really struggled to make decisions. What I saw
happening though was that my improvisation
was getting stronger, much stronger and more
interesting as a result of the work I was putting
in making choreography. I realized that by
forcing my body to dance in new sequences with
a lot of repetition I was opening up all kinds
of new pathways and connections in my body.
My improvised performances became more
dynamic with a much bigger vocabulary. Now
I perform a lot of choreography, and sometimes
I’ll work on a piece for a year and others just fall
together in a week or two. Sometimes I enjoy
the process and other times I resist it still, but
I know it’s good for me...As I tell my students
“growth comes at the point of resistance!”
What legacy are you developing through
your teaching?
Some dancers are “known for” a particular style or
dance technique, others develop their own certification
program – what is your Ruby Beh legacy?
Ruby shares her perspective of professionalism,
“If I want to be known for anything, it’s being
a unique dancer who is hard to categorize in
one specific style, someone with good technique
and artistic value. I want to be a unique enough
dancer that style falls away and people just
appreciate the dance. I want to instill this in
my students as well. The biggest “rules” for
my students are: always be nice, always keep
educating your self and be yourself ! This is
art; I want to leave a legacy of dancers who are
educated and competent; and skilled enough to
make their performances great art!
Photo by
Michael Baxter
Photography
I started the Mentorship Program about 5 years
ago; it kind of happened by accident. I was
visiting New York City and taught a private
lesson with a dancer there. She wanted to
October 2016
The Belly Dance Chronicles
15