medium wood stain.
HOW TO MAKE EGYPTIAN GOLD MACARONI CUFFS:
This brilliant idea comes from my daughter’s first grade teacher. You need one toilet paper roll per set of cuffs. Cut the roll lengthwise on just one side so they create an open shape (resembling a cuff). Next cut each roll in half the other direction (perpendicular to your first cut) so you now have two separate cuffs. Glue elbow macaroni (using regular white school glue) as desired onto each cuff. This part could be fun to let the kids do themselves. Cover with gold spray paint and let dry.
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VENDOR CREDITS & RESOURCES:

– Design & Styling: Aimee Lowry & Bettijo B. Hirschi of PagingSupermom.com
– Invitations, Party Flags, Jar Labels, Signs: Supermom Co-Op
– Photography: Michelle Gifford of Jasper and Josephine
– Giant Gemstone Ring: Oriental Trading 

Hostess with the Mostess®

Music Mishaps

I was in a show recently where my music cut in and out. I kept dancing. Whenever the music came back on, I was in the right place. I felt confident enough with how well I new my piece to just power through.

The only bad thing is the stress of "holy crap, what happened to my music?" shot my adrenaline up and then I crashed before the song was over. A combination that I struggle with on a good day looked like udder crap because I just didn't have it in me. But you know after all that, having only 16 counts off in an otherwise perfect performance - I'll take it.

After the show, I heard nothing but compliments on how I handled the music mix up and that's what I want to talk about.

#1 - I was at a show with Raksanna when her music did not play. 

This show was in an intimate setting. The dance space was at floor level with seating on two sides. Raksanna had already entered the dance space and was face to face with the audience when her music failed. After several tries she signaled her husband to go sort things out with the sound guy.

She then said that while they were getting that sorted out, why didn't we play a game. She divided the audience into groups and arranged is in sort of a clapping game so that we clapped out a rhythm. She then did a bit of improv to our clapping until the music got sorted. 

The way she dealt we a music mishap was graceful, fun and you know what? I remember it for all the right reasons.

#2 - I was a little involved with the backstage of this show and I recall that the CD player lacked a time signature. Somehow during the middle of a dancers piece, something happened to stop the song. She stopped, looked annoyed and told the sound man to go back to a certain part. He had to restart the song and forward it where everyone could hear it every time he stopped to let her listen if that was the right place. She got further frustrated and stormed offstage to yell at him. He reaction wasn't pretty, and those audience members setting so they could see behind the curtain on stage right (quite a few people actually) saw her continue to berate the poor sound man until her got it right. A lot of people remember this and still talk about it. 

I let both these instances be a lesson to me a long time before I myself ever had a problem onstage. Unfortunately, like wardrobe malfunctions, music mishaps are something that we have to prepare for. Here are some suggestions on how to handle it.

Music skips - Sometimes, like in my case, the music skips a little but then gets back on track. I chose to keep dancing. The first few skips were only a few seconds so I chose to hold on until they got too bad, and it actually got better by the 2nd half of the song. 

If the problems make the music undanceable then take a bow and walk off stage. You can ask the stage manager/organizer if they want you to get a back up of the music right away or go on later in the show instead.

Music stops - If you are near the end or it was a long piece anyway, its okay to make a face that says "this wasn't the end but oh well" do a big finish and take a graceful bow. 

If you are near the beginning or it is a very short piece, there is nothing wrong with starting over. You worked hard on your dance and the audience appreciates that. They want you to get to do it start to finish as much as they want to see it start to finish. 

Music won't play at all - I know organizers are busy, but there is no reason not to check all the music on the sound system before hand. Without taking breaks the music is never half as long as the show. Just let it play and listen for problems. Delegate it to the sound person. It also let's them become familiar with the equipment and music. 

But things happen and that's why we always bring back-ups. Again, exit the area and find out if they would like you to fetch your back-up while they stall or just squeeze you in to a later place in the show.

Or like in Raksanna's case where she was the headliner, she knew she had someone to get the back-up and get it handled so she did her own stalling.

They play the wrong music - Smile at the sound person and shake your head no. Or hold your pose/position  back stage in a way that says - that's not my music.

