Hummingbird Friends

If you follow me on Twitter or Facebook, then you probably already know that I've been making friends with a hummingbird on my back deck over the last few months. For those of you that don't, here's the backstory...

James and I moved into a lovely place, which has a back deck that gets a surprising amount of sunshine for a space between buildings. In San Francisco, things run a little chilly, but for the plants that like that sort of thing there is a sort of eternal springtime. James described San Francisco's weather as a British summer every day, and I think that's pretty apt; at 4pm on the nose, things usually start to noticeably chill as the wind comes in off of the Pacific Ocean, blowing from west to east as the sun begins to dip. Tourists in shorts begin to ask about "I <3 SF" sweatshirts and Irish coffees, and locals pull cardigans out of messenger bags as if choreographed.

Consequently, it is not necessarily easy to grow a garden on my deck. While I have a tendency to plant tenacious vines that can climb little bamboo trellises from any windowsill, my little seedings had a rough time through this summer. Happily, three little morning glory plants managed to make it, even after a perilous run-in with some mold after their seed packet got damp. Two of them, despite feeble growth, even flowered.

Such is the tenacity of the morning glory.

It turns out, these pale blossoms caught the eye of a young hummingbird. To be honest, I think that more than one came by, as they are constantly surfing for new terrain with nectar-bearing flowers in bloom. At the time, though, these few flowers were only enough to attract some curiosity.

One bird kept coming by. Like clockwork. I would be sitting, writing, and a quick little figure would zip up and peek into the lattice work around the deck. It was like magic. My little visitor would sometimes fly in, see if anything was going on, and occasionally look through the window to see what I was up to.

So, basically, I bought this little imp a candy machine. I decided the hummingbirds were trying to make friends, and that the moment might pass. I found a beautiful little glass ornament--which could almost be nestled into a Christmas tree and not look wrong--and hung it up on the lattice. I was worried it was too hidden, that they wouldn't want to come into a semi-enclosed area to drink, but James suggested I just put it out there and see what happened.

Thus, I got to know Vic. I think Vic kind of got stuck with the deck as his territory because he was a young male, and the deck is pretty crap territory for an older bird with some authority. It took me a while to figure out that he was, in fact, male, since the young Anna's hummingbirds all sort of look like their moms. When grown, the males have these incredible iridescent feathers that radiate out from their beaks to their foreheads and throats. The feathers are actually covered in little cells that reflect light only from certain angles, so their color flashes out of nowhere when they change the angle of their heads. When these feathers are grown in, they look awesome.

Vic looked like his mom with 5 o'clock shadow. But only from one side. From the other side, he looked just girly. So I nicknamed him Victor Victoria. (He really was the confuser; it took me a while, and some video footage, before I realized that the adolescent male and adult female I thought were visiting were in fact the same bird.)

One of the fascinating things about Anna's hummingbird is that they have a song, and they can play it with their voices and tails. Their little throats are not big enough to make a very loud call, so they can also use their tail feathers to emit a noise in the same tone. They do this when they perform these incredible daredevil dives to tell others to piss off. Hummingbirds, it turns out, are like super-caffeinated fighter pilots. They are very territorial (even the males toward females, and vice versa) and spend a lot of their day launching themselves at high speed toward intruders. Even potential mates get treated to a version of this; it seems that the males eventually shift their aggressive ousters into a courtship dance, and romance ensues.

So, day by day, I get treated to all of these little dramas. Vic sits and sings, and occasionally his girlfriend sneaks in, steals his sugar-water, and they perform some complex aerial maneuvers. I see them do all kinds of interesting things, too. Like, they check out my seedlings in the pots on the railing. I replanted my garden, in the odd autumnal warmth that is peculiar to San Francisco, and anytime I change anything--or meddle, more likely--my efforts are examined by my little green bird friends. They've found a break in the lattice big enough to use as a doorway or perch, from which they can ambush one another. Just this morning, Vic's girlfriend was brave enough to go inside the narrow space between the sheets of lattice above the deck rail, where she snuck a drink from the hidden space at the back of the feeder.

