Pin your hair

This is now a pet peeve of mine when I see performances: when someone's hair is in their face while performing.

The mysterious vibe
I think that some people think that it makes them look mysterious, maybe even mischievous  And it can do that to a certain extent. But the problem with the hair over your face is that I don't see your whole face. So when you're making facial expressions, I miss half of what is going on.  Believe me, you can have that mysterious vibe without hiding half your face: it's all in your facial expression. ;)

Presenting the wrong side of the face
What I see happening often is presenting the wrong side of your face to the audience. So your hair is heavier and covering your left side of the face? Well, then, if you will be showing your left side to the audience either sideways or at a diagonal, I will lose even more if not all of your face. So you're essentially hiding behind a wall of hair. Believe me, I know how scary it is to perform but please don't hide your face.  This will be even more pronounced if the dancer is doing improv, as it will be natural way of sheltering yourself.

So if you know which side your hair is thicker and tends to fall over your face the most, you should know to generally present the other side to the audience the most. It takes some practice but it gets easier with time.

It's really about the sides
The sides of your hair (i.e., the hair in front of your ears), will be the hair that will have the highest tendency to fall over your face.  So this is really the area of hair that you will need to pay attention to. Assess what the pattern of your falling forward is like and that will give you an idea of how you can correct the forward tendency.

Loosely pinning
For all that you love your loose hair, you can gently/loosely pin it in place so that it still keeps its shape but not move so much. It's all about the bobby pins! You can put on as many as you want or need as, from the stage, no one will be able to see.  You can also use decorative pins, barrettes, fascinators, etc. to distract from the bobby pins and to add some interest in your hair.

Pomade
I discovered pomade thanks to a workshop with Michelle Manx. I've been using it ever since. If you don't know about pomade, here is what it does: it helps smooth down the stray hairs. So when my hair looks all messy, just a little pomade in my hands and gently manipulating my hair with my hands in place helps keep the runaway hairs in place. You can also use a little more to shape the hair in place, provided that you're not looking for volume but a sleek finish.

It's really a frame
Essentially, what this is getting to is framing your face to showcase the emotions that you'll show on your face (and all your beautiful makeup :p). So it's not just about getting the hair out of the way but also coming up with a pretty frame around your face. In time, you'll find what works well for your features. Play with it. Practice doing your hair and different ways to place your hair... remember that it's not just about the back of your hair (which you'll be showing only so often) but also about how it falls around your face and what it does for your features.  Make sure that the frame doesn't go over the beautiful picture that is your face, m'kay?

No less than full love

When it comes down to choosing your music for your next performance, accept no less than full love for the music. What I mean by that is that you need to be rather madly in love with the piece. We'll explore below the advantages of that.

Madly in love

Before we do, though, I want to explain the concept of "madly in love." The manifestations will vary from person to person. I once met someone who said that she never loved a piece of music yet I'd often hear her say when a piece was starting "Oh, I like that piece!" with a sigh. She didn't realize it but that was love for the piece right there. Some people are more exuberant (I most certainly am) so it's easier to notice that attraction to the music. So anything that makes you go "Oh, I like this!" could potentially be a contender for you to dance on.

Narrowing it down

That being said, not every piece of music that you love will be danced to. You'll need to narrow it down. There are some pieces that you will love but they won't be fitting for the style of dancing that you do or with your normal aesthetic. I'm not saying that you can't do a departure from your regular style but rather that you want to choose when you do. Also, there may be some pieces that will fit better for some events/venues/audiences than others so that's another thing to keep in mind when choosing your piece.

Be careful of the academic love

Sometimes, you'll love a piece of music but it's because it gives your brain a spin and not because it's inspiring you artistically. I've had that happen to me once where I loved the piece of music but it was really academic love. And the end result was not up to par to what I wanted to deliver. So strive for something that will inspire you artistically.  You'll know that it's the case when you're starting to have images pop in your head or movements are just coming to mind.

