Lost and found

Welcome back to my journey!

At this point of the journey, I am actually very happy to report that I've been walking without a moon boot or crutches for more than a week now. I'm not quite ready for a shimmython yet, but I'm getting there!

Today I want to talk about the not-so-nice parts of my journey. One of the biggest issues I experienced after my surgery, was a sense of loss. And I'm not just talking about the loss of speed and agility and not being able to dance anymore. I was probably prepared for that. Somethings I just couldn't prepare myself for. . .

Independence:

You won't understand this until you are in a POP for a few days. You can't bathe alone. You can't make yourself a cup of tea and carry it to the living room. Same goes for making lunch or dinner. Thankfully I'm blessed to still live with my parents, albeit ten meters from the main house in a little garden flat. I couldn't stay there as the flat is divided by two ridiculously uneven steps. Crutches and steps don't mix, if you've ever wondered. Another aspect that went out the window was getting from point A to B. I've been driving since 2003 and I've rarily needed to ask permission to go somewhere or ask someone to take me somewhere. In the weeks after my surgery, my best friend delivered her baby but the problem is that they live outside of town on a farm that involves a horrible dirt road that scares even me. The result? I saw the little bundle on the day after her birth for a few minutes and only because I managed to bum a ride from a mutual friend. I haven't been able to get out there since then since Mom's back isn't up to the shaky road either. Not being able to go where you want to when you want to is really frustrating. That and not being able to control the music we listen to on the drive to work, since the driver picks the music and shotgun shuts her cake hole.

Supernatural wisdom

Creativity:

Before I went to the operation, I had set out clear goals with regards to my writing and costume designing. Guess what? Nothing happened. I managed to waste five weeks of sick leave on Pinterest, curating fabulous inspiration boards for my WIPs, but barely wrote a word. I was (and still am) terribly constipated when it comes to putting my ideas into words. I am slowly but surely fighting my way back to the level of creaivity that I had last year this time. Last year I was in the final hours before publishing my debut novel and it's heartbreaking to confess that I haven't been able to write anything since then.

Another intention I had was to work my way through the Datura workshops that focussed on arms and upper body isolations. I was just unable to get myself to commit. Apart from the logistics being a nightmare, I fell into a really unpleasant depression after one try. It wasn't going to work. It also didn't help that I missed my dance sisters terribly and bummed another ride from Diana to go visit them. What a giant mistake. Watching them work through new arm patterns and preparing for World Belly Dance Day was physically causing me pain. After getting home that night, I vowed never to do that to myself again.

Don't do it to yourself.

Physical strength:

The one thing that bugged me the most was the loss of physicality. Did you know that you can lose 5-10% of your muscle mass in a three week period due to inactivity? I was in a POP and a moon boot for three months. That's 12 weeks. Since I was forced to lie down for 95% of my day during the first two weeks post-op, I had to do exercises that would maintain muscle mass in my thighs and glutes. What they don't tell you is that no matter how much you exercise, one day you're going to look down at your leg and think "What the heck happened to my thigh?" I was not in the best shape to start off with, but the difference between my "good" leg and my "bad" leg became more apparent as time wore on.The rehabilitation process is long and difficult. Although I'm walking at the moment without much of a limp, my balance is shot to hell. The foot doesn't allow me to stand on tip-toes yet. And walking long distance? Ha! Hamstrings, glutes, shins . . . the whole gamut of them protest violently. 

The way forward:
Thanks to the hard work and motivation provided by my physiotherapist Paulien - who is 100% aware of my desire to return to dancing as soon as possible and who thankfully supports it - I'm taking baby steps. Literally. You can't run before you can crawl and all that suddenly makes sense. So now I'm brushing my teeth while balancing on the bad leg. I'm doing calf raises while cooking dinner. I've got a Theraband and I just need to find a table leg sturdy enough to tie it to in order to condition the whole leg again.And I'm in negotiations with Jacqui to start a special re-conditioning class as soon as the dust has settled in my personal life, which should be after next week. That should at least ensure that I'm working on the correct muscles needed for a smooth transition back into oriental dance.

Well, maybe not a cute dress . . . but a coin belt will do!

And tomorrow morning when I drive myself to work, my radio will be blaring my favourite tunes. Just because I can. 

Until next time.

XxX
Marina

129 Days

Dear Readers

It's been an absolute lifetime since I've posted, but recently I've felt compelled to share something with you all. 

As of today, it has been 129 days since I've last danced. 

At our Rhythm Divine Hafla 2016

Yes, you're reading a blog on the topic of oriental dance and yes, I am a dancer. But something has been keeping me from my favourite hobby/escape/life line. I was the proud owner of a very terrible set of feet since birth. The kind of feet that made sure I never had any ballerina aspirations. The kind that made finding shoes a nightmare. The kind that eventually required surgical intervention to ease the pain of basic walking. When I was in high school, I had surgery to both feet to fix what is known in lay-man's terms as "flat feet." That should have been the end of the story as the surgery should have made buying shoes and walking easier. 

