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New Website!!!

alluringshadows — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 14:13:45 GMT

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! http://www.moonsbeing.com (photography primarily by SGHPhotography)

Sacred World Independence Day

alluringshadows — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 03:30:57 GMT

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: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQ6Tf5HTTTo Love to you all, so wonderful to be able to share space and dance and create with you beauties...

Tribal classes for May

alluringshadows — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 18:00:28 GMT

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: http://people.tribe.net/alluringshadows/blog/ec8d4bb9-b8a0-40a8-ac78-97cb041b80c6

Tribal Belly Dance in Northampton, MA

alluringshadows — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 15:25:43 GMT

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 ( http://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 (http://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! ************** 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 (http://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 :)

alluringshadows — Tue, 01 May 2007 14:18:15 GMT

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!! http://www.quantumlifemanagement.com/

Withering, blossoming

alluringshadows — Wed, 22 Nov 2006 00:34:11 GMT

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

Credo

alluringshadows — Wed, 20 Sep 2006 17:08:08 GMT

I believe that all desires are possible, And that if you surrender to it, the Universe has a plan for you... ..and it's your Dream. I believe in dedication to my art whether it be dance, Yoga, poetry or Loving. I believe in ecstatic singing and feeling Spirit speak through me. I believe in laughter and dancing out my joy under night's sky with my Tribe. I believe in pushing myself to perfection, while knowing I will never be perfect and being okay with just the journey. I believe in loving all creatures, great and small short and tall. I believe that the best scents in the world are puppy's breath, baby's skin, and a lover who wears your favorite cologne ...................just for you. I believe in giggles by candlelight and laughter by the side of a deathbed. I believe that we've come here before and will come here again, because we love to. I believe that 30 is the start of my journey and that everything before was learning how to walk, nay, to dance my way forward. Wrote this yesterday in about five minutes as an exercise for my poetry class. I would love to hear your response, especially if it's moved you to your own verse :)

Pennsic

alluringshadows — Sun, 27 Aug 2006 05:10:39 GMT

I've been home from Pennsic for a week now and it almost seems unreal. Except for the amazing pictures that I have and the new devotion to my dancing. I feel so restless some times. I want to be moving forward, connecting more with my dance sisters, performing out and learning. At times my desires seem to be able to devour me, I want to devour all there is to know. Then I have to remember that it's patience and time and practice that makes a simple move perfect and stunning and it's not always even simple. I get frustrated but with a smirk on my face as I watch my body move from clumsy and clunky to smooth and some thing near to grace. There're so many paths my life could take me, and we'll find out on Monday if I'm working my back too hard when I've lain still for an hour of an MRI so they can tell me I'm broken and I can growl and go back to dancing and hating my limitations. But working on working with those limits. Back to school soon. Eternal student seems the path right now. But won't I always be... "You are never given a dream without also being given the power to make it true. You may have to work for it, however. " -Richard Bach

school's out.. for..summer...

alluringshadows — Wed, 31 May 2006 15:22:23 GMT

The last few weeks of school were a hurried mess as my teachers, realizing the end was near, suddenly assigned a ton of work so they'd have more to grade. While it was mildly frustrating, it was mostly just time consuming and some of it was even interesting. Except the paper I had to write on Wittgenstein. I don't recommend him for light reading :P A flurried rush and now nothing. I'm not yet working as much as I'd like to so I've mostly just been home catching up on the cleaning that had built up over this semester. Money is tight in any case so I really can't do the traveling I'd like to do to see people. Having our own home is wonderful, and I love being so close to school and work. I do miss my friends, however, and my troupe sisters are even further away. My big three oh is coming up and I'm really looking forward to the party. Connecting again with friends I haven't seen in a long time, in a place that's very special to me, ending the evening watching belly dance and performances by Raquy and the Cavemen. I can't think of a better way to spend my birthday :)

Spring sings in my soul

alluringshadows — Tue, 28 Mar 2006 23:37:16 GMT

Today it was absolutely gorgeous outside. Got up way too early, but was entirely pleased by the fact that the sun was actually up. Spent a few hours in the dark room. That saying about third time's a charm doesn't apply when you have to reshoot a roll of film three times. The spark has gone out of the pictures I've taken for my most recent project, but at least I have all of my work done. When I got home today I instantly slipped on small grey gloves and grabbed a rake. I spent about an hour gently raking and uncovering my flower beds. Hours and hours of last years work started to show again, freed from the leaves I'd let collect to protect from winter's chill. Here and there green and yellow is poking through, my roses have all made it and I'm getting flowers where I don't even remember planting anything too. Lovely surprises. My husband came home and we took the dog to the park for fetch. It was so wonderful to be outside without the biting wind making us huddle into our coats. Nice to be without a coat too. Then I got bit by a mosquito. So yeah. Spring is here ;)

Shivering and cluttered

alluringshadows — Wed, 01 Feb 2006 18:20:13 GMT

The clutter on top of my monitor. School is now in it's third or so week. So far I'm doing okay. Had a bit of panic over my photography course, but I found out yesterday I'm not the only one who's lost. I think I know what I'm doing now, wish I could find the manual for my camera of course! I've heard it said that your personal space reflects your mental state. Truly my mind is messy and cluttered and distracted. But I really love all the stuff I see around me, so I guess my mind is full of pretty messes. We're in for another No'easter this weekend I hear. Some times it seems like we'll never break free of this bleak greyness. Summer will come too soon I'm sure, but I find it hard to live in the present when I find myself wishing for warmer weather more than anything else. Got an interesting offer today.. almost sounds too good to be true.. it's certainly been in my heart for some time. We shall see.. time will tell...

