It's that time of the year again

I've been working on some fairly boring but important business stuff like website security and SEO. Our annual hafla is planned for April 11th and two of my dancefriends came over to talk about the concept. Ofcourse we talked about business too, and one of them sighed and said:'I know I have to do all those things, but I feel that it isn't worth the effort considering I only have three students and I've tried so many things already'.

I can relate to how she feels. Despite my best efforts, I have to work hard to keep my classes going. But that's what a job entails: 80-90% of hard work that is often boring and hard, because for 10-20% of the time you get to do this really amazing thing that you love.

I am like a junkie, I WANT those 10% so badly that I am willing to do a lot of non-dance things.

Being a bellydancer requires a special sort of masochism.

My friend then continued with'and that's why I don't do anything at all with my website and online marketing'. And that's where I think she's not soing herself any favors. Giving up means moving on, stop dancing as a business and continue dance as a hobby. That's why I choose the security of a tenure contract in IT, so I could do whatever I damn well like with bellydance on a professional level, without being bothered that there isn't much money to be made.

What do I want to get out of bellydance? What am I hooked on that keeps drawing me in after fifteen years? The movements, the costumes, the beauty of a danceform that fits the female form in all it's shapes and forms. Except that it doesn't and it really helps to be young, slender and pretty to be taken serious in the dance community. I don't have a problem with the general audience wanting a commercial fit bellydancer. I am very disappointed that dancers prefer perfect picture dancers to sell products like classes, workshops, dvds. Yes, there are some older dancers that are amazing and slightly more voloptuous and most of them come from the Middle East. That place where aesthetics are moving towards young, slender and more technical. Where there is less work since the revolution.

One of the few options open to me is my writing skills. I could make a couple of great products and get them on the market that would allow me to justify me spending money and time on a way too expensive hobby. It could keep me in eyesight during the years that I won't be dancing much due to the kids growing up. It helps me to gather respect from the local cultural sector so I can build my 'bellydancing housewifes' business close to home. I will have to leave the 'teaching eager young students' gig anyway as I feel the gap widening between me and my students. It just isn't me anymore, I want to spend time at home with my husband, dog and hopefully kids.

Looks like I am getting fat and grumphy sooner then I thought I would.

Ten days of bellydance - day 6 and 7

Day 6 and 7, this is when the going gets tough.

Day 6
I went back to Bellydance: the next level with Jenna and I did the warm up, three drills and the drum solo choreography, topped off with the stretch section and I watched the performance section of the drum solo. Thats a total of roughly an hour of dance, yay!

Jenna's style is similar to my own: laid back and sort of Egyptian, but with a couple of typical American moves and layers thrown in. THis is a very nice dvd for intermediate and advanced dancers.

I loved the turn section though the practice drill was too short for my taste. The compass turn is intereseting, with a ronde de jambe and turn on one foot. The hip circle with a turn is a classic but her explanation and execution put it back on my 'nice moves I really want to use' list.

I am now listening to 'Office hours'on the Bellydance Business Academy site, where Julie is talking about how to set up a membership website with video/downloads. It's interesting to listen to her online calls, I wish I was awake so I could join in during the call.

Day 7
More work with the next level dvd. I firmly believe that I need to work at least three times through the same material in order ro really learn amd gain something from the dvd. Whether it is improvement in posture, mastering a move or learning choreography, every little step takes time and dedication.

This time I did the warm up, drills and skipped to practicing the choreo right away. I really appreciate Jenna's musicality in the drills section. She's using mostly arabic music and her drills accent and use the rhythm and melody of the music. The choreography itself is rather bland, I would not use it for a performance but it is great in ways of practice. The downside is that Jenna looks rather bland in the perform section because of the music and the intermediate level choreography. I am sure she can do better.

I topped the practice off with fifteen minute of the p90x abs workout. I can't do half of the workouts of p90x because I don't have a door bar but I enjoy the other half at my own pace. The abs workout is great as it is fun to do, neatly packed in fifteen minutes and I got used to Tony Horton cheering me on. I look like a big flopping fish during half of the workout.