The Directed Dancer is a Free Dancer

I have seen Hip-Hop Dance, Ballet, I have seen Modern and African, and there is one question I will ask all dancers regardless of their genre: Are you committed to your dance in the moment of experiencing it?
I cannot say that I find Dancers in one genre more committed to their dance than in another. I find that it is the Artistic Direction that differs in quality, in standard and in whether or not the genre is relevant to the bigger picture of dance, not the dancers themselves, as they are clay.
Dancers learn, we absorb, for selfish reasons or not, we absorb. We must be lead, our minds must be safe in the moment of complete surrender, so our expression is pure and meaningful.
Both the Artistic Director and the Dancer owe a married commitment to the work that reaches people beyond its rehearsal ground.

As a Soloist for one of the most prestigious and groundbreaking Repertory Companies in the world, I have learnt about a performance standard I am privileged to expect. This standard is centered around the commitment to the moment of dance. I ask this of others, as I do of myself, in an effort to let the art of dance explode in the hearts of our students, our audience, those who we are to inspire.
This is all we may do. The rest lies on the shoulders of our Artistic Director. Be sure to look for one who is worthy of the honor of shaping your mind and body.
Raphaela Riemer
Soloist
The Hip-Hop Dance Conservatory Repertory Company

9
Mar
Posted 2 months ago
Tags dance, hip-hop dance, hip-hop, dancer, BLADE, The BLADE Dance Technique, ballet, modern, african dance,
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Women’s Rights Picture. of the Day: Votes For Women

Women’s Rights Picture. of the Day: Votes For Women

7
Mar
Posted 2 months ago
15 notes
Tags votes, women's rights, suffrage, 2012, activism,
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Jealousy vs. Compersion by O.M Grey

Everyone already knows what jealousy is, some of us more intimately than others, but compersion is “a state of empathetic happiness and joy experienced when an individual’s current or former romantic partner experiences happiness and joy through an outside source, including, but not limited to, another romantic interest.” (taken from Wikipedia)

Other than the “that doesn’t work” knee-jerk reaction to polyamory or open relationships, the other excuse that gets automatically thrown out is “I could never do that. I’m far too jealous.”

Discussion over.

Jealousy is most definitely a strong deterrent to even entertaining thoughts of an open relationship. Believe me, if you had told me 10 years ago that I would be in a polyamorous marriage with my husband, I would’ve told you that you were certifiably insane. After all, I’m a triple Scorpio: highly possessive and intensely jealous by nature. Throw in some serious self-esteem issues and an crippling fear of abandonment and I was the last person anyone (including me) thought would end up in an open relationship. But here I am! Happily polyamorous and talking about it publicly, no less.

Do I still get jealous? You better fucking believe it.

Is it as crippling as it used to be? Not usually.

The root of jealousy is fear. Fear of abandonment. Fear that your loved one will find someone better, smarter, sexier, more awesome, more whatever. The problem with those fears is that they are all inside the jealous person. No amount of reassurance from your beloved on its own will quell those fears. You must take responsibility for your own fears and express them to your SO without making them solely responsible for those fears. Your partner in life, spouse or otherwise significant other, does have a responsibility for your heart as you do theirs, but ultimately that responsibility lies within yourself. They can support and reassure and earn your trust, but they can’t quell those fears on their own. It’s a team effort.

The death of jealousy begins in honesty and trust.

Once that trust is in place. Once you are able to say anything to your partner and they to you. Once you talk openly, honestly, and frequently, that jealousy begins to die. The love deepens past that you could’ve ever imagined, loving your partner so completely if for no other reason that they love you so completely for who you are.

It’s not an easy place to get to. It’s not luck. It’s not luxury. It’s months and years of work, sometimes tears, and intense vulnerability. It’s believing in yourself and in your partner. It’s believing in you as a couple. It’s knowing without a shadow of a doubt that the two of you will get through anything because you are a team. You’ve done the work. You’ve established a firm foundation of trust and honesty, and nothing will break that apart, certainly not sex with someone new. Sex is wonderful, but sex is sometimes just sex. Although sometimes it is sex and love, which can feel a bit more threatening, but it’s really not because once you get to that point with your primary partner, you also deeply realize that love is not finite.

Love breeds love.

Desire breeds desire.

