Rants and Other Illusions

Next Session of ATS Classes!

AnnS — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 20:47:47 GMT

My second session of American Tribal Style bellydance classes for the spring will be starting up again this Thursday, March 20th, and will last for eight weeks, through Thursday, May 8th. The classes are held at the Dance Center, at 223 S. Pete Ellis Dr. on the east side of Bloomington. Additionally, we'll be holding our spring hafla on Saturday, May 10, so please join us then for a great party and wonderful dancing. Level I (6:30-7:25)-- we'll continue to explore the fundamentals of ATS posture, cues, and vocabulary, building on the movements covered in the last session. (You do not need to have taken the last session to take this class, however.) We'll also begin to work in duet, trio, quartet, and chorus formations. Level II (7:35-8:30)-- we'll continue our exploration of the new additions to the FCBD vocabulary, as well as work with more advanced formations and transitions, including orbits, lateral fades, and dueling duets. This class will also work on preparing a piece for the hafla on May 10. Students must have completed at least one full session of Level I before taking Level II. Level II students are encouraged to attend Level I as a warm-up and a fundamentals drill. The cost for either class is $65 for the full 8-week session or $10/class at the drop-in rate. If you wish to take both classes concurrently, the cost is $100 for the full session or $15/both classes at the drop-in rate.

Dark Side Hafla, Dec. 8th

AnnS — Sat, 01 Dec 2007 22:05:56 GMT

Dark Side Tribal is hosting our winter hafla, and you are cordially invited to attend! We promise an evening of breathtaking performances, invigorating open dancing, fabulous music, delicious food, and the best company around. Dancers of all stripes and shapes are welcome-- and non-dancers too-- so shake off those winter blahs and come on over to the dark side! When: Saturday, December 8, 7:00-10:00 pm Where: Rolling Ridge Grand Clubhouse, 1200 South Rolling Ridge Way, Bloomington, IN (see http://tinyurl.com/2mlwqu for a map) Featuring... * Live music by Il Troubadore, Indy's 16th-century rock band (http://www.troubadore.com/) * Henna tattoos by Mother Henna * Vending by Moon Valley Designs (hand-crafted jewelry and soaps-- perfect for holiday gifts or to treat yourself!) There's no cover charge, but we do ask that you bring some food or drink (alcohol is permitted) to share if you're able. (If not-- come anyway!) Directions to the hafla (from downtown Bloomington, IN): - Take 2nd St/SR 46 west, passing Patterson St., South Adams St., and the Copper Cup - Look for the Bloomington Sportsplex on the right - Turn left onto S. Rolling Ridge Way just after you pass the Sportsplex - Follow the drive in and look for the large clubhouse building and parking lot on the left - Enter through the front doors of the building, and take the stairs on the right up one floor-- we'll be in the banquet hall upstairs. Hope to see you all there!

Pipe Dream: A Steampunk Wunderkammer

AnnS — Tue, 04 Sep 2007 21:50:24 GMT

My friend and dance student Libby Bulloff has an art show open this month, titled "Pipe Dream: A Steampunk Wunderkammer." It's an exploration of the steampunk aesthetic through painting, photography, textiles, and mixed media. Not only was I lucky enough to be one of her models for the show (the photo above is one of the featured works), but I also helped her hang it this past weekend, and I have to say that it is absolutely stunning. She has a brilliant eye for photography in particular (the best photos in my album here on tribe were taken by her), as well as a creative vision and sense of detail that makes all of the other pieces stand out as well. As I helped install the show, I was thinking about which pieces I'd be interested in purchasing-- and I realized that I want them all! I can wish and hope that someday there might be a bigass, shiny coffee table book of this show, but in the meantime I may have to content myself with fistfuls of the smaller 4x6 prints that she'll have available. "Pipe Dream" is showing Sept. 1-28, 2007, at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater's Textillery Gallery on Kirkwood Ave. in Bloomington, IN. The opening reception is this Friday, Sept. 7, from 5-7, but the art will be up all month. If you're remotely near the area, do yourself a favor and go look. (There's a flyer with more info up in my album.) Go to http://carpe-jugulum.livejournal.com to see more of the photography from the show.

