Garuda

It is a large bird that travels continuously — it never stops flying, and never needs to measure its flight or its distance. Her personal principle of not having to restrict how far one can travel or go in life's journey. An absolute freedom, if you will, and her flight is not dependent on conventional limitations.

* * *

Drummer will play the buka
I will dance his beats
Oh, mama, I’m in love with drummer!

A rich man hunts on me
But poor musician is in my head
Oh, mama, I’m dieing of love to drummer!

His hands are so strong
My body drums every beat
Oh, mama, I love the drummer!

The rich man will suffer
But I will keep on singing:
Oh, mama, I’m in love with drummer!

The First Fire show fest in Kiev

Last Saturday it was organized the first fire festival in Kiev. My honey was given an honor to deliver us (my dance teacher and her 2 best followers - me and Yana) to scene of action. As none of us knew the path, but everyone has own version, the way took 2 hours instead of 40 minutes, while searching we visited all Kiev sights – Maidan, Mariinskyi park, Eternal fire, Singing field, Lavra and finally ex Green Theatre. I have only one complain to organizers, If you organize an event in such hidden place, provide a map to bill. The whole show was perfect, great compositions with alive drums, difficult stagings and a lot of fire. I’ve made several episodes of best productions. The First one was performed by Kiev group, it called “Legend of Maui” (about how human tried to win a victory over death):



Next episode I liked most of all. It was not so complicated and weird as previous, but was very bright, dynamic and well organized. This girls group from Harkov was undoubtedly the best.



Great work of Harkov team.



Harkov rules!



When we arrived home, my hon, who was very pleased at the beginning to drive a car, full of bellydancers, said in the end that has a headache of non-stop flow of girls talks and happy to have one non-talkative wife.

Stretching complex for advanced. How to make the splits.

[Taken from "Spine is flexible – body is young" by U.A.Peganov and L.A.Berezina, USSR sport, 1991]
For those, who is master of stretching base and want not only to keep achieved results, but to continue improving, there is complex of exercises with high level of difficulty. These exercises take turns of dynamical and static character. It gives ability to stand heavy loads during stretching training. Doze of every exercise is 4-6 repetitions.
After every exercise it is advisable to do relaxation – lay on the back, sit or stand. Doze can vary (to be larger or smaller).

