So what are you waiting for?

There were many sayings in the house I grew up in (that are still used today in fact, by my parents and brothers), and I'm sure they weren't specific to ours alone - perhaps you may even recognize a few. 
Such gems as:
-What? Do you have shares in the electric company? (in response to lights being left on in a room that wasn't being used)
-What do you want, a cookie or a medal? (after one of the kids sought out praise for something they were supposed to be doing anyway)
and
-What are you waiting for, an engraved invitation? (when one of the kids was late to a meal, dillydallying, etc)

Yes, I grew up in a family of smart asses: family gatherings are displays of wit, cunning, and fancy linguistics, and not for the faint of heart or overly sensitive. But for better or for worse, a lot of those sayings have come in handy (especially when paying the electric bill), and the last one I'd like to introduce in terms of bellydance community drama - or more specifically, the avoidance there of.

It comes down to being aware of some simple truths that EVERYONE should take to heart:
-Not everyone knows who you are, what you've done, and where you're going, nor does everyone know what your personal schedule is.
-Event promoters/producers rarely have the capacity to single out every person in their community and personally invite them to participate in the event, especially in large cities.  Nor does having a iron memory generally coming along with the ability to herd cats.

I'm a pretty well-known dancer.  I teach and perform on national and international levels, have been featured on more than half a dozen mass-produced DVDs, headlined major festivals all over the world, and have a pretty strong presence online.  Yet having moved numerous times in my life, particularly 3 major moves in the last 6 years, I don't expect the local community to automatically know who I am, what I do, and invite me to ALL THE THINGS.  Or have them know/realize that where I am now as a dancer/artist/teacher is completely different than where I was 6-7 years ago.  If I did expect all of these things, I'd have a pretty empty schedule, filled only by a ginormous ego. Yeah, no.

So I don't expect them to arrive on my doorstep with flowers and be all "OMG, famous dancer! come to my event!" Instead, when I see an event I'm interested in, I write the promoter, introduce myself, and see about getting involved.  If I had talked to them at a previous event where they suggested things for the next one, I don't wait to for them to remember our conversation 6 months later, find my card, and contact me.  Nope, instead, I'm pro-active, and I contact them in a timely manner.

I think too many dancers live so much in their own heads (and personal infamy) that they fail to realize that not everyone else is keeping track of their every movement, wish, and desire.  I've often heard "Oh, X slighted me by not inviting me to perform/teach at her/his event" where the truth is more like, X is up to their ears in producing said event that they failed to remember or was unable to follow through with contacting the dancer.  I have mad event producing skills, usually tackling what takes a team of people for other events, but there is no way in hell I'm going to remember everything and everyone.  And so I try and take that into consideration when working with other people. 

So what does this mean for you?  If you see a local event you're interested in, but didn't receive an engraved invitation to be a part of it, then get off your hipscarf and contact them.  There's no room left this year for performing or instructing?  See about volunteering or at least showing up to attend the event.  The best way to make a great and lasting impression is not performing at an event, it's being a helpful participant. Nearly every event can use one more pair of helping hands....and sometimes last-minute performance or vending or teaching slots open up. As a promoter myself, I'm more likely to make that extra step for someone if they show they really want to be part of a community and help out.  The folks who show up only to perform and then leave? Or didn't follow simple instructions? No thanks.  The gal who signs up for workshops and also offers to help clean up? Yeap, I want to talk to her.  There are 10 slots, but 20 amazing dancers? I will remember who showed up anyway, even though they didn't get a slot - or expect them to send me a note along the way.

It's not about putting up a front of being nice, it's about understanding the energy that it takes to make an event happen as well as putting the REAL YOU out there.  People who really want to be a part of things for the right reason will stand out.  The fakers and the divas? They fade away. 

Want real community?  Drop being so jaded and judgmental, deciding that everyone is out to get you/slight you (well, unless you ARE a total bitch, then yeah, maybe they are, or more specifically are avoiding your lame ass.) 

Don't miss out on great opportunities because your engraved invitation didn't arrive.  It takes courage to put yourself out there, but it's so worth it. 

Better than sitting at home with your ego any day.

Upcoming Events in Feb & March!

