On A Belly Dance Budget: It's Me Or The Gypsy Skirt!

"COUPLES??? If there is one thing we shouldn’t fight about, it’s money. Didn’t the Beatles tell us, “All you need is love?” But we do fight about money. All the time. So how do belly dancers cope when it comes to spending money on dancing?

What spurned my interest in this topic was a recent article by Women’s Health, that cited a recent trend of couples financial therapy.

Reeta Wolfsohn, a financial social worker in North Carolina, said, “If you’re lying about purchases, distrustful of each other’s spending, or not able to meet financial obligations, it can be hard to sustain the connection you need to keep your sex life healthy.”

It’s true that the belly dancing community is a tight-knit group, but does that strong connection extend to their suffering partners? After all, we’re a passionate..."

Read the full blog on Dilara's Diary on HipMix.net

I Belly Dance And My World Is A Happy Place

The title is not necessarily a quote that can be attributed to only me.  I feel pretty confident that any belly dancer would agree.  Perhaps I may sound a little “Legally Blond’ish”  but… Belly dance releases endorphins. Endorphins make you happy.  Happy people are fun to be around, so if you want to be fun and be happy – then belly dance!

Can’t we all just dance?  Yes, of course we can.  And today I was introduced to the perfect reminder of that.  Her name is Thalia.

To read this full blog, visit Dilara’s Diary!

A Belly Dancer's Issues With Sexual Imagery

Dilara’s got issues, and GQ/Glee sexy school girl photos have brought it out!! See what this belly dancer has to say about today’s seemingly silent condonement of what she sees as sexual exploitation. Is she right?

Read here.

Hey Belly Dancers, Are You Ready? Don't Count Down, Make Today Count

"Driving to HipMix.net office this morning - a message board in front of my dry cleaner gave me a shudder:

Only 65 days to Christmas!

Oh Merry Friggin Ho.  Those were the first thoughts that entered my mind.  Yes, the end of the year is busy.  Next month is that retail nightmare known as Black Friday.  There are even holiday decorations starting to crowd out the Halloween section of some stores.

ENOUGH!"

Continue reading in Dilara's Diary here!

Would The Inexperienced Belly Dance Teacher Please Sit Down? (Part 3 of 3)

I once made the following quote my Facebook status:
"Dancers aren't made of their technique, but their passion."

It got a lot of people commenting, as you can imagine.

I see both sides of the statement, and enjoyed reading the opinions on both sides of the fence.  Much like the recent posts, blogs and articles that I and my team have shared - I see both sides of the ongoing when a belly dancer decides to become a belly dance teacher.

With all this varying discussion, it’s easy to get a little confused on all of the points and counter-points. Let’s summarize...

Continue part 3 in Dilara's Diary.

Would the Inexperienced Belly Dancer Teacher Please Sit Down? (part 2 of 3)

So much buzz has been happening since my last diary entry.... thank you for the messages and the comments! I encourage you to continue to share with me. My team and I posted a new article today in response to your comments ---- it’s about that first step in the transition from student to teacher. I encourage you to read it here.

Picking up from last week, the problem of belly dance students who, after short training periods, begin to teach based on their limited experience. Of course, my passionate feelings were met with many of our belly dance community members adding their own opinions.

 

See what those opinions were here in Dilara’s Diary and share your own by creating a free profile!

Would the Inexperienced Belly Dancer Teacher Please Sit Down? (part 1 of 3) - Dilara's Diary - HipMix.Net

Would the Inexperienced Belly Dancer Teacher Please Sit Down? (part 1 of 3) - Dilara's Diary - HipMix.Net

"Leave it to me to hit a nerve in the belly dance community *wink*

I did it again recently when I vented to others on my Facebook Fan Page: "I am SO tired of 'belly dance teachers' popping up here and there after a short stint as a student!"

I knew I wasn't the only one who felt this way, and boy was I right!

Right away, Lisa Lopez, a New York City native currently living in El Paso, Texas, concurred, "Oh yeah, too many times. But I'm not naming names..."

She's such a sweetheart, protecting these dancers, and as a veteran of many variations of dance, I'm sure she's seen this across the board, not just in her belly dance experience.

Lisa and I are not alone in our recognition of sub-par teachers who can crop up after their short time as a student. But why does this happen?"

Read the full blog and share your thoughts in Dilara's Diary on HipMix.net. And stay tuned for part 2 and 3!

A Belly Dancer On The Validity Of Women's Issues - This Is NOT Only A Man's World, Is It?

"I want to give a shout-out to drummer (and uber-cool guy) Todd Deatherage, who recently told me that some of my phrasing and sharp comments made me “a true Southern belle” just like his mom. Thanks for the compliments Todd, but I’m afraid you might have spoken too soon…because today’s topic is…

SEX AND ADVERTISING

Who says the only dysfunction we can talk about is men’s?

Yes Todd, today I might disappoint you. And if your mom reads this blog too...well, tell her to look the other way.

We all know what Viagra’s for, and most of us can recall the latest Cialis commercial. Don’t forget about that happy guy, either --- you know, Bob from the Enzyte commercials. So funny and kitschy!
 

So to take a cue from recent advertising, the only people in the world who have issues with sex are men. Ummmm, we know better than that, don’t we? Or do we?"
Continue reading Dilara's thoughts on HipMix.net!

Skin Care Basics for the Active Belly Dancer - Belly Dance, Belly Dancing, Belly Dance Beauty & Body Tips

Skin Care Basics for the Active Belly Dancer - Belly Dance, Belly Dancing, Belly Dance Beauty & Body Tips

"Most of us become really obsessive (bordering on obsessive-compulsive, really) with our skin care regimen. We have every cleanser, toner, serum, gel, cream—for day and night—and lotion to pamper the face, legs, and arms. We’ve got it down to a science—or have we?

Not exactly.

While we’ve definitely zeroed in on these parts, we’ve also neglected some body parts which are actually equally important, even more, as they show early signs of neglect and—yikes!—aging. You don’t want to have the face of a 30-year-old—but with a décolletage that looks 50! (Yes, the décolletage is one of the oft-forgotten parts.) Here are the body parts you..."

Continue reading this article in the Beauty and Body section of HipMix.net!

Travel Alerts... My Advice-Watch Yourself First! - Dilara's Diary - HipMix.Net

Travel Alerts... My Advice-Watch Yourself First! - Dilara's Diary - HipMix.Net

Sunday as I was getting ready for the day, I got a call. “Did you hear that there’s travel alerts in Europe?” My friend went on to tell me so very matter-of-factly the high points on the topic she fully didn’t understand. Bless her heart, she is sweet and her concern is nothing to belittle. It is however, something that happens to me often. Something that I have to bite my tongue about – people feeling the need to warn me about things they have no experience with. That topic being international travel.

Before I go further, if you want to better understand the details of the current travel alerts for Europe as well...Continue reading Dilara's Diary here!