Dancing experience part the third: Videos!!!

Finally, my bellydance video is ready!

The background for this wonderful experience can be found in these two posts:

Dancing experience in-the-making
Dancing experience part two. AKA the One Evil

Now, onto the technical aspects.
The day I stood up and made my rather crazy determination, I actually had no idea how to put it into practice. I mean, of course I had to keep on dancing and learn the choreography, I knew I needed a costume, but I also needed someone to shoot it and a place.

On the train, I was sitting in front of another Dedicated Lilac. I didn't really know her although we had bumped into each other at activities before. Out of the blue, this girl tells me that she is studying media and she can shoot the video for me, with her professional kit.

I'll let that one sink in.

I thanked her profusely and offered to pay, she said no, that she's happy to do it for the experience.

We agreed on a timeframe to do it and exchange numbers.

Now, the place.

I couldn't do it at my place (my room is very tiny), so I thought I could ask to do it in the Buddhist centre. I asked my HQ leader and she said that it was possible. I registered with the centre to book the room, but they never confirmed my details, so I asked her to book the room for me, based on what it said on the website.

On the day, we both arrive at the centre, ready to shoot and very excited, only to discover that the centre was closed. Between the date when I booked and that day, someone had suddenly realised it was a bank holiday and moved all the bookings for other days. My friend had been notified but she didn't notice the change of day, only the change of room.

That's sanshoshima for you!

I rebooked the room and a week later we were finally shooting the video. In hindsight, the change of day was actually good. We got to shoot during the day and take advantage of natural daylight, and I had an extra week to practice.

It was really fun. I ended up repeating both choreographies about ten times each, and in some parts you can really see I was sweating. Lol.

Yesterday I finally watched the videos. I can't describe how I feel about them.
There was a time not so long ago, that my body disgusted me. From a clinical point of view, I know I have been slimmer than I am now (although not fitter), and yet at that time my body was the centre of everything I found horrible and unattractive.

Do I still feel the same? No. Do I still want to lose a bit of my belly? Mmm, yes. I think my undulations would look better if my belly stuck out a bit less. Do I need that to be happy or to feel human? No. I am a perfect human being just as I am.

In many ways, these videos are the end of my most incredible experience. In many others, just the beginning. Watching them gave me a clear sense of where I am as a dancer and the things I need to work on (*cough* shoulders *cough*). I just want to keep on working on it and improve even more. I don't want to fish for compliments, but I don't think my level is that bad, considering I am self-taught.

Here they are.
The first one is the choreography I learnt from Autumn Ward's DVD:

 The second is an improvisation I decided to add:

And the third one, possibly the most important, are the credits :)

I hope you enjoy them.
Please leave comments.