How Sandra Got Her Shimmy Back

2009 was a horrible year for dance for me. I performed about 5 times. None of my class choreographies were performed by my students. That would be because I didn't hold any shows. I didn't practice. I wasn't motivated. Everytime I danced, I DID THE SAME THING. EVERY TIME!!! Now, it was a fantastic show, when it was performed crisply, but no one wants to see the same show every time. I will say that it was always performed for very different audiences, so I don't feel too badly about my laziness in not coming up with something new.

2010.

Am I a bellydancer? Or was I a bellydancer? This is the year to decide that. I am motivated. I am working with new(ish) dance friends and while I have more years that both of them combined and doubled, it is ok, because they are eager, honest, and ready to dance. They are nice people who I enjoy being with. Plus I pulled in the help of a student who I really like. She gets free dance drills and I get a drill partner who lives near me.

I bought two new costumes at the end of last year. Neither one is dance-ready yet, but the Gold Pharaonics will be debuted on the last Sunday in February at Alf Leyla in Chantilly. I just picked my music. I was given a 7 minute time slot in a show (so at least I am still recognized as a pro. Most dancers only get 5 minutes). I think I will use a 4.5 minute drum solo I taught my advanced students last fall and I found a 2 minute song that I can plop in front of the drum solo. That way, I can use my zills (what I am known for). I just put the songs together and I listened to it through once. I will work with it for a few days then decide if it is THE ONE. I still have some doubts about the drum solo. I will probably change parts of it as I choreographed it for students, good ones, but still students.

I have to work on this one. This is it. This is a big show. This is going to determine the rest of the year. Ok, maybe not that one, but if this is a good show for me, then I think it will help propel me back up. There will be a lot of DC people there, so I will get some exposure that I usually miss out on since I am not willing to go to DC to dance.

Time to shimmy.