In which she stops to take a breath...

I feel like this year has been a whirlwind of activities, and now we're four months in and finally I'm feeling more grounded, rested and able to catch up on life. It seems like I stepped onto an escalator...and found myself in a different spot. I have lots of pictures to post, videos, links and other inspirations but haven't had the time to sit and work through all of that. So, we'll go with a quick summary in my belly dance life.

• I started the Artist's Way book once again. Well, I started to help facilitate a group who wanted to do the book and got sucked back in. I have to say that the second round has given me much more clarity, inspiration and joy.
• We just finished our second Hip Circle Hafla the last weekend in March, and it was a wonderful success. I am so proud of all my students that I could just burst at any given moment, and I am so happy to have this experience to share with all the wonderful dancers in Austin. Really, I could hug every one of them right now!
• I wished for my classes to fill up and sell out...and as of today, I am almost at that point. I really do think I've hit my stride and built up enough momentum to really move forward with my teaching.
• Including this week's gig at Mirage, I've been booked three times as the head liner for local shows. Two at new venues (one I did last week), and this week at Mirage...my old stomping ground. (or is that shimmy ground...) Seems fitting that I can finally close the show at the venue where I performed my first solo. It's exciting but a little sad since the venue may be going away this summer :-(
• Next weekend I'm teaching my first ever Mother-Daughter belly dance workshop. I was approached with the idea last fall, but got caught up in the 'how'. Then, the lovely Casey stepped in to organize and help promote it. Now, all I have to do is show up!
• This June I will be performing with a live Middle Eastern Band at the Austin Belly Dance Convention (Yeah!!!!!). I've danced to live music before, but more of the drum-circle or fusion style shows. Not classic BD music or traditional formats, and I get a 10 minute set. I'm praying for Alf Leyla as my song choice because I love that song so much. Then, I'm praying that I get through the drum solo successfully.
• I'm working on a whole new belly dance site, that I hope will be as fabulous on line as I have it drawn out to be. I've really been thinking long and hard of what I need now, and what I want the site to grow into.
• I am signed up to take Sahra Saeeda's Journey Through Egypt certification course, starting this month. I love Sahra...love her dancing and when I first saw her I was so new to this dance I could not fully appreciate all the information she had to share. But I'm ready...for a 20 hour workshop at the end of this month to absorb it all.
• I have a birthday this week, and although growing older is a little hard to take at times...I could not feel more blessed in my life as I do now. This feeling, this excitement, this joy...I owe entirely to belly dance, the community that comes with it, and the creative outlet it gives me. And no, this is not just some random, drunken rambling where I declare my love of everything and everyone...it's very heartfelt. So, go hug a belly dancer right now!

And...a little warning...some time in the new future I need to change the web address of this site. Since I'm no longer a part of Troupe Mirage, in all good consciousness I can't keep using that in the web address. I will still use "More than a Mirage" as the blog name, since it seems quite apropos for my situation. I'll keep you posted on that move (and of course invite you to the new site!).

So, that's what I've been up to in a nut shell. I promise to post on each and every one of these things soon :-)