Sensual Bellydancehttp://blog.blancadance.com/journal/en-US2012-02-23T15:12:20ZSquarespace Site Server v5.11.81 (http://www.squarespace.com/)My Dog Has a Lot To Do with My Dancehttp://blog.blancadance.com/journal/2012/2/9/my-dog-has-a-lot-to-do-with-my-dance.htmlBlanca2012-02-09T17:49:54ZMusingsLola and the seeds of love.

Lola, my dog, is on a two-day vacation with her friend who lives a few floors above me. I came home just now to an empty apartment and realized how much love she radiates every second. I thought I'd be happy to take a break from tending to her. Instead, I miss her so much.

When I was little I adored dogs and wanted to be a vet. Then, during and after college, I lived a period of complete atheism and perfectionism during which I, amazingly, stopped liking dogs. It was at that time that a coworker at my design job said,

"I could never trust someone who doesn't like puppies."

]]>October 14http://blog.blancadance.com/journal/2011/10/14/october-14.htmlBlanca2011-10-14T19:54:59ZFall Classes and a Gift for Rakkasah Lovershttp://blog.blancadance.com/journal/2011/10/12/fall-classes-and-a-gift-for-rakkasah-lovers.htmlBlanca2011-10-12T04:51:59ZWhere in the World is the Intermediate Level?http://blog.blancadance.com/journal/2011/7/25/where-in-the-world-is-the-intermediate-level.htmlBlanca2011-07-25T13:59:50ZDance MusingsPlaylist 4: Maqsum Modern & Fusionhttp://blog.blancadance.com/journal/2011/3/30/playlist-4-maqsum-modern-fusion.htmlBlanca2011-03-30T22:21:03ZBelly Dance Bellydance Blanca Blog Drum Solo Maqsum Music Playlists RhythmCandle Tray: Story, Emotions, Showmanshiphttp://blog.blancadance.com/journal/2011/2/16/candle-tray-story-emotions-showmanship.htmlBlanca2011-02-16T21:19:43ZDanceThe following tips will help you take your dance from a simple routine to a magical performance. 

Tips:

  • Center yourself before you begin. Your stillness will also draw your audience in.
  • Make a story and believe it. Are you a priestess making an offering? A sorceress casting a spell? Is it a love spell? A divination? You are a performer so allow yourself to play.
  • Making up a story will not only fuel your intention and emotional energy, it will also give logic and meaning to your routine. Your audience doesn't need to
]]>Happy Birthday, Odaliscahttp://blog.blancadance.com/journal/2011/2/14/happy-birthday-odalisca.htmlBlanca2011-02-14T06:33:20ZMusic Musings'Odalisca' by Richard 'Moontan' Jay. Available on iTunes, CD Baby and Amazon.com"Open your heart," the Oracle said.

"I don't want to open anything. This hurts like hell. Make it stop!" I begged.

"If you don't open it now, it will come back and hurt even more. That's how people get heart attacks." The Oracle wasn't impressed by pain. She had compassion for me, but she knew tough love was what I needed. That night I cried until the crying knocked me unconscious.

Days later, when she found me calmer, she advised: "What you need to do is go out. Meet people. Figure out the kind of person you want to be with. Make a list of the qualities you want in a boyfriend and

]]>Bellydance Composition: Spacehttp://blog.blancadance.com/journal/2011/2/9/bellydance-composition-space.htmlBlanca2011-02-09T08:29:44ZThere's a confession I need to make. I can't stand watching a show where the dancer either drifts aimlessly from side to side across the space or plants herself in one spot for the entire performance, as if glued to the floor. The root of such dislike comes from the fact that, as a beginner, I did it all the time. I did it because I was nervous and because I hadn't studied Spatial Design. 

Spatial Design is one of those powerful tools that, if you know how to use them, give you the ability to hold EVERY audience's attention — not just that of your family and peers. The study of Spatial Design gives you a body of knowledge that greatly improves your choreographic and improvisational abilities.

Best of all, an understanding of Spatial Design gives you freedom: freedom of

]]>Candle Tray: Movement Sectionshttp://blog.blancadance.com/journal/2011/1/5/candle-tray-movement-sections.htmlBlanca2011-01-05T22:33:00ZDancewww.carterscreativecatering.comDon't you love the way a skilled chef presents his food? The way he places each item on the plate in a deliberate plot to make you fall in love... the way he uses the plate—not as a mere container, but as a frame for his creation? 

In contrast, think of what would happen if you take what's in that plate and mix it together until it forms a tossed salad. Where did the asparagus' luster go? What happened to that perfectly shaped sea bass? Did the pretty sauce just disappear?

Even worse, imagine mixing it all in the blender!

]]>Candle Tray: Dynamicshttp://blog.blancadance.com/journal/2010/12/7/candle-tray-dynamics.htmlBlanca2010-12-07T08:54:07ZDanceHOW is this movement done? The energy is gentle, sustained and un-emphasized. The body is completely grounded (pulled down by gravity.) "You need more dynamics" I remember my teacher saying. 

Or did she say: "You need to add more dynamics"? In any case, I didn't have a clear idea of what she meant, but I knew it was important. I knew that, despite its being subtle, this ability of hers to control dynamics made her an amazing dancer.

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