my greatest teachers

One tiny little girl showed the greatest amount of love. Last summer, at a family festival, there was a booth set up to create music shakers from plastic water bottles with dried beans inside. This little girl worked with her little fingers to get some beans into the skinny neck of the bottle. After twisting the cap on, she shook it to test the sound. Then, she spent many minutes decorated it with stickers and marker creating a great work of art. After she finished she came over to the bellydance tent, shy, hiding beside her mama. Then, very solemnly, she walked forward and offered the shaker.
"Here, this is for you," she said with her eyes on the ground.
I smiled and said, "Thank you; it's beautiful " doing my best not to tear up.
She walked away smiling and her mom looked at me almost apologetic that her daughter had given me a re-purposed plastic bottle.
"It's my greatest treasure," I said to her and I meant it.
I'll keep that water bottle forever, right along with my first coin belt, my Unity Award and my three certificates from Carolena Nericcio .

I'm blessed and honored to have these wonderful little beings in my life. I have an adorable fan club. They follow me around the grocery store and giggle from behind case stacks of organic ketchup. The braver ones will call out, "Bellydancer!" before they dash away to hide behind mom's legs. Last month at the Gallery Crawl, three girls probably ages 4 and 5 jumped in and danced with my troupe on the street. We circled around them and cheered them on as they shimmied and spun around and around and around. (By the way, a spin is a lot more fun when mixed with hysterical giggles!)


So, I've just about had it with the bellydancers who treat children like they are more annoying than a $4 set of zills. I have watched time after time as 'professional' bellydancers ignore children. Dance right past them, look right through them. I even saw (and I swear this is 100% truth) a 3 year old girl jump on stage right before the bellydancer was to take the stage. This darling child put her arms above her head and attempted belly rolls right there on stage in front of a nice-size crowd! She was my hero: fearless, bold!!
But, the bellydancer, set to perform next, stood backstage watching and snidely commented, "Get off the stage. Oh, I'll show her how to do belly rolls."
I was horrified.
I have news for you, these kids, they are the future. If you want to ruin your career as a bellydance instructor, be rude to them now. Who do you think your students are going to be in 10 years?? They are watching, they pay attention and they DO remember you.
My favorite is when a young girl will come up to me and confess, "My mama says I have to do ballet. But when I grow up I'm gonna be a bellydancer like you!" And these kids mean it!

It's a small thing to shimmy over to a 5-year-old and dance a few hip drops for her, but you'll have an admirer who won't forget you - ever! (And a side-note here: Happy kids = happy parents. Chances are good the parent won't forget you either! Those parents are the restaurant owners who hire you or the festival organizers who call. That can be a benefit, but that's not the reason to dance for the kids. )
Dance because you are helping them see beauty. You are teaching love. Dance because their eyes light up to see you! And dance because they are the future. Our dance cannot live on if there is no one to pass it on to.

I hope you'll welcome children into your dance-life. I promise if you open your heart, you'll learn much from them. They give love so freely. They dance so spontaneously! Children will remind you to dance for fun. They help you remember the joy in it and they will teach you to spin for no other reason than just because you want to!