"Breaking Through The Layers'- Alexis Southall workshop in Dublin- 13th April 2013

I have not posted in absolute ages, partially due to the fact that I am still struggling with severe social media phobia, and because some new year's challenges keep me busy in real life. One challenge that currently impacts my training schedule is a fairly substantial ankle injury which I am anxiously monitoring because it has not considerably improved over the last month. I am anxious because I need it to fully heal before participating in the ProTrack Intensive week during the Tribal Umrah Festival in Marseille in July. I am so fortunate to have been accepted to such an incredible event and to study with amazing teachers, Asharah, April Rose, Amy Sigil and Sharon Kihara, to name but the ones I have not had the opportunity to study with yet. Here the link for the full programme: http://www.tribalumrah.fr/StagePla_En.html

I sometimes wish I was more in the habit of blogging and sharing my thoughts, but it still does not feel natural to me. Exchanging personal thoughts and experiences with friends and family, fair enough, but publishing them? On the other hand I recognise the importance of some blogs. I for one am forever grateful for discovering and exploring blog entries of fellow dancers who have experienced similar challenges and blocks but are, contrary to me, brave enough to share them with the rest of the community. One of those really incredible dancers is Alexis Southall whose blog has inspired me immensely in the last year. Just to give two examples of incredibly precious entries by Alexis are http://www.alexissouthall.com/page9.htm and http://www.alexissouthall.com/page9.htm the latter of which deals with the responsibility you have as a dance teacher. It definitely corresponds to what I believe "being an inspiring, responsible dance teacher" entails.

We were incredibly fortunate that Alexis came to Dublin last weekend to teach her "Breaking through the layers" workshop during which she taught us a choreography to "The End of the Month" by Broken. The workshop reminded me to appreciate musicality and to intently listen to your piece of music rather than confining yourself to meticulously, mathematically dissecting it, and counting movement sequences. I also realised that I need to push myself a little bit more in my own practice because it is far too easy to just default what you know inherently well already, settling with moves your body has learnt to love and master perfectly. So an item for my practice agenda will be to challenge myself more in terms of increasing the speed and precision of my isolations. I really loved the choreo Alexis taught us! It was short and sweet and I cannot wait to actually get the music in order to review and revise it again.

To complete a perfectly inspiring workshop experience we went to Dada, a Maroccan restaurant on South William Street and my beautiful friend and kindred dance spirit Ailbhe who is over in Dublin for a visit from Madrid where she currently lives, the stunning Alexis (who aside from doing a solo also did a spontaneous ATS improvisation with Gwenaelle) and Lorraine each performed gorgeous dance pieces.

Thanks for a wonderful workshop Alexis, and thanks to Yasmina for organising this event!

My next workshop adventure will be in Brighton at Tribal Remix at the beginning of May and I cannot wait!

~Namaste~

Image by Alexis Southall

Season's Greetings

Season's Greetings to y'all and a happy New Year filled with laughter, love, dance and joy!!! :) 

I am looking forward to spending 2013 dancing  and performing with you! Dance will hopefully continue to accompany all you beautiful dancers in the new year and give you many hours of joy and fulfilment.  

I have had such a wonderfully amazing, and inspiring year seeing you all grow as dancers, and am hugely grateful for your inspiration and enthusiasm! Thanks for your ongoing support and excitement as well as dedication to the dance!:)

Speaking of which, I wanted to jot you a brief line with the provisional class schedule for 2013.

 Modern Style/ Tribal Fusion Dance classes 2013:

Wednesdays @ Dublin Holistic Centre, 28 South William Street, Dublin 2.

http://www.dublinholisticcentre.com/

6 45- 815 pm Mixed Levels Drills and Technique class

8 15- 915 pm Combinations and Choreography class 

Thursdays @ Dublin Holistic Centre, 28 South William Street, Dublin 2.

7 15- 8 15 pm Foundations and Basic drills and technique

**********

Class passes will continue for Wednesday classes and I will update my website with info next week latest. http://jasbellyfusion.com/class_pass_system.html

With regard to Thursdays it will be a foundations course suitable for beginners and all those who want to perfect their technique (4 weeks each) for which you will sign up for in advance. Please send me a mail to express your interest and sign up so this can go ahead!:)

Also, I am planning on organising more regular workshops in Studio 99 and DHC next year, so am hugely excited about that! You can always send me emails and suggestions for classes and workshops at this point as I will be setting up plans/schedules before the new year!

