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You scored as Samba, You are Samba! Good-natured and sexy, you are more fun that anyone can possibly imagine. You are exotic, energetic, and loud (in a good way). You look exactly like you feel—fantastic!
Which ballroom dance are you? created with QuizFarm.com | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
CNN's FIRST interview with Eric, TONIGHT on Anderson Cooper 360 at
10p ET / 9p CT / 8p MT / 7p PT.
http://www.cnn.com/CNN/Programs/anderson.cooper.360/
Welcome to all-dance-all-the-time here at PK's. I'm going to be sharing some of the more interesting discussions from the International Belly Dance Conference of Canada, the first being from the panel on sex and sexuality in belly dance.
I missed the first part of the discussion but found out that the opening statement was essentially 'belly dance is sexy. Get over it.' And this came from a man.
I think my favorite part of it was Venus saying that she was tired of apologizing for the sensuality that is a part of belly dance. Yes, there are dancers who take it to extremes and even use it as a ruse for prostitution but belly dancers are NOT STRIPPERS. We are NOT PROSTITUTES! She is tired of having to make excuses to non-dancers as to why she pursues this art form because they get squeamish enough with belly dancers because of the costuming and all.
"oh - it's good exercise." "it's a chance to bond with other women."
It is the only dance that is working really hard to be legitimate (admittedly, our own fault as dancers - and another blog post) but have to apologize for being sensual. Dance is a sensual experience - for the viewer as well as the dancer. It is about the body moving to music. Does it have to be erotic? No, it doesn't. But to deny that there is some kind of physical or emotional reaction - joy, sadness, laughter - is plain dumb.
(Aside: on our way back from dinner Saturday night, we walked by some prostitutes but getting the camera out would have been too obvious. We wanted to put their picture in a line up that showed several belly dancers and ask "do you see a difference, because there is one.")
Sulieman, who is of Palestinian origin, talked about the dance from a Middle Eastern man's perspective. He encouraged the dancers in the audience to be flirty but coy. You don't want to just flail it all about on display for everyone. He then talked about the dancers (and this is why foreign dancers are now banned from working in
"What else am I supposed to call them? They use the dance to sleep with as many men as possible."
She started in about not using the same terms for men and he waved her off to let Yasmina (the conference organizer) speak. She ran from the back of the room to get to a microphone.
"My boss wants to say something. We have to let her speak."
"I would call them free and happy women," Yasmina said to loud cheers from the audience.
Yes, I am tired of apologizing. I am tired of making excuses about why I dance, whether it is belly or ballroom.
"I do it for health reasons; it's great exercise."
"So I can meet others."
"It's fun."
"So I can connect with my feminine side."
While all of those, and any number of other statements, may be true to varying degrees. They all dance (badum ching) around the topic of sexuality. So does the church (yes, I'm dragging them into this as well because that is really a part of my frustration, too, but I will put that in another post.)
Some of my aggravation comes with the fact that I think society wouldn't want or expect to see a overweight woman comfortable with her body or her sexuality. While I am not completely there yet, I am far more comfortable with myself than a year or two ago. Truth is, I’ve felt like a healthy (thinner) woman trapped in a fat body. I could never get behind the whole fat acceptance/admirers thing. I’m glad that they found what they need but it isn’t for me. I have not finished losing the weight I want to lose but I know I will get to my goal with time and God’s help.
I'm tired of pretending the needs, the wants, the desires aren't there because either society thinks as a fat woman I shouldn't have them or the church thinks as a single woman I need to repress them (and don’t get me started on the idiots that are now saying single people should stay single. Oh for crying out loud – are you trying to drive people away from the church because if that was something I heard from my pastor, I would leave, too) - yes I know that is the human side of the church, not what God says. I am sick of hearing it and I am tired of apologizing for it. It is what it is.
Today marks a monumental step in our fight to Free Eric V. The court in Rivas, Nicaragua has forwarded Eric's case file to the Appellate court. In accordance with Nicaraguan law, the Appellate Court may take up to 6 days to hold the formal hearing; the verdict follows within 5 days of the Hearing.
Now is our time as a community of supporters to take action. We are going to start a 6 day campaign as we await the decision of the Court – a campaign we are calling the FREE ERIC V. Avalanche
We must have as many people as possible with their eyes turned toward this case as we go through the appeal process. As a community of supporters, we must demand justice and will not stop until we bring him home.
Day 1 of the Avalanche is today. The first step? Alerting everyone about the appeal. Contact your friends and fellow supporters of Eric; tell them it has begun!
