tribalfusionbellydance – Sandy Watters

still she danced and other 2021 reflections

Posted on January 4, 2022January 4, 2022 by Sandy in Uncategorized

Hello friends! Wishing you a vibrant 2022, in whatever ways you find that spark…be it dance, art, your favourite person/pet, or stories of collective action during these uncertain times.

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is 142499889_10165360256695455_4832377122302537882_n.jpg — **May your shimmies be juicy and your footwork be fancy!**

This global pandemic is fatiguing, and seeing so many people lose their livelihood and even their lives to coronavirus makes hope hard to come by sometimes. Throughout it all, art has been a saving grace, whether serving as a tool to process and express ourselves during these times, to distract and lose yourself in another world or dream up new ways of being from the debris of failed systems. I am heartened by the possibilities of new structures that allow for more equity, connection and honouring people over profit. Toward this future, its so important that we keep making art, keep dancing, keep the creativity alive.

In my reflections of 2021, I am most proud that I continued to work on dance training, collaborations and projects. My love and motivation for dance burns strong and although the landscape of performance is so uncertain (like everything!), I know that dance is woven into the fabric of my life, I can’t imagine it without. I also know that people need inspiration and beauty in these times and if you didn’t see art as a survival tool before this pandemic, I hope you have come to witness the power of art to buoy us individually and collectively in difficult times.

Here’s a timeline of my year in dance. Have a click through to see some of the wonderful artists in our local and international fusion bellydance community!

JAN – Dance For Screens with Franscesca Avani, attended ‘Cultural Concepts for Fusion Dancers’ with Amel Tafsout. Zagat Solo class with Melissa Gamal of Ya Amar

FEB – flexibility training series with Deb Rubin, started teaching Wavy Wednesdays, attended Gather at the Delta online

MARCH – House of Shimmy at Glitter online: radical improv edition, House of Shimmy at Medusa Rising

APRIL – House of Shimmy rehearsals with Lynx Dean

MAY – Serpentine Studio Body Bootcamp

JUNE – The Online Dancer with Audra at Darkside Studio, House of Shimmy with Lynx Dean at F*ck Shit Up: a Trans & Non-binary Cabaret, online classes with Mardi Love, solo and HOS at Serpents Circle (online)

JULY – Weekly classes with Zahira at Dragonfly, Music In The Park (live!) with Lynx Dean, Sword workshop with Michelle Sorenson, Body Bootcamp at Serpentine Studio

AUG – House of Shimmy at Bellydance Brew online (hosted by Vanessa Mathews of Seraka), Fan veil class in the park with Stacie Noel

SEPT – in person workshop with Audra at Belly Up in Burlington, House of Shimmy video collab with Lybido (stay tuned for release!), Vogue 101 w Dana Rosales, attended Moving Meditation with Denise Fujiwara, Mardi Love classes, flexibility with Deb Rubin

OCT – House of Shimmy with Lynx Dean (live!) at Music in the Park

NOV – Audra workshop (in person!), House of Shimmy at Rockin’ Raqs, weekly Dragonfly classes

DEC – FAOC ‘Beige Christmas’ video shoot, weekly Dragonfly classes, attended online conference on Amazigh Tribal Inspiration in USA Fusion Dances by Lei of KiKif Bledi, sword workshop with Zahira at Dragonfly

I am so grateful to have continued to be carried by art through this pandemic. I got a few live shows in and it felt really great –like no time had passed. Especially at Rockin’ Raqs in November as the dancers filed into the changeroom, it was such good heart medicine to perform live with and for people. As we continue into another wave of uncertainty in this pandemic, lets us be reminded that art will always find a way for it is a part of our humanity, and especially now, essential to our collective wellbeing

We are [not] the robots

Posted on August 8, 2017January 1, 2018 by Sandy in bellydance, Mindful movement, Torontobellydance, torontodance, Uncategorized

20664520_10159348228720455_8960342708194455563_n The body is not a robot (PS, I love robots). Most days, people treat their bodies like robots, like a machine that needs fixing, like a series of parts that can be replaced, improved or ‘spot’ trained. The ways we talk about our bodies matters and changing language can have a profound effect on our experience of our bodies.

We all have days that it feels like our body is a hindrance and depending on our particular age, health and ability/mobility, we each have a unique range of movement that we’re working with. This is not an ‘anyone can do it if they really try’ type of sentiment that I’m talking about here.

Across all of these differences, we can embody our physicality in ways that are appreciative of the body as a process, as a complex ecosystem that remains forever in flux. The only constant is change, a zen concept that has a lot to offer us in our movement practice. Life will add and subtract things from our bodies, gravity will always be more reliable than willpower and time will not move backwards. Within these concepts are further subtleties as bodies oscillate along the continuum of sickness and wellness, stamina and fatigue.

