There isn't a smiley to express how awesome the Dina workshop & show weekend was. It was wonderful to meet some bhuzzers (Adishakti and Damiena - who I recognized from their pictures/youtube) - and meet lots of cool folks from Canada. The Friday show was pretty great, if long.
Saturday and Sundays workshops were really useful. At first it felt like we were never going to get it, but by the end of the weekend, I feel like I learned a lot and internalized (hopefully) some new ideas. It was fun working together with some of the other workshop participants to try to get the choreography when we were on break.
Dina's show was awesome. I don't think I was really breathing while she was on - I kept catching my breathe. My favorite costume of the 4 costume changes was this iridescent blue costume with black rivet tape for straps and decoration. Most of her costumes had very little decoration, but fit her like a glove and she doesn't need any help to see her shimmy. Her shimmy is one of the most amazing things I've ever seen. Well, the whole Dina package is amazing - she is quite a lady. Even her post-performance outfit was hot stuff, a little leather mini dress with cutouts on the waist - she had a black nylon bodysuit on underneath. And 6 inch patent leather heels.
I learned that if you're going to a bellydance show at these things, you need to dress nice. I brought a cocktail dress for Saturday but I didnt' realize that Friday's show would be dressy too. Or maybe Canadians just have great fashion sense. In my jeans and BDSS t-shirt, I felt like such a schlub!
After Dina's show, a great band played and everyone got up to dance. needless to say I think we were all infected by her dancing and I know I felt like I had a little bit of Dina in me. The music was great and it was one of the best times I've had social dancing. :-)