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 … Continue reading Bahaia was once a beginner belly dancer
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 … Continue reading Nuances of belly dancing to Arabic music with Debbie Smith
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) … Continue reading The Bellydancer, The Marketing Maverick and The Tech Guru
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 … Continue reading Michael Ibrahim and the National Arab Orchestra in Texas
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 … Continue reading Belly Dance and Friendship | Interview with Debbie Smith
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 … Continue reading Virtuoso violinist Georges Lammam | Live Music and Belly Dance
Mental Health and Functional Movement as it related to Belly Dance Improvisation Joining the conversation is Project Band student Victoria Cruz who has a Master’s degree in Dance Movement Therapy. We talked about introducing new behaviors and removing habitual behaviors using movement, especially in belly dance improvisation. During this episode of the Baby Boomer … Continue reading Mental Health and Functional Movement | Belly Dance Improvisation
Belly Dance Costumes: How The Right Costume Enhances The Performance Two of Karen’s students joined us in the studio to talk about the intriguing world of belly dance costumes. Everyone can agree that when a costume looks good, it allows the dancer to feel free, beautiful, and strong as they step on the stage. We … Continue reading Belly Dance Costumes | How The Right Costume Enhances The Performance
Siblings With No Rivalry… How Karen Started Her Belly Dance Journey We take a walk down memory lane as two of Karen’s siblings, Barbara and Herb, discuss Karen’s early years and journey as a belly dancer, performer, and business owner. Explore a truly vulnerable and intimate view of Karen’s sibling dynamics and why there is … Continue reading Siblings With No Rivalry | How Karen Started Her Belly Dance Journey
Defrost and Improvise… How Belly Dance Helped Us Survive If you haven’t heard, San Antonio was gripped with snow and low temperatures not seen in decades, days worth of power outages, as well as neighbors and communities coming together to help each other out all across Texas. Join Karen and two of her students … Continue reading Defrost and Improvise | How Belly Dance Helped Us Survive