We were lucky to catch up with Iona Wilson recently and have shared our conversation below.
Iona, so good to have you with us today. We’ve got so much planned, so let’s jump right into it. We live in such a diverse world, and in many ways the world is getting better and more understanding but it’s far from perfect. There are so many times where folks find themselves in rooms or situations where they are the only ones that look like them – that might mean being the only woman of color in the room or the only person who grew up in a certain environment etc. Can you talk to us about how you’ve managed to thrive even in situations where you were the only one in the room?
When I took my first belly dance class, I was the only Black woman in the room. I didn’t think much of it at the beginning, but as I progressed, I realized I was running into issues that others were not. Once we were told to wear a nude bra under our costume, and I had to get clarification on which “nude” was being asked of me. We laughed it off, but my instructor did take great attention to this going forward.
When it came to make-up and costume color schemes, I discovered that I could not always wear the same colors as they if I wanted it to pop on stage. With the help of my dance classmates, we played in colors that they would often look over but flourished with my skin tone.
My teacher had a philosophy that if you saw yourself in others, you would be more inclined to continue. She showed me pictures and videos of other Black women dancing and I was amazed! We had the same shapes and it made me appreciate my curves even more in their movement. It made me feel that if they could do it, so could I.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
Iona wanted to take belly dance classes to surprise her husband in 2002 when she stumbled into Yasmine’s class. He insisted that she continue to dance, and she happily agreed. The dance had become a part of her life, and before she knew it she’d was asked to join the Magic-Hips Dancers, a professional belly dance troupe based in Charlotte. She was a member of Magic-Hips until 2007.
She is currently one of the founding members of Spirit of the Lotus Dance Company, is the owner and Lead Instructor for Lotus Belly Dance, directs Amani Lotus Student Troupe and has taught various belly dance workshops and group lessons. Through the years she’s participated in various workshops to help strengthen her dance, and finds her inspiration in dancers such as Bozenka, Donna Mejia and teacher Rachel Brice. Because percussion instruments were a major part in her life growing up, she naturally gravitated to zills and various hand drums, and finds major inspiration in Issam Houshan and Karim Nagi (Turbo Tabla).
While her primary style of dance learned was Egyptian Cabaret format, she has a big love for fusion belly dance. She is a graduate of the Rachel’s first class of 8 Elements of Bellydance Approach and is a certified 8 Elements Datura Style Instructor.
Lotus Belly Dance offers regular classes and workshops either in person or live online for beginner, intermediate, and advanced students. We also host an annual Spirit of the Dance Recital for our students and perform throughout the city during the year with Amani Lotus. Be sure to check out our website for upcoming events, workshops and performances.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
I would give the following advice to anyone on this belly dance journey based on these qualities:
Learn the history. There is a lot of information (and misinformation!) out there about belly dance, its origins and meanings. I’ve learned lots and even had to unlearn some things. It’s not perfect and even after 22 years I believe I’m still discovering information. But the best thing I learned was the realization that this was a dance of my people, and it suddenly made sense why I connected to it immediately.
Practice the technique & movement. Even as an instructor I still have an independent practice. It allows me to stay sharp and still be a student! I attend our annual Datura Style teacher conference and will take road trips/flights to other workshops by master instructors. Just when you think you’ve learned it all, you learn something new.
Have grace. There are different styles of belly dance, a good number of formats that have been created, all with the intention of showing the agility of this amazing art form. I do believe in knowing the rules before bending them though. Also have grace in your learning. Some things will come right away, others will take time. Enjoy the sweet spot of working through the challenge!
What do you do when you feel overwhelmed? Any advice or strategies?
We have started our new year of classes, and we have some beginner students who have joined us for the first time. I overheard a student say, “Is it just me, or are you trying to keep a million things in your mind in this technique?”. It was a great reminder of another statement that my teacher would say – if it’s too hard, it’s probably too fast.
Learning belly dance can be overwhelming at times. My suggestion is to break it up into smaller chunks and master those small sections. It’s a confidence booster, it reminds you of what you did to get there, and that you can use those same tools to get over the next challenge.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.lotus-studios.com
- Instagram: @lotusbellydancenc
- Facebook: @lotusbellydancenc
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC78tdSsKvGQvTHvZtoh03Yw
Image Credits
JAWiley Photography
