[	Tags	|	dance, pets	]
[	mood	|	exhausted	]
[	music	|	Barenaked Ladies, "Get In Line"	]

Jax has his Squirrelly and Ditko has his Fishie.


Woe betide you if you try to steal the fishie. Much Shih-Tzu bitchiness will follow. On the other hand Jax loves to share his damp, beloved squirrel, especially if you're trying to read or do the crossword. 


Dance class tonight was great, but since i'm sick, I'm a lot more tired and sore than I would be normally. Well, that and the weather change. Damn it be cold and windy in Cleveoh today. Watching the troupe run through their sets for the upcoming show was cool They're really pulling together. I got shanghied into being a dresser for the show. So, I'll be watching what I can from the wings. Much as I'd like to watch them perform, they need my help. Besides, I get to watch every Friday night, and I'm sure someone will be recording it somehow. 

(*Ding!*) habari and loraleibunny do you plan on recording this? Did you want to? Need an extra camera? I could lay my hands on one and an operator. (*lightbulb clicks off*)

I had another lightbulb moment on the way up the stairs to the studio. . o O (Why are dance studios always up at least one flight of stairs?) If all the girls in the troupe want to, they could all chip in for supplies and I could henna them a few days before the show. Bonuses: They get neato-keen henna for the show & I get pix for a portfolio.  I will now spend a couple hours surfing the henna webs. *fingers are getting itchy*

[	Tags	|	dance, mehistory	]
[	mood	|	giddy	]
[	music	|	Diwan: a collection from Rabita Andalusa	]

Last night I joined habari  for her Middle Eastern dance class. It was great. The night got off to a slightly odd start when I stepped up the door. The girl who was opening the studio turned out to be a classmate of mine from high school. Boy, they just pop right out of the woodwork around me, huh? Way back when, her mother taught me how to hula for our drama troupe's production of South Pacific. Now, twelve years later, her mother is going to teach me how to belly dance. How very odd. I should definitely go to beginner's class. Paula uses a different terminology for the dance then I'm used to, and since she trained with a Lebanese dancer, her style is a bit different then what I was learning before. I do need to get a better hip scarf, however. The one I have is very light, and not really big enough to circle my hips comfortably. I prefered the heavier weight of a beaded and coined hip scarf, more like the ones I used to dance with. Maybe that's one of the things muscialchaos will get me for belated Xmazz. I hope my knees can take it. I do want to dance with this group, but they emphasize floor work and highly recommend getting knee pads. Well, I'll definitely do that, but I'm not even sure if my joints can manage it right now. Perhaps as summer comes along and I loosen up, I can work more in that direction. I felt kind of clunky and out of step, trying to keep up with the piece that the intermediate group was working on. I don't feel I danced very well. I didn't warm up, and that does make a difference for me. Also, it's been three months since my last lesson. I'm out of shape, and I'm grateful moominmuppet  got me those dvds. That way I can work out during the week, and take class on Friday. This studio has mirrors, unlike my previous studio, so every time I caught a glimpse of myself I got thrown off. How I actually look is vastly divergent  from how I thought I looked. I knew I get hot and sweaty, but it's entirely different to see yourself bright red and gleaming. Things I thought I did well came out looking forced and gawky. I guess I got used to dancing by feel, not by look. I am looking forward to classes, though, don't get me wrong. They start you on zils right away, unlike my previous instructor. (I spent a half hour or so this afternoon adjusting my zils to fit my fingers tightly and sewing the elastic down. A loose zil is a danger to everyone, especially the folks in the front row.) She also has us dance a "friends and family" recital every year, which makes me feel like we've actually got a goal.

habari

[	Tags	|	dance	]
[	mood	|	bouncy	]
[	music	|	Issam Houshan	]

I have just recieved my Xmazz prezzie from moominmuppet , a three-dvd set by Veena & Neena and The Art of the Drum Solo, which came with a bonus music cd!

*goes off to dance wildly about the house*

In other dance news,  habari has invited me to sit in on her troupe classes tomorrow. I can't wait! I'm so excited! New class, yay!