[Billion Belly March info]
[Belly Dance Convergence Week] [Calendar-at-a-Glance]
[registration form]
Ok, itıs almost July now. Iım pooped out. It is a little euphoric to be done with the Billion Belly March. It feels so still and quiet this week. Nice! A good time to reflect on how everything turned out. Lots of good things and a few mistakes to learn from. If I make a list of all the amazing professional belly dancers and musicians that have been a part of all of these events, it makes me very proud to have stirred up so much energy in the community. For Belly Con alone we hosted 18 dance instructors, 12 musicians and the parade drum core. Then to think how many students passed through the door in the past 2 weeks - how much growth has taken place and new relationships that have been cultivated? It is stellar!
We do not have the total numbers for the parade. ³Why?² you may ask. When you are dealing with so many people lots of things happen in their individual lives that change their plans. Especially in the summer. We had some people regretfully bow out and some sign on at the last minute. In the parade staging area people were coming and going and mixed in with other groups and floats. We took up 2 city blocks in some formations! We were so big and spread out it was hard to count and then, when we got started, there was no time to count. We will have to look at photos and try to count again. The internet is full of pictures of us.
My estimate: 13-14 Guest Dancers, Hasani, Kitiera, Elisa Gamal, Diana, Alelie (plus her student dancers), Suzanna, Indigo, Barb, Leslie and Dane on stilts; 12 Advanced String dancers; 75-85 Main String dancers; 24 Cane dancers; 15 drummers; 3 Zorna players, Claire, Habib and Michael Beach; 5 parade dance instructors, Dahlia, Laura Rose, Sarah Teller, Erik Brown and Delilah; 10-12 banner carriers; 5 water bearers; 8 out of town dancers; 2 stowaways, and 1 dancing photographer in red.
Approx 173 -186 bellies in all!
We had about 20 dancers doing the dances in their own home town by way of learning them on DVD and they shared them with troupes and students. So the amount of dancers involved and touched by this project was really huge. Then our postering and belly dance awareness letter writing reached far and wide to people who have never been aware of belly dance. Freinds in the audiance told me the crowd was buzzing in anticipation of our billion bellies!
Shannon Hall and those who sent out letters to the community, Dorothy Parvaz from the P.I. who wrote a good Article in the entertainment section 06/18, Ron and Don show on KIRO Radio, Jim Valley also at KIRO, Mark Dalton, Tiphany Overzat, Dahlia Moon, Christine and John Hamby, Brigette Samson, Cory, Mog, Doug and Lorraine Bigalow, Ken Hartford and Laura Legere, Heather, Magi, Ted Duncan, Janette, Laura K, Lisa, and all the folks who made it to planning meetings (and brought snacks), Dawn Farmer aka Sahar for her belly photo, Sherry MacDonald for coming from Florida, Jane DeVayne from DC, and Habib from Arizona, Ahlam Ensemble for serenading the Friday night salon, Tayissa for providing tea service, Nicole for henna art. Thank you also to all the drummers, dancers and zorna players who stayed and played over time on most nights of rehearsal and classes. Thank you to Fremont Arts Council for providing us with insurance so we could rent and get a permit for the airplane hanger at Magnuson Park! Thanks to BF Day School for backing us up with yard and gym space. Thank you to all the other belly dance web sites who linked our march on their main page. Thank you to all the government officials that responded with regret to not being able to join us in the Billion Belly March. At least they are a little more aware of how important belly dance is to a Billion(?), well, a multitude of women.
Special thanks to employed staff for working hard - Paige (aka Noor) for her lovely graphic design work, Debra Reese on web work, Angela Silling and Pine for office management, Laura Rose for DVD production and Main String choreography, Dahlia for directing the Cane Dance contingent, Jerry Johnson for photo documentation, Thursday class for DVD performance, support and assisting others, Michael Beach and Brothers of the Baladi, Habib and Tamalyn Dallal for their lovely performances on Sunday, and all of the instructors in Belly Con.
And absolute BIG MUSHY THANK YOU to my loving mate, Erik Brown!
