WHAT DO YOU THINK PEOPLE WANT TO
KNOW/ARE CURIOUS ABOUT YOU?
I think a lot of people want to know why I “left”
Hollywood and BDSS. I don’t actually think I “left”. I think I
finished. Now I can work on other projects that are important
to me too. Sometimes it’s hard to think outside the pressure
to keep touring and keep being busy and keep pursuing big
industry goals. But I think if we listen attentively to our
intuition, we might perceive that an internal adventure can
become even more exciting than the ones offered to us from
the external world. I get into the nitty gritty behind-the-
scenes details of what it was like on the road, and how I
worked through it, in a blog post on Ansuya.com called “A
Star is Reborn”. I wrote it as a journaling exercise to help
me stand in my truth as I prepared for this very interview!
DID YOU HAVE ANY HELP?
I’m so blessed to have the support of my family! My
mama, Jenaeni, is my mentor (my teacher in life and in
dance!), my brother Mark is my comrade (he helped me
build my site!) and my boyfriend Alex is my hero (he keeps
me grounded and supports me in my ambitions and my
restorations!). My cats don’t support me at all. I support
them! LOL! But I do so with epic fulfillment as they are my
children and I love them to pieces.
SOMEONE QUOTED YOUR MOM AS SAYING,
“Yoga and Bellydance should get married”. HOW DO
THEY COMPLIMENT EACH OTHER?
I see them as interconnected. Yoga builds the body for
Bellydance and restores the body from Bellydance if we
have over-extended. And Bellydance is a way to celebrate
the energy activated in the chakras with the breath work
and poses of Yoga. Bellydance floor work is comprised of
many Yoga positions that are writhing with what I now call
“Sacred Sinuosity”. My Seven Chakras Bellydance Series
stirs the goddess within by activating and nurturing the
chakras with Bellydance moves in seven choreographies
- each complimenting one of the seven chakras. The first
dance, “Root of Bellydance” is a floorwork choreography
and the seventh dance, “Crown of Wisdom” is a dance with
seven veils - each veil in a color that corresponds with each
of the chakras. These dances are in the Sacred Sinuosity
section for members of Ansuya.com. Along with adding
more Yoga and Bellydance fusion videos there, I will also be
offering “Sacred Sinuosity” to Bellydance and Yoga studios
across the U.S. via Bellyskype Workshops; and I will be
immersing myself and visiting students in Sacred Sinuosity
during my Tropical Bellydance Goddess Retreat in May
of 2019 here in Naples, where we will enjoy tropical beach
parties, workshops, and a hafla show! I will also be sure to
include elements of this work at the 2019 Yaa Halla Y’all
where I will be teaching and performing!
FEIRUZ
Feiruz began her dance career
in Hollywood, California, in
the late 60s at the Fez Arabic
Nightclub. Her style of dance
shows amazing strength and
control while always graceful
and feminine. Her flawless
execution of the various moves and moods of belly dance awes audiences of
all backgrounds. Because of her exceptional understanding of, and feeling
for the music and culture, Feiruz has the ability to make her audience
become part of the music whenever she dances. Feiruz is a pioneer and
continues to have a profound impact on the dance community. She is
excited to see this art form go global and mainstream.
January 2019
The Belly Dance Chronicles
17