Quantum Entanglement, or Rapunzel's Lament

The Wind whips fingers through my hair,
Lifting random tendrils in the air.
I meant to plait it, but forgot
And now it's flying everywhere.
He plays with them until I've got
My tangled tresses tied in lovers' knots.

Dance Kit Check!

Off to Cardiff yesterday to perform at the Masquerade Belly Dance Ball with some of the lovely women who come to my Imago Belly Dance classes.  For two of them, this was their first belly dance performance; one has only had a couple of months of classes, and is feeling seriously challenged but resolutely goes for it. We must have danced the piece about 25 or 30 times, but there are still some sticky points, made worse by nerves, anxiety and frustration; everyone working so hard to get it right.  It's a relatively short, simple choreography with a lot of repetition, but it's slow and slinky, which needs muscles and control.  And we're wearing masks and using feather boas.  My workroom is adrift with white feathers and bits of glitter. At the end of rehearsals, the room looked like an explosion in a chicken plucking plant.  It's amazing there are any feathers left in the boas. (Admittedly they were cheap, but even so, seriously underwhelming in terms of quality.  Even doubled up, they are straggly and fluffy.  Both of my cats have also tried to kill them; they may be a heap of feathers, but they're obviously not dead enough yet!).
I'm an old hand at performance, but I still get anxious trying to remember all my kit. I packed a small suitcase for the Cardiff show, and received comments from the assembled company in the house at the time that they took less for a week's holiday (though I can't work out how!)  There are a few haflas coming up too, so here is my current and commented list for dance kit:

Body: Costume(s).  I wear everyday clothes for travelling in, with an extra coat or sweater for later. Check you have all the bits of the costume for all your pieces, clean, mended if necessary, admired from all angles in a mirror to ensure you're not unintentionally revealing anything, and rehearsed in to ensure there are no problems. Remember that beaded belts and skirts are designed for dancing, not sitting around in.   If you're wearing bedlah, you might want to take a galabeya to change into for sitting around and perhaps the dancing at the end, or if not, then a ...
Costume cover-up, even if it's only a large silk veil.  And a veil is also a nice prop to shimmy around with at the end, too.

Appropriate underwear!  Note; match knickers/boy shorts to the colour of the skirt.  I like to take a change of underwear, so that I can change into something fresh and dry to avoid getting chilly on the drive home. 
Props.  In this case, mask and boa, and a spare mask and boa in case someone forgets theirs. (I know, I'm just a mother hen!)
Sagat (aka zills, finger cymbals), if you like to play them while shimmying around with if there's a disco at the end.  (If you see me playing air sagat backstage, you know I'm having a few pre-performance nerves!)
Jewellery. Earrings, necklace, bracelets; something to max the bling which won't catch on the boa or mask.
Other bits like emery board, lip salve, moisturiser, body glitter and bindis.
Talcum powder, to try to stop the boa sticking to my sweaty hands!
Small towel and/or wet wipes or similar.
Feet: Dance shoes to match costume.  I might take two pairs, one ballet, one 'ballerina' flat.  I took only the latter to a hafla last year, and they were so grippy on the mucky tile dance floor, I could hardly move!
Face: Make-up and mirror.  For a local show, it's best to go ready made-up; there's seldom a dressing room with a mirror, reasonable light, space and time to do a good job.  We went up to Cardiff quite early and did our make-up in the canteen while we were waiting for our food to arrive.  Note, if you're travelling any distance in make-up, you'll probably still want to touch it up.  If you're in fantasy make-up, be prepared for some strange looks at motorway services when you wander in looking like Dr Who extras! 
Hair: brush, comb, hair clips (hair bands and so on just slip off my head), hair ties, flowers,braids, tikka, dreadfalls, whatever, etc.
Mending kit, with thread to match costume pieces, safety pins, scissors
And various 'handbag' bits such as:
Money, keys, business cards, diary and pen
Phone (with charged battery)
Camera (with charged battery and a spare SD card ... and spare battery in case the first goes dead.)
Music, spare copy on CD
Bottle of water
Address, directions and notes on parking
Tickets, if these have been sent in advance
A copy of the choreography notes (I often go blank!) and tech sheet.

Both my cats get rather upset when I pack to go somewhere, and start being a bit obstructive ...

I don't care if your sparkly galabeya is in here, this is currently my bed.

Recipe - Sweet Spicy & Quick Stir Fried ...

I seem to be very busy, if not terribly productive, at the moment and needed a very quick lunch the other day, also a bit of a ginger and chilli fix.  I had some leftover marrow (they seem to go on forever) and did a spicy hot, sweet and quick stir fry.  This works just as well with cucumber, if you have a summer glut, courgette or squash. I love it, so I thought I'd share it.   I had it as a main dish, but you could have it as a side dish instead.  The quantities are approximate - adjust to your needs and your taste.