And not to forget Thanks to everyone who got off the couch and got involved and wore the correct color of costume! I know after a long dayıs work, sometimes that is the hardest thing. And then to sacrifice your sense of individuality and have to conform to a color scheme on top of it. I know for some, Iım asking for the moon, but I only do it once a year and within our color constraints you could do pretty much anything you wanted. I think I found an easy way for everyone to be an individual and at the same time join forces. In the end I sure had fun. I hope everyone else did too. I hope we all gained a sense of communal achievement in this grand project. It could not be achieved without cooperation and all of us sharing a larger vision.
I find it an extremely hopeful for the worlds future!
Lets see, the only thing we got cooked up for the next 6 months is continuing classes at VDP Studios in Fremont. (STARTS JUNE 27 with Power Belly. JUNE 28 with Dahlia's Veil Class), Web, graphic and computer upgrade projects, participation in a belly dance festival in San Leandro, CA July 23rd, Enat restaurant in August, Rakkasah East in October and Korea in November. Have a nice summer!
Yours in belly dance,
Delilah
Donıt forget the Party at my house, Fri June 30th! Anyone who wants to be involved next year is invited as well as all of this years participants.
I was totally off the hook. After 6 weeks of belly March and 6 months of events I took a few days off.
Here is a brief recap of our accomplishments:
Visionary Belly Dance Teachers Retreat in Hawaii with Delilah, Erik, and Laura Rose
Show: Sirocco / Parade kick off / Grand Prize Give Away, new DVD release: ³Delilah and Sirocco Live and Wilder!²
Anniversary Show at the Pyramid Lounge, Orange County /Goddess Templeıs Woman of Color Belly Dance Seminar and Show, Solace show and workshops
Visionary Belly Dance Deluxe Retreat in Hawaii with Rachel Lazarus, Jeremiah Soto, Erik, Delilah and Laura Rose; Show: Annual ³In the Garden of Allah², an Aroma Therapy and Belly Dance concert.
Billion Belly March Begins (6 plus weeks of project), Billion Belly March DVD is produced and released, Annual Costume Workshop
Belly Convergence (Belly Con): 10 Days of seminars, shows and parties. Fremont Summer Solstice Parade! Show: Billion Belly Bash with Brothers of the Baladi!
Laura was up early trying to get Jerryıs photo DVD together to show at the Belly Bash that night and still go to Tamalynıs movie at the Grand Illusion between 12-3.
We did that. Very interesting footage of Sewa Oasis where the men belly dance like crazy and Zanzibar which used to be the slave trading capital of the world at one point. The footage of Zanzibar showed the terribly poor and run down mansions of the hay day of the wealth of an empire. A saying was quoted. ³When a flute played in Zanzibar all of Africa danced.² A hint at the power it once had. Tamalyn had music recorded for her by a band that had generationally been in existence since 1906. (We have a few copies for sale in our studio now)A panel discussion of dancer who have spent time in the middle east was held; by Helene Eriksen, Amelia who just came back from Turkey studying with the Romani, Heather Roustaval who went with a delegation to Afghanistan, and a folk dance director from Bosnia. Interesting how everyoneıs experience is a story in itıs own eyes. It brought memories of my own travels to Uzbekistan, the Soviet Union, Egypt, Turkey, Brazil . . . Travel is good for us all.
Off we ran back to work packing for the night and finishing the DVD. We had to be at Kolbeh's at 5:00. To my shock Kolbehıs was dirty and ill prepared for the show and full house I was bringing in. They were calling in staff at 5:45.
This is a heartbreaking dilemma. I want to support Kolbehıs. I like Fred Aboosaidi and his lovely wife, but they just just canıt get it together and donıt seem up to running a restaurant. I thank people for coming and supporting the band and dancers and the Billion Belly event, but even if people wanted to buy a dinner and drinks, it was like pulling teeth. I was sincerely embarrassed. He ran out of food, rice, glass ware. He knew we were coming that I had a big party (my 3rd this year). The waitresses were totally stressed and with no resources. I apologize for him. I cannot do it again.
SATURDAY! SOLSTICE PARADE DAY! BILLION BELLY MARCH DAY! June 18th
Michael Beach arrived at the door at 7:45 am. We took off by 8:30 down the street of Fremont towards the parade staging area. Red and yellow belly dancers were abound on every street corner like flocks of exotic birds.
