April - May - June (& Beyond!) News, Tidbits, & Assorted Parts

Greetings everyone!

Have so much in the works that I've not been great about sending out newsletters, so going to try and remedy that now. SO many great things to share about upcoming workshops, events, projects, and other happenings!

First news about upcoming shows and workshops in April & May:

Happening tomorrow (Saturday, April 26^th) – Nathaniel and I will be performing at Hexenfest in Oakland, CA – starting things off with an opening ritual live music/dance performance, and then we will join Ego Likeness later on stage as well! Hexenfest is a music and arts festival dedicated to myth, magic, folklore, fairytale, and the numenous. Hexenfest has a flair for the darkly exotic. Gothic, Pagan, and Tribal belly dance themes are featured prominently, evoking the forbidden forest more than than the enchanted wood. If you feel at home in dark fairytales, join us in the realm! Tickets & info at http://www.uptownnightclub.com/events/hexenfest-2014-pandemonaeon-unwoman-tempest-and-nathaniel-johnstone/

Then we are off to New Jersey for Rakkasah Spring Caravan for May 2nd-4th! I will be teaching 3 exciting workshops over the weekend, and The Nathaniel Johnstone Band will be playing music live for dancers on Saturday and Sunday. We'll also be vending! Details at http://www.rakkasah.com/spring/

Then the band is on tour on the East Coast from May 6th-14^th:
May 6th: Bellefonte Cafe - Bellefonte, DE
May 7th: Red Maple with Stoneburner - Baltimore, MD
May 8th: BSP Lounge w/ Frenchy & The Punk - Kingston, NY
May 10th: Pete's Candy Store with Not Waving But Drowning - NYC, NY
May 11th: Loose Stalkings Salon - Boston, MA*
May 13th: Dusk with Frenchy & The Punk - Providence, RI
May 14th: Le Grand Fromage - Atlantic City, NJ 
Links & Details at http://www.nathanieljohnstone.com/shows.html

*On May 11^th, Nathaniel and I will be offering our “Applying Artistry” workshop in the Boston Area - details https://www.facebook.com/events/273490039479705/

Then we are headlining at Steampunk World's Fair in Piscataway, NJ May 16th-18^th!
http://steampunkworldsfair.com/

And then we're off to Clockwork Alchemy in San Jose, CA – where the band will be officially releasing our brand new album “The Antikythera Mechanism” - there will be multiple live music and dance performances throughout the weekend, and I will be offering a workshop as well on integrating bellydance with Steampunk with integrity. Details: http://www.clockworkalchemy.com/ - check out their website for a special FREE download of one of the new songs + samples of other ones!

Then we're back home in Washington, and I will be offering a “Bellydance Decopunk” workshop in the Olympia, WA area on May 31^st – followed by a hafla! Details at http://oly-wa.us/masuda/

Now, in other news, especially for or related to June!!!

DVD News!
This past weekend, we re-filmed a large portion of the DecoDance DVD – I am VERY happy with the results, and we're expecting to be able to release it in mid to late June. More details on that in May!

Artemis in Seattle!
June 13th-15^th – Seattle – WA! It's my birthday and I am bringing to town one of my “dance mama's” and mentors, Artemis E. Mourat! There are 4 workshops throughout the weekend, and it all kicks off with a fabulous live music show featuring the Nathaniel Johnstone Band & House of Tarab at the Columbia City Theater in Seattle. Details on all of this at: http://www.darklydramatic.com/artemis.html

Tribal Revolution - Workshop Change!