Tribal Revolution 07 ruminations

AnnS — Tue, 26 Jun 2007 17:23:43 GMT

This past weekend, Dark Side Tribal (that is to say, myself, Heather, and Alice, plus the Cowboy, my dance student B and her fellow D) headed up to Chicago for another year of Tribal Revolution. It was a fantastic weekend all in all. Last year's Tribal Rev was great, so I was really looking forward to this year's. Last year was more intense, in a way-- DST was a new troupe at the time and it was our second big performance, we'd signed up for all of the classes so we were busy nonstop the whole time, and we knew a few people there, but not very well. Everything was all shiny and exciting and new. This year's event felt a little more mellow to me, since I was only signed up for four classes, we weren't taking anything on Friday, and our performance was Friday night, so we could kind of kick back for the rest of the event and just watch and enjoy the Saturday performances. The big difference, though, was that this time, it felt like coming home. I knew a lot more people a lot better than last year, and was more comfortable talking to people I didn't know and talking to the instructors (OMG FAMOUS PPL), and our troupe had a reputation this time around that we didn't before. I walked into the Friday hafla venue, in costume and ready to perform, and was greeted with hugs and smiles by dance friends from all over the Midwest. I felt like I was part of it all, and that this was a family of sorts. We danced in the Friday night hafla this time. Heather had elected to sit out this gig due to her foot injury, so we'd asked one of our new troupe members, Alice, to step in less than two weeks before the show. (Our other new troupemate, Grace, was off in Guatemala at the time, so wasn't attending TR.) Happily, Alice was up to the challenge, and she did wonderfully. Granted, Alice and I used to dance together back in the Pangaea/Tribal Bloom days, but it had been a while, and she hadn't kept up much bellydancing in the intervening couple of years. Nevertheless, it felt like we'd been dancing together forever, and the energy of our set felt wonderful. Then again, we also had what was possibly the World's Best Bellydance Audience, so that helped immensely as well-- particularly seeing our "posse" cheering wildly at a table in the front row. All of the other performances that I saw were stellar. My favorites, as usual, were Sahira, who never fails to amaze me, and Hipnotic, who proved once again that they are ROCK STARS. But I also loved Blue Cat Tribe's experimental scary doll number (and finally getting to see my friend Darlene perform with them), and Carenza's Caravan's high-energy tribal fusion number. The Saturday performance, which showcased the instructors and hostesses, was amazing. Urban tribal, ATS, Bollywood, drumming, tribal fusion, modern folkloric, drumming, live music, comedy, and did I mention drumming?, all performed with virtuosic skill and verve. It was one hell of an evening. My class schedule was lighter this year, so I had more hang-out-and-talk time. Also more shopping time, which is probably a dangerous thing. At any rate, I thought all four of the workshops I took were excellent, and gave me lots to chew on and practice and try to work in. (I know I'm going to be practicing the "ka" on my doumbek for about the next 10 years...) All of the instructors were so kind and approachable and great, and Blue Lotus as always made everything run smoothly. In short, I can't wait till next year. Want back on the ride!

You will dance

AnnS — Thu, 22 Mar 2007 19:02:32 GMT

Axis of Evil is next week, featuring live performances by Form 30 from Indianapolis. Come. Dance. Enjoy awesomenitude. It's really and truly spring: my magnolia tree just started to bloom today. Happiness.

Calling all Axis of Evil-doers...

AnnS — Tue, 27 Feb 2007 00:30:24 GMT

I have a request/favor for all of you Axis of Evil regulars. I'm working on a fieldwork study of Axis of Evil this semester. Specifically, I'm interested in examining how AoE, as a recurring music-centered event, has become a kind of community, and how the participants who create that community understand and construct Goth identity (through music, dance, fashion, aesthetics, attitude, and whatever else you think exemplifies Gothiness.) I'll be attending all of the AoE events this semester as part of my fieldwork, but in addition to that, I want to interview AoE participants, to really get at what you, the people of Axis, think. So I would love to interview you. And you. And you. Organizers, djs, performers, dancers, wallflowers, hardcore regulars, sporadic visitors, all of you. If you identify as Goth outside of AoE, I want to talk to you. If you don't identify as Goth outside of AoE (or even at AoE), I want to talk to you. I'm happy to chat with anyone and do short interviews at AoE, but since quiet corners are hard to find and I don't want to take up too much of your dancing time, I'd also really like to meet up to do interviews at other times outside of AoE when we'd have a little more time and space to talk. If you'd like to be interviewed, please drop me a line at ashaffer@gmail.com. And of course, I'll be at Ctrl-Alt-Del tomorrow night (look for hip-length purple/black/green crin falls), if anyone would like to discuss interview possibilities. Many thanks to you all. See you tomorrow night.

