My secret life

I spent last weekend in beautiful Burnaby, B.C., at a workshop for belly dance instructors.

Yes, it's true - not only do I belly dance, I've been teaching others how-to for the past year and a half.

Some people in Yellowknife are aware of my secret identity as a belly dance instructor - the City of Yellowknife Recreation Guide is a well-read document, after all. But many friends and acquaintances are just too darn busy with their own lives to notice. And when they do, most think it's cool - belly dance has a bad rep in some quarters, but Yellowknife is an easy-going place.

I started belly dancing about four years ago, and recommend it for writers, students and others who spend long stretches of time sitting at a computer. Wrist circles are great for loosening up tight muscles in the hands and forearms, and my massage therapist has had much less work to do on my upper back since I started doing shoulder rolls. And anything that get the blood circulating and more oxygen into your system is a good thing. It's also a really good excuse for spending far too much money on fabulous costumes and jewellery.

The workshop gave me a lot of ideas about how to improve my class, and I was introduced to some new moves I need to master. Also had an opportunity to see some of the local dancers perform on Sunday night - they're a talented crew down in Vancouver.