While it's been quiet on the surface the last month and a half, been very busy moving into a new place, getting situated and putting things into motion.  In the next few weeks, online lessons will be up and running - recorded as well as skype!  In addition to that, there's a lot of great things kicking off:

1) I will be teaching a 6 week session of classes here in Seattle at Tin Can Studio starting on Thursday evenings - 7pm is Bellydance Foundation and 8pm is Fusion/Performance Fundamentals - only a few spots are left, and I will only be teaching classes when I can put 4-6 weeks together consecutively, so take advantage of when I can offer them! Complete info at http://www.darklydramatic.com/classes.html

2) Nathaniel Johnstone and I will be presenting/performing/teaching at FaerieCon West in Seattle this Saturday, February 23rd: 

1:00-1:45pm: Dreaming the Raven: A Morrigan Dance Ritual
Experience a performance ritual dance presentation inspired by the mythical aspects of the Raven and the Morrigan, featuring the dancing of world-renown fusion performer Tempest and live music by multi-instrumentalist Nathaniel Johnstone. The performance will be followed up with discussion about the ritual presentation, including the myths that inspired it, the incorporation of dance and ritual, improvisation, and the creation of the music. Market Stage - Ballroom Foyer – Level 3 (free with FaerieCon admission)
3:00-4:30pm Sigils in Motion: Merging Movement With Ritual
Ritual is a dynamic union of self and spirit, above and below—so why should it be static? Learn to incorporate movement into your ritual with focused intention and discover a much more powerful experience. With dancer Tempest and musician Nathaniel Johnstone as your guides, you’ll explore the key parts of several rituals and how actively discover how different sacred movements, gestures and dance steps can be applied to enhance your spiritual practice– for groups and covens, as well as solitary practitioners. $30, Faerie Academy class, James and Marion Suites – 4th Floor - register at http://faeriecon.com/west/participate/faerie-academy/

3) Angels & Absinthe II, St. Louis, MO, March 8th-10th - teaching and performing workshops, along with Nathaniel Johnstone, The Ghosts Project, Secondhand, Il Troubadour and more! - great for ALL styles of bellydance! http://exoticrhythms.com/EXOTICRHYTHMS/?page_id=346

4) Art of The Belly Festival, Ocean City, MD, March 22nd-24th - teaching and performing and vending! Details at http://www.artofthebelly.com/ 
  
5) Cues & Tattoos Festival, Seattle, WA, March 27th-30th - performing in the Saturday Night Serpent's Muse Show, and vending Sat/Sun with Tin Can Studio. Details at: http://www.troupehipnotica.com/cues/

6) And just beyond in April, Waking Persephone II happens again in Providence, RI - April 11th-14th - The East Coast's Dark/Experimental Bellydance Event.  Details at http://www.wakingpersephone.com

There are even more exciting things planned for the rest of the year, visit my website for the whole schedule!

Thanks so much!
Tempest  

Dark Inspirations: New Developments for 2013

Truly, there is no rest for the wicked.  Just days after getting back from teaching a 3 day-long Museum Quality Intensive in Indianapolis last weekend, still recovering from the satisfied exhaustion of a great workshop weekend, my brain has kicked off into high-gear about new projects for 2013. 

First off, we are coming up on the 10 year anniversary of The Gothic Bellydance Resource. The site has been in major need of a complete overhaul and update for quite some time, and it's finally going to get it.   All new content, new features, videos, galleries, and links - and if you're a dancer, artisan, or event producer who specializes in the darker styles of bellydance - stay tuned for how you can get involved and get featured on the website.

Next: a new dance intensive from me, which is designed to be the most complete and extensive learning experience for Gothic/Ritual/Dark Fusion bellydance anywhere: Possessing The Dark: Spirit, Body, & Mind.  20+ hours over 3 days which will lead dancers through the complete process of truly mastering darker styles of bellydance. As I have said many times before, it's not just about the make-up costuming, and it's not just about the movements and music, and it's not just about telling a dramatic story - it is the successful combination of all of these elements channeled with introspective energy that makes this beautiful art-form so mesmerizing, captivating, and powerful.

And then, to top it all off with awesomeness, the intensive will also be made into a 3 DVD set (estimated to be 9-12 hours of material) + a compilation CD of music.  Now, it won't be the same experience as the intensive, as there are many exercises that do not translate into DVD effectively nor does anything surpass a one-on-one live instructional situation, but it will be the most comprehensive collection of instruction on the subject available on DVD.  More details on the DVD Project to come in February/March!

So that's a bit of what's in store!

