Tribal AND Oriental? Never!

Ugh, the internets have been particularly ...internetty recently. I am so sick of the tribal vs oriental, bellydance vs oriental dance, real dance vs fusion bullshit, and even sicker of those who seem to spend their entire days hunched over the keyboard just looking for an opportunity to start another wankfest.

As regular readers will know, I have my size 5s firmly plunked either side of the fence, but with regular cabaret classes on hold for the holidays, it has been all about the tribal fusion for the last month or two.

I ventured out a couple of weeks ago for a punishing Drills and Thrills workshop with guest teacher Bex. I then spent the next four days practically crippled. Even holding a pen hurt. I don't know quite what the queen of spooky did to my pectoral muscles (hell, until I started these workshops I didn't even know I had pecs!) but suffice to say it was effective!

As ever, our usual teacher Dawn filmed us practising what we'd been taught, so there are loads of videos of us on Facebook drilling travelling undulations, oblique undulations and grapevine step. And as ever, I am the one at the back with the bright red face, half a beat behind and going the wrong way :D

Yes, that would be me. Artwork by the incredibly awesome Rozey

This weekend sees the afore-mentioned Bex hosting Carpe Somnium in Wolverhampton. I wasn't initially able to go, but it now looks like I may be able to squeak in for the evening performance. Particularly exciting as the compère is none other than my troupe mate and partner in crime Charlotte. Looking forward to it!

Then on Sunday Charlotte and I are off to a Shaabi workshop with Shafeek. We've been interested in trying Shaabi for a while, so when this one came up we were on it right away. I'm pretty sure that the purists out there will need a few years to readjust their worldview to allow for the horror of fusion dancers actually studying and enjoying oriental dance, but fuck 'em. We'll be having fun!