There is never a reason to get mad, and really never reason to get upset. I take exception to students and beginning performers whose nerves may be shot after a mishap. When that happens there is nothing wrong with gracefully walking off stage and telling the organizer that you just don't feel like your nerves recovered from the music problems and you will instead enjoy the show from the audience.

The only thing you can do is prepare yourself mentally and be prepared with music back-ups. Personally, I always go to a show with the three things. 

1. A CD with just my song. I burned it and tested it in my car and my very cheap CD player as well as my computer. I find cars and cheap players to be the most finicky of playback devices when it comes to homemade CDs.

I also label in BOLD sharpie marker

'Azraa

Bluegrass Bellydance

Title/Artist

Time Signature

This helps me and the people running the show to keep it from getting confused.

I also keep all these in one box in my dance room so I don't have to burn more than one if I use the same number several times.

2. My iPod. My iPod has all my music. I know not every sound system can play one but just in case.

3. A couple of back up songs. I have never used one yet but better to prepare for the worst.

I would love to hear about any music mishaps I didn't mention or any scenarios where you learned from another dancer both what to do and what not do when there is a problem.

Bellydance and Finances

So one of my 2012 goals, both personally and professionally, is to do a better job at accounting. This is funny if you know me in real life where I run a small business, have an MBA and spend most of my days bookkeeping. I think this is why I slack off after hours, I am burnt out!

To kick this goal off, I have made a few simple changes that will help me get in better control of my finances.

Paypal: Paypal has sent notices to several of colleagues who have business accounts and receive money as "personal." Sending money this way avoids Paypal's fees and I think they have caught on that some people use this type of transaction even if they sell goods. I do a lot of personal shopping with my Paypal but usually have a balance because many of my students use it to pay for classes. For this reason, I have opened a 2nd personal account. Paypal let's you have one business and none personal account and I am going to take advantage of this. They won't let you duplicate funding sources but I have a business checking account and a credit card dedicated to dance.
In doing my end of year reporting, I saw how much I paid in Paypal Fees last year. When I first started taking Paypal for classes, I chose to eat the fee so the cost was the same for students no matter how they paid. Now that I have seen how much that cost me I decided to add the fee into the cost of paying online. I know many other teaching and businesses that do this.

Outright.com: Since ,until now, I had been mixing personal with business on Paypal and my credit cards; doing my end of year finances were kind of tedious if I didn't sort things out pretty regularly. I was using Quickbooks Simple Start (I use Quickbooks Pro at work so it made sense to me). QB Simple is easy but is not really more than an electronic check register that will total things for you. There is also only a check register and credit card register so adding in Paypal was difficult. All this prompted me to look for something better. Enter Outright.com. I found a review and recommendation from PCWorld, and then checked a few other reputable sources.
Here's why I like it. It can import transactions from most major banks, credit cards, and Paypal. It will actually import sales info from sources such as Etsy as well. If you have ever used Mint (something else I recommend), it is very similar. One of the best features is that not only can you add custom categories, one of the preset categories is Personal Expense. Once you mark something as a Personal Expense (or Personal Income) it gets removed from all the reports. It also separates out the Paypal Fees, which is how I came to the conclusion above.

I have also set up a Square account so I can take Credit Card payments in class. I am going to add on the 2.75% that Square charges into my rate.

I feel really positive about all of this. My life seems easier already :)

The Cost of a Good Education

I read a lot about performance undercutters on various message boards and online groups. Performers then often discuss the hidden costs of performing. Costumes, lessons, make-up, music, travel time and many other factors affect the cost of hiring a professional performer.

Here a few articles on Bellydance Performer's rates:
Shems: Behind the Rates
Mary: The High Cost of Rates
Shira: Why do you charge so much for only 15 minutes of dancing?

But today I am talking about the true cost of teaching a bellydance class and how I set my rates.

So students want to know why Bellydance classes aren't as low cost as other fitness classes, or don't come free with gym membership.

Well, for one bellydance is just that, dance. It is not a fitness class where an instructor can do the same basic steps over and over for the advantage of caloric burn (there are classes like this but they should supplement a regular dance regime). Being a bellydance instructor means a lot more than just showing up to class and leading a session of follow the bouncing butt.

