E Komo Mai! Welcome to my blog.

I'm delighted that you dropped in! E Komo Mai: WELCOME! This blog is basically an online visual journal is modeled after a concept I learned of in psychology 101... waaaaaaay back in college. That concept was somewhere in the chapter on The Significance of Dreams, where it mentioned someone's theory on dreaming about a house usually means that the house represents you. So I have used my actual house (Mauna Lea Manor) to structure my blog. In different rooms you will find different aspects of my life; different interests I like to blog about. This is a way to bring a little organization into my life and thoughts for myself... (dreams are in The Bedroom, Family updates are in The Living room, etc.)
This also, I would imagine, make reading this blog more convenient for you as well. If you are a grandparent interested in seeing photos and hearing stories about my boys, but maybe not so interested in my bellydancing obsession: you can just read what goes on in The Playground. But if you are an Art Collector more interested in my latest work and information on collecting, but not especially interested in my personal life: you'd enjoy The Office. Mauna Lea Manor is sort of the foyer to all the other rooms. If you would like to tour my online portfolio, please visit: www.stephaniebolton.com.
I hope you enjoy your time here ;) & continue to stop by!



Thursday, July 29, 2010

The juiciest festival in Hawaii...

Mangofest is here!
The Big Island has double the fun with the Hawaii Healing Garden & Mango Festival Saturday, July 31 from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. at the Outrigger Keauhou Beach Resort. This year’s Hawaii Island festival is a collaborative event with the Annual Mango Festival, expanding the flavors of the island’s summer mango season. Admission is free!
The all-day festival celebrates Hawaii’s delicious and diverse mango varieties, with juicy mango recipe and fruit tastings, a mango tree and plant sale, grafting and growing demonstrations, mango-themed activities, plus arts and crafts.
Also on tap are organic agriculture and cultural healing arts displays. 
Enjoy an Eco Fashion Show by Divine Goods,
Belly dancing by Stephanie Bolton & Liliana Alba, Hawaiian music and dramatic hula on the scenic, palm-fringed grounds of the Keauhou Beach Resort’s Royal Garden.
The annual mango celebration is a zero waste event and presented by Hawaii Health Guide and the non-profit Sanctuary of Mana Kea Gardens with support from the Keauhou Beach Resort. The event joins the statewide series of Hawaii Healing Garden Festivals, which offers an educational opportunity for the community to gather with cultural health practitioners, educators, botanical experts, chefs, nutritionists, gardeners, farmers, agriculture and sustainability experts, health-oriented businesses and nonprofit organizations to showcase Hawaii’s growing healthy, green services and cultural resources.


Why you will want to be there at 2:00pm for the Eco Fashion Show:


Make- up by Mindi Bachand



clothing from Divine Goods Hawaii... Oasis of Beauty
featuring Be Present Yoga wear
European Sparkle Dresses
Balinese Batik
And Haiku Hand-dyed silks


Accessories by Huluwuwu*


& Royal Crowns by Sahra Indio*
*available at Divine Goods Hawaii

Monday, July 19, 2010

Congratulations to...


AUSTIN APRILIA!!!
for your answer to 
If "they" would come- what would you build?

which was...
a dj ship, embedded with the dopest, most elaborate and heavenly sound booths and dance floors, decorated with lights and intricately costumed hosts, that travels continuously across oceans and along canals, pausing temporarily at harbors to throw massive multi-cultural dance parties. dj's and participants come and go as the ship cruises from city to city, country to country, bumping the freshest sounds of the world's dj's of every origin and every style.

You have been chosen by Kalae Kaina to win a lovely Indian necklace &; earring set


from my blog sponsor



An Oasis of Beauty

to collect your prize
& thank you for playing with me!

Friday, July 16, 2010

The Nouveau Gypsy

Unveiling....
The Nouveau Gypsy
16x20"mixed media portrait on canvas of Kalae Kaina by Stephanie Bolton



Below is a sequence of the progress....