Spring Tribal Classes starting soon

AnnS — Sat, 06 Jan 2007 20:26:15 GMT

My spring session of American Tribal Style bellydance classes is starting up soon. This session will run for 10 weeks, and I'll be doing things a little differently this time. Instead of one 90-minute mixed level class, I'm offering two separate 1-hour classes, a Level I (Beginner) course and a Level II (Intermediate) course. You can download a pdf flyer for the classes at tinyurl.com/ydp6y6 Both classes will be held at The Dance Center, located at 223 S. Pete Ellis Dr. in Bloomington, IN. The cost for either class is $70 for the full 10-week session, or $9/class at the drop-in rate. If you wish to register for both classes concurrently, the cost for both is $105 for the full 10 weeks or $15 to at the drop-in rate. LEVEL I (Beginner): Thursdays 6:30-7:25, January 18-March 29 (no class March 15, IU's spring break) This class will focus on the fundamentals of American Tribal Style bellydance, with close attention to posture and form. Students will learn basic fast and slow movements, ways to combine them, basic finger cymbal technique, and how to lead and cue transitions. The primary emphasis of this class will be drilling movements, though we will explore the ensemble formations and chorus format used for improvised group dancing. Each class will include warm up and cool down periods. Students who have taken this class before are welcome to repeat it. LEVEL II (Intermediate): Thursdays 7:35-8:30, January 18-March 29 (no class March 15) Level II will introduce intermediate ATS movements and combinations. Students will learn more advanced transitions, lead changes, variations, and finger cymbal rhythms. We will combine the basic movements covered in Level I with intermediate techniques, and focus on exploring the dynamics of tribal bellydance through improvisation in small groups and chorus. PREREQUISITE: Students must have completed at least one Level I/Mixed level session, as this class assumes proficiency in the basic ATS vocabulary. Students who register for Level II are welcome to take the Level I class concurrently as a warm-up and technique refresher. These classes are appropriate for all ages, genders, and body types. Wear comfortable clothing that will allow you to move freely: yoga pants/leggings, pantaloons, or a long skirt that can be tucked up are appropriate for the lower body. Please wear a form-fitting top such as a choli, tank top, or fitted t-shirt. A scarf or hip wrap is recommended to help you see hip movements better, but not required. You may wish to bring a yoga mat or beach towel for the warm up and cool down components of the class. About the instructor: Ann Shaffer has studied various forms of belly dance for five years, including private lessons and seminars with Carolena Nericcio, the creator of American Tribal Style and founder/director of FatChanceBellyDance. Ann has performed with several belly dance troupes in the Bloomington area, and currently dances with Dark Side Tribal, Bloomington's only ATS and tribal fusion group. If you have questions or wish to register, please email darksidetribaldance@gmail.com, or message me here on tribe.

Hungover and buzzing...

