reflections

"Art is great that way, you can do anything."

Thank you, Amanda Palmer, for summing up my entire philosophy of ART (capital letters) using my most favorite instrument, the ukulele.

"Art is great that way, you can do anything."

I'll tie this one in to tribal bellydance. I'll wholeheartedly admit to being a "tribal curmudgeon." I love American Tribal Style in is purest form. I love watching it, and I love dancing it. I am satisfied digging as deep as I can into the nuances of the format and giving an entertaining performance. I've reached a point in my creative path where I enjoy simplicity to the point of minimalism and easy communication with the audience. I got all my hard-core analyzing out being an art history and theory major. Now is my time for enjoying the process.

It's nice to have this approach validated by another artist. I often feel that ATS is being increasingly pushed out of the picture by fusion dancers who are going nuts bringing in personal or popular influences into the dance. It was a humbling relief listening to Amanda Palmer's song and being reminded that fusion dancers who challenge the tradition of classical bellydance and tribal style have space for their voice as well. Art is great that way, you can do anything!

Dreaming

Last week, I was venting some frustrations, and with a sympathetic ear, my troupemate listened and then coached me to do something about it. Put my dreams on paper. This was followed by a timely post by Paulette of Gypsy Caravan. Apparently the universe is cooperating to make space for my dreaming. At the moment, this is just a little seed of a dream, an intention I'm sending out into the universe.

I want to teach yoga and dance alongside other mind-body teachers and build community among each other and our students.

I could see it happening formally, in a studio setting. What is more appealing to me, and seems more likely at the moment, is that it would be an informal arrangement in a community center or some other public place. The teachers would work as a collaborative, promoting each other's classes. Once a month we'd a have a "yoga jam" which I imagine would be sort of like a cross between a Mysore-style practice and a yoga hafla.

That's about as far as I've gotten at the moment. I give myself permission to stick to this dream and make it happen, and I'm riding on my troupemate's and Paulette's confidence that the very act of writing an intention starts to put things in action. Maybe one of you is excited about my idea, or knows some one who would be interested in participating.