~*For Dancers who enjoy dancing Socially *With Each Other*; as well as Individually*~ The WHIMSYUM Center For New Directions For The Belly Dance Community offers these new forums to enjoy & support each other making dance a part of our lives, whether for recreation or career; & welcome more diversity of dancers & expression to the art of joyful inspired movement! GO TO CALENDAR FOR NEXT Gathering DATE & ADDRESS!: not everything makes it to our site here! Join the list!: https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/The-WHIMSYUM/info
a.
INSPIRATIONAL BELLY DANCE CIRCLE Outdoors! SING & EXCHANGE
Symbolic GESTURES While Belly Dancing w/Each Other: Ancient & contemporary transformational ritual belly dances, party belly dances, & belly dances to share w/friends-- which
celebrate life, the gift we each are, & the beauty present in every moment. Sometimes we cocreate new ones together. Many people love to dance, but are not always comfortable w/the way dance classes are
usually taught... or the atmosphere: Join us for a gathering in nature, w/some fun easy.
+ Playful Begining Belly Dance LESSONs shared informally & collectively like party activities; & focused around connecting & feeling, rather than technique
& appearance. FREE! Gathering is for dancing & being active; but sometimes in breaks we share
stories, network about events, creating/finding costumes, etc; + you’re welcome to bring potluck snacks to
share if you like :)
b. BELLYDANCER OPEN MIKE + BELLY-DANCE-JAM! Dance Socially *With Each Other*; as well as Individually! Many people would love to share their gift & love of dance w/others, but don't perform often ( or at all), --because they need a space where the community & atmosphere are sensitive & supportive; & where the focus is on the joy of dance, & friendship, --on the *experience*, --rather than the presentation; --with no expectations of needing to perform or appear in some specific way: We alternate between watching dancers perform & everyone getting up & dancing together: We call out Bellydancer 'sounds' to welcome you & encourage you; & many of us dance in twos, threes, or more --as wehn someone's dancing with you, you enjoy connecting & creating dance with that person, --& are less distracted by the idea of people watching & sharing your enjoyment with you. Anyone who loves to dance is welcome, you don’t need to know how,--you're welcome to improvise/fake Belly dance for the joy of it! If you only wish to dance socially when we jam, --but not perform, that’s totally fine too. You're also welcome to simply come & watch. Costumes not required; wear whatever makes it most fun & comfortable for you: All shapes, styles, sizes, ages are beautiful & welcome! Come join our celebration, shower each other & our community w/the magic, inspiration, romance & Spice inside us!
There are no wallflowers in this beautiful gathering of friends old & new who support & celebrate each other free of competition or cliques: No one will tell you how you should or should not dance: Find your inner artist, use your soul as a canvas: Look within, sing, dance, & bring forth your inner colors & be inspired by your infinite beauty. Dancing w/each other, ignited by our inner music, inspires nothing less than an ecstatic celebration!*
Why an Open Mike for Belly Dancers, & What Do We Mean By That?:
In addition to offering the interactive, more social atmosphere mentioned above, --we’re also building community for bellydancers who aren’t part of the 9 to 5 lifestyle, & realize many available at this time of day are looking for creative ways to support their income: We put out a basket so people who want to can donate to dancers for sharing their beauty & celebration! Donations received are split equally at the end between the dancers –in ratio to how much time they danced. Though musicians are welcome to sit in & play free to support us, --live music isn’t necessary for us to share what we do, or to enjoy it! We bring recorded bellydance music, --everyone’s welcome to BRING your favorites (+ spare ipods, CDs, players/ speakers), & our singing creates music!
We also doing this to create a positive precedent for the dance, especially Belly dance, community: There are zillions of opportunities for musicians to be supported/paid for playing; but less for dancers, & especially no open-mikes for belly dancers (or other dancers) to drop in be supported. Plus often when dancers perform, a much greater % goes to each musicians than each dancer. & often dancers are only hired for ‘mainstream’ sex appeal rather than their gift of dance, –& only allowed to take tips audience gets to touch their body & stuff in their costume: …Yet let’s face it, when there are Belly dancers around (no matter their shape/size/age), though people appreciate the music, all attention is focused w/enchantment & delight on the rare gift of beholding the dance! All donations received in our Open Mike go to the dancers, & are placed w/loving reverence in a donation box; no one touches the dancers –unless they’re another dancer dancing w/them, joyfully honoring each other :)
FOOD FOR THOUGHT: If this sounds fun, but you’re feeling shy: You can just ‘Mirror
dance’: not thinking but just flowing into whatever you see the person before you doing: A great
way to
not just pick up new styles–but truly internalize, deeply enjoy, & celebrate the beauty of the human being before you :)
Many people love to dance, but are not always comfortable w/the way dance classes are usually taught... or the atmosphere: Join us for a gathering in nature, w/some fun easy lessons shared informally & focused around connecting & feeling, rather than technique & appearance.
