By Gylon Jackson
From the mind of Karen Barbee Adkisson with help from Gyon Jackson and Kathy Swanson is the new podcast
BABY BOOMER BELLY DANCER
From a lifetime of performing to recorded music to
... more
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The podcast currently has 19 episodes available.
Long lost episode. Shades of Time with Laura and Mondo. A last minute decision take a quick trip to South Padre, Tx gave Karen Barbee the opportunity to interview Shades Of Time.
Shades of Time is one of the bands who plays for Karen's Project Band dance curriculum.
Check out more about Karen Barbee and Karavan Studio:
Baby Boomer Belly Dancer vodcast: http://vodcast.karavansa.com/
Damn The Torpedoes blog: https://blog.karavansa.com/
Karavan Studio with online and live belly dance options: http://karavansa.com/
Your free trial of Karavan Online: https://freetrial.karavansa.com/
Get Karen's Top 20 Philosophies eBook: https://signup.karavansa.com
Find out about Karen's Karavan Online Masterclass: https://masterclass.karavansa.com/
https://www.facebook.com/KaravanStudio/
https://twitter.com/karavansa
https://www.youtube.com/karenbarbee
https://www.instagram.com/bellydancem...
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Host and Producer:
Gylon Jackson | VOD|POD Media | [email protected]
A quick trip to South Padre, Texas, yields a great interview with founders of the band... Shades of Time.
This is a long lost episode. Enjoy.
Check out more about Karen Barbee and Karavan Studio:
Baby Boomer Belly Dancer vodcast: http://vodcast.karavansa.com/
Damn The Torpedoes blog: https://blog.karavansa.com/
Karavan Studio with online and live belly dance options: http://karavansa.com/
Your free trial of Karavan Online: https://freetrial.karavansa.com/
Get Karen's Top 20 Philosophies eBook: https://signup.karavansa.com
Find out about Karen's Karavan Online Masterclass: https://masterclass.karavansa.com/
https://www.facebook.com/KaravanStudio/
https://twitter.com/karavansa
https://www.youtube.com/karenbarbee
https://www.instagram.com/bellydancem...
=======================================
Host and Producer:
Gylon Jackson | VOD|POD Media | [email protected]
This is the 25h anniversary of GBDAC. Janet Lease has been with Karen for all 25 years of Give Belly Dance A Change. Enjoy the podcast as these two dancers take a shimmy and a figure eight down the memory lane of GBDAC.
With over 40 years in her chosen craft of belly dancing, Karavan Studio owner and professional belly dancer, Karen Barbee Adkisson, has been teaching students the art of belly dance techniques for more than 30 years and is dedicated to keeping live music performances as part of this artful cultural dance.
Join us as Karen's inquisitive mind and unique perspective on a wide array of topics inspire, educate, and even entertain your sensibilities... because everything comes back to belly dance.
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Check out more about Karen Barbee and Karavan Studio:
Baby Boomer Belly Dancer vodcast: http://vodcast.karavansa.com/
Damn The Torpedoes blog: https://blog.karavansa.com/
Karavan Studio with online and live belly dance options: http://karavansa.com/
Your free trial of Karavan Online: https://freetrial.karavansa.com/
Get Karen's Top 20 Philosophies eBook: https://signup.karavansa.com
Find out about Karen's Karavan Online Masterclass: https://masterclass.karavansa.com/
https://www.facebook.com/KaravanStudio/
https://twitter.com/karavansa
https://www.youtube.com/karenbarbee
https://www.instagram.com/bellydancem...
=======================================
Host and Producer:
Gylon Jackson | VOD|POD Media | [email protected]
Marketing Automation and Co-Producer:
Kathy Swanson | Integrated Marketing Werx | [email protected]
Karen says hello and goodbye to two of her dancers. Shevon and Cameron are leaving the Karavan Studio family for new adventures outside of Texas. Listen to the latest podcast here or you can watch the podcast (VODCAST) on Facebook or Youtube.
https://www.facebook.com/KaravanStudiofs
We recently had Bahaia from Austin join us in the studio. Surprisingly, we found out that before becoming a belly dancer, she was a competitive Scottish Highland dancer and that her love for it waned because there was no room for expression in the dance.