I kept telling myself to breath deep, float down stream, relax, donıt let anything rile you. There was a lot of in the moment decisions to be made today. I was pretty pumped. The dancers looked so beautiful. I was so proud. Glad to see everyone. Aleiliıs canopy looks fine, Elisa Gamal looks absolutely fabulous in turquoise wings and her proud pregnant belly glistening in the Solstice sun shine.
We were slated to be number 37 out of 50 parade ensembles. Couldnıt count everyone because they were all over the place like red pepper seasoning between the floats and groups. We periodically rehearsed and showed off a bit for the parade folks. Everyone was pretty much on time and where they were suppose to be. Only a couple people seemed to not know what color RED was and showed up in burgundy and black. Surprising after all my harping, repeating and posting on line, on DVD and on the phone. I thought you would have to be from another planet to not know what color we were suppose to wear. Turns out one of them was from another planet! She just showed up to dance in our lines at the last minute adding abit of confusion to the mix and informing the dancers around her to have sense of humor!
All of a student we were off and running. The parade organizers didnıt have the arch way they had the year before for some reason. I thought that gave a good focus. It was a bit difficult to get started because the entrance was a bit nebulous this year. I wore a long red and a long yellow veil in honor of each of our colors. I planned to whirl like a dervish with them or let them drag behind me like a royal train.
We opened with Chaos Dance and then snapped into order with Flip Jerk. Line Balady was next. then Saidi, but the poor cane dancers couldnıt hear one drumbeat so I had to run back and usher the drummers up front. Very difficult to yell commands over wailing zornas and drums. We knew this might be a problem.To think our lines were over a block long and Dahliaıs group couldnıt hear the 15 person drum core. Then to my amazement the street closed in a bit with trees and baffled the sound spill from other groups and we could hear fine. Wild.
While in front. I loved looking back and seeing the mass of red and the boxing banners floating above the wave of flesh colored arms all moving in Kaleidoscopic geometry. Sometimes it looked like a maze of mirrors. In the faster dances like Hagala it was such a show of force, will, and energy! Awsome!
In the very front a few photographers hung out. I donıt mind them taking a few photos, we love it. . .but not for long while unless we have asked them too. Last year was the first time it became a ridiculous problem when we had 15 photographers lined up in front of our lines for what amounted to a couple blocks duration before I realized how ridiculous it was. I couldnıt move forward. So as to avoid the problem this year, I had to ask them to back off because the audience up ahead was looking at their skinny butts smack dead center and in front of our lovely pageant coming down the street.
This one paparazzi gets all mad and tells me I can have any pictures I want. (Right?. How many times have the gals at the Fenix Underground heard that on their moon day photo shoot night? Itıs highly appreciated but very rare that actual dancers that get photographed ever get copies from a unknown photographer) Anywayıs we have our own photographer and heıs wearing red as to not screw with the look of the photos other people are taking. This guy gets all mad at me and says ³Itıs a free street, lady!² Yes it is, but it is an inconsiderate point of view for a photographer to take given all the time and work all the women have put into this dance presentation for the public to enjoy. Itıs not for his private shooting. It was a rather unpleasant moment.
Judging the clearance up ahead is always difficult. We have dances that move faster and slower and itıs not easy to just rearrange 185 people dancing a choreography, playing drums and zornas , tightening their sandal straps and waving at family and friends on the side lines. I try to keep the back drop moving at all times but how we stretch or condense in front of it changes a bit . Why so we can actually do some dancing instead of run past the audience all the time and so dancers can rest. Itıs exhausting. At 2/3rd through the parade a parade monitor asked if I could hurry and catch it up in front of Kosta's and I had to say ³no, we can only move so fast². Itıs physical and the ladies are pooped out. The gap was caused by the change in width of the parade route really and coupled by the fact that we usually take a bow in the center of Fremont . Trying to fine a solution I ran from the front all the way to the back to the back to see what was going on and the back drop. It was moving just fine. We had just condensed and it looked like a gap that in fact we could catch up in short time. Then I noticed the band was blocking the cane dancers from proceeding at the turn in the road as it funnels past the bridge project so I tried to get them to move . Ever tried to talk to a woman playing zorna from behind? She can not hear you, so a yelled again. and then again. I grabbed her around the hips and said Claire I need you to move out of their way. She said in a huff ³ I am moving² . I said behind you all the cane dancers need to move through. Well she didnıt know what was going on cause she had not been to but one rehearsal. All she knew is that I was yelling at her. I was convinced she must have ear plugs in but she didnıt. I apologized explaining it of course wasnıt personal. I was screaming over a zorna but she got mad (understandably) and a block later left the parade. I felt terrible for the rest of the parade. I donıt like to push people around. Itıs an intense situation to manage the parade ensemble. Someone has to do it. I am very sorry for the casualty. I love and appreciate everyone in the parade. Itıs a big huge family. Sorry Claire.