You will be able to see this painting and others in person for the first time ever at ...


This is going to be an exciting art show featuring my collection of dancer paintings, where Kalae will be performing with her troupe The Shakti Dance Movement.  There will also be fan & fire dancers and music.
A gypsy's paradise of jewelry, silks, arts & crafts in a bohemian night market at the Chinatown Courtyard in Down town Honolulu.  It is going to be exotic party to entice & delight your senses- I hope you'll be able to join us!

If "they" would come- what would YOU build?

leave a comment answering this question for a chance to win this Indian necklace and earring set from DIVINE GOODS
HAWAII
An Oasis of Beauty






Thursday, July 15, 2010

Huluwuwu on Channel 9!!!!


I just wanted to share that one of my blog sponsors was on TV this morning!
Well, that is to say her fashionable baby products were!
Check it out!
BUT since that camera man did not even begin to do her products justice,
you will want to take a closer look at these goodies at her Etsy Shop.

Sneak peek


If "they" would come- what would YOU build?
leave a comment answering this question for a chance to win an Indian necklace/earring set from Divine Goods Hawaii



Kalae will be performing at the Art Show in Chinatown debuting the first public exhibition of my belly dancer portraits, October 1st 2010 at the Chinatown Courtyard in Downtown Honolulu. So I thought I would use this inside knowledge to make a painting that could act as a memory of this particular event.

A friend of mine gave me a mobile of little paper umbrellas that my loving children destroyed.
Once again I have redeemed their destruction by turning the fragments of it into collage elements for a painting.

Kalae was born and raised in Hawaii so I have thrown some subtle palms into the background of my painting to highlight the tropical island essence of her background.

Metallic paint, of which I have always been a fan anyhow, seems to pair nicely with the Oriental aspect of including Asian elements to set a tone of place.

Finally found an appropriate use for these Chinese coins my dear friend Braylene gave me a while back. I tried several different methods to clean them but they were oxidized beyond repair, so no good for a dance bra (which had been my original intention for them)...
covered in metallic paint however... they are perfect.

Here you can see I have used origami paper, orchid silhouettes, the trim from an Indian sari - the umbrella bits could be fans the way they are arranged... so I hope these bits and pieces bring together the bits and pieces of influences that we see Kalae fusing into her dancing.
I really think mixed media is the most appropriate way to illustrate belly dance because like belly dance- it brings together many different objects & influences to create a new & unique whole. This new creation composed of bits of old.

I'll show you more tomorrow!

Don't forget to leave a comment answering this question:

If "they" would come- what would YOU build?

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

What I have to work with...

Remember
leave a comment answering this question for a chance to win
an Indian necklace & earring set from Divine Goods Hawaii- Oasis of Beauty.

If "they" would come- What would YOU build?

I always ask for four images to work from.
That gives me some variety for my composition but also allows me to see my subject from a few different angles, which can help a lot- especially if I have never met them in person.


This profile shot was taken by Pixie Vision Productions.
This outfit has shot many well-known belly dancers and taken some signature photos, you probably would recognize. Really stunning work.

For almost a decade, the insightful lens of Pixie has captured the essence of the performer and created some of the defining images of the lucid dreamer in the modern world.

She has toured with numerous bands documenting life on stage and off, but it is in the studio where the veil between model and photographer dissipates. Her inner dialogue as a photographer is a dance between the character of her subject and her perception of their desire.

Pixie holds a Bachelor of Fine Art from the School of Visual Arts in New York City and her work has been featured worldwide in publications including Variety, Pulp Magazine, Playgirl, Metal Edge, Complete Woman, Skin & Ink, Modern Drummer, Revolver and Rolling Stone.

In photography, I've found a way to make people happy... besides the creativity, this is what I love most about it. The feedback seems to tell me that I make people feel better about themselves, love each other more... If this is my life work, I accept it.