And you will find yourself loving your partner even more, even when you thought that wouldn’t be possible, because they love you for who you really are, not who they think you are…not who they want you to be, but for YOU. And you love them the exact same way. From this place of deep love and trust, a sexual encounter or even a satellite relationship takes on a whole new meaning. It is more love for your beloved! It is allowing them to feel desired and be pleased by another person…because they deserve as much love and desire and fulfillment that they can handle.

Because you love them that deeply.

And that’s compersion.

You are happy that they are happy. You are thrilled that they had a new experience, felt the rush of desire in a first kiss all over again, enjoyed being touched only the way a new lover can touch…etc. Then they can come home and tell you about it, or not, and love you even more for allowing them both freedom and security. And you get the same from them. It’s really rather beautiful.

Compersion trumps jealousy every time because love always trumps fear, if you can find the courage to let it.

6
Mar
Posted 2 months ago
3 notes
Tags relationship, jealousy, compersion, O.M. Grey, Deborah Anapol, Polyamory, Monogamy, Christianity, Future, 2012, 2020,
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Women’s Rights, Picture of the Day: Margaret Sanger and KKK women on Birthcontrol

Women’s Rights, Picture of the Day: Margaret Sanger and KKK women on Birthcontrol

6
Mar
Posted 2 months ago
Tags Birth control, abortion, women's rights, activism, KKK,
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Women’s Rights, Picture of The Day: “No Voice” Let’s not get fooled and think that the “No Voice” issue is not applicable to Western Women. Raphaela Riemer H+| HDC

Women’s Rights, Picture of The Day: “No Voice”

Let’s not get fooled and think that the “No Voice” issue is not applicable to Western Women.

Raphaela Riemer H+| HDC

5
Mar
Posted 2 months ago
2 notes
Tags women's rights, patriarchal society, abortion, birth control, no voice, Empowered,
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Measurement of Growth by Raphaela Riemer H+|HDC

Measurement of Growth

by Raphaela Riemer H+|HDC

3
Mar
Posted 2 months ago
12 notes
Tags women's rights, history month, abortion, 2012, growth, humanity, activism,
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What have you done?

What have you done?

3
Mar
Posted 2 months ago
Tags rights, women's rights, woman, women, female, abortion, activism,
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Our momentary ineptitude at traversing a complex strategical situation causes us great frustration and presents an encumbering challenge. We “feel” panicked and unsure of ourselves. We say things like, “This is too much for me right now.” or “I don’t know what to do. “ or “I can’t take this.” It is these moments which test our mettle. It is also in these moments which we exploit and present our deep set cognitive biases, using them as a rationalization for running away from the momentarily challenging situation. Adverse situations show the kinks in our character. Our reactions are our true nature.
“

Safi A. Thomas

Artistic Director

H+ | The Hip-Hop Dance Conservatory

H+ | Guided By Science. Powered By Soul.®

(via safithomas)

Reblogged from safithomas
3
Mar
Reblogged 2 months ago from safithomas
4 notes
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This is a new McDonald’s ad. Artists often do not understand their impact. They are too caught up in their “right”, their “privilege”, their “honor” to create and put out whatever they want. Artistically it is gorgeous, ethically and within the realm of Woman’s History Month it initiates a backwards movement. A vagina is not to be used as a canvas for disempowering art. Use a penis for a hotdog commercial for a about 100 years, then we can talk about something like this. Raphaela Riemer Soloist H+|The Hip-Hop Dance Conservatory Repertory Company

This is a new McDonald’s ad.

Artists often do not understand their impact. They are too caught up in their “right”, their “privilege”, their “honor” to create and put out whatever they want. Artistically it is gorgeous, ethically and within the realm of Woman’s History Month it initiates a backwards movement. A vagina is not to be used as a canvas for disempowering art. Use a penis for a hotdog commercial for a about 100 years, then we can talk about something like this.

Raphaela Riemer

Soloist

H+|The Hip-Hop Dance Conservatory Repertory Company

2
Mar
Posted 2 months ago
9 notes
Tags woman's rights, suffrage, vagina, mcdonald's, ad,
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I shall make mistakes. Then, I will turn the result into a useful springboard to reach higher, more creative grounds than the ones I’ve been reaching following a narrow-minded plan.
“
Raphaela
29
Feb
Posted 3 months ago
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