In the mirror of a Studio

I love to have a big studio all to myself. All alone in a room. Wall to wall mirrors. A grand shiny wooden floor. If I’m lucky I’ll have a room with adjustable lights, so I can dim the lights enough to make the room feel dark, spiritual, and enchanting. Walking into the studio alone. I adore the feeling of my bare feet meeting the wooden floor as I take each step. I’m filled
with anticipation as I reach the end of the room where the stereo waits for me patiently.

As I sit in front of the stereo, I admire the temporary silence and proceed to remove all the contents from my bag. Veil, CD case, hipscraf, zills, sword, candles…etc. and place them all around me. I stop for a moment to look around the room and admire its beauty and majesty. This place is a wonderful escape. It’s a place far from teachers, bosses, crowded trains, crazy yellow cabs, deadlines, sales people, street pigeons and annoying billboard ads encouraging the world to take medication. No this place is far from that... this time is for me, this studio is my own.

I open my CD case. I flip through the soft pages of glossy sliver CD’s searching for a song that will help me complete a perfect body stretch. Slipping the CD into the stereo, I jump off my seat and walk to the very middle of the room. No eyes are watching me. I stare at my reflection in the mirror. I see her staring back at me, that dancer who I see in the mirror. As always I give her that coy smile because today will we strive for perfection, we will develop a work of art. That dancer in the mirror is smiling at me as we wait for the music to begin.

The charming sound of the guitar streams out the speakers of the stereo. I close my eyes and begin to form myself into my first stretch. Deep breath in, deep breath out… muscles begin to relax… tension begins to fade. Take another deep breath as eyes remain shut. My body is pulled and pushed into many creative stretching poses. From my legs to the top of my neck all my muscles receive their own individual attention. My body must be thoroughly stretched if I want to be able to challenge myself tonight, that girl in the mirror is hungry to dance and I have more than enough spirit to give an amazing performance.

And then the music begins to change its temp slowly over time. I’m finishing up my stretch. Feeling so relaxed and flexible, I stand proud to admire my reflection in the mirror. The combination of the dim lights and the wonderful music in the studio has me completely thrilled about dancing. The excitement feels like a burning rush inside me. How tempting it is to burst myself into a dance, but no. Not yet. First I must drill each move, go over every move until I can dance without thinking, without concentrating and without any constraints. I strive to be free when I dance and nothing--- I mean nothing is to stop me.

Suddenly, I feel the time is right. I walk back to the stereo, put in my favorite CD, press play and I’m off. The energy of dance fills the room as I spin myself into a hurricane of dance. The sound of the dombek drum entices me. The rhythm of my spirit speaks. I fall into a dream. A mystical place filled with dance and music. Over a river, on a valley, on top of a mountain… the possibilities are endless. This world now is only but a dream.

As I awaken, I meet with the eyes of the girl in the mirror. I give her a smile to reassure her that this game has only begun. I can feel different emotions begin to resurface, characters within emerge to portray different feeling with each song. A love song, a song about joy, a song about sadness, a song about mystery, a song about strength… so many songs and I danced to them all as if they are a product of myself. Dance prop after dance prop, shake after shake... I completely lose track of time and place.

Beads of sweat pour down my chest by the time the song has stop playing. I walk over to my bottle water and towel. I sit for a minute in front of one of the mirrors so I could sit close with my dancer in the mirror. All the stress of my early day has been long forgotten, my muscle are relaxed with joy and happiness. My break lasts about two or three songs. Then it's time again. I get up, because now it’s time to shimmy…

Bring on the Shimmyheat! In goes the drum solo CD and out comes my flaming hips. Hip locks, undulations, vibrations and hair tossing… it’s on. With the power rush of excitement, all that dancing desire is finally released. I'm free. Heart pounding against my chest, sweat soaking up my hair and my body has taken a separate life of its own. It’s now the dance fight between me and my reflection in the mirror. I love the idea of a challenge!

By the end of night, I’m on the floor lying face up at the ceiling feeling satisfied and complete. My body is worn out and my muscles are dying to rest. I slowly get up, pack my things and head for the door. Although my body is tired my spirit is very much alive. Before I open the door to leave the room, I take one last look at my reflection in the mirror and smile--- tomorrow I’ll be back, will you? ;-)