It is kind of a big responsibility to feed little birds, especially in the cold. Anna's hummingbirds live in cloud forests, which sounds so dreamy; they are adapted to the cooler climes, and eat bugs and tree sap to keep their fast metabolisms going in low temperatures. Costa Rica is the hummingbird epicenter, it seems, and we are far from that tropical climate here. Anna's hummingbird stays around here year round, and they start nesting late in the year. So, my little feeder gets cleaned thoroughly, refilled and immediately replaced every few days. When one of them dropped a feather for me, the tip was a silky iridescent green and the base was fluffy down; a furry undercoat is essential when you're three inches long and living out in the rain.

Right now, Vic's little territorial games are a little more loaded, since my little fairy garden seems to be rapidly transforming into a love-nest. I have to be considerate and disrupt that as little as possible, and so I remain consistent, tending the garden and being around just enough that the sugar always flows and the flowers grow happily. There are no cats to haunt my deck, the wind is not so brisk, and so I feel glad to have taken a little patch of barren built-up space and rendered it part of an ecosystem once more. These sassy, magical little birds, who are just as curious about me and remarkably unafraid of my relatively lumbering pace, have inspired me to build a sanctuary that we share, and it's pretty special.

...

If you want to follow more of the story as it develops, I've been posting videos now and then on my YouTube channel:

http://www.youtube.com/user/JoyleafDancer?feature=mhsn

Makeup, Hair Dye and Cleaning it All Off...

Hello friends! I've just been catching up on the world of social networking, and while doing so I encountered a post from a friend who admitted to being remiss in her removal of makeup--much to the dismay of her eyelids. In dishing a little advice to her, I thought it might be useful for me to share a few other tidbits I've found useful and convenient.

As a general rule, I advise going for the best quality stuff you can get, using it wisely, and remembering to clean it off thoroughly before letting your head hit the pillow--however tired you are after a show or hard partying. These are the rules:

1. Buy products that have less-is-more value; get makeup that looks the way you want it to with lighter application and fewer layers, and use facial products that allow you to get more out of the makeup you have. This will not only save you money in the long run, but it will save your skin suffering under heavy makeup and merciless cleansing. While I know my preferred products are more expensive initially, I don't buy them very often and they last for ages.

2. Always take it off. Set yourself up for success by establishing a clean-up routine that is manageable. Get the right makeup remover for what you wear, and use it! Make this part as easy as possible for yourself, so that you will always do it right. This will save you time, pain and wrinkles.

3. Think of ways to make your routine adaptable. (I'll write a blog post dedicated just to this soon.) If you find yourself needing to scrub up at home, away from home, in a jungle--think of ways you can make that doable. Because, as in Rule #2, you want to make this easy so you'll be consistent.

...

I'll start with makeup. I am a big fan of MAC, for a number of reasons. Firstly, they have a passion for color, and back that up with heavy pigmentation of their eye makeup in particular. This means a lot to me, as I used to find it awfully disappointing to buy cheaper eyeshadows, only to find that they went on a pale shadow of the shade in the pan. If I'm going to bother with putting makeup on my face, I want it to be effective. Additionally, I think less is more when it comes to stuff on your face--if you can get good depth of color without having to build up layers and layers of makeup on your face, your skin will be able to breathe better and there will be less makeup to travel all over your face as the night goes on.

The best trick I have for quick and simple priming of eye makeup came to me courtesy of a MAC artist, who assisted me in buying a boatload of flashy greens, purples and blues. She recommended I also purchase a Shadestick in a nude shade. The Shadestick has some shimmer to it, and also evens the tone of the eyelid nicely, so it makes a great sheer eyeshadow on its own. However, it also has the magical ability to make any eyeshadow pop by deepening the intensity of the color; the nude Shadestick effectively makes my eyeshadows look on my eyelids like they do in the tin. It's a super light layer, and eyeshadow clings to it pretty tenaciously, making the color more buildable and long-lasting.