Click picture to enlarge
1. Home position - stand legs are apart, hands are down. 1 — slope a head forward, 2—3 — keep a position, 4 — home, 5 — slope a head back, 6—7 — keep a position, 8 — home, 9 — slope a head right, 10—11 —keep a position, 12 — home, 13 — slope a head back, 14—15 — keep a position, 16— home.
2. Home position is the same. 1—2 — move a head circularly to the right, 3—4 — move a head circularly to the left.
3. Stand legs are apart, hands are locked in front of chest. Circular movement of arms: 1—4 — forward, 5—8 — backward.
4. Home position — stand legs apart, hands are aside. Circular movement of hands: 1—4 — forward, 5—8 — backward (don’t bend hands in elbows).
5. Stand legs apart, put a gymnastic stick, a towel or skipping-rope in hands. 1—4 — straight hands are up above a head and make an intricate movement in shoulder joints, 5—8 — Home position.
6. Stand legs apart, hands are on a waist. Circular movement of pelvis: 1—4 — left, 5—8 — right.
7. Stand legs apart, hands are down. Circular movements of body: 1—4 — right, 5—8 — left. While sloping body backward, forward and aside the hands are up.
8. Stand legs apart, hands are down. Slopes: 1 — to the right foot, 2 — forward, 3 — to the left foot, 4 — home.
9. Stand legs apart, hands are down. 1—2 — slope forward, press a belly to legs (try to pass a head between the legs), 3—6 — keep the position, 7— 8 — home.
10. Sit legs apart, back is straight. Slopes: 1 — to the right leg, 2 — forward, 3 — to the left, 4 — home.
11. Sit legs apart (the wider the better), hands are up. 1—2 — slope forward (lay chest on the floor), 3—6 — keep the position, 7—8 — home.
12. Sit legs apart. Slope forward, hands are forward, then setting forearms against floor slowly creep over the splits right up to laying on forearms, and then return to home position.
13. Wide stand with legs, setting hands against floor. 1—8 — make paddy movements in the splits.
14. The same exercise, but at first put left leg in front, then right leg, 4 times by every leg.
15. Sit legs are together. 1—2 — slope forward (lay by chest on the legs, keep feet by hands), 3—6 — keep the position, 7—8 — home. Breathing: 1—2 — breath in, 3—6 — delay, and 7 — 8— breath out.
16. Sit legs apart. At your will catch by one hand a shank, draw it and by another hand keep a foot. Slowly for 4 times turn foot by clockwise and for 4 times to the reverse.
17. Sit with sloped legs. Knees are put apart, feet touches each other. Hands are on the feet. 1—6 — paddy moving knees apart, 7—8 — home.
18. Sit legs are apart, back is straight. 1—2 — bend left leg and put a foot on the right hip, 3—6 — pressing by left hand on the left knee, stretch internal left leg’s surface, 7—8 — home, 9—16 — same by other hand.
19. Sit with straight back. 1—2 — slowly bend left leg in knee, put left feet on the right (help with hands) — heels must touch bottom part of the belly, 3—6 — keep the position, and 7 — 8— home. Keep the position 10—15 sec.
20 Sit legs together, hands are back. 1—2 — lean on heels and hands lift the hips up as high as possible, bend in waist; bend ahead back, 3—6 keep the position, 7—8 — home.
21. Sit on the heels with sloping body forward, hands are behind ahead. 1—4 — slowly straighten (through standing on the knees), slope back as far as possible, trying to touch the floor at back, 5—8 — slowly back to home position .
22. Lay on a floor, palms are on the floor on the shoulders level. 1—2 — slowly straightening hands — put up a head with right turn, put the chest up floor (don’t put up pelvis), bend the more possible, look at the heel of left leg, 3—6 — keep the position, на 7—8 — home, на 9—16 — the same, but with a head turned to the left. Breathing: на 1—2— breath in, 3:—6 — delay, 7—8 — breath out.
23. Lay on a belly, legs are apart, palms are on a floor on the shoulders level. 1—4 — slowly, without any jerks, unbending hands, lift a head and chest up, bending legs in knees and trying to touch a head by feet, 5—8 — home, 4—6 times.
24. Lay on a belly, hands along the body. 1—2 — slowly catch the legs by hands above the shanks (knees are bended and put apart a bit), 3—4 — bend, lifting a head, chest and hips without any jerks, as high as possible above the floor, 5—6 — keep the position, 7—8— home.
25. Lay on a back, legs are bended in the knees and put aside a bit, hands are bended in elbows, palms on a floor near the shoulders. 1—4 — slowly straighten hands and legs, lift a body up, leaning on palms and feet,— «bridge», 5—6 — keep the position, 7—8— home.
26. Stand on the shoulder-blades. 1—6 — put up and down straight legs behind a head, till touching the floor by the toes. 7—8 — home. 4—6 times.
27. Lay on a back, hands are along the body. 1—2 — stand on shoulders, 3—4 — bend the legs in knees, press them to the ears, 5—6 — touch the legs fingers, 7—8 — home.
28. Stay on the knees, legs are apart, feet are pulled aside, hands put down. 1—3 — paddy curtseys, trying to touch the floor by pelvis, 4 — home.

How to Stretch for the Splits

[Lamis: After first training by my own set of exercises feel annoying pain everywhere and very modest result – 29 cm in the transverse splits. I decided to turn to more experienced trainers and publish their method. This is first part taken from "Spine is flexible – body is young" by U.A.Peganov and L.A.Berezina, USSR sport, 1991]

Exercises in pairs

Flexibility can be reached faster if you do exercises with a partner. He could better enlarge amplitude of your movements (helping pull the body to legs or reverse) instead of doing it only on your own. There is one more advantage of training in pairs– it is possible to regulate a force in process of doing exercise, at the every single attempt.
However, doing the exercises in pairs, remember, you can’t let any painful sensations, when you try to reach sizeable increasing of movement’s amplitude. It is very important to warm up actively the muscles before the main training.
The exercises in pairs you can do statically and dynamically. If you repeat it some particular quantity with gradually increasing amplitude, then it is dynamical performance. If you delay movement in last point of tension for 10-30 sec, then it is static performance.

