Ghost Stories EP 1. Ghost Dance

My husband and I sat down to share an experience at the studio I dance out of.

Pick Up, Dust Off, Try Again....Repeat

With the weather came a really rough start to the spring semester.  I am a bus driver so the weather can make for an extremely long day for me.  I just wasn't ready.  I really expected them to not have school on Monday.  They did.  It sucked.  I didn't meet most of my goals. 

Tonight I am getting to bed on time.  Tomorrow, I will pick up where I left off.  I must expect to falter.  I must also expect to pick myself up,  dust myself off, and try again. 

Progress is progress

While I was not were I wanted to be on any of my goals, I did progress on all of them.  Bought my groceries for the week.  I lifted weights.  I went to dance practice.  I just am such a perfectionist that I still see it as a loss.

I didn't do all my pushups on my toes (or any on my toes for that matter).  I didn't do all the food prep for the week.  I didn't have the choreography down.  I didn't have this blog typed up an hour ago.

What would letting those negative thoughts cloud my mind and my actions but disappointment.  If I let those thoughts take hold, I will give up.  The whole goal of this year is to not give up.  The whole goal is to see how far I can get on these plans.  The only way I can fail is to give up.  Trying each day is the success.  The results are just gravy.

I hope you are not giving up on your goals!

Tango On!

In the tango, if you get tangled up you just play it off as part of the dance and dance on.  Today I am going to have to do that.  While I did make progress on some things, most went by the way side.  Tomorrow is another day.  Today I did the best I could.  Tomorrow I will do better.

Even Procrastinators Can Do This

I actually still need to do day 3 of the Push program yet before I can go to bed, but other than that I have gotten everything done.  Most of it was after dinner, but I got it done and that is what counts.

I also made progress on my troupe's costumes for our big show.  I need to type out directions for them before I forget all the adjustments, but big steps where made.

Dance practice tonight was Serpentine with Rachel Brice.  I forgot how hard and rewarding that DVD is.  There are a lot of places I am tight that I am not normally tight and some places that I am looser than I remember!  My backbends were much lower.  Go me!

Well, got to go if I am to get these notes typed out and do today's Push assignment.  How are you doing on your resolutions?  Any where in your progress that has surprised you?

Second Step, Easier than the First

So day two of 2014 is coming to a close.  I can truly say that I did good today.  I met all my goals and even tried out a new dance DVD.  The Celebration Bellydance Workout with Sarah Skinner is the DVD I tried out.

I only did the actual workout so this is a bit more of a first impressions review.  First, if you are not comfortable with learning choreography on the fly, watch the video first.  Most of the moves are not repeated more than once per side.  Also, the cuing is minimal.  There are some points in which I do believe that there should have been more cuing (face down on the floor or back to the screen) or more information about what was coming next. 

Second, this does involve lots of level changes.  Those with bad knees really need to skip this.  Those who are trying to work on level changes will love this aspect.  It does build leg strength up rather nicely.  Sarah has you go all the way down to a low squat and back up right away.  There are also parts where floorwork is involved.

Third, it is rather bouncy.  If your teacher constantly reminds you not to get a head bounce going, your teacher would love you to not watch this video.  For the rest of us, this means cardio.  Traditional move are used to amp up the heart rate in a very bouncy saidi.

Overall, I did like this DVD.  It challenged me in turn with the pace of movements, shimmy combinations, and level changes.  The strength exercises were challenging enough that I truly felt them, but presented in such a way that I was rather distracted from how well they were working.  I think that the minimal cues will help me keep from getting bored with it later.  I will let you know how I feel about it down the line.

First Day of the New Year

Well, the first day of the new year is almost done.  How did I do on my resolutions?  No workout planned for today, totally nailed that.  The first Baby Step for FlyLady is to clean and shine your sink.  Sink is shiny.  First step in the Push program is listing what you want to be known for; dancer, fitness, kind heart, and costuming.  That would be done.  Dance practice was also done with my sword trio.

My only fail was a partial fail.  We got up late.  Even though I really didn't want to I made blueberry protein pancakes and scrambled eggs.  It would have been easier to just go get something.  I did make them though and they were great.  Then came time to start prepping dinner.  I did say we got up late right?  Just two major meals because of it.  Just one glance at the recipe and we both knew we did not have all the ingredients.  Long story short, dinner was a Mcdisaster! 

After breakfast tomorrow, there will be grocery shopping and food prepping.  We need more veggies anyways.

Today I did my best.  Tomorrow I will do better.