Ingredients:
Approx 4" length of marrow, peeled, deseeded and cut into roughly 2" sticks
An onion or rather large shallot, cut into wedges
An inch or so of fresh ginger and a couple of cloves of garlic, cut into strips
Sweet chilli sauce (or you could use finely sliced fresh chilli, or some chilli flakes) and mango chutney
A little vegetable oil

Heat the oil, add the onion/shallot and fry - I like mine starting to caramelise around the edges.
Add the ginger and garlic (and chilli if you're not using chilli sauce) and toss around a little, then add the marrow.
Stir fry until the marrow starts to cook through, and add a tablespoon or so each of chilli sauce (if you're not using fresh chillies) and mango chutney.
Stir around some more so that the flavours cook through into the marrow. Serve with some rice, noodles, flatbread .. whatever you like.
Spicy hot from the ginger and chilli, sweet from the mango chutney and very quick! Bon appetit!

100 Words

Looking for some part-time, freelance work recently, I applied for a job as a design researcher, which apparently involved surfing the interweb for examples of good interior design and compiling them in a list, for a couple of days a week. In a strange sort of phone interview one evening, (after I had sent my CV and cover letter 3 times!) the prospective employer expressed his doubts that I could do the job, considering that I have no qualifications in design or architecture. He wanted 100 words back to him that same evening on why I would be a perfect candidate.

Well, okay.  It's true, I'm not really a 'designer' although I can surf around the interweb and compile lists in my sleep.  As far as I can see, much of what passes for 'interior design' is really just fashion.  The same size and shape of sofa in the same place in the room, with the same size and shape of cushions, but this year we're wearing, as it might be, contrasting stripes of Telephone Black and White White*.  (Oh, you noticed those slashes of red across the wall? Yes, it does look like arterial spray, but actually our painter had a bit of a tantrum when we changed our mind from the original palette of Cornish Cream, Strawberry and Bitter Chocolate.  It's such a talking point, we decided to leave it.  No, unfortunately, I can't give you his number - he's disappeared.)

Good design does have some rules, so inspired by Dieter Rams' 10 Principles for Good Design, and some thoughts of my own, I put together a paragraph relating elements of good design to my own characteristics.  I was so pleased with this piece of creative writing, I thought I would record it for posterity:

• I am useful, practical, easy to understand, unpretentious and honest; what you see is what you get.  I am beautiful in my own way, and at 50 years old, quite durable and long-lasting.  I am conscientious, accurate and thorough; details are important.  I can stand alone to make a statement or work alongside others, blending in harmoniously and unobtrusively.  I can be functional and innovative to provide good solutions.  Interested in wildlife conservation, I am environmentally friendly.  I dance, combining space, flow and rhythm.  I transcend changing tastes and fashions.  I am an example of good design.  Pure and simple.

I didn't get a reply.  After a week or so, I called back.  He was relieved that I wasn't one of his sponsors calling him, but when I reminded him I had applied for the job, he said he didn't remember me at all.  I left it at that.  Some things aren't meant to be; I think I might have had a lucky escape.

* Flanders and Swann: 'Design for Living', which you can listen to here (starts at about 6 minutes). And, like so many of their songs, as true now as it was then.

Organised Chaos

I like to think I'm quite organised.  I’m very untidy, but mostly manage to work with a sort of organised chaos, relying on knowing where I put something.  And then, at some point, it all descends into complete chaos, where I can’t find anything and feel as though I can’t move for standing on my hands, as it were.  That’s where I am at the moment.  I can’t find the buttons I bought recently at a couple of charity shops.  I have a pile of odd socks.  (This drives me crackers.  Where could they go?)  I have fabric and paperwork everywhere but can’t find the particular fabric or set of papers that I want.  Oh, to have a place for everything and everything in its place, but I’m a hoarder and my stash is currently exceeding the available storage.  I’d do some stash-busting, but I can’t find the buttons …

Needing some inspiration (displacement activity, really), I picked up my Belly Dancer’s Treasure Pack.  This is a set of cards and a ‘guidance book’ written by my belly dance colleague Guinevere Clark. She worked with a number of artists who provided the lovely illustrations on the cards, and I did the proof reading for the book.
I’m always amazed at the way you can select Tarot or Oracle cards and there will be something which speaks to your situation.  Putting aside the 6 cards which constantly call to me (Transformation, Dreamtime, Isis, Goddess, Self-Acceptance and Sensuality) I shuffled the other cards.  Pick 6 cards, let’s see what they say. 

So … Organisation (ha!), Breath, Hands, Learning, Flow, Synergy.  Of course, the affirmations and notes to go with the cards relate to dance, but it seems to me the message is:  Allow and create space and time to get organised.  Take a deep breath, start to pick things up.  Learn from this; lack of organisation interrupts your flow.  You’ll be more productive when you get it all together.

Of course.  I just needed a little message of encouragement from the universe.  Now I’ve stopped thinking so hard about it, I’ve remembered where I put those buttons!

Current earworm: Muse - Supermassive Black Hole

What's in a Name?

A couple of years ago, I came to the point where I really wanted to find a name and some sort of logo for my belly dancing classes and performance for myself and the class troupe.  I had been trawling through names of goddesses, Celtic/Welsh and Arabic words or names and getting nowhere; they were either taken, or somehow not appropriate.

