The pregnant bellydancer

Every now and again I get approached by a dancer who announces she is pregnant. That's always rather nice, but more specifically they are looking for help and advice about dancing through pregnancy.

Now I love these conversations, because it's great to help out another dancer, and supporting women on their journey into motherhood is what I do on the other side of my working life. But I also felt that it would be good to put a bunch of information in one place (for the bits I forget to talk about) and to be able to share it with dancers who aren't going to contact me directly to ask. There's a lot of misunderstanding about dance, or physical activity in pregnancy, and I think that places a lot of unnecessary stress and restrictions on pregnant women.

In this post I am going to focus on continued dance for dancers who happen to be pregnant. There will also be a sister post on my doulaing blog for pregnant women who would like to dance.

Before we start. Who am I to be talking about this stuff?

Well, I'm a bellydancer, and teacher, hopefully that is clear or you have stumbled here via a stray internet link and are wondering what is going on. I have a background in teaching specific prenatal bellydance classes ( this used to be a regular thing, but now is something I offer as a workshop) which stems from my work as a doula.

I am also a trained doula, which for the uninitiated means that I provide practical and emotional support for women through pregnancy, childbirth and the postnatal period. This is not a medical position, I don't provide any medical treatment or advice, but part of the role is having a strong understanding of the processes of pregnancy and birth, as well as the various options, complications etc that might arise, so that if need be, I can serve as an advocate for a client, helping her to make informed choices that are right for her.

And I'm a perinatal yoga teacher. I have been teaching regular pre and postnatal yoga classes for just over 3 years and I have the privilege of watching a wide range of women progress through pregnancy, whilst analysing their posture an movement (in a totally not-weird way).

What I am not however, is an obstetrician. Or more importantly, your obstetrician. The information I am about to give you is based on my experience as a dancer, teacher and mother. Always seek the advice of a medical professional who knows your file and can actually see you and stuff.

Down to the questions. 

I'm going to FAQ this. Yes, it's a bit lazy, but it might make it easier to follow....

Can I bellydance in pregnancy?

Yes. Yes you can. There will be limits. For the most part they will be extremely clear to you.

This is assuming you are generally healthy. If you have complications in your pregnancy then those limits might be tighter, or you might need to rest up completely. I keep a quick checklist here for *my* prenatal class, which is beginner level and very low impact.

Generally if your health care professionals are not advising you to avoid light/moderate exercise, you can dance. Some HCPs don't know much about bellydance, and will err on the side of caution when asked, because they really have no idea what you are proposing to do with your expanding midriff. Discuss your concerns, and theirs and see how you feel. But the rule for most pregnancies is if you were doing it before you got pregnant, then you can keep doing it. Dancers in forms that are much tougher on the body, like ballet, continue to dance safely in pregnancy. Runners keep running, weightlifters keep lifting. You get my gist.

Is it going to cause a miscarriage?

The "usual" advice women are given is to lay off exercise for the first 12 weeks, as this is a risky window for miscarriage. Now, it's fine to lay off exercise if you are exhausted and nauseous, and it is very important to listen to the signals your body sends when you need to slow down.

But.... I need to get a bugbear off my chest. There is a reason most miscarriages happen in the first trimester. That reason has nothing to do with exercise. It has nothing to do with *anything* the woman does. To suggest otherwise is a cruel lie that leaves grieving women torturing themselves with blame over a pregnancy loss that could never have been prevented. The vast majority of first trimester miscarriages are genetic faults. Those embryos simply didn't have the right DNA to grow into a viable foetus. It's really common, happens all the time - we have actually evolved to only carry the strongest, most viable embryos. It is nobody's fault.

For many dancers, dance is what keeps them sane, and healthy. For many of us it is our main (or sole) form of exercise. Without it we lose our cardiovascular fitness, strength and posture. Those are all going to be important to keep healthy and comfortable through pregnancy. So telling a dancer to stop dancing for a couple of months is not actually beneficial to her health at all.

Is there anything I should be avoiding?

I have 3 answers to this question, the fluffy, the general and the sciencey

The fluffy

Listen to your body. If you feel tired, don't push yourself. If you feel dizzy or nauseous, stop spinning drills. If something hurts, don't do it.