Looking forward to hearing from y'all and to see you in class!!:))

Dance on in 2013, happy jiggly shimmies to all of you!!!

Jasmin x 

Live totally

I have not posted in a very long time. This owes to my increasing aversion against the world wide web, and the "humanoid" monstrosities social networking helps to create with certain individuals exhibiting increasingly fewer inhibitions vis-à-vis self indulgence and self-contentedness.

Nonetheless, I was asked a while ago to share the experiences made at the Anasma Intensive in Amsterdam in March 2012 and the Assale Ibrahim Intensive in Dublin the following month. Since it is nice to recall those golden moments of immersing myself in dance, I will do soon by the end of this week, ideally. For anyone interested and for myself, to remember great and enriching exposure to one of my creative passions!

For now, just a little quote for inspiration:
"Live totally, and love intensely so that each moment becomes golden, and that your whole life becomes a series of golden moments" ~Osho

Modern society by and large seems to have lost the inherently crucial skill of just being and living in the now, savouring the crucial aspects of life-  family and friends, the quality (!!!) as opposed to the quantity of your relationships, nature, enjoyment of life and inspiration- rather than succumbing to materialistic greed and self-complacent, uninteresting chatter on social media fori.

This is it for now,

Namaste

7 January 2012- Successful kick-off 2012, introductory modern belly dance workshop!

Last Saturday, 7 January 2012, I taught my first workshop of 2012. What an inspiring, great way to kick start the new year, and to set the positive tone for even greater things-dance to follow. The 3-hour long session was designed as an initiative to spread knowledge of and interest in modern style belly dance across Dublin and by proxy, to reinforce the European wide Tribal Fusion/Modern Belly dance movement.
The attendance was overwhelming, and  impressive, especially considering it being only the first week into the new year. I had previously had concerns about organising the workshop so early in the year but then decided to go for it as an impulsive means to engender increased class participation.
Last year especially during the summer months, student numbers fluctuated greatly so I am hoping we will get a lot more steady committment going this year.

Concerns about the workshop happening too early in the year were however unwarranted, and the various new year's resolutions actually inspired everyone to get active right away.
The room was packed, and although it was almost impossible to fit everyone in, we managed, although by the end of the session the room felt more like a Bikram yoga studio (despite the opened windows) than a dance studio. I had even had four last-minute cancellations and was worrying that attendance may be low to new year's hangovers and the like. But had those for students turned up with their friends I am not sure how I could have fit them really.

Now I do not want to delude myself. I know that New Year's resolutions wear really thin after a few weeks, for most individuals anyway. However, I am still crossing my fingers and toes that at least 2/3 of that class come back and attend my weekly beginner classes in modern style bellydance.
I am starting a beginner course which will last 8 weeks this Saturday 14 January 2012 and am so hopeful that it will kick start well. And that many students will be inspired to learn the art, that is modern style bellydance and eventually join our Junonia Bellydancemble.

A big thanks to the Dublin Holistic Centre for giving me the opportunity to host this 2 for 1 Introductory Modern Bellydance workshop! I am looking forward to organising and preparing a lot more initiatives like that in the future!

JVS/ Junonia Bellydancemble

Mark 7 January 2012 in your calendars- Introductory workshop to Modern Belly Dance& Junonia Bellydancemble dancing!

Junonia Bellydancemble performing a group choreo to Movits- Fel del av garden.

Photos courtesy by Magda Kozlowska- Goulash Disko December 2011

I am so very happy to announce that 2012 will be kicked of with my teaching a
2 1/2 hour long Introductory workshop to Modern Belly Dance, which will also entail lovely candy such as illustrations, video presentations and an informal performance by my wonderful Junonia Bellydancemble dancers!

The workshop will start at 2 pm on the dot and we will dance until 4 30 pm and be rewarded for our shimmies and sweat incurred by an illustration on how moves come together in a finished choreo.

It is planned that Junonia Bellydancemble will perform both a group number and a trio and the floor can then be opened for further questions, time permitting.

