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I had fun time teaching a shaperobics class and 3 belly dance classes today.

I did some hips pop and pelvis tuck in Shaperobics class today and the students loved it, they requested for more and told me if l do, they want me to teach Shaperobics everyday as the class will surely be very packed for once a week class. Ha, only if l could split myself to two la, or it is impossible for me to teach workout classes everyday now as l have too many belly dance classes to conduct, and l need to spend a lot of time for choreograhy. But since they love it, l will add a little bit more in future for the workout members of mine to enjoy a little bit of fun of belly dancing.

I asked a beginner class of mine to dance without facing the mirror today, l always do this to new students as l want them to feel the music. I on the music but the class seems hesitating to start moving, so l stopped the music. You know what they told me? Conny this is not the music we used to practise!

Ha ha ha! I soon laughed loudly .....Of course it is the same music, but it is different to them when they did not look at the mirror anymore la, ha ha! I continued playing the music until they believed it is the music.....

This is what l notice, human is affected easily by the environment, we always feel insecure at a strange place, and forget we are still the same person, if you are a steady person at a place that you are familiar with, you should not have doubt to yourself in other places because you are still you.

So nowadays, l started to train the flexibility of my students by moving them around and conducting them to face different objects to dance, we always have a lot of fun by practicing this.

The only male belly dance student of mine told me he loves my class very much, he said he could never get enough to learn in my class, he asked me: Conny what is your tactic ah? I then joked to him : Don't you know l am a'witch'?

I think that is because l enjoy teaching very much, and l learn from my students by teaching them, it is my career and passion, l respect my career and appreciate everyone that step in to my class, there are many choices in town nowadays but they chose me, this is an encouragement to me and  l have no reason not to teach with my heart, right? I believe, when there is enough skillful, it will tansform to a magic!

In 'So you think you can dance', one of the talented contestants has commented too much in an extreme way while working together in a choreography with other dancers, he was eliminated and Nigel told him : As a dancer, you must also know when to talk and when to shut up!

I laughed in front of my TV, HA HA HA!

Hey absolutely agree with you Nigel, because l experienced this! I used to be that kind of people who did not know when to talk too, sometimes l was just too keen to help but has given comments at a wrong timing, so my help became a 'criticism'......

To talk is easy, but to shut up is something l am practising very hard now.

I like the conclusion the judges giving to the contestants, they said they are looking for a star, for this reason they are not only judging from their dance but their personality is playing a big role, as this is a long journey, a star has to be smart, patient, tough, cooperative, humble....in a word, he must be a person with good personality.

Oh this is what always in my mind.

Dance is an art, or l would like to call this a humane art, it is completely related with our personality, l insisit we have to be a good person in order to be a great dancer, the criterion of 'So you think you can dance' has helped me to reconfirm my concept, thank you!

I teach 2 intermediate classes and 5 advance classes of belly dance weekly nowadays, there are many drilling for them to do comparing to beginner class, being a beginner student of mine is much simple as l only request them to enjoy the class, but l will be a bit more demanding to intermediate and advance students, l guess this is what they want too? I really work a lot on the drilling to my students lately, l know it is hard for them, look, it is not easy for me too, especially when l have 3 advance classes in a row , l must make sure l have enough stamina to guide, demonstrate, explain and, make fun!

One of the classes have just being upgraded to advance class and they started to experience something very different from beginner and intermediate classes. I know they have to struggle to follow, l know......when they show me their 'bitter' expression, l know la, ha!

They told me, it was too hard for them until the whole body and mind tend to be tense.

So l told them: Look, l struggled in learning new steps when l took a workshop too, you know what l did? I smiled...no, sometimes l even laughed, l found myself looking funny on the new steps and it was fun to me, l was happy to learn something strange and beyond my ability, l know l am going to conquer something new again, so instead of being frustrated, l was excited!

I remember when l attended Sharon Kihara's tribal workshop before, l looked very funny in the isolation shimmy she taught, so l could not stop laughing at myself that time, Sharon approached me and told me, don't worry you are strong in isolation you could do it one day. After the workshop she told me she likes my big smile. I guess Sharon has forgotten what she has told me, but to me, it is a huge encouragement, see, if you are possitive, the teacher will repay you with possitive energy too.

Honestly l will be affected too when the whole class is tense, l have to act quickily with all motivation l know, and if the class insists not to respond to my motivation, l would have to take a deep breath and searching for other solution, it is not easy for me too, my dear students, l am stress too you see, but you have never stop seeing my smiling right?

This is my point of view, we must smile to the obstacles as we could not create any energy by crying or showing unhappy emotion, especially when you are learning a dance, you are here to enjoy something you like, it might be difficult for you at this moment, but you know you will do it by practicing, it is something possible, you explore and enlighten your body by learning something new and difficult, you should be excited on this, right?