Also in big news – we have altered one of our offerings at Tribal Revolution in Chicago, IL (June 26th-29^th) – we're replacing the “Dancing with Live Musicians” to “No Fear Bellydance! The Epic Quest for Artistry & Improvisation” - Saturday, 6/28
When we look at dance as art, we open ourselves up to being able to say more through our movement, while making a conscious effort to connect more deeply with our audience. Herein lies the secret to more beautiful, expressive performances! Art is not an abstract concept to be used as an excuse for poor planning. Nor is it an elusive esoteric experience for the elite. (Say that 3 times fast!) Art-making DOES involve concrete technique and critical thought. Yet it also requires the ability to let go, and be open to chance and exploration. Coincidentally, working with live music brings in similar challenges. How can you be prepared and be in the moment at the same time? What does it take to push beyond dancing to the music, and giving a dynamic performance that appears polished and planned? (Answer me these questions three!) In this workshop, dancers will learn to set aside their fears about improvising, effectively incorporate artistry into their dance, improve their communication skills (for working both with an audience as well as live musicians) and push their own boundaries and style - while working with both recorded and live music. Students will be challenged to build their creative thinking processes, apply them directly to their dance, and exercise new critique skills in class. All the while surprisingly themselves AND having fun! The quest is ON, who will find the grail?!
Register for it, as well as find out other details at http://www.tribalrevolution.com/

Lastly – we are offering THREE kinds of Museum Quality Intensives this year – each is limited to 15 students or less and are filling up!:
* July 5th-6^th – Sturbridge, MA – Summer Salon Mini MQ (2 days): http://museumqualitydance.com/summersalon.html
* August 22nd-24th - Indianapolis, Indiana (3 days) - Hosted by Celeste: http://www.celestebellydance.com/

* November 13th-16th, 2014 - Lancaster, PA (4 days!)- Hosted by Luna Ketta - https://www.facebook.com/events/168673243334443/?ref=br_tf
Find out all about how Museum Quality can change your dance experience! http://museumqualitydance.com/

Whew! Yeap, that's a whole lot, and there's so much more, but I'll contain it to this for now. Just want to add that right now in Seattle, there is a solo exhibition of my artwork up at the Pioneer Square Saloon for a few more days – but if you're not local, you can see the newest paintings at http://www.owlkeyme.com/art.html

Be sure to follow my pages on facebook for regular updates – and stay tuned for more exciting news in the future!


Thanks so much!
Blessings,
Tempest

Nouveau Noir Dance

http://www.darklydramatic.com

Tempest's Teapot - A Bellydance Blog
http://darklydramatic.blogspot.com/

OwlKeyMe Arts
http://www.owlkeyme.com

Waking Persephone: Dancing Through the Dark & Unusual
http://www.wakingpersephone.com 

Nobody's Right If Everybody's Wrong.

The blog title this week is from a song I grew up hearing, and that one line especially came to mind when I considered a lot of what I saw online recently. (see bottom of post for video of the song and link to a discussion about it). 

Last week, the bellydance community (as well as some overlapping sub-cultural communities) was in an uproar about an opinion piece that was posted on Salon.com.  Many things have been said in response, ranging from really beautiful, articulate responses to visceral, raw rants and raves. Followed in hot pursuit by another wide range of successive responses to those responses.

I am pretty sure I have now seen where every single opinion, thought, and nuance has been both lauded and attacked in turn.  Essentially culminating in: it doesn't matter who you are/where you come from/what you say/how you say it: you are wrong, so shut up. Which doesn't empower or help anyone.  Solutions don't come from shutting people down, they come from understanding, respect, and acceptance of differences. In particular, the acceptance and understanding that your neighbor's opinion and experience can be different from your own, and respecting that opinion doesn't negate yours or validate theirs.

Many people have asked me for my opinion on the original piece.  Here it is: I can appreciate the author's point of view and issues raised and even agree with them on several levels.  I am not a fan of the delivery, as there was a lot of misinformation mixed with a clear intent to inflame.  I can indeed respect work where the major intent is to incite, as it can certainly bring about change (though not my own preferred method, as I don't go "ok, how do I piss the most amount of people off" before I make any of my work - art, dance, writing, etc), but I expect the presenter to have their ducks in a row, and be prepared to open a dialogue, versus shutting it down.