We danced the rest of the way to Stone Way and towards Gasworks Park we finally turned into a walk. I was surprised to see the FAC didnıt have a hospitality truck anywhere to be seen like in previous years. We were beat and flopped down on the green hill at Gasworks passed a couple of sodas and beers around and posed for a massive group photo.
Ken, Laura Legere, Cory John and Christine all dealt with the props and Mog shuttled Erik me and Michael up the hill to the studio for rest, refreshments and a drum workshop at 5:30.
For the rest of the day and night the street of Fremont Ave North became an extension of the parade and fair, I donıt remember that from previous years. A band played at the auto detail shop with a beer garden. people were everywhere talking and laughing. Maybe next year Iıll set up a stage outside the studio. It lasted till 3:00 am. I stayed awake not because of the noise (because I can usually sleep better with noise) but because of the rush of everything. Still have the party at Kolbehs.
Habib did a small class and Erik, Pine, Angela and I did office work. tickets are almost sold out. Erik looked up ³Billion Belly March² on googgle and we are apparently mentioned on a everywhere! Itıs raining cats and dogs this afternoon. Something terrible. I hope itıs getting it out of itıs system for tomorrow. Oh my god the painting out in the rain!
The Salon was very relaxed and dancers came in all day. They washed each others feet, did henna on each other, nails, sewed, shopped and lollygagged.
At 6:00 I went to the Kiro Radio Station to do an interview on the Ron and Don show. The gals at the Belly Salon listened to the radio and cheered!
Salah (violin), David (ney and Zorna) and Erik began serenading us live in the studio by 8:00 and Alima showed up and amazed us with her beautiful dancing. Dahlia too. Tıwas a beautiful evening.
I went to bed early and woke up fresh.
There was a line in the P-I about our Belly Con and the Billion Belly March!
Elisa taught a small workshop on magical breath but we canceled Zaphara's beginning class since there were only 3 enrolled and it was pretty music for the same reasons I mentioned earlier with Raqs Serpentine's Workshop.
We were so busy with last minute details on banners, floats and costumes and ticket sales that it was simpler to cancel it.
Off we went to Hanger 27 in Magneson park. Good thing I called a head to make sure everything was cool with the parks department. They had us in a different hanger and had not given us the details on keys and how to get in. Everything worked out but a friend of mine told me (who works for the parks) take nothing for granted. Always double check. Youıll be happy you did.
The hanger was huge. So was our group. With the guest dancers, the out of town dancers, banner carriers, water bearers, float navigators, musicians, cane dancers stilt walkers, 3 classes. . .Oh my goddess! What have we done? The drums sounded like artillery in the cavernous airplane hanger.
The dancers had to be patient while we got to all the groups and reviewed instructions. The yellow out-of-town dancers arrived with most having only the DVD practice under their belt. I told them that if they had problems with any of the dances we would get them a coach. To my absolute pride, when we did the dances they had it down! No problem.
I addressed the professional guest dancers. Hassani, Suzanna, Diana and Alleli were present they would relay the instructions to the others who said they were committed to coming. I wished they could have been there at this rehearsal. I mean this is the reason we are doing this. Itıs for the feeling of sisterhood community and energy we can bring together.
So finally Sarah, Laura Rose and I lined all the parts up and I said Are you ready? Everyone was quiet. We are going to do Hagalla I said. With a toot toot toot toot from my boat horn!
