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ontributions
ibutions |
Contributions from our
Community
On Appearance and Dance
by Anne Marie
Senior Bellydance
by Sandi Streuer
Musings
on being a Fat Belly Dancer
by Miriam H.F. Berger
Me...on
Reality TV...
by Gia Al Qamar
The Bad
Seed(s)
by Anne Marie
Comments
If you would like to comment, please send
an email to
info@njbellydancing.org and I will be happy to post!
If you would like to contribute an article, we
would be happy to oblige!
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On Appearance and
Dance
I had always admired Ballerinas since I
was a little girl. As a little girl though, I never knew
that one had to have a certain appearance to be a Ballerina.
This seemingly important detail eluded me until one day a
fellow classmate enlightened me at the age of 13. I asked about
taking classes at her school and she informed me that not
only was I not thin enough at 5’2 and less than 90 lbs but I
was too old to start anyway. If I was too old and not
thin enough then perhaps any chance at dance was over for
me…no? It was not until I was much older after having my
first child that I took the chance on a Jazz class. It was
for adults and I figured that everyone there had to be older
than 18 and most likely not less than 90 lbs. The teacher
didn’t even blink when I strolled in now at 175 lbs (pregnancy
does a number on the body) and at the ripe old age of 25.
The class was in the midst of training for a production
where they would be doing ‘Thriller’. Not nearly ready to
join them, the teacher pulled me aside and asked what my
previous training was. I had told her that I didn’t have
any, that I was a closet dancer. She laughed and said that
*closet* dancers were some of her best students. Sadly I
could not continue as the lack of sleep from a colicky
newborn, a full time job and a yet, undiagnosed thyroid
condition left me barely able to function, let alone dance. She never mentioned
weight though; she seemed to only care about dance.
Eventually, I was
able to periodically take classes in Country
Line Dancing, Latin, Ballroom and the infamous Jitterbug.
The Latin teacher would frequently tell me to not *rock the
boat* during the Merengue, an apparent fatal flaw that
befalls those outside of the Latin culture. Being Latin
though…I needed to get my act together as Latins cannot be
awkward. I found the East Coast Swing particularly fun, led
by an 80+ year old man who had won numerous awards in his
day. He was pretty old; LOL, but one of the best damn
dancers I had seen perform this. Though I had lost a
considerable amount of weight at that point, others in the class
were not as thin and this never seemed a factor. Perhaps
being thin and young pertained only to those who wanted to
perform.
After my second pregnancy, I once
again gained a tremendous amount of weight that I was unable to
lose no matter how I tried. I still did not know my thyroid
was failing and the pregnancy had slowed my metabolism to a
crawl. Desperate, I wanted to re-sign up for a dance class but
had exhausted all the area local classes except for one. I
purchased a set of Zumba tapes and practiced religiously but
I was lonely, missing the camaraderie of a classroom
atmosphere. A flyer would come in every 3 months advertising
for local Belly Dance classes, the one and only class I had
not tried and I would laugh at it and then throw it in the
garbage. Surely I was too old and too fat for that one!
Then one day I was walking around my
property and for some odd reason the thought came to me
about aging. I was now in my early 30’s and thinking, what
if I was 80 right now instead. What would I have wished I
could have accomplished. My thoughts kept going back to my
80 year old teacher and dance. Would it have really mattered
if I was too fat and too old to dance? What would an 80 year
old version of me think of this? Should I allow the 13 year
old girl in my head to guide my life or those who feel the
same and do what society dictates? Never one to follow the
social norm, I went into the house and signed myself up for
classes.
I was terrified my first class,
looking around at a group of women who were mostly young and thin. There was a
plus size, jolly, red headed,
middle age women in an absolutely crazy costume making her
way around the room. I was simultaneously amused and
mesmerized. It wasn’t until till she stepped in the front of
the class and I realized that she was the Instructor that I
was able to breathe a sigh of relief. She would not judge me
for my weight and age, only for my dance. And judge she
did…gently, light heartedly and always with a sense that I
could do it if I just tried harder. Try, I did. I confess to
being an utter disaster in Belly Dance. It was the one dance
that did not come naturally for me. Frankenstein comes to
mind when describing my early years. I confess to still not being a great dancer
now but my how
far I have come and, even better, what a lifetime of
experiences that I can someday share with my grandchildren.
