Ok so this isn't technically about dancing, but we all know dancing makes you hungry so it's still relevant!

The downloadable document below is a copy of the recipe book that I made for Hagley Dance Company at the end of this year, as many of them were off to further dance studies & flatting so were likely to be broke for the next few years at least & in need of some good cheap recipes.

They are all vegetarian & most vegan, most freeze well & are in relatively large quantities since dancers also often lead busy lives so leftovers are always welcome :)

​In July 2018 TribalDiva Belly Dance Company had the pleasure of hosting April Rose from Austin, Texas for a Weekend of Workshops & Choreography Intensive in Christchurch, New Zealand.

In addition to teaching fantastic technique workshops, challenging and interesting choreographies and a decent helping of dance theory in the Choreography Intensive April also shared some of her knowledge around the history and cultural aspects of belly dance, drawing on her Masters Degree studies in belly dance history, choreographic method and a myriad of dance styles. 

We were treated to an hour long interactive lecture on issues of cultural appropriation, which was also live-streamed on facebook live. If you missed out on that at the time it is also permanently available on the TribalDiva Belly Dance Company facebook page below.

For more information about April Rose, her dance background and studies check out her website and facebook page. 

We are now into the seventh week of Term 2 so it’s time for me to tackle the question of what being a member of the Hagley Dance Company (HDC) is actually like on a day-to-day basis, from my particular context of being twice the age of the other members and being a belly dancer with no prior contemporary dance training……where to start?

It is fun, awesome, challenging, fulfilling, but it can also definitely be frustrating at times!

I had planned to cover both the physical and mental elements in this blog but it got way too long so this one will be just about the physical aspects. Although I’m generally fit & active from cycling & hill walking, and definitely dance fit from all the TribalDiva Belly Dance Company classes, performances and activities I was somewhat expecting that I wouldn’t be able to keep up in class physically; I thought that just due to not being as young as the others and with contemporary dance being so much larger in gestures (not to mention all the floor work!), often faster & definitely more cardio intensive than belly dance I might find I need to take breaks during class initially, and I possibly wouldn’t be able to cycle in to class very often, but I have been pleasantly surprised!

Although I’m still learning a lot of the technique so may not be doing some movements to the full extent I can certainly keep up for the whole class & am yet to need to sit anything out due to tiredness – I’m also biking in 3 days each week and teaching 8 TribalDiva Belly Dance classes on top of that so I’m quite pleased with my stamina levels!

That said however I did need a nap every day for the first week of Term 1 & Term 2 before heading out to TribalDiva classes, and some days I feel like I’ve been in a fight with the muscle soreness from using my body in a totally different way. I also have a permanent set of random bruises as testament to the fact that my technique for getting up & down for floor movements still needs a lot of work!

I am nursing my first ever dance injury, which is actually due to an old cycling injury anyway…I have a dislocated collarbone which for the last 3 years has caused very few issues but now that I’m practicing what are essentially break dancing moves it’s pulling on a neck muscle & periodically that muscle just seizes up & I can’t move my head! It’s not actually as bad as it sounds & acupuncture seems to be the way forward but it did cause me to have to pull out of a show which is also a first (and fingers crossed a last!) for me.

A little bit of background info on Hagley Dance Company (HDC), and me before we delve into how the two came together……

Hagley Dance Company is a full time contemporary dance-based course aimed at dancers wanting to progress to tertiary study in dance and eventually a professional career in contemporary dance. Over the course of the year we will study contemporary dance, hip hop, ballet, jazz, yoga, anatomy, nutrition, dance history, and pilates, and focus on technique, choreography and performance.

My own dance background is almost exclusively as a belly dancer – after starting to study Tribal and Fusion styles of belly dance in 2010 my dance journey has progressed to where over the last few years I have been self-employed as a belly dance teacher and performer, and the director of TribalDiva Belly Dance Company.

One of the two main belly dance styles that I teach and perform is called Fusion Belly Dance, and as the name suggests it’s a mixture of a few different dances. Originally when it was developing in the US in the 90’s it was a fusion of traditional belly dance and American Tribal Style Belly Dance (my other main specialty), but as it grew & dancers with different backgrounds came to study, then perform and teach it the style has evolved to incorporate elements of hip hop, contemporary, flamenco, locking and popping, Indian classical dances – really almost anything!