Most of the time that will see you through. If you are dancing regularly and not consistently injuring yourself, the chances are you either have a fabulous and attentive teacher, or a fairly good understanding of your body. Both of those will serve you well here.

The general

Smooth movements are usually ok. Sharp movements can be uncomfortable. Twists, especially sharp twists need to be avoided. Camels/undulations - the general advice is no, I would certainly advise against deep pelvic undulations in the second half of pregnancy. Backbends are just ridiculous, don't even think about it. Belly rolls are probably possible (I could bellyroll at 34 weeks pregnant just fine) but it does put strain on a muscle that is already very stretched and you would probably like to go back to its original length eventually.

That said, Sadie is doing just fine....

The sciency

To unite the first 2 answers, sharp movements will probably feel uncomfortable anyhow. Your uterus will essentially become a hard and heavy wrecking ball, crashing about buffeting your insides (that's the science....). You will most likely not enjoy this sensation. You won't want to do the movements.

The other risk for sharp movements is relaxin. As your pregnancy progresses you will become more flexible as this hormone softens your ligaments in preparation for birth. Flexible joints are unstable joints and it will become easier for you to hurt yourself through an overenthusiastic movement. Some women find themselves getting really loose in pregnancy, and this can result in Pelvic Girdle Pain, when the usually fixed joints in the pelvis start to wriggle around. I suffered from PGP in both my pregnancies. I found that I could dance at times when walking was difficult, because my automatic dance posture activated my core into stabilising my pelvis. If you have PGP though, you need to take it steady and remember that if you overdo it, you might not feel it until the next day, so be careful.

That said, from my personal experience as a mum to be with pelvic pain, and as a yoga teacher with several women with PGP in my care, I strongly believe that the worst thing for a loose pelvis is complete rest. When your core muscles weaken, they support the pelvis less, the instability becomes worse, the pain becomes worse. The Pelvic Partnership have some great information about how to take care of your flexible pelvis in terms of avoiding the activities that make it worse. Maintaining core strength and good pelvic carriage in your posture usually reduces symptoms.

Generally stabilising the pelvis will help both pelvic and back pain. Be mindful of your posture and think about keeping the low abs engaged and avoiding "duck butt" at all costs. Your body will be fighting you on this one. Do this every day to help straighten things out.

Twisting the lumbar spine needs to be avoided in pregnancy, in prenatal yoga spinal twists are done sat on the floor or otherwise to root the pelvis in place and taken very gently. I personally found horizontal figure 8s just fine, but kept the range of the twist small.

The last thing to consider is dizziness. You'll probably be getting some of this. You'll also notice the headrush from standing up or bending over is much worse now. This is usual. Your balance will also be off, because your centre of gravity is different and constantly changing. This is going to limit your ability to spin.

Can I keep training?

For some dancers training might mean attending one class a week, for others it might mean a more punishing schedule of conditioning and dance. How you manage this is entirely up to you. I stopped taking classes at about 20 weeks in my first pregnancy. But at 17 weeks I made it through the Majma festival without sitting out of any workshops.

Of course dance isn't just about classes. I never truly stopped dancing in either of my pregnancies. Even after I stopped classes, or practice at home. Dance is integral to my life and I was still dancing, even briefly, on a daily basis.

If you want to maintain your fitness, it might be worth switching over to specialist pre-natal classes whose teachers have a better understanding of what is going on in your body and how to manage it. There are also some really good prenatal yoga and pilates DVDs on the market (Tara Lee held me together in my first pregnancy), and a couple of prenatal bellydance DVDs, which while basic, offer you a safe flow practice.

There are other ways you can work at your dance, without actually dancing. Like watching videos or studying music. So try them out to keep your dance monster fed. Lastly, be creative, if you can't do the entirety of your regular practice, what can you do? When my pelvis was at its worst, I sat on a fitness ball and drilled arm patterns. Great for core strength!

Can I perform during pregnancy?

Absolutely. If you can dance, you can perform. You might want to think about what your energy levels can handle, but if you feel up for it, most bellydance events love a pregnant dancer!

What about afterwards?