I wasn't offended by the article, nor did I think it brought up anything new.  It is also somewhat hard for me not talk about my own experiences growing up in a home of mixed religion and as many would also think, mixed race - in an area that's seen more than its fair share of conflict between "marginal" communities over the last century. Yet I feel that if I do talk about my history, it opens up a counter-response that says I should shut up - invalidating my own experiences, and feeding into an ouroboros of ineffectual discourse.  But it is my experience, and my voice - so regardless of what you think about me because of my apparent racial background, gender, or religion, it has just as much right to exist as anyone else's. ANYONE.  We are all human, plain and simple. Which brings me to one of my frustrations that I have had with some of the  "social justice movement" over the last 5-6 years: there is a whole lot of "you're doing it wrong"  mixed with "you are X, so you aren't allowed to have a say" - neither of which fosters change or brings about positive solutions.  And by saying I think that mentality sucks, I am NOT negating the fact that there are real issues or invalidating their right to be heard. Nor am I attacking that person, their community, etc.  We need to get down the the bare roots of "I'm a human, you're a human. There's a problem here - how do we talk about solving it?"

It is especially because of my background that I have been hypersensitive about cultural exchange for most of my life.  I remember in 4th grade, our teacher separated us into "ethnic" groups to make a point about stereotypes and racism.  Over here were the Irish kids, there the Italian kids, Indian ones over here, Polish ones over there, etc - and she dictated what each group could or couldn't do, such as go to the movies, or an amusement park, or certain restaurant. Oddly, what I remember most about that exercise was out of two dozen kids, there were only about 2 or 3 of us (including myself) that couldn't be placed in one of those "all-X" groups, and that was frustrating for the teacher.  So ironically, during an exercise about overcoming racism, we felt even more singled out than everybody else.  But I think more importantly, this was the beginning of my journey to understand where I came from, what did that mean, and who does that make me now.  What does it mean to be a creature of many backgrounds, living in America today? Not only for myself, but how I interact with others?

It also meant to me that whatever art I was interested in, that I would learn everything and anything about it that I could before I explored it. It is natural for me to be an adamant researcher into whatever I explore, so it is a bit startling to realize that not everyone approaches life that way.  See something cool/different? Find out about it before you wear it/do it/sing it/play it.  That's what you do.  Emphasized again and again throughout all of my art school training - know what you're using before you use it. If you screw up - admit it, then go remedy it.

See or encounter somebody who doesn't know what they're doing? Then reach out to them and help them discover what they're missing, versus berating them.  Educational honey vs. vinegar.  Which is the same point I have been arguing about fusion and traditional bellydance for the last dozen years.  Know where it all comes from - and be willing to teach those who may have missed out, versus bashing them. Yes, I am sure that perhaps being scolded works better for some individuals than reaching out to them, but I prefer to give people the benefit of the doubt - that they do also want to learn, but they just didn't know or realize it.

In the last century, humanity has made a fair amount of progress in moving forward - about understanding our differences AND similarities in race, gender, sexuality, religion.  It was slow at first, but now, with the help of the internet, we're moving along at a hyper speed, much faster than anything else we've ever experienced.  Borders are being blurred and erased - more and more cultures are intermarrying, new paradigms of family units being created. We are becoming even more culturally blended, a truly global community, yet are still extra sensitive and cautious.  We are somewhat stepping all over each other trying to point out what's wrong.

We can't solve all of the problems out there in a day. But we can take each day as an opportunity to understand ourselves, where we come from, and reach out to our neighbors and friends to do the same.  We can learn from history - our ancestors and their actions, without saddling ourselves or others with the transgressions of those long-deceased, or the currently ignorant. We can listen to each other and share our experiences respectfully and be willing to open up dialogue for change, rather than discourse for chaos.