I’ve been fortunate to have had the opportunity to travel to the United States 3 times so far to take part in intensive training courses with the Fusion Belly Dance ‘superstars’, the same dancers who created the style and have had long and successful careers performing and teaching it around the world.  During these adventures I realized that of the teachers and performers (there are always awesome shows attached to these intensives!) that were the best, most captivating and most innovative, all had studied another dance form deeply and thoroughly and were able to incorporate them into their belly dance, where I was learning everything when it had already been ‘fused’ by someone else, so I was learning some hip hop or flamenco alongside the belly dance but I didn’t necessarily  know how the moves looked in their origin dance genre, or what the process was to mix the two into something cohesive.

So I started taking classes in other dance styles, I did a couple of terms of modern jazz, then a couple of hip hop, but things kept getting in the way – the time of the class would change or I just couldn’t fit it in somehow, I even had a hip hop teacher coming to my home studio each week for a private lesson each week for a while but trying to fit any practice around all the belly dance in between meant I wasn’t progressing particularly well.

So of course the logical thing to do if you can’t seem to fit 1 extra dance class in your week is to join a full time dance course to go alongside the full time job you already have as a dance teacher & performer right…….

A couple of other things contributed to coming around to the idea that I might even be crazy enough to audition for HDC; in 2012 TribalDiva Belly Dance Company took part in Coca-Cola Christmas in the Park for the first time. The other dancers came from various backgrounds but the ones who left the biggest impression on me were the group who performed as back up dancers to almost all of the singers; high kicks, fancy moves, perfect timing, I wanted to be them!!

After that first show I investigated training in contemporary, jazz & the other dance styles would be necessary to do this what I discovered was called ‘commercial dance’. Hagley Dance Company first crossed my mind then but I quickly decided I was ‘too old’ and focussed on my first dance loves of Fusion and Tribal Style Belly Dance. Now I love belly dance, and anyone who knows me will attest I pretty much live it & breathe it, but that hasn’t stopped me watching the same dance groups for the last 6 years that we’ve been in Coca-Cola Christmas in the Park alongside them and still kinda-sorta wanting to be them as well as a belly dancer.

Then my friend Feather Unsure (director of Feral Grace Productions) auditioned and got in to the company in 2017. She is still 10 years younger than me but not straight out of school, and she also came from a theatre rather than dance background so maybe my age and lack of contemporary dance experience wouldn’t automatically disqualify me……

All year I seriously contemplated auditioning, put together budgets and schedules to see if it was crazy-can’t-do-it or crazy-but-do-it-anyway, dropped hints to Imaginary Derek that I might be back to full time study to feel the water there, told a couple of people that I was thinking about it to see how crazy their faces told me it was, met up with Feather & pumped her for info, then finally went ahead & auditioned….and found out I was in that same day!
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Tomorrow is the first day back for Term 2 (can’t wait!), and the subject of my next blog will be ‘What is it actually like to be a 37 year old belly dancer with zero contemporary dance training in a full time contemporary dance company comprised of 18-21 year olds!?’

 April Rose is a sought after teacher and performer internationally, being a regular tutor at Tribal Massive in Las Vegas, and a featured teacher on Datura Online as well as running her own regular classes and intensives out of Rose Movement Studio in Austin, Texas. April has had an illustrious dance career including as a principal performer for Bellydance Superstars, and as a member of Unmata with Amy Sigil. She has spent time living in India studying dance, and holds a Masters degree (hons) in Dance Studies.

Q. How long does it normally take you to put together a new choreography?
I give myself about 8 weeks. Sometimes it takes much longer than that to refine and every once in a while the process will take less than 8 weeks.
 
Q. I hear that your 2018 schedule is already pretty hectic – are there any key events or happenings (apart from a visit to NZ of course!) that you are particularly looking forward to?
In addition to visiting New Zealand for the first time, I have the honor of teaching at some really great US events. Some of those are: Migrations in Austin Texas, Massive in Vegas, Cues and Tattoos in Seattle, Elevation in Colorado, Revolution in Chicago, and Bayou Belly in Louisiana. I’ll also be making a long-awaited trip back to China (Chongqing).
(For info about April's workshops in NZ: April Rose Workshops )

Q: What non-dance art forms or ideas inspire your dance aesthetic?
I’m very inspired by the mathematical idea of elegance, efficiency, and simplicity when it comes to technique and composition. I find myself interested in humanist themes, as well: emotions and experiences that many humans share.

