Believe the Unbelievable

I remembered being a teenager preparing to go to university and my family who is a typical Chinese - Thai family would like to see me pursuing the doctor career. I myself was sort of knowing that I like art but had never taken any drawing classes but the thing I knew for sure at that time that I liked was to dance. However, what I didn't know is dance would be with me this far.....

I was a nerdy girl (still am) with thick glasses (+9.50) who tried to be fashionable and liked to dance. This combination doesn't seem like going together. I never believed my innermost self. Then, it all started when I accidentally got accepted to the Architectural School at Chulalongkorn University where I found it was ok to be different.

My second calling began when I planned to continue my study in USA. I sneaked out from my English classes that I attended preparing to go abroad to take Ballroom lessons without telling my parents. It was about 3 months and I became more focus on the dance classes than the English classes. Right away, I knew... that was I would love to do but still I didn't believe it.

New York City gave me opportunities to be exposed to multi-cultural activities and USA was where I was taught to believe the unbelievable. I can dream and with hard work and being truthful to myself, those dream could be true. I never believe I could go to the world's best university, and I did. Being the creative environment that confirmed me that I should dare to dream and find the way to make it real.

One afternoon, I walked on Avenue of Americas (aka. 6th Avenue) and remembered looking up to many tall office buildings and thought it would be so nice to work in one of these offices. A year later, I worked at the most prestigious and biggest Architectural design office in the world and the office was right there at the Rockefeller Plaza. At one point I felt it was not real.

My love of dance continued and it is dance where I learn a pharse which it becomes part of my life 'DO NOT GIVE UP'. It is hard when you start learning how to dance when you are not that young. I am not flexible and coordinated but I love movement and music. It takes me years of doing that and being disciplined so I would go to dance classes every day after work. What keep me doing that? I started building a relationship with the community of the dance classes I attended. Those were people with the same passion and we had a lot of fun. There were people at different ages with different backgrounds and I think this is the beauty of America: DIVERSITY.

After many years of doing it and trying it again and again, I could say at least I am good enough in few dance styles. I still like my practices and am happy every time I teach my students at the Universities. I still do believe the unbelievable because it challenges me to live my life and one day after a long hard work, I hope it would become true.

Keep dancing, keep living everyone :)

Don't learn just steps in dance classes!

Dancing for me is strange. The more I learn, the more I feel I know so little. I love being in the class with people from different background, countries and purposes of life. Many people think dance is more for kids and teenagers but for me dancing is for everyone who love to do it. I went to a Ballet class and saw people from 10 years old until 60 years old in the same class and they all looks fantastic. Why not?

I love all my teachers, the older they got, the graceful their movements are. I remember that I took Flamenco class with Mariano Parra. He was in mid 60s and still look gorgeous every step he moved. He told me 'Less is More' which quoted by Mies van der Rohe, the famous architect in 1960s and it is true. May be the next blog, I should talk about all these dance philosophies.

I have befriended with many of my teachers and people that I regularly take dance class with. Later on, I realize it is not only the drive to be a better dancer that pushes me to go to class, but also the feeling of wanting to go see them and be in the dance class with them that keep me going back to study.

You do not learn just steps in the class and then go home, be the best dancer by yourself. Studying dance gives you another dimension of life how to live together, accept and respect each other. I was frustrated when people told me they like to learn from YouTube or by themselves. It shows many things in their personalities. They might say they don't have money but they didn't know that they are missing the main point of being a dancer, be in a community where people know how to support each other. That is a very nice feeling to be in.


New York - New York

I love being in New York in summer the most. This city turns herself in to a 20 something years old, vibrant, full of love and energy. She is up 24/7 and drives people around crazy. It is really a place to be.

I also love to be in dance classes. Even though many gen yers might like to learn stuff from YouTube, there is nowhere near being with different people, feeling sweat and heat and absorbing energy from each other. Most of my teachers are in their 40s and 50s now but they are great. The older they get, the more graceful and peaceful their dances become. 'Less is more' is definitely the way to go.

The Boy In The Boat with Mardi Love

Today in Washington DC is bright and sunny and it will be the second day to study with Mardi Love. I have been wanting to take classes from this wonderful dancer and now after 28 hours of traveling half of the world, then here I come.

Thanks to all members of the Indigos who popularize Tribal Fusion Style Bellydance and show us what how tasteful and powerful this dance could be.

Check out more about Tribal Fusion Bellydance:
http://www.mardilove.com/
http://www.rachelbrice.com/
http://www.ariellah.com/
http://www.zoebellydance.com/
http://www.sharonkihara.com/

Welcome to rumPUREE Blogger

Hello everyone,

I am writing the first blog on my way to the airport to NYC. I would like to use this blog to communicate and share the fun and knowledge of dance to people who are interested in. There are many cool things about dance that we might overlook. Stay tuned with us. You might change your mind what you know about dancing.







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