It is within our human nature to be wary, even fearful of "the other", but it also within our nature to share and to create.  One of the most powerful aspects of the arts is their ability to cross borders and revel in what it truly means to be human.  In learning about the arts - be it a dance of your own culture, or the theater of another, we expand upon the human spirit and emphasize our connectivity. And that is something we can all be right about. 



(more on the story behind this song here...)

Cultural Exchange

"Spirit I" - original painting by the author

Back at the dawn of civilization, a tribe of people from one area met a tribe of people from another - and didn't set out to obliterate each other. Instead, they oogled over each other's crafts/skills - special to each tribe because of its natural surroundings, resources, and developed abilities.  

It is human nature to find interest in things that are different from our normal existence.  And through this mutual appreciation, trade happened.  Whole villages, towns, cities and routes were built on the concept of trade and cultural exchange.  Humanity advanced as a whole because of it when the exchange was respected - and inversely failed when it turned to greed and war instead. 

We are of the age now where the tribes aren't just a small region, country, or continent - we are becoming a global community, where the lines of origin are often blurred at the individual level, roots far-reaching and tangled.  We are all interconnected, regardless of the color of our skin, shape of our bodies, gender, sexuality, or age. Our continued goal as humanity is to foster respect and understanding across a multicultural world - for in respecting and honoring others, we do the same for ourselves.

-Laura Tempest Zakroff, 3-5-2014

Dance Naked!

Photo by Becky Plexco, at the NOLA Witches Ball 2013

Recently, I had the lovely opportunity to meet with a group of high school students who are involved with the SEEDS program here in Seattle.  My task was to share with them a little bit about my experiences as a business woman in the arts (dancer, designer, artist) - and to answer any questions they may have about me, what I do, etc. It was a lot of fun!

At one point during the session, I talked about how being Goth merged rather naturally with my bellydance performance inspirations - it made perfect sense (to me) that my aesthetic and personality would influence how the dance came through me.  And I found myself, probably out of years of habit, noting that being of the Gothic subculture did not mean I was depressed, obsessed with death, hurting myself, satanic, or any of the other typical incorrect stereotypes that can pop up.  Rather, that to me, Goth is about seeing the beauty in all things, finding the balance of light and shadow, thinking outside the lines, and expanding our understanding of myth, mystery, and the unknown.  Therefore, this view of the world influences everything I do - my art, my dance, my design, and how I interact with the rest of the world.

They got it.  I dare say they even thought it was really cool. (Considering I'm old enough to be in the "mom zone,"  I'll take it!)

On the drive back home, I got to thinking about what makes a "dark" bellydance performance successful - and well, what makes it dark?  What does it mean, that considering in my earliest days of performing, when I wasn't doing anything intentional other than being myself, that others identified that there was something else going on there, indicative of silent film, film noir, and dark imagery?  What does that say about all the other elements and ephemera that people may feel are necessary to bring into it now?

If you strip away the make-up, costuming, and props - would the piece still read as dark? If there wasn't a gravemarker there to show you're in a cemetery or mourning, if there's no fangs or fake blood to show you're a vampire, if there's no daggers, whips, or other types of weaponry to look menacing with - can you still get the point (hah) across? If there's no leather or corseting, no spikes or chains, shredded or netted attire, does it still look dark?

Well, for some people, it IS all about the look, and it will always be - so all of those things are deemed necessary. It's not that different than demanding that the classic bellydancer must have a certain look - hair, costuming, body-type, etc.  Some people feel much more comfortable with markers they can easily recognize and label.  In the larger picture, those theatrical elements do count in adding to the experience - personally for the dancer (to aid in any transformation) as well as visually for the audience.

But we know the right "look" doesn't mean everything else is there.  Nor does just having the moves down do it. The dancer must be one with the music AND translate it to the audience, being in command of their body while performing.  And that is something that will be present in a successful dancer - whether they are wearing a top of the line costume, or a bathrobe.  Whether it's expressing the core emotional quality of song, or sharing in the sensation of human existence, the dancer is truly communicating content beyond a series of moves and gestures.