Q: Do you design most of your own costumes or are there particular designers and artists you like to work with on that side of things?
I used to design and make my costumes, then I became too busy with and interested by other aspects of dance. Now I work mostly with a designer in Houston Texas named “Larkspur Designs.” I love her costume aesthetic and tailoring because it is elegant, danceable, and unique. When not wearing Larkspur Designs, I usually find myself wearing baubles and items from Benne Gezeritt Witch Designs, Melodia, or crafty friends of mine.
 
Q: What is the best piece of dance-related advise you’ve ever received?
One time I was upset backstage mid-performance at a Bellydance Superstars show because I had made several mistakes in the choreography. One of the dancers in the dressing room looked at me and said, “you are making this show all about you right now.” It was tough love but it worked to snap me out of my solipsism and reminded me that my performance is only a small part of the audience’s entire experience.
 
Q: Do you currently study any other dance form or movement practice on a regular basis?
I feel very grateful that one of my technique teachers from the dance department at UCLA, Hassan Christopher, moved to Austin Texas and began teaching at Rose Movement Studio! From Hassan I take hiphop, house, and contemporary. Outside of his classes I also take a barre class and study with bellydancers I admire, like Aziza, Bozenka, and Sadie, whenever I can. I have been newly obsessed with percussion and I’m lucky to have a riq and finger cymbal teacher in Austin as well, named Lauren Checchio.
 
Q: It must be challenging to stay motivated and inspired to keep creating when you have done so many shows and created so many dances - what motivates you to continue growing & creating as a dancer?
My ever-deepening love for and understanding of bellydance technique, music, and history continues to inspire me to be thoughtful, referential, and innovative within and outside of that genre. Outside of my fascination for bellydance and it’s variations I am inspired by the individuals I have the honor of teaching, collaborating with, and learning from.  have had several students this year whose abilities and thoughtfulness are absolutely humbling and inspiring to me. Some of those incredible dancers have been Alisa Gurova, Serena Spears, Michelle Sorensen, & Rosanna Setu. Some of my collaborators this year have been Kimberly Larkspur, Rin Ajna, Lauren Checchio, Carly Fischer, & Blair Logan.The teachers who have inspired me a lot this year have been Sadie and Aziza. Other dancers inspire me to continue digging deep.
 
Q: Where was the strangest place you have performed to date?
 There is a small and long-standing club in Austin called “Carousel Lounge.” It has a children’s circus theme, complete with a giant pink elephant statue on the stage. It’s an old favorite in the city even though it is very strange!

Q: What is the one thing you can't travel without?
Hmm...the real answer is probably my phone. Next up I’d say my eye-mask and earplugs. And third: probiotic supplements. Very practical items.

Of course the context I hear this type of thing is mostly in relation to joining a belly dance class, but in general trying new things can be confronting and a little bit scary sometimes! As adults we have had a bit of experience doing the things we do each day such as working, playing sport and driving etc so we feel in control, effective and efficient much of the time.

When a new activity or challenge is proposed either consciously or sub-consciously we may be thinking What if I can’t do it? What if I look silly? What if the people are weirdos? What if they think I’m a weirdo?

Well let me reassure you – if you try something for the first time you probably won’t be able to do all of it straight away! But how boring would life be if we could do everything straight away & had nothing to strive for, nothing to achieve? You may well look a little silly sometimes, but likely no one is looking, and if they are they probably feel like they can relate from just a little while ago when they looked silly trying it for the first time themselves. As for the people being weirdos I guess that’s more subjective but if you are too then you’ll fit right in!