When I was pregnant people told me that dance would be the last thing on my mind after I had a baby. These people were wrong, and if you, like me, live and breathe bellydance, then you will understand the urge to get back into it fast.

You're going to have to wait a little, at least. Medical advice is to wait 6-8 weeks, at which point you will have your postnatal checkup and your doctor will tell you if you are OK to start exercise.

After my second baby (c-section) I went to a beginner level class at 10 weeks postpartum. Looking back on that it seems ridiculous, but at the time it was an absolute lifeline. One whole hour a week for me, where I wasn't caring for a tiny and perpetually hungry human.

***

I took my yoga teacher training during my second pregnancy. My teacher told me at the time that yoga teachers were far more likely to push themselves too far, maybe even without realising, because they felt the need to "keep up" or maintain a certain level to justify their position as a teacher.

I think that is something to be conscious of as a pregnant dancer too. You will lose condition, you will find yourself dancing more basic technique and fumbling movements that were previously easy.

You may even resent your body, or your baby for "taking away" something that is probably part of your identity. All of this is normal and OK.

When you come back, dancing will feel like driving an unfamiliar, and much less powerful, car. Your brain will know what it wants to do, but your body will not quite get there.

However, pregnancy did make me a better dancer. Living without dance, as I had known it, made me yearn for it more, and work for it harder once I could again. It made me less inhibited because I understood what I really had to lose. It made me dig deeper. Losing the edge on my skill made me reflect harder on the artistry, musicality, storytelling and emotion of dance. Don't be afraid of taking a little sabbatical, the dance will always be waiting for you.

Tasty metaphors....

Practice snacks - making a difference to your dance in bite size chunks.

I've been thinking a lot about training and practice for class students lately.

I often catch myself telling dancers in class that the move the move they are struggling with will come... with practice. We usually drill movement in class, both while learning it and in the drills section of the class, but I don't believe it is the best use of our class time to drill a single move for an extended period until everyone has nailed it (drill-specific classes excepted); once I know my students can execute a move safely, understand what they are aiming for and have had a little time to let their bodies feel it, we usually move on. Apart from anything else a little settling time usually helps things click.

I do understand that not every class participant is going to go home and practice the material they covered in class. At all. Let alone for hours of meticulous drilling. But I am also aware that many dance students want to practice, but don't really know how.

Also I am an evil taskmaster and setting homework pleases me.

Are your toes good or naughty?

I train stupidly hard, because I love it, it's my passion, my job and I am trying to maintain a steep learning curve. I am prepared to prioritise my training and make sacrifices for it. I don't expect every student to be quite so affected. So I got to thinking about what I could advise students to do that wouldn't cut into their lives too hard, but would still make a difference to their dance.

[though if you are interested in really raising your game through intense training and practice, this is the series for you]

I'm a real fan of the idea of 10 minute practices, because most of us can find 10 minutes a couple of times a week. Or even just 2 minutes a day. A lot can be accomplished in 2 minutes a day. It could be the time while you wait for the microwave to ping your porridge in the morning, a mid-afternoon break to freshen up your brain. Schedule that time and you will do it.

So I'm going to start a new series on here of little homework snippets that make a difference.

I'll get into specifics with the next post, but for today, here's  some general ideas to get you going.

Daily drills

Use my drill generator to pick something at random, and practice it! Picking at random means you will not just practice the moves you like best! Chose one thing to practice, do it for the duration of one song.

Class technique top up

In most classes you will probably learn 2-4 new techniques or steps. Put on a song, you can use Arabic music or just something you like with a beat (I have a bit of a playlist for students here). It could even just be a plain drumbeat (I use Guy Shalom's Tablatastic for drills to specific beats or Gypsy Caravan's Caravan Rhythms). Practice your new steps for the duration of the song, first slow, then full speed. Start small and increase your range as you warm into the movement. Think about posture and isolation. If the movement is a layer, practice the separate components briefly before putting it together.

Improvisation sensation

Choose 3 dance movements or steps. You decide how loose your definition is (for instance you could choose "figure 8s" which could be any and all variations on an 8, from mayas to chest 8s and one-hip 8s, or specifically stick with one type). Put on a song you know and like. Dance to it, using only those moves. We are working on musicality and spontaneity. Whatever happens, just keep dancing.

