Meiver's Intense Intensive Repertoire Classes

For the past month, I have participated in an intense set of classes that have pushed my skill level and my bank account.  But it's been completely worth it.

Meiver, one of the top teachers/performers sent out the word in late April about a set of intensive repertoire classes in which we would learn 4 different choreographies, with the possibility of performing them in different events.  I knew I needed to participate.  While I'm feeling quite overwhelmed by my schedule, I wanted to push myself to try new styles and teachers.

The 4 choreographies we were learning were Saiidi, Khaleegy, Modern Oriental, and Fan Veil.  I want to talk about my personal challenges and strengths in these choreographies, and hope that I will improve by the time we will be performing.

Saiidi
Challenges:  With the Saiidi, I have to really practice my can twirling skills.  Though I've learned a little bit about how to use the cane, I haven't tried to do an entire dance with it.  In the tiny space we were practicing in, it was somewhat difficult to feel confident about twirling, and there were definitely a few bumps that happened along the way.  I've also needed to work on perfecting the details in the dance.

Strenghts:  I feel fairly confident about this choreography.  I've manged to pick up the steps relatively quickly.  I even bought my first ever Saidi dress!

Saidi habibi

Khaleegy
Challenges:  The Khaleegy is probably going to be a bit challenging for me overall.  Though I was able to purchase a thobe, it's not one of the best qualities and I'm finding myself tripping a bit on the beads.  But the most challenging part is the spinning.  Oh my goodness...the spinning.  I know that I need to practice my spotting, and then I really need to understand the mechanics of head spinning.

Strengths:  I really want to do well at this dance, or at least survive the spinning, mainly because then I know that I've reached a higher level. Also, the dance is so fun!  Regardless of the spinning, the dance with the thobes is beautiful!  It's really fun just to watch the costume move.

Modern Oriental
Challenges:  I need to work on the transitions between sections. I know that I've focused so much on the choreography and less on the little details, like pointing my toes or how my hands are.  I'm also working on getting a costume for this dance as well.

Strengths:  The high-paced Modern Oriental is another beautiful dance.  With so many of us in the room at times, I still feel that I'm able to appreciate the look of it while we're practicing.  Again, this is another dance where I feel like I've been able to grasp the choreography.

Fan Veil
Challenges:  In general, we need to really work on the actual choreography.  I definitely need to practice using them, as it's a completely new tool for me.  Specifically, I need to work on my left arm.

Strengths:  It's so PRETTY!  I mean, I can't get over how amazingly gorgeous the fan veils themselves are.  But then you make them move along with the dancers, and it just blows my mind!  It took me a while to get a hold of my own personal fan veils from Fairy Cove Silks, as there was some problem getting a hold of my information.  But, I love them!

Prettyyyy!

Though the month has gone by, we haven't finished learning all of the choreography, since we're all comprised of different levels and need to work a bit on the finer details.  Luckily, we all want to work on perfecting the dances as this is such a great opportunity.  Groups of us are working together, with lots of help from one of the students, and are hopeful that we will be ready to learn more when practice sessions with Meiver resume.

The whole month, I've felt like I'm learning so much about myself as a dancer.  I know I have so much more to learn, but I'm feeling very proud of myself for stretching out of my comfort zone and getting more involved in the dance.  I will hopefully be doing more with this group and performing at larger shows as a troupe.

Amira Jamal's Student Recital 2010

On Sunday, May 2nd, Amira Jamal hosted her annual Student Recital at the Pacific Arts Center of Metro West, in Framingham, MA.

I love her student recitals for many reasons, including the opportunity to see my amazing classmates dance and to see some of the newcomers perform.  This might sound horrible, but (and I mean it in a really positive way)it's nice to watch the newbies because it reminds me of where I came from.  A closet full of belly dance clothes later, I can proudly say that I'm no longer a newbie.

Mainly, I love the student recitals because it's been great practice for me.  I've always been exceedingly nervous about performing in public, especially around other, more professional dancers.  But this year, I felt different.

In a way, the recital snuck up on me.  I had been extremely busy, and with a new kitty, it has been difficult to do much dancing around the apartment.  Next thing I know, it's April and the recital is a month away.

When I'm working on choreographing a piece, I usually just play the song over and over on my mp3 player.  Strangely, I find it really productive to choreograph while riding the T.  This time around, I really tried to focus more on where the music was taking my movements and build upon that, instead of trying to incorporate every little step that I knew into a dance.