Except it didn't. At least not for the left foot. 

The right foot's surgery was a smashing success. The bridge of the foot was lifted with the use of screws that were removed a few months after surgery and the effects remained. The left foot . . . well, let's just say the screws came loose too early and so did the rest of the foot.

Five years ago I realised a life-long dream of taking dance lessons with our amazing teacher Jacqui. I told her from the start that my left foot was always going to be an issue and we devised a plan to work around it. Dancing was always difficult with a foot that would be swollen by the time I got home. I tried dancing with shoes and dancing without shoes, but nothing made it better. It didn't matter because I was dancing and I loved it. 

The BEFORE - note the deformity of the bones of the big toe

As the years went on, my left foot continued to be a problem, often seizing up in the middle of class. My day job requires me to spend a lot of hours on my feet and eventually, things just became unbearable. I asked my GP for a referral to a new orthopaedic surgeon in town, Dr. Letsie Ledimo, as I had heard good feedback from him. Armed with new X-rays, I arrived at his office. He examined me and sent me for further X-rays and a few minutes later, we examined them at the light box. Dr. Ledimo was honest with me when he said he didn't have the guts required to fix the problem with my foot. He immediately referred me to a specialist in Pretoria, Dr. Pauline Greyling who had been his mentor at university. He gave me an option to obtain a second opinion from another local orthopaedic surgeon, but when I asked what he would do if it was his foot, his answer was that he wouldn't let anyone else go near it. 

From the start I knew that I was letting myself in for a long process. The joints of my calcaneus, the bone that form your heel, had moved out of position in the seventeen years since the first surgery and had started chafing bone against bone. My Achilles tendon had also moved out of position. There was speculation that my big toe would also have to be broken in order to be set in the correct position. Dr. Greyling was optimistic about the results, but said that I would spend two weeks in a backslab, then a further four weeks in a circular POP before spending another six weeks in a moonboot. That's three months of inactivity. Three months of little to no weight bearing on the operated foot. 

It would also mean that dancing was ruled out for a minimum of six to eight months post op. 

And that's how I ended up here.

The AFTER - with the addition of two in-dwelling screws

129 days without dancing. 

Tomorrow, Wednesday 12 April, marks the official twelve weeks post-op date. However, due to all the public holidays we're enjoying in South Africa, I'll only be able to see Dr. Greyling next week. On week 13 - my favourite number in the whole world. I'm hoping it will bring me luck. 

So, why did I just share intimate details about my foot's history with you? I'm not looking for pity. I'm looking for someone to keep me accountable through the next couple of months. I'm looking for someone to share the highlights with and someone to drag through the low points. 

More than that, I'm hoping to be a source of inspiration for someone else out there who is struggling to stay positive and to stay committed to his/her dancing when it seems Fate is against you. Genetics and bad luck shot me in the foot, but I'm not going to allow this to be the end of it. I'm still young, I've got a lot of dancing years ahead of me. I hope to be looking back on this one day in the future and think back fondly of the trial I went through. And I hope that you will fight through your own battle along with me. 

After all, a day without dancing is a day wasted.

Sending you all shimmy greetings,

Marina

Star Stalker Sunday: Local legend Ajsa Samia

The talented Cape Town based dancer Asja Samia, born Marina Radosavljevic (now Rehbein), is regarded as one of the best dancers in the oriental genre. She is the owner of Palace of the Winds, a dance studio and school in Cape Town.

Born in the small town of Pirot in the former Eastern Yugoslavia (now Serbia), Marina was exposed to Oriental dance from a very young age. She was part of the Pirot folk dance troupe for ten years. At age 26 she moved to Germany to pursue her career as a medical nurse. She still continued dancing and later turned her love for Belly Dancing, Folk Dancing and Gypsy Dancing into a full time career.

Marina, dancing under the stage name Ajsa Samia, trained with international dancers and musicians to further her knowledge of her chosen art form:

• Gamal Seif, Aladin Seif and Hassan Afifi from Egypt
• Lobby  from the U.S.A.
• Habib the trainer of the Tunisian National Folklore Dance Troupe
• Wawa Slavisa Jovanovic who specialised in Yugoslavian Folklore and Balkan Gypsy dance
• El Templao specialising in Spanish and Flamenco dance

Her approach to dance teaching is grounded in her nursing background as she uses her studio to teach women to regain balance in their physical and emotional lives. She is married to Stephan and has two children. She is the guiding force behind South Africa’s first (and only) Belly Dance magazine, RakSAFrica.

 

With some of her dancers during a POTW European tour

Marina is responsible for organising the annual International Oriental Dance Festival, held at the V&A Waterfront in October of every year. She is also involved in many different non-profit, charity-based initiatives in and around Cape Town. Apart from her studio and the festival she dances in various national and international events and, for many Belly Dancers in the Gauteng/Northwest area, the highlight of the year is her annual Balkan Gypsy workshop, usually hosted by Harties Belly Buttons, owned by Marinda Alblas-Schnetler-Sauerman.

