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Pardon me, I think my belly dancing is showing . . .

Intermediate student to me (a beginning student, of course, at practica): wow, that's a really cool thing you do with your hips.

Me: Pardon?

Him: That thing, with the ochos and your hips.

Me: Um... I'm pretty sure I'm not supposed to be doing that. (Trying to remember what I was doing. Also trying to remember fix my posture, maintain my axis, pull in my center, keep my feet on the floor, and the 100 other things I'm supposed to be doing during ochos - that don't include whatever it was I was doing with my hips.)

Him: It wasn't a bad thing.

Me: *snicker* It's leftover from belly dancing I think. (At least that's what I'm going to tell myself, since I don't have a clue what the heck I was doing.)
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Comments

ModernTanguera said…
Those sorts of things can be really neat! They can be part of what defines your personal style. Of course, to repeat a teacher on mine, it's also important to be aware of what you are doing so that it's a conscious choice. One more thing to keep track of. :)
April 7, 2009 at 4:05 PM
Marika said…
lol - that's the funny and frustrating part - I have no idea what I did. So I don't know if it was the song - or the leader - or a whim, that brought that out. *shrugs* You're so right, though - like any other dance or practice (like yoga or pilates), you need to maintain awareness of what you're doing.
April 7, 2009 at 4:12 PM
happyseaurchin said…
awareness... yes it is good to be aware of the newness, and for your partner, that's what they noticed and hopefully he responded to it... that response is the very edge of the tango... we don't dance on the floor: that's just where our feet are... the surface we dance on, is between us, and our attention is the dancer...
so... i don't really want to make a conscious choice... i would rather my attention is drawn to the passing of moves and interest and engagement and mind... i like the choiceless aspect of it...
and sharing that attention... well... now... that's tango :)

please post more attentive, mindful observations... we need more of this :)
April 7, 2009 at 5:09 PM
Mari said…
Happyseaurchin - thank you for response and for your encouragement. It means the world to me.
October 7, 2009 at 1:29 PM
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