You will improve by practicing to enjoy the learning process, trust me!

I do not know how many from Zero are reading my blog, but l noticed a change recently since l posted the title : Why do you ignore me?

Many smiled to me before l took the action, l was a bit surprise and honestly, very happy on that!

How good if our life is full of smiling? But l know it is too difficult, life is up and down.....l just read this from an article : Enjoy the applause when we are sucessful, enjoy the life when we fail.....

We are busy most of the times if we suceed, and when we fail, we might lose many things but we have time, so we could slow down and learn to enjoy our life.

And it is nothing when we smile upon the sucess, but it is valuable to smile when life is tough....

To me, smile is a respect to myself, to others, and to our life.

Thank you to everyone that smiling to me, let's cheers!

'What do you think of my performance?'

This is a common question l was asked by others after watching a show. Last time, l used to answer:'Good', and followed by 'but',  but nowadays, l would end my comment with only : Good!

You know, l thought l was smart, as l am those who could stand for criticism, yet whilst make a change to my mistake, so, l thought, people are the same, they want a sincere answer from me, that' s why they asked right?

After years, l know l was wrong seriously. Now l realised, most people are waiting for good comments only, majority are weak to face their shortcoming, it is not the matter of how l tell either, as long as l use 'but', it hurts them......

I do not mean to be hypocritical, but since most people do not like to listen to bad comment, why shall l tell to hurt people huh? And honestly, l am scared when people ask further with this : please be honest to tell me your comment!

Oh Good!----is my only answer now.

I know some students of mine have seen my changes, and they started to demand for my real answer : Please Conny, we really don't mind, tell me the truth!

My dear students, you don't mind, but l mind, l don't want to lose you!

I think people know what they lack exactly, they do not need others to tell them, when they ask for a comment, they are actually seeking for a regard, so that they have energy for the next round, so why not give people an encouragement huh? Just encouragement is enough, further comment is a risk!

Also, as long as you have the guts to perform, you are Good! It is definitely not an easy job to stand on the stage, right?

Good! Good! Good!

I enjoyed watching this program very much, most of all, l have learnt a lot from the judges' comments, even though they are very cruel sometimes.

And we could easily judge the word 'Dance Spirit' from the contestants.

It is really weird when some of the contestants who danced like hell and still telling the judges they do not need any professional training, as they defined themselves 'dancer'.

I think there is a problem with the title, 'So you think you can dance?' To those people, yes they do, that's why they wanted to participate to show they do. But this is not the way definitely, like what the judges always tell, the stage is for people who spend years of dance training, those with talent and tough practice, the stage is not for anybody who could 'move' their bodies, but for people who could 'dance', yes, the word 'dance' says it all !

I think, many people have wrong interpretation to the word 'dance'.

I teach kids danicng, and this always happen in the studio : A mom brings her kid to me and tell me : My daughter is very talented in dancing, she could shake, she could move, she always dance in front of the television.

But when the daughter attends the class, she could not dance at all, she is not comfortable to follow steps and she does not seem to enjoy the routine. Usually l will approach the kid and ask: Do you like dancing? If the kid shakes her head, l will tell her mom may be it is not the time yet, but sometimes, the mother gets angry with me, she insists her daughter likes dancing!

That's the thing, her daughter likes to move body, but does not mean she likes dancing you see, it is different!

Some people just like moving their bodies when they hear music, if they are to be called 'dancer', you could easily get whole bunch in night clubs!

Sad to say, this is an 'insult' to dancers!

Do you know how much money and time we have spent to the courses we attend? Do you know how much effort of practicing and drilling we have done? Do you know how much body aching and pain we have experienced? Do you know how much sweat and tears along the way?

It is definitely one of the toughest job, if you have experienced dance training like hell, you know!

But l feel shame to myself when looking at those excellent contestants, many of them are so professional, l am nothing compare to them, how much l admire their flexibility and ability in dance, they are so beautiful !

I like to watch contemporary dancers the most, they are an art to me, l just could not get my eyes off from their phenomena movements, and the 'feel', you know, such touching......

Dancing is not only moving, it is something valuable and unique from our ancestors, please respect the word 'dance'.

There was an evening with lots of cheers, laughters and struggling.

The ladies are mostly new in belly dancing, few of them have been dancing for years but have not attended any workshop before, my pleasure to be their first experience in belly dance workshop.

They were very friendly, in fact l did not know most of them but they welcomed me with their passion, many of them have watched me few times on the stage thus l am not a stranger to them.

I know it was not easy for them to cope and remember the steps, but they really tried the best and they did it. Shaabi is hard to interprete on the style, l told them to be patient, what they needed to do in that evening was to enjoy themselves in the workshop, and l believe they did.