Part of a healthy movement practice as I see it, is allowing for the fluctuation of practice while still maintaining a discipline. Pay attention to the messages you tell yourself both when you ‘do well,’ ‘see results’ as well as when you fall behind on your practice or fall short of accomplishing something you had your heart set on. This is all food for thought, these reflections on the stories we tell ourselves and how its connected to our movement.

I love watching dancers whose movement flows so seemingly effortlessly from their bodies, with a flow that gives the perception they are being moved by something the audience can’t see. I know they worked their asses off for it but the ease of their movement weaves a compelling imaginary tale.

We’re not all going to be able to do the things we admire in others. I will not be able to perform the physical feats of a professional dancer but I am serious about practices that maintain an ease of movement in walking and dancing and sitting life. All of it, bring ease to all of it. Even the uncomfortable and painful things, cultivating grace will allow the body to move in ways that brute force just wont be able to.

Yes pushing ourselves physically and mentally is healthy and necessary, that’s how we grow. Trust the process, as they say. And, we are not robots, not machines, not broken to be fixed. We are fleshy, bony, organ-y, casings of shifting rhythms that house emotions and nervous systems and histories –be kind to yours no matter what.

So far this summer has been filled with delicious movement!

19989523_10210919976650350_8568951347946015941_n — Katalyn Schafer (Hungary) pop-up workshop hosted by Ya Amar.

Raqs Al Saif

Serpentina North Ensemble

Home dance practice

Rainy day dance drills

Posted on June 9, 2017June 10, 2017 by Sandy in bellydance, Uncategorized

Day 16 (earlier this week) was all about small isolations. Sharing dance drills footage is a little intimidating because, well, it just doesn’t look much like dance. But dance drills are a crucial element of well rounded practice and are not as free as dancing. Working with layering upper body movements over ongoing and well timed hip shimmy can make the lips purse and the brows furrow. Maybe a little angry dancer face happening in this clip…

How could you ever talk about dance without also talking about music?! The same day I filmed this little clip, I later on had the pleasure of seeing The Specials at the Danforth Music hall and though we were waaaaay in the back, we found room to dance in the aisles.

108 Days of Dance

Posted on June 4, 2017June 6, 2017 by Sandy in bellydance, Mindful movement, Torontobellydance, torontodance

On this lucky 13th day of 108 Days of Dance, I’ve decided to share my personal practice challenge with you all: to make dance a daily practice for 108 days, with the intention of upping my dance game.

My experience of 108 days of yoga after completing my 200- hour yoga teacher training in 2015, was such a profound experience that I am giving it a whirl with dance!

Dance has been an important and regular part of my life for many years now, and often longer term practice needs a boost, whether its a new class, a new teacher, a new challenge of sorts. I’ve decided my new challenge is 108 days of dance –so yes, dance every single day! Ideally, as with the yoga challenge, it is to be at least an hour per day. But more important than the time is the consistency, and as with any physical practice there is an adjustment period.

The first week was fine, fueled by the excitement of the challenge and opting to keep it to myself in the beginning. The second week was a little less pleasant in my body as its also the week I returned to commuting by bike. From a winter of walking and transit, I began two hours of cycling per day, in addition to the usual yoga and now the daily dose of dance. Counting toward this daily practice of course are the regular classes, troupe rehearsals, performances and nights out on the dance floor. I hope to change the timing of some of my practice as well to be able to do more yoga and/or dance in the morning before work. As a not-so-morning person, this may prove the most difficult part.

Each day of dance brings a unique focus and challenge: lastnight’s practice was specific to arm and hand isolations, with a soundtrack of Bach, while today was all about tribal fusion drills including chest figure eights over hip locks and traveling hip work. Other times I freestyle to classical Arabic music, ragtime, downtempo world electronic music, broken beat, vintage reggae or classic house.

Stay tuned for more updates on my 108 Days of Dance!

Cues and Tattoos 2017

Posted on April 28, 2017April 28, 2017 by Sandy in Uncategorized

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logo_2017 Another great trip to Seattle for Cues and Tattoos has come and gone! This was my 5th year attending Cues and Tattoos in Seattle. And the event celebrated their 10 year anniversary. Ten years of providing a well curated lineup of instructors on improvisational fusion bellydance! Serpentina North Ensemble has performed three times at the Serpent’s Muse stage –this year an homage to Prince with our improv number to Raspberry Beret! This was the year of the intensive: Zoe Jakes, Amy Sigil and Caroleena Nerricio-Bohlman all had two day intensives before the weekend of workshops. I arrived on Thursday for the workshops starting on the Friday and as usual the weekend was a wonderful whirlwind of dance.

