Sometimes, I think we're doing it wrong or "Competition vs. Creation & Collaboration"

Tempest & Celeste at MQ Studiowerks with Nathaniel and Jon S (and Heather!)

In the last few weeks, I have heard my partner Nathaniel give several interviews and speak on multiple convention panels about his recent/new projects and relative involvement/notoriety with "Steampunk Music."* When asked about his opinion of other bands, past projects, and other happenings, he essentially said, "It's not a competition - if we're all creating with common goals and the overall movement in mind, that's advancing the culture, the diversity within us, and challenging ourselves to grow."

And I thought, gee, that's a really nice idea.

And then I thought, how could that apply to the bellydance community? 

And the larger part of my brain, still recovering from being on the road for several weeks and digesting a lot of festival-ness (the good, the bad, the pretty, and the ugly), immediately scoffed at and rolled its proverbial eyes.

I've been involved with bellydance 15 years now.  I've seen a lot, experienced a lot personally - the really awesome and best of the best, and some really horrible stuff that my psyche still probably bears faint scars from. I've watched it grow from the early days of the internet and limited contact/availability of information, supplies, and so few events, so the massive amount of EVERYTHING that's prevalent today.  There's more of everything!  That's awesome!  Yet, at the same time, there's more of everything - which means the bad as well. That's not so awesome!  And sometimes trying to fight against the bad and the wrong feels like you've got a teaspoon to bail out the Titanic.

And then I go and teach a workshop or a private lesson or my weekly classes, and everything seems right with the world - my hope/faith is renewed, inspiration flows, and things are shiny again.  My students inspire me, and I am reminded that THIS is the largest part of the reason why I do this, why I love it.

So I come back around to that idea of creating and collaborating vs. viewing it as a competition and I wonder.  Well, obviously when we're all dancing in a show or in class, it's not a competition - the only person you are competing with is yourself and challenging yourself to grow. 

But from a business perspective, competition is a necessary part of it right? - there's only so many places to dance, only so many classes and workshops an area can support, only so many teachers to be hired for an event. And especially right now, the market is quite flooded across the board - SO many events happening, it's an embarrassment of riches. But the market can only support so much, especially in a fragile economy...and how many things can you do in a weekend? It boggles the mind! And with a flood comes sinking - really awesome folks who had many weekly classes happening are down to one or none...there are less "workshop weekends" because there are more and more festivals everywhere (new ones arriving and others failing), some happening within a short drive of each other, all fighting for the same market. It's really hard to think about collaboration and creativity when you're fighting to make a living. 

BUT, there are ways to go about it, and I have some suggestions, in particular order:
-Class Schedules: When possible, try scheduling weekly classes on different nights than other folks in town, even if it's a different style.  I've heard of places where there's 2-3 teachers in a town, and they are all teaching at different places, but on the same night.  The argument of "well, she's Cabaret and I'm Tribal" (or whatever) is bunk. You've got the same market, and oftentimes, students will want to try other styles.  Better they have the option of different nights than to give up one class to take another because it's the same damn night.

-Event Schedules: When planning an event - ask around to find out what else may be going on with other troupes/studios/etc, within at LEAST 1 hour radius, and start your planning at least 6 months out (or more!).  If there's something of the same scale already happening (even if it's a different style), see about selecting a different date, or at least letting the other producer know what you're considering and why.  If you both agree you have different markets, then maybe you can actually help each other cross-promote.  Maybe y'all can work together to create an area calendar - it's really easy to create a mutual calendar via gmail/google that local teachers and producers can access, add their events and double-check dates.

-Stand Behind Your Own Work: You know what works better than starting rumors about your supposed competition? NOT spreading rumors. If you're an awesome teacher/performer/producer, then your work will speak for itself.  If you have to badmouth others to make yourself seem awesome, then your work is probably not that good and needs some fixing.  If you doubt yourself, then perhaps you should do some soul-searching and find out why you're insecure. But putting negativity energy out there will only come back to bite you, sooner or later.