Many people would love to share their gift & love of dance w/others, but don't perform often
( or at all), --because they need a space where the community &
atmosphere are sensitive & supportive; & where the focus is on the joy of dance, & friendship,
--on the*experience*, --rather than the presentation; --with no expectations of needing to perform or appear in some specific way: We alternate between watching dancers perform & everyone getting up & dancing together: We call out Bellydancer 'sounds' to welcome you & encourage you; & many of us dance in twos, threes, or more --as when someone's dancing
with you, you enjoy connecting & creating dance with that person, --& are less distracted by
the idea of people watching & sharing your enjoyment with you.
Think of the most immense, Wildly brilliant, almost blindingly beautiful, shining, celebratory, GODDESS expanding & filling the air in front of you as far as the eye can see… This is not an idea, or a moment: It’s an expression of the phenomenally magical, core essential GODDESS in EVERY woman! Stifling it is like "trying to blow out the Sun or put a cork on the ocean!” :) :) :)
The Sacred woman's journey is truthfully less about finding power, but instead about *Ceasing to Ignore* that it’s dancing in every atom of our being: Claim it, own it, & our birthright to Receive, ~*LIVE*~ & CELEBRATE our magic in *every moment* of our life. We’ll dig deep into our brilliantly fantastically fertile colorful inner-Shakti landscapes, & lovingly invite each other to discover new ways to challenge ourselves to experience more joy, more deeply BE, plus share, --the Gift we each are:
HOW TO PRE-REGISTER for Ongoing Series (2nd Saturdays, starting Dec. 10):
Here's the quick version w/out explanation; scroll down for a deeper explanation of why we've created this new kind of sustainable registration & all the details of how it works:~*Advance Registration ensures women understand these aren’t one of our drop-in events, but instead a 4-circle 'series' for women who enjoy, & are available, to show up regularly to celebrate & deeply support each other. These series are a gift of new directions for the community from The WHIMSYUM (which is about enjoying living the future ~*NOW*~, sharing new kinds of positive activities, meeting peers, making friends, & building outside the box community)! We're delighted to offer free gatherings, but to women who honor teachers' time by pre-registering & making a commitment to show up.*~
Registration is different, depending on your situation: Make sure to read all options below!A). Registration for women who've attended 4 events in-a-row hosted by Diana/The WHIMSYUM: (either drop-in events, or series: www.Whimsyum.org#calendar ): Thank you for regularly sharing your spirit in this community; you’re the heartbeat of this community!: Women who attend regularly create the deepest sense of community & a richer experience for everyone, both in our series & in our drop-in gatherings: Since you've already shown up dependably for this community for an extended period of time you don’t need a deposit to reserve your space: If you take a space your commitment is still important,though: While we understand emergencies happen, if more than once you miss, are late, or leave early, you’ll need to contribute $80 (to our ongoing fundraiser which helps keep these gatherings free) to continue attending not only this series, but any Whimsyum events. To register voicemail me w/your phone#, name, & request your space in the 4 dates above.
B). Registration for women who've attended more than 1 event hosted by Diana/ The WHIMSYUM: (either drop-in events, or series: www.Whimsyum.org#calendar ): Women who've attended our events before participating in a series, create a deeper sense of community for everyone -- both in our drop-in gatherings & the series!: $100 deposit to reserve your space; returned to you at 4th playshop as long as you’ve attended all 4 playshops, arriving reasonably on time, & stayed for the full playshop: If not, or you cancel your registration, your deposit goes to our ongoing fundraiser which helps keep these gatherings free; no refunds or substitutions: While it’s desirable that you attend each playshop; we understand emergencies happen: If you miss, although you forfeit your deposit, you’ll continue to be welcome to attend the series! Make your deposit here: www.whimsyum.net/circles.html
C). Registration for women who've attended at least 1 event hosted by
Diana/ The WHIMSYUM: (either drop-in events, or series: www.Whimsyum.org#calendar ):
(If you can, try coming to 1 of our free drop-in gatherings 1st, to experience some of the new kinds of activities we offer, + meet community & teachers: It'll create a deeper sense of community for you, teachers, & participants): $120 deposit to reserve your space; returned to you at 4th playshop as long as you’ve attended all 4 playshops, arriving reasonably on time, & stayed for the full playshop: If not, or you cancel your registration, your deposit goes to our ongoing fundraiser which helps keep these gatherings free; no refunds or substitutions: While it’s desirable that you attend each playshop; we understand emergencies happen: If you miss, although you forfeit your deposit, you’ll continue to be welcome to attend the series! Make your deposit here: www.whimsyum.net/circles.html
*** Our series are for women who celebrate what we’re doing & are happy to support this community! If you’d prefer to not commit to a series, or not provide a deposit -- join us at Upcoming Free Drop-In Events: www.whimsyum.org#calendar ***
GODDESS DOJO DESCRIPTION (Guidelines not required for attending public events above):
In sacred space in harmony with the female body, its rhythms & the female experience. We share, are honored for our wisdom, & manifest our full mind, body, spirit GODDESS potential --no matter what our fitness level: Honoring the Goddess that each of us are we ~*CELEBRATE*~ our STRENGTHS, *INTENSITY*, GIFTS & capacity for peace & bliss. We presence what is important to us & release anything that is not true. In the process of MOVING, of *being* & becoming STRONG, exploring & experiencing fulfilling our potential BEYOND ways women are known to in the conventional world: we transcend any preconception of what it is to be a woman, & revision & create a woman in ourselves, that is truly our own.
