The O-town Scene

Each week, we have a casual conversation with a member of the community. This week, Cassandra Miller chit chats with Huxtable is performing Friday in Muller Plaza in Oneonta as part of Fabulous First Fridays! from 5 to 7 p.m. 1. You are the leader of the “Badra Ba- hiya” (radiant full moon) bellydance troupe in Oneonta. How did you get into belly dancing, and what is your background with it? About 15 years ago I agreed to attend a folkloric bellydance class as moral support for a pregnant friend who was looking for a form of exercise that would assist her in natural childbirth. She had researched many options and settled on bellydance. At the first class I was hooked and knew I had stumbled on something amazing. My friend danced up until a few days before she had her baby, and was back at class the next week with baby in tow. I studied with that same teacher, and took every workshop I could until I moved away. After that, I kept taking classes wherever I could find them and supplemented my prac- tice with videos. I learned different styles _ folkloric, cabaret, American Tribal and tribal fusion, along with traditional ethnic dances from Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia. I didn’t start teaching until I moved to this area. I couldn’t find any classes so I thought I might start my own. 2. What is the secret to being a good belly dancer? Practice, patience, practice. Pay attention. Notice the smallest shifts within your body, your muscles and joints. If it hurts, you’re probably doing it wrong. Give yourself to the music and dance with respect for yourself and the art form. Remember why you’re doing it, which is hopefully because you love it and it makes you happy. 3. You’re originally from North Carolina and have also lived in Virginia and Wash- ington. How did you end up in Oneonta? I’ve lived in Wisconsin and Louisiana, as well. I came to this area after I met my (future) husband, who is from West Winfield. It’s a long story, but it was all because of a man. 4. Have you ever visited those exotic loca- tions where belly dancing originated? I’ve been in the Middle East, but that was before I ever even knew about bellydance. I think I was 9 or 10 at the time. Though I’ve seen many different claims about where it originated, the more dance I see, the more I realize that bel- lydance begins and ends with women, no matter where they are. There are folky and earthy versions of bellydance, slinky styles and glitzy forms, but they all cross over and blend together beautifully. 5. What job have you had is the most differ- ent from being a belly dancing instructor and performer? I don’t really know. Would that be book- keeper or house painter? 6. Your group is performing at Muller Plaza during Fabulous First Fridays! on July 1; where else do you perform, and how can people find out more about taking belly dancing lessons? We will be perform- ing in the same location during the Farmers’ Market on July 16, and we also perform at My Father’s Place lounge in Emmons throughout the year. We usually have a theme _ last Halloween it was Steampunk, this spring we had animal-inspired costumes, and this coming Halloween I’m leaning CASUAL CHIT CHAT Bellydancer Caroline Huxtable Bellydancer Caroline Huxtable | toward a Superhero theme. We’ll also be at Stella Luna on July 8. That will be our first time in the restaurant setting, and I’m very excited about taking a break from our usual format. Class information is available from me via email at upstatebellydance@yahoo.com or www.oneontatkd.com. That’s the Tae Kwon-do Studio where I teach beginner classes. I’m also starting a new 7. If you had to give a performance to modern rock or popular music, what three songs would you want to bellydance to? I don’t listen to the radio, and don’t own a television so I have only the vaguest idea of what’s popular now. My husband and I find all our music online or through word- of-mouth. That said, when I’m not listening to bellydance music, I’m usually listening to something like Regina Spektor or Chum- bawumba. Sometimes Fat Boy Slim or Gnarls Barkley. Or Chopin. 8. Are you interested in other as- pects of exotic cultures? What culture intrigues you most, and what is your favorite dish from that culture? With the ubiquity of the Internet, sometimes it seems like nothing is particularly exotic anymore, but I admire any culture, however small and obscure, that practices respect for the natural world. There aren’t many societies left that still teach their children how to identify edible plants or medicinal herbs, or how to observe the behavior of animals for clues to coming weather. There are a few cultures, scattered around the world, that still believe all things fill an essential role and should be treated respectfully _ plants, animals, rivers, ponds, insects, humans. The joy of life is in the harmony and balance of all these things, and this is the same joy that inspires women to get up and dance when the music is good and the energy is right. When it comes to food, well, I love a good Thai Green Curry, and I don’t think I’ve met an Indian dish I didn’t like. 9. What did you want to be when you were in high school? First a writer, then an artist. In col- lege, I majored in art (oil painting) and ended up adding words, both decorative and meaningful, to a lot of my paintings. My background in visual art has segued into costume de- sign, since tribal costumes are eclectic (not mass-produced) and dancers traditionally make their own. class in the fall, “Belly Burn,” which will be a bellydance-inspired workout focusing on the core muscles. 10. What’s the best part about liv- ing in the Oneonta area? The beautiful summers, the lack of traffic, the interesting and down-to-earth people. June 30, 2011 O-Town Scene 7

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