Paulette Rees-Denis's Blog, page 46

Let us help you get your Tribal Bliss on! oh yeah…

What do you do when you feel stuck in your body, your and, your work, life, whatever?

Do you move???? As in, dance, workout, yoga, walk, bicycle, sweat?

For me, it is easy to forget to get up out of my chair when I’m on a work burn, but I try every hour to get up, take the dogs for a walk, stretch, breathe, garden, sit still in a different position, what is it that I need right then…. It can be so easy to plug along, right through, until I realize my neck hurts, or my head hurts, or I’m hungry, or or or….Know what I mean? Do you do that too?

What do you do for yourself to find that inner quiet, peace, fun for yourself? Do you? Take time for your whole self? For clarity, spiritual renewal, enjoyment, bliss, loosening up, healing? There is a plethora of tools to use for any of those, but do you DO IT?

For yourself? Do you?

I can be as guilty as the next person, saying things like, I’ll do it later, or, just a little bit longer, or, tomorrow tomorrow tomorrow… Ha!

But then you know how good it feels, to feel good! Whoa… yes sirree, it surely does. So why don’t we do the things that feel good?

I move, I dance, I sing, I write, I try to take quiet time to meditate, either sitting, lying down, or my fav is moving meditation… it’s is the best of all my worlds! And in my world of dance, this has now become Tribal Trance…using the dance, our bodies, our souls, and our connections to release, heal, and feel freaking fabulous!

What would you do???? To move, to feel great, to search, to stretch?

So do it…

That is why Lynea and I have been teaching our Tribal Trance classes in Portland, and at our yearly Tribal Dance, Tribal Vision retreat at a hot springs in the glorious mountains outside of Portland every spring. We combine her yoga and African dance, meditations, and wise teachings with my variations on moving meditations, yummy feel good dance, physical workouts, insightful writing, and tribal bellydance. Yep, that’s our Tribal Bliss classes… which now are online for you! woo hoo… out of our studio and into yours!

Want to do something delicious for yourself… take some time to dive in and only for you right now….

Well, Tribal Bliss Round #2 starts this Monday, September 9th! You can register now… Let us help you get your bliss on!

Weaving with the Power of your Creative Feminine Essence

http://paulettereesdenis.com/item_description.php?IID=244

I do hope you can join us! Do something splendid for your sweet self!

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And now because it is Friday… what is rocking my world!

**Meet Scott and Live Your Legend!

http://liveyourlegend.net/5-steps-to-find-befriend-your-dream-connections-deciding-who-you-want-in-your-corner/

**Medium

A better place to read and write things that matter.

https://medium.com/

** and this is a great attitude, don’t you think???

Upworthy…Things that matter. Pass ‘em on.

http://www.upworthy.com/

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ok, my friends….

lots coming up in the Gypsy Caravan world…so hang on to your hats… join us on the Tribal road…so glad you are here….

I”m off to Vegas to teach at the Bellydance Festival there this weekend… I’ll let you know how it goes…never been to Vegas!

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Published on September 06, 2013 16:37

Creative Calling, and what is rocking my Friday world!

the wondrous beauty of all life’s creatures! just a photo to share…makes me smile…

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Processes and processing… those things are big in my life these days!

I am learning lots of new processes, mostly internet work and lots of new apps, editing, filming, recording, and putting all my dance work onto paper and into the new online classes…love the work, but sometimes the learning curve is a bit much… know what I mean?

And then the processing, besides my own internal work, that is…ha!

But I am so excited about all of this new stuff, I know I’ve been telling you about it for while…

The Tribal Bliss #2 class that is starting next week–

Weaving with the Power of your
Creative Feminine Essence

Lynea (my co-partner in dance and trance!) and I have been doing this work for so many years, experimenting, dancing, healing work with our classes and retreats and clients…

You can register now!

http://paulettereesdenis.com/item_description.php?IID=244

How does this translate into an online class? Weeeellll, it definitely is not the same as a studio full of dancing women. But we looked at our class structures and how we could give it to you so you can enjoy it at home, and wanting you to get enough good juju out of it on your own.

And I believe we did it…even though there is that process of insecurity, questioning, wanting to make it the best thing in the universe!