2015 round up

Well, that year happened quickly!

I've had an amazing year in dance this year and I am so grateful and happy for all the amazing opportunities I have had. I've been able to work with some wonderfully talented and generous teachers and determined and dedicated students.

In January I decided to completely overhaul the way I approached my dance practice. It's been a tough road but I've got a lot of work under my shimmy belt and I am really feeling the benefits. February was Valentines day, which meant preparing a special restaurant set, so I really did hit the ground running.

March was an amazing month, starting with Majma, where I did all 5 workshops with the wonderful Ava Fleming. I also managed to fit in a private lesson with Ava, which was absolutely brilliant. There really is nothing like spending an intensive lesson working on exactly what you need to work on with such a great teacher. I am still working on and growing through the inspiration and practical tips from that weekend. I also got to watch Ava dance "Too Close", one of my favourite fusion pieces of hers, from right by the stage.

Then there was Ashley Lopez. I was super lucky to bag a place on a low-ratio intensive weekend with Ashley. She is another brilliant teacher, both in terms of technical dance and inspiration. We did a lot of evil conditioning and some mad layering and technical geekery. We also had a really good session on creating a training schedule and a session on postural analysis, which I have applied to my own dance as well as my teaching.

I also started on Alexis Southall's Tribal Fusion Education programme. This means I have been whizzing up and down the M5 on a regular basis for studio time with Alexis. There are 17 of us on the programme and it has been a blast getting to train and hang out with the other dancers, many of whom were already good friends. We've been sharing ideas and discussions and our passion for Tribal Fusion dance in general. Alexis is a fabulous teacher, she's absolutely lovely but also understands the need to challenge us to push our boundaries. I would like to steal her and bring her down here so I can train with her every day!

It's been a good year for teaching too. I taught a fire dance workshop for Gina and the Bellygees on their glamping weekend, which was a great opportunity to hang out with those ladies and get to know them better.

Classes in Glastonbury and Bridgewater have continued and it's been great meeting a new wave of dancers coming into these groups. Glastonbury classes start back on the 11th and Bridgwater on the 5th (first session is a Burlesque session for giggles).

I've also taught a few hen parties which are always hilarious, a workshop at a large exhibition arena.

I hosted my second hafla in Glastonbury, which was a great success. I was also hosting Samantha Riggs and Demelza Fox who both taught workshops. Sam stayed with me for a little while and it was lovely to get to know her. One thing I love about the bellydance world is that I am always meeting such amazing, fun people. Sam's workshop was so much fun, and it was great to see the participants on stage with her showing off their new Bhangra skills. Demelza is another lovely, fun teacher and everyone got a lot out of her stage presence workshop. I also taught a Dark Fusion workshop. I was really impressed with the ladies who took part, the worked really hard and were totally game when I suggested we perform the choreography at the hafla, after just 2 hours spent learning it! They were fabulous!

We also had some great performances at the hafla in various styles. I am always impressed when people turn out and support events, but moreso when I see the calibre of performances on offer and the amount of work that clearly goes into it. I've also really enjoyed attending a whole bunch of haflas this year. It's been a crazy busy time, to the point that I sadly had to turn down invitations to events I really wanted to participate in.

Autumn brought the conception of the Laylet Amar Ensemble. I got the opportunity to rehearse and perform with talented, live musicians, as well as getting together with Oona for dance conspiracy! Here's a little video of part of the performance:

This performance also happened the same week as Infusion Emporium, which was a brilliant weekend of spending time with some of my best dancey people, training outside my comfort zone with Heather Stants and performing a duet with Kitty Kohl at the fabulous and hilarious Glitterball Shakedown.

I'm in my midwinter downtime now, where I sort out my accounting (yawn), plan my calendar for next year and start shortlisting performance ideas and music. Next year is going to be brilliant too. I already have some performances on the cards, a show in Wells, the TFEP showcase and some haflas. There's some good learning to be done and I'm looking forward to finding out what unfolds.

Whatever happens, I wish you a happy, dance filled new year.

What should I wear to bellydance class.