But the real difference was that this year, I danced to an actual Arabic piece.

In the 5 years that I've been taking classes with Amira Jamal, I've danced to Tori Amos' "Sweet the Sting," Queen's "Crazy Little Thing Called Love," Bjork's "Bachelorette," The Beatles' "Something," and Pink Martini's "Never on Sunday."

I've always loved the idea of fusing different concepts together to create something beautiful, which is mainly why I've focused on dancing to different types of music than traditional Middle Eastern music.

The great thing about Amira's classes, however, is the fact that we're exposed to so much Middle Eastern music, from classical Arabic to more pop tunes.  She encourages us to keep broadening our understanding of the dance by understanding the music.

So, this year, I danced to "Balady ala Accordion" by Hassan Abou el Seoud (This song can be found on Shik Shak Shok and 10 Songs Every Bellydancer Should Know).

Oh, ya.  Another difference was that my costume wasn't completely green.  It was mainly purple, and only had the tiniest hint of green.

Most of the pictures were taken by my boyfriend, so they're a little blurry.
This was my entrance.

Shocker!  I know!

Oh ya, baby...those are zills!

I couldn't really tell you why I finally decided to dance to an Arabic song for the recital.  I have talked in a previous post about doing a Filipino/Middle Eastern fusion dance, but I haven't learned enough about traditional Filipino dance to put something together in time for the recital.

I had already danced to "Balady ala Accordion" at an event I organized, and I really love the song itself.  Also, in the past, I had been dancing to somewhat slower songs.  I figured it was time to up the tempo, and go for playing my zills.

Confident and smiling!

Overall, though I know I needed to improve my zill playing, I actually felt extremely confident about my dance.  Since we got the chance to perform for each other in class earlier that week, I had received really great feedback from my classmates - dancers I really respect.

I am really proud of myself for a 6th recital under my belt, and for feeling not as nervous as I stepped out onto the stage area.  It was also quite nice to get complements from some of the audience members, of whom were mainly family members of the performers.

It was also great to have my boyfriend there supporting me.  Though he isn't so good at taking pictures, it's always nice to be reminded that I have someone in my personal life that enjoys and supports this hobby.

Goddess Weekend - Part 1: Newport and Athena's Holiday Party

Wow...What a weekend!!!

The Goddesses took over the Newport Marriott on the weekend of January 8th, sharing personal stories and just having a jolly good time.

This was my first time spending a whole weekend with the Goddess, and I was very happy to also share the weekend with my boyfriend.

Oh my Goddess, though, it was FREEZING!!!  This California Girl did not understand why it was so much colder south of Boston!  The boyfriend explained something to be about being close to the ocean, but I'm afraid my brain was freezing over at that point, and I couldn't even tell you what his explanation was.

So cold the ocean was freezing!

Either way, it was a grand old time.  Newport is a beautiful little town, though just as confusing to drive around what with all the One-Way streets.  The Newport Marriott was amazing!  The boyfriend even brought our XBox and Rock Band to keep himself occupied during the times I attended meetings.

The boyfriend also noted that the hotel must have been prepared for my arrival.  All the decorations were ocean themed!

Jellyfish Chandelier

Fathoms Restaurant

Part 1 of the Fathoms Bar Ceiling

Part 2 of the Fathoms Bar Ceiling

I knew I was going to enjoy myself at this place, regardless of the temperature outside. 

This was my first time attending an Athena's Holiday Party.  Mardi Gras was the theme, and the beads were flowing.  Luckily, the boyfriend and I were prepared with masks from a masquerade ball fundraiser in October 2009.

Ready to Party!

The Holiday Party was a blast!  The Boston Babydolls performed some burlesque for the Goddesses, and I was excited to see a fellow belly dancer I knew.

I only wish that I took more pictures of the party!  I think I was too busy enjoying the food, the performances, and the dancing that I neglected my camera a bit.

But, no worries!  I got a ton of shots of the new Valentine's Line during the Sales Meeting!

That's next post....

Video: Alf Leyla Wa Leyla

After more than a year, I've finally uploaded a video of myself dancing.

This was the first time I asked to be part of a Talent Show that was separate from my dance classes.  I was so nervous!  But it was a great experience.

It was awesome to have people recognize me throughout this weekend and compliment me on my dancing, asking me questions and such.