It’s like a creative calling…a muse of sorts, when I am in that creative space… allowing the magic to flow out of me, whether it be through my body, out my fingers into my journal, playing my guitar…I love that space, where nothing else matters…and an urge that I have to follow, and follow through with…whew…and then comes the fine tuning… do you feel your muse? Do you allow yourself to feel your creative essence? hhmmm…

Another process I go through, on how to make the classes better and better, and then add the powerful link up the online community to share with each other, that’s a big part of it, and it freakin’ rocks! How great is that? When we all get to hear your voices, your experiences and journeys, and even your experiments, while you combine writing, with meditation, with dance, with yoga, with all the trancey and sacred goodness that we infuse into the classes. I so love this work and so love to see your lightness and healing and joy from the processes. When you actually do make time for yourself…AND to read your words… my passion these days…

Anyways….I wanted to share a little about what I think about whilst making these class formats for you…

AND…because it is Friday, I also wanted to share some things that are rocking my world this week….

soooo

*my sweet friend Rene Groom’s Blog..a simple and real bit of writing, from someone whose eyes are wide open and life is lived fully…

http://renegroom.com/2013/08/27/fall-is-in-the-air/

*How about a little Brave Girls Club?

http://bravegirlsclub.com/archives/2715

*and this is pretty freakin amazing work too!

The Front Porch Revolution!

http://www.tierrasoulpdx.com/front-porch-revolution-sign-up/

ok my sweet thangs!

Enjoy your weekend, enjoy your beautiful selves, and do take care of your self… dance, sing, play, love….all the time….

thanks for being here! and hope to see you online!

Paulette

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Published on August 29, 2013 21:00

One More Thing!

A few years ago, a weekly part of my blog was called “One More Thing“. I was talking about and asking you readers to bring in some awareness of one thing you could do to help, whether that be your neighbor carrying in his groceries, or turning off your car while you were in the latte line, or some sort of global idea. I found people and sites to share, and YOU shared too. It was delightful and felt like we really could, (and CAN) make a difference in taking care of the planet.

I loved hearing your ideas and the fact that you took a few minutes to share with us what you wanted to commit to to do just one more thing, in a positive and encouraging way. But it fizzled out after a few months. Little by little you quit sharing, and it was harder for me to maintain a weekly schedule for writing that blog. But I was proud of it of the blog, and I know it made a difference.

Yet I was surprised at some folks lack of desire and commitment. We here in the states, at least, live in a very spoiled society, one of over consumption and instant gratification, biggie size everything. The states is not the only place of course but that is where I spend most of my time. Because I am fortunate enough to travel globally, I am blessed with seeing how other cultures live. And how they take care of themselves and the planet. Eye-opening experiences for sure. Some good, and some not so good. But wow… what a journey by Tribal Bellydance road has taken me on.

Anyway, I still do my part as often as possible, from recycling to signing petitions, to being vegetarian, to donating to causes I believe in, and the biggest part of course is doing the work that I love, teaching Tribal Bellydance for wellness, beauty, healing and celebration. That definitely has the trickle down effect to help our selves, our communities, and the planet!

I also just started volunteering at the Oregon Humane Society! It is important to give back to the world, and this is my small way of helping animals in distress. It is an amazing organization and I am thrilled to be donating my time there.

So think about it, what can you do? What is One More Thing you can do, daily, weekly, monthly, to help out? To give from your heart and soul, generously, with no thought of reciprocation except the feel good factor of helping someone? You know, we all can and do make a difference, we just need to step it up!

Here is a little something from the Marine Mammal Center to get you started thinking about what you can do!

More than two thirds of the Earth’s surface is covered by water — a precious life source — yet it has become a dumping ground for human trash. Every year, ocean trash, mainly plastic, kills more than 1 million seabirds and 100,000 marine mammals and turtles when they ingest or become entangled in it.

Pledge to do your part to reduce ocean trash and save marine life!

· Cut up plastic six-pack rings, ribbons and packing straps before disposing of them appropriately.

· Carry a re-useable water bottle and canvas bag for my shopping.

· Choose products that have less packaging and buy in bulk where possible.

· Reduce the plastics I buy (it takes 450 years for a plastic bottle to decompose!)

· Reduce the toxins I use in my yard and put down my sink, as they can end up in waterways.

· Select re-usable items whenever possible, repurpose and recycle as much as I can.

…your actions will help protect the ocean and its inhabitants for years to come.

Thank you for making a difference!