Click picture to enlarge

1. Standing face to face, the straight hands are on your partner’s shoulders, fingers are twisted on his nape (his fingers are on your nape). Getting over partner’s resistance, bend down and up by turns your head.
2. Stand face to face, hands are bended in elbows on the chest level, a palm is on a partner’s palm, fingers are twisted. Straighten a hand, trying take aside as far as possible partner’s hand. Simultaneously bending another hand, take it away under partner’s pressure as far as possible to the back. Try not to turn the corpus.
3. Stand back to each other, the straight hands are aside, fingers are twisted with the partner’s fingers. Slowly put hands up and down.
4. Stand face to face, straight hands on partner’s shoulders and back. Do paddy slopes of corpus forward under partner’s hands pressure.
5. It is the same. Team slopes to the right and left.
6. Stand back to back, straight hands up. Take the arms of each other. Making slowly lunge of one leg, bend the waist and making paddy movements take away shoulders from each other as far as possible.
7. Stand face to face. Take the hands together, straighten hands and bend back in the waist to the more possible distance.
8. Stand face to face. One person bends forward, taking hands back as far as possible. Partner takes a wrist and with slowly paddy movements pull them towards himself.
9. Stand back to a partner, hands are taken back. Partner takes hands and slowly paddy moves them back and up.
10. Lay on the belly, hands are up. Partner comes from back, takes the wrists and slowly draws hands back, slightly lifting a body.
11. Stand on the knees, take the hands back and bend in waist. Partner by fluent paddy movements of both hands presses a chest.
12. Stand back and keeping some basement, lift the leg forward. Partner grabbing cocked leg by shank with paddy movements, lifts it up.
13. It is the same exercise, but standing sideways to basement, leg is taken aside.
14. It is the same exercise, but standing face to basement, leg is taken back.
15. Sit on the floor, legs are together. Slope corpus paddy forward with partner’s help.
16. The same exercise but legs apart. Slope to the left and right leg.

Click picture to enlarge

17. The same exercise but slopes are forward.
18. Sit on the floor, right leg is bended in a knee, left leg is straight. Slope corpus to the left leg with partner’s help. Change the legs position.
19. Partners lay on the back in opposite sides. Lift the legs up and put together with back surface of the hips. In turns pull the legs to body under partner’s legs pressure.
20. Sit back to each other. Put hands together in its elbow joints. Slopes forward and straighten corpus with partner on the back.
21. Lay on the back, hands are along the body, left (right) leg is lifted. Partner by one hand keeping left (right) leg, by another hand with paddy movements take lifted leg up.
22. The same exercise, but legs are apart.
23. Sit legs apart, face to face. With partners help slope the corpus forward.
24. Sit on the floor, legs are bended in knees and put apart, feet touch each other. Partner pressing on the knees paddy, takes them apart.
25. Stand back to back, hands are crossed. Set again backs; make a curtsy without heels lifting from the floor.

The splits

Since today I start flexibility training. One-hour every other day exercises by some methodic (till the end of the day I’ll find one the best).
In 3 months I'll to sit on the splits (Шпагат).
I believe the victory over body leads to victory over mind. Physical pain must draw away the annoying mental one.
It will help me with dancing and delivery as well. Not to mention, I’ve always dreamed to be able make all kind of splits.

Dance performed by Madiha

Shik Shak Shok variations


Lady in red


Yellow costume

Tabla sparring

Some village near Hurgada. Alive sound surround.

Tanzen!! Verka Go, Go!

I was asked what I’m thinking about Verka Serdyuchka and EuroVision 2007, where she supposed to sing. I didn’t know anything about it as I have no TV, but was really pleased to hear this news. I found Andriy Danilko the greatest comic in Ukraine. I’m so tired with silicon dulls like Tina Karol and sweet homosexual Dima Bilan and the like. Without any doubts, EuroVision 2008 we will have in Kiev, because Verka Serduchka will break off whole Europe with her brilliant hit.
Couple of words about Andriy Danilko: he became famous in 1997 with image of boorish female conductor. His heroine has big boobs, speaks half Russian and half Ukranian, loves to drink and fight with passengers. Such type of service is so common in Russia and Ukraine that glory and public recognition made name of “Verka Serduchka” immortal. In 2003 Andriy Danilko presented his first album “Horosho”. Catchy melodies made of mix folk Ukrainian and techno and funny simple lyrics, reflecting our culture and mentality in ironical way made this album very popular. Playing his songs on weddings became national tradition.

By the way Andriy Danilko is not transvestite, nor homosexual. He has a girlfriend and quite handsome without scenic make-up.

