New Fall Class Schedule!

It's that time of year again...summer is almost over and fall is in the air.  Sure, it's sad when summer ends, but the good news is that fall classes will be beginning soon!  I have a new schedule this fall, so please check below to see which class is right for you!

Also, I will be out on maternity leave for the month of September.  The BQE Sunday morning class will continue to be subbed by Suneydis (Friday mornings are canceled until October), and the American Dance and Drama and Queens Dance Project classes will be subbed by Salit, an amazing and talented dancer (check out her video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQRpAr9J63o&feature=search).  Salit has extensive performance and teaching background and September will be a great month for you to learn something completely new!  I know she has a lot of great material planned for you all, so be sure to check out her classes! 

Classes begin September 13th!!  (Sunday BQE classes are ongoing).  The new fall schedule is as follows:

Mondays - American Dance and Drama Studio (188-22 Union Tpk, Fresh Meadows)
7:30 - Beginner (PLEASE NOTE new day and time!)
8:30 - Intermediate (PLEASE NOTE new time!)

Wednesdays, Queens Dance Project (34-57 Francis Lewis Blvd, Bayside)
8:00 - Open level (all are welcome!)

Fridays - BQE
ON HOLD until October

Sundays - BQE
10:00am - Cardio belly/Open level

Contact information for all studios is on my website - www.danielabellydance.com/classes.  Contact the studios directly with any questions regarding pricing and package discounts!

Enjoy the rest of your summer and I will see you in the fall!!

Calling all Bellydancing Moms!

For those of you who don't already know, I am 6.5 months pregnant and expecting a little girl in late August.  I have not danced professionally since I started showing at about three months.  I am feeling very out of the game.  I performed at my student showcase, and I still teach my classes, but as far as gigs go.....I haven't been able to do any of those since February.  I am hoping to get back into performing shape soon after the baby is born, but that's not what's worrying me.  I feel like being a pro bellydancer is a constant game of keeping your name out there, staying in the public eye, and building your repuation.  And after all is said and done, I won't have done any of that for about a year! 

Ladies, I need to know how you do it!  How did you get back into gigging after the babies were born?  Was it totally different? I know I really can't go back to the levels that I used to, with multiple gigs each weekend - I was never home!  I will need to scale it back somewhat, I know.  But how to I even get back to the point where scaling back is an option?  How do I let everyone know "Ok world!  The baby has been born and I am ready to dance at  your parties again!  Come hire me!" :-)

How did you do it??  Share your tips, please!  And just for kicks, here's a picture of me from a gig a few years ago.  I forgot I had it!

I broke my own rule!

I was just reading back through some old blog posts, and I saw this one, where I said I always felt that I needed to have a choreography ready if I was performing on stage (as opposed to the usual improv I do at a restaurant or party). 

Well....I broke my own rule!  I did an improv performance - ON STAGE! - at my latest student showcase.  It wasn't so much by choice - I would have preferred choreographing something but I just didn't really have time to do so this year.  So, I grabbed a veil, put on one of my tried and true songs, and just....made it up as I went along!
I think my biggest fear was going up on stage and blanking out - which is funny because I always say that if you blank out and forget your choreography, you can just switch to improv.  I guess if you blank out when you are improv-ing, you can only switch to...standing still?  So, on the one hand, the stage-improv gave me more anxiety than getting up to perform a choreography.  On the other hand, I was more relaxed, because I didn't have anything I had to remember - I could just do whatever came to mind (and I hoped that something would come to mind!).

It was a great experience.  I did not have any blank-outs, and I felt very free up on the stage.  I would try it again, but only in the same situation as this time - with a short song that I know VERY well!

Aradia Workshops in NYC!! June 19-20!!

Aradia is coming back to NYC for another exciting weekend of workshops!!  Email me at danielabellydance@yahoo.com for a registration form - Early Bird registration ends May 19th so don't miss out on huge savings! (Click on the picture to see it larger).

Our Fifth Annual Show!

It was amazing!!! The venue, the performances - it honestly could not have been better!


Thank you to all of my students for your hard work, and to the staff at Frank Sinatra School - you helped make the show look better than ever!

Here are some pictures:

It's that time of year again - Student Showcase #5!

Our Fifth Annual Student Showcase is this Saturday!!

April 17, at the Frank Sinatra School of the Arts (35-12 35th Ave, Astoria). Doors open at 7:00, the show begins at 7:30!

Tickets must be purchased in advance, and you can do so very easily by following this link:

BUY TICKETS HERE!

We have a great show planned, and I hope to see you there!!