Today I Danced

Hurry Up Spring

2011-02-03T11:40:00.000-08:00

Tuesday's practice.

I haven't danced today yet but late last night I did some leg lifts. Boy are my legs heavier than when I was 22. It's like lifting a log. I used to do leg lifts daily and I need to get back into that habit. Also, once again I'm not as flexible as I once was. Aging sucks in so many ways. It's been cold out, so no fun dancing outside.

Back to the Dance Floor

2011-01-31T11:37:00.000-08:00

I lost a few days there to sickness, but the dizziness is gone and I got to dance last night, and will hopefully do so again today. The anti-dizziness pills made me extremely drowsy, so I think I slept through Friday and Saturday.

Dizziness

2011-01-28T23:25:00.001-08:00

The last 10 days I've been suffering from dizzy spells. I saw the Dr. yesterday and he thinks I have a sinus virus. Since viruses don't respond to antibiotics, he gave me some motion sickness pills and I guess I have to let the thing run it's course. So no dancing until I can spin without making my head ache.

Pink Veil For Valentine's Day

2011-01-21T18:17:00.000-08:00

Today I combined my belly dancing and juggling practice together. I didn't do all that much but now my back and hips ache. Then again I was pretty stiff to begin with. Sometimes if I work out more the stiffness melts away. Sometimes it just gets worse, so I'm not really sure which way this is going to go. Maybe I should go take a nice hot shower.

I got this veil fabric for $1 a yard. Score! Perfect for Valentine's Day. I still have to hem it though.Wed.


The same veil during practice yesterday. It looks like solid pink when it's blurry.	Thursday.

Sword

2011-01-18T13:56:00.000-08:00

Monday's photo was me working on hand movements.
Today's photo is of sword practice.

Photos from the Weekend

2011-01-18T10:34:00.000-08:00

Me at Angel's Melee in La Cresenta CA

Dancing Under the Oaks at La Crescenta Park

On my way to dance in Pasadena

Alleycat

2011-01-14T00:27:00.000-08:00

I was a bit sore from my walk yesterday, especially in my hips. So I did some slow belly dance hipwork today. Once I didn't feel so stiff anymore I was able to move on to some ribcage circles. I have some sore muscles right under my bottom ribs in the back. Several times throughout the day I pause to stretch. I'm getting used to dancing in the alley in front of my garage door. I'm thinking of taking my oriental rug out there and rolling it out so I can do some floorwork. My neighbors do odd things in the alley too, everything from smoking pot to dumpster diving, so I'm learning to ignore their weird stares. I'm tempted to start a new troupe and dub it the alleycat dancers. Anyone else want to come dance in my alley? It would be a nice change from the people that meet in the alley to drink beer.

Dancing Then Walking

2011-01-12T10:31:00.000-08:00

I realize I'm not getting nearly enough cardio in my dance workout. Don't get me wrong, belly dancing can be very aerobic if you have enough room to do floor work, traveling steps and combinations. But I just don't have the space right now to do any of those things.

Since it's a beautiful day out, I decided to take a long walk after I did my step work. Walking with a camera in hand is always much more fun.

Today I got Re-inspired by Richard Simmons

2011-01-11T23:01:00.000-08:00

Day 11

Day 8

Richard Simmons was on Ellen today and he is 63 and looks fab. So he's still teaching fitness at 63 and I'm ten years younger. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CTxkxG3DF4k

Mile Square Park Day 9

Day 10

Photos from Day 8, 9, 10, and 11

Dancing with babe in arms. Day 7

2011-01-08T01:23:00.000-08:00

I met my grandson for the first time. I was keeping him busy so mom could eat lunch. I was on a heated patio at Patillo's doing a little belly dancing with my grandson in my arms. No photos of that though. You'll just have to take my word for it. I do have photos of my grandson coming soon though. They are still in the camera and it's late.

Day Five and Six

2011-01-07T00:28:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I worked on hand rolls from Nika's video. Then today I did a bit of improv, make a wee video, and then my boyfriend came out to grind some arrows. I wasn't particularly keen on practicing in front of him so that was it for the day.