Interesting fact is that half of Ukrainians hate Verka Serdjuchka and finds liking it as bad plebeian taste. Other half adore listening and dancing with Andriy Danilko (Should I mention, I’m in the second half :)).

A Super Hit for Eurovision from Andriy Danilko destroyed my brains and made me watch this video again and again. It is as shocking as always. It broke all possible formats for pop festival. You will not see there blondies with big red mouths, nor sweet handsome boys.

It broke politic ethics. Nazi-like dressed ballet dancers at the background and “Russia Goodbye!” repeating line will piss off countries with the most numerous audiences. All Verka appearance is great mockery at EuroVision pop festival. It is mockery at rule to sing in English, what makes good lyric sound cheap and crappy. It is mockery at attempts to make great show with the most handsome singer without any talent for singing.

The producer of Masyanya said “with such ass you will never become a pop star”. Verka will break this rule! The glamour star on Verka’s head broke my heart, she is definitely the best.

So, it’s better once to see and made own review, if it worth participating Eurovision. Enjoy!

One more Verka Serduchka stuff I loved. An alcoholic ukranian party clip. Just great and so much realistic! On the photo blog you may see picture, where I’m dancing while right this song is playing.

Return

Too many events happened last time and I was too lazy to describe it. But it’s time to work now, so in short:

One our family friend got married. The day of wedding was the coldest this winter. The bride was very beautiful and a bit pregnant, groom was shocked and sad – this is a typical picture of Ukrainian wedding. Plus, lively tamada (toast-master) and Verka Serdjuchka’s songs set made this fest traditionally fun and entertaining. I danced till the drop, although hasn’t drunk any alcohol.

On the next day caught flu, several next days I don’t remember, and then there were a week of restoration in bed. The good thing is that I took a break from hateful work and had time to think. The bad thing was missed concert, wasted 3 months of repetitions and let down girls from ensemble.

Great changes are coming, all long term plans goes to hell. The carrier doesn’t important anymore and it hasn’t been that much important actually. So goodbye London, where I’ve never been, and IT industry, I will not miss you even for a second! The unachievable dance stars will always remain high up in the skies and there will be no chance to join their line. But I will have something much better, than fake short glory, shine spangles dresses and public admiration.

The last wish is a good careless vacation in the South and after it I’ll be ready to accept my new state.

On weekends I’ve had several dance classes. One teacher was sick, so I replaced her. Her learners were attached to their teacher very much and met me quite cold and skeptical. If earlier I would die of nervousness, this time I was calm like an elephant. Several moths’ experience of teaching formed ability to interact with any kind of audience. My own group treated me like a mother. They congratulated me with 8th of March and even gave a present, what was terribly embarrassing but very pleasant.

My honey experienced great shock, which made him sick physically and morally. Reason for it was my trick. It may become my last trick, but I have no regrets and very glad of myself. Moreover he gets better and almost humbled, I suspect, he is happy deep inside, somewhere very deep.

He-he, think twice before attaching to wild sly woman!

Announcement

On Monday, 22 January 2007 at 22.30 on “City” channel (it covers kiev and its region) will be the show about belly dance with my participation!!!
I’m in red as always.

The memorandum

I received a lot of nice presents on my bd but one of the best was made by fate through my dance teacher. She didn’t know that I’ve an event, but she called exact that day and said that tomorrow if I don’t mind I will start my own group. The ladies from hairdressing saloon across the corridor of our dance hall would like to take lessons, inspired by observing how we do it.

It was so long expected light in the end of tunnel, I started to run here and there out of elation. Before giving me this offer, a fate made a testing for me, to check if I’m worth or not. There was one more girl, who has worked as hard as me and done very well in dancing. The teacher noticed her pains, and I felt jealous and competitive about her. Since she is a very nice and kind girl, plus all misfortunes sticks to her like the bees on a honey, I felt also sympathy for that girl. I took a grip on myself and instead of competition I did everything to help and promote her as future instructor, denying the realization of own dream. We became the good friends and I almost haven’t regretted that everything turned as it did. She had her lessons, it helped her to improve financial situation a little and to satisfy the possession to dancing, which we, real fans usually have. I’ve started to work more at home with teaching programs and targeted on improving my technique.