For the second year in a row, all of Serpentina North Ensemble attended and between us all, we have a whole lot of new material to work into our improv sets. This was my itinerary:

Rachel Brice – ‘Shake it up and break it down’

Zoe Jakes – ‘The Divine Muse’

Moria Chappell – ‘Odissi Fusion’

Ashley Lopez – ‘Oddity: Unconventional time signatures and an odd choreography’

Donna Mejia – ‘Core-ography’

Mardi Love – ‘New Choreography’

Over three days I got to study with some of the dancers I greatly admire: Mardi Love, Donna Mejia, Ashley Lopez, Rachel Brice, Moria Chappell and Zoe Jakes. Rachel is a generous and grounded teachers and I enjoyed working on a bunch of different shimmies and putting them into combos. Zoe led us through some basics of Odissi and Balinese dance. Moria taught an Odissi fusion choreography and lectured on some of the origins of Odissi dance before and after it was codified into a national dance of India. Ashley led us through a fast moving choreography with a 13 count time signature that was a lot of fun, rolling, jumping and partner interaction. Donna schooled us in anatomy, core strength, breath and creating longevity in a dance/movement practice.

The last , but certainly not least, workshop of the weekend was the three hour Mardi Love choreography to a sweet little vintage jazz song. Mardi is cream of the crop in terms of tribal fusion dance aesthetic, and continues to be humble in her influence on the art form. Since seeing her dance live in San Francisco in 2009, she remains one of my most significant dance role models. I’m pretty sure I smiled through the entire workshop, despite my end-of-weekend fatigue and missing a few of the quick time isolations in the number.

The troupe got a chance to visit the Bruce Lee exhibit at the Wing Museum. Below was the only photo op.

Recreation of the hall of mirrors in Enter the Dragon.

The Seattle weather was perfect, especially leaving the Toronto snowfall (though short-lived) behind. Parting ways after Cues and Tattoos, I made my way to San Francisco for a few days, where the temperature was higher.

Though it was a non-dance trip, I managed to squeeze in a conditioning class with the one and only Jill Parker at ODC studios after a long day of hiking the Muir Woods.

Til we meet again west coast, its always a pleasure.

This Sunday! House of Shimmy returns to Bazaar of the Bizarre

Posted on April 15, 2017 by Sandy in bellydance, Torontobellydance, torontodance, Uncategorized

House of Shimmy is coming back to the Bazaar of the Bizarre once again –this time for the circus side show edition. This Sunday, don’t miss it! There is no other artisan fair quite like it!

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From the event fb page:

Listen up and come and see this marvel!

Toronto-based House of Shimmy has a flare for animating spaces and stages with their unique flavour of fusion bellydance. Bound by no genre, House of Shimmy has cooked up some circusy weirdness for this Sunday! Performing at 2pm and 5pm

house-of-shimmy-dec-2016

Summer

Posted on August 22, 2016August 22, 2016 by Sandy in bellydance

This August heatwave encompasses every movement, makes sure I slow down, insists I drink buckets of water.The summertime vibe is in full effect, this city is live with art and music. Free stuff, waterfront stuff, dance floor stuff, all the stuff…!

Spring and summer have been more about practice than than performance. Lifetimes of stuff to learn and practice.

Reaching back a couple months, I completed the Lavender Intensive at the Darkside

Studio, a week of intensive study is always an inspiring challenge to body and mind. Not only was the week packed with content, but the feedback from Audra was from throughout the week as well as the testing day, was so detailed and informative, I just can’t recommend this enough for any belly dancer with a particular interest in or practice of tribal fusion for defining and refining technique and musicality. I’m a long way off from having the material from the intensive down but I have a ton of material to work with. These few months later, I am revisiting the course content, as I carve out more space in my life for studio time for solo goals and projects.

In June, I attended a day of workshops with the Magyar beauty Katalyn Schafer of Hungary, hosted by Toronto’s own Ya Amar. This woman is a powerhouse, of the most elegant variety. The choreography she taught us (modern bellydance and some jazz fusion) were truly challenging between the floor work freezes, spins and strong extended legs. I was invigorated by the big movements, taking up a lot of space in every direction…we all agreed she must come back, we want more!

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I am on the tail end of the Bellydance Summer School course offered by Zahira at Dragonfly. A ten week long course on belly dance history, I have looked forward to this each and every week: learning of the Cengis and Kocek, Salome, Badia Masabni, the Golden Age of belly dance to Bal Anat and Reda troupe. So much to take in, tracing this history and how this art form shimmied its way to North America. What we have learned in this class from Zahira –whose extensive knowledge on the subject is rather mind-blowing, I might add –is fascinating, enriching and essential to those of us studying any style of belly dance. Dancers, keep your fingers crossed that Dragonfly runs this class again one day!