Happy New Year! The Year of the Veil!

After some pondering of what my dance life will hold this new year, I’ve come to the conclusion that it will be the year of the veil!  When I first started learning belly dance I was introduced to two props: 1) Stick, and; 2) Veil.  Although I didn’t like stick right away it has grown on me and I enjoy it more now than I ever did.  Stick helped connect me to more of the folkloric style side of belly dance for which I’m glad I’ve experienced.  The veil on the other hand, I fell in love with right away.  Like this dance it is fluid in it’s movement.  It can float gently or be used to help focus the audience on certain movements by becoming a frame for the body.  It can create the illusion that the dancer is a mysterious creature and behind her veil lies emotion and feeling that she shares when letting veil fall away from her body.  The veil is a prop that became popular for entrances in the forties with the film industry capturing it on film.  Today it continues to be popular as an entrance prop but has also become more an extension of the dancer who chooses to hold on to it a little longer.  I am a dancer who loves dancing with veil and I plan to share my love of this prop this year through a series of veil workshops to be held in Ottawa.  If you haven’t experienced veil work before most teachers will usually introduce it to their beginner students.  If you have experienced veil and would love to know more on how to play and perform with it stay tuned to my Workshop page for veil workshops coming this spring.  In the mean time, stay warm and keep dancing.