It's 2017

by Jessica Perelson

It's 2017 and of course I've heard everybody's New Year's resolutions for the past 6 days. I've seen posts about what people wish for their friends and family, what their goals are for the upcoming year and about how much 2016 sucked.

When the clock struck 12 I was tucked up in bed next to 2 sleeping kids. I used to stay up and do the count down, drink sparkling wine, stay up a little more and drink more sparkling wine. The last time I did that was 2010/2011. I was in Sydney, Australia, for that New Year's Eve. After that children came into he equation and sleep became more important than celebrating another rotation around the sun.

As for resolutions, I've never been into that. As a kid we all sat around making resolutions until midnight (as well as jokes about not bathing again till next year), but it all seemed a bit silly for me. Goals should be set an any time when they are presented to you (through thought or opportunity), and setting a time limit on said goals (within a year) can set up unrealistic expectations or the deadline is too distant and thus demotivating.

So while I'm going to continue with what is in store for me this year, I'm not going to make resolutions. I have goals that I'll hopefully get closer to achieving or will achieve in the near future, but not resolutions.

I have 3 belly dance trips planned for this year.

  1. Miss Belly Dance South Africa. This is held in Johannesburg around March/April each year. I'm not going to enter any of the competitions! I would like to watch and do some workshops, meet more belly dancers, make more friends and learn.

    If any of the organisers are reading this, I'd love to know the actual dates for this year so that my ladies who are coming with me can put in leave. Please.

  2. East London's Festival. This is the first year East London will be hosting a belly dance festival. I will be giving a zills workshop and dancing in the show. Melanie will be right there with me giving a multiple veil workshop and also dancing in the show.

  3. TODF. Last year was the second Theatrical Oriental Dance Festival held in Cape Town. There was definite indications that it will take place again this year, but I am waiting on confirmation for that. However, it is on our studio list of trips this year.

What else is up?

I'm teaching everything from beginners all the way up to advanced and performance class. We have changed a few things in the structure of our studio, which means Melanie and I will be changing who teaches which classes for each trimester this year. On the cards for me is zills (of course), veil, double veil (my nemesis), wings of Isis, baladi, drum, some Arabic pop and an attempt at tribal fusion (there are no ATS or tribal fusion studios in Port Elizabeth, so my knowledge is from the few workshops I've done over the last 4 years and self teaching. Hence I say attempt. Hopefully it'll be good and not a complete disaster).

I of course have my long term goals of doing Keti Sharif's A-Z, A-Z teachers, A-Z advanced and A-Z advanced teachers - but that won't all happen this year. Hopefully the first 2 will.

As for the blog, I will be doing away with the events page as it hasn't been much of a success. I will continue to write and hopefully you will all continue to read.

Let's all have a good year and love each other, help each other and learn from each other. And good luck changing 2016 to 2017 every time you write the date.