And then suddenly this great proposal happened, I’ve passed the fate’s test. It means so much for me! Finally I will stably earn leaving by making what I adore most of all. It means that if I do my best, and everything will going fine, I’ll be able to quite my current job, which I don’t enjoy any more. And after doing everything in my power directed to dancing I will get the new great results and opportunities, which I couldn’t get when wasting my forces for software engineering.

On Sunday, 17.12.2006 officially started my carrier of dance instructor. I got my own first group. The passed lesson was considered as successful, ladies seemed satisfied and I hope we will dance together more then once again.

Teaching

On the Saturday I got a phone call from my teacher. She strained her voice and asked me to lead a lesson for her beginners group. I hadn't time to argue something, as she said, wish you luck, keys from dance hall are in the usual place.
I had some experience of conducting the dance classes. It has never been good enough, because a fear of mistakes and uncertainty of own mastery.
Everything began very badly. The organizers bought a new sound system, which didn’t want play my accurately prepared training collection. I wasted 10 minutes fighting with CD changer. There are no technics in the world, which I couldn’t deal with, one gentle touch and everything usually works fine, but this time I lost my engineer’s talent. Finally I forced it to play some old Arabic disco collection, absolutely doesn’t suitable for the lesson.
We started from little meditation, some kind speech of welcome, greeting each other and getting the right dance mood. Should I admit that I forgot half of the words, which I prepared and started to improvise some weird bullshit, but that was ok, seemed like they liked. There are also were abnormally many learners, and they took a lot of my energy, trying to get attention and drilling me with their eyes.
We started a usual limbering-up. One woman took her little daughter on the lesson. This beautiful 3.5 year old dancing lady pulled out balls for shaping from the box and started to throw these balls at me, women at back row chuckled.
It was the last straw, which turned my exertion and fear into joy with some evil element. I decided to entertain a little bit also, and announced that today we will start to study shaking technique. The balls were confiscating from a kid, and young star was equipped by veil with coins. We started…yeah…it was the funniest picture I have ever seen, epilepsy attack is nothing, comparing to my learners attempting. They tried very hard, with so serious red faces. I flattered my ego no more then 5 minutes, then took a pity and opened some secrets of its performing. It was so pleasant to see how they delighted with the first results. Remained part of the lesson passed in a harmony. After ending they gave me a lot of questions, some of them asked to train them personally. This freedback and recognition was the greatest thing that I experienced, I got my first satisfaction from making a lesson.

Behavior on a dancing-party

The rules
Behavior on a dancing-party

For the dancing party the toilers must wear the light cloths and shoes. It is prohibited to dance in the working or sport wear.
It is prohibited to dance in the perverted way.
A dancer must perform his\her dance correctly, neatly and equally good by right leg as well as by left leg.
A woman has a right to express her displeasure in a polite way, if a man doesn’t keep allowed 3 cm distance, and to demand the explanations from him.
Laughing and smoking are permitted in the dedicated places.
Written by N.Sizov
Komi ASSR

[lax:] I wonder what would say mr. Sizov in his times about salsa or bellydance? Could he even imagine what will happen in 2006 year in Komi’s disco? Think he couldn’t the same as I can’t guess what will be in 2056 with dancing culture here…

Salome dance

Sumptuous feast organized King Herod dedicating to celebration of his day of birth.
Grandees, superiors and patriarchs from the whole Galilee were given the honor of participating it. Visitors leisurely reclined on carpets, having delish viands and sweet wines. Their ears were flattered with slow, light melody, but suddenly musicians started continued anxious, troubled drums rhythm.

Woman’s figure, covered by black veil, showed up in the banquet hall. The only sounds of instruments break the silence, all the guests died down.

She gracefully walked around, waved her hands, the veil fell and her face became uncovered. Look, it is a Salome, a famous witch, a stepdaughter of Herod, was heard whisper among the audience.

The stringed instruments were added and dancer started whirling. Her hands were elongated aside, a palm opened to viewers, it was a channel of drawing out human’s energy. She increased spinning round with ever moment, falling into a trance and then suddenly stopped, and took off her second bloody red veil, so that shoulders and hands were left naked.
Hypnotized public groaned.

Now dancer stand in the center, only upper part of her body has made rattlesnake movements: little, broken, almost recognizable rippling. Inexorable treat turned into stone any living creature in the room, but hurl of purple veil, opening a belly, made them breathing again.