One of the most common questions asked of me by prospective new dancers joining my class is "what should I wear" so it's probably high time I wrote a blog about it.

I'm going to start with the straight answer that I offer students, if that's what you are looking for:

Wear something you feel comfortable moving in, and can see your movements in. Leggings or yoga pants with a vest or t shirt is fine, you can wear a shimmy belt if you like (I lend them out) bare feet or soft dance shoes are good.

There. Done.

But there's a little more to it than that - because otherwise I wouldn't have started writing about it.

I'm not going to talk about footwear though, because I've done it before.

Dressing for class

What dancers wear to class depends upon a number of factors. The style of the class and the preference of the teacher (and other students) dictates much, the dancer's approach to dance and what they are getting out of it, what the dancer feels comfortable and functional in and what stage of their dance career they are at.

Vashti's short article on Shira's site is spot on. I have been through all these stages and I'm now at the point where I have to remind myself when I am teaching not to dress as I do when I am learning, because people tend not to recognise me as the teacher and think I am a scruffy stray who wandered into the wrong room! [I think I am going to have to write a whole other article about dressing as a teacher, because that's a whole new can of worms.]

Skirt or pants?

Some dancers like to come to class in a skirt, the right shape skirt can help emphasize hip movements and if you want to dress up a little for class a pretty skirt is a good option. I often wear a 25 yard skirt for ATS classes (wrapped and tucked) and occasionally a straight or basic fishtail skirt for Orientale classes too. The downside with skirts is that if the class involves floorwork, yoga or certain types of conditioning you might find a skirt impractical. A skirt also covers your legs and often your feet, which means your teacher can't keep an eye on your footwork.

Pants could be yoga/jazz pants, harem pants, leggings or specialist bellydance pants like Melodias. I find longer pants trip me up a bit, so I tend to go for calf length, leggings or harems with elasticated hems. Really full pantaloons can be a trip hazard, but they are OK for styles that don't involve too much fancy footwork.

Tops

Fitted/stretchy tops that allow the line of your body to be visible are really helpful when you are learning bellydance. Often your movements will be small to start with and they'll get lost under a voluminous t shirt or layers. A cropped layer for warmth over a normal vest top is great. You don't need to bare your midriff, in fact I don't think any of my current students do.

For the ladies, I would also recommend a sports bra. Especially for saiidi and suchlike. You might get away without but holding back for "lack of support" takes some of the fun out of your class. And while we are on it, for the chaps, Google "dance belt". You are welcome.

Shimmy belts

Noisy coin belts are sometimes a bone of contention. I encourage them in my classes, because my classes are small and I think the weight and auditory feedback is really useful for learners. In a large class or an echoey venue a lot of students with noisy belts and ants in their pants can be massively distracting (see Stork's sweary guide to sins in large workshops, if you are comfortable with sweary ranting). Also be aware that cheaper coin belts with stamped coins will "shed" as the sharp edges work through the thread. If this happens be sure to pick up your beads and coins before they cause injury.

Hipscarves and belts also serve the important purpose of making your hip movements clearly visible. So go for a colour that stands out. If you don't like the noise you can get quieter beaded ones, or just a bright fabric scarf. I have a habit of using my neckscarf (because we are back to the bit where I dress for class like I had to buy my clothes at a charity shop 5 minutes ago).

Remember that what you are wearing helps your teacher to see your dancing, so the clearer your attire is, the better feedback you will get.

Dressing for workshops

OK, there are probably 2 kinds of workshops, and they aren't always that clearly delineated, it's more of a sliding scale. I'm going to call them "fun" and "serious". Not because the fun ones aren't serious or the serious ones not fun, but for want of a better term.

"Fun" workshops are the ones aimed at dancers who dance "just" for fun. Often they happen before a local hafla or as part of an end of term celebration. They have descriptors like "try out a fun folk dance", "suitable for all levels" and tend to be a great laugh with a bit of a party atmosphere.

"Serious" workshops have descriptors that say things like "bring a yoga mat and water", they are aimed at dancers who want to be challenged and push their dance to the highest level.

There are instances where a workshop will have a clear mixture of "fun" and "serious" participants, and that's just fine too.