Day 4

2011-01-04T16:37:00.000-08:00

Today I did some stretches on my bed. The front of my thighs sure are tight.

Then I practiced my diamond hip step, shimmies in place, arm and hand undulations, and shoulder stretches. I hope to regain some of my flexibility.

Day 3

2011-01-04T02:12:00.000-08:00

Another cold windy day. Once the rain stopped I tried my best to dance on the patio. When we get a break in the weather I'll need to make me some space to dance somewhere, somehow.

To help myself stay motivated, I bought some belly dance attire on line today for my birthday. It won't be here for a few weeks but now I have something to look forward to.

Veil Dance

2011-01-02T17:36:00.000-08:00

New Year's Day 2011

My goal this year is to belly dance every day. So on New Year's Day I got off to a good start, but today was dark, rainy and cold. I finally got myself out there about 5 PM and did some veil work on the porch. I miss having a dance studio. This isn't going to be any fun unless I find an indoor place to dance for the rest of the winter.

Day two...cold and wet.

Morris Dancing

2009-10-05T23:50:00.000-07:00

Morris dancing and other photos of the LA Pagan Pride event I went to yesterday.

Morris Dancers at Pagan Pride LA

2009-10-04T21:50:00.000-07:00

I was disappointed that there were no belly dancers at this year's Pagan Pride LA event. Or maybe if there were they left before we arrived. But there were some Morris Dancers with wonderful costumes and bells of course.
I took a wee bit of Morris Dance classes once and wish I'd gotten good enough to perform it.

Dancing and Juggling

2009-08-18T21:30:00.000-07:00

My neighbor had his music cranked way up but I actually liked what he was playing so I danced to it out on my patio in the dark. If you can't beat 'em, join 'em. Then that made me think about juggling so I got out my juggling clubs and juggled in the dark too. HA.

Irvine Ren Faire

2009-08-08T10:11:00.000-07:00

I'm getting dressed up for a Ren faire in Irvine today. I hope to see dancers. Belly dancers or country dancers or at least parades with dancers. I'm getting all dressed up. If I get a chance I'm going to dance too. This is a regular fair until 5 PM then it switches to fantasy fair mode, which I'm really looking forward to. In fact I'm going to do my hair differently for the night time event.

Beating the Heat

2009-08-07T13:29:00.001-07:00

Today I got up before it was hot, cleared room on the patio, and did a bunch of dance stretches. I never realized how stiff I am right as I get up in the morning. I had to take it really really easy. But within ten minutes I felt much more limber.

Same Woman That Did the Youtube Video

2009-07-03T17:10:00.001-07:00

The is the same dancer that did the Fat Rant in the last post. I think she is awesome and she makes me want to dance more. I looked a lot like that before I gained a lot more weight in the last ten years. Aw well hope springs eternal.

The Madder I Get the More I Want to Dance

2009-07-03T16:52:00.001-07:00

This is a cross post I put on my Big Beautiful Belly Dancing Tribe on Tribe.net.

Sometimes it seems like we are working and working on building up our self esteem. Learning to dance is a piece of cake compared to learning to keep your self esteem in a good place.

Today I posted on Flickr some photos of my legs for 'Fishnet Friday'. Now I do get a lot of good comments on my photos, but somehow those don't really stick with me. But a woman on Flickr left a comment that was only 2 words. And those 2 words sent me into an emotional tailspin, once again making me wonder why we let such trivialities affect our fragile little egos. Those two words were 'Ugly Woman". I blocked her, but then after I got my head together I went to look at her photo stream. She has 1984 in her flickr name so I'm thinking she's about 25. Other than the headshot on her avatar, the rest of her photos are blocked from public view. In short, she can dish it out but can't take it. But enough about her.

I went to Youtube to listen to a vlog I had seen last year about fat belly dancers. Let me put the link below.