An instructor spend on average 3 hours outside of class time for every hour of teaching. This time is spent selecting music, choreographing, writing notes, watching videos, making videos and training.
There is also a financial and time commitment of the instructors own continuing education. Bellydance does not have a finite end point. There isn't a book, that when you get to the end you know every thing there is to know about bellydance. There are countless books, dvds and workshops to be studied. I find it easy to attend at least one major workshop per month within driving distance. Because this dance comes from a historical and geographical context, it is important that good instructors study dance history, world history and keep up with how the geopolitical factors of today affect bellydance.
Even if you are only teaching one specific style, you owe it to your students to know enough about other styles that you can recommend good instructors and give them some sort of context of how your style differs and relates.
Aside from these exhaustive costs and time commitments, there are the direct costs of studio rent, liability insurance and advertising. For those instructors lucky enough to own their own studio then they pay more in utilities and higher rates on business and liability insurance.
All this goes into what an instructor charges for his/her classes.

Now I am not trying to make you say," oh 'Azraa, how committed you are to your students." The thing is, I love teaching.  Nothing makes me happier than when I see a student execute something I thought them, or recite a bit of history that I know they learned from me.
I just want people to understand that we, the dance teachers, aren't in it for the money. We can't be. To do all this, and to really work hard to be the best you can be and to make your students the best they can be well, you have to really be committed and practically commit-able.

It would also be a lot easier for me to say, "well, I make enough at my day job that I can teach for free." Sure I would have people lined up outside to take my classes, but that devalues the product we are trying to sell. A good quality dance education is worth something, until you make it worthless. I must also consider my fellow artists and instructors who do make their living from performing and teaching. Charging business sustainable rates means that all instructors whether part-time or full-time can support their business. So not only am I giving value to my classes which are definitely worth value but setting a standard so that other artists/performers/instructors can compete.
"But 'Azraa," you say. "why would you want competition?" Well, in truth, I don't. But I also don't want to drive competition away because I am the cheapest in town. That works for big box stores and corporate conglomerates but I am an artist and an educator. If I am going to drive the competition away it will be by being the best. And as long as the market is not over-saturated, a little competition is healthy. In this business , it is great to have other instructors and dancers who you can work with to put on events, have as guest artists, refer gigs to if you are booked up....there are plenty of reasons to be thankful for a bellydance community of more than just one. Granted, this only counts if you community is made up of reputable and well educated dancers, but that's a blog post for another day.

Borrowed Post: Glitter Gives Back

I don't often use the share on your own blog feature of google reader but what better way to make sure everyone sees this post from Najla at More Than a Mirage. I wanted to re-post this for two reasons. 1. Dance camp attendee or not, you might want to give 2. If you love this but would rather donate close to home then consider starting your own charitable organization like the Aria Dance Foundation and share the joy and giving nature of the bellydancers in your life with your community.

Original Post from More than a Mirage - Glitter Gives Back:

Although we are in the heat of the Texas summer, I know that I’m already dreaming of cooler weather and cabaret dance camp this fall. For those of you who don’t attend regularly, this is (in my opinion) a must-attend event for belly dancers. Not only do you have the opportunity to study with amazing and talented instructors, but you also have the chance to bond and share time with other dancers in a beautiful, serene environment. The Texas hill country has always been the perfect setting for our women’s-only retreat and this year I’m pleased to announce that Bahaia and I are teaming up to organize our first community service project for camp, called “Glitter Gives Back”

We will be making and delivering care packages for women and kids who are victims of domestic abuse and battery and are living in a shelter. We have the luxury each year at camp to enjoy the beautiful surroundings and wonderful companionship and love of all the women who attend, and I want to take this same love and support and share it with women who are in need. So, I chose Hill Country Cares, a non-profit association that has been around since 1986 and serves five counties in Central Texas to be the recipients of our service project.

They provide prevention, intervention, and recovery services for women in need, not only for women who live close to our camp, but often for women who travel much further and are sent there to escape their abuser. Our goal is to create 50 care packages containing basic hygiene products for women and 15 care packages for children. These packages will not necessarily be used for women who are currently living at the shelter, but will be handed out to incoming women and kids over the next few months. Originally my plan was for 50 packages (one for each camper), but after talking with the volunteer coordinator about their needs I’m upping the ante a bit and adding some bags for kids.

