Bandit Queens Tribal Cafe in Richmond, VA

Last weekend Dawn and Lisa traveled to Richmond, VA to dance in the Bandit Queens Tribal Cafe sponsored by Onca O'Leary.  We were joined in the show by some fabulous bellydancers and the crowd was warm and enthusiastic.  Dawn began the show with a skirt solo and then Lisa joined her for a slow duet.  Dawn and Lisa ended the show with a fast zil and then a fast basket dance.

As much fun as we had at the show, the workshops following were even better!  First Dawn taught "Dynamic Trios for ATS(R)" and after a brief break she taught "Creating an ATS(R) Set."

Thanks for the warm hospitality and all of the laughs!  And, we get to see almost all of these workshop participants when Ajna Tribal comes to Raleigh this weekend for ATS ATTACKS!!!!

Interview with a Bellydancer: Diana Lee Huertas

Hi again and welcome back to Interview with a Bellydancer.  We are going "international" this week!  I met Diana at ATS (R) Homecoming and we became fast friends.  She is kind, funny, and talented and I can't wait to see her again in January!

Thanks to Diana Lee Huertas with Tribe Anwar in San Juan, Puerto Rico for agreeing to participate in an Interview with a Bellydancer!

Diana and Sandi Ball at ATS (R) Homecoming 2015

If you had superpowers, what would they be?

Shape Shifter and Magic.

If I opened your refrigerator right now, what would I find?

A lot of fruit juice and chocolate I always have chocolate J

The Lone Wolves organized by Diana at ATS (R) Homecoming

Diana with a group of ATS (R) dancers who came to Homecoming without their troupes to dance together in the show.  What a wonderful idea and what a spectacular performance! Participating with this group of dancers from around the world really reflects Diana's spirit and love of ATS!  

What is your favorite genre of books?

New Age and Spirituality

If you were in a horror movie, what would be chasing you?

OMG!!  Roaches   yuk !!

What is your proudest Bellydance moment?

When I danced for the first time with a FCBD teacher

What is your proudest non-Bellydance moment?

Completing my Yoga Teacher Certification

Classic, modern, or movement dialect and why?

Classic. Because it has that old world feeling

Diana with our local Debbie Richardson in Puerto Rico

What is your best advice to student dancers?

Never doubt of your potential and always practice

What is something most people don’t know about you?

I will love to learn how to read brail and sign language

Interview with a Bellydancer: Terri Allred

In honor of being on a family vacation last week, I am going to post the interview with my sister, Terri!  I hope everyone else gets to spend time with their families this summer.  Terri introduced me to bellydance and I will be forever grateful.  I am very lucky that I get to dance with her often, whether is is FaceTime rehearsal or meeting at events!

Thanks to Terri Allred from Rochester, MN with Third Eye Tribal for agreeing to participate in our "Interview with a Bellydancer" series!

Photo Shoot with Paul Cory in 2015

Anything you want included about family, non-Bellydance job, other interests: I am a full time belly dancer and belly dance consultant.  I have two boys (12 and 16yo), a husband and a dog.  I love to hunt for sea shells and read.  

If you had superpowers, what would they be?

I absolutely adore Wonder Woman.  I watched the TV show when I was a kid and have always loved all things Wonder Woman.  She has super strength, agility, reflexes, senses, stamina and endurance.  

That would work for me!

If I opened your refrigerator right now, what would I find?

Dill pickles.  I am kind of on a kick right now.  I put them on sandwiches and on salads.

Smooches with Carolena at ATS® Homecoming 2015

What is your proudest Bellydance moment?

I think so far, performing on stage at Tribal Con with Lisa, introducing my ATS® with Veil Movement Dialect to the public.  That was such a great show and the performance was “on."

Lisa and Terri at TribalCon 2014

What is your proudest non-Bellydance moment?

Definitely giving birth to my sons!  I felt like Wonder Woman after my first son was born following 38 hours of labor!

