Skirt Full of Fire | Tucson-based Tribal Fusion Belly Dance Instruction & Performance

I’m going to make this short and sweet…what are you doing with your life and is it gratifying to you?

Getting older and having more and more responsibility generally calls for more and more sacrifice. We sacrifice our dreams, our comfort, our money, our freedom, and sometimes we do it for something that doesn’t really matter to us. I’ve done it plenty, but I’m going to start putting myself first and I ask that you do the same.  You cannot fully give of yourself if you aren’t nurturing yourself first.  It’s like giving someone a check for $20 when you only have $5 in the bank.  You put yourself in the negative when it comes to energy and compassion.  You’re no good to anyone if you aren’t replenishing your energy and passion on a daily basis.  What is one thing you can do for yourself to promote happiness? It can be as simple as spending the first thirty minutes of your morning drinking coffee slowly, savoring every sip, and looking out of the window while setting an intention for your day. It can be as big as truly submerging yourself in that thing you’ve always wanted to learn but never have carved out the time to do so.

You all can be my accountability buddies. Here is what I’m going to do for myself:

• I am going to meditate for ten minutes every morning.
• I am going to rehearse six days a week for at least 45 minutes.
• I am going to go out once a week for purely social reasons.
• I am going to unabashedly promote my business, as I have deep passion for it and want to spread that passion as far as I can.
• I am going to create more with other artists.

My biggest road-block is always my own mind.  I have a penchant for thinking negative thoughts about my abilities in everything, it is a part of my nature.  If you are anything like me, try this: when a negative thought creeps in, immediately replace it with a positive.  I’m not suggesting that you ignore things you could do to improve yourself, but that you change your way of thinking about those things.  Try a compliment sandwich, “I am great at ___.  I could improve ____ by  ____.  I like how I  ___.”  It’s a matter of thinking constructively rather than destructively.  It’s was a hard habit to change for me, personally, and I still struggle with it occasionally, but it’s worth the effort.  Positive energy attracts positive energy, as hippy-dippy as it sounds.  Seek to surround yourself and instill in yourself that positive energy, I promise it will help keep you on task.

I would love to be your accountability buddy.  What do you plan to do for yourself this year?

All my love and all my support,

I just got home from a whirlwind trip to the west coast.  The lovely Lady Jack and I had an absolute blast traveling, performing and teaching in California and are in the process of planning our next tour!  I’ve got to say, I was worried about how it would all turn out, but I’m refreshed, revived, and completely stoked about moving to Los Angeles now in a way that I simply wasn’t before. 

I can’t really describe how wonderful it is to have someone open not only their home, but also their dance studio, students, and network to you with complete faith in you.  We were so lucky to have connected with some amazing producers, dancers, and all around bad-asses in California.  I want to send out enormous thanks to Audrey DeLuxe, Bobbie Burlesque, Penny Starr Jr., and the wonderful producers of Baxtalo Drom for opening their doors to us as teachers and dancers. 

It’s so bitter-sweet leaving Chicago.  On the one hand, I will not miss the winters.  I am a warm-weather bunny.  Being around 100 pounds and 5’2”, the cold weather affects me like it would affect a chihauhua.  I shiver, get knocked around by the wind, and generally curse the heavens during the winter.  Even the threat of falling into the ocean come 2012 doesn’t compare to the prospect of another winter in Chicago.  On the other hand, through Chicago I have fallen in love with my career, met some amazing human beings, networked with some of the brightest entertainers in the U.S., and had a splendid time in the process.  If I had it my way, I’d live a bi-coastal existence and spend my summers in Chicago…alas, my yearly income demands a more modest existence.   

With one month to go in Chicago, I’m trying to fit in as much Midwest fun as my calendar will hold.  I am teaching workshops, traveling, and upping my class offerings.  I highly recommend if you are a Chicagoan and you have had a passing interest in taking lessons from me, you get on it!  I am available for private lessons and private classes, as well.  Please email me at jolie@skirtfulloffire.com for more information!

Click for full-size web-flier.

While the Hitwomen web-series isn’t focusing on Lady Jack (Lindsey) and I in our respective burlesque and belly dance performance realms…we certainly can put on a live show benefiting the Hitwomen Series that utilizes those talents…and that’s what we’re doing, a “Kickstarter party”, if you will. This is all going down on June 30th at The Spot 4437 N Broadway, Chicago. Doors open at 8pm and show starts at 9pm!

Everyone who will be in Chicago on June 30 and has donated is welcome to attend for free and see a great show + get a free drink and a gift certificate to The Spot. Please RSVP to hitwomenseries@gmail.com or Facebook if you plan to attend. All new donors will be let in for free as well with a donation of $10 or more to Kickstarter. You can also donate at the door if you’d rather.

Performers will include: Lady Jack, Jolie Roberson, Dizzy Lizzy, Jeez Loueez and more TBA!

If you’d love to support the project, but you can’t donate, please feel free to pass around the flier and send other people to our Facebook Fan Page or Kickstarter if you think they’d like to help! Keep in mind that the lowest donation is a dollar. That’s not even the price of a cup of coffee!

Here’s a recent video update of Lindsey and I talking about our characters!!!