Looking to 2014

2013 is almost over and now is the time to look forward to 2014.  This year I am going to try something new.  I am going to try to work as hard as possible on me and my life.  That might sound preposterous.  I mean really who doesn’t try their best at least some of the time?  The answer is me.

I actually have stopped using programs because I saw progress.  Progress scares the HELL out of me.  I know I need it.  I know I am worth it.  Progress is just scary!

This year I am going to face my biggest fear and see how much progress I can make in one year.   I am going to follow plans set down by other people, as to not burn out, and blog it all here.  Ready or not, here comes 2014!

Programs to start with:

Setting my goals and following through:

Chalene Johnson 30-day challenge http://www.30daypush.com/

I am going to be doing this program on repeat, every single month.  It takes at most about 15 minutes a day. (cost: Free)

Clean and organized house:

Flylady Baby Steps and Beyond http://www.flylady.net/d/getting-started/

This is an ongoing program that starts with very doable steps and builds on them gradually so that you, your house, and your family are organized and able to handle what life throws at them.  Yes, I previously used this program, saw results and stopped.  Not going to stop this time. (cost: Free)

Eat healthier:

Betty Rocker’s Body Fuel System http://fuel.thebettyrocker.com/

This is an eBook in PDF format that has four weeks of menus, recipes, grocery lists, and detailed prep.  It also includes chapters on why you should eat this way.  The recipes include; turkey meatballs, French toast, bacon, scrambled eggs, fish, shrimp, roasted vegetables, and much more.  Everything is laid out for you.  (cost: $47)

Workout Consistently:

Jamie Eason's LiveFit Trainer  http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/jamie-eason-livefit-trainer.html

For this program I am going to use mostly just the workouts.  My meals are already planned out above and not having to make up a grocery list is one less thing to do.  This is a 3 month plan after that I will switch to a different plan as to not get bored.  I will chose it base on where my fitness level is at the time.  It will more than likely also be from Bodybuilding.com.  (cost: free) *starting 1/6/2013

Practice dance daily for 30 minutes or more:

There are many ways I could have worded this goal.  Let’s face it.  I have a lot on my plate already with the programs above.  Stipulating that I make progress on a move or what exactly I do would be too much.  As I have loads of DVD’s and choreography that I can work with, I will let this be a bit more organic.  I might even be able to get some review of my DVD collection out!

Lastly, I will blog daily.  It might not be much.  It might be just one sentence or one word.  But there will be something daily.

There you have it.  My big scary 2014 New Year’s Resolution List.  Nothing on this list is not doable, but it is scary to me.  I may need my hand held.  I may need a kick in my pants.  I will do my best to make it all happen.

Today's Inspiration.

Sadie once again shares a great performance.  Her muscle control and musicality truly makes one want to get up and dance!

Today's inspiration

Forgive me for posting this one again but this one goes too well with today's post.  Marta Korzun is a beautiful dancer from Ukraine.  The way she seamlessly switches from the melody to the drum line amazes me.  Her costume in this one also shows of uneven fringe in different lengths and materials.

Fringe Movement

Fringe

     Most belly dancers know that fringe helps accent a great move.  However what gets neglected is how different fringe affects the accent.  That is right, different fringe acts differently.  When you stop to think about it this is a rather elementary point.  Still, most dancers pick out fringe that will look good with the costume before thinking about the actions expected of the fringe.  The actions of the fringe are dictated by the length, materials, and placement of the fringe.  

     Length of fringe dictates the action because the kinetic energy has to move down the fringe.  The longer it has to go the more chance there is for resistance to the energy there by reducing the friction of the materials used.  This is why long fringe skirts look great with spins but eat up almost any shimmy.  Short fringe thinks all moves are big moves as it does not take as much to get them moving.  The more force behind dance moves the longer fringe can be and still serve its purpose.

    Different material move different ways.  Chainette will give very little resistance but also has little weight to throw around.  Chunky beads have a lot of weight to throw around but also have resistance.   Resistance can also be affected by how tightly strung fringe is.  Fringe should be easily articulated around a finger.   If it cannot do this, it will have too high a resistance to look good as fringe.  All other fringe materials can be adjusted to work for dance.

     Placement of fringe can also affect how it moves during dance.  Take a straight glass beaded fringe for instance.  If placed it at the bottom of the belt it will give a nice accent that most dancers like.  If placed in angular strips in the body of the belt, there is a much more noticeable accent because it is broken up and uneven.  By breaking up fringe or having fringe that is uneven, the movement of the fringe is much more noticeable even if there is not more energy going through it.  This is because there is contrast to the movement.