So, I hope you enjoy this video :)

Viva La Diva Weekend Part 3 - Zambra Mora and Conclusion

Zambra Mora
Sunday's workshop had a smaller group in it, but I think that was for the best! With all the skirt-whooshing, we probably would have hurt ourselves and each other if the workshop was packed.

Though I've included a link about Zambra Mora, I was hesitant about posting more about it. The link I provided, however, repeats what we learned this past weekend about the style. Dondi and Titanya stressed that there's nothing conclusive about what they or anyone else has learned about the style. They know that it preceded Flamenco, and that it most likely was not an actual dance. But even in their travels to Andalusia and Southern Spain, they found minimal information. I found it fascinating that Zambra Mora was once outlawed and is such an underground style, almost to the point of denying all the cross-over and intermingling that is generally important in the birth of creativity.

Zambra Mora, which translates to "Moorish party," seems to be both fiery and earthy, often danced barefoot and proclaiming emotions. There's a focus on duende, or feeling a passion in the body and soul, and those emotions are expressed in the powerful movements and the noises that is often made during the movement. One interesting tidbit we learned was that "Olé" is derived from the Arabic "wa'Allah" ("by Allah" or "by God"). It might seem silly, but that information blew my mind!!! Though the more I think about it, the less I'm surprised, especially coming from a culture that has 300 years of Spanish rule behind it. I think it's just one of those things you don't really think about until someone points it out.

Viva La Diva Weekend Part 2 - Show and Competition

Viva La Diva Competition and Show
On my way to the Courtyard Marriott in Woburn that morning, I didn't think I would stay the whole day. With my weekends being so busy, I haven't had a lot of time to relax and spend time with my boyfriend and friends. But after Saturday's workshop, I had made some wonderful connections, and after telling my boyfriend about all the fun I was having he encouraged me to stay and get inspired.

I'm so glad that I did! It was my first Viva La Diva show, so I had no idea that it was going to go on for more than 5 hours!! But I love watching other dancers and hearing songs that I'm not familiar with yet.

Once Za-Beth posts up information about who the winners are, I'll update this blog with more of my impressions.

I was excited to see that one of my classmates with Amira Jamal was part of the competition! I was so proud to be there to cheer on Shakima Laila. She had performed some of her competition pieces to us in class, so it was exciting to see her in full regalia! She started up the night' festivities with one of her graceful routines.

I like that the belly dance community is so tightly knit. I'm sure that not everyone gets along swimmingly, but you can count on the fact that you will always see some familiar faces at an event. I asked Dondi a little about the differences between the communities on the coasts. She said it's a lot more competitive on the Westside, maybe because there's a higher concentration of them within a given radius and it seems like they're all trying to make it big. I definitely got the feeling of being "larger than life" from my small exposure to the Los Angeles bellydance community.

Viva La Diva Weekend Part 1- Dondi & Titanya's Five Elements and Middle Eastern Dance

It's been a really busy August.

It's been a really expensive August.

It's been a really wonderful August...so far.

In my decision to expand my raqs sharqi education, I signed up for the Viva La Diva workshops hosted by Za-Beth. I had been looking forward to this weekend for a while. Since August has been so busy - and expensive! - I've been too broke to take a month's worth of Najmat's classes (and they're not even that expensive!). All I could do was rely on my Netflix queue. But I do so much better in a classroom. I've missed a lot of the interaction with classmates.
 
This past weekend, however, was exactly what I've been craving all month.

Za-Beth was hosting Dondi and Titanya Dahlin, two fabulous dancers who I've only recently discovered but fell in love with their stylings immediately.
 
I discovered Dondi through the Bellydance Superstars, which seems to be how many students have found her. She has this amazingly infectious smile and is a mesmerizing dancer. After watching her (and the other Supah Stahs) on the DVD, I Googled and YouTubed like crazy. I loved how relaxed she seems while she's dancing, like it just took no energy at all.

Through the powers of Google, I discovered Titanya. I wasn't sure what it was, but I felt a sort of simpatico with her style. Oh wait...it's because the first thing YouTube led me to was Titanya as a mermaid. I mean, really. Is there anything else I need to say kids? Alrighty then.

