Happy New Year one and all! I hope that whatever you have planned for 2014, there are plenty of good things to look forward to, as well as the usual resolutions (giving up things, losing weight etc.). I’ve set goals this year, starting with the really achievable ones and finishing with a few wish list items.
We all use this time of the year to ponder on the previous year. I’ve been pondering for a few weeks and decided simply that 2013 was a year of ups and downs as I’m sure it was for a lot of other folk.
The downs? I realised in 2013, that in order for me to be heard, I needed to shout a little louder, I needed to step away from the people who didn’t have much respect for me. I’ve made some changes, cut out the negatives in order to make room for the huge amount of positives in my life and to make room for all of the great experiences I am able to have with regards to dancing. Once these changes were made, the white noise stopped, the drama disappeared and I found I had the space to sit and think for myself, to make my own decisions and judgments, without the darker side of bellydancing overshadowing me and my love for Egyptian dance.
The ups? The tail-end of 2013 resulted in a wonderful experience at the Farha Festival in Luxor, Egypt. I won’t go into too much detail (as I’ve promised NADA a review which is in the process of being written) but I will say it was such a refreshing change to be able to attend a dance event, in my own right! That may sound a little strange but for the past few years, it feels as though I’ve been relegated to the shadow of others and as a result was treated like someone who just tagged along, despite paying my dues and embracing workshops and learning opportunities. Now, I’ve stepped out of the shadows and into my own light (sounds cheesy I know) and I’m relishing the sunshine, of which the Farha festival had an abundance of. The photo above is the group after rehearsals with Kazafy and the saiidi boys, taken by Kay Taylor.
I love Luxor, having travelled there almost annually for the last 7 years. I love the vibe and feel of the place, the pace of life, the friendliness of the locals, the history, the local market, the climate and the list goes on. To be there as well as enjoying a week of dancing was pure heaven. The group of ladies who came to the festival were all lovely, friendly, warm and caring. There were no signs of competitiveness or bitchiness which unfortunately can rear its head right across the bellydance community and is probably something we’ve all seen first-hand and something that we all dislike.
I think everyone came with the same agenda – to have fun and to dance! And that’s what we did – had fun and danced! We were given the opportunity to dance with a live band which was simply a fantastic experience and one that has changed how I feel about dancing. My insecurities are not as obvious to me anymore, I don’t feel as fraudulent as I once did and I feel that I can stand up, with openness and just ‘dance’ without worrying about whether my technique is good enough or whether people will ‘like’ me. Now, I don’t really think about whether people like me or not. It’s not arrogance, its confidence – something I’ve spent the last 3 months working hard on and the one thing I’ve learnt is that it’s OK to be nice to yourself. It’s fine to look yourself in the mirror and say ‘you are a good person’. It’s fine to be proud of your achievements and triumphs. I’m still aware of my flaws and imperfections as I believe this keeps you human and grounded but at least if you are aware of them, you can start to try and fix them. In my opinion, the danger is thinking that you don’t have any flaws or imperfections but that’s another blog.
So, what joyous delights does 2014 have in store for me then? Well, I’m stepping away from the norm and getting out and about to see some of my lovely dance friends up and down the country. I’ve been invited to perform at a few out of town events, which I’m very flattered and excited about. I’m also planning to get to meet some of my FB buddies, who have invited me to their events – a great way to meet in person! I enjoy attending events as an audience member as you can sit back and really enjoy the dancing – I’ve never been prissy about only attending an event if I’m on the performance bill.
I’m going to Morocco to live in the desert for a week in April with the lovely Anne Kingston and Barbara Conway, as well as my lovely, talented and creative friend Sally. This will be a wonderful experience as I will be with likeminded women examining the very good things in life. I have a feeling that this trip will change certain aspects of me, for the better! I’m also participating in some exciting projects that will challenge me but will offer more opportunities to dance and I’m in the middle of planning another exciting and exhilarating trip to Egypt with hubby for later in the year.
I’m also really looking forward to getting involved with the Just Because Charity as one of their new trustees. It’s such a worthwhile charity and if I can combine my professional events and marketing experience to help others then I hope that we can continue to raise much needed funds for the women of Egypt.
The biggest change for me for 2014 however, is to always look for the good in a situation, despite how negative it may feel at the time. For too long, I have stupidly allowed the opinion of others to affect my decisions, my feelings and my perception of myself. I’ve had a couple of tough lessons over the last few months with people in my life but as they say, as long as you learn from lessons and let go of the negativity, you are opening up space for the new things. 2014 is certainly shaping up to be a good year with lots of new experiences and happy times.