And wham! All at once the drummers and 150 people start moving in lines to the sound of a gun fire of beats. Habib, who had not seen us in action yet was wowed! It is huge and magnificent achievement. A Seattle Times photographer spent the 3 hours with us taking pictures.
When I called out Line Baladi the dancers all turned in stepped back as Laura Rose walked down their lines. Another toot of my horn and they all turned. around and the band began a baladi. then the dancers chanted it back and they all began the dance together. It was awesome!
My favorite part is when Dahliaıs cane dancers come down the middle between the two lines.
Flip Jerk looked grand and sacred. It looks slow but actually moves fast down the street. The Serpent dance was alot of fun for everyone and the Chaos opener is absolutely crazy! In a very cool way I mean!!
After practice we went to a near by tavern and raised a few.
Ken, Cory, Doug all worked on the banners and floats and Mog became leader of the banner folk! John bless his heart took on the water details. We will get there. It is so amazing how everyone and everything is coming together!
American Classic Style Belly Dance taught by me.
Dahlia Moon all Day Egyptian
Well it was a small class and so we turned it into a 2 hour workshop. People have come to the door to most all of our workshops. If we knew for sure people were coming in advance it would make our decision making a little easier. So in the end it was a nice sized class. Right after her class Dahlia and I did a little Radio interview with Jim Valley for the radio.
Got another invite to be on some radio show Friday night at 6:00 on KIRO. They sad they were doing a Solstice Parade piece. I said yes but only if a member of the arts council would be present too because I am not representing the Fremont Solstice Parade. I am just an event inside of it. They said they would invite them but they liked my poster best!
Many dancers from both classes showed up for rehearsal to night. They are looking grand!
Tamalyn and Erik taught to a full house at 4:15 in the afternoon! This was followed by Habib teaching Bhangra Burner and indeed that was what we came away with. Burnt Bhangraıs if you know what I mean. What a work out! Lots of fun!
Tina, Dahlia and Sharon Moore. Wow, what a fab line up!
During one of the workshop a man came to the studio door and asked if he could have some copies of the Billion Belly Poster. Yes, I said, if you are going to post some for us. He said he wanted them to send to a friend whose picture was in the lower right corner. Her name is Christina and he brought her to parade last year. I told him she escaped our editorial eye if you can believe that! We were not expecting to see anyone like her not riding a bicycle!
Saturday June 10th Day 2 of Belly Con
9:30 am Power Belly - that's a switch! My mind was definitely a bit fuzzy. We all got into it and it felt good to be back doing it after the past 6 weeks directing the parade instead of steady sustained workouts twice a week. Yes! I introduced a full class of new dancers to the wonders of Power Belly!
Next was Helene Eriksen's Moroccan Sheikat Class. Very popular instructor and an expert in her field. Dancer truly enjoyed her class. Next Laura Rose did a short Drama in the dance workshop. We turned on the stage lights and Laura Rose wove her magical world teaching about how to use your eyes hands and imagination in developing dance character!
Kitiera taught a great veil class. She is so endearing and sincere. She got delayed a bit at the start by the ferry from Bainbridge so I warmed her students while she got in the building and got settled. Saturdays in Seattle have become almost impossible to move around in an automobile. The building of multi level condos in all the neighborhoods has increased density something awful and on Saturdays everyone is off work and doing their errands. In one year the difference is incredible. I may have to move out of Seattle soon. It is atrocious!
Our last workshop was Amelia Moore teaching Turkish Rom dance. She has been studying this in Turkey for the last year. She wants everyone to know itıs a dance in itıs own right and not considered belly dance. However in the fusion of art it works into play and can be used. Really a fresh movement vocabulary and sheıs really good at it. Iıd love to have her teach more of these classes.
Raqs Serpentine did a good job of presenting the history and rudiments of belly dance. Not a lot of students however. The phone has been ringing off the hook in regards to beginning belly dance but the idea of a workshop is foreign to new people. They say they want a weekly class instead of a workshop. I know that when they are in a weekly class the hour goes to fast and they need both but I have not had much success convincing women. A similar thing holds true for the instructional video logic. Woman will say I want a live class instead but if you were studying the violin you would take lessons and practice with sheet music. Videos are the text books to studying the dance. You need more than once a week if you want to proceed. You can rewind the teacher on DVD or slow it down. DVD is an incredible tool for learning the dance and cheap in comparison to live classes. You need to see quality performances every week if you are going to learn the dance. Either you have to go to night clubs, haflas when they are offered, or watch them any time on DVD. The teacher is not going to do a full performance for you each week. Performance videos are educational as well. Itıs totally logical and yet I have to explain this all the time.
