Conquering fears - what inspires me to blog.

Well it is obvious that belly dance is my main inspiration for blogging but what aspect of the dance inspires me most took some thought. One of the main reasons I have stuck with belly dance is that I have achieved more than I ever could have imagined. Every time I reach one of my goals and do the impossible, I hunger for the thrill of the next challenge. I wonder "How great will I feel after I conquer my next fear?". For me, belly dance has encouraged me to face some of my biggest inner demons. I still maintain that I started out as one of the shyest dancers ever. My students do not believe me but I was a handful for my first teacher.  I couldn't even face the studio mirrors when I first went to class, my self esteem was so low I wanted to cry when I saw my own reflection. I would run out of class whenever we had to improvise (the thought of it made want to throw up) and sneak back in when that activity was over. I flatly refused to perform for 3 whole years, even in a group piece at a student hafla!!! I am sure my teachers wondered why I even showed up at all. Flash forward to now - I perform regularly and some of the  time I don't even get nervous at all. I happily solo, I teach others to dance and I have my own home studio with a wall of mirrors that I can smile happily into, even when I am not wearing make up!! New situations and scenarios can still trigger off anxiety and fear - e.g. performing at the Utopian Dream International Dance festival in front of national and international dance star and choreographers from 'So you think you can dance?' had my heart skipping so many beats I thought I might have a heart attack! However, the more I keep dancing and facing each new challenge, the easier they are getting to conquer. I write this blog not because I am the greatest dancer in the world but because I want to help other aspiring dancers with what holds them back and be able to answer their questions from the perspective of someone that has struggled and overcome them. If you have any questions about belly dance, stage fright, natural make-up, etc. please leave it in the comments below and I will do my best to help you on your journey. love Jade.