Similarly, the Prep + Prime Skin has worked supremely well for me as a base layer before foundation and concealer. There are two versions--one with a sunscreen and one without--and the original is pretty light and quick to absorb, reducing redness, evening skin tone and generally helping to use less foundation and concealer. (The Prep + Prime Face Protect with sunscreen is great if you're going to be out and about in the sunshine, though it is heavier than its non-SPF counterpart.)

As you might expect, I am also a fan of MAC's foundations and concealers, and for much the same reason I like the products above: I can use less of them because the pigmentation and opacity make them easier to apply exactly where I want them, rather than coating my face in heavy layers. The Studio Finish SPF 35 concealer comes in a convenient little case identical to MAC's eyeshadows, so it easily packs into a pocket or a purse, and it can be used sparingly in lieu of a full face of foundation. When I do go for a foundation, I like the Studio Tech applied with a sponge--this gives it a really natural finish, and also lets me get away with using less. (I've always preferred clean fingertips for applying creamy cosmetics, as that gives me better control, but the matte finish of the Studio Tech foundation when applied in the direction of facial fuzz is pretty wonderful.)

I could go on and on about this, but I'll leave some tips and tricks for a future post. Let's see about getting all of this stuff off of the face, now.

...

Okay, the party's over. You've fastidiously applied all of your favorite colors, fake lashes and glitter. You're tired and ready to sack out. But you still look like a drag queen, and you can't be bothered to sandblast all of the shellack off of your face.

Do not give in to your laziness. Here, you have the opportunity to avoid a big mistake. I'll explain...

All of those layers of sediment have the potential to serve as a handy substrate for bacterial growth. Furthermore, your skin needs to breathe, and the natural oils produced to keep everything moisturized and protected from the elements need to be able to escape your pores. Layers of makeup on your face can simultaneously dry your skin and keep oil trapped, and both of these effects can cause your skin to break out or age.

Additionally, eye makeup simply must come off. Your eyes are miraculous gems, and they withstand (and heal from) all sorts of punishment all day long, fighting off dust, debris and germs through the magic of your own body's mechanisms for cleanliness. All of the concerns about break-outs and drying apply to your eye area, with the added threat of eye infections. These are gross. Don't let them happen. Sleeping in your makeup allows extra time for the little oil glands at the bases of your eyelashes to get blocked, which can lead to losing those precious little hairs. Your eyes also use that resting time to heal up from little scratches and injuries, so you want to treat them kindly before nodding off so that your peepers are better off, not worse, then the were the night before. Flakey makeup and glitter are like sand in your eyes, and can do a lot of damage by morning.

I'm super careful about my eyes because I wear contact lenses. If you do too, take some extra care to ensure that your glamour and your prescription are not at odds with each other. Contacts can hold makeup and other alien substances against the surface of your eye, increasing and prolonging irritation. If you wear contacts, I'd highly recommend removing them before your eye makeup. I've always found the battle between makeup, contacts and makeup remover has one big loser--my eyes.

If you wear false lashes often, you need to do some extra care and maintenance. You want to make sure to gently but thoroughly remove all of the lash glue, and you also should make time to de-gum and sanitize any lashes you use repeatedly. Lash glue, like waterproof mascara and heavy makeup, is a great breeding ground for bacteria, both on and off of your face.

So now that we have covered why you should be fastidious in your post-show dismantlement, let's talk about the easiest way of approaching this. I have adapted my routine into a few different versions to address traveling, festivals and getting ready for bed in the comfort of my own home.

The most versatile product I've found for travel, home and the wild outdoors is the MAC makeup remover wipes. They can be chucked into a gig bag, suitcase or backpack without any worry about a mess, and they also don't require a rinse if you're stuck without the required items for a full wash. Furthermore, they can obliterate every waterproof makeup I've encountered while being gentle to skin and eyes. I try not to use them on a daily basis, as I'm not a fan of throwing away more than is necessary, but for traveling and shows they are indispensable.