Something that also came up several times was the importance of having a guide; someone with more experience or knowledge who can lead you into a richer belly dance experience.
During this episode of the Baby Boomer Belly Dancer, we talk about:
00:00 How Bahaia got into belly dancing at the age of 15
07:07 First solo belly dance performance in Austin
07:55 When Bahaia came onto Karen's radar
12:45 Great training from early instructors and making connections
15:31 Bringing in a dancer from Greece to Austin and doing events/workshops
20:31 Having enthusiasm and skills from outside of the dance world
21:30 The rise of the Austin Belly Dance Convention
23:24 Karen's CD release of "Mystery and Mastery" at the convention
24:42 Taking a "back seat" to strong, definitive instructors
26:07 Dancing at The Sands in Houston before 9-11
28:40 The "real deal" vs fantasy... friendships and music
31:07 Being a third generation "camper" and fun hosting belly dance camps
36:36 Everyone was coming down to San Antonio to take Karen's classes...
38:07 Belly dancing to live music and "How do I get in on that?" with Project Band
40:58 When the National Arab Orchestra (NAO) Takht Ensemble came to San Antonio
44:10 Having a different mindset and soaking in every bit of the music
49:50 Collaborating to have belly dancers on stage with the NAO for the first time
50:20 Bahaia's new project with belly dancers performing to new original compositions
57:16 Who is Bahaia's "hero' in the belly dance community?
58:59 Greatest pet peeve(s) and greatest benefits of the belly dance industry
Bottom Line: Just do things and get out there; knowing that getting recognition as a dancer and teacher can bring out the snarky in some folks.
We invited Debbie Smith back as our inaugural remote guest to talk with Karen about the nuances of belly dancing to live Arabic music without looking contrived.
A dear friend and Project Band member, Debbie is one of the few American belly dancers who knows Arabic and translates the words from the music as part of her process.
During this episode of the Baby Boomer Belly Dancer, we talk about:
00:00 Inaugural remote guest podcast with Debbie Smith
00:56 GBDAC2021 and what comes first... mastery or mystery?
03:02 Expression and sincerity in a dancer's performance
07:27 The opposite of effort...
09:32 Letting the music tell you what to do
11:35 Ways to increase your improv skills outside of class
14:25 What can look ingenuine
16:28 Looking for depth and reasons to do certain expressions
21:35 The process of taking in the music and putting it out in the form of movement
24:24 Dancers looking to deepen expression
25:56 Using translations to know how to feel about the music
34:02 When Westerners are mouthing the words to a song
36:12 Mapping a song out
Ultimately, context is everything!
Over the last decade, Karen has been making it possible for people to learn and appreciate the art of belly dance wherever they are in the world through the power of technology.
Join us for a behind the scenes conversation with Kathy Swanson (The Marketing Maverick behind the marketing automation, Karavan Online, and everything digital) and videographer Gylon Jackson (The Tech Guru with all the toys and gadgets).
We explore Karen's journey, how she "didn't feel a thing" in her business when the pandemic hit the dance studio industry, and how dancing to live music (even remotely) has evolved with Project Band.
