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Because it feels so good …

Dear Ones —

Teaching two back-to-back dance classes simply feels fantastic!

After several weeks where, for one reason or another, I taught only one class on Sundays, yesterday was a great chance to “amp-up” by teaching two back-to-back classes again.

I’d forgotten how good it feels.

One class is certainly good, but two (or more) is better. Even two (or more) classes in a week, if not on the same day. By the second class, my body is more warmed up. My body’s “memory” for technique and even choreography is deeper.

As I move around after class, I notice that my body is “springier” – I feel as though there’s more elasticity in my joints. It’s easier to get up off the floor, or to bend and twist to pick things up.

Beginner’s classes are – surprisingly – especially wonderful for toning and conditioning! Even though I’ve been studying and teaching for years, it is so great to be reminded of how fabulous that deep, core workout feels. My abs and butt, hips and thighs all simply feel more powerful after today’s classes.

Wherever you are, darling, I hope you’re enjoying your dance practice as much as I am!

yours in dance — A.

It’s been a long time – and worth the wait!

Yes, darlings – I know.

Over a year is a long, very long, time to go between blogposts.

There is a reason.

It’s the book that we all want to read.

Unveiling: An Inner Journey.

Why is this important, to you, to me, to all of us right now?

There are only three real questions in our lives:
1) What do we really want? (And can we figure this out?)
2) Once we figure out what we want, can we get it?
and – the wonderful, important question –
3) Is there a “fountain of youth,” and – if so – can we get some of it?

The answers, dear ones, are yes, Yes, and oh-so-definately-and-resoundingly-YES! (Especially to the last one.)

But it has taken me years to get these answers, and even more to write them up for you.

In fact, after over fourteen years of work, as of a year ago, this book was still not done. And while I had much of the groundwork in place, the REALLY IMPORTANT STUFF – the answers to the questions that we all have – had not yet come together.

Now they have.

The book – Unveiling – is nearly ready.

I’m in final editing, copy-editing, and final-touches-and-rewording stages.

Three more weeks, and it goes to Amazon. (Actually, to Amazon’s CreateSpace – my publisher. But for all of us, when we want to buy this, it will be listed on Amazon. And thanks to the wonders of marvelous technology, it will be listed as an “In stock, ships within 24 hours” option!

There will still be a little bit of a wait involved. (Once I get it to Amazon, because it really is a REAL book, and they have to do all the typesetting and layout and such, and I will proof designs and galleys, it will take an ADDITIONAL 10-12 weeks.) This means, we’ll actually get this book – hard copy in our hands (or Kindle, if that’s how you prefer it), sometime around the end of July or beginning of August. Certainly in time to make this a “beach read”!

And won’t we all have one heck of a party when Amazon DOES release the book? Wow, what a fabulous time we’ll all have – and the biggest hafla we’ve ever hosted!

But for now, darlings, it’s back to work. Chapter 7 needs a little rewriting. (I found just the best stuff last night, to help make it clearer and more readily pulled into our heads — now it’s time to integrate this info so the chapter will make so much more sense, so easily!)

This book is full of insights and practical knowledge that will help us change our lives!

Plus, there are stories — from my life, from some of yours (if you’ve been my students or teachers, or even co-workers and friends).

And even more – there are suggestions for very specific things that we can do to achieve breakthroughs; to create honest-to-God(dess) for-real transformations in our lives!

More soon, darlings — as I get this book ready, and uploaded, and on its journey to you, I’ll be telling you MUCH more about it!

Yours in dance — Alay’nya

Candlemas Countdown – The "Real New Year" Starts Now!

Dear Ones —

Early in the morning, with the light just turning tree branches into lacy silhouettes. We’ve resumed classes, just in time to have class schedules interrupted by the sleet/snow/ice that comes to Northern Virginia during late January and throughout February each year.

Officially, our “New Year” began January 1st — following “twelve days of Solstice.” (Count it — Dec. 21st to the end of December is 12 days, then we start the new year!)

Energetically, our “New Year” begins right about now.

How do we know that it’s new?

We start feeling it in our bodies.

If we were very internal over the Christmas holidays and early part of the new year, we find ourselves less internal now — more energy, more extroversion, more desire to get out, no matter what the weather is doing.

Those of us that just wanted to cocoon during the “darkest days” of winter are now saying, “When does class start again? I’ve just GOT to get back to class!”