Tamarind, Third Eye Tribal and Dayanisma in Springfield, IL 2015

Classic, modern, or movement dialect and why?

I love the classic moves, but am all about the movement dialect.  I appreciate the freedom to create my own movements and “dialects” within the structure of ATS®.

Interview with a Bellydancer: Sharon Walker

Thanks to Sharon Walker of Dayanisma for agreeing to participate in "Interview with a Bellydancer!" 

Sharon is one of our newest Dayanisma members.  Part of our troupe mission statement reads:

"We pride ourselves as being "ambassadors of dance" in the larger dance community.  This means always acting professionally, supporting other dancers (particularly those without as much experience), being kind and helpful, and representing this troupe in a way that makes people think of us as approachable, fun and talented!"

Sharon is this mission statement incarnate.  She is always willing to lend a hand, whether it is coming to practice early to help another troupe member with a difficult move, constructing a specialty costume piece (Elvis vests for TribalCon and she did that b/f she was even in the troupe), or tucking everyone's skirts before performance (she is a master tucker).  We are very lucky to have such a talented and thoughtful troupe member!  Without further ado, here is her interview!

Sharon in a duet at ATS ® Attacks

Anything you want included about family, non-Bellydance job, other interests:  My techie job pays for my ever evolving Costuming and Belly Dance professions.

If you had superpowers, what would they be?  Teleportation! Definitely, teleportation.  I can pop in at Bettys Tea Room in York for afternoon tea, be in Atlanta visiting friends at a moments notice, make sure I run into Tom Hiddleston when ever possible... or show up at ATS ® Homecoming and not have to deal with any airports!

Sharon, Kris, and Holly at Mosaic Wine Lounge

If I opened your refrigerator right now, what would I find?  Too many condiments and junk food, veggies, and possibly my car keys.

What is your favorite genre of books?  I have several... history, science fiction, writings of Shakespeare, and costuming reference books.

What is your proudest Bellydance moment?  Being asked to join Dayanisma.

The newest Dayanisma members: Teresa, Sharon, and Karen

What is your best advice to student dancers?  Don't get frustrated. I know, easier said than done. However, rather than becoming frustrated with a move, make mastering that move your focus. Study it, ask people to help you with it, have your instructor break it down for you. Being frustrated will only take the joy out of what you're doing.

What is something most people don’t know about you?  I've always wanted to work in costuming for the film industry.

Thanks Sharon!!!

Interview with a Bellydancer: Johnji (John Collins)

Thanks to Johnji (John Collins) who dances with LotusFire in Springfield, IL for agreeing to do an interview for the "Interview with a Bellydancer" series.

I met Johnji during the ATS ® with Props DVD tour when Dawn, Terri and Beth were in Springfield, IL.  He is a very skilled and beautiful dancer.  He also taught me a valuable lesson about how to be a good workshop participant.  Since I sometimes help Dawn and Terri teach, I have experienced what it is like to have blank faces staring at you.  It is hard not to wonder if people like what you are doing. Sometimes "concentration face" looks like "mad face".  Johnji spent the entire workshop smiling, "yip"ing, and just pouring out positive energy.   I decided I am going to strive to be that person who lets the teacher know how much fun I am having!  So thanks, Johnji!  What a great lesson for all of us!

Johnji and Terri Woodliff 

Where are you from?  Jacksonville, IL

What is your proudest belly dance moment?  The first time I ever did a solo. Pridefest 2014 in Springfield, IL and I dance tribal fusion and did ATS ® swords with my troupe.

Johnji

What is your proudest non-belly dance moment?  After I lost 100lbs from exercise and dieting. I grew up a big kid in a big family and I've been living a healthy lifestyle ever since.

What is the last gift you gave?  After finding out I have a metal allergy, I bagged up all my dance jewelry and gave pieces to my dance sisters.

Johnji at the ATS ® with Baskets workshop that Dawn taught in April 2015

What is your best advice to student dancers?  Never give up, practice everyday, and smile no matter what happens.