The Marine Mammal Center

Thanks all for being here! I love you all!!!!

p

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Published on August 21, 2013 19:00

What’s on the agenda for me?

Hello my fine tribal-y inspired friends!

I am so excited about the work I’ve been doing, and all is coming your way soon—

so just to share a little with you now of what has been going on with me and my work with Tribal Bellydance!

1. My new website will be up and running very soon… It is being designed by one of my babes-Christine Thatcher! Yes, I have this new super strong connection with independent entrepreneurs around the globe because of the Business course I took this past spring…Marie Forleo’s B-School (Hot, Happy, and Rich B-School!) and we call each other B-school babes! so one of my babes is redesigning my website so it is easier for you to get what you want from it! and gorgeous too…woo hoo…

2. Tribal Bliss #2- A four week e-course, coming to you September 9th, 2013! Weaving with the Power of your Creative Feminine Essence

… a movement journey

With Paulette Rees-Denis and Lynea Gillen…

A four week e-course, starting September 9th, 2013! Registration starts August 25th!

Carol, Gypsy Dancer, our wise one!

Meet Carol Vance, Gypsy Caravan Dancer, Dance Instructor, Troupe Director, woman of many careers, and now delightfully almost retired and still dancing with passion and compassion! I always call her our wise one, because, well, she is! Older, wiser, calmer, she sees clearly and can be super objective, especially when my emotions get in my way! She has had an adventurous life, doing mostly what she enjoys and loves, is fiercely independent, and of course has raised the beautiful Cammi, or Darhsan, who sprouted worldwide wings after dancing in Gypsy C for several years.

Carol has been dancing with me for over twenty years, in all capacities, as student, assistant, traveling companion, loyal friend, co-director of Gypsy Caravan, whilst directing several of my student troupes over the many years. She now not only dances in Gypsy Caravan Dance Company, Int. but directs her own troupe now, Gypsy Heart Tribal.

Many of you know her, but here is a little bit about her. You can read about her in my book, Tribal Vision: A Celebration of Life Through Tribal Bellydance, as well as seeing her dance in almost all of my Tribal Technique DVDs and my online classes. And she almost always come to our fabulous Breithebush Tribal Bellydance retreat every spring! She will be traveling to Las Vegas with me in early September to teach a Tribal Shawl workshop at the Las Vegas Festival, and we will be doing a little backup assistance to the amazing Onca during her performance Saturday night.

September 6, 7, 8, 2013!

