Thursday, January 17, 2013

The Spotlight on Karen (me)

The first thing that hits me is just how nervous I am to interview myself.  How strange that is.  It’s kind of like playing a game of chess with yourself, you know the moves you are going to make before you make them and thus what the counter move will be.  It is the same with the interview process.  You know what you are going to ask, so you already know the answer, and then you know the follow up question.  It nearly borders on the schizophrenic, lol.  However, I decided I should be the first “guinea pig” in this little adventure since, “what’s good for the goose is good for the gander” and all that,right?  And so I begin…
 
Where did you grow up? Duluth, MN – VERY cold, but beautiful in the spring and summer.
What first sparked your interest in Bellydancing and when?  I first started bellydancing in the late 90’s.  I had a really good friend who danced at a Greek restaurant.  I LOVED watching her dance.  She was mesmerizing!  She taught me a few moves in her living room over a few weeks and helped me with my first improvisational solo (which was at a Halloween party at my house and one of the reasons I “landed” my hubby).  It was years later, after my first child was born, that I attended my first real bellydance class in an attempt to get some exercise to lose the baby weight.

Who was your first instructor/where?  My first FIRST was LeAnn in Duluth, MN, but my first REAL teacher was Christine Mangelly here in Augusta in March of 2000.  I was HOOKED!

How did you feel during your first performance or when you were first able to make sense of the dance?  It was Magical.  I was so nervous at my first performance, but felt instantly ALIVE knowing I was involved in something so mysterious and, again, magical.  I was hooked!  When I first began “getting” the movements, it was a like a door had been opened for all kinds of possibilities.

What is something fascinating about you that no one, or very few, knows about you?  Hmmm, I used to be a security officer in a hospital as well as a medical lab technician and had a brief stint in the military.             

What are your dreams for the future – where do you see yourself in the dance in 3, 5, 10, 20 years?  I would love to still be dancing and teaching.  Not only that, but I’d like to be such a good drummer that I’d be able to come up with fantastic drum solos for dancers.  ;)

Do you teach?  If not, would you ever consider teaching?  Yes, I teach beginners bellydance (Bellydance 101) at hip2hip Studios as well as drumming class.  I am also considering teaching a costuming/sewing class/workshop with Jana Ashing.

What do you do in the muggle world?  In addition to teaching dance classes at the studio, and sewing costumes, I also work with Mahea on 80sk8 in the administrative and embroidery end of things.  Not to mention a mom of two and a military wife of over 15 years.  J

Where do you get your costumes?  Do you make any?  I have bought a few costumes over the years, but, out of necessity and preference, I sew most of my costumes.  I have also sewn custom costumes for Asuhndree as well as for other individuals.

What music inspires you?  Middle Eastern music, some contemporary, alternative, occasionally a dubstep or hiphop song will speak to me.  It really depends on my mood.

What do you absolutely HATE about the dance world?  Cattiness and drama.

What do you absolutely LOVE about the dance world?  The emotion that can be created simply by interpreting music through moving the body.  I also love both the regimented movements of Hula/Ballet and the interpretive, semi-free movements Bellydance allows.

Are you a soloist or do you dance with others or a troupe?  And which troupes have you danced with?  I am a soloist but also dance with Asuhndree.  I have danced with Christine Mangelly’s troupe, also a troupe in Germany led by a Turkish lady named Aynur, and before moving back to Augusta, I danced with Janette in Monterey and the Park Avenue Dancers.

Where do you find choreography inspiration?  What types of movement are you drawn to?  The music is usually what drives my choreography. I do what the music tells me to do.  Although every now and then I feel a certain movement needs to be in a choreography so I try to make it fit.  As to the types of movements I am drawn to, those would usually be soft, subtle movements but also those with sharp accents. 

Other than bellydancing, what types of dance do you like/perform?  I also dance Hula.

What “style” of bellydance do you most associate yourself with – Cabaret, Tribal, Folkloric, Fusion, Orientale?  I would say I am most closely associated with Cabaret, specifically American Cabaret with maybe an Egyptian influence, but am drawn to other styles depending on the music.  If the music moves me, then I am moved to dance in that style.  Dancers like Ansuya, Aziza of Montreal, Fahtiem, as well as my former instructors have all influenced my style.

If you were suddenly unable to dance, would you continue in the dance world somehow, or would you just give it up?  I’ve had to face this exact situation not long ago, though I am happily recovering and am on the way back to dancing again, I did have to adapt.  I could not imagine my life without this dance somehow in it so I took up drumming.  I knew I could drum and still stay seated, thus saving my injured knees. 

How long have you been dancing/bellydancing?  Off and on for over 13 years.  Though I did do some ballet and tap as a child.


If you were stranded on a desert island, whom would you like to be with and what one thing?    That is difficult, but most definitely my hubby and, I guess if there's electricity, my Nook, I love to read!

What is in your dancers’ bag?  What has to be in there?  Must haves are always safety pins, Tylenol/Deep Blue cream for ouchies, backup music, a veil or two, glitter (loose or spray), hair brush & hair spray, makeup bag, plus some catpaws.
 
In wrapping up my interview with myself, I have to laugh a bit.  This has been a silly thing for me to do.  I much more enjoy finding out about other people than opening up about me.  So as I embark on this journey for knowledge of my fellow dancers, etc, I look forward to my next subject.  Without a doubt she (or he) will be a much better conversationalist.
 
So, who will The Spotlight shine on next?  Are you game??
 

3 comments:

  1. This is sooooo cool! Inspiring, makes one think of how he/she got to this point in their life. Me likey!

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  3. Good job Karen! That was really cool, and I look forward to learning about the other dancers you interview as well! Thank you for doing this!

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