Fun workshops

For a lower impact, party atmosphere class, you can dress up a bit if you want to. Go for the skirts and your fancy tops, add a little bling (but make sure there's nothing sharp or spiky or generally health and safety  bothersome). Don't wear your performance kit, you'll likely still sweat in it, crumple it and generally shorten its lifespan.

Don't wear anything that is going to affect the learning of others in the room, like enormous headdresses (yes, I've seen that) or extremely noisy costuming - shimmy belts are usually still fine although some teachers will ask you to remove them. I usually go for a quiet belt if I don't know the teacher.

If you don't want to dress up, that's also fine. You can join me in the lost property bin club.

Serious workshops

If you know your workshop teacher has a thing for yoga/pilates. If they have asked you to bring a yoga mat. If the write up suggests it will be sweaty/physically challenging. If the focus is drilling or advanced technique. Then you need to dress for a workout/general dance class, not a bellydance party.

You are wasting your time and money if you can't take part in the class because you are hampered by your outfit. Avoid long/loose pants you will trip over. Make sure you can get down on the floor, sit in a straddle etc without being restricted or flashing everyone.

Go for leggings/pants and a vest, with layers, which you will need for warming up and cooling down, and a light, quiet hipscarf.

If there is floorwork you are going to need kneepads, if there is spinning/turns you will likely need shoes or dancepaws.



So there you go, question well and truly answered to death. I hope that takes some of the mystery/anxiety when preparing for a dance learning environment, and if in doubt, just keep it simple and functional, you will develop your own style and preferences as you go. .

Reflecting on the sword

Sword is one of my favourite props. It's not a particularly culturally authentic prop, which is to say that while some Middle Eastern and North African dances do involve swords (or in some of the updated versions, rifles) the way that bellydancers use the sword in the west is not recognisable within the frame of MENA dance.

However, it is a very popular prop, it's flash and impressive, balance feats involving swords have a frisson of danger about them and audiences love that. There is also the advantage, when not attempting to create an accurate representation of a cultural dance, that we have the freedom to play, experiment and express our art however we wish.

Some dancers use weapons to create martial arts based pieces, Morgana is a great example of a dancer who blends her martial arts background with dance on stage.

I have also heard people criticise dancers for not doing this, for not "wielding" the sword "correctly" in their dance for instance. I think this criticism comes from a lack of consideration of what the dancer is trying to say with their dance (or perhaps what the teacher they learned from was trying to say), and I wanted to write a little about how we use weapons in dance, not to represent violence, but to subvert it.

I have martial arts training. I fought competitive, full contact Tae Kwon Do and I've trained in Western swordplay. When I dance with a sword, I'm not a fighter, I am a dancer. I don't hold my sword like a weapon, firstly, because it's not balanced like one, it's balanced to sit on my head, but also because part of the purpose of my dance is to take the sword as a classic symbol of violence, death and brutality, and subvert it as something delicate, graceful, even sensual.

Tech rehearsal for Juno's show in 2009

I've heard reports more recently, mostly from dancers in the USA, that they are being asked not to dance with a sword when booked for a performance, the reason being that it might remind people of the atrocities committed by Dae'sh extremists in the Middle East.

It makes me intensely sad that anyone would connect a beautiful performance with such things and moreso to see another way that terrorism creeps into our everyday lives.

As a counter to this I would suggest that artistic expression, dance, music and particularly the freedom of women to openly participate in the same, are all anathema to these extremists' ideals. Perhaps we are reaching a point where a woman, dancing, in public and subverting the symbol of the scimitar is becoming an act of defiance and ridicule against the perpetrators of violence.

Pushing our limits and the problem with comfortable

A few things have happened recently which got me thinking about comfort zones and learning, potential and achievement.

- I took a workshop with Heather Stants, who teaches very contemporary influenced fusion, a style which I find challenging to the point that I had previously concluded it "wasn't for me".

- A new student told me that she struggled with footwork and stated that she was slow at learning it.

- A prospective student asked if she would be able to perform in future.

When I started bellydance, one of the reasons I chose this particular form was because I believed that I had two left feet. I thought I couldn't handle footwork and I thought that bellydance didn't involve footwork.

I was wrong on both these counts.