For home, I love to have a bottle of MAC's Gently Off makeup remover. As I'm a fan of the Splashproof lash--possibly the most indestructible mascara I've encountered--I'm also pretty dedicated to this product, which makes getting it off a breeze. While Gently Off does utilize an oil and water suspension (you shake to mix), it feels surprisingly light and lovely, and you can also use this without a rinse if necessary.

If I'm traveling or camping, a bottle of jojoba oil is a brilliant fix-all. It is the only non-MAC product I've ever used with success to remove MAC's waterproof cosmetics, and it can also do many other duties: it's a fantastic oil for skin and hair, as it's remarkably similar to the oil our own skin produces. I've used it as a moisturizer for body and face by simply patting it on after cleaning, and it feels dry and light. However, be careful what bottle you decant it into--jojoba oil set loose in a suitcase is no fun.

Finally, I adore Lush's Ultra Bland cold cream for thoroughly cleaning after I've removed my makeup. My skin doesn't do well with soap or alcohol, and I have to be careful about leaving heavy oils or creams on overnight. Ultra Bland is a brilliant cleanser; a little goes a long way, and you remove it with a damp cotton pad, which assists the cream in picking up all of the excess oil, dirt and makeup that would make skin unhappy. Also, since it is emollient, I generally don't find I need any moisturizer on most of the face after I've used it--just a little eye cream is fine. It's a dense cream consistency, and travels very well without leaks or drips.

...

Alright. Hair will have to wait for another time. But it will be exciting--get ready for henna!!

Gradual Tribal Fest Decompress...

On Wednesday I was in Kami's class at the Fat Chance studio, and it occurred to me once more how awesome Tribal Fest actually was this year. At the end of the class, I was remembering choreography and having fun--and I remembered that I have some thanks to give to folks who helped me wipe some grime off of my relationship to dance over five days of learning, fun and partying.

Big thanks to Rachel, Mardi and Zoe for really great workshops. While learning choreography from Mardi reminded me of riding a skateboard while gripping the bumper of a fast-moving truck, I was getting most of it at the end of a very long day of dancing, and that was awesome. Zoe's workshop made me feel like I was at a rave, which was exactly what I needed at that point--I was vindicated in my choice to bring a cold Rock Star to class with me. And Rachel, as ever, reminded me of some things I need to bear in mind over three really lovely mornings of workshops. I was grateful to make some new friends in those workshops, and very grateful to reconnect with my roots, as it were.

Wendy and Mardi's performances, with their powers combined, made me so emotional. Over in that corner next to the Indigo's table, I thought my heart my break from just being overwhelmed by the goodness of everything. I probably sounded like an idiot trying to explain. Unmata were incredibly awesome and invigorating to watch, Cera's improv game deserved the standing ovation and Colleena was absolutely immaculate. So many performances rocked my world and inspired me to bits.

To my dining companions on Wednesday night, thank you and my apologies--that was a pretty whacked-out dinner. Aimee, Danielle, Laura and Shondell--never has a crew of girls been so cavalier about Rohypnol. Or arms. Thank god we didn't drink. To Kelley, Heike, Tree and Sam--I suspect that train car was not big enough for you to escape our madness. I hope you enjoyed your dinners anyway.

Thank you to the ladies of the Salome's Suitcase collective, for sharing your sparkles and your bubbly. It was such a pleasure to be part of your gorgeous show!

Sherri, Sooz and their band of merrymakers almost killed me with laughter. It was awesome! Thank you to Robyn, Jenn, Cera and Pixie, Sherri and Sooz, for bringing the funny--and the filthy. You are rad. And you could scare a djinn off, if necessary.

Maurie, Jeremiah, Saskia and Marcel, it was great to hang out with you all. Thank you for being friendly and so much fun to chill out with! Amazing.

