Belly Dance Classes & Workshops Many women are drawn to this very ancient dance and art form! It is used as a way of celebrating women’s femininity, as it helps women gain confidence in their bodies. Belly Dance exercises also have many health benefits. Goldie was introduced to Middle Eastern Dance (aka Belly Dance) in 2005, and has been hooked ever since! Her love of the joyful, creative and empowering dance form has grown over the years. Her passion for this dance style inspires her to continue sharing it through performances and the teaching of classes and workshops. Join Goldie for a fun filled, exhilarating dance session in a safe and nurturing environment. Awaken to the delights of your natural self expression through body movement. Feel the good vibes and empowerment of the music and hip shaking moves that have attracted woman to dance throughout the centuries! For current classes or workshops, please click on the the calendar. Benefits of Belly Dance (~Wikipedia): Belly dance is a non-impact, weight-bearing exercise and is thus suitable for all ages. Some of the benefits of belly dance are: Helps prevent osteoporosis Improves flexibility of the torso Lengthens (decompresses) and strengthens entire spinal column Strengthens abdominal muscles gently Veil Dancing builds strength in upper body Playing zylls trains fingers to work independently and builds strength Legs and back muscles strengthened by hip movements Helps with menstruation problems More positive approach towards body and sexuality Brief History of Belly Dance by Goldie Belly Dance has been referred to as the “Forbidden Dance” – why is that? Things are not usually forbidden out of love – but forbidden out of fear – fear of the unknown and a lack of understanding. Belly Dance, some believe, began as a ritual for childbirth preparation in the ancient Middle East. Belly Dancing was performed by women, for women, in groups of women and men were excluded from these gatherings. In Arabic, the dance is called Raks Sharqi – which means “Oriental Dance”. The French called it “Dance of the Stomach” – describing the tribal dances of the Berbers in Algeria. This was not the only type of dance in the Middle East as there were regional folk dances which emphasized more hip movements. The folk dances were done with many layers of colourful clothing, belted at the waist, with no skin showing, and the dancers bounced the layers of their skirts using isolated body movements. Since dancing is an art form, and all art forms evolve over time, so has Belly Dance. Now we have a variety of costuming and dance styles all under the umbrella name of” Belly Dance”: Tribal, Gypsy, Folkloric, Cabaret, and Fusion plus the use of various props – veils, finger cymbals or...
Goldie is drawn to African style Djembe drumming because she loves how it brings her immediately into the present moment, stretches her brain, and is tons of fun! She also loves how it creates community as people gather to share rhythm, get in tune with each other, and entrain to the good vibrations. In Africa, music had an essential role accompanying workers in the fields, community dances and events, during rituals, initiations, marriages, and funerals. In North America and Europe, there has been increasing interest in exploring traditional African music ~ a tradition that, through the quality of sound, has proven to bring joy and promote well-being. Therefore, drum circles (a North American term) have sprung up in a variety of settings and are being applied in ways such as corporate or other team building, recreational music making, wellness programs, education, music therapy, celebrations, spirituality, personal growth, and more. “The musicians (in West Africa) were expected to maintain high moral standards because of their power to influence people through music. They were people of knowledge who were listened to carefully at village councils. In the Minianka expression, they spoke with lafolo yati, “the voice of the man who knows through the drum.” ~ The Healing Drum by Yaya Diallo and Mitchell Hall Drum Circles and Classes Facilitated by Goldie If interested, please check the Calendar page for upcoming events and/or connect with Goldie through the Contact page. Goldie believes rhythm is inside us all, starting with our own heart beat. She and her life partner, James, began facilitating drum circles and classes in 2011, and continue to do so. Rhythms are picked up quickly thanks to the use of the traditional African method of teaching through oral culture that has the philosophy “if you can say it, you can play it!”. So true. Goldie, James and their Free Spirit Drummers have fun sharing the joy of the drum through performances in an annual Children’s Festival, a Multi-Cultural Day event, and Fundraisers. Goldie, James & Free Spirit Drummers with David Thiaw at Children’s Festival 2012 Goldie’s Drum Mentors Goldie and her life partner, James, were blessed to meet their friend and mentor, Joan Casorso of Inner Rhythms, in 2010 who enthusiastically introduced them to the world of drumming. Joan is a one-of-a kind, superb teacher and coach. Joan Casorso Founder Inner Rhythms Classes|Workshops|Retreats “Joan Casorso brings 30 years of teaching & coaching experience to her Inner Rhythms programs. Inner Rhythms encompasses drum, dance, rhythm based communication activities, “Yoga Plus”, community building and body, mind, spirit health.” In 2011, Joan Casorso introduced Goldie and James to Master Drummer, David Thiaw, her friend and mentor. Goldie enjoys working with James, Joan, and David to bring people together to drum and sometimes...
Yoga is an ancient art. The literal meaning of Yoga is “union”. It is derived from the Sanskrit root word, yuj, which mean “to yoke” or “to unite”. Yoga helps to reunite all opposites of mind and body, movement and stillness, feminine and masculine, in order to bring harmony and balance. Continued yoga practice will create strength, flexibility, and lead to a sense of peace, well being and oneness. Yoga includes the physical practice of asanas (body postures), however, it is so much more than that. The benefits for body, mind and spirit are many! Goldie and her life partner, James, have returned from their adventure, immersing themselves in the lifestyle of yoga, the Kaula system, taught at Shri Kali Ashram in the coastal village in South Goa, India. They were inspired to go by a beautiful young couple, Lara & Kevin, Founders of Brightside Yoga and Living Brightside, who went for this training the winter of 2012/2013 and brought the teachings back to the Okanagan/Shuswap regions of British Columbia. When Goldie first took a yoga class with Lara & Kev, she knew she wanted to learn more. Goldie and James have become Certified 500 hour Advanced Yoga Instructors with Yoga Alliance®; teachers of this Traditional Tantra Yoga (Kaula system). This Tantric yoga system is known as “Tri – Doshas Balancing series” with its supporting philosophy. Part of the system includes the Ayurvedic Walking Massage, which is also shown in the video below! To get a sense of what Traditional Tantra Yoga is all about, below is a beautifully created short film, that was filmed at Shri Kali Ashram. Stay tuned as James and Goldie’s journey in this yogic lifestyle unfolds for 2014 and beyond! Yoga Classes by Goldie & James Goldie & James currently partner with Sweet Freedom Yoga. and Breathe Yoga Studio....
Let the beauty that we love be what we do ~ Rumi
Sharing joyful rhythms and good vibrations thru dance, drum, and more . . .Goldie is a Joy Ambassador. Music and rhythm have been a big part of her life and she recognizes the impact it can have on her and others. She is witness to how sound/music can be so transformative and powerful to uplift our mood into joy and bliss or take us down to melancholy for a good cry. Goldie believes our natural state is one of joy and cultivates that within her. She finds she can shift her outlook and perspective by singing, dancing, drumming, practicing yoga and has been blessed to dedicate most of her recent years to fine tuning her skills in these areas to then teach these fun and beneficial activities to others, so they, too, can bring out their joy to play!
Learn More“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.” ~ Marianne Williamson~
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