Hello! + about that photo

Welcome to my new website and blog!  I’ve been belly dancing for over 24 years, have had two kids and beat stage 3 breast cancer, so, heck, why not start a new chapter in my dance life?  I have so many stories to tell: adventures and misadventures, culinary experiences that span the Crescent Moon, grand global journeys, miles of silk and sequins.

But to be honest, nothing tops the friends I’ve made along the way. From students to colleagues to mentors, I have been richly blessed with a life surrounded by amazing people thanks to belly dance.  They have inspired me, generously shared their cultures with me, and lifted me up when I desperately needed it.  It’s high time I told those stories.

I have resisted jumping on the blogging, pinning, posting, tweeting bandwagon precisely because it felt self-serving and shockingly antisocial, despite the moniker of “social media.” So, this is my commitment to you, dear reader: I will tell you my stories, hopefully provide information that will be useful, but more than anything else, I want to share the love that I have for those around me, around us. Extraordinary people are everywhere. YOU are extraordinary. And life is precious. Let’s embrace it together.

A note about the photo on the homepage: This photo was taken about 2002, long before children and such. I debated using the photo. Is it misleading? Am I hanging onto an image of myself that no longer exists? Possibly. But, it’s me. My body is constantly changing, as are most people’s. I am what I am today because of age, genetics, and major life changes.

I’m tired of wishing for a past version of myself, or beating myself for what I look like today, as if it’s some sort of moral failing. I’m using this photo to celebrate a past I didn’t celebrate enough when it was happening, and because I’m proud of what I have achieved since then.  So, yep, it’s an old photo and my body is different now.  How boring the world would be if nothing ever changed.