Gothic or  dark fusion takes that intense level of expression, and blends it with theatrical, mythical, and/or sacred content - adding another layer of storytelling. For me, it all started because I was taking my visual artist brain - already deeply focused on telling stories and exploring myth- and applying it to dance. I told myself a story to remember how I wanted to move through the dance through various parts of the music, and then subsequently discovered that the audience picked up on that.  As I grew in my dance and performance ability (and will continue to do so - until I die!), my communication skills as a dancer increased even more dramatically.

So while I love creating new costuming for my dances, I'm also fascinated with how simple I can make things - how much can I get across without needing to spell out all of the details visually through props, make-up, and costuming? And I love to challenge my students with the same task, making them stretch their skills, push their own boundaries, and find their voices within.  Essentially - if you were to dance "naked" - that is, without any additional special aids, can you still get your point across to the audience?

Regardless of what style you dance, have a go at dancing naked, and see what happens!

The Difficulty of Being In Your Body

I get twitchy when people talk about implementing uniforms in school, particularly "to crack down on bullying".  I attended Catholic school from kindergarten to my freshman year of high school, and a big thing I realized - instead of being made fun of because of what you wore - since everyone had to wear the same thing - it was much more personal: your body, your face, your background - whether you were too fat, too thin, too dark, too light, too tall, too short, too whatever.  All of which are elements about yourself that are not easily changed, and can seriously impact your self-esteem and how you interact with the world. When my family moved and I ended up going to a public high school,  I noticed was that while some people may not have cared for my style of dress, no one made fun of my body or background, nor did I observe it with anyone else.

That contrast in experiences came to the forefront of my mind this past weekend, as I gave two back-to-back sessions of "Tempest's Guide to Style", which focuses on how to make flattering choices in costume for your body, regardless of age, size, or style.  In order to figure out how to do this, every participant examines his/her own body-lines to determine the shapes that make it up, what they need to emphasize, and what they want to downplay.  It's not an easy task, but it's amazing how people react when they start to look with fresh eyes not only at their own body, but at others as well.  I believe that every dancer, regardless of their shape, size, age, etc - can look AMAZING on stage - if they are given the tools on how to do it, which includes looking at themselves objectively.

And every time I teach it, it gets me thinking about how we perceive our own bodies versus what other people see - and how we get there.

During those early years of school, the uniform only really served to show others that I was skinny, flat-chested, hairy, and of a mixed background.  It made me feel uncomfortable and very critical of not only myself, but also in defense mode, to be critical of others.  But with the move, going to a new school, and being able to dress how I wanted, I found that I had no desire to be critical of others physically.  Instead, I switched over to "reading" people.  I figured others out more by sensing their energy, body language, and general behavior - not their size, shape, or color.  And as I began to mature as an artist, I became fascinated with lines and shapes - what made each person unusual, and uniquely them.  My senior AP Art portfolio focused on portraits of a particular classmate because I found him intriguing and unique.  

Essentially I learned to look at every person I encountered from the inside-out, instead of the reverse.  And to observe the lines, shapes, and patterns that made them up as part of their existence, versus judgment on who they were or could be.  I see "Betty who is genuinely friendly, energetic, with the beautiful flower tattoo and gorgeous eyes" not "Betty who is short, 40 pounds overweight and shouldn't be eating a hamburger" and "Dreamy Sally with the amazing hair and soothing voice" not "Sally who is very tall and thin and needs to eat more." 

It is certainly not my place to judge someone else's physical appearance nor apply my opinions on what they should or could do with their life and lifestyle choices.  

