There are no words...
to describe just how much I learned and was inspired by Artemis Mourat and I'm so grateful I could take all the workshops I did, totally worth the financial stress. The show was equally amazing with an awesome line-up, and Ozma kicking ass and totally blowing me away. It was really a perfect show. I didn't think I would love Turkish music more than I already did but it's happened and I'm more convinced than ever that I want to go down the American Cabaret and Turkish path. Artie also told me after dinner that she thinks Turkish would be a good match for me.
More personal but Artemis also pointed out my stiff/tight shoulders in the intensive workshops which has been a constant problem (shoulders held up keeping the upper body extremely tense and a curve in the back which shortens the muscles in the lower back right above the butt and I need to stretch that out more)but the amazing thing is that she kinda picked up on the reason. That she guessed that what happened is that I must've gotten unwanted attention when developing as an adolescent which made me sink my chest in a lot which has become an extremely bad habit...and it totally makes sense. Where was I as a young teenager? Morocco, and my hardest memory was the constant sexual harassment by men...even when I started wearing baggy-boyish clothes to hide behind. Anyway she gave some exercises to do at home and said I don't have to hide myself anymore and to be the strong woman she knows I am and I just about almost burst into tears.
Oh,I'm also happy I got to spend more time with Ozma which is something I've been wanting to do but haven't been able to because of distance/time and money issues but hopefully all those things will smooth over.
Monday dinner was the usual bolbol affair, meaning good food and good company. I hate thinking this way but I'm kinda relieved that L couldn't make it since she was acting majorly weird and kookoo at the show and WS and I didn't want to have to deal with it 3 days in a row. Of course there some "freebies" from Bolbol (I feel like he's like my uncle sometimes XD) but freebies really mean "if I put on music, you dance!" Which we all did. I can't keep still once the Persian music starts and we got a free Artemis show when he put on some Turkish music. I gave Ozma my zills to play and also got her to dance some Persian XD. Sadia joined me for some Baba Karam and Bandari. Ken from Alladeen was there and played the drums while we all danced. This is the second time having dinner with Ken at bolbol. And apparently he must've liked the dancing he saw because when we left he asked Sadia if it was ok to ask me to perform for a show alladeen is doing in August. She gave him the go-ahead and he asked me and I was totally like "ME!?" Seriously!? Not an hafla, not an amateur show but a normal Alladeen show (provided there are two other young dancers), it's still an awesome surprise. I also got asked by Hiromi to dance at a volunteer/charity thing which I'm psyched about to because she's such a nice person and dancer. So it seems things performance-wise are starting to look up a bit. Even Sadia said she was proud of me and said all I need to do is to take what I do at bolbol and be able to do the same thing on the stage. I think it's a matter of being able to shut my brain off, I'm so concerned with doing the "right" thing during improv where as with persian music I just feel and dance with out a single thought in my head.
Also interestingly enough is that Artemis commented about how some Baba Karam music sounds a bit like Romany music and we both worked out a link...funny how music travels and develops how it odes.
Things to work on from now on-shoulder and posture, MORE TURKISH, MORE IMPROV, more learning to shut my brain off. Also I'm thinking, provided I have the money to spare, about taking Jo's Tribal WS at Hiromi's studio this sunday. Not that I'm so into tribal or intend to perform it but it's always good to try everything and I can appreciate the flexibility and isolations tribal dancers have so taking workshops or lesson here and there would improve my oriental dance :D
More personal but Artemis also pointed out my stiff/tight shoulders in the intensive workshops which has been a constant problem (shoulders held up keeping the upper body extremely tense and a curve in the back which shortens the muscles in the lower back right above the butt and I need to stretch that out more)but the amazing thing is that she kinda picked up on the reason. That she guessed that what happened is that I must've gotten unwanted attention when developing as an adolescent which made me sink my chest in a lot which has become an extremely bad habit...and it totally makes sense. Where was I as a young teenager? Morocco, and my hardest memory was the constant sexual harassment by men...even when I started wearing baggy-boyish clothes to hide behind. Anyway she gave some exercises to do at home and said I don't have to hide myself anymore and to be the strong woman she knows I am and I just about almost burst into tears.
Oh,I'm also happy I got to spend more time with Ozma which is something I've been wanting to do but haven't been able to because of distance/time and money issues but hopefully all those things will smooth over.
Monday dinner was the usual bolbol affair, meaning good food and good company. I hate thinking this way but I'm kinda relieved that L couldn't make it since she was acting majorly weird and kookoo at the show and WS and I didn't want to have to deal with it 3 days in a row. Of course there some "freebies" from Bolbol (I feel like he's like my uncle sometimes XD) but freebies really mean "if I put on music, you dance!" Which we all did. I can't keep still once the Persian music starts and we got a free Artemis show when he put on some Turkish music. I gave Ozma my zills to play and also got her to dance some Persian XD. Sadia joined me for some Baba Karam and Bandari. Ken from Alladeen was there and played the drums while we all danced. This is the second time having dinner with Ken at bolbol. And apparently he must've liked the dancing he saw because when we left he asked Sadia if it was ok to ask me to perform for a show alladeen is doing in August. She gave him the go-ahead and he asked me and I was totally like "ME!?" Seriously!? Not an hafla, not an amateur show but a normal Alladeen show (provided there are two other young dancers), it's still an awesome surprise. I also got asked by Hiromi to dance at a volunteer/charity thing which I'm psyched about to because she's such a nice person and dancer. So it seems things performance-wise are starting to look up a bit. Even Sadia said she was proud of me and said all I need to do is to take what I do at bolbol and be able to do the same thing on the stage. I think it's a matter of being able to shut my brain off, I'm so concerned with doing the "right" thing during improv where as with persian music I just feel and dance with out a single thought in my head.
Also interestingly enough is that Artemis commented about how some Baba Karam music sounds a bit like Romany music and we both worked out a link...funny how music travels and develops how it odes.
Things to work on from now on-shoulder and posture, MORE TURKISH, MORE IMPROV, more learning to shut my brain off. Also I'm thinking, provided I have the money to spare, about taking Jo's Tribal WS at Hiromi's studio this sunday. Not that I'm so into tribal or intend to perform it but it's always good to try everything and I can appreciate the flexibility and isolations tribal dancers have so taking workshops or lesson here and there would improve my oriental dance :D