Basically we all have days when we feel pretty and days when we feel ugly, but when all is said and done we still have to live our lives. I don't want to give up any of my dreams or my life because random people think I'm ugly. I wish I could just put this issue to bed once and for all and just love myself, like myself, like the way I look in the mirror, and just not care what others think. The haters are out there, have always been out there, and aren't going away anytime soon. And the more you put yourself out there in public, whether it's on youtube, or dancing at you local events, you will no doubt attract some of these haters that have nothing better to do than take a shot.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HpjA_eNPbqA

The photo here is the one they left the comment on.

Funny Pirate Belly Dance Video

2009-07-03T16:30:00.000-07:00

Oh how I can relate to some of those crazy times of trying to get set up to belly dance.

This should get you in the mood to dance

2009-06-29T13:58:00.001-07:00

This will get your blood pumping. All girl dance team.

Reason to Dance #4

2009-05-12T23:26:00.000-07:00

Stretching on the porch.
Reason to dance #4: Because dance isn't just for young people.

100 Reasons to Dance

2009-05-11T10:51:00.000-07:00

I decided to write about my dance project here:
http://hubpages.com/hub/100-Reasons-to-Dance

I love that there are so many dance videos on Youtube. Any kind of dance you can imagine is over there. So if you need inspiration it's only a click away. But make sure you don't get too sucked in. You still need to get out there and dance today or tonight.

Reasons to Dance #2

2009-05-10T21:42:00.000-07:00

I started a new set on Flickr called 'Reasons to Dance'. Instead of focusing on reasons NOT to dance, I'm focusing on reasons to dance. Right now my feet hurt from dancing. But that's a good sign. It means my body has noticed I'm doing something new.
Reason #2 To get rid of the knots I got from sitting in front of the computer all day.

Reason to Dance #1 To Celebrate World Belly Dance Day

2009-05-09T21:53:00.000-07:00

I didn't get to go to the festival to celebrate because of family commitments, but I at least took out my dancing cane to add my energy to WBDD.

Burlesque Night

2009-05-07T11:19:00.001-07:00

I love all kinds of dance so I wasn't going to miss an opportunity to go to a burlesque show in Fullerton, CA last night. I took some photos and I'll put some of the milder ones here. I do love the costumes. I wish the music had been more appealing. No flash photography was allowed but I think the blurs add to the feel of it anyway. I think the name of the group was Shimmy and Shake but don't quote me on that. It was late and my head was in a fog.

Can't Judge a Book By It's Cover

2009-04-13T15:39:00.000-07:00

Next time you feel too unattractive to succeed, study this: http://buzz.yahoo.com/buzzlog/92464?fp=1 And check out how many times Simon smiles.

Torso and Hips

2009-02-16T21:38:00.000-08:00

Today I focused on hip circles and rib cage slides. I'm hoping to trim and firm the area between my torso and my knees. Hopefully it will help with some lower back pain I'm having as well. This chilly weather makes me achy. If I let it get too cold in the apartment my teeth and joints start to ache. It rained a lot today so I stayed indoors. My boyfriend to walk to his truck a block over and he said he was soaked to the waist by the time he reached his truck. Nothing like getting to work on a Monday all soggy.

Evening stroll

2009-01-12T18:25:00.000-08:00

I felt so fat and out of shape after having a cold for a week, so I went for a 30 min. walk. Venus is rising and looked beautiful against the cerulean sky. At one point I saw what looked to be a dead kitten laying on the grass along the sidewalk, but it was a crow. That sounds ominous.

It's so balmy out that even in a sleeveless t-shirt it felt hot outside.
My right hip and left ankle were really stiff and on the painful side, but about 20 minutes into it the soreness went away for a bit.

Setbacks

2009-01-12T16:41:00.001-08:00

For five days I had a miserable cold. I spent a lot of time laying down or sitting on the couch. Now that I can start working out again, I feel so far behind. Like there is just too much of me and nothing is changing and I could just scream about that. Oh how I envy people that don't have weight issues. This photo shows exactly how I feel. I took it yesterday.

