Dance and Desire — Gather And Carry
Sitting in the Milan sun, sipping on a beautiful red, after a delicious, simple, vegan lunch, resting, with my journal and laptop, after a whirlwind two weeks. Ah, the pleasure of down time, peaceful time, knowing I have done the best work that I do, with honor and pride, a full heart and soul, and a weary yet energized body!
From Portland to Florida for a long weekend of full on workshops and a super fun hafla, with Sherry Coffey,
back to Portland for one day to turn around and fly to Italy for 1 ½ weeks, to a festival honoring Gypsy Caravan Tribal Bellydance ® in Genoa (called Tribal Quest Genoa, named aptly after my six year festival in Portland, still spreading the love!) and more intense classes in Milan, with Tribal Grooves and Dance and Desire… both new and hitting the streets and the interwebs!
Here in Milan…
How thrilling…
Some of you know that I have chosen not to travel much at all anymore, starting this year,, to teach, perform, lecture. The last several years have been so good to me, allowing me connections for touring the world with my dance, my international troupe of dancing sisters, my history, and my desire to pass on this Gypsy Caravan Tribal Bellydance ®, to spread the love, to inspire others, to train the teachers, to network, and to share the community, plus to create magic-first and foremost!
Creating magic, raising energy, awareness, and consciousness, engaging full on in lifestyle that is supportive and sustainable, and to share bits and pieces of art, love, soul, fitness, food, words, ideas, questions and answers. That is what my dance is about.
And evolution, combined with tradition.
and cake!
Wow… very cool…
And my evolution means that it is time to stop the worldwide traveling, at least for now. It has become more grueling, to my body and soul. Meaning a time to rest, and allow time for fruition of newness. My time is to stay home, with my man and fur kids, as I find balance and create yet another new future for me and us. Balance… the tough part, combining passion with reality with making a living to future dreams yet being in the moment.
I have truly worked my dreams hard, for myself and my dancers, but with a super keen eye toward the future, and how this little bit of life, this dance, can stay alive, because of the passion and creativity and love it installs in all that desire it. With my beautiful Gypsy Caravan Certified Master Teachers, down to the Certified Teachers in various levels, to the dancers and students desiring only to dance and celebrate themselves and each other. So many facets and levels available to those that desire…it is constantly exhilarating and inspiring and still blows me away with the power, beauty, self-love, and authenticity that each dancer brings, so different yet so similar to each other around the globe. Connected as one, yet individualistic.
And then growing into more shapes and form, with Dance and Desire, and Tribal Grooves,my online classes and courses, and the coaching-which I love!(check that out please), plus allowing myself the time to write and do the other parts of the life I live now…there it is again…
Balance…
and Desire…
The Genoa weekend was stupendous! Monumental… Inspired and inspiring…I am with my dancing Gypsy Caravan sister, and Certified Master Teacher, Cinzia DiCioccio,
who is helping me translate the workshops, plus performing with me, which makes my heart and soul sing REALLY loud! And she bring the Caravan Project Italia dancers,
who also perform with us in the big show… How proud and overcome with joy to share the dance and the stage! ( Here we are outside, in the cold morning, while I am trying to make a video!)
Cinzia is one who carries the torch in a HUGE way around Europe for Gypsy Caravan, along with Deirdre MacDonald in the UK. (The other Master Teachers are in the US–Amanda Richardson, and Australia–Nina Martinez!) And more teachers are getting certified, moving up the ropes with undulations and shimmies, and joining the Caravan Team… there is room for all, encouragement for you, and these are the moments when I am the proud Tribal Mama and cannot be more joyous to see these strong and beautiful women, following their dreams, gaining momentum for themselves to live the life they create, gathering across the globe, and celebrating each day with heart, soul, and body awareness and joy! And to see more Caravan Projects and more teachers in other states and countries…wowowowo…to share the love and the dance…
Then I get to sit back, do my new work, which my heart and soul is achingly calling out for me to do, slipping into much needed solitude, so necessary for soul refreshing and nurturing, trusting the universe to gather and carry the dancers and the long held vision and dream…the Tribal Vision…
I see the light….
with so much gratitude,
AND I finally get to go see Venice for 2 days!!! OMG…so excited!