-Be Yourself, Create Yourself: Be proud of what you create, credit those that have helped/inspire you, and don't rely on copying/borrowing from other people.  If you want to be in this for the long haul, then you need to be your own creatrix vs being a "cheaper substitute for X." If you feel you haven't found your own voice yet, then you may want to think twice about teaching/performing/producing.

-Switch Gears: Particularly with women, we often feel driven to critique/criticize others, because society trains us/puts us in the position to believe we are in competition with other women.  Why? So someone has a nicer costume or looks prettier or has a lot of talent- what does that matter to you? Nothing. It doesn't make you better or less, because at the end of the day, you will still be you and she will still be her. So rather than searching for what's wrong with someone (unless well, you're the teacher and you've been asked to critique, you get I mean that other thing entirely, right?), focus on what works and what you do like.  Ask yourself why you don't like something and see how valid the reason is...but don't dwell in the negative, it'll only suck you down. Otherwise, if what's on stage is really not your cup of tea, this is a great time at a show to shop or take a bathroom break!

So there's a few thoughts that I hope you'll find helpful.  Collaborating means working together for a common good, even if you're not directly working with someone on a project. Maybe if we all starting shifting how we approach ourselves and others in the community, it will create a ripple that will balance everything back out.  Yeah, lofty goal, but it has to start somewhere. Why not here?


*This is still a very big debate within and outside of Steampunk - what IS Steampunk music, is there such a thing?  Check out this great panel discussion from Clockwork Alchemy a few weeks back...

New FUN Music for Dancers!

Some of you may remember a few months back, we were doing a fundraiser for the "Narratives" Project - which not only met its goal prior to the deadline, but also exceeded it!  It was officially released at Clockwork Alchemy in San Jose, CA two weeks ago, and it's now available for purchase online (download or order the CD).

The CD features 10 songs, all based on myths, stories, and fairytales - with a twist! And par for the course with Nathaniel's work, it's very danceable, and lends itself to creative and fabulous performances - from a wicked Little Red Riding Hood and Baba Yaga to the Angel of Death and Frog and Toad!

Have a listen! 



And there's even an animated video for one of the
 songs ;)

It's June!

I'm not sure what happened to the month of May, cause it was April, and now it's June.  Somewhere in-between, there was Tribal Fest 13, Clockwork Alchemy, and A-Kon in Texas, and recovering from being on the road for 3 weeks by teaching a pair of workshops here in Seattle....like you do.

I have a LOT of backlogged things I will be putting up here as my brain clears out, so bear with me as I get sorted out.  Though I expect most of the writing to happen after Tribal Revolution in Chicago June 20th-23rd - where I am teaching two great workshops - "Decopunk Bellydance" and "A Teacher's Workshop" - of which I think there's still space in both.  If you're a fan of "Nouveau Noir" and my Steampunk workshops, you will love Decopunk - and if you're an aspiring teacher, or looking to breathe new life into your current classes, "A Teacher's Workshop" will give you a LOT to think about and work with!

In the meantime, I'm going to leave you with two videos: my Tribal Fest 13 performance with Nathaniel Johnstone and my performance at Art of the Belly back in March!

The Light and Dark Side of the Moon and the Search for Beauty

(At first, I thought about separating this post into two separate posts, but I decided not to. There has to be balance, and I wanted folks to get both at once...)

Producing a major event pretty much requires that for 1-2 weeks leading up to the event, I'm going to curse myself, question my sanity, make my loved ones swear I won't do something crazy like this again, and generally be a ball of nerves. At least it feels that way on the inside, because many have commented to me, "How do you manage to be so calm and focused?" (Because I have a job to do, people are counting on me, and it has to happen is the combo-answer.)