And my inbox starts filling up with new inquiries.

Even the nature of our workouts change.

During the Christmas holidays, I worked out — but mostly mat work — floor work of various sorts. Everything from pushups to Pilates, from oblique crunches to yoga. But now, my body is also aching for much more active and expressive movement. In fact, I’m heading into the studio in the next few minutes.

But that leaves us with the occasional quandary: We want to move, we’re ready to move, and classes are fully started — but weather gets in the way. The kind of weather where we are really and truly “snowed in,” or sleeted in, or whatever have you.

So — over the next few days, I’ll share with you some extracts from what we’re doing to build up a “study at home” core curriculum for dancers, both at Beginner and Early Intermediate levels.

Until then, happy dancing!

Home for the holidays — with belly dance fitness DVDs

Dear Ones —

Saturday morning, early — Christmas week, 2008. For many of us, the holidays start now. Some of us will be on the road, some of us at home — whether home is quiet or filled with guests. And perhaps you, like I, have realized — no dance classes for at least two weeks! (Maybe even three or more!)

So what’s a girl to do?

Perhaps we both rely on classes — whether taking or teaching — not only for choreography, but also for a regular schedule of practice drills and even fitness. So when our class schedule temporarily abates, we need to fill in the gap. It’s either that, or get fat, out of shape, and lose both form and style! And since that is too harsh a future to contemplate, we may as well take on the alternative — which is to practice on our own.

Sometimes, there is nothing like being by yourself, alone in your studio (or your living room, or the empty fitness room in the health club — wherever!). Just you and your music, and an hour that you’ve blocked off. This can also be scary — the “blank canvas” sort of thing.

So instead of making ourselves face an empty studio each day, let’s mix it up. A little choreography time — but also some basic workouts and drill.

I started my “official” holiday season this morning, at an hour too early to mention in public, with Rachel Brice’s Tribal Fusion Belly Dance: Yoga, Isolations, and Drills: A Practice Companion with Rachel Brice. A great way to start the day! (DVD on loan from Sabira, thank you, Sabira!)

Note: You’ll always be find out more suggestions for practicing at home, including links to Rachel’s and other cool DVDs, along with neat collections of YouTubes and other support materials, at Alay’nya’s Recommendations – Practicing at Home (Intermediate).

Rachel’s DVD is really more suited for intermediate-to-advanced students than for pure beginners. She does give instruction, and she does break each technique down beautifully, and guide you through with pointers. She also repeats each move several times — so there is not too much of a “cognitive” challenge in following her. Still, this is not really the place to learn the technique — it is more like having Rachel in for a private coaching session.

 

DVD

DVD

 

Today, I selected the 45-minute option (Rachel presents 15-, 30-, and 45-minute sessions). We started with a basic yoga Salute to the Sun — very basic, but well-grounded. This was followed by pelvic and rib cage isolations, and very structured body rolls (both going up and down). We followed with some final yoga stretches and relaxation in the “corpse” pose. (During the latter, there were beautiful shots of moving clouds in time-compressed video — a lovely touch for a workout that started and ended before dawn on a cloudy and cold winter day!)

Practicing with Rachel lets us experience how she structures isolations — and this is important if you’re trying to replicate her style. Personally, I find her Tribal /Fusion/Goth/Trance style intriguing — but not what I would do (favoring a bit more of a classic and lyrical approach). But still – practicing with her on her DVD makes it possible to incorporate little “snippets” of her movements into otherwise more traditional (read: predictable) dances. Kind of like wearing a bright red, patterned scarf with an otherwise traditional outfit – adds some interest and pizzazz!

(Rachel includes a short performance vid at the end of her practice session — inspiring! A very similar-in-nature performance is shown on this YouTube video clip of a Rachel Brice’s performance.)

Thank you, Rachel! We appreciate the hard work that went into making this DVD. You did a good job, this is very useful, and a real benefit to the dance community!

Jewelry Designer Susan Hillson Hosts First One-Woman Show

Dear Ones —

Have just come back (w/in last 20 minutes) of Susan B. Hillson’s wonderful first-ever one-woman jewelry show (fabulous job, Susan, and I’ll post up your website as soon as you have it ready!). All her friends and co-workers came, and Sabira and I joined her as well. Beautiful jewelry, and she will custom-design to order. To connect w/ Susan (until her website goes live), use shillson7 (at) gmail (dot) com.