"Make me look beautiful..." a mother of four asks of me as we find poses, angles and fabric to hide her size. Her friend writes me secretly days later how much the shoot meant to her, how desparately she wanted to FEEL beautiful, not just look beautiful. I saw the pleading in her eyes the moment I met her. We both turned it into fierceness... It is both of us working through fear... that is the psychology of photographing people...

My fear is easier to sort through... Will this person let me in? Will I capture that moment that she is brightest? Am I making the most out of a set, out of lighting and angles, of colors, props, clothes? Their fear is one of exposure... Each person gauges instantly what they will show me, what they will hide behind.. A big showy smile, wide scared eyes... Almost all of my clients begin a shoot this way, always with held breath. They all need permission to drop it, to be themselves, to shine... Tapping into people comes natural to me. I try to break down barriers faster with each successive shoot.

-Pixie


This one and the first one were taken by John E Powers.

This is more work by Pixie Vision Productions.

I have ended up taking bits and pieces from all of these photos and creating a collage, not just physically but compositionally of Kalae.
I'll show you some details of the painting tomorrow- so drop back in!

And remember to leave a comment answering the question...

If "they" would come- what would YOU build?

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Interview with Kalae Kaina

Once you have finished reading Kalae's answers to my questions,
don't forget to answer her question for YOU!




How do you define “Belly Dance”?
Unless I really want to get into it with some one, I just say it's ancient feminine dance form:) For the longer explanation please get back to me on a cool breezy afternoon with a bottle of wine and cheese!




How & when did you first encounter belly dancing?
Well, growing up my Step-Mother was into belly dancing. She took classes and performed here and there, I remember watching her sit at a table in the garage and sew beads on to her costume for hours. It was really fascinating to me because I have never seen anything like it!

How long have you been dancing (professionally/teaching)?
I've been a student of Belly dance for 15 years now, and started performing with my teachers troupe pretty quickly. I stayed with my teacher, Jean Yanagawa for six years before I moved on to dance professionally on my own. I began teaching in 2002 but really got serious about it after I formed my group Shakti Dance Movement in 2004.

Where did you grow up and where do you live now?
I was born and raised on the island of Oahu in Kailua where I still live with my family.

Where is the most interesting place that belly dance has taken you?
Let's see...when I was 18 I went to the Evergreen State College to study Odissi, a classical Indian dance form, for a summer intensive. I had a hippy boyfriend at the time getting his degree there in ecological design. Anyway we lived in a tent in the forest for three months. It was an awesome experience! I danced Odissi for 4 hours three times a week, I have never had sore thighs like that since! I know it's not a belly dance experience, but my desire to learn Odissi and not being able to find a teacher in Honolulu is what then led me to find belly dance, so I guess it's all connected.



Who were some of your mentors/teachers/inspirations along the way?
One of my early inspirations was Ansuya, I took a workshop with her waay back and and saw her perform and was blown away!! My early solo dance career was heavily influenced and inspired by her. Then in 2005 I went to the Maui Tribal Intensive with Rachel Brice and Kami Liddle was assisting her. That experience really launched my practice and the direction of my dance. That was also the summer we fell in looove with Kami!! We (when I saw "we" I mean Shakti, my girls help me a lot!) sponsored Kami Lddle for workshops in 2006 and have developed a friendship and mentor relationship ever since. I consider Zoe Jakes and Kami Liddle to be my biggest sources of inspiration, my teachers, and my mentors, I love them both!

What valuable advice would you like to pass on to novice dancers?
I would say never stop drilling the basics! I think dancers can get sidetracked by always wanting to learn whats "new", new moves, new combo's, ect. But I think by continuing to drill the basics your technique deepens. I like to look at it like a yoga posture. Yoga is not about just getting into a posture and holding it. It's about working into that posture, it's constant movement, using the breath to get deeper into the posture. So in the same sense when drilling pelvic locks for example focus on deepening the contraction or speeding up the contraction. It takes a lot of work to get your muscles to fire quickly. Just because you can do basic locks and isolation's doesn't mean you have to stop working on them. When drilling basic isolation's the other layer I work on is relaxing!! I think "relax the face, relax the jaw, relax the shoulders, lift the torso, stay in posture, and use the breath to stay relaxed." On stage the breath is a very important tool to use to stay relaxed!