And then the event happens, and everyone is ecstatic and my inbox is flooded with happy messages, and I know that YES, all of that was worth it, and YES I will do it again (and my loved ones are doing nothing to deter this...in fact, they're with me on planning the next thing, maybe it's a conspiracy?).  And yes, Waking Persephone was even better this year, and it blows my mind. But, I don't put on events for me...I put them on because of what it does for the community - my students, my friends, musicians, teachers, performers, vendors, and the venues it supports - and because I do a good job of planning, the event pays for itself.  I see what the event does for everyone, and it makes me happy.  And so it pains me to move Waking Persephone because I know what it does for New England, but logic must win in this case - it's much harder to produce a major event from 3500 miles - BUT I will be doing something back in Rhode Island to fill a bit of that void...more details on that later. Still not an easy decision.

And then the week or two after the event, after my body and brain has had time to recover, there's usually a bit of depression, a void.  But this time, the malaise wasn't so much for the "oh, it's all over...", but that point where I seemed to reconnect with the internet, rather harshly. That the very tactile physical experience of what community really means and feels like, gets a bit lost in the melee of various media onslaught...and it pulled me down. (The upside of being so damn busy is that you often miss a lot of the rigamarole, and so there's a blissful ignorance that comes with the busy.) It's not caused by one person or one discussion, or really anything to do with me personally, but what I see...this is what's being going through my mind lately, in no particular order, and I have covered them in this blog in various ways in the past, but I felt particularly bombarded by all of these online, this week:

!) "Rosemary does indeed grow in the gardens of the wicked." Seeing praise for someone who has a long and active history of stealing, lying, and other unsavory business habits upsets me. It's clear that the person giving the praise has had little exposure with the actual person, only the persona, and it pains me that more people will get hurt by them, but nothing I can do about it (besides not hire or promote them myself).  Is there always another excuse for why something can't be done? If you contribute to something, what do you get back, and are you getting it back in a timely manner? Just because someone puts on the airs of a deity doesn't mean they're divine. Nobody is perfect, keep your eyes open. Trust is earned, not given away.

!) "I'm born again! You're NOT! And you're doing it wrong!" People who come to some drastic realization about their path and their own choices, and then decide that everyone else is also wrong and proceeds to inform everyone how they're doing it wrong. You know, we all do stupid stuff, and it's great to try and educate others, but everyone comes to things on their own, and what worked for you may not be the answer for anyone else.  Be enthusiastic FOR YOU, leave others to focus on what works for them, unless they're paying to learn it from you.  But still, damn it people, you have to be sincere, be honest, be human.

!) "Hissing? No, that's just the sound of my ego inflating..." I love intelligent discussion and debate - where someone asks a sincere question to solve a problem, and everyone has a different solution - ideas get compared, contrasted, shared.  It makes for growth and awesomeness. But I don't get questions posed to get a rise out of people, for the interest of "keeping things going." To point out how others are wrong (in your head/belief), how you disapprove, and then it just gets more ugly from there.  It all stems from personal insecurities, a desire for power/control, and rarely does it do anything beneficial for anybody else. Just spreads around more negativity.  Do we really need more of that?

!) "We're being too nice and that's causing all of the issues." Oh really?  I'm not a fan of blowing rainbows and unicorns up people's arses when they don't deserve it and I'm sick of the popularity machine-games, but there's a time and place for everyone, and "you suck" isn't helpful to ANYONE either.  Why knock a troupe of students who are trying their best at a hafla?  What good does it do to rip apart a group of middle-aged women who may not have the "perfect" figure or the best technique, but enjoy this dance with all their hearts? No, poorly-done fusion doesn't do any good, neither does poorly-done ANYTHING for that matter.  Sitting in front of your computer ripping people apart doesn't solve anything.  You know what does? Knowing what "constructive critique" means - versus criticism, and doing it in the proper setting in the right way - in the classroom, face-to-face, where you can demonstrate and discuss what's working and how to do it better.  It also means learning to be open to receiving it. This is NOT an easy thing, but it can be learned, and contributes to everyone's success.  However, it cannot be done on your arse, hidden away.