I toyed with using the local Celtic tribe’s name – Demetae Tribal sounded good.  Trouble was, every time I put it into Google, it assumed I had spelt it wrong and corrected it to Demented Tribal.  I shared this with a couple of belly dance friends and we had a merry few minutes playing with how fast we could whirl through Basic Egyptian with half and full turns in a mad sort of way, until we fell about laughing and agreed that Demented Tribal was probably right in some respects, but not ones I wanted to advertise!

I wanted something which reflected the way I thought about belly dance and its effects, and echoed my personality.  Something short and memorable, neutral enough to cover different dance styles, unique, or at least not widely used.  The logo, if not the name, should be something I could also use for my creative output as well.

I’ve identified with moths for a long time.  Mainly nocturnal, attracted to light and scent.  Most aren’t overtly beautiful like butterflies, but have a more complex and subtle appeal.  As I thought about moths, butterflies, dragon- and damselflies, they started to appear in my dreams.  I started to see images of butterflies and moon moths everywhere, in clusters and in unexpected places.  It was a sign.  My favourite moths are large and furry, with round tummies.  Hence the name Dancing Moth for this blog and my creative side.

These insects have been through a metamorphosis, becoming more beautiful with age and change.  I am convinced of the transformational power of dance movement in general and belly dance in particular.  Dancing regularly in a non-judgemental, supportive atmosphere can do great things for self-esteem.  At the point where you decide you can dance in front of others and even perform, you know you are well and truly out of the cocoon.  Lost in the moment and the music, it is as if belly dance releases an inner beauty and you glimpse the soul.  This is especially true for older women, who dance with a subtle elegance. 

In Greek mythology, the Psyche is the Goddess of the soul, and her symbol is the butterfly.

For me, the analogy was complete.  The winged, adult form of insects such as butterflies, moths and dragonflies is the imago.  The word stems from the Latin imago: image, with its root linked to words like imagine, imagination.

Here she is, emerging from her cocoon, spreading her wings and releasing the beauty within.

Imago

The Bees are Back in Town!

Last week I took my car in for a service. It was supposed to be a chilly day - we've had over a week of winds coming from the north-west, north and north-east.  However, it was sunny and nicely warm. So I gave myself permission for some time out and took the opportunity to spend a few hours at Poppit Sands.  The tide was out, so I pottered along to the rocky end of the beach to have a look in any handy rock pools. Not a lot there.  Nice patterns in the rocks and sandy ripples, and sunlight glinting off water kept me entertained for a while. I had a nice chat with the lady in the RNLI shop, where they had some lovely things which made me want to redesign my bathroom.  Lacking the money for that, I settled on buying a couple of second hand books, which no doubt will be recycled in the same way when I've read them.  Then I treated myself to lunch in the newly and nicely refurbished beach cafe (local cheeses, fresh bread, salad, chutney, mmm!)
Near the lifeboat station, I was admiring a mound of brambles in flower.  Is it my imagination, or has there been a lot of bramble flower this summer?  We might be in for a good blackberry season.
Gazing at the insects taking advantage of the flowers, I suddenly realised I was looking at several honey bees.  I haven't seen honey bees for two summers and had begun to forget what they look like!  I love our various bumble, solitary and other bees, but was beginning to feel distressed about the lack of honey bees here.

A friend dropped in last night, having been at his neighbour's farm the other night when a swarm of bees flew in and started to settle around a wooden post.  A local beekeeper was called, who happily gathered the swarm to give them a good, new home.
When I first moved here in 1999, we saw a swarm in early to mid July every year for the first few years.  Our next door neighbour at the time had a colony of wild bees in a tree hole.  However, I think they are long gone and I haven't heard about any other wild bees.
This started me thinking about the old rhyme.  Why is a swarm in July not worth a fly?  (Goes off to Google it.) Ahha!  Thanks Biobees!  It's apparently because a late season swarm may not be able to build up enough honey reserves to overwinter.  However, as someone on the forum pointed out, if it's a choice between a July swarm or none, a beekeeper would go for the swarm, and give the bees TLC and supplementary feeding if necessary to help them overwinter.
Our friend has talked about wanting to keep bees recently and commented that my next-door-but-one neighbour (well, she is about three-quarters of a mile up the road, but that's how it is around here!) is also going to start keeping bees.  Very cheerful news over a cup of tea!

We've had rather changeable weather this week until yesterday, which was a great day for getting the washing dry.  So it slipped my mind that I should be doing some butterfly counting.  The sun came out this afternoon, so I went out to look.  The Big Butterfly Count only requires you take 15 minutes at a time, so it's easy.  Go do one!  There was quite a chilly wind and nothing much to see round by the pond, so I went out of the gate to have a look at the roadside buddleias. It started to rain every day as soon as they were ready to open their flowers, resulting in some rather tatty, browning blooms.  But they still smell and there were a few butterflies visiting along with ... yes!  Honey Bees!

(Goes off to do a happy waggle dance in honour of honey bees).