Each cycle of her passionate demonic dance has fallen audience into a deep trance, and every release of dancer’s cover carried them on the new level of immersion. Seven covers were taken off, and the only golden plates have hided her bursts and round hips.

Orchestra put an end to playing. Enchanted guests were roared out of admiration. An impulsive insanity caught the victims of sorceress dance magic. They screamed ecstatically: “Reward! Reward! ”

Herod turned to Salome: “O splendiferous, you pleased my guests, what do you want for your gift? Ask anything you want, I promise to perform, if even it will be a half of my kingdom! ”

“Let me appeal to the Almighty, He will give me the answer” – said Salome and vanished after King’s permission.

She ran quickly to the chapel, where her mother Herodias was waiting for her.
- I did everything as you said and he is ready to perform any of my wish. What do you want, my dear mother?
- Head of John the Baptist would give me a pleasure for a while, - was the answer.

In a moment Salome was standing in front of Herod, asking for the bloody award. Shadow of sorrow lied on the King’s face, but he has to keep promise and dreadful present were brought on the silver tray to her feet.

In deathly silence girl took a head in her hands, and said: “You used to say nasty things about my mother, and now you are keeping silence, what happened? What if I kiss you, probably you will answer me?”
She kissed John’s dead lips and laughed loudly: “Oh, your lips are cold, you shut up forever!”

Shall we dance?

If you want to prove your partner, invite him for a dance. There are several simple guidelines, which help to draw a conclusion, if he is good, if he suits you personally.

Each partner plays his\her own role. The male part is leading, dominant. Right one will whirl you, carefully directing and choosing trajectory of movement. With able partner you will feel yourself freely and light-heartedly, even if you have not danced before. He will uphold you, when it is needed, never let you fall down or loose equilibrium. He will be able to step aside for some moments, for let you express yourself, to show your own beauty and art.

Pay attention to his manners, how much he is a gentleman, if his hands put in the suitable places. Does he watch to your eyes directly or look around, hiding something?
In case his technique is better then yours, he will not let you feel yourself clumsy.
Even though his technique is poor, you will not observe it, because of his confidence, peace of mind and readiness to study, move opposite and ability be taught.

The main line of the women’s part is compliance, amenability. The good female partner must completely trust to her mate. The only one decision, which woman has to make by herself is whom to choose for a dance. Since she agreed to dance with somebody, she must let him make all other decisions.
To be soft, flexible, relax, facile is enough to be considered as a good dancer. But if you are able to move in unison, to guess a wish of your partner and able to perform it, you can be accepted is ideal, perfect dancer.
Manipulating, trying to lead woman makes whole pair look anesthetically. Male in that case looks stupidly and weakly.

There are also some common criteria for both sides. It is patience, ability to forgive mistakes, ability to accept your own mistakes. If you step on your partners foot and make a pain, beg a pardon immediately and try not to do it again. When your foot was stepped by, forgive, and try to treat it with kind friendly humor. Good pair doesn’t stop their dance because of the trifling offences.

Exceptionally perfect technique is result of experience, long practice with numerous partners. Inborn talent to feel person, to determine optimal rhythm and style happens rarely. If you are not jealous and do not afraid, that master will not stop, but will continue to enlarge his experience further, relax and get satisfaction.

And finally, if you think that dancing in pair in not the best idea and you have neither ability or talent to perform it, if you do not trust to experienced dancers and do not forgive mistakes to inexperienced, then dance a Solo, my favorite kind of dance at all times.