Thanks to Jeanette for getting me up to Sebastopol, and thanks to Laura and Shondell for making sure I didn't get stuck there! Thanks to Danielle and Tatiana for being fantastic roomies. And extra big thanks to Sam for the sunny Valencia decom day. Unicorns and cachapa were exactly what I needed; also, it was fascinating to swap stories and be reminded of how many billions of things are actually happening at any given moment at TF.

And big thanks to Chuck and Kajira, for somehow holding together the chaos and letting all of the pirates, genies, steampunk princesses and snake charmers come out to play. It's a wonder of the world.

I'll unpack everything properly soon enough, but had to get the thank yous said now. More to come...

Lovely Hilde and Last London Classes

Hello lovelies,

As many of you are no doubt already aware, this Wednesday and Thursday will be the last classes I'm teaching in London the near term. My husband and I are headed back to my homeland, San Francisco, for a while, where I will hopefully soak up some sun and some new dance learning. While I will be sad to leave my students and friends here in London, I have made sure that my classes are covered by an absolutely wonderful teacher, the lovely Hilde from Brighton.

You may already know Hilde from classes she's been teaching in London and Brighton, or in her capacity as an organizer of fantastic workshops with top teachers from around the world. Since 1996, Hilde has been passionately involved in dance. Originally from Belgium, Hilde moved to Brighton (UK) in 2004 to pursue her career as a dancer. Being a fusion dancer at heart, she finds inspiration in different dance styles, such as street dance, contemporary dance, jazz, ballet, flamenco, tribal fusion and Egyptian dance techniques. Currently she is studying at Laban, one of the world’s top dance schools. She is director of the Masmoudi dance company and has hosted many sold out shows in Brighton. For more info visit www.hildebellydance.co.uk

Hilde's continuation of the classes at the Urdang Academy will commence in the second week of January. I'll send out a reminder nearer to the time, though I'd also recommend you visit her website to join her mailing list and keep up to date on her performance and events schedule.

Finally, it would be lovely to see you before I go! After class on Thursday night, I will be going with my Combinations & Experimentation class to get dinner and drinks nearby in Angel, so feel free to meet us at the Urdang Academy if you can come. And I know I'll be seeing some of you this weekend in Rome, for the Roma Tribal Meeting where I will be teaching and performing! :)

Thank you so, so much for your encouragement, support and enthusiasm for my work over the past few years! It has meant so very much to me, and it has been an honour to teach and perform for you. I am very grateful to have met a lot of gorgeous people while dancing in London, and I hope to see you all again when I visit and teach workshops and here in the new year.

Peace and beauty,

Kim

Hello lovelies,

This message is full of very interesting stuff! My next round of classes are open to book now and are live on the site. Also, October and November hold some really excellent events, starting this week! I've included All Visual Art's dazzling autumn group show here because, as some of you may know, I've been working with them the past few months. AVA is a tremendously exciting contemporary art organization, and I'd highly recommend getting down to Portland Place to check out Vanitas this week.

Additionally, this Friday sees the return of the truly fabulous Rumpus! If you missed the adult-sized ball pool and wonderfully eclectic mix of cabaret, dubstep, fancy dress and Balkan beats, you should clear your calendar for this one. I'll be performing alongside the Rubbish Sideshow and a whole host of fantastic acts... Follow the link to the Facebook event for more info.

In November, I'll be performing at Patrick Campbell-Lyons's book reading for Psychedelic Days, which is similarly full of surprises. I will also be heading back to Rome and the fabulous San Lo' studios for the Roma Tribal Meeting, which will be wonderful.

Okay, here are the details of classes. Please note--Elemental Movement is required for all new students, and often sells out. If you'd like to attend, please book early!

Classes:

27 October - 24 November - Elemental Movement* @ the Urdang Academy (6:30-8:00pm) *All new students must register for Elemental Movement before attending other courses!