Swaying My Hips Right (Coast) to Left (Coast)

Venice Beach, CA

On Thursday, July 30, 2009, I decided to check out a belly dancing event while I was visiting Los Angeles. Since I feel like I've been able to learn a bit more about the belly dancing community in New England, I was curious to compare it with the Los Angeles belly dancing community.

I found Meryem Vani's Showcase on the LARaqs.com website, which is a fabulous website for any belly dancer beginner or advanced. Teachers, costumes, events - it's all there! If you or someone you know in Los Angeles is looking to dip their toes into the world of raqs sharqi, this is a great website to introduce them to! I was very excited to have found that website.

It became suddenly clear to me that one of the major differences between the LA and New England belly dance communities was the size. Los Angeles, being a ginormous city, has the capacity to hold a variety of talented dancers, workshops, and events within its county lines. While Boston (my East Coast home) also has a wide variety of dancers as well, many of the events and workshops are not as easy to reach. As someone dependent on the T or my bicycle, it costs me not only a workshop fee but also a Zipcar membership. Even my Athena's job is an investment if I need to travel far. Strangely, perhaps because of the concept of the "county lines" or because I have more control over the space, things don't seem as far in LA even though I'm much more dependent on a car.

But the Boston/Greater Boston belly dance community extends to both the Massachusetts and New England communities. I think it's great because of how far reaching the community actually is - extending to multiple states! Coming from Los Angeles, I always thought it was pretty neat that folks in Boston could feel some camaraderie with the entire northeast corner of the country. On the other hand, I definitely enjoyed only traveling a little more than 2 miles to the belly dancing event.

The Showcase was located at the Tsunami Coffeehouse Theater in Silverlake, not too far from where I (my parents) live. Unfortunately, I didn't get to check out the actual coffeehouse before they closed, but I have had my eye on that place for a while! Aside from Perhaps on my next visit home, I will check it out during the day time.

I didn't make it in time for the short workshop that Meryem Vani held, but the women that participated told me all about it. One of them found this event through the LARaqs website as I did, and the other woman told us that she was part of the Bellydance Meetup Group, more specifically the Hollywood-East LA Bellydance Meetup Group. To further illustrate the point I made about the space and size, this one section of LA has currently 182 members. The Boston Bellydance Meetup Group currently has 297 members - but certainly, not everyone's address says "Boston." Craaaazy!

Zahir, who is not only part of Meryem Vani's Troupe Zaghareet but also an entertaining MALE belly dancer, was the MC of the event. He introduced about 7 dancers, including himself and another male belly dancer who's name I can't remember at all. That first male dancer was mesmerizing - balancing a tray of candles on his head and moving so slowly, from the floor to standing up.

Completely forgetting myself at the event, the only other name I could remember was Jennelah. To be perfectly honest, she was my personal favorite, perhaps because she was more my style. She had on a beautiful sparkly costume, and maintained her poise even with a slight technological malfunction of the CD player. Most of the belly dancers and groups were great, ranging from beginners to teachers. It made me feel more comfortable about my own performance level, especially since I felt that I could have a more educated opinion about the dancers.

The one woman who spoke to me earlier about being part of the Meetup Group interestingly had a lot of questions about belly dance, from the costumes to the styles of dance. At first I was shocked - because I always feel like everyone else knows WAAAY more than me. It was a good reminder for me, though, that I do know quite a bit more than I give myself credit.

At the end, there was a group dance, where the performers and audience members all got up to dance. For the first time, I didn't even hesitate getting up to dance with my peers, feeling secure in my own knowledge and body. I managed to convince a friend of mine to join me, and she stated after watching all the performances that she was absolutely intrigued by the dance and wanted to learn some of the moves.

Overall, while it was only one event I attended, I am so glad that I did! I'm not really sure what I expected. I've come across some interesting belly dance experiences in Los Angeles - from a class that felt like the teacher was teaching just to watch herself in the mirror to a store owner/teacher saying that he "doesn't teach housewives." I guess I was nervous that it was going to feel snobby and distant. But everyone was so welcoming!

Near the end of my trip, I wanted to spend one more day at the beach, but I also wanted to return to Boston with a new costume item. I hopped onto LARaqs.com before heading out, and found that the Velvet Gypsy was just along the Venice Beach boardwalk! While many of the items were tourist-friendly, there were some fabulous items that caught my eye. It was great to find a store that was exactly where I needed it to be - reducing the amount of time I would waste in traffic.