Ajsa Samia at the Belly Buttons Harties Gypsy workshop. To her left is Marina (owner Belly Buttons Harties) and middle row, second from right is Jacqui Chandler (owner Rusty Belly Dance)

If ever you have the opportunity to take part in a workshop with this mistress of dance, or to see her in action, do not miss it! 

Ajsa Samia in action (YouTube clip) 

(Source: www.palaceofthewinds.co.za and www.youtube.com)

Happy Shimmying

XxX

Marina

Friday Favourites: Belly Dance bras and tops

Hi all!

Today we present a roundup of my favourite Belly Dance bras and tops from Pinterest. There is such a myriad of gorgeous pics, I had a tough time choosing my favourites, but here goes. . .

Dispite the fact that it still looks very much like a bra, I love the draping and the crystals.

This is originally an Indian choli top, but it's exquisite!

Muted cream. . . classic!

A bit of Turkish influence. . .

Love the coins, the cowrie shells and the fringe!

Unfortunately reserved for our smaller sisters, but extraordinary nonetheless!

This has an African feel to it that I just love!

RED!!! My favourite colour these days!

I love this! It looks like metal slivers and should have great movement!

I have a personal thing against peacocks, but this IS gorgeous!

Please let us know what you like. . .

XxX
Marina

Star Stalker Sunday: Local Diva Sandy Ashton-Smith

For today’s Star Stalker Sunday, I’ve decided to go a little bit loca(l) With the past week’s events in South Africa, I’m feeling very patriotic and for the next few weeks I will be profiling local belly dancers to put the spotlight on the amazing talent we have in this beautiful country.

This week I’m putting the amazing Sandy Ashton-Smith in the spotlight. After having the honour of dancing with her and her talented troupe at Montana Traders last weekend, I turned to Google to find out more about her. . .

Sandy Ashton-Smith grew up in Pretoria, in the Gauteng Province of South Africa.  She has been a Belly/Oriental dancer for more than ten years and a freestyle dancer for over 15. She is also the owner and choreographer for Belly Divas, her studio in Pretoria. (See www.bellydivas.co.za for more information)

After school, Sandy started studies in Theology while continuing her freestyle dancing. She spent a number of years abroad, where she studied Oriental dance under Khaleed Shalby Shafeeq in the Far East.

Since December 2008, Sandy has been running her independent studio where she gives classes in Classic Oriental, Folk, Gypsy, modern Oriental and Fusion belly dance.

She is very involved in her community and can always be found at fundraisers for various organisations such as Cansa Pretoria (notably the Relay for Life events) She is also the organizer for the Pretoria event for World Belly Dance Day. They were also part of the troupe of belly dancers that busted the Jacaranda FM studio team. We all remember that memorable moment!

At the Jacaranda FM studios

She is an infectious energy on stage and is known for her dramatic eye makeup and ever-present smile. When I commented on that smile, she said “If we don’t dance with our heart, we will not be alive.” Words every kind of performer should take to heart!

In action at the Montana Traders - photo credit: Thor Photography)

(sources: www.bellydancedivas.co.za, http://talentcoach.co.za/index.php/associate-partners/39-sandy-ashton-smith)

Hope you enjoyed this expose and please come back next week to see what other local belly dancer will be placed in the spotlight!

XxX

Marina 

Friday Favourites. . . Even if it's actually a Sunday

Hi all

Things have been a little hectic with the run-up to Christmas and unfortunately the blog was the first victim when it came to time management. Today we're going to play a little catch up and here is our favourite Pinterst pins. This week I'm focussing on belts. . .

Perfect for a DIY project. . . Made using pull rings from cans and beer bottle tops. . . Karma would love these!

Beautiful movement. I would like to see this in silver or gold.

This whole outfit is stunning, but I especially love the bead loops at the bottom of the belt.

Cowrie shells, tassles. . . what more could a girl ask for?

Simple, elegant and shiny!

A little Gothic inspiration

Exquisite!

Victorian inspired. I just love the pants too!

Purple, gold and green has never looked this pretty!

Stunning chain work

Hope you enjoyed this!

Star Stalker Sunday: Sadie

Sadie Marquardt is an international dancer, choreographer and instructor. She first appeared on the scene in 2004, but has since released multiple instructional DVDs. Her popularity is shown in the amount of hits received on YouTube. 

Sadie trained in gymnastics and swimming as a child and started belly dancing in her late teens. Apart from studying belly dance under the tutoring of many Middle Eastern dance teachers, she also learned to play the doombek from the master percussionist and musician Souhaul Kaspar in Turkey. In addition to belly dance, she also studied Samba, Salsa and Tahitian dancing. All of these influences have given Sadie a style that is all her own. 

Sadie is based in Denver, Colorado where she performs with her partner Kaya. They teach weekly classes and perform at the city’s finest restaurants and clubs. They also appeared on America’s Got Talent. 

Sadie in action 

Sadie belly dance 2008 

(Source: www.bellydancecity.com)