AnnS — Mon, 26 Jun 2006 19:52:03 GMT

Well, we just got back from Tribal Revolution, and boy is my body ready to sleep for a week! My mind, on the other hand, is racing with all kinds of new ideas from the workshops and the show. It was such a great festival, and Blue Lotus Tribe deserve big kudos for putting it together. The workshops were all bloody fantastic. I think I want to marry Karim Nagy, or at least take him home and figure out where his energy source is. As a musician myself, I really grooved on his approach to teaching dancers about rhythms and finger cymbals, plus we learned some very cool sagat techniques. Blue Lotus's 80s Combos workshop was awesome and fun as we got to channel our inner Paula Abduls, Molly Ringwalds, and Axl Roses. Zafira Dance Company took the cake (in my book) for kicking our butts the hardest, between Bellydance Bootcamp (15 million squat pulses, ow) and Rajasthani Gypsy Spins (spinny spinny WHEEE! *fall down*). Kami Liddle's Bhangra Fusion class on Saturday did a good job on the exhaustion front too... bouncy bouncy bouncy bouncy BHANGRA FACE! Her Sunday Sultry Layers workshop stretched us in the opposite direction, slowing down slow moves longer than humanly possible, and then layering things on top of them. I had a blast dancing in the Saturday show-- despite nerves and uncooperative hair (Molly's mighty head-arranging foo beat everything into submission once again), Dark Side's performance went well. We missed most of the first half of the show, though we did see Blue Lotus's wonderful opening set and the end of Zafira's closing set. We caught almost all of the second half though, and all I can say is wow. All of the performances I saw were stellar, and unique, and varied. Barika delivered a very funky performance with a deeper social message about the sex trade; a dancer (whose name I didn't catch) in a gorgeous orange and turquoise costume did a a lovely candle dance; Hipnotic mesmerized with their sparse, dramatic isolations and smooth hip hop motions; that cute rainbow-haired goth girl who studies with Ruby Jazayre did a very lyrical and expressive solo to a Cure song; and Kami and Sabrina gave a fantastic closing to the night. (I'd been hoping Kami would do some Bhangra, but it was straight tribal fusion-- but I ain't complainin' 'bout that!) I can't wait to get my copy of the DVD to see what I missed and revisit the amazing performances I did see! After the end of the festival on Sunday, the Dark Side Caravan took a trip to Chicago's Indian district. We had a mouthwatering lunch in a restaurant where Bollywood videos were playing on the tv (causing us all to bust into Bhangra shoulder shrugs). Then it was off to shop and browse among the sari shops, which was pretty much a fabricgasm for all of us textile whores. I wasn't too interested in buying anything (though I did get a gorgeous bindi), but I was quite enjoying the sensory feast of the fabrics and smells and sounds. It was finally about 6 pm by the time we got on the road to head home, and we rolled into Bloomington at about midnight.

Back to healthy?

AnnS — Wed, 26 Apr 2006 14:08:28 GMT

For the past *mumble* months, I've doing WW with only half my ass, which is why I'm basically at the same weight now that I was last August. This is fine; losing 50 pounds, even if it's only the midpoint towards my goal, is still a big deal, and I'm okay with taking some time to let my body adjust to this weight. Still, I can feel it when I'm not eating as healthily, and with summer coming, I'd like to get back to that. I also haven't really been doing any kind of exercise other than bellydance for a while now, and I desperately need to get back to strength-training and other types of cardio. (Which will also help kick-start the weight loss again, I hope.) Anyway, the other night, the Cowboy was complaining about being out of shape and wanting to start some strength training. I mentioned that my apartment complex has a wee tiny "fitness center", and he could use that if he wanted. I'd only been in it once, back when I first moved in 3 years ago, and it wasn't too impressive then-- an ancient exercise bike, an ancient stair climber, and a somewhat decrepit universal nautilus machine. The Cowboy and I wandered down to take a look at it on Sunday, and the machines have been updated a bit (now there's a treadmill, a recumbant bike, and a universal nautilus that is either newer than the other one, or slightly better maintained.) We decided that we'd go there and work out together 2-3 times a week. We've tentatively planned on Sundays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays. We went last night for the first time. We used the bike and treadmill to warm up, then he started on the nautilus while I did more stretching post-warmup. The only issue with the nautilus is that only one person at a time can use it, at least for the weight-pulling exercises. (There's a frame section for doing dips and leg pull-ups that doesn't involve the machine weights, so someone could do those while someone else is using the weights, but that's it.) But it worked out okay. We alternated using the machine, and whenever he sat down to do a set of whatever, I'd do a set of Suhaila/Rachel/Sharon squats. This worked out nicely, as I got a pretty good leg workout even though I only did upper body stuff on the machines. I was reminded again that the Cowboy, professional chef though he may be, does not understand how to prepare food for someone doing WW. He called me from work before he came over, to say that they'd made orange roughy that night, and would I like him to bring me some for dinner, with some steamed vegetables? Why yes, I told him, that would be lovely and nice and healthy, and saves me from having to cook. I didn't get a chance to eat until post-workout, after he'd left to go home. I opened up the box, and there's the fish... covered in some kind of cream sauce. Um? By coincidence, he happened to call right then, to remind me to bring my plants in (it was supposed to frost last night.) "Sweetie? Thank you so much for bringing me dinner, that was really nice of you. But, um, what's the sauce on the fish?" "Oh, that's Hollandaise! Don't you like Hollandaise?" *facepalm* So then I had to remind him once again, that it's not really a matter of whether I like it or not (I do), but that it sort of undid the healthiness of the rest of the meal. And to please not sauce things up, or at least ask me first if I want it like that. I scraped the Hollandaise off as best I could, and what remained only cost me a couple of points. He'd also given me about twice as much of everything as I really needed, but I was so hungry from working out and not eating dinner till 10 that I wolfed it all down anyway. Meh. Still, did okay pointswise, so it worked out.