Yes…Grand mom was a Belly Dancer; she even balanced a sword
on her head. I know the 80 year old version of me will be
smiling when I share my life with a future generation. It
was during this time that I fully realized what a social
construct the concept of weight (and age for that matter) is
in regards to dance. In Ballet it is yes, important to be
gracefully, limber and sustain balance and I imagine the
thinner one is, the easier this is to obtain. But Belly
dance was a whole different genre with a whole new meaning
and I had found an advantage of having a little extra to
shake!
During my journey, I was fortunate
enough to meet one of my dearest friends and partner in
crime, Cerisa. An incredibly beautiful and talented, plus
size dancer who is impossible to keep up with during duets.
I would be tossing my cookies in the bathroom by the time
this girl would stop spinning and the veil work she learned
years ago in her native Utah makes me green with envy! Her
size was never a factor and she never let it stop her from
doing the things she wanted to do. What was truly amazing
though was the fact that she never realized what an
inspiration she was for dancers of all sizes.
Not long ago an Instructor
confided in me about a situation that occurred at a studio
she was teaching at. While waiting for her own class to
start, she decided to observe another Belly Dance class. It
was in this class that a student was commenting to the
teacher about how pretty and thin she was. Knowing the
teacher, she is not only pretty and thin but quite talented.
This student went on to say how her other Instructors were
old and fat and was quite perturbed that an old, fat dancer
would dare teach, let alone perform.
While certain audiences are not
receptive to certain ages and sizes in the performing arena
this is not a standard of Belly Dance. Rather it is a societal
perpetuation and it is often reflected and reinforced, not
by confidant individuals nor men alone ( we can’t blame them for
everything!), but by a level of insecurity and ignorance.
The Belly Dance world embraces all when it comes to the
dance. Very few Instructors enforce a certain appearance for
performing and, when they do, it is often because the venue
won’t allow otherwise.
Restaurants do indeed have a certain expectation but not for
them, for the American customers who prefer a certain look,
sometimes at the sake of ability. At no time however, is
there a certain appearance expected for class whether by
student nor Instructor.
It’s a hard adjustment but for those
entering *our* world, they need to leave this perception
behind. While I am prone to delusioning myself when it
comes to appearance despite having taught tolerance for many
years, I have noticed that those with the greatest
difficulty are either those who use thinness as a tool to
prove they are somehow better than others because they are
thin or by those who are overweight, have been forced to
conform and are angry others don’t follow suit.
I decided to write this article
because I love Belly Dance, I love all our
dancers ~ big or small, old or young. I love to see the
smiles on their faces and the enjoyment and confidence they
have gained and I love that all of them have decided to
follow a path lesser travelled to follow their passions
despite what anyone says. I also want to try and dampen out
the 13 year old voices
who, for those that have thought but not dared to enter our
realm, are being held back by. I often think how tragically
sad and limiting our dance genre if we imposed such strict
regulations. Surely we would be, at best, adequate because
appearance would trump ability. When we choose appearance
first, then we lose great talent AND Instruction. Its
inevitable as bias and ignorance oppress, not just the
victims but those who harbor such views.
For those brave enough to shake a
hip scarf...May we all still be dancing at 80, fat or thin and everything in between!
Oh the stories we will tell………………
~ Anne Marie
Pictured: Cerisa and myself having fun
at Wrightstown, September 2009.
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I
personally am not a’ Senior’ nor in my lifetime do I
ever intend to be.. As long as I
am capable of dancing and teaching others to feel the
beauty of the music and the movement, I am young. There
is great joy for me in instructing others to do this; To
loosen their bodies and free themselves of years of
rigidity. To help others let go of stereotypical ideas
of what a woman should or should not be doing after
childbearing and menopause. To learn to feel free and
happy at this newfound sense of freedom and femininity
and give her back the control of her own body. It is
liberating for me and for the women that I teach,
emotionally, physically and mentally. The changes are so
difficult for some to make, and when it starts to happen
when they free themselves to dance and move to the
music, there is a new woman facing me; one with self
confidence, posture and what we like to call it
“attitude”!
The movements of Oriental dance are non- stressful.
These are basically isolations of the torso and this is
probably the most difficult part for western woman to
learn, particularly those who are older. These movements
involve rotations of the shoulder, rib cage and hip area
plus the use of the arms in conjunction with the body.
They involve the legs but not in a pounding and painful
way.
The movements of the dance may be adapted to all body
types and all sizes which is the beauty of it all..
