Would it be weird to belly dance to "Walking on Sunshine?"

Last night I had, like, so much fun!

As said a couple of days ago, last night was my belly dance class's recital. My teacher worked hard (though modestly) to put the whole thing together-there was even a program! The evening was kicked off with a solo performance from our teacher, then my class performed, then a lovely duet choreography, then the other class. Just like when I performed last July with n.o.madic, it was a great feeling to be up there dancing, but it was all over so quick!

The one really difficult thing was the waiting. We got to the venue so early that there was a lot of down time before we went on, and so-of course-I started babbling. When I get nervous, excited, bored, anxious, any of the above, my brain and my mouth completely disconnect from each other and my mouth will just say the most inane shit just to fill the empty space so that my nervousness, etc. won't fill in instead. It's sick--I can see it happening from my brain, but it takes an emotional rattle to stop it. The rattle happened, and although I was a little uncomfortable I was glad it did because otherwise I just would have kept on babbling and fussing.

After that first set, there were special guest performers! First came Z, with a very theatrical, very pretty dance inside (and then outside) a burqa. It really hit on something I'd been thinking about--my former dance teacher in New Orleans had been really big into teaching about Middle Eastern culture and why we do this or the origin of that dance move--and this Fat Chance stuff is well and good, but seems to throw that out the window. Anyway, Z's dance told a story, and in that sense seemed much more personal and much closer to the cultures that inspired ATS. Not that dancing for the sake of dancing isn't great, but I really think there's more there than strict Carolena ATS is really allowing for. I mean, we're touching our hips! And hair gardens and cowrie falls are cute and pretty, but they don't have any real significance... There's meaning that's been lost in the fray somewhere. Call me crazy, but there's something more fun about gwahzee when you think about all the hookers who used to use it as an excuse to loiter on the streets of...wherever.

So Z danced, then Trisha McBride (who is kind of famous) danced, then my teacher's ATS troupe danced--they were great! ATS may have lost some stuff in translation, but if nothing else, it's just ridiculously fun even to watch. Improvised choreography in action, plus bright colors and fluffy tassels! It made me nostalgic for my Friday nights watching n.o.madic at the Dragon's Den!

After the show we all slowly trickled to the back locker area to change. There was hardly any space at all there - a running theme all over New York. By the time I made it back, I was one of the last girls there, and while changing, Z struck up a conversation with me. In ten minutes I found out she's a kindred spirit: an artist, a slightly jaded idealist, a film school graduate. I wanted to stay and talk, but there was a lot of people-climbing-over-us happening and I wound up taking off. I did look her up on Tribe right away though, and found out she was just as happy for our meeting! We will go have coffee and it will be good.