What people don't know about me? I'm a perfectionist and won't let go of a dance move until I've done the best I can.

Thanks Johnji!!!

Interview with a Bellydancer: Patti Beaman

Thanks to Patti Beaman of Dayanisma and Blue Moon Dance Company for agreeing to participate in our "Interview with a Bellydancer" series!

From Lisa:  Patti is in Dayanisma with me and owns World in Motion Dance (WIM).  She opened WIM to create a space for the local bellydance community to come together for learning dance, sharing knowledge, supporting each other and having fun.  Her generosity of spirit and action is well known to her troupe members and our dance community.  She is a wonderful friend and an inspiration to us all.  We love you!!!

City and State: Cary, NC

Anything you want included about family, non-Bellydance job, other interests:

My family is all involved in dance: both of my daughters (Sara and Emily Beaman) are performers and instructors, and my husband (Brian Beaman)is a musician and a member of a local Middle Eastern band (The Lost Nomads). I don’t really have a non-bellydance job in that I own  World In Motion Dance, Movement & MusicCenter where I teach and which is Dayanisma’s home studio. My other interests include reading, walking, baking, cooking, word games and puzzles,  learning how to play doumbek, cuddling with my dog, Rosie,  and spending as much time as possible with my new grandson, Davy.

Patti and Davy

Interview Questions: Choose 5 (or more J) Couldn’t decide which ones to answer so I did them all ;-)

If you had superpowers, what would they be?

The ability to heal physical, mental and emotional conditions and injuries.

If I opened your refrigerator right now, what would I find?

Lots of fruit and veggies; lemonade; eggs; cupcakes (left over from my dog Rosie’s birthday!); goat’s milk yogurt, orange juice; condiments; lactaid milk; and various and sundry left overs. (Hmm, maybe I should go check to which of those leftovers are still edible!)

What is your favorite genre of books? 

That is so hard to pin down! Historical fiction, biography, fantasy, science fiction, non-fiction- I love them all. My favorite type of book is one from which I learn something new or something I want to investigate further.

Patti spinning at Down East Bellydance and Drum Festival 2014

If you were in a horror movie, what would be chasing you? 

Hmm, another tough question. I am not a horror movie fan so I don’t really know the tropes very well.  Maybe an ultra-conservative, neo-Nazi , religious zealot, bigot who hates animals and wants our country to become a theocracy?

What is your proudest Bellydance moment?

The grand opening of World In Motion.

What is your proudest non-Bellydance moment?

Whenever my children exhibit love, compassion, acceptance, and the courage to stand up for what they believe in.

What is the last gift you gave someone?

 I gave my daughter a gift certificate for a massage.

Classic, modern, or movement dialect and why?

I love them all- must I choose? If so, then I would say Dawn Ruckert’s movement dialect with baskets because it incorporates all 3 styles.

Channeling Elvis at TribalCon 2014

What is your best advice to student dancers?

Practice, practice, practice and then practice some more. Be gentle with yourself, especially at first. Don’t compare yourself to other students, your teacher or your belly dance idol- every body is different, every mind learns differently, everyone processes things at a different pace- it is not a competition or a race. Take classes from different teachers in different genres inside and outside of belly dance, and cross-train to increase strength and flexibility. Most importantly, have fun and dance with joy!

What is something most people don’t know about you?

I was present at an exorcism once.  A genuine, honest-to-goodness exorcism.  Really disturbing, scary, weird and fascinating all at the same time.

Thanks Patti!

Interview with a Bellydancer: Gaia Sophia

Thanks to Gaia Sophia from Darshana Tribal Belly Dance and World Tree Dance for agreeing to participate in our "Interview with a Bellydancer" series!