Paulette and Carol at the

2013 Las Vegas Bellydance Intensive™ & Festival,

the Workshop: Tribal Shawls on Sunday, 1:30-3:00! hope to see you there…

https://www.bellydanceintensive.com

~~~~~~

Carol writes:

My love of tribal style bellydance was immediate and visceral. When Paulette, along with the amazing Caravan she led, danced and played at Berbati’s in 1993, the experience captured my heart. I remember the troupe dancing in from the side, as if emerging from the mists of time, and becoming real women, like myself, yet keeping the mystique of the most ancient primal feminine attributes.

What incredible luck, to have found a form of expression that exemplified everything I wanted in my life; strength, resilience and flexibility, humility!, as well as appreciation of the uniqueness of every dancer’s gift, as she, or he, finds their own way in life . . . It’s all here, in the dance.

The dancers, musicians and friends I have met along the way are what make me feel most blessed!

To sit at the feet of masters! To guide new dancers into their own strength! And to dance with amazing spirits from around the globe!

These are immeasurable treasures.

I continue, in gratitude ~

I appreciate my dancers so much, for their resilience, determination, passion, skill, and willingness to listen, let me lead, trust me, and all the comes with running a dance company, spreading this amazing dance called Tribal Style Bellydance that I innocently started back in 1991. Carol is outstanding in her willingness to stand by me, with, again, loyalty and desire to share the Tribal Love! I am a fortunate woman to have her in my life is so many ways…

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Check out our online caravan Souk for those Tribal technique DVDs, including our award-winning documentary, Tribal Travels, following Gypsy Caravan on the road and in performance, and more…

http://paulettereesdenis.com/items.php?CID=2

and sign ups start soon:

Apr 25-27, 2014.

The 21st year…

Tribal Vision, Tribal Bliss- a movement journey

at Breitenbush Hot Springs, Detroit Oregon

Different this coming year, with new offerings for you!

A women’s weekend of Tribal Bellydance, and so much more

With Paulette Rees-Denis and Gypsy Caravan…

With Lynea Gillen,

And this year Hilary Giovale presents:

Awakening the Dreamer, Changing the Dream

This is a weekend for all women, new dancers as well as seasoned dancers!

Join our circle of amazing women, get your Tribal Groove on… reach down deep and share the stories, the dance, the sisterhood…Tribal Bellydance becomes a magnificent lifestyle, bringing into our bodies, hearts, souls, and lives- bliss, wellness, enjoyment, community, awareness…

We want you to feel delicious in your body, to be vibrant and healthy and full of vitality, to lavish yourself with empowerment, to experiment with your dance, to feel blissful in your body and to release your mind, soul, and body!

By combining our backgrounds of Tribal Bellydance, African Dance, writing, yoga, healing, therapy, trance and meditation, we bring you this weekend to continue on your journey, wherever that leads you.

We want to gather people to shift consciousness and create a spiritually fulfilled, socially just, environmentally sustainable human presence on our planet, through awareness and community, and our fabulous dance!

… plus hot-tubbing, saunas, delicious vegetarian meals, and surrounded by the gorgeous mountains, with more to be announced, this will be an awe-inspiring weekend…

Hilary is a Gypsy Caravan Master Teacher, author, global traveler, earth shaker—we are thrilled to be able to offer this over the weekend, with her co-teacher Laine.

Watch a short video with Hilary: Belly Stories!

https://vimeo.com/33375157

checkout Hilary’s website too— http://www.bellyroles.com/

**Save the date, registration starts September 2013….

http://paulettereesdenis.com/items.php?CID=11

Thanks for being here….many new offerings coming to you this fall! stay tuned…

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Published on August 13, 2013 15:34

Exciting news! Breitenbush Tribal retreat next year!

Apr 25-27, 2014.

The 21st year…

Tribal Vision, Tribal Bliss- a movement journey

at Breitenbush Hot Springs, Detroit Oregon

Different this coming year, with new offerings for you!

A women’s weekend of Tribal Bellydance, and so much more

With Paulette Rees-Denis and Gypsy Caravan…

With Lynea Gillen,

And this year Hilary Giovale presents:

Awakening the Dreamer, Changing the Dream

This is a weekend for all women, new dancers as well as seasoned dancers!

Join our circle of amazing women, get your Tribal Groove on… reach down deep and share the stories, the dance, the sisterhood…Tribal Bellydance becomes a magnificent lifestyle, bringing into our bodies, hearts, souls, and lives- bliss, wellness, enjoyment, community, awareness…

We want you to feel delicious in your body, to be vibrant and healthy and full of vitality, to lavish yourself with empowerment, to experiment with your dance, to feel blissful in your body and to release your mind, soul, and body! By combining our backgrounds of Tribal Bellydance, African Dance, writing, yoga, healing, therapy, trance and meditation, we bring you this weekend to continue on your journey, wherever that leads you.

We want to gather people to shift consciousness and create a spiritually fulfilled, socially just, environmentally sustainable human presence on our planet, through awareness and community, and our fabulous dance!