Truth of Line

One of the things that being an artist has taught me, is that everything is illusion and everything is also truth.

Yes.  You read that correctly.

All visual art is about recreating a truth in the world - and that recreation is never the actual object/being/place/person - it is a representation of it, an interpretation, and since it is not the actual thing, it is also an illusion - a network of lines and colors, dots and surface.

But that does not make it a lie.  Our own experiences, our interpretation of what we see, touch, and feel, our attempt at translating it, is also truth.  Truth to ourselves at least, though outside of that can be debatable.

So what does that have to do with dance?

Good question.  I will explain, but first a story!

I have attended numerous art classes throughout my entire life, from age 3 through now.  One of the ones I remember with great clarity was when I was 6, and we were tasked with making a drawing a still life of a candle in a holder. Rather than drawing the outline of the candle and the holder, the instructor said to me, as I remember it: "Break down the object into the shapes you see. So if that base there is an oval, you will draw an oval - but don't just draw one oval - allow your hand to make multiple ovals on the paper until you find one layer you are satisfied with.  Then chose that one as the best one to use to make your shape." I don't remember who the instructor was (though I remember many others throughout the years), but that concept struck deeply within my head and defined how I drew from that point on. 

But I didn't consciously realize it until about 10 years later, where I was auditioning to attend the South Carolina Governor's School for the Arts.  You had to present a portfolio to several instructors during an interview, and then were observed in a drawing class.  As I drew the still-life, one of the teachers I had interviewed with looked over my shoulder, made a noise, left, and came back with another instructor, and they observed my drawing (no pressure guys!).  After a few minutes, he excitedly said, "You draw just like Alberto Giacometti!" He would later explain in greater detail when I attended the school the following summer - the distinct use of building depth in a drawing through multiple lines, varying the density and application of the line to create light and dark, defining the positive and negative space within the network of lines.  I hadn't really thought about why I drew the way I did, so it was rather validating as a young artist, and enlightening. This view told me every line didn't have to be perfect and clean - that it was the collective effect of them that created the experience.

The next drawing class that impacted me was my freshman drawing class at RISD with Tom Mills. He emphasized the creation of depth through many layers - of drawing and erasing, drawing again, rubbing away, and drawing again.  And upon this surface, making a strong commitment to the line, or the absence of it. It wasn't about having this perfectly white paper with perfectly articulated line that made a drawing "good" - it was about the emotion created, the layers of experience, and skillful interaction of the drawing implement with the surface.

So again, what does this have to do with dance? Everything.

The lines that a visual artist uses to draw are akin to the movements we make with our bodies in dance.  The canvas or paper is equal to the earth or stage the dance is performed upon. The lines recreate a truth, a journey, an experience in a drawing or painting.  It may be a painting of a vase of flowers, but it will never be the vase of flowers - for better or for worse.  A dance also recreates a truth, a journey, an experience in the same way - it is not the exact thing (a gathering of swans, fated lovers, a warrior in the desert?), but rather the emotional imprint of the thing and our relationship with it.

What does this mean? Why does it matter?  Well, an artist creates for the sake of creation - it is rarely about the finished product so much as it is the process.  It's about being to explore that truth of line as the art is being created - to argue with it, to define it, to obliterate it, and to build it up again.  The end result is successful if the journey is successful. If we allow ourselves to look at dance in the same - about how we create the dance, allow ourselves to explore the lines in all of their variations, rather than trying to strive for "perfection", we will get a lot more out of the process, and in turn, the audience will get a lot more from our dance.  It's not about the hard and fast details, the flash and decor, the branding and style - as it is about who we are on stage, what we have to say, and how say it.  That is the Truth of Line. Don't deceive yourself to believe otherwise, or let yourself be deceived by others - find your own truth first.

And then your dance will truly be YOUR dance.

Your Dance Belief

Stereo Vision Gina Simon-Photography
"Beauty/Beast" at Raven's Night

Every time this year, I tend to write a post about the Winter Solstice - whether it's about the balance of dark and light, or facing the challenges of Winter. This year, I'm going to keep up the timely tradition, but I'd like to write about something that's been on my mind since June when I seemed to have the same discussion with several different sponsors along my tour route, and the holiday season is bringing it to the forefront of my mind again.  And that something is Religion.