Some Junonia Bellydancemble's gems Goulash Disko December 2011

I am really thrilled over all the peeps who are already signed up to attend the workshop as a wonderful way to kick start the new year in a positive vein! For bookings, please send a mail to jasmiini3@gmail.com.

Photo courtesy Magda Kozlowska, Junonia BDE performing a duet to Portishead- All Mine

Do not forget that it is 2 in for 1 meaning you can take a friend along and enjoy the joy of dance with them for just 17 Euro.



Hail to 2012, may it be a year filled with dance, dance, dance!

Happy New Year to y'all!


JVS/Junonia Bellydancemble

For information on weekly classes and workshops/events 2012 please consult www.jasbellyfusion.com

Taking stock of the old year and in with the new!

With impending new year's celebrations, many take stock of successes and trip-ups incurred in the past year, where necessary making amends to welcome a new chapter. Although I am disinclined to share private experiences publicly, some notes on the most significant milestones 2011 seem appropriate.

2011 burst with dance and yoga. Both combined allowed for precious personal growth. Whilst the year was never short of challenges, the hurdles encountered continue to remind me that obstacles are "simply" there to jump or remove altogether (like Ganesh would do). While my current work does not (yet) satisfy my professional aspirations or academic qualifications, my passions never failed to nurture me in 2011. Dance and yoga  provided the vital creative counter force to an underwhelming, busy job. Regular practising both  disciplines keeps me zen, where my professional situation is far from ideal.

Beginning with PHYSICADVENTURES teaching dance counts towards one of the best adventures of 2011. While I was toying with the thought of ultimately taking on this major responsibility, I was probably "forced into it more prematurely than I wanted to" because of my teacher Wendy Marlatt leaving Ireland in 2009. Losing my mentor created a blistering limbo and left no excuses for not moving on. Then, the notion of teaching started taking shape. All throughout 2010, I was fortunate to collaborate with and be supported by Ailbhe Large, and Nadia Gativa. This companionship meant a lot to me after a challenging 2009 which screamed for reassessing the role of dance in my life, and breaking away from the old.

At the beginning of 2011, I started teaching two weekly classes in Dublin, and albeit occasional struggles (financial and otherwise)  it has taught me the world of good. My students' progress continues to inspire me and their enthusiasm and support motivates me throughout. While teaching entails immense responsibility, I can safely say that it helped me progress in ways I had not thought possible. It was the piece in the puzzle missing in my dance curriculum. Starting classical dance at the age of 6, moving on to other styles until I discovered Tribal Fusion, and rediscovered Modern Contemporary Dance.

Teaching has taught me that "Dance is a way of life, an awareness that we bring to everything we do" (Mira Betz) and that in being faithful to my true, creative nature, I can never be afraid to devote my life and soul to dance. Despite of being obliged to work in a regular job for financial security and still yearning to utilize both my intellect and my artistic forces.

Teaching also entails mundane organisational work, and much of the day can be spent in front of the computer sending mails, updating websites, tweets, informing students of class schedules and events. Also, it is  inevitable to market classes, to inform the public, increasing public awareness of the dance form.

I am so delighted about our Hafla in aid of Bodywhys which took place in the Church Bar Cellar, Dublin 1 on 7 August 2011.  "Celebrating the body in dance" gave both students and dancers from all across the various genres (Modern Contemporary, Traditional Bellydance, ATS, Modern Belly Dance, Tango) the opportunity to share their passion with one another. And all this for a great cause! Although the event was pretty informal we still managed to raise 160 Euro thanks to the generosity of friends and family. According to a mail I received from Bodywhys on 15 November 2011 these funds are likely to go towards the development of two new informational leaflets. One will focus on the correlation between eating disorders and self harm and the second will elaborate on the association of eating disorders with depression, Both are areas that affected individuals have highlighted as concerns.

In terms of performing, Junonia (Modern) Fusion Bellydancemble, short Junonia Bellydancemble, premiered two choreographed pieces, a duet to Beats Antique's "Dope Crunk" and a trio to The Knife's "Heartbeats" at our August edition of "Celebrating the body in dance". In 2012, I am hopeful to organise a sequel event attracting greater numbers of dancers and  members of the public (beyond friends and family) to join into the fun of dance.