During this episode of the Baby Boomer Belly Dancer, we talk about:
00:00 Wow! Kathy and Gylon are on this side of the studio
00:25 The evolution of the technology of Karavan Studio over more than a decade
01:34 How Gylon came on board with "Belly Dance Fun" and the video equipment
04:33 How Kathy met Karen -- with more than "pretty spreadsheets" ; )
06:38 How many times the website design and platform have been redesigned
08:03 Evolving the belly dance journey with someone who loves the live music experience
09:31 Realizing the possibility that anyone on (or off) planet can access learning how to belly dance on any level with Karen because of the technology
10:33 Sharing Karen's love of improvisation and live music
11:03 The evolution of content and creating a foundation -- beyond "YouTube learning"
12:51 Learning from a guide versus idolizing instructors as a dabbler
16:18 Moving forward, keeping up, and always changing with industry and technology
16:37 Kathy's "why-to" book and the value of focus in the face of choices
18:30 Guest instructors are students of Karen Barbee -- even with different styles
19:50 Karen's favorite part of the technology
21:37 Why when everything tanked last year with COVID, Karen didn't feel a thing
23:02 Choosing to dance to live music for a live streamed event during a pandemic
23:48 When we almost got arrested because of murky City of San Antonio ordinances
25:31 In the face of adversity comes innovation -- and the dancers loved it
27:37 Making it easy for dancers to schedule and show up for private lessons
28:07 Having things already online and not having to educate the dancers
28:50 GBDAC2020 -- figuring out what were we going to do, Project Band dancers, and live music
30:11 Pulling off GBDAC202020 remotely and live across the country
38:20 Now dancing remotely to live music is not a big deal and we do it regularly
40:14 Now Project Band is open to people wherever they are on the planet
40:49 Changing expectations during a pandemic -- clear plexiglass is not the same
42:32 GBDAC2021 is looking good for October 1-3 in San Antonio and how we will do it
44:22 The Road to GBDAC2021 and creating content for our audience before and during the event
47:51 The tools for online marketing now are amazing, integrated, and more affordable
48:40 Letting technology and automation help you be more creative and do the (im)possible
51:15 A belly dancer with her own music on cassette and CD... and now on Spotify and iTunes
52:53 Self-publishing a coloring book of Sara's drawings and Karen's philosophy topics
53:45 The things Gylon and Kathy wish Karen would do
56:48 Ranting on belly dancing... the birth of the Baby Boomer Belly Dancer video podcast
58:17 A great idea for YouTube -- do you think Karen should do it?
1:03:42 Being ahead of our time and the amazing tech at the UTSA Buena Vista Theater for GBDAC
Kathy thinks Karen should have a Patreon channel. What do you think?
In the meantime, on Amazon you can get a copy of Karen's coloring book "Kolor Your Perspective" illustrated by Sarah Jouett Martinez.
You can also get Kathy's why-to book "Automation Works" on Amazon.
You can also contact Gylon at VOD|POD Media [email protected].
How did we get Michael Ibrahim and the National Arab Orchestra (NAO) into Texas?
Michael recently joined us from Detroit along with Karen's cousin, Julie Scott, Former Executive Director of The Youth Orchestra of San Antonio, to talk about this incredible story.
Rest assured, we are looking at even bigger ways to instruct dancers on how to work with live music and giving them the opportunity to do it.
During this episode of the Baby Boomer Belly Dancer, we talk about:
00:00 The incredible story begins with Project Band and adding instruments
02:35 Finding a nay player on YouTube -- Michael Ibrahim, NAO Founder and Conductor
04:48 Connecting through Naser Musa and flying dancers to Minneapolis to see Michael
05:44 Going to Detroit to see the NAO Takht Ensemble
06:10 Tying in to San Antonio's Dream Week with the Youth Orchestra of San Antonio
10:24 Planning the concert at Incarnate Word and pulling in the Lebanese community
11:46 Creating a sold out concert and an excitement for more
13:40 Live Arab music -- Texas singers and musicians are coming out of the woodwork
14:54 In less than a year, having the full orchestra at Trinity University
15:11 Attracting support from Houston and playing there to another sold out crowd
18:21 Using concerts as a catalyst to bring communities together
19:45 Why Michael founded the National Arab Orchestra -- a purpose of culture
23:16 The NAO's Building Bridges through Music program and "starting with ourselves"
24:50 The pandemic afforded the NAO the opportunity to build a virtual community
26:06 How excited Karen was when she joined the NAO Board
27:55 Collaboration, education, and kids learning the music to pass along tradition
30:00 Keeping the inspiring energy of live music at the forefront -- makes us human
32:02 Having dancers on stage with the Takht Ensemble in January of 2020
33:03 Folding dance into the music and elevating the tone of the cultural conversation
35:50 Cultural dissemination vs cultural appropriation
43:31 Belly dance is a huge window opportunity to curiosity and conversations
46:59 The arts as a window into culture and why people do what they do
47:40 Teaching dancers how to listen to the music and improvisation
55:01 The NAO Takht Ensemble and Karavan Studio's weekend showcase in October 2021
"When you want to get to know someone, you invite them over for dinner; that's how life works." - Michael Ibrahim
While we had some technical difficulties, they didn't hold us back from this great conversation with Michael and Julie.
