Teacher's Features

I publish a monthly email newsletter for my belly dance students and these articles have appeared in previous newsletters under my column with the same name.....hope you enjoy reading them and find them useful.

"Basic Class Etiquette for Students"                                    " Use Your Mental Skills When Dancing"                                "How to Get the Most from your Belly Dance Classes"

"1001 Things You Need in your Bag for a Show"

"Lessons I've Learned from Belly Dancing"

Although this article is written from a performer's perspective, each lesson can be applied to our everyday life situations.

  How to laugh at myself.....based on the law of averages, if you dance long enough, you are going to have performances in which everything that can go wrong will go wrong.  When this happens, you have two choices:  "cry and you cry alone" or "laugh and the whole world laughs with you".  Depending upon which choice you make, your show will be a horrible experience or a happy one.  It's all in how you perceive the situation.  Some of my best stories about dancing are not about shows where everything went well, but about the ones that did not.  Every person can relate to having bad experiences.  Any audience will appreciate a performer who keeps on going, even when things didn't go as planned.  Even better, they will cheer you on when you make a good recovery.  Final point...laughter is medicine for the soul...medically proven to release endorphins and relieve stress...so have a good laugh on yourself at every opportunity.

I have to change in order to make things happen.....if I want something, then I need to invest my time and effort in to making it happen rather than waiting for "it" to show up at my door.  Most of the rewards we receive are the products of the hard work and time we have put in to make them happen.  Life is an ever changing cycle, so expect change and learn to like it.  It could be the beginning of something very good coming in to your life.  The person who loses out is the person who refuses to change and adapt.  Those who keep an open

mind will find new adventures waiting for them.

Focus on your strengths and not your weaknesses.....instead of continually putting yourself down for all of the things you do "wrong" or don't "do well", make a list of all the things you do "right".  Continually remind yourself of those things you do "right" and work on improving those things.  Whenever you are operating in your area of "strengths", your results will be positive.  Remember that all of us

have specific gifts or talents unique only to us and do not compare what you do with what you see others doing.

Forgive yourself.....you flubbed the group routine, did something stupid during your show or left out something important in your show...so what?????  It isn't the end of the world.  It's only a show.  Give yourself the second chance that you give to others.

Hard work pays off.....no successful person made it to the top by taking the easy route.  Many "overnight sensations" worked hard for many years before they were "discovered".  The world's greatest pioneers in business, medicine and technology persisted in their endeavors even when other people told them they were wasting their time.  Don't let anyone steal your dream!

Never burn your bridges behind you.....used by great military leaders of the past and present.  Always leave a way open for retreat or advancement in case you have need of it.  It does not pay to leave a job, relationship or any other situation in a manner which allows you no way of going back and remedying the situation.  Think logically, without letting your emotions get the best of you, about your actions

and the possible consequences of those actions, before doing anything.           

©Arabian Nights - Belly Dancer 2009