Blank bags, all ready to decorate. And for you with the wild imaginations, it's a green toothbrush holder ladies!

Our care packages will be delivered in canvas tote bags that can be used to store their supplies. The fun part is that we will decorate all these bags the first night of camp, along with our ritual t-shirt decorating. I already warned the shelter that there may be a plethora of glitter and sparkles in our bags and they were tickled by the idea of having something fun to share with these women and kids.

We will also have cards to sign (and add personal comments if you wish), and we’ll be taking photos share. My hope is that we can bring a smile to someone’s face and let them know that despite their immediate crisis, we are sending them strength and love. I struggle to imagine how someone would feel to flee their home because of violence, and end up at a shelter without their own toothbrush. So, the goal is to make sure women will have some basic products including shampoo, conditioner, deodorant, razors, toothbrush, toothpaste, soap, and body lotion to call their own.

Basic supplies for the womens' bag

For the kids, the shelter asked for kid-friendly products like toothpaste in fun flavors, bubble bath, and kids’ shampoo. A basic bag for women will cost around $25, and for kids $15, but with some smart shopping, and creativity I hope we can do more than just a basic bag for everyone, I’m hoping we can add some extra treats! To see a list of the basic items we’ll be providing, as well as suggestions on additional items to include check out this file.

Basic supplies for kiddos...any ideas on other things we can add?

If you’re a camper, would-be-camper, or just love the idea, here’s what we need you to do! We’ll be putting up a link to a PayPal account very shortly where you can donate, or ask friends, family and co-workers to assist. You can:

• Sponsor the cost of an entire package for either a woman or child.
• Collect financial donations to help off-set costs. (maybe get creative and do some fundraising)
• Collect product donations (for example, ask your dentist for extra toothbrushes), although this may only work for those of us living close by. We wouldn't want you flying in with a case of deodorant…that could cause all sorts of problems during the pat down!
• Consider throwing an extra tube of toothpaste, bottle of shampoo, or deodorant into your shopping cart over the new few months.
• Check your house for unopened, products that could be added in addition to the basic needs. (Keep in mind we’ll have limited space in our bags). For these little additions, sample sizes will work, we just want to make sure the basic needs are not trial or travel sized.
• Consider bringing a small keepsake or memento that you can add to a bag. Think about what would make you smile if you found it among your bag of goodies.
• Brainstorm on ideas for kid’s bags, take up donations from other families in the area, or if you have kids involve them in the process of collecting supplies. (I’m not a Mom so my ideas are limited.)

We’ll be posting more information as we go, and sending out updates on what we have and what we still need. I have to say that this project really excites me. I have been blessed in my life because I have never suffered abuse, violence or rape. However, I do know many women who have had to deal with these circumstances, and it breaks my heart to know that this happens to women on a frequent basis. I think that as belly dancers, we understand the strength of our community and our dance and I look forward to sharing that with other women who need that love and support. I have faith that we can all make this project a success and that our Glitter Gives Back program becomes a well-loved tradition at camp and beyond!

What you get out of a workshop

I often tell of how as a beginning dancer I only wanted workshop with choreography. Not combos but full out choreography, because then I felt I had something I can use. This is extra funny since I don't think I ever once used one of these choreographies until I pulled out two 4 year old workshop notes recently.
Now I find it is the opposite. Unless I am studying with someone who is truly a master of choreography like Yousry Sharif then I am not interested in it. I want technique, history, methodology, and anything else that will advance my dancing be it improv or choreography.
But then the question becomes, when do we use this? Is it a waste if you spend $200 and two days of your time on a workshop and don't come home dancing like the instructor or growing your own dancing in leaps and bounds.
I think of each class, each workshop, each instructor, and each topic like a drop in a bucket. The bucket is all the things you have at your disposal when you dance. Each workshop may only add one new drop or it may add a spoonful, either way every drop is worth something. As our buckets fill so we grow as dancers, teachers and performers.
I never feel like I need to remember or assimilate everything I learn, just add a few drops here and there. It makes learning more fun and it makes me want to travel around and get splash or new ideas from here, there and everywhere.