We recently had the chance to connect with Heather Schiefer and have shared our conversation below.
Heather, a huge thanks to you for investing the time to share your wisdom with those who are seeking it. We think it’s so important for us to share stories with our neighbors, friends and community because knowledge multiples when we share with each other. Let’s jump in: What are you being called to do now, that you may have been afraid of before?
I am being called more and more toward finding a way to help people. I’ve been on a journey of healing for the last 18 months or so and it’s opened up possibilities for me that I wouldn’t have thought I could handle before. I’ve been slowly planning to start teaching belly dance here in Upstate South Carolina. A year ago I would not have been open to doing this, let alone as an independent dancer. I’ve been in troupes the last eight years, but never as the instructor. I’ve leaned more into taking those rolls in our student troupe and she’s been encouraging me to teach and try performing on my own. It’s still a scary idea, but I’ve been taking small steps to make it happen.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I have a few different brands. Heather Marie Creative is about brand creation and development (logo design, web development and photography), Heather Marie Creative Portraits is my portrait brand and Macrame & Mimosas is my macrame artist identity. I am currently working on launching a new brand focused on using belly dance to help people reconnect their mind and body. That brand will probably be named after me, Hathra Mhari (stage name). But it’s not quite solidified in my brain yet.
Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. What relationship most shaped how you see yourself?
I think it’s a combination of relationships, not just one. The way my parents have always seen me has helped me see my strengths when I forget I have any. My dance instructor has been a big influence the last few years. She has encouraged me to just grow in the direction that feels right. She allows all of her students to push themselves without pressuring them herself. When I perform and get to interact with the audience, those people also shape how I see myself. They don’t see a tired mom or a wife working hard on her marriage or a business owner worried she’s failing. The people I dance for only see a glamorous dancer who is fun and honest and talented. My husband and kids are probably the biggest ones though. They’ve encouraged me no matter what I’m passionate about. They support my efforts to improve my mental health and venture out into the world of dance and teaching. I’m not sure any one relationship ever changes how you see yourself. I believe that it’s the way several important relationships blend together to create a shift in our perception of ourselves.
When did you stop hiding your pain and start using it as power?
It was in May of 2024. I was dealing with a pretty significant mental health crisis related to an important relationship. It was traumatic enough that I realized I had to stop “sucking it up” and actually figure out how to deal with it. I have had several traumatic things happen to me throughout my life and I had never truly allowed myself to heal from those. After this last one piled on top of all that it was kind of like my back broke. I couldn’t hold anymore. Anger and sadness were just pouring out of me all the time. So it was last year that I started taking steps to heal, which led me to realizing that dance had been a huge part in the healing I had been doing up until then, even though I didn’t know it. I recently decided that I want to bring that to other people who have suffered and need a physical outlet to bring them back to themselves.
Alright, so if you are open to it, let’s explore some philosophical questions that touch on your values and worldview. What’s a belief or project you’re committed to, no matter how long it takes?
I am committed to finding a way to use my knowledge of belly dance to help others reconnect with themselves. I believe that movement, especially dance and focused movement can serve to sort of reprogram our brains. Movement creates plasticity in our brains that allow for new connections to be made, even as we age. We can help work through our anxiety, depression and trauma by combining rhythms, intentional repetitive movements and mindful dance. I aim to create a safe space for anyone who wants to reconnect with themselves and have fun to learn belly dance and use it to find themselves again.
Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: What is the story you hope people tell about you when you’re gone?
I hope that by the time this happens they will be able to recount how I helped people. I want my legacy to include happiness and music, not just my work or family contributions. I want my grandchildren to tell their grandchildren about my dance legacy and show them photos of me performing at the local Renaissance Faire. I want folks in the community to remember me using dance to help people connect with themselves and one another.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://hathrabellydance.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/hathra.mhari.dance
Image Credits
Photos are by Daniel Schiefer and Karl Becker
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