Yet society (and the glossy media especially) tends to push us to do just that - to judge others and ourselves.  We can be especially way too hard on ourselves, as show by the  prevalence of eating disorders, cosmetic surgery, and fad diets.  We develop skewed perceptions of our own bodies, often failing to see the beautiful aspects in favor of blowing out what's wrong.  But we all possess some characteristic that someone else finds amazing and beautiful.  If we could only see that in ourselves! And especially understand that we're all struggling with the trials of the human existence.

I know for me personally, I'd be happy to live in my head/heart/spirit, and not have to focus on my body - it is full of mysteries, changes, and requires constant upkeep! Let's face it - being a physical entity is extremely difficult - for ALL of us.  Every single person out there is having a struggle, regardless of their size, shape, age.

And I know there are probably folks out there going, "Oh sure, that's easy for you to say, you're thin/young/whatever." But again, - we're ALL in this experience together, we all have issues we are dealing with. Why make it even harder? Why discount anyone else's experience because of what you THINK they may be about, from their appearance? There is no "greater than" rating between someone who struggles to lose weight and someone struggling to gain or maintain it.  Each is valid.  And aren't we supposed to teaching young people to value actions over image, sincerity over gloss, and that true beauty comes from within first and foremost?

That kind of thinking has to start from within each and every one of us.  For a minute, stop comparing and contrasting yourself to others, and listing what's wrong about your body, and start to think about what's right.  What do you like about yourself today? What about you makes you, you? What is beautiful about you?  I can guarantee you there is at least ONE thing, and probably a heck of a lot more than that. Write it down. Try to do it once a day, for a whole week, and then go back and read them.

Next challenge: the next person you encounter: try to get a sense of who they are, not by what size/color/age they are, but how they feel to you.  Even if it's someone you never end up interacting with - try it and make a note of what you think.  I promise soon you'll start looking at people in a whole new way.

Start with the beauty within, and you'll start to see it not only in yourself, but in those around you.

You like me! You really like me!

While I was away at PantheaCon, I received notice that this blog was nominated for DBQ's "Best Belly Blog" - thanks y'all!

To see the other nominees and place your vote, head over to http://shes-got-hips.com/vote-for-the-dbqs-best-belly-blog/

And again, thank you!

Out and In and Out of the Broom Closet

"The Red God Revel" at PantheaCon (2004?) with T. Thorn Coyle on the left,
Anaar on the right, Tempest in the middle (with horns)

I tend to forget that not everyone knows the "Origins of Tempest" story.

Blogger tells me that I've written over 130 posts on just this particular blog since I started it back in 2010, and well it's quite logical that most of you haven't been here for the whole ride, or very familiar with me prior to becoming a "name" in the bellydance scene nearly a decade ago. Which is totally cool - heck, you may have just found me last week, and that's how it rolls.

So, last week when I had posted on facebook that I was preparing to go to a Pagan convention (PantheaCon), I was surprised by the number of people who exclaimed they had no idea I was Pagan. Which is made even more funny by the fact that I tend to assume that most of the people I run into in various communities are Pagan, until proven otherwise.  Not that it matters to me what path ANYONE follows, as long as they are respectful to others - but my experience with counterculture folk from the last 15 years or so, is that they tend to follow "non-conservative" spiritual paths as well. 

I think that me being Pagan is pretty obvious to anyone familiar with my artwork or dance, but when I step out of my head a bit, I'm definitely not hanging it out there as a major shingle like some others in the bellydance arena who emphasize in their short description as being a priestess, shaman, witch, goddess, etc. And I am by no means as public about it as I used to be when I first started dancing.

