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
How many belly dance workshops are too many? Karen sits down with Cindy and Carmita to discuss the ins and outs of live and virtual workshops. We are also excited about going to Yaa Halla, Y’all in July and that the National Arab Orchestra is part of our annual “Give Belly Dance a Chance” … Continue reading How Many Belly Dance Workshops Are Too Many?
All of us had to pivot in 2020 and COVID-19 really screwed up in-person learning for dance studios as well as live music. Karen and two of her students, Lisa and Suzanne, took some time to discuss the joy and the challenges of online vs. in-person belly dance lessons and performances. Bottom line, Karen’s focus, … Continue reading Online vs. In-Person Belly Dance | Learning and Performing
People talk about how I am so “lucky”… … to have started out at such an early age as the key to what has made me a successful belly dancer and studio owner. Yet there are so many things that have been key to my longevity. During this episode of the Baby Boomer Belly Dancer, … Continue reading Longevity | People talk about how I am so “lucky”