What is the most unusual experience you have had belly dancing?
We once got hired for a gig not really knowing what we were getting ourselves into, when we got there it was a raging house party with a stripper pole in one of the rooms. There were a lot of trained dancers in the house cause their pole tricks were definitely not armature! So when we were doing our set the host found out that it was one of my girls birthday that night. Right in the middle of or performance he got on the mic, stopped the show, put a chair down in the center of the performance space and made every guy in the room give her a lap dance!! And they all did! It was crazy and definitely one of the most memorable performance experiences. After her round of lap dances we finished our set...




Do you have any other special talents/skills/occupations besides (or that compliment) your belly dancing? (example: day jobs or hobbies)
nope not really, I got two kids and take care of my grandma who had a stroke.


What is your favorite or signature style of belly dance that you teach or perform? Do you have a specialty that people recognize you for?
I do Tribal Fusion, I love it! With my bit of Odissi training we tend to fuse Indian dance into our belly dance. I've also got a flamenco student in my troupe so she really brings into Shakti a nice fusion with her flamenco. And I love dubstep, I think within our community and the types of events we get hired for, people associate us with that heavy electronic dubstep and breakbeat type music. I guess you could say it's one of our signatures, although we do other stuff as well.

Do you have any special projects you are working on personally that you would like to share about?
Gosh I'm always busy!! I'm currently serving on the MEDAH board this year as Vice President so that is really taking up a lot of my free time. MEDAH is a non-profit dedicated to educating the community about Middle Eastern Dance. So we do a lot of community based events. We just held the annual student recital which was awesome. And in October we will be sposoring Dr. Jaynie Aydin for workshops and a hafla. Jaynie is an old friend and one of my first teachers who fallowed in the foot steps of her teacher Aisha Ali and got her doctorate in Anthropology. She is currently in Turkey working on a video archival project documenting all the Romani dances. So I'm very excited for her workshops! You can check out more on MEDAH at http://www.medah.org/.


Why do you love belly dancing?
I love belly dancing cause it fuels my soul in a way that nothing else can. It keeps me inspired and thriving in life.


What is your favorite music to dance to? Why? Any favorite bands/groups/artists?
I love all kinds of music!! Everything from heavy Grime, dubstep, breakbeat, & glitch to traditional Middle Eastern music, Balkan, and everything in between. We work with dubstep a lot, we used to dance for a party called "Glitch and Glam" that DJ RhythmStar used to put on down here when he was living on Oahu. He would give us a couple tracks to dance to and we'd choreograph a piece to it. It actually was a good relationship cause it's nice to get the music share thing going on. DJ TKO saw us dance at RhythmStar's event and hired us to dance at his event "Speakers Corner" which is an awesome all dubstep monthly party here in Honolulu. That was what really got us into dubstep. TKO and the Organized Grime crew has been an awesome support for Shakti and really catapulted us into the realm of Dubstep, which I really love dancing to. I love the heavy bass lines and the syncopated beats, especially when mixed with traditional musical elements. I think that kind of electronic music is a perfect match for what we do in Tribal Fusion, by taking traditional belly dance vocabulary and adding new innovation to it. In the same way electronic music with traditional musical elements makes that bridge from ancient to modern. I taught at Tribal Fest this year and this was my workshop topic, understanding the musical elements of dubstep, breakbeat, and glitch and how can understanding the foundation of the music improve the way you interpret the music.

Favorite costume elements?
I love lace and ruffles! Favorite designers? All the ladies at Salome's Suitcase are to die for!!!

Favorite Colors?
Black & deep red!


