Belly Dance Has Changed My World

Last night, at a belly dance workshop, I had a surreal moment. I gave a 15 minute pitch for the clothes and services the company I work for, HipMix.net, offers. After the talk, the dancers had only a few minutes to ask questions before the workshop began, and one dancer came over and asked me:

"How do I do, what you do?"

It was one of those moments where, as an outsider to this belly dance world, I felt confused. What did I do? I stood and awkwardly talked about clothes I happened to be wearing (and liked). I was concise, personable (hah, one of my few personable moments. I've found anyone can stomach me for at least 15 minutes, I think or hope). But what did I really do?

And then I realized, this is a passion of hers. A hobby. How many of us desperately want to be able to make our hobbies our living? It wasn't that I gave a great pitch (well, I mean I DID but that's not the point). She wanted to be able to have belly dance be a part of her career.

Then I felt really blessed. Here I was, a stumbler into the world of belly dance, and I have yet to see how large and wild it all is. I've been lucky to fall into a career that makes the best of my strengths. And more than that, I work in female-dominated environment that celebrates all types and sizes and strengths of women.

So despite the fact I was wearing a choli top and harem pants in low 40 degree weather, I felt warm inside. Belly dance has changed my world, like so many others.

How has it changed yours? Share your story at HipMix.net/share.