Fuck you, Indiana. This is war.

AnnS — Fri, 06 Jan 2006 18:55:02 GMT

I do not consider Indiana my home. But it is my place of residence, and more importantly, the place where I vote. And I'm getting really bloody tired of elected officials who do not represent my views or work to uphold the rights of their constituents. The latest onslaught on our civil liberties comes via newly introduced legislation that, if passed, will either seriously limit women's access to abortions and birth control or outright criminalize abortions altogether. Some of you may or may not have seen mayara13's post yesterday (http://www.livejournal.com/users/mayara13/50421.html ). But between that and some confusion over a similar post (http://www.livejournal.com/community/bloomington/1259105.html ) in the Liverjournal Bloomington community, I've been doing a bit of research this morning. So here's the scoop. Reproductive rights are under attack both in Indiana's House and Senate, through two different proposed bills. HB 1096 (http://www.in.gov/apps/lsa/session/billwatch/billinfo?year=2006&session=1&request=getBill&docno=1096#latest_info ), the bill to which the Planned Parenthood alert refers, proposes the following: "Limitation on abortions. Provides that human life begins when a human ovum is fertilized by a human sperm. Makes performing any abortion that is not necessary to prevent a substantial permanent impairment of the life or physical health of the pregnant woman a Class C felony. Makes conforming amendments and a technical correction." There it is, folks. Bye-bye abortion access, except in cases of medical emergency (and what a slippery slope it will be as the realm of what's deemed medically necessary shrinks and shrinks, until even that's gone.) And then there's Senate Bill 0004 (http://www.in.gov/legislative/bills/2006/IN/IN0004.1.html ), which would do the following: "Dispensing abortion devices or drugs or birth control. Provides that a person may not be required, as a condition of training, employment, pay, promotion, or privileges, to dispense: (1) a medical device or drug that may result in an abortion; or (2) a birth control device or medication." Not quite as severe as HB1096, but it nevertheless restricts reproductive rights to a significant degree, legislating that it's okay for pharmacists to deny access to birth control if they morally oppose abortion and subscribe to the fallacious belief that birth control pills are abortifacients. Let's get this straight: pharmacists are not doctors. They do not prescribe medication. No pharmacist therefore has the right to interfere with the decisions that a doctor and patient make about what medication is appropriate for the patient. We women thought we had the right to control our own bodies, to lead healthy lives, to make decisions about our sexual practices, to choose when and whether we want to give birth. We thought that these decisions were private, made with the help and influence of trusted medical professionals, partners, family, and friends, but ultimately resting on our individual choices. But apparently those in power in the Hoosier state seem to think it's somehow their business, and that they can dictate those choices to all of us. Well, fuck that. Go out and raise hell, and make your voices heard. Emails to your legislators are a great start, but please take the time to write real letters if you can, and make phone calls. Do it more than once. Make it clear that the decisions they make regarding these bills will directly affect your decisions in the voting booth next November, and the one after that, and the one after that. You can go to http://www.ppaction.org/campaign/hb1096_010506 to send a form email about HB1096 through Planned Parenthood's website. But please don't stop there. Contact your legislators directly-- here's how. If you live in Bloomington, your House Representative is: Rep. Matt Pierce Indiana House of Representatives 200 W. Washington St. Indianapolis, IN 46204 Call toll-free (from anywhere within Indiana): 1-800-382-9842 http://www.in.gov/h61/email.html to email him. And your State Senator is: Senator Vi Simpson 200 West Washington Street Indianapolis, In 46204-2785 (800) 382-9467 or (317) 232-9849 Email: S40@in.gov District Address: 4965 W. Woodland Drive Bloomington, IN 47404 (812) 876-2908 If you live elsewhere in Indiana, you can find out who your legislators are and how to contact them at http://www.in.gov/apps/sos/legislator/search/ And, of course, our governor can be reached here: Governor Mitch Daniels By Phone: 317-232-4567 By Mail: Office of the Governor Statehouse Indianapolis, Indiana 46204-2797 (go to http://www.in.gov/gov/contact/index.html to send him an email.)