There is no specific type of woman who can or cannot
dance. There are very large women, who are light on
their feet and beautiful to watch .Short women who
lengthen their bodies while they dance and stooped women
who regain the control of their shoulders and necks.
Belly dance
has been historically beneficial in child bearing. I do
not wish to go into this realm as most of those that I
instruct are well past that. It is invaluable in
boosting the immune system through the lymph glands, and
lubricating the joints through the release of synovial
fluid in the joints. Women with arthritis have claimed
to be pain free while and after they dance. This is
documented as I have heard and repeated to me quite
frequently. It is known, that Belly dance and its
emphasis on the hips and pelvic area aide in the
difficulties of incontinence by strengthening the muscles
in that area. Psychiatric problems that many face such
as depression have been notably helped by restoring
confidence and a sense of wellbeing. Seeing the changes
in the women after just several classes makes me feel
that all the effort they go though are more than
worthwhile! For myself, it is a purely joyous feeling to
observe these changes and having been an important part
of it.
Music of course, adds so much of the cachet of the
classes. At first, it is important to realize that there
are many forms of music that may be chosen. None of this
is written in stone. The Arabic music, some of which is
atonal and wailing, does not call to my’ inner dancer.’
I prefer to choose more melodic melodies from Turkey and
Lebanon, Israel and Greece, let alone some Spanish
melodies and New age music to warm up to. There are
Indian chants and Mantras which work well as well.
Better if the music is melodious with little
vocalization, as after all, how many of us know the
languages and who knows if we are dancing appropriately
to the words of that particular song?? It is important
to enter the feeling of the music and to interpret it as
we wish individually using the many steps and movements
we are learning.
There is much room for self expression here and the best
dancers are not necessarily the most attractive, the
slimmest or the youngest in the group. The best dancers
are the ones that feel and dance with and to the music.
Colors also adds greatly to the dance. Women are free to
choose which color costume suits them and which colors
soothe them. Costume and color are fantastic ways to
express oneself and motivate the dancer. Many many
websites are selling garments for belly dance, and it is
not too difficult to find patterns which are easy enough
to sew. there are so many ways to hide or disguise the
not so perfect body...
Going back a bit to the dance itself, there are many
adjustments that I have made to teach older women. It is
very important to have a longer warm up, which acts as a
lube job for the joints. It is useless to jump into
dancing without a warm up for obvious reasons. I also
find that asking the women if they are dealing with any
physical problems which are as a rule, rotator cuffs and
hips, knees and backs. In that case ,she must simply
avoid doing to many repetitions in the class. Yet, in
teaching older women, I repeat each movement during
each class, and many times during that class. They are
not simple movements, especially with the previously
stated issue of the immobile torso. Once some movement
in the torso is achieved, it is then possible to go on
to the basic hip isolations and rib cage isolations. It
may take some time. Nothing comes easily in Belly dance
but sufficient repetition and warm ups will eventually
free most women from the rigidity and tightness they are
dealing with. The stooped shoulder posture is totally
unacceptable and poise and stance are integral to
dancing. The pelvis must also be trained to be tucked
back during movements which brings the body into
alignment. Some Yoga and Tai Chi movements are helpful
in achieving the correct posture and centering of the
Belly dance.
It is tiring to defend the Oriental Dance from those who
only think of it as vulgar and déclassé. It brings joy
and satisfaction to thousands of women worldwide from
all levels of society in diverse nations of the world.
That it has reached out to the older women of society,
those who have been declared un-sexy and used up ( or
expired) by men in general is a great coupe for women.
That it has reached Israeli society as a whole and has
not been restricted to the Sephardic (Arabic) culture is
also a large step into integrating the various cultures
of Israel incidentally.
As a woman, teaching older women to do this wonderful
dance, showing them how to express their emotions
through movement, their sensuality, and their grace is a
still larger and more important element of aging in this
society. It is just as appealing to the Jewish woman as
it is to the Christian woman, the African American Woman
the Oriental or Latina. Not one group is more adept than
another. All love it and try intensely to learn it. Some
are surprisingly successful and turn into wonderful
dancers of grace and agility.
There are troupes of older dancers worldwide that
perform at various venues; perhaps not the nightclubs of
their younger counterparts, but a fundraisers, nursing
homes, veterans hospitals, JCC’s and social gatherings.
