 Updates from victoria
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The second half of tour week five has come and we have ventured into my home state of Texas! The instant we crossed into the state, our Starbucks stop made it loud and clear that we were definitely in Texas. In each direction white washed jeans, ranch boots, large leather belts, and teased up hair were prominent. The hotel in Dallas was definitely a reminder as well. Large competitive soccer teams took over the breakfast area with the parents decked out in team gear and the kids in uniforms, soccer socks, and Addidas sandals. I remember this sight well from my childhood soccer years. With all the familiarities of Texas, comes one more amazing thing, the belly dancing.
 Sa'diyya, her troupe, & me I was very blessed to grow up in the Texas belly dance community. Knowledge, dedication, and excitement are plentiful here. Isis & Sa’diyya really demonstrated this during our Dallas Club Bellydance show. Never expect anything short of isis wings, fan veils, canes, swords, capes, and crowns when you come to Dallas. The area loves to put on a full show anytime there is a chance and I adore thisabout Dallas dancers. They are so excited to put out their best and entertain the audience. Isis & Del pulled together a great venue and line up of dancers. We actually got the chance to tour Isis’s studio and it was absolutely amazing. There were a countless number of rooms, dancers, teachers, and dance supplies. I especially loved the drum class with six little children. It was simply wonderful and exciting to see children getting exposure to this great community at such a young age. Sa’diyya always amazes me with not only with her ability to dance but to fuse new ideas together. Her students were extremely kind and I could see such an eagerness to dance and learn in their eyes.
Austin has always had a plethora of talented dancers, each with a new take on the dance form. Bahaia and Sabaya Bellydance Collective put together another great Texas show. The staging, lighting, and costuming was impeccable. The Austin dance community is a fun, wild, and crazy scene that any belly dancer should experience at least once. I can’t wait to perform with them in Houston
 After the Austin Show and San Antonio.
I’m excited for the Houston show. We will get to see Bahaia and Sabaya Bellydance Collective again along with Silvia Salamanca, who is always a pleasure to watch. Karen Barbee and the Karavan company with be exciting to watch in San Antonio. Then it is off to El Paso for our last Texas show.
We have longer drives ahead, especially to El Paso, however visiting this familiar place is comforting. I haven’t made the drive to El Paso in almost six years. Lots of flat land and sand ahead. But it is all worth it because the dance community in El Paso is extremely lively and puts a wonderful flair into their pieces. This week is surely to be amazing and full of excellent performing.
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Yesterday was a day full of excitement, new experiences, and fun. It started off with a nice short drive, a Starbucks stop, and then off to Moria’s two workshops: Odessi Temple Dance & Serpentine. I was lucky enough to attend both. The workshops definitely pushed me out of my cabaret element. I really enjoyed getting to try something new. I am fascinated by the years of culture behind the
 Moria & her workshop students Odessi dance. The Serpentine workshop helped me really understand belly dance movements from another perspective. It was great getting to see how others think about the body’s movements. Not only were the topics interesting, but Moria’s teaching style and personality really made the workshops. She is so excited to share all her knowledge with her students.
With sore muscles and an empty stomach, it was off to find lunch and the venue. We filled our stomachs with some burgers and ventured into the maze-like venue. It had a great industrial. The building had three floors, each filled with a variety of entertainment. The third floor held the evening’s stage. A winding hallway led us past a small stage and bar into a larger room with another stage. The interior décor complimented the industrial building. Then we were off to put on our makeup and do our hair.
The most unforgettable part of the day was the sponsors and participants in the show. The dancers were so excited and antsy to start off the show. The show involved a variety of styles, some including modern fusion and bollywood. The audience gave us great feedback with zagareets, clapping, and screaming. We really love when we can hear the audience’s excitement. After the show, we had a great time talking with the dancers, taking photos, and meeting the audience. For me, this is the best part of the Club Bellydance tour. I’ve gotten a chance to really see exactly how many wonderful bellydance communities the US has. After a meet & greet, we had a small feast after the show with the sponsors. They had decked out the dressing room with fruit, vegetables, hummus, chocolate, and more. Today we also looked through our little goody bags they gave us and found all sorts of makeup and body products. I was elated. They really took care of us. We couldn’t have asked for any more.
I truly enjoyed our day in Des Moines, Iowa!
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Today was our traveling day from Memphis to St. Louis. We had a little treat and visited the famous Graceland. We wondered around Elvis Presley’s mansion for at least an hour admiring all the little details. Each room was more elaborate than the next. The rooms each had a distinctive theme that all would inspire a new and a fun costume.
