Angela Lin has approached each kind of dance. She has belonged to it since childhood with the dance. Having graduated from university, majoring in English, she get a sense of languages on behalf of her ability that makes her accept different kind of culture and information more easily. In fact, she is optimistic even though she keeps a range of so-called tradition in sometimes.
One day, I gave a call to Angela for making an appointment with this interview. “I’ll call you later, I just finished my class and cleaning the floor, there are so many hairs on it.” If I call her at the evening, nearly ten times will get eight times to hear she said that. It is hardly ever to hear Angela complaining those small things. She always hopes that she can give her students the best, no matter the content or the environment quality of her class also.
This day, I went to visit Angela, we had two pots of tea, and I recorded her stories.
Like the moment while dancing
“Why do I like dancing? Well, I like the feeling when I dance, you will as soon as immerses in dancing ......” In this moment, Angela’s eyes suddenly looked shine, her lumbar and vertebra stays tall and straight along while she is talking about dance.
“I don't know why, but most of the time to affect me is when I am on stage. Not because of standing on the stage, not because of audiences, but….” Angela stopped for a while and thought about how she could explain to me. Most of the deepest moment is unable to describe by any language.
“You fall in love with that moment when you dancing, immerses to the music, the body is likely fuses in the note?” I tried to find a description that glossary defines clearly in our cognition. On her face revealed slightly shy and excited, nodded repeatedly and said “Absolutely!! How do you know??”
Big change because of Suhaila
Angela was so friendly that she kept giving me lots of snack and instigated me to enjoy it with some tea which so called could help us to lose weight. The time was not enough but I get hurry to attend to ask Angela, “So which period were the most affective and the most significant to your dancing life?”
Very good, I succeeded! Angela is seriously thinking about my question and she forgot to force me to eat.
“I would like to say the biggest turning point in my life was I went to US to take Suhaila’s workshop in 2007. At that time it was the first time for me contacting with Suhaila's concept, technique, muscle's utilization, coordination, and combination, I never find these skills through other variously kinds of dances. But the interesting thing was, these skills can be used to other different dances. Therefore, it also let me believe the ductility of belly dance.
The mixture of belly dance with other types of dance will not be incompatible. On the other hand, I have learnt different types of dancing, at that time I would tell myself that’s what I want. I decided with my single-hearted devotion to learn belly dance and performance diligently in it. However, Suhaila is my torchbearer of dancing expression to emotion, those 2 to 3 years with Suhaila format has inspiring me a lot.”
Be strong because of students
Often the key of success or failure, only in insists or not. “The reason that lets you insist in dancing is?” I asked Angela.
In 2009 I had an operation for fibroid. I have rested for more than three months. At that time, I really did not know after the operation whether I can continue to dance, firstly I don’t know my body's condition can shoulder or not; secondly, three month is not too long but it isn’t short either, perhaps my students may change another teachers already. Many uncertainty comes together makes me don't know what to do.
But what makes me so touching is that my students and friends has supported me all the way. Perhaps you may think that if I said 'to will not be abandoned' exaggerates very much, but I really feel like that at that time! I realized that this is an experience encouraging me to stay strong, also because of them. I got the power to become strong. I feel deeply is 'as long as the courage to pursue, that dream will come true possibility'!”
I stopped for a while, like the very beginning Angela stopped, this moment the innermost feelings surged in mine but spirited, I nodded and I did intentionally calm to nip several biscuits also attempting calmly.
Be an outstanding teacher & professional performer
Angela turned to steep another pot of tea, I was going for my last question which was a bit difficult, “Between performance and teaching, which one do you prefer?”
“My goal is to be a very outstanding teacher and performer simultaneously. To me, because I am originally an English teacher, teaching is my occupation as my work, I love teaching deeply, because I would like to get the sense of achievement , and now that’s only the content is different, the object is different. I like dancing, like the freedom that dancing gave me, sometimes I really think dancing lets my soul alive, therefore when I finished my class, even though my whole body always feel dispersed, I would still like to stay alone and have some solo dance, likes the electric power stores, although I can just lay on the floor afterwards......However, this is the so-called mind nutrient! Always needs to charge.”
I am looking at her back, I saw an insistence also I heard an ordinary greatness. Pursues she does whose bravely by herself vainly hoped for, there is tracking down step by step, and keep going steadfastly.
***********************************************
Angela's heart of dancing
I nearly dance for 12 years, holding passions and the heart which loves dancing. I like accepting the folk dance of different countries, I like the impact that dancing brings. Since I started the belly dancing, I then use "cannot help oneself" to describe it, I knew I am so lucky that to bump into the good torchbearer, and maintains depending on the perseverance while studying, “All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them.” I also maintain this manner to study modestly, belly dancing is a very beautiful dance, I must disseminate the feminine compatriot who loves pretty! Practice makes perfect!! Everybody works hard together!
# Extended Reading:
Special thanks Teresa Lui translated to English.
