New Website!!!

Thanks to the tireless efforts of the lovely Zille, my dance website has gone live! There you will find class schedules, contact information, a calendar of performances and classes, information about hiring myself and/or my dance company, Mahasti as well as a shop bursting with belly dance supplies personally selected to enhance your belly dance practice and performance.

Please feel free to drop by and share the link with anyone you think might be interested!

www.moonsbeing.com

(photography primarily by SGHPhotography)

Sacred World Independence Day

Beautiful weekend filled with loves and friends and friends who are loves and belly dancing and fire and quiet quiet circles. Of clammy mist and mosquitoes and coming down with a cold and a dog who loves to be part of performances. Life's ups and downs, but mostly ups these past few days..

I have video up of me dancing on my profile page. You can also watch it here:
www.youtube.com/watch

Love to you all, so wonderful to be able to share space and dance and create with you beauties...

Tribal classes for May

Due to Mother's Day and a friend's wedding, there will only be classes for the first weekend in May. Classes will resume again on June 1st.

here is the listing for class information if you'd like it:
people.tribe.net/allurings...cb041b80c6

Tribal Belly Dance in Northampton, MA

Due to popular request I have moved my Tribal Belly Dances classes from East Longmeadow to Northampton MA!

Beginner Tribal Belly Dance:
10:30am-11:30am Sundays
Learn the beautiful and empowering art of Belly Dance. This class will focus on the basic moves intrinsic to all forms of belly dance as well as the posture and theory behind Tribal Fusion and Improvisation. Belly dance builds body awareness and control, is a great exercise and a wonderful way to connect with ourselves as well as other women. Tribal Improvisation focuses on the interaction between a group of women dancing together as a whole. This class will also touch on moves and cues to lead and follow each other as well as delve into the snakey and locky poppy movies of Tribal Fusion. This class will also be a great drills class for a more intermediate student.

Intermediate/Advanced Tribal Improv Belly Dance:
11:45am-12:45pm Sundays
This class is designed for my previous students and any student who has had a year or more of any form of Belly Dance training. Students should be familiar with basic moves of belly dance and ready for a work out. This class will focus on learning moves and cues for Improvisation and dancers will start to learn line and group formations, transitions, how to lead, and performance technique. We Will learn fast lock and pop combinations as well as ultra slow snakey moves. Handouts will be given for the dancers to notate each move learned and dance journals are encouraged.

Classes will begin February 3rd at the new location of Northampton School of Dance ( www.northamptondance.com), 141 Damon Road, Suite E. Students should wear comfortable pants such as yoga pants and close fitting shirts so that they can see their movements on their bodies. You may be barefoot or wear dance shoes. I recommend Hermes sandles (www.amiramor.com). Intermediate students should bring a yoga mat and towel to kneel on while we are stretching out. Classes are $13 for drop in and $11 for a 6 week prepaid price. Please preregister with me by email at alluringshadows@yahoo.com so that I can reserve a space for you in the class. I can't wait to dance with you!

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Kaia has been belly dancing since 1996 and fell in love with Tribal around 2000 when she first saw clips of Rachel Brice. Since then her love of Tribal Fusion has led her to explore its roots in American Tribal Style Belly Dance as created by Fat Chance Belly Dance (www.fcbd.com). She is a solo performer as well as director of the Tribal troupe, Mahasti. Kaia is currently studying with Donna Mejia at Smith College.

Teaching :)

Learn the beautiful and empowering art of Tribal belly dance with Kaia Morningstar.

Beginner classes start on Thursday May 17th from 6:30pm-7:45pm. Focus will be on body awareness, strength, fluidity and grace as we learn moves that are universal in belly dance and those that are particular to Tribal Improvisational style. From sharp locks to serpentine flow, students will learn to gain control and precision. Mastery over our bodies flows over into assurance and confidence in our daily lives. At the heart of Tribal belly dance is the sisterhood and interaction between the dancers.

We are blessed to be dancing in a beautiful space at The Quantum Life Management Center in East Longmeadow, MA. Please bring a non-noisy hipscarf and wear yoga or loose fitting comfortable pants. We will be doing at least twenty-thirty minutes of stretching and strength training, both of which are essential for the deep and strong movements Tribal is known for.

Walkin rate: $13
Pre-paid (six weeks): $11 if paid at the first class

Feel free to contact me with any questions and to spread the word :) I can't wait to dance with you!!

www.quantumlifemanagement.com/

Withering, blossoming

I pulled inside as cold air crept in
Winter's chill stroked the edges of my heart
Sending shivers, encouraging quivers
Down my spine, up legs
Making my dance stagnate
My breath come in gasps
as I curled up wanting only
hibernation and warmth.

Some where along the line
under a sunny swath of silk essence
my heart broke and sent me
even further, deeper faster,
swirling vortexes of rainbow hues
scattering as I floundered with dreams
unrealized and potential stifled.

In desperation I sought out
a teacher, a friend, a lover of my loves
Without meaning, dropped my grief at her feet.
And she with grace stopped my mad flow
Reminded me to center, to ground
to breathe and to be calm.
Gave me the push to stand again
to unfurl and open and face the cold.

To burn on my own and flow with what comes.

painting by Robert Wayt Smith