and justify the information as fitting into a structure or recognized system . As a result , I am compelled to write articles or instructional notes and share them with dance professionals and my students .
Being a thought leader
Many may think that being a “ thought leader ” is just a marketing buzzword that describes having a positive reputation for helping others by sharing my knowledge and insight . In reality , becoming a thought leader takes time and intentionality . It ’ s working to codify what I know from research , personal experience , and observation , combined with a passion for passing along the information to enhance professionalism in our dance genre .
One might ask , “ How did you become a thought leader and writer ?” My childhood and lifetime experiences merged to give me the experience , unique learning perspective , and strengths that help me make sense of things , then enable me to explain and create knowledge structures and systems for learning .
Learning about music
A music teacher in junior high school encouraged students to engage in music-listening experiences and write extra credit reports summarizing the music . From this experience , I gained the ability to discern : rhythms , and musical dynamics , identify instruments , learn about the structure of music , and appreciate the different approaches and musicality of musicians and orchestras . In addition , I gained a “ trained ear for listening to music ” and understanding music composition and performance differences . In the process , I learned to write descriptively to capture what I heard in the music – thus making it possible to write the many music reviews of Middle Eastern music published over the years .
Education Experience and Focus
Another facet of my lifelong learning and teaching journey that gives me the background , education , and experience to be a music reviewer and write on topics essential to professionalism in dance – is my educational preparation . With a master ’ s degree in public health , I became a health educator . I learned to prepare educational materials for patient education and wrote grant proposals . This experience gave me the focus to consider the knowledge requirements of the students and the people reviewing a grant proposal . I have always focused on the mantra “ what ’ s in it for me ? – the reader and / or the learner ” to understand the audience as I wrote grants , developed educational materials , and developed my instructional plans for teaching . In addition , classes that I taught at the undergraduate and graduate levels , from professional research and writing to writing theses – gave me a focus and the experience to guide students in writing that made a difference and the successful communication written explicitly selfexplanatory storytelling style .
Storytelling and Music Reviews
Storytelling can be at the heart of every informational piece shared . Storytelling is the art of using words and actions to reveal elements and images . Thus , when I write a music review , I enjoy thinking about and describing how a soloist or a dance troupe might dance to the music . I want to bring the music alive by engaging the audience and giving them specific examples of how they might mirror the music in dance . If the dancers can visualize themselves moving to the music , then it will resonate with them . Therefore , I approach descriptive sharing as a strategy to reach out to performers
54 The Belly Dance Chronicles � January 2023