Dancing in Germany - Living the Dream : My life as a professional dancer and dance teacher
By Ma * Shuqa Mira Murjan
Photos by Carl F . Sermon Photography www . reelsoundandlight . com
Living the dream … what I enjoyed , learned , and understood from the experience . An invitation to enjoy an immersive experience teaching and dancing in Germany – came 41 years ago . Now all these many years later , it all seems like a dream come true – and it was . I fondly look back at the life experience with wonder and can now share it . My mentor , Bert Balladine , who was German and returned annually to teach in Germany , asked me then not to share my story – “ or the market for working overseas – will be flooded with others .” I write to share the challenges and lessons learned from living and working abroad as a dancer and teacher – the experience residing for an extended time in-country .
A private dance student from Germany on a work visa , working in California as a translator , invited me to come to teach and dance in Koln , Germany . As it happened , I was just completing my second graduate degree in business and working in the world of nonprofit health care . I thought about the reality “ that I wouldn ’ t automatically receive a salary boost just because I now have an MBA .” Thus , I quit my management job and decided to take a career sabbatical and enjoy being a professional belly dancer .
When a professional dancer has a contract to fly to an international destination – they usually have a sponsor who speaks English , and they have accommodations and a planned schedule for teaching , performing , and they even take you sightseeing . By contrast , when you travel to an international destination to live and work as a teacher and dancer – you are faced with the challenges of daily living and surviving by your wits . I want to share the many challenges of working abroad : the language barrier , understanding cultural differences , knowledge of local goods and services , health maintenance , and teaching exercise and dance .
Daily Life Challenges Living Abroad Living the life of a professional belly dancer abroad is quite different from being a professional dancer hired to teach a weekend workshop or perform with a professional show performing abroad . What is most challenging is just living life in a foreign country when you don ’ t speak the language .
October 2020 � The Belly Dance Chronicles 25