We recently had the pleasure of hosting Kristine Adams of FatChanceBellyDance® in San Francisco for a weekend of workshops and she shared with us an idea that I think is worth passing on: when we are learning new things as babies & small children initially we fail many, many times before finally mastering the new skill, but no one ever says to the baby “you suck at crawling/talking etc so why not give it up now? And don’t even bother thinking about walking, you’re clearly not cut out for it!”, but for some reason as adults that’s exactly what many of us tell ourselves! So when learning something new why not go easy on yourself, just as if you were a baby.
​
One of the many things I think is awesome about my partner (Imaginary Derek to you) is that he has no hesitation trying new things. He took up surfing at 40, and for quite a long time he mostly just fell off. When speaking to my former employer about Derek’s surf adventures he said that he’s always wanted to try surfing himself but wouldn’t try it now as he didn’t want to be ‘that old guy sucking at something’. They are pretty much the same age by the way, but now two years later Derek’s favourite activity (even in the winter!) is surfing – actual surfing, not just falling off, while my former employer is probably safely ensconced on his couch watching TV.
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Trying new things is good for the brain, it keeps you from getting stuck in a rut and you may just make some great friends and find your new favourite activity, so in the spirit of encouraging everyone to do just that here is a video of me and my two left feet looking very un-co (but having a lot of fun!) following along behind my awesome hip hop teacher:

I get asked these two questions all the time - in short the answers are: whatever you can move comfortably in, and no you don’t have to get your belly out.

I’ll elaborate below; when explaining new moves in class I like to work from the feet up we’ll do the same here.

Feet: barefoot is most common, some dancers like to wear ballet flats or ‘foot thongs’, and if it is very cold you will find some dancers in socks, just mind you don’t slip if you take that option! Some dancers will also wear socks or foot thongs for practicing spins so as to reduce the friction of feet against the floor.

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​Legs: leggings or tights are ideal but anything that you can move freely in is fine, so while jeans or a tight fitting skirt won’t work that well sweat pants or other stretch pants are good.

Hips: we often wear a hip scarf or belt low across the hips in a flat line to accentuate the hip line so we can clearly see the directional movements we want to execute. It’s not necessary to purchase one to come along & generally in TribalDiva Belly Dance Company classes the teacher will have a few spare available to use.

Torso: as mentioned above it is not a requirement to show your belly at all in class – it can be useful to wear a top that is more close fitting rather than a baggy item as that will help the teacher see your hips and help point out any adjustments. I find in my classes it’s around 50/50 bellies in & bellies out. This may change depending on the weather & what we are working on at the time. When I’m teaching I’ll have my belly exposed 80% of the time so that any movements I’m demonstrating can be more clearly seen by the students.

General: it’s a great idea to wear a couple of layers up top so you can remove then as we warm up throughout the class. A sports bra or other comfortable bra with good support is a good idea – we won’t be running or jumping in class but more support than a normal bra may be useful.

For advanced dancers: many dancers will start to wear costume items to class which is a great idea to test them out before they go onstage so any adjustments can be made, but just bear in mind that if you always wear large skirts or pantaloons to class then the teacher can’t see your feet! That may mean that incorrect footwork doesn’t get picked up early by the teacher. That can make it more difficult to correct later. An easy compromise there would be to tuck up large costuming when learning new moves.

So in summary to come along to your first belly dance class you shouldn’t have to purchase any special clothing or equipment, just come along in comfortable clothing that doesn’t restrict your movement to try it out & see how you go from there!

I had the pleasure of hosting Kami during the recent MEDANZ Festival in Christchurch and was fascinated by her tales of adventures touring with Belly Dance Super Stars and Beats Antique as well as the day to day reality of making your living as a fusion belly dancer. In addition to performing and teaching belly dance Kami also designs and hand crafts her own jewellery range (a number of her designs can now be seen adorning MEDANZ Festival attendees, and are available on her Etsy store: https://www.etsy.com/nz/shop/KamiLiddleDesigns?ref=profile_shopname).  In this interview we explore some influences on her creative process, longevity in the art form and what’s next for the fusion belly dance genre.

Q: What non-dance art forms or ideas inspire your dance aesthetic?
My first inspiration is music. I have a very hard time creating or being inspired without the right piece of music to move me. I also find inspiration in nature, visiting museum or art galleries. Oh and I’ve really been obsessed with watching music videos and getting ideas from them lately.