His living room would make a great cabaret costume. The room is ordained with crisp white carpet and white furniture. Bright blue curtains spice up the fresh white. And to top it off, red, yellow, and blue stained glass frames the door way, adding a shine factor. Two huge peacocks are inserted in the stained glass. Just imagine a full white skirt with a blue insert peaking out when the dancer spins. And a sequin bra and belt set made to replicate the gorgeous stained glass. The beading could give the illusion of peacocks, but in the red, blue and yellow color scheme, not the traditional peacock colors. It could be quite a classy look.
The pool room was covered head to toe with pleated paisley patterned carpet. It had a masculine feel mixed with the feminine softness of the fabric. The deep green of the pool table top was accentuated by the fabric walls and ceiling. More stained glass was used in the room’s main lighting fixture. A vintage tribal costume with some sparkle could be created. Maybe pants with a panel skirt made of paisley fabric could be the base. The belt and bra could incorporate the same fabric but pleated throughout the outfit with pieces of glass beads and stones to create a stained glass affect.
His den and hideaway area was the most graphic and 60’s inspired. The walls were painted with graphic shapes in blue and yellow. The bar contained bright yellow bar stools and table tops. The fire place was decorated with mirror from floor to ceiling. Also the entire ceiling was mirrored. TVs and records lined the room. And lastly it was accented with yellow carpet and a deep blue couch that wrapped around the entire room. This could inspire both cabaret and tribal costumes. The mirrors definitely could play into the beading and shine of the costume. A draping of silver reflective sequins could hang down one slit of the skirt and even weave into the lower half; giving the appearance of dripping broken mirror pieces. The graphic circular shapes and lines could be used to create an interesting sleeve.
The last inspiring room was his jungle room. Boy this one has almost everything. A custom water fall made of stone and plants. Fur chairs and couches with hand carved wood bases. Huge monkey, elephant, and tiger figurines. And plush green carpet. Quite a room. A rustic animal print skirt with a textured belt would be amazing. Especially if the skirt was for fitting with a slit down one leg. Feathers, stones, and touches of green could make a fun bra and belt set. A nice anklet could add some animal spice to it. Lastly a head piece, placed on the opposite side as the slit, made with an exotic flower, leaves, and animal print fabric would top it all off. A great tribal edge could be added as well. Large metallic pieces and tooth like pieces could enhance the roughness of the belt.
Graceland could make some amazing bellydance costumes. Thanks to the traveling involved with the Club Bellydance tour, now I have some great inspirations. Now off to St. Louis for our next show!
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Two weeks into the tour and it has never once been short of a whirlwind. We have made our way through Canada and part of the US with a couple of bags, a massive amount of costumes, and glitter galore. This is my first driving tour with the Bellydance Superstars and I felt quite wide-eyed and anxious during the beginning of it all. However, over just these few weeks I’ve had so many wonderful  experiences. First of all, just having the chance to work with Sabah, Moria, Stefanya, and Sabrina is incomparable. These dancers are nothing short of professional, entertaining, and caring. Every single one of them has helped me with performance methods, musicality, and adapting to the road. Traveling and essentially living with them has also been entertaining to say the least. Our personalities fit together quite well and there is never a dull moment. The amount of tips and little tricks I have learned is ridiculous. Here are just a few. 1. How to put on fishnets in 15 seconds flat
2. How to grocery shop for nutrious after show snacks
3. How to make my hair so big that even Texans beauticians would consider it big
4. What dancing on a raised stage is like
5. The secrets of glitter application
6. How to make a continental breakfast into an almost gourmet meal
7. How to maneuver Bella criss cross bras during quick changes
8. What fall color trees look like…unfortunately Texas doesn’t really get these
9. How to dance on oddly shaped stages
and it has only been two weeks!
Sabrina introduced me to a great 3 am comforting snack. Hot chocolate mix made with coffee maker hot water and two packets of half and half. Each night, no matter how long we have been traveling nor how long we have been dancing, the hot choclate is amazing. Turning on the comedy channel and drinking hot chocolate is my little sleep time comfort.
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Our first full week of shows has come and gone and it was absolutely amazing. We have so many more weeks full of experiences and fun in front of us. As the tour goes on, I realized how much my two very different lives are becoming intertwined. For the last three years, I have been studying engineering and working towards my degree. Math has always been a strong suit of mine while dance has grown to be my love. Mixing my artistic mom with my engineer dad, somehow resulted in my bellydancing & engineering life. When I’m off tour, my days are filled with dance, teaching, studying, and programming. Quite a difference in spectrums, however the correlations are slowly coming through. My understanding of music and choreography isn’t all emotional but rather very analytical. Anytime I create or even learn a piece, it requires a systematical process. Each piece is then topped with musically evoked emotions. This is the same for studying engineering. During project presentations, my belly dance performance and teaching experiences really come in handy. Many engineers aren’t well… known for their speaking capability. Not only does belly dance help my public speaking skills but it emphasizes the importance of audience interaction. The key relationship between the dancer and the audience can be transformed to the one between the presenter and the classroom audience. The cosmetology, packing, and traveling aspects of this tour all help my engineering side. The efficiency analysis, computer programming, and business background of my engineering study helps my belly dancing side. Having the incredible experience of being part of the Bellydance Superstars and learning endless amounts of knowledge is a dream. I’m very lucky to pursue many facets of knowledge.
