Collective Soul Levels One, Two, and Three, plus Teacher Training Level ONe is done! Whew… 2 weeks, 4 intensives…woo hoo…

congrats to everyone who came and sweated and danced and felt the love,

I”ll tell you more, but first…

only four more days of the summer blowout sale, through August 20th… see below.

DVDs and CDs… oh my…

get it now!

Congratulations to some hard dancing dancers! Nina Martinez from Australia and Cinzia DeCoccia from Italy completed Collective Soul Level Three here in my little home town in Oregon! That takes time and dedication to get this far in my certification program, so

woo hoo to them! Awesome…

And if that wasn’t enough, Hilary Giovale from Arizona and Amanda Richardson from Wisconsin flew out to complete Teacher Training Level Three with Nina, and then all four of them continued on with CS4! They are the first to have completed this level of intensive study with me (except my own dancers, of course!)I’m impressed and amazed at the level of commitment these beautiful dancers have shown, lots of focus and stamina goes into this type of training, but I might add, a lot of laughs and good times too. What a lovely international connection these women have made, and to dance together is such a high, a joy, a passion…

Dance on sisters…

and thank you for your trust, loyalty, and desire to be the best dancers and women you can be. You are…

I have just returned from performing and teaching at the Cues and Tattoos Tribal Bellydane Festival in Seattle, more on that later, and now it is time to pick the winner for the Gypsy Caravan CD, Awakening! Excited to draw a name…

and it is angeluDemonai!

Below is what she wrote in response to my request:

tell me what kind of music makes you move, groove, and dance; and why.

~~

Hello Paulette – I’ve only recently started following your blog, but I’ve known of your site for a while now and I just wanted to say it really helped inspire me to explore more about bellydancing. After I graduate college I hope to move to Portland and hopefully learn more about tribal style from the Gypsy Caravan.