Close friends and a common love for belly dance.
Debbie Smith and Karen Barbee discuss culture, dance, and the transformative effects of falling in love with both the art and science of belly dance.
We are so pleased Debbie came in from Arkansas to San Antonio for this "performahearsal weekend" with her fellow Project Band members and our musicians.
During this episode of the Baby Boomer Belly Dancer, we talk about:
00:00 This could take a while... how long Debbie has been studying belly dance
02:30 When Debbie and Karen met at Mirage
04:02 Hearing the music and following the breadcrumbs to experience the culture
09:48 Meeting her first musician in Austin and developing cultural habits
13:34 Realizing that the main thing she loved about dancing was the music
16:27 The energy of the whole band, how people react to it, and feeling it
19:47 When Judy invited Debbie to come to Karen's classes in San Antonio
20:49 How Debbie decided to get her degree in Middle Eastern Studies
24:35 Meeting Georges Lammam for the first time
27:02 When Karen and Debbie took classes together at UT Austin
29:05 Moving to San Francisco and meeting Amina who produced live music events
30:56 Performing in local showcases and going to workshops
33:12 Sincerity and dancing -- freely following and going deep into what you love
35:30 Learning how to speak Arabic and Persian at UC Berkeley extension classes
37:34 Starting to go to Egypt because of VHS tapes
43:32 Becoming an Arts Administrator for a non-profit dance studio
46:03 Joining a Palestinian Debke troupe... from MIT
47:50 Producing her first annual Arab Cultural Festival to elevate Arab artists
49:53 Working at the Dance Mission Theater and the Arab Cultural Center
52:04 Panel of musicians at the Arab American National Museum in Detroit
54:04 Decision to move to Egypt and advocating artists and musicians
55:22 Being taken seriously and not having dance and professional life intersect
57:07 Finding the perfect job in Egypt and how her Arabic got even better
1:04:48 Debbie is not a former dancer... since Project Band is infinitely fungible for any level
Debbie's thesis was about the aesthetic values of Arabic music, including improvisation and the sacred repetition of shapes, and how oriental dance movements were perfectly suited to express the subtleties of the music. You can see why Karen and Debbie get along so well!
Virtuoso violinist, Georges Lammam from San Francisco, first met Karen in the late 80's.
Coming to San Antonio for a "performahearsal weekend", both Georges and Project Band member Debbie Smith from Arkansas joined us as we talk about knowing each other for all these years.
We also explored how belly dancers helped bring Middle Eastern music to the western ear.
During this episode of the Baby Boomer Belly Dancer, we talk about:
00:00 What is a "performahearsal weekend"?
01:19 Georges' journey before meeting Karen in Houston
08:37 We met at Cleopatra's ... and 11 years later...
10:08 Oh, and the first International Conference on Middle Eastern Dance in 1997
12:44 And we haven't lost Georges since
13:40 Live music and belly dance improvisation re-emergance in 2012
14:17 Meeting cool musicians through Georges
17:36 Working with dancers - workshops and the resonating improv experience
18:30 Appreciating Middle Eastern music and touching the heart
22:34 Hitting the wall with recorded music and expanding with live music
23:01 Young musicians interested in this music... especially through the pandemic
24:25 Performing in the room and the exchange of energy vs. plexiglass
25:43 Looking for tiny nuances of the dancer on Zoom
26:30 Being hungry to perform to live music in San Francisco - hidden gems
30:45 Highlights of touring in the U.S.
32:38 Loving the music enough to enjoy even a little Latin dance club
33:44 Playing for Syrian refugees on an island in Greece
35:11 Original compositions -- "Dancing Bear" will be on stage in October
37:20 And we listen to Georges improvise a quick violin piece
Once again, Georges will be amongst the incredible musicians performing at Karavan's 25th annual "Give Belly Dance A Chance" weekend... the last of its kind.
The podcast currently has 19 episodes available.
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