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Victoria
10:16 am on September 19, 2011 |
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Tomorrow is the day! I fly to Canada to delve into the Club Bellydance tour! This weekend was filled with laundry, sewing, and practicing. For a little relaxation, I enjoyed lying out in the Texas sun. For us in the South, it is still time for pools, lakes, and barbeques. The past couple of months have consisted of brutal heat above 105. I looked into the Canada weather in order to determine the appropriate clothes… well, tomorrow will be fun! From takeoff to landing I will experience a 40 degree drop in temperature. This tour will be quite a weather relief for me.
I’m elated to see the entire tour come together. I love working on choreography and costuming. The last tour was the farthest thing from my typical daily life in Texas. To be with women who are so enthralled and dedicated to dance and show production is like nothing else I’ve experienced. Preparing for this tour has filled me with anticipation and excitement and now it is all about to play out!
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Before my belly dance days, I was a competitive soccer player for almost 11 years. My family and I traveled throughout Texas to tournaments and games every weekend. My mom’s green and tan suburban was our own little tour bus. Dance wasn’t exactly in my family’s background. My older sister was interested in a belly dance class and I decided to join in. Eventually I left my soccer cleats and baggy uniforms for hip scarves and yoga pants. Before a few months ago, I had never really explored other dance styles. 
Over this summer, I decided to delve into ballet and jazz. These were both quite a challenge for me. The techniques and terminology are definitely new worlds to me. My first class was a memory overload. However, as the weeks have passed, I’ve noticed a difference in my belly dance technique. The great posture and balance from ballet helps me with my body awareness and spinning. Soon after the ballet and jazz started, I decided to take yoga and pilates classes. And boy the difference they made. The yoga is a great way for me to unwind and stretch while pilates is helping me strengthen my body. After every pilates class, I’m quite worked out and sore, however it has paid off. I feel much more stable while turning, more controlled during my backbends, and my stamina has increased. I’m hoping soon to take more of these classes and even start up latin dancing.
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With almost two weeks left, I’m excited and antsy about the Club Bellydance tour. All my preparations are coming together. All of the packing, practicing, and sewing have been months in the making. My costumes are vamped up, hemmed, and fitted. I’m in love with Turkish costumes. The intricate beading and fringe are amazing, not to mention the bling factor. I’ve collected all types of makeup and hair products for sparkly eyes and va-va-va-voom hair. Oh but the lip liner has taken awhile for me to figure out. Quite a task. I also have been working on my solo piece and all of its final fixes. Working through the last bits of my piece made me think “How do I create choreography?”
For me, music is my inspiration. When I find myself getting excited about each section of a song, I know it is the song for me. I really enjoy breaking down each section of music and incorporating moves that sustain the music’s essence. While pictures, people, and places might be a major inspiration for other dancers they aren’t a major inspiration for me. I love it when I feel the music telling a story on its own. The dance enhances the piece. Typically I can’t choose a single song. I always have a handful of songs, each having a special flare and I want to use them all. This is where my remixing comes in handy. Putting together multiple songs and effects enables me create my own book of little stories.
What inspires you to move: A dancer? A place? A piece of music?
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I have to admit I am addicted to editing music and altering each little repetition and beat. I created my own remix for my solo piece and now it’s time to alter each little move. Every tiny step or hip movement has to have an intention, purpose, and place. Any dancer knows that this can be quite a task! My past four days were filled with belly dancing, live music, workshops, and of course costumes in Dallas, Texas. This was surely enough to get my mind juices flowing. With hours of shows and dancers from around the world, including the lovely Moria Chappell, Jayna, and drummer Issam Houshan, now I have too many ideas! This week I’m piecing together each concept and trimming the extras (I’m going to stash these in my little drawer of ideas). The theme for my solo is a remix on its own. It mixes drama, elegance, and excitement all into a few minutes of dancing. It has a spin on traditional Egyptian and Turkish dancing with a dash of Latin and Russian influence. Choosing a costume for this one was well..quite interesting.  I’m excited to see it all come together and share it with all the participants of Club Bellydance!
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