Thursday, March 15, 2012

Life Beyond Bellydance

Hello all!
I really haven't been that diligent about keeping up with my blog, but I'm trying, really. I think it's really important for anyone who's interested to be kept informed, but more impportantly I want to have these blog entries for myself and to have a time line to see how I've grown and changed into the person I'll become. Maybe I'll be different maybe I'll stay relatively the same but I really want to see my history.

With that said I've been a busy little worker bee :D
For the past couple weeks I've kind of put bellydancing on the backburner to focus more other things.
I've been training to do a half marathon for this winter and I've been doing fundraising for the Muck Ruckus which is a race to raise money and awareness for Multiple Sclerosis, which is an auto-immune disease that affects the spinal cord.

You can donate here: https://secure3.convio.net/nmss/site/Donation2?idb=585479910&df_id=37486&FR_ID=18140&PROXY_ID=10490198&37486.donation=form1&PROXY_TYPE=20&JServSessionIdr004=40w3stt0r2.app326a

But that's the 25th and once that's done I will be back to shimmying my tail off :D

-Allyse

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Dancing is Me. I am Dancing.

As I write this, I'm in the Honors Lounge at my college in a big comfy couch, listening to bellydance videos, with a fairly nice view of the pouring rain outside.
Picturesque right?

(BACKSTORY)
It's a new semester and it's only the second week (first full week) of school. I'm only taking four classes, but have a 15 hour schedule. I only had 11 originally and I needed 12 in order to get a scholarship. So I took African Drum and Dance to get my scholarship (free money!)

(Any way back to the reason why I'm posting)


 I thought it would be a fun, creative class, to just pass the time and be done with it, but with this first class I found out that I love dancing African dances. And I had an epiphany. I LOVE DANCING.

It may sound stupid and obvious, but the joy I have while dancing and expressing my emotions through movement and music (Whether it be bellydance or Lamban) is unlike anything I've felt in my life. It's this indescribable rush that makes me want to learn more and do it again and again.
Other dancers know what I'm taking about, and even if you don't I'm pretty sure the feeling transcends throughout whatever it is you do that you're extremely passionate about.

I've found it through acting, as well, and although I haven't been in anything in a while, when I am in a production or a film, those feelings just come rushing back, and I just sit there and bask in the glory of it.

I hope, I pray, that I never tire of dancing. It's such a huge part of my life right now and I enjoy it immensely. Every aspect of it is important: the technique, understanding the movement, the music, and the history behind it. You need to understand ALL aspects in order to fully (and correctly) interpret the dance. That that goes for all dance styles.

This Saturday I decided that I'm going to audition for the African Drum and Dance Ensemble, even though I don't have much experience, I think it'll be a fantastic experience, and if I don't I know I will regret it.

I dance, therefore I am. 

Friday, January 6, 2012

I'm Still Alive and Shimmying

OH NO!!!
It seems I've disappeared yet again!
Good news is? I'm back and hopefully here to stay. College kinda caught up with me and I was too busy to do much of anything. Well. Except bellydance. But I'm alive :D
I'm actually doing quite well in my beginner's class, my teacher thinks I should go up to intermediate but 1) I have car and the beginning class is really the only time my mom can take me.
2) I'm scared I won't keep up.

BUT I've bought a couple of beginner DVDs So I can practice.
I've got Neon's Instant bellydancer and Jenna's Basics and Beyond. I plan to drill the heck out of it so I can be fully prepared to take on the next level (while still attending class of course)

ALSO great news, Club Bellydance is coming to my city in March so I will get to go to my first bellydance show, which I'm immensely excited for! I get to see one of my Tribal Fusion Idols, Moria. She has a really unique way of dancing that I really haven't seen before and am stoked to see in person!
So hopefully this year, I won't fall off the map... again.
I'll do my best to keep people posted on what's going on in my life :P
Oh and Here's Moria :D I've never seen someone use a bagpipe in a fusion dance... but I like it.