!) "I wish, I could never..." Some people who believe nothing is possible, who spout negativity all day long - and you know what? They're right.  Nothing will happen for them, because they refuse to be pro-active in their lives.  You know how I get things done?  I decide I want to do something, and I see about how to make it happen, in small reasonable steps. You want to go to a festival? Make a realistic list of what it will take to happen, and create a timeline.  You want to study with OMG famous dancer? Ok, what will it take to make that happen?  Stop disbelieving everything and thwarting yourself in the process.  Stop it with the negative language and start considering the possible. Your life will improve. For reals.

That's a lot isn't it?  That's almost everything I felt like I got exposed to in the last week, and it just broadsided me.  And then I felt the venom coming out of myself, and it startled me.  Because it's not me, but I was immersed in it, and it all got me down and pulled me deeper.  To go from experiencing the very best of a community and what can happen when everyone comes together, to watching the worst unfold before my eyes, and it hurt me. It had nothing to do with me personally, but the empathy for situation, for those who were, are, and will be hurt.  But it doesn't have to be that way.

Instead, I challenge ALL OF US to search for beauty.  Within ourselves, within others.  One of my favorite definitions of Goth is "to search for beauty, and see it in all things - the traditional, the unusual, the macabre."

I'm not talking about some cosmetic standard of commercial beauty.  I'm talking about respect for oneself and for humanity, a desire to bring about positive change, self-growth, and to compete only with yourself. Bring the beauty out in yourself, and it may in turn bring the beauty out in others. 

I will warn you - it's not easy, and it's rather dangerous...but giving into the negative is even more damaging and dangerous.

April, May, June News!

Samara & Saideh up front being silly,
Tempest & Nathaniel in the back, at Motif!

Just returned from Waking Persephone II  (http://www.wakingpersephone.com) which was just amazing!  The first year was so incredible that I was unsure how the second year would compare, and well, it was phenomenal.  Thanks to all of the dancers, vendors, volunteers who made it possible.  The next one will be in Seattle, shooting for October 3rd-5th, 2014 - possibly with a "Possessing The Dark" intensive right before it.  But we won't be leaving New England entirely - stay tuned for developments for a very special Museum Quality: Art School for Bellydancers event happening April 10th-13th in Providence! 

And now there's some very exciting news, upcoming performances, etc:

April 20th - Shimmy Happens Alternative Hafla, in Lakewood, WA - I will be performing close to 6:30pm: http://aleedra.blogspot.com/2013/04/shimmy-happens-alternative-hafla-sat.html

April 28th - An Evening of Live Music & Dance at the Can Can in downtown Seattle, with myself, The Nathaniel Johnstone Band, Oliver Franklin, and more!  Tickets ARE available for both general admission and VIP (there was a website glitch), but they are going fast and this venue will sell out! http://cancan.strangertickets.com/events/7183846/the-nathaniel-johnstone-band-with-tempest-and-oliver-franklin

And while we're talking about awesome live music - Nathaniel is doing a fundraiser for "Narratives" - his next CD project, which sounds AMAZING. The project is at 60% funded with 11 days to go, so help out an amazing project and get create music, art, and more in the process - details and clips at http://www.nathanieljohnstone.com/fundraiser.html

Now in May: 
Nathaniel and I will be performing (in addition to vending) at Tribal Fest 13 in Sebastopol, CA - 5:02, Saturday the 18th on the main stage - http://www.blacksheepbellydance.com/tf13/index.html and we'll be hosting the official Sunday after-thing, called "Hipdown" - details will be on fb and at http://www.nathanieljohnstone.com this weekend.

The following weekend, we're performing and teaching at Clockwork Alchemy in San Jose, CA - check the schedule for the performances and workshops: http://www.clockworkalchemy.com/

And THEN we're off to Dallas, TX for A-KON - http://www.a-kon.com/?p=2902 and I will be teaching a very special mini-intensive workshop on Saturday, June 1st - limited to only 20 dancers! Details at http://www.darklydramatic.com/dallas-workshop.html

And near the end of June, I'm thrilled to be returning to Tribal Revolution in Chicago, where I will be vending, teaching two workshops, and performing - http://www.tribalrevolution.com 

Whew - ok, think that's everything that's coming up fast!  

blessings, 
Tempest

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