FatChanceBellyDance® : Our Teachers ...

Sandi Ball

 

Not long after graduating with an art degree in sculpture, Sandi Ball began her journey in belly dance on a whim in 1998 when she attended classes at FatChanceBellyDance® with a friend, not knowing what belly dance was or what her future held with it.  Wanting to continue with 3-dimensional art and with a love for puzzles, American Tribal Style® belly dance satisfied her need for versatility, improvisation and efficiency – creating art in movement.  A keen eye for detail, artistry and teamwork has aided her journey through the roles of student, performer, troupe member, teacher, and mentor.  Her 10+ years as a teacher and performer for FCBD® continue with ongoing collaborations and workshops.  When not in her belly dance role, she is a pet sitter in the San Francisco bay area and the maker of HiBeam Bindis & Sandi’s Ocean jewelry.

 

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Interview by Emy Shamanka ReshamKa

When and How you discovered ATS. When did you

hear, for the first time, about ATS? What sort of

occasion was it? A show, a workshop, something

else? Did you choose to do ATS after the first time

you saw it, or later?

I fell upon ATS® by accident. I had heard the

name “FatChanceBellyDance®” through other

artist friends of mine, but had never seen them

nor did I know anything about belly dance. One

day, a friend asked me if I would take classes with

her. Even though I was looking for a hula class to

take, I thought it would a fun thing to do with my

friends. A bunch of us went for a while, then later

I was the only one continuing with classes. I was

intrigued by the improv aspect and wanted to see

what it all looked like, as even after almost a year

of taking classes, I hadn’t even seen FCBD®

perform. I just enjoyed being in class, dancing

with and making new friends.

 

When did you begin?

I started taking classes in the summer of 1998.

 

How did you begin, directly from Carolena?

Yes. For a long time, Carolena was the only one teaching the Level 1/Level 2 classes. She was my only teacher in the beginning. Then other troupe members also started teaching.

 

How many steps existed when you began?

I don’t recall exactly how many existed, but roughly about 50 steps were taught to us in class levels 1-4. Not to

mention the variations (pivoting, levels, ó turns, etc.) and specialty techniques like floor work and balancing.

 

When was your first performance on stage, and who was it with?

I don’t remember exactly when the first time I performed (maybe 2000 or 2001?), but do I remember how nervous I

was! It was at a student salon (like a recital for friends and family) at the Noe Valley Ministry in SF. When students

are in Level 3 for a while, they are encouraged to try performing. I just remember being so scared. I just had to

remember that I was dancing with my friends and that I knew enough to get me through. Back then, our beginning

student troupe was called, Third Tribe.

 

What does your ATS travel (Shows, workshops) bring to you?

Traveling to teach ATS® allows us to meet dancers from all over the world. Since not everyone can be in San

Francisco to take classes, teaching in other locations is a great way to spread the knowledge and add the refining

details of the dance that are so important. Plus, I love to travel to see places I haven’t been and to experience

cultures unfamiliar to me. It’s really great to see everyone work so hard and that we all share this common

language, no matter where we come from or what verbal language we speak.

 

How many trips have you had? Was it always to teach or sometimes only to perform?

There have been numerous trips with the FCBD® troupe and without – on my own and with other dancers. I’ve

been honored to travel to places like Russia, Italy and France, plus all over the US and Canada. I’ve always

traveled to teach and perform. I think if a host is going to bring us out to their location, it’s worth it to get the

whole package so that the students can see what they are working towards.

 

What advice would you give to a new ATS dancer, who’d like to improve her dance?

My best advice to a new ATS dancer is, don’t rush. Take the time to learn the finer details and character of each

movement…and of course, practice, practice, practice. One of the finishing touches of any dance style is the

comfort and confidence of the dancer in each movement. Once the dancer learns to dance, as if to walk, that is

when the music can be seen.

 

Have you participated in the elaboration of some steps? If yes which ones?

The Camel Walk passing back-to-back was something I came up with when I was a student. We had originally been taught to pass front-to-front. In a practice session with some friends, we experimented with movements and that

was one we showed to our teachers. Otherwise, as a Troupe member, yes, I’ve made suggestions here and there,

we all have. Some work, some don’t. Adding new material usually is a collective effort, so most times I don’t

realize when someone attaches a variation to me, as my idea. I don’t have a need to change or add anything to

ATS®. I think it is pretty perfect as it is.

 

Are there any steps that you used to use in performance but you don’t use anymore? If yes which ones?

There are not many that we don’t use. I would say mostly there are some variations that we don’t use. For

instance, the Up2Down3 used to have arm position #1, rather than the current horizontal arm position. We don’t

use the hip bump with a layback anymore, though, sometimes you’ll see us “old-schoolers” do it.

 

If you had to describe ATS what would you say?

ATS® is a movement language for group improvisation, where each movement has a cue that a leader sends to the

followers to indicate every consecutive step. It incorporates spatial awareness, quick thinking, communication,

community mindedness, and personal confidence. While the movements, music and some of the costuming may

look old, it is modern in design.

 

What did ATS bring in your life?

As learning any dance would, ATS® gave me a better awareness of my body and the space around it. It also opened my eyes up to a whole community I never knew existed. Biggest of all, I’ve learned so much about myself. Being a shy person, I never thought I’d ever be a performer or teacher, nor did I ever think I would be able to travel and do both! I’m very grateful to have been able to see this art form grow across the globe.

 

Maybe a last question about improvisation and choreography?

I prefer improvisation over choreography. My memory for choreography isn’t great. It takes a lot of repetition for

me to remember the order of steps, so I find improv to be ideal for me. It is, after all, the heart of ATS®.

Choreography is great when you have the space and time to present a creative piece, but it isn’t necessary. I also

find that choreographing ATS® takes away the energy of communication; that interaction between dancers when

they’re fully in the moment and needing that eye contact for information. When you have dancers at the same

high skill level and you’ve danced with them for a long time, improv is really exciting!

 

What is your advice to performers?

My advice to any dancer is to bring yourself into the dance. The beauty of ATS® is not just in its uniformity, but

that it fits each person’s body in its own special way. It allows our natural movement to also come into it. I think

that is one of the hardest things to incorporate, but also one of the most magical.

 

 

 

Retrouvez Sandi Ball sur Facebook ainsi que sur le site des FCBD.

© 2014 - Emy Shamanka ReshamKa