There was this one time, at belly dance camp.....

I'm taking the day off today.  I got out of my pyjamas at 1pm after a little snooze and have done little more than keep the ship running all day.  Why?  Because I am coming down from a HUGE weekend.

A few years ago, my friend Sharon and I decided that a belly dance camp would be a lot of fun, and hosted our first in 2011.  It was a huge success and we have just had our second, even bigger, better and more successful camp and it was quite simply, awesome.

I've been planning and preparing for camp for the last 9 months.  We changed things around a little and split up jobs, so I haven't been on my own.  But as the one in charge of marketing, admin tasks, teaching and overall planning, I've been busy, and in the last two weeks, more than a little stressed.  But as the weekend rolled in and everything fell into place, I was so proud of my little team and all of my work.  It was a weekend that I would have loved to attend as an outsider, but even as someone who was working hard all through the camp, it was a huge amount of fun.

So what happened at Belly Dance Camp 2013?  Let me take you there.

Camp was held at Southcombe Lodge in Port Fairy.  This venue is designed for camps and has space to eat, play, cook, sleep and dance.  Friday night saw 25 women arrive at camp, set up their beds in the bunk rooms, order takeaway for dinner and get to know each other over a few bottles of wine in front of the fire.  We had a local henna artist join us and many of the girls had her do some amazing art for them.  There was some setting up done for the rest of the weekend, but most of the night was relaxed and fun.

Saturday morning, after a continental breaky, the campers from Friday night either attended a special rehearsal or relaxed: strolling the market that was (conveniently) being held in Port Fairy, chatting over cuppas or greeting the remaining 25 women who arrived and settled in on Saturday. 




Belly Dance workshops

At 12.30, camp officially began.  I welcomed our 50 campers (the camp was completely sold out with a waiting list), and sent them on their way to attend the first of two two-hour workshops that were held in the afternoon.  The workshops, taught by myself and three talented and wonderful guest teachers, covered a range of belly dance styles: I taught a workshop that was American Tribal Style while Ma'isah (from Melbourne) taught one on Baladi Ashra (a traditional Egyptian style) and later Lisa (from Geelong) taught a Tribal Fusion workshop while Adalia (from Mt Gambier/Adelaide) taught a Classical Orientale workshop.  Each camper attended a workshop in each session and came away with a head full of new moves and ideas and a well used body!

The workshops finished at 5.30pm, leaving us with a crazy hour and a half to do our makeup and hair, get in costume, have market stalls set up and the hall and meal prepared for our Hafla (belly dance party).  A fly on the wall would have collapsed from exhaustion watching the mad array of colourful dancers flitting about preparing!




Happy Campers on Hafla night

Our Hafla was different to any other belly dance concert I've attended.  I went out on a limb in how we ran it, and was a little nervous as it began (when I'd explained to some how the night would run I'd been met with some interesting looks....).  Our hall was set up with tables and chairs all around the edge - each camper (and my family who were there to help) had a front row seat at a table, with the dancing to take place in the middle (I personally hate having to peer around people in front of me at concerts, or having to sit twisted around in my seat to see a performance behind me).  We had no running order for the night, but instead, I had all of the introductions for our performers in a basket and they were drawn out at random (with a little tweaking by me as the night went on).  Each dancer would perform, then introduce the next act.  So while I was running the show, I wasn't the one doing all the work introducing acts.   The audience was made up only of the campers and a few helpers - no public - and nearly everyone there performed at least once.




Performers part 1

And it seems my kooky plan paid off.  The night was a huge success, full of fabulous performances, lots of giggles and the most supportive audience I've ever experienced at a dance (of any sort) event, and I spent much of the rest of the weekend receiving praise on the format.  Yay!

We had performances by dancers who had never performed before, right through to our teachers and experienced, professional performers.  The costumes, music and dance styles were so varied that it became a gorgeous, colourful night that we'll remember for a really long time.




Performers part 2.

Along with dance performances, we ate a delicious meal (all homecooked by our group and coordinated by Sharon), shopped at the great belly dance market stalls, enjoyed some free dance time together and hosted a zahgareet and shimmy contest.  My boys were the judges for the shimmy contest and won the hearts of every camper by choosing to award the prize to the dancer who had the best smile and looked like she was having the most fun while she shimmied - lady killers!

The hafla was over by 10.30, but It was after 2am before the last campers head hit the pillow as many of us stayed up to enjoy the fabulous company and atmosphere created by a group of likeminded women.




Beautiful belly dance goodies to buy.

Sunday dawned and there were many sleepy, tousled heads making tea and coffee in the kitchen before settling down in the hall to share breakfast.  I think Sunday morning is my favourite part of camp.  I love seeing the groups of people that came to camp, dissolve into one big group as the campers choose to sit among the new friends they've made.  I love the cosy, relaxed atmosphere of women sharing the morning cuppa and caring for each other as they begin the last day of camp.

At 10.30, we gathered the troupes for a final workshop.  This one was my favourite.  An all-in workshop attended by all campers and taught by all of the teachers.  Sadly, Adalia wasn't well enough to teach, but Ma'isah, Lisa and myself all taught fast and fun workshops that had us all sharing in the joy of our dance.  The workshop concluded with my lovely friend, student and yoga teacher, Neika, calming and stretching our tired bodies with a short yoga session. 

Thank yous, lunch and hometime followed. 

I can't thank the people who helped out at camp enough.  I'm so proud of what we achieved!  And now we're left to decide if we leave it another two years before the next one, or do it all again next year.