Favorite Quotes (regarding dance or life):
"Nobody cares if you can't dance well. Just get up and dance. Great dancers are not great because of their technique, they are great because of their passion." -Martha Graham

As a fellow native to the Hawaiian Islands, I know firsthand how living in Hawaii poses unique challenges for learning belly dance- teachers often come and go, the nearest workshop is at least $600 plane ticket away, etc. – how were you able to get the training you desired while living out here in the middle of the Pacific ocean? Do you have any advice for people who want to learn this dance but are far distances from the nearest tribal fusion instructor?
If you build it they will come!! I bring my teachers to me! Let's face it, it is not hard to get people to come to Hawaii. If you have good organizational skills, a bit of a business sense, and the balls to take a financial risk, then it could work for you to be a sponsor in your community. We have sponsored Kami Liddle down three times, Zoe Jakes for workshops three times and with Beats Antique twice, Sabrina Fox twice, we did Colleena Shakti & Paricia Passo's Red Lotus Project, and one year we had The Indigo: Rachel Brice, Mardi Love, and Zoe Jakes, that was awesome! I also have been making the yearly pilgrimage to Tribal Fest for the past 5 years so that is huge when it comes to seeing what is coming out of this amazing global community of dance. I recommend Tribal Fest to everyone who's never been, it's just an amazing festival all around!

You started Oahu’s first Tribal Fusion Dance Company- Shakti Dance Movement. How did the locals respond to this kind of dance? What kinds of events/venues did you find to perform at?
Well we definitely started in the underground, art district community of China Town. Performing at night clubs and DJ events. People loved us and still do, I think it's something different that they have never seen before so we've been able to stay pretty darn busy just by word of mouth advertising.

Your approach to belly dance is rooted in strong technique and proper execution of movement because you firmly believe in dance as a vehicle for mind body connection and body awareness. How do you feel your belly dance practice flows over into your every day life?
In every way this dance had made me a stronger person, more confident, confront and overcome anxiety, develop leadership skills and so much more.

I really adore your costumes! Do you make them yourself? Where do you find inspiration for your great looks?
Well every year we spend way too much money at Tribal Fest, we just go crazy, then we come home and build our costumes with all the yummy stuff we got! Or if we are working on a specific dance, we will build the costume for the dance. We just finished a flamenco fusion piece and made these gorgeous polka dot ruffle skirts.

You mentioned that you love the “fosse aesthetic”- can you tell readers a little about what that means, what this aesthetic looks like, where it comes from and how it pairs nicely with what your dance company is doing?
Shoot lady! I would have to write an essay to really answer this question! Bob Fosse is a dance legend and his work in Cabaret, All That Jazz, Chicago, and Sweet Charity are among my favorites! We tend to fallow the trends in the Tribal Fusion dance scene and Fosse fusion has played a big role in our community. I would say watch the musicals and movies he's choreographed and discover if it inspires you and how that inspiration can be injected into your bellydance.


You have studied dance forms that you fuse into your belly dancing, what are some of these other styles you have studied? Do you practice any other cross-training that you feel benefits your belly dance practice?
I have studied Odissi Calssical Indian Dance, taken a handful of flamenco workshops, and taken a lot of Fusion workshops. I really think as a dancer Pilates and Yoga are he best for your dance practice.

And for my readers' pleasure, a clip of Kalae perfomring!

This week you have a chance to win a necklace & earring set from India!

Courtesy of
gallery & boutique
Oasis of Beauty
If "they" would come- what would you build?
leave your answer as a comment for a chance to win
the Indian necklace and earring set
from Divine Goods!

Monday, July 12, 2010

Announcing...


The next dancer I will be painting is

Kalae Kaina
Honolulu Hawaii


I invite you to join us tomorrow to read my interview with Kalae
and throughout the week you can watch my progress as I paint her portrait.
We will be giving a prize this week from our blog sponsor- so after you read Kalae's answers to my questions, be prepared to answer the question she will have for YOU!
(just leave your answer in the comment section & later this week she'll choose a winner)

Our blog sponsor this week is

Hawaii
gallery & boutique

This and the other portraits I am painting will be viewable for the first time in person at Chinatown's October FIrst Friday Event:
The Nouveau Gypsy
a bohemian night market
at the Chinatown Courtyard in Downtown Honolulu

Kalae & Shakti Dance Movement will be performing at this free event
MARK YOUR CALENDARS!