Неприличная сальса

Сижу себе как-то на работе, женский форум почитываю, с другом по МСН болтаю, напряженный пятничный рабочий день. Как вдруг подходит ко мне белокурый ангел, Валечка из соседнего отдела, и усаживается на стол. Есть у нее такая очаровательная манера.
Я хмурю брови, потревожили, мол, в разгар активной деятельности. Валю это ничуть не смущает, ее вообще смутить трудно, а особенно когда к ней приходят в голову идеи. Валя собирается пойти на Сальсу сегодня вечером, и ей нужен компаньон, никто из ее многочисленных кавалеров не согласился, и значит, с ней непременно сегодня должна пойти именно я.
Вспоминая, что я когда-либо слышала о Сальсе, я пытаюсь доказать нецелесообразность этого мероприятия. Я ей рассказала, что для Сальсы нужен партнер мужчина, а их всегда на занятиях на всех не хватает. Что все эти латиноамериканские танцы совершенно не приличны. Что нужно учить классику, благородные бальные, стандарт. Что это дорого, так как модно, но уровень преподавание невысок, потому что это чуждая нам культура, и лучше бы она пошла на украинские народные танцы, где партнер не нужен и дешево.
Выслушав мою пламенную тираду, Валюша сказала, что первое занятие для меня оплатит сама, я буду ее партнером, и на новогодней корпоративной вечеринке мы будем зажигать, и чтобы я не вздумала слинять куда-то вечером, так как занятие сегодня в 18.30.
До конца рабочего дня я проштудировала всю информацию о клубе, в который мы направлялись, и конечно же о Сальсе, так что я уже чувствовала себя знатоком, но идея по-прежнему меня не привлекала.
Расписание на сайте Cubanoboom не обновлялось, видимо со времен второй мировой, мы попали в самую старшую группу, конечно, не танцевали, но нам позволили посмотреть.
Я читала до этого, что Сальса очень откровенный танец. Но чтоб настолько! Публика клуба состояла в основном из офисных служащих, как и мы с подружкой. Все переодевались в одном зале. Знойный Эрнесто ходил возле женской половины и отпускал милые шуточки типа – попа крепкий как орех, так и просится на грех.
Солидные дяденьки в галстуках и тетеньки в брючных костюмах за 5-10 минут преобразились в знойных танцоров, началось занятие. Эрнесто ходил между парочками, воровал партнерш, игриво похлопывая их по разным местам, создавая самую непринужденную обстановку в зале, демонстрируя что такое истинная Latino del'Amore. Движения и музыка на грани, совсем не двузначны. Страсть, агрессия, полная свобода тела и сознания. Партнеры совершенно не стеснялись близких объятий, прикосновений, хотя были едва знакомы. Наверное, посещение клуба дает им неплохую разрядку после рабочего дня, вносит яркость в быт и семейные отношения.
Моя Валя сникла, забеспокоилась, и засомневалась, что у нее так никогда не получиться. Начинающим танцорам никогда нельзя показывать владение искусством во всей красе, сложные элементы, в начале их обучения, это мало кого вдохновляет, и почти всегда порождает комплексы и отбивает желание учиться. Но я злорадно настояла на том, чтобы дождаться занятия младшей группы, и поучаствовать в безобразии, раз мы уже сюда пришли.
Эрнесто Валя пришлась по вкусу, он одаривал ее щедрым вниманием и показывал персонально все элементы, девушка была пунцовая и кажется, думала не о танцах, а о том, как сбежать оттуда, я мстительно хихикала рядом.
Впечатление о клубе осталось двойственное, с одной стороны – свобода и раскрепощение, с другой стороны - пошлость и вульгарность. Придется сходить еще на одно занятие, чтобы разобраться до конца. И уж теперь-то Вале от меня не отвертеться.

To be a dancing-instructor

Even a year has not been passed since I started with belly dance, as my teacher suggested me to try myself in teaching. I made snap decision and instantly agreed, since I had old idée to re qualify to some more suitable profession and it seemed as good opportunity. And as usually happens with me, first time I do something and after that I start thinking if it was good. I saw huge teachers of every description, and unfortunately met a little of really good ones. How good teacher distinguishes from the bad?
Good teacher able to excite even a tree with his subject. As much I was impressed by belly dance beauty, so much I want to show this art, this wonder to others.
The main goal and motivation of any teacher is knowledge transfer. The teaching of some subject, no matter what exactly, is to give ability to look more deeply inside that subject
Teacher at the first place have to be a highly mental, intelligent man, delicate psychologist, able to found a key to any soul. Undoubtedly there are exist more and less talented pupils, but everyone deserve for chance and time. Not everybody will grow to professional level, but if it does matter? Here is more important oriental way of looking – the main thing is not a result, but process, that is man has to get satisfaction from studying.
What teacher gets from teaching – the greatest satisfaction for them is pupil’s excitement, their gratitude, opening their talents, observation of their growth.
Instruction except financial aspect gives an ability to evolve activity – to organize groups, to make a show, to invite colleagues, press, to grow and to develop. A true teacher always continues his own growth and studying.
Should the teacher start his teaching career if he is not fully confident with his mastery of subject? I believe the mastery of teaching here is more important and he should. If somebody asks you to be a teacher it is signal that you ready to transfer your knowledge yet, and since that moment you have to realize all responsibility you take for your pupils and since that moment you start to study how to teach others.
A gift from God was for me a meeting with my true dance teacher Luda, and I’m grateful for her belief that I deserve her support. I hope one day become at least half as good as she does.