Nearly every organized (and disorganized) religion has some sort of celebration this time of year.  There's a lot of talk about the reason for the season, about being PC, not offending anyone, offending everybody, celebrating love, fighting commercialism, who started what tradition and why, and so forth.  And of course, everyone thinks they're right.

And well, the same is true for the bellydance world.  We each (whether we like to admit or not) have our own dance religion. What we believe, how we practice it, what we think others should believe and practice.  And we span the range from fundamentalists and dogmatic practitioners to eclectic reformers and agnostic polytheists. And if you've spent any fair amount of time in the bellydance community, you have probably heard some, if not ALL of the following:

-"Egyptian style is the only REAL bellydance" (or Turkish or Lebanese...)
-"Tribal isn't bellydance." (or Gothic or Fusion...)
-"ATS is the ONLY way to do Tribal right."
-"Tribal style is for REAL women and REAL sisterhood...Cabaret is for sluts and strippers."
-"You can't do both X and Y, you just can't. It's either one or the other."
-"Bellydancing is for women ONLY."
-"X's Style is the only way to have proper technique, if you don't do it her way, your dance is crap."
and so on, and so forth, etc, etc.

Why? Why do people believe/say these things?

I've come to the conclusion that when we come to this dance, we fall in love with it.  And we invest so much of ourselves - our time, our money, our bodies - that it becomes important to believe that you're doing it right, that your investment is worthy.  And let's face it, most people starting out don't even know the complexity they're about to run into. Tribal? Oriental? Canes, Swords, Veils, and Fire? Oh my! How do I know I'm doing it right?

Some people react to the smorgasbord with glee : "I'm going to try it all! Weeee!" but a lot of people cling tighter to what they know and are familiar with - which is a very common human condition: whatever is strange/unfamiliar is possibly sinister/wrong.  Which is a great survival technique, but not a terribly good social/communal one.  There is also an explicable fear of BEING WRONG: "If Betty does Tribal, does that make me wrong for doing American Cabaret, or her wrong for doing Tribal? It does look more authentic, but it's really NOT, so there.."  And then there are instructors who further feed into these fears - whether because they're pushing their own religion, or they're afraid of losing students, or they just hate Betty's guts.

And here's where we come to the amazing thing about religion: It's about your personal relationship between you and whatever your chosen deity/path is.  It has NOTHING to do what what anyone else does. If it works for you, that's awesome.  And it's invigorating to share common beliefs and goals with others. But it doesn't make what anyone else is doing automatically wrong.

Egyptian is the only way for you? That's awesome!  Travel over there, study everything you can - there's a LOT to discover (like different eras, regions, history, and like the overlaps between Lebanese and Turkish). American Tribal Style floats your boat, fills your soul, and makes you stupid happy? Fantastic! Study where it comes from, and see what other variations are now out there and why - it's not blasphemy. Bellydancing helps your connect with your inner goddess and makes you feel empowered and beautiful? Rock on! Just remember, "over there" - EVERYONE does it - children, grandparents, women AND men. And just because some wrote some pretty myths and published them doesn't make it fact. Dancing TWO styles? Well, a lot of professional dancers learn and perform multiple styles of dance - generally through more than a single 6 week class.

I could go on and on, but what I'm saying here is: do what works for you, do it to the best of your ability, WHILE respecting that other people feel the same way about what they do and how they dance.  Learning about and accepting that other forms are valid does NOT invalidate what you believe and practice.  In fact, you may learn something new that expands or builds upon what works for you.  It doesn't make you weak or inferior - rather it's just another one of those things that makes you stronger and a better human being as well.

As teachers, we need to remember that what we share is OUR own experience, our own path.  As students, we have to remember this as well - that we are not only getting that person's experience, but are also filtering it through our own experiences. As performers, we also share our experience with the audience when we dance, and again, they filter it through their eyes and hearts. 

So the next time you may feel threatened by what someone else is doing, or fearful that you may be doing it wrong, relax - take a moment and think about the way.  Ask yourself what is at the root of that emotion, and what does it mean if you are indeed wrong?  Will the world end? Nope.  Can you learn more and expand as a dancer?  Yes indeed.  So, go forth and be awesome!

Well, that didn't quite go as planned...but anyway:

Photo by Amber Clark, from SteamCon IV, Seattle

I have been a terrible blogger for pretty much the second half of 2012.  Not being harsh or down on myself. Just the straight-up truth right there.

