Melika's Adventures In Belly Dance

November you have been one saucy minx!!!  First, props go out to my students, as some of them did indeed dress up in costume for their Halloween classes - <sniff> - so proud!  Then there was the fantastic workshop by Faten Salama (and show), and then my Raq'N Monkey came in!!! Me and my mini-me I was quite happy when I (of course) showed up in costume for my classes just a few days prior to Halloween, and lo' and behold, some of my students dressed up as well!! I was very giggly about that. They didn't even mind when I put on Michael Jackson Thriller and we danced to it.  Seriously - I have awesome students - they fill my soul with joy every single Friday night!!!  Beginners  Although, to be honest, I have been in a bit of a funk lately.  I KNOW this time of year is hard for people to make it to classes due to Christmas parties/office functions, holidays, family events, etc.  It is just a little disheartening when I have a full class registered for beginners

Wow!!! October has definitely been interesting so far!!! After being sick since mid-September and then still being ill completing my Zumba Instructor Training on October 2nd, I FINALLY got my butt to the doctors around October 13th. Only to find out for the past month I hadn't been suffering from a cold or the flu, but a really bad sinus infection....whoops... October 2, 2011 - Zumba Instructor Training in Calgary (Andrea Sandhu - instructor in the front row in front of me) Long story short - I received antibiotics and completed them.  Feeling MUCH better and promise if I ever again get a fever for more than 4 days, I shall immediately hike on over to the doctors office. On the "OMG I had NO idea I would have SO MUCH FUN!" front - I gotta say - I LOVED the Zumba instructor training! It was brutal, I was sweating a lot (though did have a fever but hey) and I believe our Zumba trainer Andrea Sandhu had a lot to do with it.  Seriously - I want to be her when I grow up!

If you've ever heard about Suhaila Salimpour's workshops, you've heard they are brutal.  That you do low squats for what seems like forever, that you sweat more in a few hours than you usually do in months, that your glutes get the workout of a lifetime, that your body feels likes it's going to die.  And yeah, everything you've heard it true... (myself and Suhaila) Well, at 7 AM on a beautiful and gorgeous September 24th, I got in my car, stopped for cash (because ya know I gotta shop!), grabbed a coffee and headed on down to DancEnergy.  Didn't care I had a bit of a headache and fever - seeing not only so many of my belly dancing friends there, but so many from out of town was fabulous!!! Let me say for the record, although the workshop was 2 days, I only registered for the "Drills That Kill" Saturday, as I had Little Fish class on Sunday (which turned out I didn't go to, I stayed home and slept all day Sunday as I was still ill). I was looki

Okay...as I hang my head in "lazy, bad belly dancer/teacher" mode..(well, not really), I realized in my last blog post, I had written down some "goals"...so here's my update (or lack thereof) on them.   Complete choreographies for both Intermediate & Advanced classes (mostly done but we will use the first few weeks to refresh technique anyway) Still mostly done.  HOWEVER, not happy with any of the music I picked as it's music that everyone else uses.  I decided I want the sword piece for the Advanced class to be the one they do in the year-end show - so now must find 3-minute song for that...boo. Again, we will be refreshing technique for the first few weeks so I have hope.  I also have not chosen all my NEW music for this sessions CDs...have some ones I put on every class disc and found some great new ones - but need to find the music for the choreographies so they can go on there too before I burn them for the my girls. Go through Costume Ro

Well, back from holidays and it was beautiful and relaxing.  We relaxed some days and other days we went gold panning on the Red Deer River...YAY ME! Then got back and spent the past week dealing with various family-related health concerns.  Boo.  So when everything started to settle down, this past Sunday I headed to where I find peace...Son of the Pharaoh and a little shopping with a girlfriend <grin> Seriously...I went to visit with Emad because he IS family, but I DID show my friend around the store.  Was very proud of myself as I didn't give in and buy another costume.  I DID however realize I have a number of fabulous costumes which I REALLY need to complete adjustments on, including my fabulous new red one I specifically bought these Isis wings to go with.  (Isis Wings for my red costume) (seriously awesome black dress) Then there is this FABULOUS dress I bought from SOTP in (oops) June or July of 2010 which (as you can tell by the bullclip holding the straps o

Well wow...I'm on vacation!!! 17 WHOLE DAYS off from working full time and from teaching.  Going to my lovely friend Serena's house tonight for her 30th birthday (pfft...30) and then tomorrow we are off to the lake for at least a week. FABULOUS! Last night I spent some time on YouTube trying desperately to find the song in my head, but for the life of me I can't remember the name.  It would be the perfect song to go with the sword choreography I have running through my head for my advanced students.  I'll be teaching it to them in the Fall, so I have a month to find the music! On the plus side, I got to watch some beautiful dancers and hear some fantastic music on YouTube.   Heading down to Son of The Pharaoh to see Emad today and drop off his birthday gift.  You KNOW I'll be picking his brain while I'm there for a good song, although I LOVE the song in my head.  Have heard it only a few times but think it's beautiful.  If I can't find it - I know E