Holiday theme

In line with this, be careful also when selecting a piece of music for a specific time of year. I think that the biggest culprits that I see is around the themed events or Holiday (any) where folks feel an urge to go for the staples of said Holiday. If you really really really love it, sure, go ahead. But this is generally where I see performers not put in their full effort. I dare you to do better. I dare you to find something that is in the spirit of the Holiday (whichever one) or theme and still do art in it.

You'll know it in your gut

It sounds corny to say but it's very true: you'll know it's the right piece to dance to when you feel it in your gut. Your belly (some would say your liver... see this post by Tempest) will react to the song and you'll feel a tug. You'll just know. Trust me.

Do not back down or pass up a song you're afraid of

This took me a long time to realize and I still have to fight with myself over it: there have been a number of pieces over the years (especially early on) that I passed up because I was afraid of them. I was afraid that I wouldn't be able to do them justice and it saddened me so much that it paralyzed me out of action. Once I started doing pieces that I was absolutely madly in love with, I realized the power that they held... most importantly, those are pieces that made me grow exponentially.  You're afraid because maybe it will be hard to pull off... but you know what? Working on it hard and pulling it off will make you grow and make you into a better dancer and performer... even into a better human being, depending on the work and findings that you've done/had. ;)  The pieces that I was most afraid of turned out to be my biggest successes.

Here's a quote from The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks & Win Your Inner Creative Battles by Steven Pressfield (it's a great book... super short... I highly recommend to read it! I think that it was originally Ariellah who recommended this book in a workshop):

“Fear is good. Like self-doubt, fear is an indicator. Fear tells us what we have to do.

Remember our rule of thumb: The more scared we are of a work or calling, the more sure we can be that we have to do it.

Resistance is experienced as fear; the degree of fear equates to the strength of Resistance. Therefore the more fear we feel about a specific enterprise, the more certain we can be that that enterprise is important to us and to the growth of our soul. That's why we feel so much Resistance. If it meant nothing to us, there'd be no Resistance.”

Benefits

So the benefits when you absolutely love a piece of music are two-fold:

1. Easier to work with

It's counter-intuitive because it most certainly won't feel that way at first. But if you are really inspired by a piece of music, it will be much easier to come up with creative combos, movements, etc., than it would if you only kind of like a piece.  You'll just need to break through the ice first.

2. Easier to connect with

If you already have a relationship with the piece of music, it will be much easier to keep the connection going. If you've ever had to work with someone else's piece of music that you were just okay with, you know how hard it is to work your way through connecting with the music.

Hold on to the feeling

Now, if you are so in love with the piece, you may have some extra stage fright over delivering the piece. I tell my students to hold on to what the piece makes you feel like. It's your one thing that you can be sure of. Hold on to that and all the work that you've put in and deliver what the piece makes YOU feel. The rest is fluff.  Sincerely, using that love for the piece and harnessing it to project out that feeling will help you deliver your best performance to date. 

[And, yes, it can be dark! ;)]

Newsletter/What is coming up

I figured that it would be simpler to have it on my blog space than typing a long post on Facebook and post everywhere I can think of (and then forget to copy-paste important stuff).  Anyway...  Here we go:

Classes
The next session of classes will start the week of August 27.  The schedule will be the usual, which is as follows:

Mondays
7-8 pm: Improvisational Tribal Style (ITS) Technique

Tuesdays
6-7 pm: Advanced Beginners
7-8 pm: Intermediate Fusion Technique
8-9 pm: Performance Preparation

Wednesdays
6-7 pm: Beginners

Please visit my website for more information and feel free to ask me any questions!
http://celestebellydance.com/instruction.html


Greek Islands Night
Next date when I'll dance at Greek Islands will be Friday, August 24. I will have more dates for the fall but don't know what they will be much ahead of the start of the next month. If you want to keep apprised of these, make sure that you follow me on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/celestebd


Workshops by Celeste
I will be teaching several workshops this fall and I'll have more to come. Here is what I know for sure right now.