1. If, and only if, you get tagged, write a post with links to 5 blogs that make you think,My four nominees:
2. Link to this post so that people can easily find the exact origin of the meme,
3. Optional: Proudly display the 'Thinking Blogger Award' with a link to the post that you wrote (here is an alternative silver version if gold doesn't fit your blog).
On Monday, March 26th at approximately 7:30 am, the Today Show on NBC will feature the story of Eric Volz. Please urge your friends and family to watch and become involved in his case. This is a great step forward in gaining national and international attention for Eric's story.
The role of the press in Eric's case is incredibly important. The more who learn about his case on a national and international scale, the more there will be to come together in the broader fight for justice in places where lines of right and wrong have become blurred.
Eric and his family are humbled by the letters, prayers, and donations given to his defense. Please continue to spread the word about Eric's case and demand that justice be served.
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Last night was the first meeting of a new class at church - Conversations with the Women in my Head. The lady teaching it is a phenomenal teacher and speaker. She is very open, honest, and transparent about her life which helps to encourage other people to share what is going on. I’ve taken her classes for several years and was among the first to sign up for this one.
So, knowing that there are people in there who would put her on a pedestal because she’s up there teaching, she offered up this story to knock herself off of it before they had a chance. “Before you hold me up there, just remember that last week… I was almost a convicted felon.”
Huh? Wha? How did that happen, D? And knowing her, this is going to be on HOOT of a story. So the short version is that a couple of weeks ago, she was pulled over in Spring Hill for busted tail lights and expired tags. When they ran her license, it has been suspended over a ticket in 2004 which they said she hadn’t paid and they were going to arrest her and impound her 1992 red Chevy mini-van.
After dragging 2 more officers into the situation, putting her in the back of the police car with blaring lights in front of half the town of
And then she had to go through a nightmare process to get her license reinstated at the DMV.
And then she had to go back to Spring Hill to answer these charges. She said a magistrate stepped in her on behalf and spoke to the judge and they dropped all the charges save for some court costs.
D explained what the voices in her head were telling her – I hate my husband (she admits this was completely irrational and she does love him very much). I hate my car. How can you be so stupid? They were constantly beating her down until the magistrate stepped in.
She made the comparison that this magistrate was like Jesus stepping in and acting as a mediator, an advocate on our behalf to God.
What were the voices telling me?
“Yeah BUT Jesus didn’t create the situation that caused his execution. He ISN’T part of the problem! He is the solution! Faulty comparison, D. This is why I hate the government. Granted Spring Hill isn’t a hotbed for criminal activity but surely it didn’t take 3 officers to arrest a not hysterical woman. They aren’t protecting and serving. They are the lowest form of tax collectors. Can you tell me what possible harm her expired tags were causing society? None! A notice about the break lights I could possibly understand. Maybe. And all of this was compounded because 3 years ago, some state employee didn’t enter her payment correctly and they automatically suspended her license – without notifying her! I hate the government. NOW do you really understand why I am libertarian?!”
In talking with some women after class about it, I went through a not so full-of-anger version of this and when I got to the libertarian part, I think I scared them.
Misery is a communicable disease – Martha Graham
Nobody cares if you can't dance well. Just get up and dance. Great dancers are not great because of their technique; they are great because of their passion. – Martha Graham
---------------------------------------------------------------------------This post isn't going where you think it's going. I hope that you will be pleasantly surprised.
I don't believe Brittney should have removed the comment. I really believe in a ‘once it is up, it stays up’ kind of thing. We should be men and women enough to accept the consequences of what we say, hear, and read. To me, it was all a part of God teaching me a valuable lesson which I will get to in a moment.
After receiving so many positive comments both here, at the studio and on sparkpeople, the negative was eventually going to come around. It reminded me that I need to accept both with grace and humility. Now – that does not mean I have to place value on either the good or the bad. Or find my value in either the good or the bad. My value comes from who God thinks I am. For a while, I forgot that.
The problem comes when one says they are ignoring the negative comments but feed on the positive ones, going so far as to seek them out. I admit to doing that from time to time. On those occasions, I send stuff to my friends who are likely to tell me something good.
See, Friday was the condition for the perfect storm. I was feeling down about myself because my weight loss has kind of stalled and I haven't been eating what I am supposed to (which makes this whole thing rather circular). And then this happened. I could have wallowed in self-pity and eaten everything in the house. I could have deleted my blog, the video and sworn never to set virtual foot online again. Even worse, I could have decided that the one negative comment was too much to take and stop dancing.
People like Wintermute would have anyone who doesn't fit the mold to be out of the public sphere. When Mark was here after New Year's, I told him about the emails I get on almost a daily basis from other folks at sparkpeople.com who tell me that I am inspiration because I am out there dancing. I found it really surprising and had no idea how to respond to these folks other than ‘thanks and here are some suggestions for where you can get started.’ “I always thought I was too fat to do it. Maybe I will get out there and take lesson!” He said “Of course you are. You are out there living your life without fear or concern for what others think.”
