As the autumn leaves fall, I’m fortunate to have some time to stop and decompress. Time has gotten slower with such a long exhale: bike riding by the lake, outdoor meditation sessions, vegan bake sales, gardening, sewing, creating, writing and catching up with long-lost friends. And of course, dancing. These are the things I do more of when time slows down. Having said that, there are many things I am looking forward to and am anticipating with the fervent energy of autumn. Be sure to check the Upcoming Shows section for updates, but the most recently announced not to be missed event is Moonlight Tribe, a bellydance event for Nuit Blanche (Oct 1st all night!). Come out and see some of our very talented local bellydancers shimmy into the night.
A couple of weeks ago I attended a short workshop by Danielle Lotteridge, hosted by Dragonfly Studio where we worked to reflect on our personal styles of dance, unique flares and building combinations that reflect our own approach to the dance. Danielle is a stunning dancer and I hope to learn more from her in another one of her visits back to Toronto from San Francisco. Another local event was Mayada’s Fierce Fitness open house last weekend, where we got a bunch of demo classes and performances…I really got into the classic combo’s class where Mayada taught us some moves in the classic style of Nagwa Fouad.
After a short break in August, Om Laila is open again and classes are back in full effect. I am particularly pleased about the direction of the advanced class and the comeback of the drums, songs and zylls class and looking forward to a winter of intense musical and dance study. Over at Serpentina North Ensemble we are preparing
for a few shows but also looking forward to cocooning into the winter to work on new ideas and pieces. Sugar Shakers are starting to really focus on the piece for our competition in January, learning and working out the new choreography.
Recently I met with a photographer new to the city from the US named Annie Killam, who has a love of capturing the body in movement and has done some beautiful work with yoga and circus people. I’m excited to work with her on some of the ideas she has brewing, as I don’t have much experience working one to one with photographers and have so many ideas for shoots!
On another creative vein, I am working on an etsy shop (finally) for my fascinators and by request also making some of my fancy hand spats for the shop. Stay tuned for details! Oh and you will want to know about a new project I have on the go if you like to search out (and buy) vintage things as much as I do. Start saving your pennies kids. I’ll let the suspense build a bit…
Til next time, I leave you with a tip of the hat to our autumn leaves or les feuilles mortes…
Sandy Watters 