Reflections about Dancing Together, Trust and Passion
This is blog is dedicated to a special experience I had this summer teaching an Oriental Dance Choreography Program and performing with my students for the 10th Annual Miami Bellydance Convention. It is about a unique human interaction that inspires and fortifies the power of Oriental Dance down to our own little Miami, Belly Motions community. A quaint and humble little story that brings women together under one umbrella, rain or shine.
“There is a vitality, a life force, an energy, a quickening that is translated through you into action, and because there is only one of you in all of time, this expression is unique. And if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium and it will be lost.”
On the day of our last rehearsal sweetest Sandra shared this quote with the team. We had experienced 5 months of choreography, training and preparation for the 10th Year Anniversary of the Miami Bellydance Convention, a large-scale belly dance event that happens in Miami that Belly Motions, our dance studio, decided to be a part of. This was one of the many beautiful things the ladies shared throughout our summer journey.
We started in April soon after our Annual Belly Motions Theater show (12 year anniversary for the studio). Six women decided to take on this challenge of learning a new choreography and present it in a Belly Dance Environment. The style I chose to teach was a Modern Egyptian Baladi, which can be quite challenging in terms of understanding the musicality, history, and feeling of movement. I believed in heart these ladies could rise and shine to this!
At first, some were not sure if they liked “Baladi,” and some weren’t sure if they even knew what that meant. They gave their trust, open minds, and passion for the art despite that because they believe in the many doors that this Oriental Dance opens for them. We laughed, joked about our “solos,” even had some hard times with vacations planned, gave each other wonderful little gifts just because, like candles and matching bracelets – and we made it through because of teamwork! My ladies may not be professional dancers, but more importantly they are passionate enthusiasts, professionals in their own fields as teachers, government officials, real estate agents, etc…. They are beautiful inside and out and they represent the many other wonderful women whom I and Belly Motions has worked with, taught and reached in our classes and events.
In rehearsal mode!
Authentic human interaction is in danger of being lost in the grand ocean of technology that is sweeping us away whether we feel it or not. This is not a generational thing – this is a societal problem. I believe that my mission is clear and has been for the last 12 years that I chose to have Dance and Art as my career; this is to share and inspire through the arts. Thank you to my Baladi girls, Samantha, Mari, Luci, Maria, Sandra and Andrea, for all of your hard work, dedication and passion. This wasn’t a journey “just to perform” but a journey to learn and grow together, and that is what molds beautiful friendships.
Here are some quotes from them that I’d like to share:
“Ladies, thank you for a beautiful journey. I’ve grown and learned more about myself because of this experience. You all made me better. You will always have a piece of my heart! Sam, it wouldn’t have been the same without the solo hair toss!!! I loved it! We made memories!” – Sandra
”Love this beautiful group shot of us! It's reminder of hard work, dedication and heart to an art form that has transcended time. We are all a group of diverse women: an artist, a teacher, a police officer, a lawyer, one in government administration, one in finance and one in the medical field yet we come together as one and are more alike than we all thought! I love you ladies and I'm so proud of us! Thank you from the bottom of my heart! We rocked that stage and the 10th year of the Miami Belly Dance Convention 2017 will forever be in our memories!” – Mari
“We said yes to embracing a beautiful challenge and we learned that limits only exist in the mind! Alexandra Molina inspired us to dream and listen with the soul ❤” - Andrea
“As we listen to the song it brings us so much joy and beautiful memories of each rehearsal. Girls we have reached very far with this dance routine ... at first this song sounded like one Mumbo jumbo rhythm. I didn't know how the routine was going to be put together yet I was intrigued. I didn't know what Baladi was. Honestly, I didn't like the song but I'm into trying new things ... I'm SO glad I did.... now we can hear every beat, every drum, every melody of this song and know which move to do. Every time I hear the song it tickles my heart, giggles my spirits and above all I was glad I experienced this with the most amazing women I have met. I'm proud to have Alexandra as an instructor and for putting this beautiful dance routine together. We can all say she released her Lebanon fiery on us when she came back from her mesmerizing trip. Her spirit uplifted us every Sunday. She definitely put the juice in our shimmy. As we aboard our last class rehearsal I'm taking in all the fun and learning memories. Thanks for a beautiful summer.” – Maria
