IN THE BEGINNING: I started dancing when I was young and was enrolled in the obligatory ballet class. It was fun, I remember floating across the room pretending to be a butterfly. When the time came proceed to get up "en pointe" my Mom said, "That's enough". Ballet classes ended.  I always wanted to dance and it was one series of  'lessons' that I regretted being ended.
As an adult, I started taking ballet again. No pretending to be a butterfly though;  Stretching and barre work, chaine turns across the room. Good workout and the class was for people who were never going to be ballet stars. My instructor was a sweetheart but from the 'old school' style. Perhaps she  thought we could be stars as she attempted to mold our bodies into perfect ballet pose...not! The knees and hips were just not made for that kind of 'torture'. My mind wanted ballet but my body refused.
So I said goodbye to ballet and took up Jazz. Jazz was really fun! Lively, a good workout, no extraordinarily tortuous positions . I had fun...I also had two dance-challenged left feet. I would never be a Jazz dancer...sigh.
AND THEN THERE WAS BELLY DANCE (1976):  About this time, I came across an ad for the local PUC classes. HMM, Belly Dancing?! Can you imagine!"  So on a dare, I signed up. *GRIN* What fun! Good work-out! Great music! AND you get to dress up in sparkly, chiffon costumes! And I thought Jazz was fun. I had found my niche in the dance world. My feet untangled themselves, I could dance! What a heady feeling. I wanted more and signed up for further classes. Our instructor introduced us to 'workshops'. Going away for a weekend to study MEDance (that's Middle Eastern Dance) with a well known instructor. More fun!! More to learn. New steps to master. More costume ideas! After a couple of years, my instructor said to me, "You should start a class of your own.". *GULP* She was very encouraging and supportive and retiring from teaching. And so, I started teaching! Life has never been the same since.
I have met some marvelous people through this dance and became close friends with a few. I have dragged them to workshops for MEDance and to my Jazz classes. Yes, I was still taking Jazz, but the knees were beginning to hurt. Funny, I really only noticed it after Jazz....hmmm? I decided to take a break from Jazz but still keep up the MEDance. The knees were better! So as much as I enjoyed Jazz I gave it up and concentrated on MEDance. It is much easier on the body.
START OF WINDS OF THE DESERT (1979): Early in the teaching career, I received a call from one of the local malls.  They were having and 'Arabian Market Days' Sale and thought having some 'belly dancers' would be appropriate. *Yikes* Perform in public! Of course, I said yes. It's amazing what you can talk your friends into! That was the birth of the 'WINDS OF THE DESERT DANCERS'. Four days of dancing in a mall. What fun! What terror! I still get nervous before a show! But what a great experience! And that wasn't the end of it. People saw us at the mall. They wanted us to dance for them. Wow! What a marvelous thing this dance is. Doing something that is physically good for you (forget aerobics, give me belly dancing any day), getting to make and dress up in fabulous costumes (even when it's not Halloween) and getting paid to do it. Life can be good.
Things just seemed to progress. The troupe was booked to dance at various functions around the city including three years at Western Fair. And a new phenomenon to the city called a 'bellygram' was becoming very popular and a couple of restaurants started to feature dancers. We started doing individual gigs along with our troupe work. And as classes expanded more and more people became interested in the Dance.
START OF THE DAUGHTERS OF ISHTAR (1992) : As the circle of dancers kept growing there needed to be something for people who wanted to be involved in the dance but did not want to work the business side. The DAUGHTERS OF ISHTAR, MIDDLE EASTERN DANCE ASSOCIATION was formed. This was in the early '90's.  DOI as we affectionately call the Daughters of Ishtar also has a dance troupe, called "The Arabian Oasis Dancers".  The Winds of the Desert have been involved with the Association and it's dance troupe from it's inception. We often performed with the troupe. Unfortunately, The Daughters of Ishtar, M.E.D.A., folded in June of 2001.
START OF THE OASIS, MIDDLE EASTERN DANCE GUILD (2001):  There was a need for a communications network accessible to the public and a venue for dance enthusiasts in the area who didn't want troupe work. THE OASIS, M.E.D.G., was formed to meet such a need.  Founded by myself, Tamara, with the help of Fariha, the concept of a dance guild and dance review company was established to provide a professional dance centre for all levels of dancers and MEDance enthusiasts. The dance guild provides information, a dance network and performance opportunities for it's associates, subscribers and the general public.