The shipment of patches that Laura Rose ordered came in. That was fast! Another fund raising vehicle. $2 or 3 for $5. They are Uterus and Ovaries logo for Power Belly but no words. Dancers have been requesting they wanted something with this empowering symbol on it.
The camis will have the same symbol on deep red, pink or yellow camis.
I got waylaid with business at the studio so when I got down to the play yard at BF DAY all the dancers were in full swing rehearsal lead by Laura Rose. Itıs so exciting to walk up the steps and see everyone working out and hear the drums!
The cane dancers have been working hard and they are looking good! They get to do our stage presence exercise too. Very fun and great for group moral! We practice the entrance on to the parade route and the center of Fremont.
The mug sample arrived to day. Delilahıs ³mug on a mug² Brigitte did the art work. pretty cute. They are fund raising souvenirs. $12. But they will not be ready for a while.
I went down and bothered Jim at Mysterion Screen Print to see if our camiıs were done yet. ³Soon Delilah soon²
Good rehearsal ! We repeat the stage presence exercise for the main string like for Thursdays class. Itıs really fun cause there are so many dancers.
We have been getting lots of phone calls and letters from government representatives saying thanks for the invite to the parade and they wish us luck. We posted Governor Christine Gregoireıs letter in the dressing room.
Very quiet this week end. Sent a lot of email to chat lists. They are probably tired of hearing from me. This is the job of a promoter to keep at it. Iım trying to sell these dances classes, and beef up the awareness in the community about belly dance in general. I know the chat groups on yahoo is like preaching to the choir so there is only so much I can do there but different dancers check into the mail at different times so one canıt assume anything is redundant I suppose. It sure is easier to sell some one elseıs stuff than it is to have to sell ones own stuff all the time. Iıve been promoting and selling my DVDıs, classes and retreats for years. If a dancer wants to make a living at belly dance you have to do it. Itıs not something I like to do. Itıs just necessity. I would love to have an agent to do all that but itıs never been realistic in belly dance world. Maybe someday it will. However if you think about it, I call all my own shots and Iım not being cultivated groomed or exploited by some man out there. That makes me feel pretty independent, proud and self confident as a woman.
Laura Rose and I worked on scripting the notes for the dance order to get up online.
I dyed a bunch of cotton cholis this week end to make ready for sale. Bright yellow, rose pink and light purple. They all turned out beautiful.
Monday was Pyramid Lounge night. Sharon Mooreıs Tribal Fusion troupe danced. Very cool. She really knows how to pick music. Ellen did a very cool number I liked a lot too. I canıt believe how many dancers have not discovered First Monday/ Pyramid Lounge night at the High Dive. Itıs free! Itıs an early, quality show. Great food, good drinks, nice stage. Itıs over early. I tell people all the time but I gotta admit itıs like pulling teeth with a lot of people. How are you ladies going to learn to dance if you donıt go out and see a dancer? Itıs a great place for new performers. In each show you will most likely see a new performer and seasoned professionals.
We practiced a little exercise for stage presence. I had all the dancers line up on the outside simulating the parade audience. Then each dancer did the hagalla section by themselves in front of the rest of the dancers while they cheered and rooted for them! The goal was stage personality. It worked! What a difference!
Hooray! Sarah Tellerıs back! After 15 years of parades with her, some how things just werenıt right without her! Iım so pleased.
We practiced a little exercise for stage presence. I had all the dancers line up on the outside simulating the parade audience. Then each dancer did the hagalla section by themselves in front of the rest of the dancers while they cheered and rooted for them! The goal was stage personality. It worked! What a difference!
[Billion Belly March info]
[Belly Dance Convergence Week] [Calendar-at-a-Glance]
[registration form]
Visionary Dance Productions 4128 Fremont Ave. North Seattle, WA 98103
(206) 632-2353