As for your question – really, almost any music that I love, and has a good beat, I am happy to dance to. Whether it’s traditional Balkan music, rock, electronic, pop or metal, if it moves me then I am inspired to move. I guess, the power of music is to touch the soul, and dancing is an expression of that, so I’m not too picky.

~~~~~~~

Oh, that is so true about music touching the soul. If I cannot feel a connection with a musical piece, a link, an inner beat that speaks to me, I can’t dance to it. And my movement comes from that touch, whether it be a glimmer or a bang on the head, it reaches in, down deep, and comes out in my hips, my hands, my smile, or whatever part of me needs to speak the dance.

Thanks everyone who wrote in. I do love to hear about your dance and music and art and farmworld! It is such a great way to share our thoughts and actions here on this blog.

Be well!

Back on the farm and good to be home! 6:30 am, and it is getting light now, very happy about that. Frosty ground, not the sunny warm weather of Australia, but I love it! Visiting with all my little and big animals, and celebrate my man’s birthday while I dive back into the piles of work waiting for me. Unfortunately that does not go away while I do. Ah well…

paulette in brisbane

Now I have time to reflect back on my fabulous trip down under, and finish telling you about it! I am sorting through the tons of photos I took on my journey.

After the delicious CS1 intensive, I gathered with my three Level One Teacher Trainees, Becky from Albany, Sienna from Cairns, and Christine from Auckland, New Zealand. They have been dancing and teaching for the past year, working with my training program while refining their teaching skills. So after a year since we started that program together, last February when I was in Adelaide, we were able to come together in person, review the processes, and I am happy to certify them into the small school of graduates! I am proud and they have been doing great work!

so turbans off to them…

Teacher trainee grads!

I then continued on with Collective Soul Level 2, still in Brisbane. Another great 3 days of intensive dancing and talking. What a joyful, and painful process sometimes too. We stretch ourselves, with tired bodies, excited minds, and emotional feelings, it is a lot to take in in three days. And as always, sometimes three days is not long enough. We must honor our individual processes while we continue our work, and enjoy the journey before we get to the end result. But it does feel good to get to the root of the dance, what it means, how it works, and where we can go from there as dancers and artists, and I so thrive on being part of every dancer’s journey.

Congratulations to the Collective Soul Level Two dancers and grads:

Collective Soul Level Two dancers!

Sienna, Dee,Becky, Christine, Nina, and  Heidi–thank you for your hard work, your dedication, and your beautiful dance! what an honor to dance with you all…

and lastly!

Congratulations to Nina for getting certified in my Teacher Training Level 2 course.

We worked  one on one and she has made me proud! great work Nina! And so glad you will be joining the Gypsy Caravan and the Caravan Dance Collective in Portland, with Hilary and Amanda from Caravan Soul Collective International, and also at Tribal Fest in California this May!

Nina and Paulette

woo hoo!

Alrighty then,

Back from Philly after four wonderful workshops with our lovely sponsor Vikki, and two 3-day intensives! Those girls know how to work it, and me!

CJ Callaghan- PA

Susan Ricciardi- PA

Laura Wilson- DE

Rose “Roma” MacGregor- MA

Shannon Bishop-PA

And when that was done, we went right into Teacher Training Level One!

Congrats to those ladies who worked so hard to acquire teaching skills, how proud I am of you all!

Bonnie Reese- PA

Chrtianne Truelove- PA

Rose “Roma” MacGregor- MA

Jaz parilo- PA

Susan Ricciardi- PA

Also, all of you CS graduates, I have finally updated the website to list all of you, so please check and make sure you are on that ever-growing fabulous list of CS dancers!!!

Collective Soul graduates

I am almost full up! What a great year it will be, to dance and see everyone again, and meet all you new dancers…

Paulette in Adelaide and Tasmania, Australia, 
Australian 2009 tour dates are confirmed!

Feb 11,12, 13 Collective Soul 1
Feb 14, 15 – Workshops
Feb 17, 18, 19- Collective Soul 2 
Feb 25, 26, 26- Teacher Training 2 
Contact Mirahmar
aratitribalbellydance@hotmail.com
Tasmania– 
Workhops Feb 21, 22
contact Denise:
denisemcmaster@yahoo.com.au

 

Paulette in Taiwan March 21-April 4th, 2009
Collective Soul Taiwan, Teacher Training, and workshops
and a performance with the Gypsy Caravan band- Jeff, Bruce, Bhrigha, and Jeremiah from Solace!
eastfangyun@hotmail.com

 

SOLD OUT!
the 16th annual Women’s Weekend Workshop
Celebrating Women and Community
Tribal Vision 
with Paulette Rees Denis- Gypsy Caravan, with very special guest instructors, Amel Tafsout and Lynea Gillen
at Breitenbush Hot Springs – April 24-26, 2009
dance@gypsycaravan.us 

 
Gypsy Caravan in Spain, Paulette, Gina, and Dulcinea
May 1-3, 2009
Barcelona Tribal Festival!
contact: Ghaziya
info@mandragoratribal.com
www.mandragoratribal.com 
 
Paulette and Gypsy Caravan at Tribal Fest! Sepastopol, CA
May 15-17th, 2009 Performance time slot TBA


New This Year! Welcome to info on Tribal Fest’s first ever “Tribal Bellydance Jam Band” with Open Floor…
Introducing the “Tribal Fest Jam Band”! 
Jeremiah Soto of Solace, Jeff Rees from Gypsy Caravan and Mizna and August Hoerr of The Mezmer Society
http://www.blacksheepbellydance.com/tf9/index.html
 
June 2009
Salt Lake City, UT
with Gypsy Caravan
TBA
******
June 2009
Philadephia, PA
workshops and Collective Soul Level One
TBA
********
Edmonton, Canada
August 14-16
with Paulette and Jeff
donnacucheran@shaw.ca
 
Paulette back in Milwaukee, WI
September 2009
Collective Soul One, Two, and Three Certification intensives and workhops!
contact Amanda
doctordeltazeta@yahoo.com
 
Paulette back at Tribe Vibe, England!
October 2009
Collective Soul One and Two
dates TBA
 
Paulette at the Majma Dance Festival
March 5-7, 2010 
Glstonbury, England
www.majmadance.co.uk