Have you guys ever read "Maps to Ecstasy" by Gabrielle Roth? Or, the sequel, "Sweat Your Prayers"? To me, this is the roadmap for all dance on how to achieve trance. It's all about contaction and release of energy, and this is what I first studied with the Martha Graham technique. Discovering the "center" of energy, or the solar plexus, through Graham technique is what led me to bellydance.

I was kinda observing myself from afar when I was practicing today; I was improving and I found my energy constantly going from tight to loose in my dancing. When I first find new music, I just dance improv until I hit a pattern. I find my patterns tend to employ this contaction/release theory. Anyone else?

K xoxo