Q: Do you currently study any other dance form or movement practice on a regular basis?
I take yoga and Pilates classes pretty regularly as well as have my own personal yoga practice to keep me flexible while travelling.  I mostly focus on taking contemporary dance classes, but have also recently been dabbling in voguing classes and my new hobby is surfing which is a whole new way of learning to use your body and find your balance.
 
Q: It must be challenging to stay motivated and inspired to keep creating when you have done so many shows and created so many dances - what motivates you to continue growing & creating as a dancer?
It is true, it does stay hard to continue to be motivated and inspired. One thing that keeps me on top of that is my classes and workshops; knowing that I have to be prepared gives me that extra boost (I do well under pressure). What really helps me is taking time off. I tend to take a couple of weeks off once a year where I don’t dance or practice at all and allow myself the space to begin to miss it, that way when I jump back in I feel reenergized by dancing. I also find taking a dance intensive from a dancer I admire to be a great motivator when I’m feeling stuck or in a rut.
 
Q: Trends and fashions in Fusion Belly Dance change over time - are there any particular trends you've spotted in your recent travels that indicate where the dance form may be headed next?
I am seeing a trend of a lot of contemporary dance combined with belly dance, which I love, as well as sleek costumes and a lot of lyrical electronic music. I love that aesthetic, but it also a bit far away from the origin of the dance, so I think what will happen next is a resurgence of more traditional styles of belly dance. It is an ebb and flow I’ve witnessed over the years; we seem to always be pulled back to the source.

Q: Where will your next dance adventure take you?
I am currently gearing up for a three week trip to Switzerland, England and then Canada.

Q: Where was the strangest place you have performed to date?
Hmm, that is a tough one, so many to choose from! I used to dance at this bike race in Reno called Tour De Nez. They would give the winners their trophies and then I would come out and dance around. It was an odd context; as if I was part of the reward for winning, but yet why would there be a belly dancer at a bike race? It was still good fun and paid me well while I was putting myself through college.

Q: What is the one thing you can't travel without?
I created a little altar box that I take around with me and leave next to my bed. It has mementos of home, my loved ones and makes me feel happy and not so far away when I look at it.

Review of Kami Liddle’s ‘Patreon’ Online Video Subscription Site
By Tracey of TribalDiva Belly Dance (Christchurch)
www.tribaldiva.co.nz
https://www.facebook.com/tribaldivabellydance/
https://www.instagram.com/tribaldiva_belly_dance_company/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCn6mgXnxL5HZx5qUndft_uA
 
Patreon is a content sharing website for ‘creators’ of many varieties to share their work directly with individual customers or patrons; apart from a number of belly dance and other dance instructional video creators the website is also home to designers, writers, photographers and musicians who make their work available for people to purchase on a subscription or one-off payment for product/service basis.

I have to admit that I initially found the set up of Patreon a bit confusing! It’s not a system I’m familiar with but once I looked in to it the site seems to offer a good way for artists/creators to share their work easily and be reimbursed for it. Payments on Patreon work via ‘pledges’ from patrons to creators – you could select to give a creator a pledge of $1 per month for example just because you like their work & want to show support (aka the ‘Tip Jar’), or you can pick a monthly amount that corresponds with a particular ‘reward level’ that the creator has set.

On Kami’s Patreon site she has set the amount of USD$10 per month as a pledge in return for the reward of: access to one 20 minute or more instructional video a month, inspiring music, videos, and articles along with bonus short and challenging layering drill videos. For this $10 monthly pledge (which will be automatically deducted from your credit card each month until you cancel it, which you can do at any time) you also get access to a monthly ‘google hangout’, which is a bit like a conference call where Kami will answer dance related questions for anyone who wants to join in. There is also the option to pledge $5 for access to an individual video. What isn’t stated but I think is important is that for the monthly $10 pledge you also get access to all of the videos & other content posted in previous months, this wasn’t clear until I completed the pledge process & had full access to Kami’s site.

The creator posts on Patreon are arranged in a feed format similar to facebook, which is quite good in that patrons can comment on the posted videos & links and Kami can (and does) reply to those, making it quite an individualised way of communicating together. Patrons can also request specific content be covered which is pretty unique & a great point of difference from other subscription services. The downside of this arrangement is that you have to scroll through to find each video; although you can filter posts by the tags attached to them there doesn’t seem to be a catalogue by title or content anywhere which would be quite useful to see all the videos that are available.