They will dress accordingly, many choosing to wear
bodysuits and harem pants or long dresses covered in
sequins. It is of no matter what they wear or where they
perform. The learning of the Belly dance after many
years of homemaking or sedentary careers is a brave new
world open to women, who feel in many ways that their
lives as women ended with menopause and empty nests.
More than anything, it is an affirmation of womanhood in
the second half of life and the empowerment of women to
move and dance and express themselves through their
bodies once again.
I genuinely love teaching women to dance. For me, it has
opened up a new world of teaching in itself and helping
others to reach goals, including my own. For myself, it
is amazing to touch the lives of others, and give them
the tools to learn to dance, move and emotionally free
themselves of sometimes lifelong inhibitions. It is a
way of sharing one of my secret loves, which for many
years, I did not expose due to events in my life, the
opinions of others , and now, feel free enough to
express and share.
Sandi
Cohen (Sandra Steuer Cohen) of Teaneck,
A
Dance that is "yours for life"; not by age, size,
experience or appearance....
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Musings on being a
Fat Belly Dancer
 A
dancer that I admire greatly posted on her blog recently the
single sentence: “sometimes it’s hard being a fat belly
dancer”…. This statement sums up my emotional condition of
late more succinctly than anything I’ve managed to come up with
on my own. It’s crossed my mind that we spend a lot of time in
the belly dance world focusing on how empowering this beautiful
dance form is, about how much joining with our sisters in this
ancient art fills us with joy. And that’s all very true, but I
find that it’s a hard thing to explain to people who haven’t had
the same personal experiences that there are parts, sometimes,
that take some of that joy away, and that falling unsuspectingly
into those parts can be very painful.
Some of it can be pointed out to others who haven’t had the
experiences themselves. Like the difficulty that exists in
something as simple as purchasing your first hip scarf. Most
students simply buy one from their teacher, as many belly dance
instructors have them for sale as a courtesy to their students. But
if, like me, your hips measure 50+ inches – those “one size fits
all” hip scarves aren’t going to fit, and many teachers don’t even
know where to send you to buy a plus size hip scarf. It’s certainly
not an insurmountable issue, but it’s harder for that plus size
dancer, and the simple experience of going to put on that beautiful
blue jingly hip scarf and realizing it isn’t going to fit, can be
emotionally crushing to a new student.
As time moves on, and the plus size student has figured out what to
do about a hip scarf, and waded bravely into a class full of women
whose bodies don’t look anything like hers – her skills and
abilities improve just like everyone else’s in the class – and now
perhaps it’s time for a first performance. The costumes that are
readily available for the rest of the dancers often don’t come in
her size, or if they do, don’t flatter her body the same way they do
everyone else’s. Again this isn’t insurmountable – dancers who sew,
or who know someone who does, often opt to make their own costuming,
parts from various suppliers that do come in the larger sizes can be
pieced together, and through the internet you can find people who
specialize in making absolutely beautiful Goddess sized costumes for
belly dance. But, again it’s more work, and for a group performance
you may end up with a costume that’s really very different than what
everyone else is wearing…. All your sisters have the same costumes,
but you don’t get to… sometimes this can make a woman feel a little
less like one of the sisters.
Please don’t get me wrong –
I love my body. It’s womanly curves, the lines and shapes that make
it uniquely mine. I love the strength my body has, it’s ability to
move and stretch and dance does fill me with joy. But I have wished
sometimes along this journey that teachers and vendors and
professional dancers understood a little better how to lessen the
chances that those hard bits will leap up and surprise the newer
dancers who just happen to be a different size… that even the
teachers with amazing figures, who have never struggled with a
weight issue, or been the fat girl in gym class, carried with them a
few hip scarves in a bigger size just in case someone like me showed
up in one of their class…. Just in case they could make a hard part
a little less hard.
Because
you know what? No matter how much skill, or grace, or amazing
ability a dancer has – how much she dreams of shining brighter and
standing out in a sea of beautiful dancers - sometimes she really
just wants to be one of the girls.
Miriam H.F. Berger is Director
of Anka Kusu, a Middle Eastern Music and Dance tribe from New Jersey
(www.AnkaKusu.net). She’s been dancing in one form or another since
her first ballet class at 5 years old, has both studied and taught
jazz as well as acting, stage choreography, and theatrical makeup
and has dabbled in various other forms of dance and movement over
the years. Miriam had her first direct contact with belly dancers
through her involvement in area Renaissance Festivals around 2001
and from the moment of that very first informal belly dance lesson,
she knew she'd finally found her home in the dance world. She began
her formal study of belly dance in 2004, and currently her primarily
focus is on ATS (American Tribal Style), it’s many tribal style
offshoots, as well as Middle Eastern folkloric dance.