Saturday, July 10, 2010

And the winner is...

Jennifer chose:

d
who wrote:
when I am feeling pretty or sexy i am inspired to dance and sometimes when I am feeling goofy and want the kids to just have fun with me, we dance.
Any knd of music, any kind of moves.
just go!
it's the best time I have with them some days.
d - please email mauna.lea.studios@gmail.com to collect your prize.

Drum roll please....

May I proudly present...
Reconnect
inspired by Jennifer Spieden who marries ancient wisdom into a modern artistic expression


Reconnect by Stephanie Bolton 20x16" mixed media on canvas
portrait of Jennifer Spieden

Friday, July 9, 2010

Sneak peeks

Sanskrit writing
a little burnt sienna & raw umber make the esence of henna

collaged surface with words in an old, old language...
writing... ancient wisdom

orchids...
a photograph of orchids my boys gave me for mother's day
...maternity...
another kind of ancient wisdom
Jennifer, to me, represented an age old wisdom in an ageless body
so tomorrow you'll see how I mixed this idea into her painting



What Inspires YOU to Dance?
Leave a comment with your answer to this question and you may win a new hip scarf & matching earrings from Makara International, Inc.





Thursday, July 8, 2010

What I have to Work with...


Don't forget- you have until Friday to leave an answer to Jennifer's question in the comment section for a chance to win a new hip scarf & earrings from Makara International, Inc.





Jennifer sent me this sweet portrait shot by Isabelle Marchand.
I LOVE this photo!
I think it really shows her personality. She understands that the smartest thing a girl can put on to look her best is a smile.
Too many of us don't appreciate our smiles.
I remember once, a photographer friend of mine gave me this photo of me that he thought was so great and when I saw it- I felt disgusted: all I saw were crinkles in the corners of my eyes, discoloration in my skin, freckles on my nose, big teeth.
He loved it cuz it was a photo of me *really* smiling.
I hated it because it was an extreme close-up that I felt exposed all my flaws...
and it certainly exposed one serious flaw: my character flaw- my B.I.D. (body image disorder- read more on this nasty guy here)
Don't be afraid to put on a smile- not even in photos-
everybody else loves your smile- trust me!

These two are also by Isabelle Marchand.
This spinning shot is gorgeous- look at her hands!
The long flowing hair I could really have fun with.
You recall that Jennifer is a yogini, right?
This photo below offers PROOF!




This last one was shot by her friend, Anne Campbell.
This shot has fantastic color! I am very partial to vibrant palette.
I think that is a tole that living in Hawaii takes on you. You are surrounded by bright bold colors so often that nothing else feels natural. So this photo has a lot of life to me.

So this is what I have to work with!
Come back tomorrow to see what becomes of all this inspiration.

And remember to leave a comment in answer to Jennifer's question:

WHAT INSPIRES YOU TO DANCE?

Tuesday, July 6, 2010

Interview with Jennifer Spieden


Don't forget, after you read Jennifer's answers to my questions,
to answer HER question for you!
(just leave your answer in the comment section for a chance to win this week's prize)

How do you define “Belly Dance”?
“Belly Dance” in the West tends to be a contemporary dance form inspired and informed by the torso based social, folk and ritual dances that originated in the Middle East and North Africa (especially raqs sharki). This dance form can encourage acceptance, self respect and physical, emotional, mental and spiritual awareness. One just needs to allow oneself to trust in the inner experience of the body’s wisdom.

How & when did you first encounter belly dancing?
I was at an arts festival in Asheville, NC in the fall of 2001 when I saw a troupe called Baraka Mundi perform. I was instantly smitten with the dance form.