27 October - 24 November - Pure Drills @ the Urdang Academy (8:00-9:30pm)

28 October - 25 November - Combinations & Experimentation @ the Urdang Academy (6:30-8:00pm)

Full details at http://www.kimberlymackoy.com/site/Classes.html


Events:

12 - 17 October - Vanitas: The Transience of Earthly Pleasures - 33 Portland Place, London W1B 1QE
Following the huge success of The Age of the Marvellous exhibition, which attracted over 4,000 visitors during Frieze Art Fair last October, All Visual Arts (AVA) is pleased to announce its upcoming fall show Vanitas: The Transience of Earthly Pleasures. Conceived and curated by Joe La Placa and Mark Sanders of AVA, the exhibition is a contemporary update on the four hundred year old theme of the Vanitas first developed in Holland and Northern Europe in the mid to late 17th century. The exhibition will take place in the sumptuous setting of the former Sierra Leone Embassy on 33 Great Portland Street during this year’s Frieze Art Fair from October the 11th until the 17th. http://www.allvisualarts.org


15 October - Rumpus! Vol. 2 - Special Edition!
Super Secret Venue 2 Minutes' from Brick Lane (Venue details sent with tickets)
£10 in advance, £15 on the door, £12 in costume.
Tickets from here: http://rumpusparty.eventbrite.com/
(To buy tickets without paying a booking fee, pay directly through Paypal to contact_santiago@hotmail.com)

Five rooms positively bursting at the seams with more unadulterated, high-octane fun than you could shake a very big stick at – the best live bands, a Circus Show and Dubstep, Electroswing and Balkan DJs. As if that weren’t enough, we’ve also got a speakeasy serving up handmade cocktails and featuring yet more live music, a cinema, and even an art exhibition! We’re somehow fitting all of this into one single venue to give you the ultimate indoor festival fun, and 8 hours to play, dance and party. Get dressed up for a discount at the door, and come and join us!

Facebook event: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=147712355264387&ref=ts


4 November - Psychedelic Days - A Book Reading by Patrick Campbell Lyons
Filthy McNasty's, 68 Amwell Street, London EC1R 1UU
The night will commence at 7pm and finish late, and is absolutely free!

Patrick Campbell Lyons is an interesting fellow. He formed innovative, baroque pop/psychedelic outfit Nirvana with Alex Spyropoulos in 1967 and they became the first UK band signed to Chris Blackwell's Island label. In fact, they went on to score a number of firsts...first narrative concept album in 1967 with 'The Story of Simon Simopath', pre dating The Who's 'Tommy' by two years. They were the first (and only) band to have appeared on French TV with Salvador Dali - who proceeded to splash blue paint over them – as they performed 'Rainbow Chaser'. And of course, first to come up with the band name...Nirvana. Long, long before Kurt Cobain and Co.

In 2008, Patrick began writing some songs about his life and times in 60s London and had the sudden realisation that his memory of those times was ‘crystal clear’ (which is pretty remarkable given his lifestyle at the time). His initial realisation has spawned an extraordinarily entertaining, time-machined-psychedelic-trip of a book, aptly entitled Psychedelic Days. So, we are delighted that Patrick will be doing readings from his book, bringing his vivid memories to life.

Also on this splendid night we have live acoustic performances from The Garden City Project, Great Western and St Johns Wood Affair, who will be performing their own take on Nirvana classics. And thats not all... joining them onstage will be Patrick and very special guest, the wonderful (ex Sneaker Pimp) Kelli Ali, who will be performing the song 'Tiny Goddess' (originally recorded by Francois Hardy). http://www.psychedelicdays.com/



19-21 November - Roma Tribal Meeting - San Lo' Studios, Rome http://www.romatribal.com/

For centuries, the gathering of community has been the wheel of evolution.

We are encouraging artists to congregate in Rome with the idea of sharing and developing an International Community based on traditions and new innovations of Tribal Bellydance.

Within our Oriental Dance network, individual and group expressions give light to new styles and new artistic, captivating creations. American Tribal Style and Tribal Fusion are at the crossroads of change in the panorama of contemporary bellydance throughout the world. From this consciousness of change, we desire to harness and nurture artistic expressions during the Roma Tribal Meeting. It is the first gathering in Italy where ideas of authenticity and fusions are simply an opportunity to grow and become aware of this dance movement; a moment when musicians and dancers can collaborate and recognize their own artistic research.

