I was chatting with a friend I usually dance with, and he said that it’s probably so “blah” feeling because of not only the winter blues that everyone gets, but also a bit of confusion over the (hopefully temporary) closure of El Beso, stress over the problems re: the campo, lack of money to go out very often… un po’ di tutto, as it is said in Italian.

If I were in Seattle it would be mild and sunny, and I would be wearing a pink belly dancing costume at this very moment, getting ready to shimmy down the streets of Fremont with Delilah in the Fremont Solstice Parade. Summer solstice, that is. Here in Buenos Aires it’s the beginning of winter, and my body is a bit confused. It’s June!

Of course, I’ve just checked the weather and Buenos Aires, in its first days of winter, is only a few degrees cooler than Seattle, which is in its first days of summer. The sky is blue here – very blue, and when it rains it doesn’t take on that awful grey cast that Seattle is so known for. I love Seattle but I don’t like grey.

I miss my belly dancing girls. The Solstice Parade is the one thing I can’t miss in Seattle. I’ve done it three years in a row. This year I’m in Argentina.

I’m alone right now, apart from one of my roommates, in this large apartment with french doors that open on to tiny balconies. The heat is on low, the sun is spilling in, and I’m working, in my PJs. I’ll get up soon, put on a coin scarf, and dance around the house a bit, to show my solidarity with the sisters of Visionary Dance.

P.S. Yes that’s me in the photo, the morning of the parade in 2006.

A few years ago, a tanguero that I know, upon learning that I was belly dancing, asked me if it was just a bunch of jiggling around. Heavens no! Belly dancing is not that simple. Look at the video and see how she uses her core, her hips, see her strength.

Belly dancing is NOT:

-loose and jiggly in movement, lacking technique

-submissive

-simple & easy

-tawdry

-meant only as a way for woman to seduce men (don’t believe me? Read this.)

Belly Dancing IS:

-very good for your core muscles

-good for stress relief (at the end of a hard day, put on a coin scarf and shimmy for a while. Works wonders.)

-a celebration of fertility (…in a lot of other languages, it translates to “dance of the womb”)

-a celebration of sisterhood

-sensual (and yes, seductive)

-grounded

-empowering

-a beautiful way to celebrate your individuality and express yourself!

-a good excuse to make pretty costumes with sparkly jingly things

-for all age groups, all body types

-part of several cultures that are fascinating to learn about

Some nice links if you’re interested in learning more about belly dancing -

Visionary Dance

“Alexandra’s Belly Dance Library”

Shira