Other great opportunities for regular performances of Junonia Bellydancemble have arisen thanks to Goulash Disko events and Lady Windermere's Cafe in the Backloft. In addition, performances at workshops I attended abroad (Brighton) and smaller scale haflas (The Zoryanna) in Dublin have upped the performance portfolio.

While teaching has taught me about myself, it has given me a great insight into different learning methods/speeds. Individuals often act the same ways in their every day life as they do in their dance (or yoga) practice. This is probably true for most disciplines. Some tackle challenges head on, some resign themselves at hurdles and complain, some are timid at first but show tremendous commitment go all the way with the greatest discipline. It is exciting to see so many variations and learn from them!

My own dance has suffered a bit in 2011 as I invested most of my efforts into students, letting procrastination rule with regards to my own performances/progress. This needs to be addressed  urgently in the new year. On a more positive note, I have rediscovered Modern Contemporary Dance as my chosen (liberating) form of self expression. 2012 will be dedicated to this dance form with renewed energy and devotion. There is never an end to learning, and I cannot wait to learn more about Contemporary and to dance more next year.

Moving on to yoga, as my second physical adventure.Years ago I fell in love with yoga, to be more precise, Asthanga Yoga. However, this year, I practised it with much greater devotion. Also, I am grateful to have meet Gillian Mooney, who is now my chosen Asthanga yoga mentor and roams between Ireland and India/Mysore to teach and train. Alongside with a heightened awareness, I have toyed with thoughts of turning to veganism and travelling to Mysore. The stories Gillian and others tell are inspiring, to say the least and it would humble me greatly to study at the Asthanga Yoga Institute in Mysore.

Other than that, in 2011 I redicovered my enormous passion for languages. I started reading newspaper articles in the Norwegian newspaper, even made small attempts of child-like Norwegian conversations. It's been a major liberation to take a more chilled approach to language learning, still respecting the grammar but at the same time trying to converse at an early stage rather than waiting for the "perfect" moment.

Unfortunately, my INTELLEXPLORATION abruptly ended at Norwegian language learning. My First Class honours B.A and M.A are of no great use in the office environment I feel so stuck in, and except for using my language skills I am underwhelmed on a daily basis.

As a result my PROFESSIONADVANCEMENT has left wanting in 2011, and screams for improvement in the new year. I have already had thoughts of travelling more both for dance and music, even to the extent of moving elsewhere to try my luck with a respectable career.

More personal lessons learnt from 2011 are:

Item I


Some individuals appeal to affection/emotions for personal gain and are wolves in sheep skin, self centred and  unsympathetic to anyone else's needs but their own. No matter how much you care or you yearn for them to understand your point of view, they will never give "a fiddler's fart" because they are self absorbed beyond repair.

Conclusion: Turn away from those bloodsuckers and forget any sense of affection you may feel. Move on.
This is easier said than done when you are the caring type and inclined to always believe in the best of people.


Item II


"Life is too short to waste it with tears"


My friend Kelly (31) was killed in a car crash in Western Australia at the peak of her life, leaving her family and all her friends heartbroken. The way she lived her life, to the full, simply enjoying life and using what it threw at her will continue to inspire me in 2012. It sounds cliche but it is SO vital to live every day as if it was your last. And to make sure that you would be happy with the way you lived your life and treated others at any given moment you may go, be it at a young or old age. To assure that those who you love know you do, and that you show them every day how much they mean to you.


Item III


"Do, or do not. There is not try".

Yoda's wisdom is pretty much self explanatory. Those who are not full of words and talk (i.e fluff)) but just do, warrant my respect over loud mouths any day. No need to go on and on and on about what you want to achieve and how unhappy you are about this and that, thinking everyone else is actually interested.
You simply need to stand up for yourself and actually have the "balls" (rather than empty words) to change things and "just" do without all the unnecessary waffle that will stall progress.

This is all for now, my musings over 2011 and my more personal blabber is reserved for the good old fashioned diary!

Looking back at 2011, and appreciating how busy I was creatively (regardless of work annoyance), it is definitely true what they say that time flies when you are having fun!

I absolutely cannot wait for 2012,  which will be a year filled with creativity, joy, love and great endeavors, professionally, personally and artistically.

"Rock on" as Kelly would say.

JVS/Junonia Bellydancemble

For information on weekly classes and workshops/events 2012 please consult www.jasbellyfusion.com