Darshana Tribal in the advertisement for 2016 Homecoming "Phone Home"
Top row: Krista, Terri, Megha, Carolena, Gaia Sophia, Dana
Bottom row:  Dawn, Patti, Cindy

I first met Gaia Sophia when Dawn and I attended her event, Tribal Wonderland, in 2014.  Her warmth and hospitality makes it no surprise that her events sell out!  She frequently (always?) wears a red shawl and it has come to symbolize her loving and kind nature.

Gaia Sophia is from Pine River, MN.  In addition to teaching belly dance, she is a massage therapist and a yoga teacher.  She is the "devoted homeschool momma of 4 and married to a beautiful man."  They "live a simple earthly hedgewitch life on [their] micro-farm."  "And [she] loves cake."

If you had superpowers, what would they be?  Powers, plural.  Wow, that is a lot to ponder. Hmmmm... I'll get back to you on that one.

(Look at the pic below, I think we can tell what her superpowers are.)

If I opened your refrigerator right now, what would I find? Cake, local beer, and kale. Maybe some other stuff too. ;)

What is your favorite genre of books? All of them. I find gems in every genre and don’t prefer one genre over another. A good book is what I look for. One of my favorite books is Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte.

If you were in a horror movie, what would be chasing you?  The director, because I’d be laughing too much at the absurdity of it all. I’m fearless and fabulous baby!

What is your proudest Bellydance moment? My first round of GS/TT/TT2 in 2012. I was away from home for 10 days, still nursing, and it was intense and incredibly rewarding. I will always be grateful for those 10 days.

What is your proudest non-Bellydance moment? Learning how to forgive.

What is the last gift you gave someone? I made a shimmy drill video for my sweetheart friend Freida.

Classic, modern, or movement dialect and why? All. Because dance is dance and all styles and approaches  are beautiful.

What is your best advice to student dancers? Dance for you. Dance every day, find a song that makes you move and just DANCE. Dance however, whenever, and for whatever reason. Just DANCE.

What is something most people don’t know about you? I fly airplanes. It’s been a while but I love to pilot single engine aircraft.

Thanks Gaia Sophia!

Dayanisma joins Third Eye Tribal on the TribalFest stage

Terri, Dawn, and Lisa during a calibrated spin sequence at Tribal Fest® 15

Sebastopol is a charming town in the middle of California wine country.  It is also the home to Tribal Fest®, the first and largest Tribal bellydance festival in the world hosted by Kajira Djoumahna of BlackSheep BellyDance.  Last Wednesday, Dawn and Lisa met Terri (of Third Eye Tribal and Lisa's sister) to take workshops, visit with old and new friends, and perform in the Saturday evening show.

There is so much to tell it is difficult to know where to begin!  The workshops were amazing.  The highlight was an advanced ATS® workshop with Carolena where we learned about ordering steps to create an engaging performance that is visually pleasing to the audience.  Later we had some fun with Carolena by "parking" in her private parking place.

"Parking" in Carolena's spot

We saw old friends from ATS® Homecoming and made lots of new friends.  A highlight was when Seba Blanchard and Kristen Cortenbach Duerr from WildCard BellyDance stopped by right after our performance with kudos, hugs and much love.  We got to see them dance earlier in the day and they lit the stage on fire- so beautiful and talented!

<3 LOVE <3

That reminds me... the TribalFest® crowd... WOW!  We loved this photo below from our performance taken by Chuck Lehnhard (Kajira's husband and co-event organizer).  The crowd was large and very enthusiastic.  We got lots of love during our dance (we could hear the cheering during an especially cool calibrated spin section of our dance- video to come soon), and off the stage we were greeted and hugged by friends and strangers.  Later that night at dinner we even had a man approach us (not in a creepy way) to tell us how much he loved our performance and to offer photos that he took.

Being on the TribalFest® stage was a dream come true.  Terri taught a workshop on ATS® with Veil this year and Dawn has been invited to teach ATS® with Baskets at next year!  Kajira asked us to perform with veils and baskets and it was a blast!  We used music from the Dayanisma CD, Beauty in Unity, and performed a slow veil and a fast basket dance.  After it was over we were filled with relief and joy because we all felt pleased with the way we danced.

