Keeping your Self Identify in Belly Dance

Many years ago I went to a workshop with one of mywho I was or that the dance had to come from within
teachers and was told I danced just like her. Well, youin me. As a matter of fact I didn't know that it had to
would have thought that I won the lottery because Icome from within me because I was too busy dancing
was so thrilled that someone thought I danced like oneoutside of me. It only occurred to me one day
of my teachers. As a beginner student my identitybecause a fan came up to me and said "I know you,
was influenced and molded by the styles and methodsyou're what's her name". Come to find out she was
of a multitude teachers. Â And as I grew mythinking of another dancer that I looked like and danced
awareness grew not only in regards to our dancelike. I came home and realized that I had to reinvent
form but also in my observation of dancers and themyself and start to understand what I wanted from
many levels of training it takes to become the best. Anthis dance.
interesting quote that I like puts levels of dance intoPush came to shove because of an experience I had
perspective; "Beginning dancer knows nothing.at a restaurant in Dallas. I auditioned for the owner and
Intermediate dancer knows everything and is too goodwas told to go home and learn how to belly dance.
to dance with beginners. 3. A hotshot dancer isIt was a harsh lesson but one I learned from and will
too good to dance with anyone. 4. Advanced dancernever forget. There were two roads that I could have
dances everything especially with beginners."traveled. One was to quit dance all together and the
As I progressed through my classes and workshopsother was to prove him wrong. Since I love a challenge
something interesting happened. I acquiredI decided to prove him wrong. I went home and started
combinations and gestures from the teachers I studiedback to square one. This was liberating because I
with but I didn't know what to do with them once I gotworked from the inside out. First I decided to do
home and started to practice.moves that only felt good in my body. Secondly I
I saw how beautiful the moves looked on each of thedecided to change how I put moves together and to
dancers that I admired but when I tried to move likego outside the box of "safe" moves. I changed what
them, I lacked the natural grace they had. I thought itwas right for me and let go of ideas that just didn't fit
was because I just needed to practice and the needme anymore. Every teacher has her view of dance
to get comfortable with the choreography. In the end Iand as we learn we need to decide what to keep and
just didn't move like my teachers and there was a partwhat to let go and know that this is ok. I decided that
of me that felt like I never would. Â I had to learnthere was certain ways that I preferred to dance than
that the moves had to become a part of who I waswhat I was told. So I decided to follow my instincts and
first and only than would they become "my" moves.go for it. All of a sudden as a few months passed a
This meant that I could admire my teachers but at thedancer emerged from within me that I hadn't seen
same time separate my "identity" and dance thebefore. I danced for up to four hours a day and kept it
combinations my way.Âup for about three months. I than went back to the
"Great artists are people who find ways to besame restaurant and auditioned again. The restaurant
themselves in their art. Any sort of pretension inducesowner smiled at me and said "So you learned how to
mediocrity in art and life alike." --Margot Fonteyn.belly dance." And I was hired that day.
The funny thing is that I didn't develop my own"If I could tell you what it meant, there would be no
"identity" until I was dancing for about ten years. Sopoint in dancing it." --Isadora Duncan.
there were many years that I danced without knowing