I managed to update this blog quite regularly when I still had a full-time job (as in working for someone else), compared to the last 6 months where I have been working for myself.  Which is admittedly, also very much a full-time job, which I was already doing ON TOP of the other job.  But truthfully, I managed to write a lot of my blog posts on my work breaks/lunches - where I needed a mental switch-up to keep creatively producing for someone else.  Nowadays, I just switch from task to task, project to project, and my breaks are usually outside and away from the computer, enjoying Seattle and the fact that I can do my grocery shopping at 2pm if I damn well please and work until 2am if I feel like it. 

It hasn't been for lack of ideas of stuff to write about - that's for sure.  I've been keeping a running list - on paper, online, and in my head.  But I haven't sat down to write any of them into posts.

I'm not a big fan of resolutions. I don't want to say "In 2013, I'm gonna get back on track about writing my blog! 2 posts every month!" because that doesn't really work.  Instead, I need to further explore the self-scheduling that happens when one runs their own business(es - cause essentially I'm a performer, instructor, designer, artist, illustrator, booking agent, etc), and frankly, I really enjoy writing these posts and especially the feedback that I receive from y'all about them. This is part of my creative process, and part of what I teach and believe in, so I think it's important to verbalize it regularly - just as it's important to pay bills, make stock, practice, etc.  The key thing is to figure out how to do it best, what works? Is it something that be planned?

And I'm sitting here thinking, wow, 2012 is almost done - and there's no way I can say "oh, where did it go?" because OMG, a LOT happened for me in 2012.  I quit my corporate job. I moved over 3000 miles from Providence to Seattle.  I did a cross-country tour, and have done several coastal mini-tours with bands.  I started a new relationship.  I began new collaborations. I made two new websites for myself to replace ones I haven't updated in years.  I put on a hugely successful dark fusion bellydance event. And so much more.  How the hell did I squeeze all of that into one year?  And 2013 is already shaping up to be one very busy year.

So I'm not going to beat myself up about my posting schedule, and I'm not going to make any resolutions about being a better blogger.

Instead, I'm just going to share the following: 

I am thankful for the blessings of change. I am thankful for amazing friends and family who honor, respect, love, and support me. I am especially thankful that humming inside of me is the kind of drive that makes things happen (and it's because of those friends and family that I have the extra power to do it and keep it humming.). 

You can wish and ponder and imagine anything you want.  But it's not going to happen if you don't do something about it.  Don't resolve to make something happen. MAKE IT HAPPEN.  Don't have the money/time/energy to do what you want? Ask yourself why.  What can you do to get around those obstacles? There is always an option besides "that's just how it is" if you apply belief, some elbow grease, and get moving. No one else is going to do it for you.

So what is it that you want to do in 2013? And how are you going to make it happen?

New Patterns, Tours, New Website, DVD, etc!

Hi folks!

October is almost upon us - my favorite time of year!  To celebrate I am releasing TWO new patterns - for The Shruggery and The Whoodlet - but the pre-order pricing is only good through October 1st - only $20 + shipping for BOTH patterns!  They will be released mid-October, but you can only get the special pricing now!  Buy online here: http://www.darklydramatic.com/newpats.html

And while you're there, you may notice that www.darklydramatic.com has a whole new look!  The whole website has been revamped with all new graphics and photos - plus there's a media gallery featuring video lists of recent performances - so if you haven't seen me perform lately, you've been missing out! 
Check it all out at http://www.darklydramatic.com

Also - some folks have noticed that my DVD "Bellydance Artistry" is listed for $999.99 on amazon - well, it's still very much available for only $25 plus shipping directly from me - at http://www.darklydramatic.com/artistrydvd.html

There's a lot more exciting things on the horizon - I will be vending and performing at Steamstock in the Bay Area on October 7th, up in Vancouver, Canada October 13th, out in Washington, DC for Raven's Night on October 20th-21st, and teaching/performing at SteamCon in Seattle October 26th-28th! - check out the performances area of my website for complete details.

I will be touring with Jody Ellen and The Nathaniel Johnstone Band in California November 16th-18th - hitting San Diego, Los Angeles, and San Francisco.  

We are also in the midst of planning a quick tour from Atlanta to Philly in Mid-November - check it out at http://darklydramatic.com/tempestandnathan/tour.html

OK, lots more news to come as there's a lot happening behind the scenes!

Thanks so much for your support!
blessings, 
Tempest