September 16: Indianapolis IN
Makeup workshop at my dance studio in downtown Indianapolis
http://www.facebook.com/events/441925502512795/

September 29-30: Midwest Tribal Mafia in Chicago, IL
I will be teaching a workshop titled Dark and Sassy Belly Dance. Some fun combos that can fit whichever mood you're in. I happen to do it dark and sassy.
http://www.midwesttribalmafia.com/

October 6-7: Ooky Spooky in Kalamazoo MI
I will be teaching a workshop titled Hold That Pose! Adding Drama Through Stillness.  This is a "Seinfeld" workshop.... a workshop about nothing. (kidding) Actually, you'll learn what you need to do to hold the audience's breath away as you're holding still, which is one of the hardest things to do.
http://www.bohemetribal.com/#!__ooky-spooky-save


Other Events
October 20-21: Kajira workshops in Indianapolis IN
ISAMETD will be hosting Kajira for a weekend of workshops.  You can find all the information here: http://www.isametd.com/kajiraregistration.htm

February 2:  The Grand Victorian Masquerade Ball in Indianapolis IN
I will be teaching steampunk dancing (non-belly dance) and perform (now this will be steampunk belly dance) at this event.
http://www.circlecityaerodrome.org/

Workshop Hosting
We have two things planned (thus far) for 2013 where we will host fabulously awesome instructors. You don't want to miss these opportunities!

January 11-13: Museum Quality Intensive with Tempest
We will be hosting Tempest for a 3-day intensive that will totally change your dance and bring it to the next level. We hosted her a first time in 2011 and the knowledge that I gained has made my dance grow by leaps and bounds and I can't wait to do it all over again!  Please note that space is limited so don't miss out on this!
http://celestebellydance.com/museumquality.html

February 9-10: Workshops with Belladonna
The amazing Belladonna will be in town to impart her awesome knowledge of dance.  We'll learn fun combinations that you can use in ITS or in your fusion style.  The weekend will end with a great workshop on finding strategies to reach your goals in dance while having a busy life.  Space is again limited so you don't want to miss this either!
http://www.blackrosecaravan.com/workshop.html

Minimum Items to Perform

On Saturday, the hafla ended up running a little early so I had to scramble to get myself ready.  I was teaching the last workshop of the day and ended up being pressed for time. That was my fault as I could have done things differently and not be so pressed for time but, hey, live and learn.

That prompted me, though, to think about writing something in case you are ever confronted with this situation. When you are pressed for time, you'll need to make some decisions as to what you will perform without.

Now this post will assume that you are a soloist. If you are in a troupe, then you'll need to either have everything on like everyone else or they will need to do the same as you. If you're the lone one who doesn't look like the other ones, you'll definitely stand out and probably not for the best.

Note that this is obviously not AT ALL an ideal situation but, let me tell you, you're better off shaking an item or two than be late to perform.

Costume elements
Wear underwear. Whatever happens, wear underwear. That's a must. But that'd be the topic for its own entry and how not to leave the audience guessing.

Bottom.  You'll need to wear something on the bottom, obviously. Depending on your costume, this can be one layer or multiple layers. If it's one layer, then it's very simple: you need to wear it. If you have multiple layers, though, like pants/pantaloons, skirt(s), scarves/shawls, you may ditch one or more layers. Now which one to keep will be dependent on the fabric of the items and which movements you'll be doing in the piece. But, again, if pressed for time, consider if you need all the layers or if just one would work.

Top.  Again, you'll need to wear some top. Generally speaking, we only wear one layer so then it's very self evident that you need to wear it. If, however, you're wearing something like a choli with a coin bra over it, you could wear just one of the two.