Kami’s videos are aimed at intermediate to advanced dancers; they focus on relatively complex isolation combos with plenty of challenging layers and concepts – I found them fun and interesting & will definitely be incorporating some of the concepts & technique into my classes in the near future!

As those of us who attended Kami’s workshops during the Medanz Festival will know Kami’s teaching style is great, she’s very precise and clear in her movement execution and the explanations of movements while still being personable & fun to learn from. This certainly carries over into her videos which I found well paced & easy to follow.

The low production cost & set up time (one of the videos is filmed on her hotel balcony while away on tour!) means that she can share new content really quickly – I liked that one video included a combo she actually using in class at the time.

There are a total of 6 instructional videos on Kami’s Patreon site which has been running since Dec 2016 so they are not quite keeping up with the 1 per month reward level offered, but there is also a full choreography instructional available, Spotify playlists from specific events (although some of them are available anyway on Kami’s Spotify profile anyway) and links to podcasts and other dance/art inspirational resources.

Overall I have a mixed review of Kami’s Patreon site; the videos that are on there are great in both content and ease of use but they just aren’t quite on target with the 1 per month aim. I think it has great potential as a content delivery platform and if you are a fan of Kami’s then signing up for a month to see how you find it is a great low-cost way to support one of your favourite artists. If you then go on to request content and interact on the site along with making use of the playlists then it could really work out quite well for you.
Kami’s Patreon site is available at: https://www.patreon.com/KamiLiddle

Q. What is your favorite thing about Tribal Style Belly Dance?  
Dancing with people I have never danced with previously.  It's such a joy!  It was the whole reason I started to begin with...meet new people and take on amazing adventures! 
 
Q. Tamarind Tribal Belly Dance has been going strong for a while now, is that your full time occupation and how often do you & your group perform?  
It is a full time job in terms of my time (training, teaching, performing) and commitment,  However, it is not a full time occupation in the traditional sense.  I do have a "normal" job that I balance with it.  I perform more than my group especially since I teach extensively.  I perform roughly 30 times a year as a soloist and with the troupe.  The troupe (without me) performs about 10 times a year at a variety of events.
 
Q. What inspired you to add fans to your ATS® performances?  
I was at an event that had a cabaret dancer performing with fan veils.  She was the most lovely creature and I was hooked instantly!  I thought "I would love to learn how to do that!"  I bought my first pair of fan veils and started practicing right away.  When it came time to introduce others to the concept, I opted for the shorter version to get people used to the concept.
 
Q. How long did it take to make your section of the ATS® with Props: Veil, Fan, and Basket instructional DVD & what was the most fun/most challenging part?  
​All 3 of us filmed that whole DVD in 2 days!  The most challenging part was narrowing down what I wanted to film (I have more material than what was ultimately released to the public).  The best part was hanging out with such an amazing group of women!  Terri and Dawn are just wonderful women!  Their troupes contain amazing and talented women.  It was like a big family reunion.
 
Q. I hear that your 2017 schedule is pretty hectic – are there any key events or happenings that you are particularly looking forward to?  
I'm performing at the Fission Show during the Mega Massive in Las Vegas.   I'm teaching and performing in Sandpoint, Idaho in April -- that should be an absolute blast!  Neats Camp in September in New York should be great!  The last time I was there,  I had to drive - but that's a different story).  I have my sights set on another 1 or 2 overseas locations, but those aren't confirmed yet.  www.TamarindTribalBellyDance.com 
 
Q. I see that you are in the process of making another new DVD – what is the focus of that?  
It's called the "Spirit of Seville: Fan and Skirt for ATS®"  I'm doing a poster session on the concept at ATS® Homecoming this January in San Francisco.  It presents the use of a single fan and skirt used in concert.  I tried to make the instruction on this DVD simple enough, with detailed break downs of the moves, to make them readily digestible even for those dancers who aren't traditionally ATS® dancers.
 
Q. Adding new props to ATS® performances seems to be growing in popularity internationally & it’s slowly becoming prevalent here too – what do you think might be the next prop or other trend that we may not have come across way down here in NZ yet?  
Oh I have some ideas, but perhaps it's best left as a surprise.