Catching Up and Busting Out
Well, it’s been a minute. In our last episode, it was just the beginning of the pandemic. Here we are, more than two years later, and life still isn’t “normal.” But there’s dancing, and like crocuses peeking their purple petals out of the ground in early spring, dancing brings hope of more life to come.
What the heck have I been up to all this time? Probably the same as most people. Adjusting. Surviving. Trying to find peace in a time that feels frozen yet anything but still. As a parent and consultant, my world was consumed for a long time with just trying to keep my head above water, and dance almost disappeared from my life altogether. Yet, dance was always there, calling me back.
I found inspiration in the incredible NIA classes offered online by Susan Tate. I also fed my hunger for dance with classes through Datura Online, especially with the enormously talented Heather Henna Louise. She is a fantastic instructor and really knows her stuff! I tried teaching a few Zoom classes myself, though, of course, meeting online is never the same as the magic that happens in a classroom. Fortunately, my Renton dancers and I were lucky enough to find an excuse to perform last year. For a few glorious moments, my beautiful dancers and I were butterflies. By the way, did you know that a group of butterflies is called a kaleidoscope?! Of course it is.
With less dancing in my life, I was still hungry to connect to Egyptian culture and history. I read Palace Walk by Naguib Mahfouz and look forward to reading the rest of the trilogy. The insights into family, politics, gender roles, and beauty were fascinating. I also highly recommend Secrets of the Saqqara Tomb on Netflix. Not only was it an interesting look into history and discovery, in contrast to many documentaries on ancient Egypt, it featured actual Egyptians instead of just a bunch of Europeans/Americans in pith helmets and khakis, and explored modern Egypt’s connections to ancient culture. Another way I’ve stayed connected with Egypt is through the app Egyptian Streets. The app offers Egyptian news and culture in English. Artists! Temple discoveries! Social movements! What’s not to love?
Even though I’ve been less active in dance compared to pre-pandemic times, I’ve been lucky to at least teach in-person classes in Olympia throughout most of the last two years. We’ve gone through odd iterations of meeting at 3 pm on Mondays and off and on mask-wearing, but I’m thrilled that we’re back to our normal Monday night schedule. We dance and sweat with Rakasafit at 6 pm, and at 7pm, we’ve been working on fun choreographies for the int/adv class. I’m so grateful to my amazing students who continue to come back despite all of the ups and downs of the pandemic. You have been a bright spot in this dark time.
So, that’s pretty much it. Oh, and I have boobs again. And a new belly button. Yep, I went through with reconstruction after 7 years of going boobless courtesy of breast cancer. It was a big surgery. DIEP flap reconstruction is no joke. Google it. Or, actually, don’t, especially if you get queasy. Essentially they used my own belly flesh to make some boobs. I still have a few more steps to go for completion, but I’m very happy with my results. My surgeon is amazing. She shows up for our appointments with beautiful hair and makeup and perfectly manicured nails. I had no doubt that she wouldn’t just get the job done, she’d be an artiste. Since surgery, I have been insufferable about wearing plunging necklines and form-fitting tops. Sorry/not sorry, world. I’m making up for lost time.
At the writing of this blog, I’m recovering from the second, more minor, surgery and feeling great. It helps to have lots of supportive friends, like Lara Victoria, who brought me these lovely pastries to celebrate the return of my tatas:
She was the amazing person who hosted the party a few years ago when we said goodbye to my original rack and has been with me every step of the way. She rocks.
The pandemic has been a bit of trickster when it comes to planning for the future, but I do feel like we can start looking forward to more shows and workshops. I hope you can join me for classes in July and then again in September, and if not, I hope to see you at some wonderful belly dance event where we can all be together again.