Thread: Artist Circle

I have been dancing for a while now, and I've noticed how the phases of my dance pursuit have evolved. I was a baby belly dancer, in love with everything and everyone for at least two years. Then, I started dancing in restaurants, continued to take many workshops and lessons, traveled, but somehow lost sight of the belly dance community surrounding me. About a year and a half ago, I started dancing together with a dance acquaintance: the beautiful Manon, who I had always admired and enjoyed, but had never really worked with. We began to get together to simply dance, practice, and search for means of heightening our artistic experience and expression through dance. We were looking for the Juice, in other words. Through this search we got to know each other's dancing more intimately, and this lead to really learning more about who each other was as a person, and this has in turn blossomed into a really fantastic friendship.

At the beginning of January, a woman who was another belly dance acquaintance called me and asked if I would consider getting together and just brainstorming about dance. Why not? So she came over, and we did just that: my turn, your turn, what inspires your movement? What do you think about when dancing? When practicing? What do you yearn for? Though we come from different dance backgrounds and styles, it was a wonderful collaboration, and I felt again that wonderful spark of friendship and community that comes out of women dancing for women.

I have done this several times now- I think of it as getting in the Artist's Circle (and that is Manon's beautiful term). It is a time to leave the stagename persona behind, and just communicate and explore together. It is not a "lesson", no exchanging of money for ideas. We learn together. There is rarely an itinerary for the trip, and there is always the possibility that the session will fizzle and that will be that. But, so far, it has yielded nothing but friendship and epiphanies.

Have any of you tried this? Anybody have other experiences that bring you to a different artistic place?

Alimah

I've never formally tried anything like this but it sounds heavenly! As a curator, I've heard about these sort of artist circles but I've always associated them with artists of the past--very romanticized and bohemian. If I were in your area Alimah, I would be knocking on your door!!

Same here.

I have not experienced this with another person but I've done much work with the book, The Artists way. In-fact I am now going through it for the third time and have been working with the book as an annual event in my life at the beginning of the year. It is my annual ritual.

I wish I did have friends in the area that would be interested in getting together sharing and enjoying the artistic process.

Someone should make a website where dancers can share their practice gems. This is good stuff.

Originally Posted by jasani

Someone should make a website where dancers can share their practice gems. This is good stuff.

Oooh oooh oooooooh!! I have a page on my website called "Artist Circle". I haven't really known what to do with it. I'm just not a promoter, and yet I felt it was something I wanted to focus on, thus created the page. I'll start listing my epiphanies and discoveries on that page! If you want me to list yours, just email me or PM me. I'll post your idea with a link to your website, if anybody's interested! Then we can have our own world-wide Artist Circle without getting on an airplane! I've actually written a few threads for bhuz, then chickened out from posting them because they seemed to "out there."

So, here's the Artist Circle webpage:

Alimah Bellydance - Artist Circle

I just set it up, but will add a link to a blog page soon so that it doesn't become long and ungainly. But, I'm so excited that I have to go and practice first!!

Thanks for the great idea, Jasani!

Alimah

Originally Posted by AngelaDiCaprio

I have not experienced this with another person but I've done much work with the book, The Artists way. In-fact I am now going through it for the third time and have been working with the book as an annual event in my life at the beginning of the year. It is my annual ritual.

I wish I did have friends in the area that would be interested in getting together sharing and enjoying the artistic process.

I love this book. I've worked with it twice now. I also am working through the Seven Habits of Highly Effective People with my husband. Good stuff!!

Alimah

Originally Posted by alimahdances

I also am working through the Seven Habits of Highly Effective People with my husband. Good stuff!!

Alimah

Jeff and I really like this one too. We have it on audio and it's great for long car rides.

I have a small writer's circle and it's pretty much the same idea. Once we graduated from our MFA programs we were dumped back into our very solitary careers and it didn't take long to remember how stagnant you become if left on your own. We get together once a month to discuss projects, ideas, debates. We also keep tabs on each other--what we're writing, are we submitting, what are we reading. I believe it's absolutely necessary for growth and having a sense of community. Sunday morning we're having breakfast at Cracker Barrel. Love that place.

This is a great idea. I've always worked with a large troupe, and it's hard to satisfy your own individual expression this way, though you get the community, which I would miss if I was working on my own. This way, you get personal attention, a chance to express yourself directly, and interaction and community. Sounds good! Maybe I'll find this someday.

I got the idea from the music world where people play for each other and experiment together, and where masterclass is a way of life. Also, in the Suzuki violin world, there is a constant stream of ideas being shared. Every teacher applies them in a different way, and contributes their own ideas and it generates this wonderfully creative environment. Of course there are still workshops for teachers as well as students - there is no substitute for seeing in person what somebody's idea is.

Anyway, I started writing what I am working on in a blog. It ranges from dance to personal epiphanettes. The process itself is very rewarding.

Here's the blog: Artist Circle

happy dancing to all,

Alimah

I have been lucky enough to do this in person with wonderful dancers like Roula Said, Razia, Dharlene Valeda, Zahira, and some others who have popped in and out. We always had a great, productive time, but had trouble keeping it going with our busy schedules. It was great to do when we were able to.
Your blog looks great. I'll keep checking in.
-Hannan

Originally Posted by hannan

I have been lucky enough to do this in person with wonderful dancers like Roula Said, Razia, Dharlene Valeda, Zahira, and some others who have popped in and out. We always had a great, productive time, but had trouble keeping it going with our busy schedules. It was great to do when we were able to.
Your blog looks great. I'll keep checking in.
-Hannan

Wow, what a fun crowd to work with!

I'm glad you like the blog!

Alimah

I have been longing for my own local artist's circle of sorts, what a timely topic. I'm getting tiny snippets of what I want at times, which I treasure, but not near enough. I will stay tuned to your blog, your insights are just beautiful.

Your blog is fantastic, Alimah; I'm so glad you brought it to our attention. You're talking about concepts I've only just begun to consciously explore myself, so it's quite serendipitous for me to have opened this thread, and followed it to your blog. Thanks for doing this--I don't currently belong to an "artist's circle" myself, so maybe I can participate on some level in yours.

I'm so glad to hear you are enjoying them! Please feel free to participate whenever and however you like.

happy dancing,

Alimah