     When using all three of these factors, a costume can be made that will make even the smallest movements noticeable.  The belt I adore the most was one my first teacher had.  It was simple on all accounts.  Made of black velvet, it had been machine stitched with black thread in a diamond pattern.  Cording edged the fabric.  The fringe was Chainette that was sewn in tight groups of about 20 strands 3 inches apart, if memory serves.  The fringe came down to mid-thigh even though it was sewn in the middle of the belt.  That long thick fringe would move with every shimmy and hip drop.  A good spin might have left a welt on anyone too close.

     Now for using this information, how one dances and how one wants to be perceived as dancing must be taken into account.  Those with smaller movement ranges that want them to be seen as bigger need; short to medium length, medium resistance, and broken up placement.  Those with large movements that want them to be seen as smaller need; medium to long fringe, high resistance, and solid placement. 

New Year's Refocus

       To say that I slacked off in 2012 would be incorrect.  I worked hard.  I worked out most days.  When I cooked I prepared healthy meals.  I gave my all to every troupe practice and performance.

     What I did not have in 2012 was focus.  That sharp image of what I needed to do every second of every day.  This year I am not only going to try to do what I need to in order form me to reach my goals, but I am planning them out.

     My workouts for January?  Already written, in ink, in my planner.  My meal plan is still a work in progress, but it is getting there.  I have a lot of information and recipes to go through to see what will work for me and my lifestyle.  Meanwhile, my house is stocked with healthy foods that I can throw together and know that I am eating well.

     The last part of my life that I am going to really focus and plan out this year is getting my house organized.  For this I will turn to FlyLady.net.  Using the baby steps, I know that my house will improve.  Besides  just having a cleaner house, it will also be less stress.  Since most of my workouts are at home, it will help me get fit as well.

     One hopeful byproduct of getting the house organized is getting my costumes organized.  My troupe does a lot of different types of gigs.  That means lots of different types of costumes.  With my house having a closet that would better serve as a narrow hallway and no other, organizing my clothes and my costumes has always been a challenge.

     I will be taking pictures to track the progress on all fronts.  Come along with me on my journey and maybe there will be some fun along the way.

Desserts for the Journey

I am going to start eating eat to loss weight.  I have started cleaning up my diet but have not made it completely clean yet.  This blog has some great recipes to help me start.

He and She Eat Clean: A Guide to Eating Clean... Married!: Our Favorite Clean Desserts!: Snickerdoodle Crescent Rollups Oatmeal Cinnamon Raisin Cookies Crock Pot Cinnamon Vanilla Applesauce Chocolate Chip Al...

Today's Inspiration

Flowers, sparkles, full skirts, zills and swords!!

Today's Inspiration

Alicia of BellyCraft has always inspired me.  Here is a clip of one of her latest performances.

Today's Inspiration

I don't like to watch Sadie when she is dancing with her partner.  Watch one video of her with her partner and one without and you will see why.  In this solo video, I find nothing to fault and a lot to be inspired by.

BDQ recently stated that if your dance wouldn't thrill without a prop then it is a crutch.  Sadie uses not only a regular veil but her costume's arm drapes to accent her dance perfectly.  Put that together with the great use of skill and musicality, this is a must watch video.

Today's Inspiration

I love how she not only shows great skill and musicality but also personality.  She gets off the stage so the audience feels more connected to her.

Today's Inspiration

Shushanna is a great individual I have become acquainted with on Bhuz.com.  I love the skill and showmanship she shows here.  Even though it is a big stage and the audience is not near her she gives enough attention to them that I bet it felt a lot more intimate than it was.  Her opening veil work while wearing zills is something I need to work up to.

Today's Inspiration

Beautiful arms and flow.  I will definitely want to watch this again when I am working on a drum solo to see the different accents that they used. 

Low Points and Working through Them

I have definitely hit a low point.  The bad thing about low points, at least for me, is that they tend to lead to actions that cause more low points.  I have been eating way too much and hardly working out.  This leads to me feeling just that much more depressed and also bloated.

The only way I know how to kick myself out of this is to literally kick myself out of it.  As such, I plan to have my workout clothes ready before I go to bed and go for a walk with my dog right after my first alarm goes off in the morning.  We will see how this goes as that dreaded alarm goes off at 4:30am.  YUCK!!  But it has been unseasonably warm here in Kansas and neither me nor my dog are used to the heat yet so this is the best time for any outside activity.

I got strawberries at the store today so I am planning to make these strawberry protein pancakes for breakfast tomorrow.  Cassey's recipes are always so good!  I can hardly wait.  That should get me up for the walk. lol  Then I will just try to focus on eating well the rest of the day.  Each day is a new chance to make your life better, I plan to make the most of that.

Huggs!!