The infinity of perfection

Last week I visited two master-classes. The First one was conducted by Irina Chernikina, a foundress one of the first belly dance schools in Moscow, a school Ari Sufit of Ari Santem yoga Institute. Her school is famous by immateriality studies, its branches opened in many cities of Russia, Ukraine and Byelorussia and I also happy belong to it. The first part of a seminar was in a fitness-non-stop format, directed to an endurance and coordination of all body’s parts. What I have to say my endurance and coordination is on below average level, as I have become almost dead when all it finished.
In the second part she investigated classical Egyptian composition, for my shame I forgot name of a compositor, so now I will never know rest until learn all their classic and find that exact one, we discussed. We got to know difference between a temp and rhythm, studied to categorize an orchestra instruments and put movements accordingly temp, rhythm and instrument. That was the greatest part of master-class, but unfortunately the shortest.

The second master-class led Irina Rukavitskaya. When I was going to visit it, I didn’t hear her name before, knew only she had classic chorographical education and seemed young, so I felt myself quite skeptical. The First minute I saw her I thought, well, not bad, and after 5 minute more I clearly realized that never will be as good as she does. Irina gave us a great belly technique, accented on internal movement and working with deep internal muscles.
She teaches that amusing direction, where a dancer acts in different elements: a water, fire, air and earth. She manages her body appallingly as started her dance carrier from 4 years.
Participating these master-classes turned out very useful for me, as I pushed me to redouble my efforts and give up with keep thinking that I’m good enough any more.

The first meeting

In the moment we have met almost of all my global goals were realized. I was thinking about fulfilling those dreams from childhood, which still had been giving me no rest. Probably that warm summer evening my wish of realizing a dream became more acute. As always, when somebody has eager desire, the conditions become favorable.
Thus I and other girls crowded in cabin of dance school. All were strained and abashed. We dressed up, stood and started waiting what will be next. A delicate woman with round shape frame, friendly smiling, promised not to bite and invited us to gymnasium.
Carefully and watchfully we come in, everybody tries stand further from mirror and first line, hides behind each other back, closer to the wall. I did my best and stood as far as possible, in a way I don’t saw myself at all, what was very good, as it seemed that nobody saw me so I felt safely.
Sweet lady introduced and in fascinating and fun manner made presentation, told her history of coming to eastern dance. We listened all with stone faces and waited with fear further. Teacher switched on the music and showed us simplest motions. Exciting hot motive, unknown words, about “Habibi”, which, I believe not the less beautiful, then music. I totally dissolved in magic of movement and rhythm. Waves of tremble run through my body over and over again... No longer I didn’t look at others, and was appreciated, that hided in last line, because that moment couldn’t help crying on peak of emotions.
Eagerness to dancing often has reminded of itself, when I was at home alone I usually switched music loudly and let my body to move how it liked. And even more then lonely solo I liked to dance on scene, in public places like disco, clubs or even small café, I loved to play with audience and get energy of their attention. Dope like alcohol or grass doesn’t give even half of volume’s pleasure and freedom, I got from dance.
How could it happened, that I never tried to dance before organized? No, I tried, remember there were lambada and national Ukrainian dance, but for some reason I don’t remember anything I learned there. Once teacher of national dances roughly shouted at me, that I didn’t keep back and hands correct, and it was finish for our lessons. And on lambada, on my first performance I forgot whole staging and start my own improvisation, what made my teacher mad, so we also divorced.
Most of all I was impressed by body of our teacher, so round womanly figure, it differs so much from our sport masters of aerobic in university gym, no abrupt stirs, no muscles or bricks on belly. She was softness, plasticity, feminity by herself. She was harmony, from top to bottom so fluent, so figured. In each her step I saw she felt pleasure, loved her body. I have fallen with her and with her dance from first sight and decided from that moment to learn her way of movement, to open up art of mastering of my body.
I regret about that evening I didn’t found words to thank Luda for world of eastern dance she opened to me, I was too agitated. But I believe, she understood it from my faithful eyes and from that I never miss her lessons.