We share & teach each other focused around the knowledge that in every situation there are infinite possibilities, --& human beings have the potential to be clever enough, strong enough, & inspired enough --to not need to take negative actions; & that taking a negative action doesn't solve or improve a situation: That individuals & communities who know this stand beside each other & support each other; striving to activate this potential in their communities by inspiring everyone to be living symbols & peer teachers.
Women start with an intro circle to disperse mainstream ideas of what a 'dojo' is, & instead vision & cocreate their journey in a new way. No experience necessary.
Spiritual, OutsideTheBox, multigenerational, Holistic & new Whimsyum practices, challenge solving Role Play, Martial Arts, Dance, Ritual & Global SHARING Dojo.
For women interested in supporting each other to gain new plateaus of mind, body, spirit empowerment & delight: Everyone spends part of the time teaching ‘something’(even if its to teach others the basics you've just learned); because we’re ALL each other’s teachers in life. We receive our greater & greater belts in this dojo, not when we reach a new level of expertise, --but when we've helped a handful of students to gain *both* a new level of expertise, *and* brought them to a new positive plateau of mind, body, spirit empowerment thru transformative experiences of supportive friendship, inspiration, patience, & generosity of time & energy. Periodically we have rituals where we create personal symbols which represent what we celebrate we've gotten from our journey; & these symbols are then handcrafted by our dojo community on to the belts that are given to us in ceremony honoring us when we receive belts( belts also reflect color of our current level of expertise).
Each women intuitively decides how she'll participate, & with the help of the group cocreates what she needs for her unique journey. Many of our group activities are intuitively cocreated together by all individuals present. We’re continually trying new things, creating new practices; & our diverse activities are a constant reminder that when you think you’ve exhausted all options that life has to offer --there will always unexpectedly be new kinds of inexplicable wonder around a new corner).
We celebrate building friendships with women from all backgrounds, no matter their: shape, style choice, skin color, romantic preference, age, financial situation, etc...
The gathering includes a well being/ bliss activity ( like the ‘Therapeutic Massage Sharing Circle’ :separate into groups of 5: one woman lies down, fully clothed, & receives massage from 4 people; then she gets up & along with the other 4 people, –massages the next person to takes their turn to lie down & receive).
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*For women devoted to a positive, constructive, loving life path
*No one of us is here to serve more than any other; even your host :) These are egalitarian friendship gatherings --created by what each of us as individuals bring to it: Think about what you’d enjoy sharing, --its part of your RSVP to attend. Examples: Share/lead practices/activities/exercises; bring a favorite dish to share; volunteer to bring mats, equipment, chairs, blankets; be the 1 to pick up the massage table & bring it to the dojo; or offer some other way you’d like to volunteer…
*We gather for fitness: u must be coming to get a workout; though u can do lighter version of activities. There are *short* times to rest (opening, closing; lulls while practices are demonstrated; & occasionally short meditation); —& pee breaks between activities where you might share a few words with a friend: --But we don't focus on hanging/chatting time, unless you stay after talking to someone; or it's 1 of our longer gatherings where we break & potluck or tea in the middle or end: Our time in the dojo is focused on being ~*active*~ in group or individual activities; even when short cocreating discussions happen, they’re usually while simultaneously moving our bodies as we explore & create.
~*TO BE A WOMAN IS A CELEBRATION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!*~