It's taken years, but the greatest obstacle has not been my physical capability to move one foot and then the next without tripping over, it has been the mental understanding that it is OK to not get it first time, or second time, or the 50th time...

Dancing in Heather's workshop, I was trying to get my head/body around a combination that was all arms and legs and totally outside my comfort zone. I found myself thinking "this is hard", "I'm not good at this sort of thing", "I'm not getting this".

Then I mentally slapped myself around the face with a wet fish and told myself to sort it out. What I was experiencing wasn't being unable to do something, it was being unable to do something YET, and we have all experienced that with absolutely everything we can now do and take for granted. Every dance step we know, walking, talking, breathing. Not being able to do something does not mean never being able to do it, and it is not a good enough reason to give up.

If it frightens you, do it - Amanda Palmer

Your comfort zone is not where the good stuff happens. If you are comfortable doing something then you already know how to do it, so you aren't learning, you aren't progressing, you aren't growing.

It's OK to be uncomfortable. We live in a privileged world with constant progress towards making our lives easier, more convenient, more comfortable, and I think that sometimes we forget what it means to fight for something, to suffer because we know the reward will be worthwhile. There is not instant gratification for an artist, you have to sweat through the process.

Don't be afraid to get uncomfortable, you are safe. It's OK to be frustrated, it's OK to feel like your brain is overloaded, its OK if your muscles are struggling, if you are out of breath. It's all part of the process, this is what really living feels like.

The vast majority of my beginning students tell me that they are no good with footwork. I'm not sure why this is the case, perhaps it is because so much of the raqs sharqui vocabulary is so alien to those from a Western background, that they have no preconceptions, or take it for granted that it will be a struggle, but the feet? They assume that you either have it or you don't.

I have seen students begin the term falling over their own feet, but in 6-10 weeks, their grapevine, step touch and rocking step is second nature. If you can nail any one of those, you can nail any other step pattern. It's just a question of doing it over and over, slowly until it gets into your body. It will always be hard to start with, it will be automatic by the time you are done. Just don't give up before you get there.

The answer to the potential student's question is yes. You will be able to perform in time, if you put the work in. It may well be a couple of years, and I know that is daunting. When I first started out, I remember reading somewhere on Bhuz that one can expect to be at beginner level for around 2 years. A beginner? For 2 whole years? That seems like a long time when you have been dancing for 2 whole months! Well, time has flown and the more I dance, the more like a beginner I feel, and that's a good thing because it is merely an indicator of the immense amount of amazing dance experiences there are out there for the taking.

I do push my students, I am fairly unapologetic about it too! I won't throw them in the deep end (although I might encourage them to try the water just so they know how it feels), and I won't ask them to do anything they don't have the technical foundation to attempt safely. But I'm definitely not going to let them come back week after week dancing the same old material without testing their boundaries and trying new things. It's my responsibility as a facilitator of their dance journey to give them opportunities to test their limits and grow to meet their personal potential.

Naturally, I have to set the example by trying new styles, techniques and concepts. And when the going gets tough, I'll grit my teeth and get stuck in.

What's in your gig bag?

I'm packing to go to Infusion Emporium at the moment (well, I'm procrastinating packing by writing a blog). It's a bit of a mammoth task because I have to have everything I need for attending workshops, being a bit fancy for the theatre show (by fancy I really mean, "not in sweaty leggings") travelling and staying overnight - Oh and because I love my students I am driving back early on Monday for my Glastonbury classes, so I need everything for that too. But the biggest obstacle is that I also need everything for performing at the Glitterball Shakedown.

When I do a performance, and often if I am teaching a hen party class or suchlike, I take my hallowed gig bag. It's a carry on size suitcase which has literally everything I could ever need in it. I carefully pack it beforehand, and "reset" it afterwards. Some of the contents is changeable, like costumes, props etc, and some of it is consistent.

For this weekend it doesn't make sense to take 2 suitcases, so I am having to decant the bits and bobs I need from my gig bag, into my weekend luggage. It's the little, consistent things that are the trick, because it has taken me a while to refine exactly what I need for any eventuality. Here's some of the stuff I carry around with me:

Hairgrips/bobby pins

I always have 2 packs of these, because the hairgrip pixies steal them at a frightening speed. Anyone who has hairgrips knows about the hairgrip pixies, they will take 80% of your stash every time you look away. Don't Blink.