We are all home now, dealing with dirty laundry, piled up work, and fatigue from too many late nights... but it was definitely worth it.  So, what do you say, let's do it again next year!!!

Interview with a Bellydancer: Lisa Allred

Hi- This is Lisa interviewing Lisa.  I am going to be writing a series for the Dayanisma blog called "Interview with a Bellydancer."  I have been interviewing and writing blogs on so many amazing dancers over the last couple of weeks and I can't wait to post them here over the coming months.  If I haven't contacted you and you would like to participate in this series, by all means, message me on Facebook or send me an email.  I would love to interview you too!!!

So for the first in the series, here is my interview with me!  (I was going to launch the series by publishing the first interview with our troupe director, Dawn Ruckert, but she hasn't gotten it back to me yet- lol.)

I am Lisa Allred and I dance with Dayanisma and Third Eye Tribal.  I live in Raleigh, NC with my daughter, my dad, and my dog.  My daughter started bellydancing when she was 4 (she is 15 now) and helps me teach mother/daughter workshops.  She isn't really dancing other than those workshops because she started competitive shooting- quite the combination of hobbies!

My favorite pic from Homecoming 2015

What is your favorite genre of books?  I like mystery novels.  Reading them is a great way to  de-stress because you can get completely involved in the story.

If you were in a horror movie, what would be chasing you?  My daughter, Kristin, gets credit for this awesome question.  It would definitely be something supernatural.  I have this approach/avoidance thing going on.  It fascinates me and terrifies me at the same time.

With Kristin getting ready to dance 2015

What is your proudest Bellydance moment?  Performing at Homecoming 2015.  I danced with my sister, Terri, and Dayanisma.  Really awesome experience!  The atmosphere was so positive and supportive.  I have never felt so much love from an audience.

What is your proudest non-Bellydance moment?  In the early 90s I was the chair of a coalition that successfully changed the marital rape law in NC.  Before then it was legal for a husband to rape his wife.  I was in my early 20s and lots of powerful women came to the table to work together on this project.  It was exciting and terrifying.

Lisa, Patti, Ming, and Natalie goofing before the ATS ® with Props DVD shooting 2014

What is something most people don’t know about you?   I used to practice Iyengar yoga as fanatically as I now bellydance.

Stay tuned for some fun interviews with some amazing dancers!  Lisa

15 Tribal Costume Care Tips

15 Tribal Costume Care Tips

by Patti Beaman

1.  After each performance, lay your bra and belt face down to air for at least a day.  This allows any sweat to evaporate and helps keep the costume smelling fresh and prevents moisture from damaging the costume.  A wooden drying rack works really well for this.

Dawn Ruckert, Dayanisma troupe director

2. Store costumes in containers that allow them to breathe such as pillow cases of fabric packing cubes, never in plastic or anything air tight.  Use silica gel packets to help absorb residual moisture.

3.  Store heavy skirts folded, not hung, preferably in something breathable.  Some folks twist and then knot them prior to storage.  One trick is to fold them and store them in a hanging shoe storage bag.

4.  Removing smells from non-washable items: mix half vodka, half water and spray the inside of the garment; let it air dry in fresh air if possible, but be careful of exposing it to direct sunlight and be sure to test it on a small inconspicuous spot first.

5.  Hand wash washable fabrics in a small basin or bowl with baking soda, Woolite, or baby shampoo in cool water.

6.  Line your bra with felt either with large basting stiches, Velcro or snaps that will make it easily removable to wash or replace after it absorbs moisture and perspiration.

7.  Reinforce bra/belt hooks with embroidery thread making them less likely to pop and more durable through multiple performances.

8.  Hand sew strong bias tape along the inside back of your belt to use when pinning skirts and/or pantaloons to the belt.  Use diaper pins as they are less likely to pop open when performing.

