Articles of Interest

backstage at the Austin Belly Dance Convention Gala Show 2019

Baba Karam Dance

October 16, 2019

This, perhaps, requires some explanation. Baba Karam, or Jaheli dance, is a popular Iranian character dance portraying a low-class urban tough guy. Members of this subculture have been known to…

Belly Dance Tips for Practicing Undulations and Figure-8s

April 30, 2019

In this post I break down movements and share tips with you about how to execute undulations and figure-8 designs I use in class. This is intended to supplement your…

Migrations & Cultural Encounters: Iran

March 26, 2019

From the Caspian Sea in the north to the Gulf of Oman in the south, dance in Iran reflects the diverse cultural landscapes of the many ethnic groups within its…

Nowruz Mobarak!

March 25, 2019

Happy Spring! This past week Iranian and Central Asian communities celebrated the ancient Zoroastrian new year holiday Nowruz. Nowruz is the day of the vernal equinox (March 21), and marks…

Migrations & Cultural Encounters: Uzbekistan

March 05, 2019

History of Silk Road cities in modern Uzbekistan The “Silk Road” was a vast network of land and sea routes connecting great civilizations of the classical and medieval worlds. It…

Be the Eye of the Storm

March 03, 2019

Be the Eye of the Storm and Cultivate Centering through Whirling Practice Doesn’t life sometimes feels chaotic? With our busy modern lives and the whirlwind of media input that draw…

Migrations & Cultural Encounters: Pamirs

February 26, 2019

Migrations and Cultural Encounters: Pamir Mountains of Tajikistan General Overview of Central Asia Central Asia is commonly understood to encompass the territory of six nations: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan,…

Migrations and Cultural Encounters: Afghanistan

February 19, 2019

Present day Afghanistan is strategically located along the historic Silk Road, a vast network of ancient trade routes that linked the East to the West. The routes were active beginning…

Migrations and Cultural Encounters: Punjab

February 12, 2019

Welcome to Part 2 of “Migrations and Cultural Encounters: Pakistan”. In this post we will acquaint ourselves with dance from the Punjab province of Pakistan. There are many dance traditions…

Migrations and Cultural Encounters: Pakistan

February 07, 2019

The second stop on our journey “Migrations and Cultural Encounters: Nomads, Caravans, and Dancing along the Silk Road” is Pakistan. (PART 1) History & Geography The land of Pakistan was…

Migrations and Cultural Encounters: Rajasthan

January 29, 2019

Welcome to the first post of “Migrations & Cultural Encounters: Nomads, Caravans, and Dancing along the Silk Road”. This blog series is being released in conjunction with my dance instruction…

Mary and Rumi walking together

January 18, 2019

The great poet Mary Oliver died today. An article I read about her said she read Rumi every day. This poem by Rumi reflects a similar affinity with nature, infusing…

Protected: Hannah’s Shake your Shakti class playlist

November 27, 2018

There is no excerpt because this is a protected post.

Capax Universi