Day 5- Warms ups and looking at videos

Hi!
So I just finished all my homework, took a nap and finished my BD training.
I'm still working on my Diamonds, Shoulder Rolls, Snake Arms and Undulations.
My new move for this week is the chest lift. I started by first sitting down and trying to isolate the muscles in my upper ribs and upper back... I'm going to be so sore in the morning!

So my inspiration for today is Sadie. She is a great technical dancer but I often feel that she is a bit lacking in emotion. I also heard that she made a couple of faux pas of being in a rap video that was really demeaning to Bellydancers and women alike. She also was banned from Rakkasah also with her performance troup for some less than family friendly routines.
And then there was the Taxi Cab Confessions incident.

Hopefully she will get back on track on being an inspirational person and woman to look up to. Right now I just like her dance :P
-Kestrel

Day 5- At School. Starving

Okay, so this is the first real day of my balancing school, yoga, bellydance and everything else I decide to throw in.
This is also the first project day for my Bellydance costume. I've been looking at videos and tutorials for the things I need, and I think I'm ready to get started. So I have to just grit my teeth, finish my homework and then get started on this!
I have some (bad) sketches of what I want to design. I want to have a vintage BD feel without it looking too dated.

Wow there's a lot of "I"s in this.

Anyway, so I have a ton of things to do from now to the end of the school day (hopefully I can pass this test in Government!) and I will post my sketches and an inspirational video later today!

So there's this one kid editing me and my bad english/spelling skills.
Sorry, spelling is my Kryptonite

Day 4- Buying Fabrics and inspiration

Okay... So Let me recap Day 3 aka YESTERDAY!
So sorry I didn't post buy ah well...
...What did happen yesterday? I actually don't remember. It's Spring Break so the days kind of run together.
But today I just did some yoga and took a break from Bellydance practice. I can barely scrape my heels onto the floors in down dog and can now get into a successful (and safe) backbend.
YAY!
I also discovered a Hot Yoga class in my area, so I'm going to go with a friend... Mucho Excited for that.

ALSO before I forget, I bought some fabric today for my first BD costume! It's this really gorgeous woven fabric that's an ivory color with a VERY ligh gold fan type pattern on it.

I'm a newbie when it comes to sewing so my mom is going to be helping (I hope)... Some pics below, sorry for the bad quality!

I'm also getting some indigo and more henna to make some designs so I can start selling Harem pants and such. I'm taking pics EVERYWHERE (literally) so I can get inspiration!

Speaking of "inspire" I watched this fabulous video today for the first time and I love the sensuality of it and that it's not raunchy, unlike some of today's "bellydance" performances. ENJOY!

Still Day 2- Learn to let things go.

Okay, so I put off the second half of my BD lesson today to go see a movie with my dad.

I came back and started doing what I dreaded the most. Undulations and bellyrolls.
2 things you have to learn:

1- NEVER go into a lesson thinking you will be all badass and perfect. Because you will make mistakes... it's all a part of learning. On the other side of the spectrum
2- NEVER go in with a defeatist attitude. you will be proven right by this.

I went in with the latter. And got super frustrated. I need to be more positive. Better luck tomorrow! : )

ON THE FLIP SIDE. Suckerpunch was awesome. It was a great movie and it was awesome bonding with my dad eating junk and sipping sodas.
I don't want to ruin anything for you but you should totally see it; it's like a 2 hour video game and music video with morals and a freedom undertone as well.
My advice though: Don't go in thinking it'll be your typical action movie though and you'll be fine.
I wish it were longer so that the audience could truly flesh out the characters and get to know them better but it was still a Fab Film!

Day 2- When in Doubt... USE THE COMPUTER!

Technology is amazing, but it also majorly sucks when it malfunctions right?
Enter my DVD player. I'm using the bellydance DVD "Tribal Fusion Bellydance with Sharon Kihara" Pictured below

It's amazing BTW. But when I went to put it into the player my remote wouldn't work and there is no "enter" button on the actual DVD box so it won't play. :(

So I used my computer instead! Who said I wasn't creative?!?!?
Aside from that minor set back, I continued on with  my lessons. My walking undulations are getting better now that I know the movement should be powered by my lower back.
And I had a personal epiphany in yoga today doing the Swan Sequence :)

Here's my inspiration for today! Sharon Kihara!

(Really short but I have to finish my workout!)
More later I promise
-Kestrel

Day 1- New Beginnings and Lessons Well Learned

Okay. So I know when I decided I wanted to take up Bellydance I got the "look" from my mother and that scoff. Same thing with my friends too. I got that "look" and that sense of incredulity, like I was going out of my mind or something.
But they should have seen it coming you know?

I mean I was obsessed (and still am) with Henna and Harquus, which both originated in North Africa and India. I loooove the clothingand the culture there and am currently learning Sanskrit and practicing Yoga.

So all and all it shouldn't have been that much of a shock.

So back to my blog. Hopefully I can keep this up *crosses fingers*
I'll just post stuff BD related and Yoga related and all my funny mishaps on here!
My acting stuff and other junk will be on my other blog.

This is first and formost for me so I can track how I'm doing and progressing but you, if any read this, are welcome to take a peek inside my life!

Let's get started!

So today I did a Yoga warm up the "FireBird" sequence on the FitTV channel (I know) and actually got a pretty good stretch. I can now put all fingers flush agaist the floor after a couple of breaths so I'm really excited.
For my BD moves I reviewed the Shoulder push, slower than the Shoulder Shimmy. The problem I have is endurance but I'm working on that. I also did Shoulder shimmies and worked on keeping my arms loose. Then I worked on shoulder Diamond at 1/2 speed. full speed is still a disaster... but that's learning right? :)

New Moves today included the Glute shimmy and Hip Pistons, and the Walking Bellyroll... Walking was not an option today.

BTW I'm not a brand spanking new BDer, I've been off and on since december and these moves are review/new.
I also try to watch a new Belly dance video a day for inspiration! And I'll share with you!
Here is Asharah. I love the intensity of her moves and just her aura! Some people say scary and now what Bellydance is, but her moves are strongly Cabaret based! How's that for my first video posting? Truly Amazing artist!


This posting has been incredibly boring with the exception of Asharah of course!
But I did pick out a Bellydance name (I know you don't have to but I wanted to :P)
-Kestrel