9.  When making a tassel, an easy way to make sure they are all even is to push them tassel first through a toilet paper roll, and then trim the excess.

10.  When making coin bras, be sure not to put holes in American coins- it is illegal to deface American money!  Embroidery thread or fishing line is best to attach coins/embellishments securely.

11.  Store your bindi in a pill box/organizer- easy to see which one you want to wear and also portable for when traveling.

12.  Cover a bulletin board with pretty fabric and hang your jewelry on it using push pins/silver tacks.  Decorative and utilitarian!

13.  Tack a length of ribbon to your wall or door and clip your hair flowers to it- another decorative and useful way to store them.  This also will keep them from getting crushed and make it easy to find the colors you want to wear!

14.  To keep jewelry protected and looking its best, store it carefully.  Don't just throw it together into a single drawer or box.  Invest in a compartmentalized jewelry box or use sets of pouches and bags- small cloth bags with drawstring tops work particularly well and can also double as storage for your jewelry when you travel.

15.  Store beaded jewelry, especially necklaces, flat so that the stringing material does not stretch.  One method is rolling a soft cloth such as velvet around them one by one so each necklace is completely embedded in the fabric and then storing them in shoe boxes (or boot boxes if they are rreally long).

DVD with Props Tour: Springfield, IL

On April 24th, Dawn joined Beth with Tamarind and Terri with Third Eye Tribal for the second stop on the ATS (R) with Props DVD Tour.

L to R: Terri, Beth, Tammy, Heather, Dawn

LotusFire Bellydance hosted weekend workshops with baskets, veils, and fans that were attended by ATS(R) dancers and others from the local dance community.   Heather Voigt and Tammy Clostermery were wonderful hostesses who put together these well-attended workshops and an amazing Sat night show!  There are some very talented dancers in Springfield.

Lisa accompanied Dawn and helped her with the enthusiastic crowd in the basket workshop.

Springfield, IL basket workshop participants

Lisa and Dawn danced with veils and baskets in the Sat night show with Terri.  We aren't going to post the video because we will be doing the same songs at TRIBALFEST in two weeks!  And then we got to do a really fun and completely unrehearsed improv with Beth, Jocelyn, and Juliet from Tamarind and Terri from Third Eye Tribal.  Here it is:

Dayanisma, Tamarind, and Third Eye Tribal


Enjoy!

Dayanisma welcomes 3 new dancers!!!!

New Associate Members Teresa and Karen pose with Natalie and Ming



New Associate Members Teresa and Sharon being silly
with Ming and Natalie at ATS (R) Homecoming

We are thrilled to announce the new Associate Members of Dayanisma: Karen Hoover, Sharon Walker and Teresa Kesselman.  These beautiful dancers have worked tirelessly to develop their dance skills and technique and each is an amazing performer in her own right.  In addition, this is an extraordinary group of strong and positive women who are very welcome additions to our Dayanisma family.  For more information about Karen, Sharon and Teresa, please check out their bios located on our Troupe Member page. ~ Dawn

Photo shoot

On Saturday afternoon Dayanisma troupe members had a photo shoot with the talented Paul Cory.  Paul had found some interesting spots in downtown Durham, NC.   The official pics aren't out yet, but we wanted to share some photos of the photo shoot!

Patti and Lisa with Dawn in the background

It was chilly and some of the photos required us to dance in bare feet on uneven ground.  Numb toes are a small price to pay, right?

Huddling for warmth while the lovely Patti was posing

It was about 50 degrees outside.  The breeze was chilly but the sun was shining and the day was beautiful!

Patti posing for the winning shot
with Paul behind the camera and his assistant on lighting

Paul is a really talented photographer.  He let us peek at his camera after some of the shots.  His composition and use of lighting is impressive.  We can't wait to see the final products.


Photo shoot in downtown Durham, NC;
we asked for gritty so one location was an ally

Stay tuned for the professional troupe pics from Paul!