Today we’d like to introduce you to Connie Wooten.
Connie, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I was given an advertisement from the newspaper about local Belly Dance classes. I went to a Saturday class in a place called Earth quaking Music in East Atlanta. When greeted at the door, the instructor was wearing a hip scarf beneath a unique belt. Then she had on this funky skirt. All I wanted was a reason to wear the same foo-foo. And on top of that, she was warming up with a lower body undulation. I had no idea what she was doing but I wanted to do it too. I had to do it.
Several days later, I found that I needed a medical procedure (neck bone transplant… can you believe that?) When I was able to return to work, a coworker said that she had a cool activity that she wanted me to participate in. To my delight, it was a Belly Dance class in the Little Five Points area of town. That was a great start. I took the first six-week class. At the end I looked like a new born fool so I took the class again. As the session ended, I still looked like a new born fool but… I understood. I had located my core and knew the concept of isolating muscle groups. I took the class a third time and was comfortable with about 36 of the basic and introductory techniques. I wasn’t yet a dancer and saw that I wasn’t dancing the dance. Just doing technique. So being a public school teacher, I knew that I was going have to study the art form to appreciate myself as a Middle Eastern Dancer. I traveled to Istanbul, Tangier, Casablanca, and other countries to delve into the culture, food, and dance. Coupled with US based workshops and DVDs… WHAT A JOURNEY.
One thing I am an expert at is imparting knowledge. 10 years ago, in October, I opened Sable’s School of Belly Dance and Drum and it is my FIRST LOVE. I’m not THERE yet and hope to never be. I prefer to be forever evolving.
Has it been a smooth road?
This has been neither smooth nor rough travel. Every portion of my journey, however, has been well loved.
The good and the bad meshing together is what makes the journey.
Marketing my annual performance show, “May You Dance In Sunshine,” as well as my six week classes is the toughest part of it. With the joys of teaching and the trials of reaching the greater audience. the meshing together creates growth. The process is a painful pleasure, the good and the bad, the up the down, the yin and the yang, the hip forward up, back and down creates that beautiful hip circle.
Talking about expensive. It is a test of loyalty to my dreams. I had to willing put it all out there on the line just to watch it come to fruition. Professional costuming costs one through one’s nose, Rehearsals are time consuming yet a necessary component of mastery. The cost of searching for venue space, to deposits and ticket sales or lack thereof, to performers flights, dinners, and fees and much more is more than a fair exchange when I can showcase my beginning dancers and expose them to the greats like Andrus Ramir and Sal Maktoub, Diane Adams, and Tarik Sultan.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Sable’s School of Belly Dance & Drum – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
Sable’s School of Belly Dance and Drum specializes in teaching Middle Eastern Dance to all people. My heart beats Belly Dance. It flows through my veins.
But most importantly, it is a gift given to me that I must impart to others. I’ve seen Belly Dance open doors that have been slammed closed. I’ve seen it break down barriers created by body shaming. This break down promotes the changing of stages… as does any metamorphosis. Revealing to one the beauty that already existed. Finding, not only the core of the bellies, but the core of the being.
Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
Atlanta is such a smooth melting pot that everybody should dip into or take a little sip of. Have some southern guys, southern gals, vegan stuff, cheese grits, Sunday dinner, back porch sittin’, swingin’ on a rope into the pond while your clothes hang on a limb, truck drivin’, saying “Hey” instead of Hi, Georgia red clay, pine tree snappin’, Tybee Island, peaches, muscadines, UGA, Braves, 285 rigs, “yes Ma’amming”, comatose diabetic sweet tea, fried okra, collard greens and cornbread.
I’ll take one of each!!!
How can I not love the city of life?
Contact Info:
- Address: 10390 Commons Crossing,
Jonesboro, GA 30238 - Website: www.belliesaplenty.com
- Phone: 404 – 372 – 2994
- Email: belliesaplenty@yahoo.com
Getting in touch: VoyageATL is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