This event is enriched by the presence of an important part of Tribal beginnings through music; the musical group, Helm, will provide a rich platform of expression reflective of the traditions of the Middle East through classical, folkloric and original compositions.


That's all for now! I hope all is well with you, and if you need more information, get in touch!

Kim

www.kimberlymackoy.com

A Cautionary Tale...

So, something's been bugging me lately. I've been thinking about whether or not to say anything, and have ultimately decided to speak up because there are areas of deafening silence regarding ethical conduct in the world of bellydance. While I would prefer to just truck along and do my own thing, pretending nothing's up, that actually aids the lack of transparency that allows this stuff to go on. Instead, I protest.

Here's what happened: Recently, another tribal fusion teacher came and set up a directly competing class at my home studio. She didn't get in contact to ask what my thoughts or feelings might be, or if I had any advice about studio space she could hire in a pinch. She did write to tell me she'd set up her course--once the ink was dry on the paperwork--however she said it was only for six weeks.

Now, lest you think me oversensitive, London has literally hundreds of spaces that could be used for dance. By contrast, I could probably count on one hand the number of dancers in London who are teaching tribal fusion. Statistically, there's very little chance of two instructors of this niche form accidentally setting up shop in the same building.

Additionally, the building in question has been the home of my classes for over three years. The staff there are friends of mine; we exchange Christmas cards, and they have helped me develop my classes for years now.

I was not impressed with the situation with the new tribal fusion class, but, as the teacher had assured me that the situation was temporary, I set aside my annoyance and took her at her word when she said that after six weeks she would be in her own space.

Imagine my surprise when, without even an email to let me know she had done so, she extended her tenure across autumn and winter.

Tribal fusion is a really new dance form. There are not that many people who are established in it to the point of being able to teach; as I said, I could probably count on one hand the number of teachers in London. It seems to me that if one of those teachers has been established in a particular venue for a few years, that teacher's relationships to her students and her venue should be respected.

I slowly worked my class offerings up from one class, to two, to three, each step of the way waiting for space to become available. Waiting for studio space is part of the game in London, as any dance teacher can attest.

To try and circumvent that by setting up a directly competing class in a rare dance form within the building of an established teacher is at the least not very considerate, and, at the more sinister end, quite an aggressive tactic. It amounts to piggybacking--for years, I have spent money on advertising my courses, which has in turn brought hundreds of students though the doors. This makes it really easy for students to swap nights to novel class, conveniently at a studio they already know. Indeed, this has happened, and I don't think it's cool--while I always hope my students will learn with whomever catches their fancy, it's not my intention to inadvertently subsidize a competing teacher with my advertising budget.

I am a small enterprise; the inconsideration of this teacher has put pressure on my relationship with the venue that I've worked with happily for years, and on personal relationships that have grown over three years of me consistently teaching weekly classes there. It's disrespectful, disingenuous behaviour, and I think bellydancers can do better.

Supply + Demand x Love

So I hadn't planned on kicking off a journal entry this way, but Dita von Teese mentioned something on Twitter that set me thinking:


I've been contemplating a blog post for some time that would start to open up a window on my experience of the whole life/work/dance escapade, especially where those things hit the financial intersection, but it's such a delicate topic. It's easy to be evasive, woeful, deceptively optimistic or overly single-minded in such a discussion, but since it's such a wide terrain and universal moan, I've felt it best to just sit back and think on it a little longer.

Thankfully, Dita posted that, and I think it kicks of a really powerful train of thought. The fact is, performance, art, writing, whatever creative thing you like, always hangs in that delicate balance between essential human impulse and slippery commodity. I've been walking my own path to reconcile those aspects of who I am, and it's caused me to form some very definite opinions. I'm not going to try to unpack all of that here and now--there'll be future time for thought on all this to evolve and focus--so instead, I'm going to focus on the concept of supply and demand, as modified by love.