I managed to finish teaching the whole choreography half an hour before times up, so they have time to practise the whole routine few times. Some were shy to ask question initially but after the lesson, they approached me for the doubts they were facing, l could see that they are really keen to learn.

They are the first group learning this choreography of mine, hope they will practise more and will meet them again one day for sure. At the end of the evening, they told me l am their idol now, and asked me to autograph on the cd they bought, ha, they are so cute! I would love to go back to teach them again definitely.

Thank you so much to Sumy, their teacher who hosted this workshop.

Our studio has a new look, everybody said 'wow' when stepped in to the studio, ha! I have to thank my staffs May, Eileen and Jane for their effort, we DIY for the whole decoration.

So today l started the video filming of my dance, 7 dances in three hours, l was very tiring towards the end of the filming and almost could not concentrate to the dance l was doing, luckily, l did it eventually.

I did not sleep well last two weeks, and non stop works in day time, l feel like stepping on the clouds most of the times as my mind is always empty, sigh...l thought l suppose to be free after all events, but seems like l am still busy......

Anyway, l am happy that l managed to finish the filming for today, but this is only the kick start, there will be more tough work for the following filming.....

My video camera man Eric Mak is a professional, he did fabulous job to our events everytime, his studio is Mak Digital, he is also excellent in firming wedding function, his contact is 0125508737, www.makdigital.blogspot.com. I like to work with him because he is very patient and understanding, a very nice guy.

I am having one hour break now and another two classes back to back are waiting for me, hoo.....deep breath, Go Conny!

In fact l have forgotten when l started writing this blog, but l did not stop from the first day, l enjoy writing as l like sharing. Honestly, when l started the blog, l did not expect people to read, to me, it is more like a record of my life.

But l know sometimes l am out of control, l guess people know what to share and what must not, but a stupid lady like me just blaarr.....though, thankful to my blaar, l was scolded few times from those who did not agree with me, l want to thank them because they have taught me something and helping me to grow in other way.

I used to concern too much in humanity, l do not understand why people want to hurt others, there is a leveler deep inside my heart, l do not differentiate a king and a beggar but l distinguish people from their behavior. Hence, l could not accept the ugliness of human being and always reponse extremely to this.

The thing is, l am not Buddha or Jesus, who am l to judge human huh?

Life is a process of learning and l am learning to be a flexible woman instead of an extreme one now, l used to care too much when people do not like me, l wanted to know the reason, but nowadays, l do not care anymore, not even caring when l see ugly or unreasonable behavior now, l started to understand this is life, life is in various colours, isn't it too bored if we only see white?

Let it be oh Let it be.......

So, l do not want to understand now, instead, l accept. 

Smile, when l am happy....Smile, when l am hurt.....Smile to the only life we have......

We had a workout instructors' gathering today, there were few topics to share and we all made a lot of fun by sharing own experience, such a wonderful gathering.

The most interesting topic is about the response of our students, we are helpless of the silence from students over the years, whenever we ask : Are you alright? Silent......Do you have any question? Silent......Do you like the class? Silent.......

All of us are frustrated with the silence, honestly!

Who wants to be ignored huh? It is even worse to a sensitive woman like me, l will think it negative way : Oh may be they don't like me? May be it is too tough for them? Or may be it is too easy for them thus it is stupid to ask this?

But after years of teaching, we have compromised. At the end, our conclusion to this topic is :

This is under the influence of the environment here la, it is very hard to do any remediation as we are not able to fight with the whole environment, so nowadays we train ourselves to give own answers, this way: 

We ask : Are you ok?

Students: Silent.....

So we answer: Oh you are ok !

We ask: Any question?

Students : Silent....

So we answer: Oh you all totally understand now ! Good!

Ha, so we make fun to ourselves nowadays....

In fact l have been acting like a clown for many years, trying best to cheer up the class and making a lot of jokes just hoping that the class is more lively, but l am tired after years of trying, and l am learning to be flexible on this lately, instead of changing people's mind, l think l prefer to change mine!

You know, as a principal, l try to smile to everyone that walking in to Zero, but sometimes l am ignored, people stare at me and walk in to class, may be they do not know l am the principal or may be they thought l am abnormal? It is sad to be ignored and l wonder what's wrong to greet back with a smile huh? But nowadays l learn to accept this philosophy, these people have different concept of life and different channel from me, that is it!

And to be ignored by a person l care is absolutely 'hurt', to me, it shows that this person does not care on me, relationship works best only when it is balance, but to obtain a 'balance' is such difficult in life as there is different thinking in every mankind's mind, what to do? Except to accept and adjust ourselves, right?