WOW - I LOVE it!!! Go to http://advancedstyle.blogspot.com/ for an AWESOME and inspiring blog about being stylish, creative, and aging gracefully.  I love it! I'm hoping years down the road, I too will be featured on that blog. I can almost picture what I'll be wearing too...and it will definitely be a "say-something" hat day. Just because you get older, does NOT mean you need to shy away from being the Goddesses we all are!!! Dress with your own style, your own flair - and work it honey!!!<snap snap> (oops, did I say that out loud?) It makes me sad when women "give up" on themselves and their own sense of style and flair just because they feel "they are at an age when they should be sensible". Screw sensible!  Just because everyone around you gives up, stops wearing makeup, throws on a mu-mu and calls it a day doesn't mean you have to. I have no intention of letting go of my own style (as those who know me can attest to).  Don&#

Well, I have sort of slacked off for the past couple of weeks, even though I still worked full time and taught a special Wednesday night belly dance class at Soul Connexion.  It WAS the Calgary Stampede in our City, and although I didn't end up going, I was still quite busy.  No excuse, I know...but hey...there it is. One of the big things I absolutely must do is adjust my new red outfit - which I LOVE, and got from Son of the Pharaoh. I need some new belly dance pictures and was thinking of doing a photo shoot with, among others, the red outfit, maybe even with Isis wings - for DRAMA...and/or a veil...hmmm... (new red shiny-shiny bling bling) Found a fabulous hairpiece on the weekend - not my normal hair clip with the long curly hair, but with a straight ponytail instead.  It's a little different so we'll see how that goes...I like it - makes me feel like "I Dream of Jeannie" for some reason <giggle> Realized I need to start putting my pen to paper w

Ah...nothing so fabulous as taking some down time, especially when truly, I am not used to doing that.  Came back from a VERY relaxing extra-extra long weekend at the lake to some fantastic news!!  My July Wednesday night classes are a go!!!  I know it's only for four weeks, but I've had students emailing/texting me already they are having belly dance withdrawal - so I can be their pusher and supply them with shimmies!!! Looking forward to it!  Going to be drills, drills, drills...good for them, good for me :-) Also looking forward to sitting down sometime in July and beginning to work on my Fall class schedule (what moves, choreographies, etc.) that we will be doing this next session. I already have a few things in mind (of course I go to bed and dream of choreographies) - and my girls DO like a challenge...sooo.... <grin>   (Melika as a mermaid in Lure Of The Deep with the Little Fish Belly Dance Company) It's very strange to think it's already July 4th!!

Wow...what an awesome last two classes before summer break.  I have to say, I have the most fabulous students!!!  It was great having all the guests attend the "bring a friend night" - although I didn't give them any breaks just because they were guests (of course). Afterward, my senior girls wanted me to come have dinner with them at Boston Pizza, which just opened up beside the studio (most excellent!).  We had a really nice dinner full of fun conversation.  Then someone came up beside me, and I thought it was my husbands dinner (I had ordered him some dinner and was going to take it to him - what a good wife I am!).  It wasn't his order. It was a waitress...with a giant tray of Edible Arrangements.  It is VERY hard to make me speechless (seriously, ask anyone who knows me - hard to shut me up).  Then they smirked and handed me a card.  OMG I was so taken aback!!! I really hadn't expected that - which is why surprises like that are so fantastic! The card w

Well, tonight is the night.  The last class of this session for my beginner and intermediate classes before the summer break.  I'm finding myself feeling a bit down.  I know it's a little strange, but I'm going to miss my Friday nights with my girls.  I know it's just for the summer (and my husband will be happy as we can go up to the lake a lot during the summer), but no matter what kind of week I've had, I always know seeing my girls will boost my spirits and make me smile. Even when I'm totally torturing them with endless shimmies or undulations (which btw we're doing a lot of tonight so brace yourselves ladies), they bring an unbelievably fun energy to the room, and I'll miss that over the summer. On the plus side - I KNOW we shall have loads of fun and giggles (and shimmies...oh yes, we WILL have shimmies) tonight in my classes.   Audrey, Holly and Melika (yes, black wig!) backstage at the Mucking Farvelous show - June 11, 2011 That being sai

I tell ya...there is nothing cooler for a teacher than seeing your students perform for the very first time, on a stage, with ear-to-ear grins on their faces and having the time of their lives!!! My girls from Soul Connexion (the studio I teach at) did a short 2:45 choreography I made for them in the Soul Connexion Studios year end student recital.  All but one had never been on a stage in their lives - and they did me proud! (my girls being cheeky - how can you NOT love them!) I could NOT stop grinning (and crying) as they lifted those boobs up, smiled at the audience, and had the time of their lives, even though they were terrified.  I didn't realize till afterward how many of them had "conquered a fear" just by being onstage - that was so cool!!! They didn't LOOK nervous - but yeah, apparently most were ;-) The best part of the day for me was the surprise awaiting one of my students - Margaret Giers (yes honey, I'm putting your name in my blog - love y