With Tribal Bellydance Grooves, African dance, Yoga, meditation, writing, group discussions, and healing dance, plus hot-tubbing, saunas, delicious vegetarian meals, and surrounded by the gorgeous mountains, with more to be announced, this will be an awe-inspiring weekend… so save the date…we’ll keep you posted!

Hilary is a Gypsy Caravan Master Teacher, author, global traveler, earth shaker—we are thrilled to be able to offer this over the weekend, with her co-teacher Laine.

Watch a short video with Hilary: Belly Stories!

https://vimeo.com/33375157

checkout Hilary’s website too— http://www.bellyroles.com/

**Save the date, registration starts September 2013….

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Published on August 12, 2013 15:38

Friday What I’m Loving-Creative Dreaming

Friday What I’m Loving-Creative Dreaming

It’s been awhile since I’ve been writing. Or at least publicly! When you work on a new website, you need to rewrite and go over every page. Which of course turns into a brainstorming session on dreams and desires and business ideas and creative forays into “what ifs?”. And that is what I’ve been doing with my new fabulously creative designer babe…Which I love! That’s is the best part of what I do…creative dreaming!

What needs to change?

What kind of future will you create?

How do you creative dream? Or do you allow yourself time and place to do that?

Sometimes it means stepping back from what you are involved in, to get a clearer and more objective picture. Which I have been doing most of the summer— a mini-hiatus. That is a great way to find out what you are missing, what your body and soul start craving, where you allow your wanderlust to go…

Sometimes I will make lists until they make me crazy! But then you cross off over half while you allow your heart to speak up loud and clear. You just need to listen. Know how?

For me, one BIG thing I found out was I need to hire a new team to help me grow the biz, to assist with all the creative dreaming—all the fabulous places this incredible dance we do can take us! I must say. And it is happening TODAY… Pretty dang exciting! And I am hyper-ventilating at all the creative freedom and business help this will give me… just you wait, my peeps!

Someone asked me yesterday how I feed myself? Creatively is what she meant… and I said Music! I listen, I play, I write. And I am in a new band…sweet! You can check out and like our new Facebook page…

https://www.facebook.com/therustydawgrevue

And I’m going to see one of my fav men, Lyle Lovett, tomorrow night! Right before I hit the glamping road for a week to another music festival in Idaho…oh yea, that does it for me? You? What do you do? Feed your soul friends! Got to got to…Comment back and let us know….

Here are a few fun things to check out:

**A new book Launch by Jeff Goins!

http://goinswriter.com/inbetween-launch/

**A place to click on everyday and help feed the shelter animals!

http://theanimalrescuesite.greatergood.com/clickToGive/ars/home

**A daily truthbomb from DanielleLaPorte.com:

If you ask the universe for signs. Believe what shows up.

(I was able to go to a lecture with Danielle at World Domination Summit-which was brilliant– a few weeks ago, and gave her a copy of my Tribal Vision book!)

**How about a photo a day project for August?

http://www.susannahconway.com/2013/07/the-august-break-is-back/

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What’s Happening?

Now you can get yourself ready for two upcoming Tribal events, one online and one in person!

Tribal Bliss Volume 2 —

Dance and Vision Weaving with the Power of your Creative Feminine Essence

… an online movement journey

With Paulette Rees-Denis and Lynea Gillen…

A four week e-course, starting September 2013!

http://paulettereesdenis.com/item_description.php?IID=244

AND

Collective Soul and Teacher Training in Portland this Fall 2013!

with a NEW TWO DAY format (and lower pricing!)

Join Paulette and Amanda Richardson for the outstanding Gypsy Caravan Tribal Intensives:

Collective Soul Levels One and Two, Plus Teacher Training Level One…

CS1- October 4th-5th,

TT1–Oct. 6,7, 8th, 2013

CS2 — Oct. 9,10, 2013

For your application and details…please email dance@gypsycaravan.us

Cayte Lawton- guest writer!

Cayte has been a student of mine for several years, yes, all the way from England! She has traveled to Portland, Milan, and around England to dance with me, besides all of my online classes and DVDs! Accomplished in several levels of the Collective Soul Certification program plus a certified Gypsy Caravan teachers, she is dedicated, passionate, and totally in love with my style–Tribal Bellydance, and the Gypsy Caravan format. Plus she loves to spread the Tribal Love!

I could no be more honored to have such a beautiful soul be a part of the tribe, our world-wide growing tribe! (And you can be too!) A woman who walks/dances her talk, follows her heart and soul, and commits herself to be the best dancer and teacher and woman that she can be. Kind, generous (and vegan!), she is also an avid writer and philosopher about dance and life, and so today I get to share a little about her with you, and some good history about how our dance got started and evolved!

Her troupe is called Sakura Tribal, and she writes about Tribal and the GC format on her website and her blog often…http://sakuratribal.weebly.com/index.html