...

I love dance. In particular, I love tribal fusion. I love it for being a place to apply practice and dedication to thoughtful experimentation. I have made things since I was old enough to hold a crayon or knot a piece of yarn, and I love that I am involved in a dance movement that prides itself on originality and hand-crafted individuality. For over a decade, I have been making jewellery and experimenting with making other works of art, be they costuming or sculpture. I started dancing when I was five, I think--I was really little when I began ballet, and after we moved away from my previous teacher, I kept making my own choreographies, plays and puppet shows on my own in the countryside of the American Midwest.

All of this is to say that these things are essential to me. I happily make things happen in my own world, and I have been doing it not because I am essentially a performer, but because this impulse to make and do and develop ideas is how my imagination works. I would be a dancer or designer in my own living room, quietly, quite happily; I don't see sharing these things publicly as the completion of the cycle, only as one possible outcome.

I graduated from university a couple of years ago into one of the worst economic dips of memorable history. No jobs anywhere. I was very lucky to have studied tribal fusion with the masters in San Francisco before embarking on my London adventures, so I'd been hired to teach bellydance by the University of London Union while I was studying. I was lucky to have very well-attended classes, to the extent that I was able to keep my university job as a dance instructor into the days and months following my graduation from the School of Oriental and African Studies. I was asked to do performances, and I was lucky to sometimes have those performances lead on to other interesting opportunities.

However, my sights always had to be on getting a day job--one does not graduate as an international student from the University of London without an enormous amount of debt. To sketch a picture, I paid £10,000 per year for three years in tuition. Each year, I had to buy hundreds of pounds worth of books, study packs and photocopies. I also had to borrow money for food and rent--and I had to borrow a sufficiently high amount of money to convince the UK Home Office that I wasn't going to starve to death or become homeless on their watch.

This doubled the amount of money I needed to borrow for each year of school, and the majority of those funds came via loans from private lending companies with unsubsidized interest. If you haven't had the wonders of compounding interest unleashed upon your future, I envy you. In the end, once the compounding interest and the passage of time have unleashed their full potential on my financial out put, my education will have cost me three times again what I actually borrowed. (If I think about it too much, it makes me nauseous.) If you want to do the math, you can work it out, but suffice to say that my student loan debt is into six digits, whether you figure it in dollars or pounds.

In case you're curious, I got my degree in Development Studies and Social Anthropology, and I did quite well.

...

Now, about performances: They need to make money. As I said, part of me is essentially a dancer. But being a performer is a different thing--it's work, which takes time, effort and resources. I've put literally thousands and thousands of pounds (and dollars before I moved to the UK) into my dance education. I learned from the best of the best, and then invested thousands upon thousands of hours into practicing, thinking on and implementing the lessons I learned. I put thousands of hours again into making my concepts and costumes come to life, not to mention the financial output on materials.

I will share all this. But you have to ask. I can't read minds. I work on a system of grassroots democracy, wherein I know I'm doing the right thing by devoting myself to this art form when I get asked to share it. The best thing that can happen is that I'm asked to share in the most respectful way, where someone can envision the effort and knows that I need to eat and live.

Each month, my student loans cost me as much as most of my friends pay in London rent--no joke. And while I would always do this artful stuff for my own soul's sake, it is one part of my life. It could be my quiet hobby and not my job. I have to work; if I get to earn money by devoting effort to dance and art, that's wonderful. But that only works so long as there is demand. If I am not invited to perform, not desired as a teacher, the performances and the lessons go away as I am forced to apply my working hours where they are valued. This is how most things work--where there is demand, someone will work to supply the in-demand.

So if you love an artist, and you support what they do, help engage in that grassroots democracy wherein those artists who are loved get the encouragement to persevere. Be vocal about who you'd pay to see develop their artistic voice, and be prepared to vote with your wallet. Invite artists to perform, and help spread the word to people that may be able to help them find work. The public output of an artist is effort in conversation, which is either encouraged or discouraged based on responses over time.