Doing it* my way - always (new ways of teaching the ancient art of Oriental Dance)

Here´s THE* thing: I´m never the same therefore my work is NEVER the same as it was yesterday. Plus: I don´t believe in ARTISTS who keep repeating what they´ve already done. If there´s no constant death and rebirth there´s no ART - in my opinion.

 

If you follow my work - and the Vision I have of my craft* - you know by now I see* Oriental Dance everywhere. Sculpture, architecture, painting, theatre, cinema, a landscape, animals playing on the grass, children´s laughter - it´s all music, it´s all dance, it´s all LIFE. So it´s only fair that my Workshops and classes reflect that WIDE approach. If you´re expecting the usual 1,2,3 turn 1,2,3 hip drop, 1,2,3, circle kind of routine from me you´re in for a disappointment. I see Oriental Dance as an Adventure with a CORE and I believe there are many - original, creative, visionary - ways to guide students/dancers to that core.

I used sacred geometrical figures and painting (mostly Paul Klee and my sweet heart Pablo Picasso) on my LONDON MASTER CLASSES; I also used all kinds of exercizes and notes that are not on your usual "belly dance" class. Some may think I am strange (they´re right) and others may ask what´s the point of bringing apparently foreign elements to a dance that is pretty much marked with the usual plain bullshit. Don´t ask. Really, don´t! I know what I´m doing. For those who doubt my "unique, strange" methods, I can only say: TRY one of my classes, workshops, whatever you can catch. Just TRY IT. Then you can judge.

It´s a wicked, WICKED pleasure to open doors. Yep: I´m a door/gate opener and that is perhaps the job of the Artist I aim to become (every single day of my life).

Image - courtesy of my dear sister Susana Vitorino.