You got it! Last week I went to the Emerald Sanctuary Belly Dance Retreat, the photos posted in my last update were the best of the shots. I wasn’t focused on photography while I was there but dancing. The first year I went, I took over 300 photos. This year, I took 64, 25 of them being post worthy.
Camp was great. Here is a basic itinerary for the day:
- 9 am yoga
- 10 am dance workshops
- 11 am dance workshop.
- Breaking for the mid day to go swimming, or laze about on the green. I got to play with my poi a lot and even learned a few moves.
- 4 pm dance workshop
- 5 pm dance workshop
- Then we’d break for dinner to rest and recuperate.
- 9 pm hafla (like a dance recital with live and canned music)
- Midnight or later in some cases bedtime
Long days, long night but ultimately so fun.
Last year, camp was a huge learning leap for me. This year, it was about the same but I certainly kept up better. Unmata and Amy Sigil were awesome of course, and this year I didn’t have to drop out of the class mid-way through. But you can bet I was a sweaty girl by the end. Also, Elizabeth Dennis taught a class on Flamenco fusion that will redefine the way I use my arms and my posture. Overall, awesome!
Since I got back, I’ve been super lazy. I’ve unpacked and done some laundry but mostly I’ve been couch surfing. On Saturday, Chris and I went crabbing with his Dad and it was wonderful to be out on the water. Man, those Dungeness crabs are huge and there were even some starfish as big as my head in the traps. Amazing. I have ton of photos to process and upload from the day. Of course, I’m still way behind on getting my photos up and am slacking on getting through the Montana trip photos.
I finished a book this weekend, Thud! by Terry Pratchett. I’ve heard his stuff is really good for a long time and I finally got to get a glimpse of Discworld. I really enjoyed it and plan on reading more from the series. Now, I’m on to something a bit more serious, The Plot Against America, by Phillip Roth. Three chapters in and it’s quite interesting.
Today is Labor Day and I’m laboring (sort of) around the house and trying to finish up all these lingering projects. Also, trying to get my va-va-voom back after camp. I think one week of recovery is quite enough. I hope everyone reading is having a wonderful holiday.
Tags: Amy Sigil, Dance, dungeness crabs, elizabeth dennis, Emerald Sanctuary, phillip roth, Photography, Reading, Retreat, terry pratchett
