The Belly Dance Chronicles Sep/Oct/Nov/Dec 2022 Volume 20, Issue 3 | Page 10

for the Raqs Band Light online haflas . Tell us about your forays into ME music .
S : I was a musician from childhood . I play a lot of different instruments and wrote and arranged for choirs . That eventually got kind of left behind for dance . But back about 2003 , I was producing a monthly live music show and one night had a drummer declare to the band I was using that he didn ’ t want to play for dancers any more . Like as the show was going to start . And for a bit he meant like RIGHT THEN .... with a packed house . ARGHHHHHHHHHH !
So I asked my drumming student if he wanted to work on playing music together so I could have a backup plan in the future . I recruited my husband as our second percussionist because we needed to spend more time together . We ended up playing all over the US and making 3 CDs and stuff because obviously I ’ m not good at doing things halfway .
I mean seriously .... I started doing companion videos for my workshops and ended up with a 17 DVD instructional series . I overachieve .
N : I knew you had so much to share with us ! So tell us another story that happened along the way !
S : Hypnotherapy was because I had a strong interest in Psychology ( BS in Psych ) and originally had intended to become a psychologist , but I kind of lost faith in most treatment modalities . I hung on to a faith in Hypnotherapy though , and eventually took a certification course and registered with WA state . I ’ ve done a lot of group workshops at dance events that addressed stage fright and remembering steps and choreography , besides having private clients .
Costuming , yeah ... although Covid made me shelve the business a few years , I am back to creating costuming .
Fearless Glamour came about because I could see that people were having to wear costumes with prescription underwear because of the way the styles were going , and that isn ’ t necessary to look wow ! What is necessary is well-fitting costumes that actually address balancing your body for the eye ! Simple examples : broad shoulders need to stay away from halter straps ... small bust / large hips need arm bands ... carrying color up into your hair makes you look taller ... and if you are shaped rather like
1990
S : Once when I was teaching in the Yukon I was interviewed by the local paper . The guy that interviewed me kept asking questions that implied we were dancing strictly for men and I called him on it . I gave him proper history and taught him some moves and he clearly came to understand that it was a serious dance form and he subsequently wrote a respectful article .
The photographer that they sent to shoot my performance handed the writer a full set of photos to choose from . And the writer selected the most bizarre photo he could , I suspect in retribution . Tongue out zaghareeting ... hair a mess ... and I used that hideous photo in ads for years with different sayings and offers and stuff in a talk balloon !
N : Wow .... ok then ! That is a shot you can have some fun for ! How have you managed to intermingle so many of your other skills with your dance world - bird fancier , graphics artist , hypnotherapy , costuming - what else ? Are you still doing Fearless Glamour costumes ?
10 The Belly Dance Chronicles � September 2022