For you 2 September 2004, 12:11

Here are two of the articles on Shira’s site that have had the most influence on my performance attitude (smile, communicate, entertain, dance to the music) as an amateur belly dancer:

Back in 1998, for an item I was writing for my website, I was searching for the definitive belly dancing website, and I found it in Shira.net.

When I finally returned to dance classes a couple of years later, after a break of 9 years, I hadn’t forgotten Shira’s insights.

I also gleaned some of the best advice from my favourite book, which I swear is about a belly dancer. Allow me paraphrase, as I can’t find the book in my not-quite-unpacked house. Occula was telling Maia that village dancing was about having a good time pleasing yourself and one another, but performance for an audience is different.

(My main clue that they’re speaking of belly dance is the reference to isolation: “Each of your fingers has got to move separately.” Actual performances are more often described in the book in terms of storytelling and interpretation, rather than movement.)

As a performer, I was mainly formed by high school choirs. But over the years I’ve picked up on two particular facts:

  1. beauty is pain
  2. acting is at the essence of dance

The gut-busting fact is that you’ve got to smile and interpret your role and the music, even though your insides may be roiling and your muscles screaming.

More

I’ll never forget the first time I saw belly dancing.

Photos

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Work it, baby. Own it.

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