The day I move back to LA, I will feel secure in knowing that I can easily find and join the belly dance community. Not that I'm planning on moving back any time soon, necessarily. But I do miss my Los Angeles, and it's nice to feel like I still have a home and can make an updated home there.

Ramblings and Eggs

Earlier this year, I was speaking to my belly dancing teacher, Amira Jamal, about feeling insecure about my dancing. I was in a belly dancing rut. Though I was trying to listen to more belly dancing music when I could, I wasn't really connecting with it. I felt that I wasn't being creative enough with my steps when we would improvise during class. I felt like, "Well, I'm no professional, and I don't really have any goals necessarily."

We even talked about it in class with my classmates, and they made me feel so much better. They talked about their own experiences, and how they're not all going towards being professional dancers. They talked about using their own standard set of moves until inspiration hits them. And they talked about connecting and not connecting with the music, and how it's okay to not connect sometimes.

After speaking with them all, I felt I had a better grasp on what was bugging me. I was focusing too much on hammering the skills and the music into my system without any real direction.

So, I realized that I needed to expand my knowledge not by hammering, but by exploring the belly dance community. But more importantly, I needed to embrace the image of myself as a dancer and performer.

I hesitated so long because I didn't trust myself. I definitely have a habit of dabbling without getting fully immersed - and really only because I didn't think I could be that good at anything. Below are some examples.

*I've been playing the piano since I was 7 and the bass since I was 10 (that's right, the big ol' upright). And while I've played bass for a year in the University Orchestra at UC Santa Cruz and I have an electric bass and keyboard at home, I rarely practice. I'd love to find the time to practice more. I've even tried to schedule it into my life, but it's just not happening.

*I've made jewelry and sold little pieces, learned how to use a sewing machine and made a couple of purses for myself, and I've stenciled/silk screened a couple of designs onto my own clothes. While some folks turn it into a profitable passion, I just haven't been able to do it. I've even been told at crafty-type fairs that I could sell seashell necklaces similar to the ones I always wear - which I've put together. But...you have to invest something to make a profit. And I just haven't had the funds to really invest.

Now that I've been a Goddess for almost 3 years, I'm fully invested in that business and I love it! As a part-time job, I couldn't ask for more. At this point, starting a side business in seashell necklaces or even practicing my musical instruments seems like putting too many eggs in my basket.

That's another thing that's made me hesitate so much. The eggs in my basket.

With belly dance, it's definitely another very expensive investment. Just classes alone is an investment. But clearly, I can't just dance without pretty shiny things, so the cost of costumes has to be taken into account. Mentally, I know I was still super nervous about performing in public - even though I had already gone through several recitals and even organized an event to help new performers get accustomed to putting themselves in the public eye.

Interestingly, I realized that if I can go around with a luggage full of sex toys and wave them around, I could probably grow some belly dancing cojones. So, after dancing at the Athenian Corner in Lowell in May 2008, then for the Quarry Hill Talent Show in August 2008, then for the Celebration of Expression in October 2008... AND after some serious mental training, I embraced the image of myself as a dancer and performer.

I started looking at the different online belly dance communities - Yahoo! Groups, Facebook, bhuz.com, etc. I also love that my classmates always came back with new information and skills from different workshops they attended. So, I made it a point to look for workshops and events to attend, and use my wonderfully talented classmates as resources. I also knew that there were many teachers in the Boston area, so I did some research and signed up for more classes. Finally, I attacked my Netflix queue, and now have found several belly dancing DVD's that I've used for both exercise and skill acquirement (and they're consistently kicking my butt!).
So, after I found my belly dancing cojones, I am now juggling 3 eggs. Day job, Athena's, and belly dance. At this point, I'm still not seeing belly dance as another way to make profit - though that would be sweet! But, I'm just trying to grow in my skill set...strengthening my cojones...and trying to juggle these eggs without dropping them.

Life Lessons from the Mermaid Parade 2009

Lessons I've learned from the Mermaid Parade (thus far):

• Regardless of the weather conditions, the Mermaid Parade is always worth it.
• Walking in the parade isn't as exciting if you don't have a routine planned out. (Pic from Mermaid Parade 2007)
  
• If you're going to walk, and you don't have a routine planned, you better have an amazing costume or just smile and wave at everyone - people will love you either way.
  
• The Mermaid Parade Ball has a lot of potential - good music, great performances, entertainment in dancing or rolling around. Either way, it's better to share with others.
  