Photo credit: Lars Lunde.
Me...on Reality TV...
by Gia Al Qamar on Tuesday, October 5, 2010 at 9:46am
I am VERY proud to announce that this morning I TURNED DOWN
a request to appear on a "NJ" based reality show. The 'cast'
of women on this show wanted to take belly dance classes.
They asked me. The compensation? Nada...not a red cent for
an entire day of shooting. Before making a decision, I
watched a few clips of this show online and when the
producer called this morning...I turned them down flat. The
show (no surprise) stereotypes women, certain ethnicities,
NJ and is the lowest of the lowest common denominator #*($&
being broadcast today. I told the producer that I take my
craft seriously and that I seriously doubted that these
women or the show's creators were interested in anything but
having a public catfight in my class while making my art
look like stripping. They offered m e
money. I said no. They offered me more money...a lot more
money. I hung up.
It's not always easy to do the right thing...to spend more
on lessons than on costumes, to charge the going rate and
not undercut just to get work, to forgo 'easy' money or
exposure. But I am committed to presenting myself, my art,
my classes with honor and with respect. I have worked too
hard and worked too long to watch that be sullied. I wonder
who they will call next and what THEIR answer will be. Take
the high road ladies...and...Thanks for reading.
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The Bad Seed(s)
Even in the
best and most supportive of communities, trouble can arise. In a
community such as ours, the greater percentage is supportive
and loving. Bonds extend far beyond dance class. We go from
fellow students to friends, eventually becoming one large family
united by a common passion. We then share our joys and our
sorrows which are often expressed through dance. Aside from
actually dancing, one of the greatest joys I have personally
experienced is the camaraderie and support. When I am up, I am
greeted with warm thoughts and when I am down I am held up by
loving (and very strong) arms. Going to events reminds me of
the theme song to “Cheers’ ~ ’Where everybody knows my name and
they’re always glad you came.’
Are we perfect…goodness no! A bunch of cackling men and women: we
gossip and fight and judge and complain and whine (should I go on?).
Lest not the writer of this article claim any innocence as NJBD is
*gossip central* and I consider it a perk. In the end though, we
are still family. Uniting in common goals and causes such as those
involving respect, proper pay, eliminating the perpetual ignorance
that surrounds Belly Dance and support for everyone regardless of
their age, size, gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, spiritual
values and so on. Most encouraging is when I see this community
reach out to those who have fallen ill. The support (financially,
spiritually, emotionally and physically) takes my breath away. While
no one is immune to illness, no one will go it alone as long as we
have this community.
From the start of my experience in this world I have always referred
to it as living out the video of Blind Melon’s ‘No Rain’. The video
features a little girl who goes from person to person, group to
group tap dancing in a bee costume desperate to find something.
Towards the end of the video she happens upon a gated community with
dozens of other individuals in bee costumes dancing around in pure
bliss and she realizes she has finally found where she belongs. *I*
am that little girl in the bee costume and so are all of you and
when we get together and dance………..WE are home.
Having said this though, an open environment while wonderful in
concept is never perfect. Opening doors allows for everyone and I
believe everyone should be included. In my own religious practice is
a set of principles that those of us who belong, strive for. One is
respect for the interdependent web in which we live and another is
affirm
and promote the
inherent worth and dignity of every individual. Our interdependent
web is our many styles, beliefs and practices and affirming worth
and dignity requires that all are welcome and contribute some type
of value. I have found the latter can refer to a good or bad
experience but it still adds value if it makes us
pause, think and then learn.
Out of the literally hundreds of individuals that I have met in the
world of Belly Dance from across the globe there have been very few
who have not made a positive impact. Some in the community may be
familiar with the inside joking that has developed involving bulls
eyes and pepper spray because the situations in question have been
so prominent. Other incidences have been below the surface and have
involved a very small handful of individuals that, for whatever
reason, have chosen to take paths that destroy rather then enhance
their fellow dancers’ lives.
Perhaps one
could write a page of the potential reasons but I suspect it boils
down to something deep within these people and little to do with
their victims. In the 8 + years I have been involved in this world,
I have seen troupes torn apart, teachers lose classes and directors
destroyed. Often it caused by just one person and ( as one very
witty friend said to me recently) a kernel of truth. But isn’t this
what the very essence of intolerance is? Strong emotion and a kernel
of truth?