Why?  Well, I was in a different place back then.  During college, I started a Pagan student group for RISD, which also made it open for Brown students...and then, it seemed natural to open it up to any local college students (URI, J&W, Bryant, RICC, etc), and then from there it became the largest open path Pagan group in New England, open to ANYONE. (I doubt college policies and the new security measures would allow for that now!). It was called the Cauldron of Annwyn Pagan Society.  We held the first RI Pagan Pride event, constructed giant lighted labyrinth ritual in downtown Providence at Samhain (for 2 or 3 years running), had trips up to Salem, MA, produced "Arts & The Craft Fair" at RISD (promoting the merger of fine art and Paganism - featuring workshops, ritual, and vending), celebrated the esbats and sabbats, did community outreach, and so forth.  In addition to this (and working towards my BFA + a part-time job + being married), I was also the associate editor of Crescent Magazine: A Pagan Publication of Art, Philosophy, and Belief, and became the regional coordinator for PPD.  I was 19-21 during this time. I attended the first Pagan Leaders Conference in Bloomington, IN, and got more involved on a national level. From the Cauldron and other close friends I was working with, I spawned the House of Annwyn, which was a family tradition (we don't use the term 'coven') - so then we had big public events for the Cauldron, and smaller workings with our family. My senior-year solo show was based on the facts and myths of "The Burning Times." I frequently was interviewed by the local papers/news organizations, gave lectures at local colleges, and maintained a large website. In retrospect, I have no idea how I managed to do all of these things, all at the same time.  (Probably because I was barely in my 20's and never had it in my head that I couldn't do it all.) 

I got into bellydancing because it seemed like a natural addition to our tradition's ritual practices.  The whole family signed up for classes. Several of us continued on, but most didn't. In 2001, I moved from Rhode Island to the Bay Area of California - partly to get more involved with bellydance and to be able to work more closely on Crescent Magazine - where my friend (also the main editor) lived.  I stumbled into a job as a professional Tarot Reader/Psychic at The Psychic Eye in Mountain View.  I also gave weekly classes in metaphysics (magic, divination, etc). I worked more intensely on the magazine, but I found a completely different environment for the Pagan community.  There were as many Pagans at the SF PPD as we had back at the first RI one! The Bay Area was far more progressive towards other faiths than New England (and probably still is), so the pull to unite and have solidarity was far less great (or that's my theory anyway). I also felt disconnected from my tradition and family back east. My practice became more solitary, more quiet on the political and community side of things.

Instead, I focused more on my dancing. I researched, studied, and wrote articles on sacred dance, trance, and more.  I merged goddess-concepts with my performances - presenting "Kali Ma,"  "The Rusalka," "Becoming," and "Whole & Horn" at the Living Goddess Dance Theater (2002-2005) and "Kali Ma Dance Ritual," "Dance of the Djinn," and "The Red God Revel" at PantheaCon. I found a sacred/ritual dance partner in Anaar - and we performed some of these aforementioned pieces together, as well as opened up several Tribal Fests with a ritual dance presentation.  However, in the overall genre, I encountered a lot of "woo" and not much academia or free-thinking with many who claimed to do sacred/ritual/goddess dance - instead a focus on exclusion, or a desire for dominance versus acceptance, or similar types of ego-play.  I didn't want to be identified with that, so I chose to integrate my beliefs more subtly with my concepts on stage in and in the classroom, instead of being very "in your face" about it. Those in the know, would know - and those that didn't, it was fine.

So over the last decade, I eased from being heavily involved with the Pagan community to being mostly disconnected from it, and from being a "bellydancing Witch" to a bellydance artist.  In retrospect, the transition had a lot to do with the various states of personal relationships as well - and I also now recognize, moving away from making visual art (a different arena I feel than costume design, graphic design, etc). Which had been a part of my life for as long as I can remember.

Entering this decade, things began to shift again - slowly at first, then drastically.  A lot of things changed for me personally, and it affected all the areas of my life. I reconnected with making art, the roots of my desire to dance, with my spirituality, and most importantly, myself.  I find myself now caring a lot less about what other people are doing, or what they think of me and about what I am doing.  And that has been incredibly freeing in so many ways.  The ideas are flowing, the doors and windows are opening, and there is much work before me to do!

I don't think I'm about to take on any more labels though.  This is simply the Tempest experience.

(Or "The Tempest Experience(tm)" LOL!)