How long have you been dancing (professionally/teaching)? I have been dancing since 2002 and teaching since 2003.

Where did you grow up and where do you live now?
I grew up in Western Massachusetts, and I currently live in SW Virginia.

Where is the most interesting place that belly dance has taken you?
To a better understanding of myself. :)

Who were some of your mentors/teachers/inspirations along the way? Some of my inspirations are Aziza of Montreal, Mira Betz, Donna Mejia, Jill Parker and Zafira Dance Company.

What valuable advice would you like to pass on to novice dancers?
• Remember what inspired you to dance. Continue to reconnect to those feelings of inspiration.
• Never stop studying and learning. Enjoy and dive into that process of growing and unfolding. Invite that journey to continue to guide and inspire you.

What is the most unusual experience you have had belly dancing?
I cannot recall an experience that I would label as unusual.

What is the topic of the article you are contributing to Zanbaka’z Belly dance for the Versatile Dancer Vol.4?
The Benefits of Yoga for the Belly Dancer

Do you have any other special talents/skills/occupations besides (or that compliment) your belly dancing?
I am a physical therapist, yoga teacher, Pilates instructor and ayurvedic lifestyle counselor.

What is your favorite or signature style of belly dance that you teach or perform? Do you have a specialty that people recognize you for?
I do not feel that I have a specific favorite or signature style. I just enjoy seeing individuals share their dances from an authentic place that is true to them, and I try to do the same. When you see someone dance with their own unique voice, whether they are beginners or seasoned performers, it is a beautiful gift.

Why do you love belly dancing?
Our dancing celebrates the human spirit and expresses the beauty of one’s strength and softness as well as each dancer's unique interaction within the community as a whole. The dances we share are meant to celebrate life in all stages through sound and movement. Dance can be a meditation in movement that invites us to celebrate the interconnectedness of life. The gift of this dance form is that it can encourage people of all ages and ability levels to become more aware of their bodies and themselves, to explore a rich diversity of qualities that exist in all of us and can encourage us to embrace these qualities in ourselves and others. This is why I dance and am blessed share this dance with others.

What is your favorite music to dance to? Why? Any favorite bands/groups/ artists I do not have one particular genre that inspires me more than another. Different songs talk to me for different reasons and at different times. I just remain open to songs that call me to deeply listen to them and that dance me. Some of the artists that currently inspire me are Asylum Street Spankers, August Hoerr,
Balkan Beat Box,
Rupa and the April Fishes,

Favorite Colors?
Earth and autumn tones

Favorite Quotes (regarding dance or life):

Sound when stretched is music. Movement when stretched is dance. Mind when stretched is meditation. Life when stretched is celebration. ~Ravi Shankar
Let The Beauty Of What You Love Be What You Do. ~Rumi

Ring the bells that still can ring. Forget your perfect offering. There is a crack in everything. That's how the light gets in. ~Leonard Cohen

Our Deepest Fear Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous? Actually who are we not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn't serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And when we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others. ~ Marianne Williamson

And now for an opportunity to win the coin belt and earrings pictured below...

lovingly brought to you by Makara International, Inc.
Please answer this question:

What inspires you to dance?

Just post your answer in the comments!
Good Luck!

Monday, July 5, 2010

Announcing...

The next dancer I will be painting is....

Jennifer Spieden
Creative movement has always been an integral part of Jennifer's personal and professional life. As a physical therapist, yoga teacher, Ayurvedic counselor, Pilates instructor, and dance teacher in the New River Valley, she enjoys integrating movement arts and healing arts into her work and play for overall health, well being, and enjoyment. She loves that this dance form can encourage people of all ages and ability levels to become more aware of their bodies and themselves, and she loves to help individuals enjoy the beauty of movement regardless of physical limitations.

Please drop in tomorrow to learn more about Jennifer and don't forget to answer the question she will have for YOU for a chance to win a prize!


This week you will have a chance to win a hip scarf with matching earrings
Courtesy of Makara International, Inc.

See you tomorrow!