If this
were the extent then perhaps I wouldn’t have chosen to write this
article. But a recent event hit far deeper for some of our members.
This pains me so greatly I was moved to speak up. While I don’t have
any good suggestions nor answers, the reality is that an open
community invites the best and the worst. I would never suggest
exclusiveness, not only would this be illegal in a class or workshop
environment but quite morally troubling. However, being mindful of
those chosen for performance or certain functions may serve best not
just for the individual entity but for the community on a whole. In
my old troupe, individuals were chosen based on dedication and
attitude. The belief is that one can always be taught to dance but
no teacher or director has the power to change a personality and one
bad (apple) seed can spoil the bunch. For 5 years we experienced death, major illness and utter tragedy
yet sustained. This was obviously not because we were such fabulous
dancers rather a bond existed. While I eventually
left for what I felt were personal reasons (insert bad seed), I have
never been prouder to have been a member.
Sadly though (and
back to the point) we are all just human and easily fooled by those
with troubled motives. I have seen the most experienced and professional undermined.
So…being mindful is not always a definitive.
I would
never suggest not trusting those around you either. No relationship
sustains without trust. In thinking about this subject (for quite
some time) I have personally decided that I like myself. I like that
I am open and trusting and supportive. While I may have lost greatly
in the past due to the workings of a troubled person, this person
did not and could not take away from me who I am. Perhaps I am a
fool but a fool with a good soul who sleeps well at night.
My advice would be to support your community. I won’t suggest a
rumor mill but a bit of warning to fellow future victims is
suggestible as I have found these bad seeds can and do travel to the
next convenient location. More importantly though, trust in those
around you and if a bad seed tries to plant a rumor, plan an
immediate, honest confrontation. If a truth be told then the
messenger won't mind reaffirming their testimony to all parties
involved. Don't allow anyone to play a 'he said/she said' game and
not hold them accountable. [ Sheila said you were a ^&*% but don't
tell her *I* told you. ~Goodness no...you will tell her
yourself...in front of me.] As well....if you have the type of troupe
or class that is open and honest, this should never be a problem.
Those who perform professionally must be able to be spoken with on
this level and this includes students, teacher, troupe members and
directors. Iron fist rulings always lead to mutinies. Less than
honest critique ( notice I said critique and NOT criticism) will
lead to little kernels and then seeds to be planted. Be mindful of
potentially disturbing behavior particularly if these behaviors are
displayed under the guise of an illness or troubling event in the
person’s life. Bad seeds can and do use a ‘pity me’ MO knowing it’s
difficult to suspect nor accuse while simultaneously feeling sorry
for them. Often used (sometimes in conjunction) is the ‘best friend,
I’ll do anything for you, I’m only trying to protect you’ theme. If
someone gets too close too quickly, be wary. A big red flag is
multiple moves to multiple classes and troupes . I don’t refer to
those who like to experiment nor visit friends ( insert *me*) but
those who leave one class abruptly to enter another and suddenly want to be
performing or the teacher/directors right hand person before the
rest of the group can say, “What the hell just happened?”
Finally, never let ANYONE get in the way of your love of dance. I
think back to my religion and have been troubled by the occasional
speaker, clergy or member but have realized that this does not
completely encompass all that my belief system has to offer and
neither does a bad seed in the realm of dance. In fact, they are just a small miniscule
portion that can only affect us if we allow them to.
~ Anne Marie
****Comments ****
Hello,
I am director of a tribal fusion troupe in Wisconsin, and after
doing a google search for "senior belly dancers" came across your
website and the three articles you have posted. Excellent articles!!
And particularly wonderful for me to find because I have been belly
dancing for 13 years now, starting in my mid forties, and was
feeling as if I should stop dancing because of my age. After reading
the articles, I realized that it is dancing that keeps me young, it
is the spark in my life, and just because I am 56, doesn't mean I
have to give it up because of public perception that I am too old.
We love your articles and wonder if there is any way we might be
able to post them on our new website, currently under construction.
We want to encourage more local ladies our age, and all sizes, to
explore belly dance. I couldn't find anything else online that was
so wonderfully worded, and so inspirational, and we would really
like to share this with our local dance community.
Thanks,
Kristy
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