~~~~~~~Tribal Style Bellydance

Although rooted in the past and paying tribute to dances of the Middle East, tribal bellydance has drawn from a host of wider influences – from India, Spain, Africa and from Romani dance for example – to reinvent itself as a contemporary dance form with shades of both old and new. This eclectic mix is reflected in its costuming, which lends an earthy, ethnic flavour to the dance. Opulent vintage fabrics, an array of vibrant, rich colour, lush, heavy jewellery, captivating facial adornment and hair bedecked with scarves, wraps and flowers all portray the dance as something powerful yet feminine, exotic and strong. Gypsy Caravan style tribal adds a particularly funky twist to the mix, reflected in both moves and costume – a true dance of today, for today’s dancers!

In its original form, group improvisation lies at the very heart of tribal. Using a shared vocabulary of moves and cues dancers work together in perfect synchronicity to follow a leader – with each taking their turn to both lead and follow. There is a sense of connection, of energy, of inter-dependence. All are important, no matter their level of accomplishment. It is about the group, not the individual; it is not ‘my dance’ but rather ‘our dance’.

Gypsy Caravan Tribal Style Bellydance

Way back in the mid 1980s Paulette Rees-Denis was living in San Francisco, in a world of rock bands and tattoos, Harley Davidsons and photography. Then one day she took her first bellydance class with Carolena Nericcio, and her life changed; as she says in her wonderful book, Tribal Vision, it ‘affected something so deep within me, my soul, my heart, that it was to stay with me forever’. The style, still in its infancy, was to become known as ATS®. Their first performance together was in Paulette’s back yard for her 31st birthday, from where they moved on to greater things. Their earthy, synchronised style, so unlike traditional bellydance, appealed to the alternative society in San Francisco, and they adopted the name, FatChanceBellyDance®.

From there, Paulette and Carolena’s paths diverged. Paulette and her husband Jeff underwent a huge lifestyle change as they moved to Portland, Oregon. Paulette had lost her dance sisters but knew she wanted to – had to – carry on dancing. However, she had her own tribal vision. Whilst determined to maintain the power, connection and in-the-moment improvisational style of ATS®, she wanted to add in her own influences both old and new, to adopt a more organic approach to

positioning and to utilise both left and right sides of the body. It would be a dance of today, not trying to imitate dancers of other cultures and times but with its own unique identity, developing and evolving as a living art form.

She called it simply ‘Tribal Style Bellydance’.

And so Gypsy Caravan was born. It started small – classes with a few

students – but quickly grew into many classes and performing troupes and they acquired their own group of musicians, They danced at markets, state fairs, wherever there was a demand for their unique, joyful style. They

chose the name ‘Gypsy Caravan’ to reflect the way in which they had

borrowed from so many influences in their dance – and soon Paulette was travelling the world to share her beautiful style through workshops and her own intensive training and certification programmes.

In 2011 Paulette took a sabbatical to reassess her priorities and vision. But she is now back revitalised, as strong as ever, with a fresh new funky take on tribal! Gypsy Caravan has been reborn as the Gypsy Caravan Dance Company International and includes dancers from Italy and Australia as well as from America. Paulette is on a mission – a mission to truly celebrate this dance in all its forms.

A mission to ’Take Tribal Global’!

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Celebrating CS1 in Oregon, 2010…Paulette, Brandy, Kat, Tracy, Sarah, Cayte…

Wendy and Cayte are happy dancers after CS2 in Milan, 2013!~~~~~~

So, there you have it! Thanks Cayte, for sharing, and for writing about Tribal. You all know how much I love to get you writing about your dance experiences! Look for more online courses coming up that will get your tribal words flowing!

Also, note the new TWO Day format and new pricing for our Collective Soul Certification Intensives! We hope you can come to Portland and join us this fall, and new dates around the globe will be announced in a few…

NEW DATES For Fall 2013 in Portland!

Join Paulette and Amanda Richardson for the outstanding

Gypsy Caravan Tribal Intensives:

Collective Soul and Collective Soul Level Two,

and Teacher Training Level One,

this Fall will be CS1- October 4th-5th,

TT1–Oct. 6, 7, 8th, 2013

CS2 — Oct. 9, 10, 2013

More info coming at you soon about registration…

In the meantime you can read more about these courses and what they will do for you, on this site, here…

http://www.paulettereesdenis.com/soul.php

Thanks for being here my friends! Any comments or questions…share with us! and do join us on the Tribal Road!

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Published on July 22, 2013 10:17

Gypsy C. dancer Karen Hunt!

This just in from Karen, my fabulous Gypsy Caravan dancer, over many years of transitions and life changes–marriage, moving, job changes, health issues, enormous amounts of laughter, hula hooping and poi slinging, tomato canning and cheese making, wine drinking, and show tune belting…she rocks my world… and she loves this dance we call Tribal Bellydance… read a little of her story!