Discipline

alluringshadows — Sat, 21 Jan 2006 21:40:54 GMT

"Belly Dance mastery is not cheap, nor easy, nor natural. If you want your body in dance expression to manifest the secrets of the universe, you need to sacrifice, discipline, push through and give years or time to a deeply attentive practice." -Palika today in the Indigo Tribe. So true and so profound. Breathing deeply today into a painful hip opener and realizing it only hurts because I'm not relaxing. Suddenly the wind picks up outside and the sky darkens. My heart opens and my jaw unclenches. My body flows as the storm energy arises... Photo of Rachel Brice, my inspiration. http://www.rachelbrice.com/

Entering the next phase

alluringshadows — Fri, 20 Jan 2006 17:51:17 GMT

This is my last week of 'freedom' before I head back to school on Monday. Truthfully I've been horribly bored. I really don't know how I spent years working part time and not doing anything. There's only so much time one can spend alone. I'm alone too much these days... but time spent with others is so much appreciated because of it. Soon I'll fall into a schedule of not enough time.. going from too much time. It should all pass in a whirrrr of excitement and stress. By the end of it, I will know how to use my camera.. be able to argue philosophically (and give speeches about it), hold a conversation with someone from Africa about one if their more important writers, and do simple math again. Go me. Then it'll be summer.. and probably more classes during that time so my course load isn't as huge the next semester. All this with brief interludes of belly dancing on the weekends with my new troupe sisters. That, that is what I'm really the most excited about :)

Changes

alluringshadows — Mon, 09 Jan 2006 15:36:34 GMT

This has been a remarkable few weeks. I've had so many wonderful and life changing things happen! I am still flying high with joy over getting a 4.0 for my last semester. I worked so hard, and it's really paid off! Saturday I had a gathering and we all sang karaoke. I tackled three of my favorite songs, ones which are challenging for me. I actually hadn't sang them since loosing my voice, but I belted them out almost perfectly! That felt so good, to be back to myself again. Sunday I auditioned for and made it into a belly dance troupe! My dream of dancing with other like-minded women is finally coming true!! I'm so happy about all of this :) And last night I was so exhausted by all of it I crawled home and onto my couch with my husband and watched bad movies all night, just quietely smoldering with a happy fire. I just quit one of my jobs. I feel more free, but nervous about money. I'm happier not doing massage, well.. I love the work. I just hate everything else that goes into it. And now I'll just work for myself. That will be good...very good.. So many changes.. but all so good...

New Years, new turnings

alluringshadows — Fri, 06 Jan 2006 18:43:22 GMT

(Mr. Stevens takes in the scenery) Snow has been almost constant since it first fell over a month ago. I think it melted for a few days only to show up again in force. I fret and worry about my roses and shrubs, burried as they are under two feet of snow and slush. This New Years, due to the snow, was mostly a quiet affair. Truely shouldn't have been driving, but I was determined not to spend the evening at home doing nothing. But, due to the snow we didn't climb the mountain, or descend into Temple in the Hood... No real matter though, for I was able to spend some time still with the wonderful ladies out from Ohio a few days later. It's funny how things pull at your heart strings, to find spirits kindred to your own who are so spread out and far away. This keeps happening to me...it could have been the theme of the year. Everywhere I went and everything I did I met the most amazing people. I've been really falling in love with life and with the human race in general this year, over and over. Which is so important in light of how our world is being rocked with war and fanatisism. I count myself lucky that the Universe keeps placing along my path so many bright creatures who remind me that there is something more. Something sacred. This past year was one full of so many changes. Bought a house, chopped off a foot of hair, went back to school (got straight A's!!), got married, and had my Saturn Return as a quiet affair I didn't even realize was happening until months after Starwood (which it was during according so some chart I found). So many connections, so much yearning still for more. I'm greedy for life... my re-obsession with belly dancing has me burning and almost crazed in my explorations and adventures. Although I'd been dabbling for years, this year I was so dedicated that I improved to the point where I am no where near the dancer I was years ago.. not even months ago. What a blessing to see hard work being paid off.. So many changes.. and yet, some things still stay the same. Love, love is still the same. Still for so many and so many things it will, I will never change. If only.. but ah.. I will walk where I can and travel lightly where I must... and stomp around like a mad beast when I can ;)

w00t! A first entry

alluringshadows — Thu, 08 Dec 2005 15:46:13 GMT

Dear Tribe, Thank you for being down for maintenance yesterday afternoon. I really did need to study and not loose myself in your soul sucking goodness. Like I'm doing right now... School is almost done for this semester! I can't even imagine it yet, five weeks of nothing to study. Granted, my classes this year have been quite easy, and probably won't be that hard next semester either, but it's been a nice way to ease back into school. Ten years ago I ran away from home in a wild fury and rebellious rage from my parents. The only part I regretted was leaving school, truly I should have stayed on. I wasn't doing well, I was very depressed, and was pretty much spending all my time online MUDding. I wasn't ready for school, I needed to find myself. Little did I know it would take someone nearly breaking me down to nothing to make me piece myself back together to form a powerful me. I'm thinking I might get something very close to a 4.0 this time around. I'm so very proud of myself :) (Image from http://revealing-masks.squish-art.com/)