If you buy in bulk, they just get lost faster, I have tried. So my rule is that I buy small packs, and there must be one in my dresser and 2 in my gig bag, all at least half full.

I carry 2 packs because one will be standard grips and the other heavy duty/wig grips, which can take the strain of pinning hairpieces, rats and bulky accessories.

Minirig

My Minirig is one of my favourite things ever, no exaggeration. It's a speaker about the size of a large mug of tea, which is rechargable and surprisingly loud. Loud enough to teach with, on high gain you can get enough sound to perform with, even outdoors. Not super noisy, but enough. I have a 500W tailgate speaker which is louder, but it's about the same size as my gig bag, and I'm only going to double my luggage if I absolutely have to.



Even if I know my venue has a sound system, it is no trouble at all to carry the Minirig and that means that if there is an issue with sound, I can still teach/perform.

MP3 player

I go absolutely nowhere without my MP3 player. It has *all* my dance music on and specific playlists for particular lessons, moods and performance sets.

Tin of gubbins

Used hairgrips, safety pins (essential for securing costumes and last minute fixes), hairbands. Anything small and vital goes in my tin.

My tin of gubbins, essential kit.

Sewing kit.

This little repair kit came from my local craft shop. It's important to be able to fix  costumes on the go because a loose hook can be the difference between a servicable costume and having nothing to wear, or worse, a costume malfunction! The scissors are also great for trimming lashes.

All the underwear

In case I happen to forget to pack the appropriate underpinnings for the particular costume (Shira has a great article on this), I always carry a pair of black and a pair of fleshtone "invisible" knickers (seamfree, but I like to call them that because I never get tired of saying "I can't find my invisible knickers"), which between them will work for most costumes. I also carry a normal pair because I was raised to be prepared.

I also carry a pair of Capezio dance tights in my bag all the time, and a fleshtone, sleeved bellystocking, both are transferable to almost any costume if need be.

Grooming

Body glitter, travel size hairspray, hairbrush, versatile red lipstick. These are necessities, so they stay in there. Also a spare shake and go wig, because nobody needs a hairmergency.

Eyelashes and glue

I always have a spare pair of eyelashes, just in case. Eyelash glue suffers in the same way as hairgrips. It's small and the pixies steal it. I use latex free eyelash glue, which isn't commonly available, so I buy lots of little bottles and secrete them in handy places (no use buying a large bottle, it dries up). Eyelash glue isn't just for eyelashes, I use a lot of little gems in my makeup and it's useful for wayward wig lace. Having spare glue is essential if any of the cornucopia of stuff stuck to my face comes loose.

Pre-gig war paint photo demonstrating how I might stick stuff on my face...

Health stuff

In case of emergency. Ibuprofen and paracetamol (for headaches or injuries), Tiger Balm and sanitary protection. More often than not I am lending this stuff to other dancers in need!

Wet wipes

Amazing all around for everything. You can wipe down the surface in the dressing room, before or after use. You can wipe the floor dirt off your feet, a smudge of hummus off your costume, take your make up off with them, all sorts of things.

Parking change.

Because there is nothing worse when you have somewhere to get to than finding yourself in a car park with no meter money... in costume.

Flyers and business cards

You never know where a networking opportunity might come up, so I try to keep a stock of class flyers and business cards on hand.

Video camera and tripod

One of the best ways to improve your dance is to video yourself and watch it critically. I do this in practice, but where I can, I try to do it for performances too, because sometimes stuff comes out under pressure. I carry a small video camera and a tabletop tripod for that purpose.

The changables

So all those things are a given, I might need them in most situations. I also have room in my bag for the items that are specific to a gig.

So if I am teaching a burlesque party, I will have half a case full of feather boas, spare gloves, party favours etc.

If I am doing a bellydance performance I have space for 2 complete costumes (providing only one of them is a bulky one) and a cover up, plus shoes, hairpieces etc.

Everyone's essentials are going to be different, and it has evolved over time as I have learned what I can do without and what I wished I had packed.