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Photo: Pete Giovale

Where does one begin? I suppose the beginning might have never happened at all, except for one chilly winter night when a friend coaxed me to go see this amazing group perform at a local restaurant. I had never seen anything like Gypsy Caravan and it’s still etched in my memory as if it were two days ago and not two decades later. It was if the women were communicating with the musicians and each other in a wordless rhythm of sway and song. It was simply mesmerizing and I never quite got it out of my system.

That is how this dance is for me. It never leaves. It’s a constant companion, a focal point for a creative spirit, and a mirror of my unplanned life…Improv.

Paulette is a gifted teacher and mentor who is often in deep thought, of how to structure a move or formation, what to do to make it really special and beautiful. I try to stay quiet and wait for direction. It’s hard but it’s worth it. I learn and drill moves and learn and drill moves until they are ingrained in me like a language, and only then does the language become fluent and beautiful when we as dancers share it. The work is joyful.

You know, I left the dance a few years ago and although the rest was welcome it really gave me some perspective on how much the dance and Gypsy Caravan means to me. It keeps my body and mind strong, friendships and community intact, and the joy of performing alive. The tribal experience of Gypsy Caravan is remarkable and being able to dance with others whom you’ve never even met is mind blowing.

The power of the dance and the web of community continue to surprise me. Although many of us are not in each others immediate lives, we are still bonded by what we do and what is important to us, which is evident in many ways.

My daily mantra…

Keep the body strong. Cross-train, do yoga, lift weights, body in motion. Our bodies are what give us the ability to do this and laugh in the face of age.

Love what we’re doing. It is the path to happiness and more importantly content.

Respect our Founders and Teachers, it is their living and passion. We want them to be healthy. They are not getting rich off of us.

Strive to let our young see our joy and not our frustrations. They are the carriers of the torch.

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Isn’t she awesome? Here are a few faces of Karen over the years… only a few!

photo: Bruce Beaton

photo: Kaizen NW

Karen as Julia Child!

ha…she can be hysterically funny! and what fun she is to dance with…

Thank you Karen for your thoughtful and insightful words…

~~~~~~

and a little side note… we just found about 15 Caravan Rhythms CDs in storage… the actual CD has been sold out for awhile, but now you can still get a copy… act fast!

go to the link below to get your! Woo hoo…

http://paulettereesdenis.com/item_description.php?IID=240

as always, thanks for being part of the growing community of fun, health, love, and life!

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Published on July 09, 2013 09:41

thrills for a friday!

ok, so this week can’t get much better!

Do you know how it feels when all the things-projects, ideas, paintings, songs–whatever you are working on or towards, fall into place? When you feel freakin’ fabulous, you see the fruits of your hard work, you get to meet like-minded folks and hang out, you find amazing new partners to collaborate with, words are flowing out of you hand, even your hair starts to look better. (I’m getting my platinum back on!)

For the past week, actually the past month, my vision and my mind have been clearer, my time has been spent working on the projects I love. My Tribal Bliss Online Class is up and running for its second round while my partner Lynea and I are filming Tribal Bliss Part 2 (coming this September). I’ve got a new web designer who is revamping up a new website. And when that happens you need to review, restructure, rethink your vision. That vision of what you want your business to be like, or how to change, and what your soul purpose is for your biz and for yourself. Which I am always looking at how I can work with and help guide other dancers and artists, my soul purpose!

I’ve had several rehearsals every week, with the Gypsy Caravan dancers and band that sounds so great, for our upcoming shows. Very inspiring to dance with live music, oh yea.

Plus my two new country inspired bands are so much fun.

In fact, the Rusty Dawg Revue had our first gig yesterday for a big th of July party… I am loving playing with these guys (Jeff included!) Like-minded positive friends, that is who you need to surrond yourself with. folks who are rockin’ it. Makes the world go round, makes you shine, makes you want to do those things you want to do even more.

And that being said, today kicks of the World Domination Summit! WDS in Portland… I’ve been waiting months for this weekend… a weekend full of 3000 like-minded peeps, out to do their own thing, their own vision, with purpose and love and art and support. Parties, lectures, workshops, meetups… loads of good stuff flying all around.

so I’m off, now and can’t wait to fill you in more about the who’s and what’s of the event… I want you to soar and fill your heart and do your work and have a blast…

I am blessed…thanks for being here…

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Published on July 05, 2013 15:53