Belt. Depending on who you ask, the belt falls under costume elements or jewelry. It might depend on the belt too. :p The belt on a costume will really showcase your hip movements well so you don't want to skip it. Worst case with a belt: you could put it on as you're walking up to the stage. Try to make it look like you're really re-adjusting it as opposed to putting it on for the first time. ;)

Makeup
Bare minimum. So if you're absolutely, crucially, pressed for time and can't do the whole makeup thing, at a very minimum, you need to put on some eyeliner, mascara, blush, and lipstick.  That being said, this bare minimum will make you look bare indeed and utterly undone.

Medium minimum. So a step above that would be wearing foundation or at least some powder to even your skin tone. You'll want to also wear at least one eyeshadow on your eyelid.  And consider doing your eyebrows as they are a very expressive feature in your face.

False lashes. Essentially, what I typically will do without makeup-wise will be the false lashes when I'm pressed for time. These take a lot of time to apply correctly (and if you're trying to rush, it will take even longer) so, if I see that time is of the essence, I just won't wear them. But I will do my full makeup as much as I can because I find that the face being fully done conveys more stage-readiness than a half done face.

Bindi. I don't typically wear bindis for my solo projects so that's not an issue for me. But if you do, consider skipping this step, although it's one that really can be fast to do, especially if you're using those bindis that are self-adhesive.

Hair
Well, can you skip something for your hair? It depends. It thoroughly depends on what you had intended for your hair but, really, you can always perform with your hair down. Make sure that it's not looking like a hot mess, though, so contemplate brushing it a little or at least taming it with your hands.

Jewelry
This is probably THE place where I will skimp the most on when pressed for time.  You could go on stage without any jewelry but that'd be really bare.

Bare minimum. At a bare minimum, I will wear a necklace and at least one bracelet.  You can skip the earrings (if you're not already wearing some) and the rings and the extra bracelets.

Time Management
So, what it boils down to is having good time management skills. That involves knowing how much time you have to get ready and how long it takes you to do certain steps.  You can get creative with your time and assess if there are ways that you can make things more efficient for you. For example, if you have everything within arm's reach and items were laid out so that you can easily access them (in your luggage), it will make it faster.  I've also had an instance when I've done my makeup before taking the last workshop of a day because I knew that I would have little time in-between the workshop and the performance. (I have good makeup skills so it was fine. ;)) So look at your schedule for the whole day and assess if there is time for you to help yourself out.

One of the key things too is keeping your stress level down when pressed for time: the calmer you are, the faster you'll be able to do your things. Now is not the time to try on a new technique for your makeup or hair. And if you have an order in which you normally get ready in, use it! The familiarity will help you keep calmer.  For example, I personally do my makeup first, then I'll put on my costume, do my hair, put on jewelry. I leave the false lashes for the very very end just in case I run out of time.

And that's the order that I did on Saturday.  I was already wearing a necklace and it was going to take me too long to change it so I didn't. I also didn't put on false lashes. But, outside of that, I had everything else on.  At the end, I was piling on jewelry until I felt like I really had to get out there and be ready to hop on stage. If I had had more time, I would have worked on my hair a little bit more but I was wearing a very nifty headband. Those are VERY convenient to pretty up your head quickly.

Purchase vs. Make it

(Just a quick post as I'm coming back from an amazing event and am still in the catch-up mode of it all and I'm putting finishing touches on my own event.)

It's no secret that I buy the majority of my costumes or now I've actually started to have them made custom for me. Here's my rationale for purchasing: they know what they are doing so it takes them less time and will yield better results.

See, I'm good at sewing but I'm good enough to get me into trouble and have a general idea of how to do things but not enough to fully pull it off for it to look professional enough.  Truth is, if I didn't have a day job, I could probably do a better job at costuming than I do. But I happen to have a day job.  And we can really say that belly dance is a second job for me. I do spend a minimum of 7 hours in the studio each week teaching. And then I need to spend a bit of time on my own personal practice. And I have gigs or events. And I have to sleep. And spend time with the husband. Heck, there are some friends who I barely see because I'm so busy! So if we add costuming to the list of things that I have to do, I quite frankly don't have time to do as good a job as I'd like to.