Coming out of belly dancing (which is very body-friendly and accepting), I had no problem with ballroom and just went for it. Because part of my identity as a dancer was formed in a different discipline, it never occurred to me that my body would bother or offend other people.
People like Wintermute attempt to rob people like me of life through public shame and harassment. Fat people stay in there homes having been hounded for so long, made fun of, made to feel ugly and ashamed for what they look like. 18 months ago, a person like Wintermute might have succeeded with me. For a few minutes, he did.
However, it is today and it didn't work. I will not hide. I will not be ashamed. I will continue to live my life as God and I see fit, and that includes dancing. If he was bothered by that, what is he going to think when I finally perform belly dancing in public?!
One of my favorite quotes:
After our shows, the most commonly heard remark to us from our audiences are how happy we look and how happy that made them feel. That is the most important compliment to me, that we were successful in sharing the joy we feel while dancing with our audiences so much so that they feel it too! Joy is contagious! We also hear how 'we light up the room when we dance' and how 'our beaming/radiant faces are a joy to behold.' Who doesn't want/need to feel joy? That is a basic human need. - Kajira Djoumahna (belly dancer)
I will continue to live with joy.
I would like to thank Wintermute.... now, before you yell at me “WTF, PK! WHY?!”, let me explain.
Thanks to Wintermute, the Nashville blogging community came out to defend me and call a spade a spade… or in this case a jerk (and many other colorful words). It is very clear to me that this very unusual social experiment has turned into a real community. It makes me glad to be a part of such a community. It revealed his true nature – one that is ugly… uglier than any perceived unattractiveness of my physical being.
Thanks to him, many of you watched the video when you might not otherwise have done so (no offense taken). More people have now seen it than were in attendance at the original event I think. You have said many wonderful and very kind things. Thanks to the other bloggers who have viewed the video and taken the time to comment and e-mail. I appreciate it very much.
I hope that it will bring some of you out to watch my next competition (Jan 19-21 – we will be performing this number again Sunday afternoon) or even better that you will give dancing a try. You don't have to make it your hobby or.. er.. life's passion... but once you get over the initial shock of learning something new, I'm sure you will have fun. There are plenty of people who dance socially without ever having designs on competition or performing in showcases. Don't think that in order to dance, you have to take it as far as I have. You are not too fat or too old. If George Hamilton and Jerry Springer can waltz, you can too! ;)
Thanks to him, many of you who don't regularly visit my blog have stopped by. Too bad I don't post regularly anymore or else I'd ask you to stay. But do come back on occasion :) And I will do my best to make it to the next blogger meetup.
Thanks to him, he also got a spike in his sitemeter hits. Or should that be thanks to me since I was the person who posted the video that started this in the first place.
Wintermute, I would like to thank you for reminding me that I am valued by God. It is His opinion of me that really matters. And He loves me. He even loves you. My human mind is still working on why. I'm sure God will reveal it to me in the fullness of time. You also reminded me that I need to pray for lots of different people, even those that are difficult to love. I've said a prayer for you a few times over the weekend when I started to feel a little down on myself. And because God loves me just as I am, I am learning to love me just as I am.
What Wintermute has done to himself is show that his karma isn’t grounded in a good place. The fruit of his thoughts and actions are nasty. (Thought I would put that in his religious background, not just my own.) Second, somewhere on his blog he states that people respect him. I'm sure THAT will happen when he returns to NiT. I leave that up to the other readers. Treat him however you would like.
Most importantly, I would like to thank Mark (Digital Cowboy) for being there and listening to me at my most upset and speaking words of wisdom and truth to me when I needed to hear them most. Thanks, Mark, the conversation meant more than you will know.
Since you weren't there, you can see the photostream on flickr.
It was actually difficult to choose from the photos. There were a number of pictures with really good lines and angles (but strange expressions) that I left behind.
People were still talking about it over a week after the event. It was the number that 'woke the crowd up' and got them into the show. I had several people tell me it was the highlight of Act I or their favorite number. Even David Hamilton told me that I did an amazing job and gave me a kiss on the cheek.
Todd said that after 24 years in the business, he tends to be kind of jaded when it comes to Showcase routines. "Oh great - another showcase. Let's hurry up and get it over with so we can get back to other things." He did say that after the opening step sequence he said to himself "wow - this is fun!"
That's when he told me we will be doing this routine again at Nashville Starz (formerly The Dancer's Cup) in January. It will be open to the public. Information is at http://www.nashvillestarz.net/