We all use this time of the year to ponder on the previous year. I’ve been pondering for a few weeks and decided simply that 2013 was a year of ups and downs as I’m sure it was for a lot of other folk.
The downs? I realised in 2013, that in order for me to be heard, I needed to shout a little louder, I needed to step away from the people who didn’t have much respect for me. I’ve made some changes, cut out the negatives in order to make room for the huge amount of positives in my life and to make room for all of the great experiences I am able to have with regards to dancing. Once these changes were made, the white noise stopped, the drama disappeared and I found I had the space to sit and think for myself, to make my own decisions and judgments, without the darker side of bellydancing overshadowing me and my love for Egyptian dance.
The ups? The tail-end of 2013 resulted in a wonderful experience at the Farha Festival in Luxor, Egypt. I won’t go into too much detail (as I’ve promised NADA a review which is in the process of being written) but I will say it was such a refreshing change to be able to attend a dance event, in my own right! That may sound a little strange but for the past few years, it feels as though I’ve been relegated to the shadow of others and as a result was treated like someone who just tagged along, despite paying my dues and embracing workshops and learning opportunities. Now, I’ve stepped out of the shadows and into my own light (sounds cheesy I know) and I’m relishing the sunshine, of which the Farha festival had an abundance of. The photo above is the group after rehearsals with Kazafy and the saiidi boys, taken by Kay Taylor.
I love Luxor, having travelled there almost annually for the last 7 years. I love the vibe and feel of the place, the pace of life, the friendliness of the locals, the history, the local market, the climate and the list goes on. To be there as well as enjoying a week of dancing was pure heaven. The group of ladies who came to the festival were all lovely, friendly, warm and caring. There were no signs of competitiveness or bitchiness which unfortunately can rear its head right across the bellydance community and is probably something we’ve all seen first-hand and something that we all dislike.
I think everyone came with the same agenda – to have fun and to dance! And that’s what we did – had fun and danced! We were given the opportunity to dance with a live band which was simply a fantastic experience and one that has changed how I feel about dancing. My insecurities are not as obvious to me anymore, I don’t feel as fraudulent as I once did and I feel that I can stand up, with openness and just ‘dance’ without worrying about whether my technique is good enough or whether people will ‘like’ me. Now, I don’t really think about whether people like me or not. It’s not arrogance, its confidence – something I’ve spent the last 3 months working hard on and the one thing I’ve learnt is that it’s OK to be nice to yourself. It’s fine to look yourself in the mirror and say ‘you are a good person’. It’s fine to be proud of your achievements and triumphs. I’m still aware of my flaws and imperfections as I believe this keeps you human and grounded but at least if you are aware of them, you can start to try and fix them. In my opinion, the danger is thinking that you don’t have any flaws or imperfections but that’s another blog.
So, what joyous delights does 2014 have in store for me then? Well, I’m stepping away from the norm and getting out and about to see some of my lovely dance friends up and down the country. I’ve been invited to perform at a few out of town events, which I’m very flattered and excited about. I’m also planning to get to meet some of my FB buddies, who have invited me to their events – a great way to meet in person! I enjoy attending events as an audience member as you can sit back and really enjoy the dancing – I’ve never been prissy about only attending an event if I’m on the performance bill.
I’m going to Morocco to live in the desert for a week in April with the lovely Anne Kingston and Barbara Conway, as well as my lovely, talented and creative friend Sally. This will be a wonderful experience as I will be with likeminded women examining the very good things in life. I have a feeling that this trip will change certain aspects of me, for the better! I’m also participating in some exciting projects that will challenge me but will offer more opportunities to dance and I’m in the middle of planning another exciting and exhilarating trip to Egypt with hubby for later in the year.
I’m also really looking forward to getting involved with the Just Because Charity as one of their new trustees. It’s such a worthwhile charity and if I can combine my professional events and marketing experience to help others then I hope that we can continue to raise much needed funds for the women of Egypt.
The biggest change for me for 2014 however, is to always look for the good in a situation, despite how negative it may feel at the time. For too long, I have stupidly allowed the opinion of others to affect my decisions, my feelings and my perception of myself. I’ve had a couple of tough lessons over the last few months with people in my life but as they say, as long as you learn from lessons and let go of the negativity, you are opening up space for the new things. 2014 is certainly shaping up to be a good year with lots of new experiences and happy times.