Superstars of Dance

2009-01-05T22:01:00.000-08:00

I had left the TV on but on mute earlier and when I walked into the living room to dance, I saw that Superstars of Dance was just starting it's second hour. So I got to dance along with their music.

In a way that show is like apples and oranges. How can a judge compare hip hop to Russian ballet and African fusion? I couldn't do it.

The first group I saw was from India and I loved, loved, loved it. The women wore skirts perched on their hips with either a center slit or a side slit and solid colored pants underneath and bikini style tops and Bollywood colors. I was disappointed that the judges gave them a lower score than I thought they deserved.

Then there was a couple from China who perform with the Big Apple Circus in New York. The woman stood on the guy's shoulders in point shoes and balanced on one foot and did an arabesque and more. Difficulty wise I'd give that a 15, but considering it's a dance competition and not circus skills or acrobatics, they got a pretty low score. Not really their venue.

The show was closed by a USA group called the Groovaloos. Hip Hop is not my favorite genre but they did a great routine full of complicated choreography. They came in second in groups so will advance on to the next show.

I loved the contemporary dancer from Australia. He stole my heart with a complicated and difficult routine that relied heavily on ballet training. Remarkable.

So I got to dance an hour and see an exciting show. But oh boy am I sore especially my lower back and my shoulders. Time for a hot shower.

The Legend Twyla Tharp

2009-01-05T20:47:00.001-08:00

Twyla Tharp on Creativity.

Dance Fast Before Its Too Late

2009-01-05T20:42:00.001-08:00

Ack, my boyfriend is coming back from his trip a week early. No midnight dancing for me. Sigh. Maybe I better do it right now before he gets home. I'm praying he doesn't plop his bins and suitcases right in the middle of my dance space. Anyone know how to make a circular force field?

Benjamin Button Movie~no spoilers~

2009-01-05T00:42:00.001-08:00

If you love ballet, be sure to go see Benjamin Button. The movie just came out.

The Midnight Hour

2009-01-05T00:34:00.001-08:00

The lovely thing about being alone tonight is I got to do my workout at midnight, something I never would have done if someone was trying to get some sleep in here. And at least for the moment, the living room is cleared out enough to dance in. I'll try to keep it clear, but my boyfriend is so often at cross purposes with that. He starts projects in there and doesn't clear them away for days. I thought I'd miss him more but I'm thrilled to have the space. For the last month his new bike (in pieces) has been parked in the living room. He only moved it because my daughter and son-in-law came to visit, and we had to fold out the sleeper sofa. It frustrates me that he won't do it just for me, but he'll do it for company. Every time I clear a dance space he fills it with boxes because 'there is no other place to set them down'. Well, where would he have set them if I didn't just clear a 10x10 foot space? I don't know if non-dancers will ever understand how much we need space we can work out in.

Lifting and chores

2008-12-20T22:50:00.000-08:00

Funny I should be posting this now because I didn't dance today. My back hurt too much so I had to lay down for an hour. I did dance the two days previously. I don't think it was the dancing that did me in but rather carrying bulky awkward loads. Between carrying tote bags of groceries, laundry, boxes, and cat food, my back has had enough for one day. I'd certainly rather be dancing.

Steampunk Doll

2008-12-06T16:43:00.000-08:00

I am inspired by this steampunk doll.

belly dancing

2008-11-29T11:02:00.001-08:00

More determined than ever to get my belly dancing skills back. Maybe I need to get some new music.

Stretching

2008-11-05T23:55:00.000-08:00

I've been too stiff from moving furniture to actually dance, but I am stretching every day and walking some so I can dance very soon. And once I get the apt. all reorganized I'll have more room to dance without the risk of breaking a leg.

Give Us This Day Our Daily Dance

2008-11-03T10:01:00.000-08:00

I think dance is so important to well-being and my well being in particular, that I've made this blog as a gentle reminder that I need to dance every day. I probably won't have time to do yet another daily blog, but the important thing is that I dance every day, not necessarily blog about dancing every day. I'd rather dance and not blog than blog and not dance. I spend too many hours sitting.