• Charge your camera batteries and empty out your SD card beforehand.
• You can't be squeamish or blush easily.
• The Boardwalk at Coney Island has chicharrones (the flour kind sold from a shopping cart on the streets of L.A. and other Mexican-populated cities)!
• When in doubt, dance dance dance!
• As with anything, the Mermaid Parade is the best when experienced with awesome people and great friends.
• Any of the statements above could substitute "life" for "Mermaid Parade."
  

Lost Angels in Coney Island

Below are select pictures of me swirling around the boardwalk in my completed costume. All my pictures can be seen at:
http://picasaweb.google.com/thegreenestmermaid/MermaidParade62009#

Lola Staar's Dreamland Roller Rink - Mermaid Parade Ball Location


Leti in all her colorful glory.


Running with a silk veil by A'kai Silks












I wore some extra toule around my hips, along with one of my favorite hip scarves.




Ta da!

Pearls for the Parade

The Annual Coney Island Mermaid Parade is on Saturday, June 20th.

Every year, in celebration of the Summer Solstice, people come from all over in their best ocean-themed regalia to parade through the streets of Coney Island.

I first went in 2006 with a great group of friends, and we had an amazing time.

2006 Mermaid Parade

In 2007, we tried to be part of the parade, but found that it was much more exciting to watch than to participate. That is, we didn't have any routine planned. Perhaps if we did, we would have had a better time walking in the hot hot sun.

2007 Mermaid Parade

As you can see, I've worn generally the same costume every year. The mermaid tail is basically a Disney's The Little Mermaid version, and my top is a bra from my belly dancing closet. Some of the costumes from the parade are amazing, though! Super intricate, very creative, and absolutely beautiful for the most part. I love watching people in all their glory during the Mermaid Parade.

Since I took a break in 2008, I feel super re-energized about the parade. This year, I get to go with my best friend, another Los Angeles transplant on the East Coast. And because I'm sure that Leti will have something awesome to wear that she constructed with her own two hands, I was definitely inspired to work on my own costume again.

Initially, this bathing suit by a Victoria's Secret caught my eye:

Swim 2009 Catalogue

So, I bought just the top, and I thought about just putting some embellishments on it. But, it makes my boobs look ridiculous. They definitely don't have any lift in them, even with the little halter strap it comes with.

Luckily, I have a variety of bras that I was planning to get rid of because of a variety of things (generally falling apart, straps dig in in certain spots, just doesn't make my boobs look boobtastic, etc.) In the end, it seemed better to embellish the bra than to use the bathing suit top. Even more luckily, I had the perfect teal bra to match my tail.

On Saturday, I biked downtown and gathered materials at Winmil Fabrics in Chinatown and Windsor Buttons in Downtown Crossing. I think these are two fabulous hidden jewels in Boston. They've got fabric, trim, buttons galore, yarn, netting, beads.......I get so overwhelmed in stores like these!

Pearls, Beads, Coins, Needle & Thread

I love pearls. They're so beautiful, and it doesn't hurt that they come from one of my favorite places in the world - the ocean. I found the pearl and rainbowish beads at Windsor as well as the coin trim. Though the main project is for the Mermaid Parade, I couldn't stay away from belly dancing touches.

We can't pretend that mermaids don't have nipples..but they can at least be pretty...

I knew that I wanted to have nipples on my costume. For all my bravery, especially not being skinny or having flat abs, I just can't walk around all day with just pasties. I just can't. It's too much exposure for too long, and even this girl needs some shade once in a while.

Initially, I thought about just having netting all over the bra, but it turned out that it would seem much better to go a simpler route. I definitely had to put in little ornamental touches, like the mother of pearl areola and gold seashell nipple, and the little starfish in the middle of the bra. I also wanted to incorporate some shimmies into the bra, and added the coins. In the end, I felt that I should still incorporate the Victoria's Secret bathing suit top, but I would wear it under the bra. So, ladies and gentlemen, here's my first mermaid bra/belly dancing top:

LOVE!

I still plan on adding a little bit more to my mermaid tail, just to make it slightly different and to really personalize it. So, even if the beads don't all line up, and the nipples are a little low...I love my little attempt at bedazzling. Though this isn't a career changer for me, I'm really proud of myself for taking the time and energy to create this beautiful mermaid accessory.