So instead of having a subpar costume, I purchase my pieces. There are a number of very talented ladies  who will do a better job and do it faster than I could.  So, sure, on the surface, it would cost less if I made it myself... but that's when you count the cost of materials only. Add in the amount of time that it would take you to do it and consider giving yourself minimum wage for those hours. It doesn't take long for you to figure out that item X that seems pricey is actually reasonably priced.

AND the amount of time that I'd be spending on costuming is actually time that I wouldn't spend on my own dance. I fully take to heart Asharah's advice about it's better to be a well rounded dancer than having a ton of costumes. That goes in the knowledge vs. trinket mindset for choosing how to spend your money as well as how to spend your time.  If a costume would take me even a meager 10 hours to do (in costume time, that's not a lot), then that's 10 hours that I can't spend dancing and honing my skills... or resting. Because you do need rest.  Also, chances are, what would take me 10 hours, might take 5 hours (or less) to someone who is more skilled at costuming than I am.

See the math?

Now, obviously, purchased costumes are not free... but there are ways to maximize the investments. Sets are great but if it's something that can only be worn together, then you have one costume. If you have a bra and a belt that can be worn with other items, then you have more than one costume options in your stash.  It's really kind of like most advice on work wardrobe: buy separates that can be worn with other stuff.

Also, beware of the "OMG! This is awesome!" effect. So you're madly in love with a piece but it's pricey. Think about it for a minute and analyze whether it would work with what you have or where your dancing is going.  If the items are nice but you'd need a whole new everything with it, it may not be worth investing (unless you are looking into investing).  If your style is fusion but the item is screaming cabaret, it may not be what you want (unless, of course, you're going cabaret).  And think about whether it's too similar to something that you already have. I've been guilty of essentially buying very similar items in the past because, well, I liked them... which is a duh! moment.  Think of the color schemes that you have and those that you do not have but maybe want to branch out towards.

So, before embarking on a costume making endeavor, ask yourself where your time will be better spent: making the costume or dancing?  And be honest about the amount of time it would take you to make the item(s).  Some items are worth your time like a simple skirt or simple pantaloons. But, for other items, it may not be so. If you do decide to do the costume, start it early enough so that you don't have to be sewing the day of the performance. So, yes, this would require planning ahead of time.


And remember: you can always resell the items that you purchase. Of course you won't get the full price but the items can be resold to a portion of the price and be enjoyed by someone else... thus giving you money to re-invest in more costuming.


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I think that it's only fair that I tell you where I get my more unique stuff.

Tombo Studio, featuring Anaar's amazing skills: http://www.tombostudio.com/
Note that she has an Etsy store. She made an overskirt for me as well as my (now) infamous bra with feathers and metal wings. And she's making me something new that will make its debut very soon.

Geisha Moth: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Geisha-Moth/101129349421
She makes all kinds of lovely items in limited quantity per fabric.  She definitely caters to all shapes and sizes.  Purchasing can be done through Etsy, flashes, and wherever she vends.  And I gotta say that a lot of her stuff (pants, skirts, cake capris), I end up wearing outside of dance a lot.

Yasemin Yildiz: http://www.tribalbazaar.com/yayicubraand.html
She makes awesome bras, belts, skirts, arm thingies, head thingies, and all kinds of shiny thingies. Her items are always attention-grabbers and properly shiny for stage.

Red Camel: http://www.redcamel.net/
Not costuming per se but where I buy most of my jewelry. You can find DIY items there and on the Tribal Bazaar site as well.

Just listening is not enough

When you're preparing for a performance, be it improv only or choreographed, you will obviously need to listen your piece... A LOT! I know that I've mentioned this before but, when I have selected my music for an upcoming performance, I listen to it back to back for like 1 hour each day for a while, typically at work or at home while doing something else.

Whether you've listened to your piece a few times only or back to back for 1 hour each day for a while, you may be surprised when you start playing with the piece in the studio/practice space that the dancing is not flowing as fast as you thought it would. What gives? Why isn't it just flowing out? You love that piece so what's wrong?