Here's some of the comments that I've been sent on Facebook from campers so far (aw, thanks girls!):

• "Thanks Tracey and all the Meenkeel Gypsies for a wonderful weekend. I would love to have the opportunity to come next time too. Fantastic performances and such a diverse array of styles and costumes! Really enjoyed it all, excellent workshops, fabulous food, entertainment and the opportunity to shop, you've got it all covered!" Rebecca
• "I love, love, loved Belly Dance camp....... what an awesome way to spend my birthday weekend. Wonderful teachers, performers and dancers........ Catching up with old friends, making new ones. The only thing I would change for next time - is that I definately need to bring my daughters along So book us in for next time so we don't miss out!!!! Thankyou sooooo much Tracey and everyone for a great weekend xxxxxxxx" Kasia
• "aaawwwhhh we love you girls xoxoxo" Julie
• "Was so amazing :-) thank you for all your hard work organising it and can't wait for the next one! X" Misty
• "Belly dance camp rocks, can't wait for the next one! Thanks for organizing it Tracey and thanks to all involved was amazing to have a weekend to share with like minded women supporting, encouraging and learning from one another xx" Neika
• "had an amazing amazing amazing time!!! *ADORED* camp thank you one and all it was a brilliant weekend, I danced, learned, taught, shared, loved, laughed and met beloved friends and made new ones and had a wonderful weekending doing what I love more than anything else in the world - YAY!!! xoxoxoxoxoxo" Ma'isah

A weekend away

We've just had a very busy weekend without our kids. The boys went to my mum's for the weekend to be spoilt rotten (junk food, late nights etc) while we went away to participate in the Ballarat belly dance bazaar.

I learnt lots  in a couple of belly dance workshops while Stu learnt lots visiting the homebrew shop and gathering items so he can  start brewing soon. We then took the opportunity to shop for bulk bargains that are hard to find at home, stocking up on cans and dried beans to get us through several months of from scratch cooking.

After delicious cuppas and cake with Kim, who was to perform with us, and her hubby, we readied ourselves for the evening. 
It was a great night.  We caught up with dancers from all over Victoria, watched some terrific dancing and helped raise funds for the Ballarat NICU. I love being able to watch and support the range of amateur and professional dancers at these concerts and then have them support us - that's what its all about, sharing in the dance community. 
At last it was our turn.  We dumped the nerves beside the stage and did our best.  I think we did very well.... You can watch it on our website or youtube if you like. 
It was wonderful to share the joys of performing with Stu and then celebrate together afterwards. 
Tired but relaxed on Sunday, we said our goodbyes, pottered around a local market (bought a new plum tree for the mini-orchard) and came home.

At home we managed to get some more work done on the new veg beds before the boys were dropped home. It was so good to see them. 

Needless to say, we all fell into bed very early and slept soundly in preparation for a new week.

How was your weekend?

One of the best things about ATS (AKA freaking out about dancing solo)

In the "spotlight"
(but the Alish right behind me)

I call myself a belly dancer.  I have studied and I teach a range of Middle Eastern Dance styles and think all of them are beautiful.  But if given the choice of what to dance, study or teach, tribal is my pick.  American Tribal Style dance (ATS) or Improvised Tribal Style (ITS) is a group improvised style of dance that incorporates a vocabulary of movements, each unique and (where needed) with its own cue.  A group of dancers has a leader who chooses the movements to perform based on the music she is dancing to, and the others follow.  It is a silent language and, when done well, the audience (unless educated) won't know that it is an improvised performance as the dance becomes seamless and stunningly beautiful.

At my dance school, Koroit Belly Dance, we call this style of dance MiTS (Meenkeel Improvised Tribal Style), and we study and incorporate movements from a range of teachers and troupes as well as adding some of my unique movements.  Most of the credit for our movements and education goes to Carolena of Fatchance Belly Dance and Devi of Ghawazi Caravan.

aaahhh.... reconnecting

Together with my troupe, the Meenkeel Gypsies, I perform MiTS more often than not.  It works fabulously in restaurants and parties as it fits into any space and, because it is improvised, we can work within the moment - include an audience member in the dance, move to a different space in the restaurant or (and this is the point I am coming to) duck out of the spotlight when we have a little moment of nerves or a mind blank.

Beauty in a small space

You see in all of these styles, there is a leader, but at any point in the dance, she can decide to change the lead, therefore allowing another dancer from the group to come forward and take over.  Leading the dance is the part of ITS that most beginner dancers hate - that moment of being in the spotlight and having to think of what to do, being responsible for the whole troupe!  But experienced dancers come to love the lead.  Being in the lead gives you a chance to play with the moves that you love the most, making the music work in the way that you think it should and therefore showcasing the dance how you believe it should be.  It also gives you a moment of "spotlight"!  Being up there in the lead, you can't really see the other dancers, so for a moment, you can imagine that you are dancing solo and being amazing doing so (OK, that sounds like showing off - but we're performers, we're meant to!).  So you're up there being awesome (at least you think so) and then you make eye contact with an audience member and suddenly your mind goes blank and you start to freak out...........  and here it is, the beauty of ITS .......  you turn that move around and there are your dance sisters, smiling at you, and it all feels OK again.  One of them takes the lead and you keep on dancing - seamless.

Dance sisters!  Love em!

I can dance solo.  I have done plenty of times, on stage and at restaurants and parties, and I've just signed myself up for another performance on my own.  I teach "solo" too - in all of my classes and workshops, I'm up the front of the room dancing and instructing on my own.  But I don't love it as much.  Without my sisters right there to help me out, the spotlight is a little brighter and scarier, my hands shake a little more and the butterflies in my tummy go crazy.  Solos are not my thing, but I'll keep doing them because there is a need for them, but also because they make me appreciate my dance sisters even more.