We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Laura Barsalou. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Laura below.
Laura, thank you so much for taking the time to share your lessons learned with us and we’re sure your wisdom will help many. So, one question that comes up often and that we’re hoping you can shed some light on is keeping creativity alive over long stretches – how do you keep your creativity alive?
Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, I had a busy performance schedule. During the shutdown, it was difficult to keep my passion for creating alive as venues and shows were closed. And while more events and entertainment options have opened in 2023, financial burdens on potential clients have significantly slowed bookings for me in my area. It was enough to make me doubt my future as a performer and creative, and I had to really examine where my heart was and whether or not I should retire from performing professionally and focus on teaching. I was at a crossroads, and coincidentally, had booked an event for an upcoming evening. As I threw myself into working on my set, crafting my costume, and getting ready that evening, I felt that familiar spark of joy and excitement. Taking the stage later at my gig, seeing the audience reaction, and even the thrill of thinking on my feet to navigate some potential pitfalls further revealed that my love for this artform was still alive.
The past few years, my performance company changed a lot. Due to life circumstances, the company transitioned from a trio of performers to just me as a soloist. Starting over was daunting, so I started looking back to some of my favorite choreographies I had created for the trio, and reworking them as a solo, giving them new life. And I allowed myself to be free with my inspirations and creativity. Some of the performances I’m best known for are concepts that one wouldn’t necessarily associate with bellydance, and I’ve learned to lean into being campy and unexpected. Sometimes inspiration strikes when I hear a certain song, or see a costuming piece, or have a creative request from a client to complement a specific theme. For example, I once found a kid’s toy dinosaur mask that roared, and I created an entire solo based around that mask with a Jurassic Park theme. Sharks are my favorite animals, so I choreographed a JAWS solo. And even when I am working on a more traditional bellydance aesthetic, I incorporate a unique twist to make it more individual to me – even if the audience doesn’t recognize it. Allowing myself to think outside of the box and look everywhere for new ideas has really helped me grow as a performer and keep that love of creating art aflame.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
I started taking bellydance classes as a way to keep active and meet new people, but little did I know it would completely change my life and lead me to my purpose. After years of study, my passion for this dance culminated in the creation of my dance company, BalaChandra Bellydance. BalaChandra Bellydance is a fusion bellydance company, which blends raqs sharqi technique with other dance styles and influences to create a modern interpretation of bellydance. When the company first started, I strived to stand out amongst the other bellydance groups in the area, and in defining the specific BalaChandra aesthetic, we started calling it “glossy fusion bellydance” – polished technique with a lot of playfulness and slinky style.
In addition to performance offerings, BalaChandra encompasses my teaching career. I teach a variety of bellydance courses and topics at Lupa Fitness Den’s online studio format, and also teach Barre classes. I discovered Barre fitness and loved how it made me a stronger and better dancer by focusing on specific muscle groups that we use in bellydance technique. I obtained my Barre teaching certification, and offer different flavors of Barre classes as part of my weekly schedule, from a gentle Barre stretch for flexibility to an intensive Barre Fitness designed for conditioning.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
I think the three areas that have been the most impactful would be: 1. Flexibility: Whether in my role as an instructor, performer, or business owner, being flexible has been the most important skill. As someone who isn’t too fond of change, it’s invaluable to be able to change direction or let go of pre-conceived ideas or paths. I credit my ability to be flexible that kept me resilient during the difficult parts of my career, to handling smaller roadblocks that could have derailed my progress or dampened my spirit had I not just learned to accept, adapt, and approach with a different perspective.
2. Honing your craft: Personally, knowing your craft is imperative. Your experience and knowledge will set you apart from your colleagues and competition. In the bellydance world, there are many hobbyists that haven’t put the time in training or classes – and just a pretty costume does not make one a bellydancer! The best advice I can give to someone who wants to perform professionally is to study and soak up as many classes and trainings as possible. Cross train in different styles, and if you want to be a professional, remember that dance is a business like any other. Learn other business skills such as writing contracts, marketing techniques, and public relations that can help you stand out as a serious business professional.
3. Be straightforward: Always be true to yourself and your vision, and don’t be afraid to speak up for yourself. In the arts community, it’s easy to be passive – whether negotiating compensation, dealing with clients/other performers, etc. But I’ve always found it is best to be upfront and transparent with my thoughts and goals, which usually leads to more open and constructive communication.
What do you do when you feel overwhelmed? Any advice or strategies?
When I’m feeling overwhelmed, I like to focus myself by writing lists to keep me organized. I have notebooks filled with to-do lists and I feel seeing everything written on a page helps me identify tasks in order of importance. For example, if I have a big show coming up, I write a list of everything I need to do, costuming I need to work on, music I need to compile, and then I am able to arrange them in order in a way to keep on top of everything and not let anything important fall through the cracks. When I have a lot going on, I work through a bigger master list so I can organize my dance life with my home life and all the other aspects of my week. And I’m a huge fan of physically writing things out. I have all sorts of electronic devices to keep me organized, but for me, nothing works better than taking pen to paper – and the joy of physically crossing stuff off my list as it’s completed!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.balachandrabellydance.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/balachandra_bellydance/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/balachandrabellydance
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7uRTPq-NIkyPdP2e5wNLgw/feed
Image Credits
The Dancer’s Eye
