Don’t you love a great story? Today I have one a friend of mine shared – she has energy, passion and all the ingredients I love in a dancer (and who this fab Gypsy Caravan Tribal Style Bellydance ® format attracts)!
From Ferrara, Elena Mellai writes:
“Since I met Paulette Rees-Denis on the 8th of March 2014 my life and my whole vision about Tribal style have changed…it’s not just about dancing, it’s more about being yourself (your-real-self), being responsible, being present in the moment.
Dancing not just as a performance but as a ceremony according to the moment, like a true reality show.
It was a time in my life where I felt I was sitting on a bridge waiting for something to happen and then suddenly I was just going with the flow enjoying my life, people, and happenings around me.
It was natural, very organic!!
I live in Ferrara, Italy, the city of “Buskers Festival.”
Last August thanks to Tribal Bellydance I was dancing on the street bare foot every day for nine days…I was totally excited. I met many people, made lots of connections with musicians and artists from Turkey, Brazil, Hungary, Capo Verde, south Italy and many many more.
Me and my dancing sisters Micol and Flora (not long together) hit the headlines, we danced on the main stage, we danced for the artists and organizers in a cloister with three other dancers, we danced to Celtic music (by Emian Paganfolk), African percussions, music from Capo Verde (by Guents dy Rincon), Turkish music (by Light in Babylon)…we were not officially invited, it was not programmed, we just improvised, we chose to take the opportunity and the risk to be real in that moment…and it worked!!! We had lots of fun and sharing with artists and people on the street…wow!!!
Like a friend of mine always says “we are magnificent beings, but we are not always allowed to know” (Manson, Dine).
Without Gypsy Caravan format this probably wouldn’t have happened…we couldn’t just stand up and dance looking at each other, following the leader and improvising. Perhaps, we wouldn’t have even meet on the street by chance..?
Elena (top left) with Caravan Project Italia
Thanks to: my sisters for jumping in the flow with me, the musicians for wonderful live music, energy, smiles, and for sharing their space with unknown sisters (we called ourselves ‘illegal trio’), Paulette Rees-Denis for handing down this magnificent format, Cinzia di Cioccio, my teacher and friend, and Deirdre for asking me to share my thoughts.
Love and respect for international tribal community…we are all connected!”
Elena Mellai
(Pilates, Collective Soul graduate, Oriental And Tribal Bellydance teacher, member of the Caravan Project Italy)
You can feel the energy in this lovely lady’s words – can’t you? Lets hear yours!
Deirdre Takes Tribal Global-