First thought that may come to mind is reconsidering whether this is the piece that you should be doing. While, sure, you can reconsider it, I would challenge you actually to keep working on it. You love the piece and you should follow your instincts. Also, quite honestly, it has been my experience that my best pieces have started very very awkward in the studio and have required a whole lot of work to make it happen... and those are the pieces from which I learned the most. So keep at it.

What I think is happening actually is a disconnect between how your ears are taking in the piece, how your brain is interpreting the sound waves, what emotions the piece evokes in you, and how your body responds to all that. First off, that's a whole lot of input that your body has to react to so it may get confused as to what it should be obeying to.

Secondly, when you're listening to the piece and not moving at the same time, your brain will generally be free to wander in whichever direction it wants to... but when you decide that it's time to dance on it, your left side of the brain may kick in too hard and is forcing your body to obey it and its very strict appreciation of the piece... or if it's your right side of the brain that kicks in too hard, you'll find yourself twirling and going "wheee!" and you'll be left wondering where the dancing went. :p Bottom line: you need both sides of the brain to work together... but it's very likely that they will fight at first. They'll eventually come to an agreement of who keeps track of what and it will get better from there.

Also, quite honestly, sometimes your body doesn't quite know what to do... and your brain may not even know what to tell the body to do. It happens. Again, it doesn't mean that you need to ditch the piece.

One striking example that I have about this phenomenon is whenever our troupe practices for an upcoming performance. We agree on a piece and everyone listens the hell out of it. Cool beans. The first time that we do our group improv to it in rehearsal, it's choppy, it's messy, and it never goes as planned. It comes as a surprise to a good number of the members. Well, the thing is that they had listened to the piece but had not tried to move to it. So now the body was going "Huh... what do you want me to do here?" and the left side of the brain is going "Where's the beat again? This is the first time that I'm hearing this!" and the right side of the brain is going "What do you mean I can't play now? I know that piece!" ;) Then we do it again and it gets better and better.

There are two take away messages that I want you to get from this blog post:

1. If the first attempt at working on a piece isn't perfect: do not despair! It will get better!
2. For all that I'd love to tell you that you can just pick a song and dance to it right away flawlessly, that'd be a lie. Just listening to a piece is not enough. You need to actually move to it too to get ready.

Go all out!

This is a post that I meant to do right after 3rd Coast Tribal but then I forgot and time passed and all that. ;) It was particularly evident at 3rd Coast, where the crowd is always oh so supportive but I'm sure that you've seen this phenomenon before.

Nearly inevitably, in a belly dance show, there will be a dancer whose technique is just all right or not that great but, damn, she's having fun on stage, she doesn't care what the hell people think, she's just giving it her all... and the crowd reacts to her and give her some lovin'. Meanwhile, another dancer's technique is uber polished and she's hitting all the accents of the piece spot on but it's a little cold because she's holding back or something and the crowd is not reacting nearly as much.

As a fellow dancer, this may leave you scratching your head... but there is one important lesson here: whatever you do, GO ALL OUT!

First off, going all out means also exaggerating things. See, with distance between you being on stage and the audience, your normal smile won't cut it. I joke with my students and tribe sisters to do the "crazy cheerleader on crack smile" to get a smile that will be noticed in the crowd. Many have tried it and, you know what? This is generally just about the right amount of smile that will be noticed.

Secondly, the crowd will react oh so much more if you just give it your all vs. being reserved about it. So, yes, looking like a damn fool will give you more kudos than restraint. The stage ain't a Victorian salon. ;) That being said, that's not to say that you should strive for looking like a fool at all costs. But you know what I mean right?

It's oh so much easier said than done, I know. It took me quite a while to get the hang of it... it's getting much much better.

I know you've most likely heard this one before but it's oh so very true: no one on their death beds (or late in life) will lament "I so wish that I had held back for that performance!" It's rather the opposite.

So go all out! Much better than holding back!