The Hartebeast System signature dance style: Dance of Elemental Alchemy. Instruction and performances, live and online. Come dance 5 elements of nature with me! Amidst a pandemic, we're only online for now: https://www.hartebeast.com/online-classes Special thanks to: --Mona N'wal who asked the question, "Have you ever thought about using the Elements as a metaphor for movement?" --My Tejedoras, Sahirrnees and Silky Lionesses --All my students, far and wide, who let me guinea pig them in the development of this project --The myriad people who have saved my tasseled tushie and allowed me the space to recover, rejuvenate, and create Music: Akhenaten by Moments (Soundstripe) Does Not Compute by Music for Makers You can follow more of my adventures here: https://www.hartebeast.com/blog https://www.hartebeast.com https://www.facebook.com/BellaNtheBeastie/

In our obscure community, there lives a police officer and a poet, a nurse and a bohemian barista, two very different army sergeants, a tattoo artist and a mother of two...just to name a few. We are of varied age, gender, nationality, religion, social position, shape and temperament, yet there is one element that connects and unites us all: the language we choose to speak... Created for Pangea Day. http://www.pangeaday.org/ Oodles of thanks to everyone who helped me bust this thing out after finding out about such an extraordinary project two weeks before the deadline--but most of all, to my awesome bud Lyman who created the music for it. Check out his stuff at: www.myspace.com/ArtofElectricBass Izzy's Website: http://www.izzydancer.com/

I had my backdrop up one night after filming some of my Elements course, but I needed to get out onto my deck and change the hummingbird water, so the heavy blinds were open as the sun started to set. I came back upstairs and inspiration struck. "Hmmm...I wonder if I could make a silhouette dance if I tweaked the filter of the video." And voila. A new dance was born. My Dance of Elemental Alchemy is a blend of belly dance, modern dance, ecstatic dance, martial arts, and the whole kitchen sink of the gazillion other movement and meditative forms I've studied. If you want to learn it, I am building the online school. In the meanwhile, there's always covid-friendly coaching: https://www.hartebeast.com/online-classes Like what I do? Well, I certainly can't perform live right now, and even without a pandemic, TBI makes it difficult for me to travel regularly or perform onstage anymore, so I've been experimenting with being primarily a video performing artist. If you'd like to see me make more of these videos and want to help speed up the creation of the online school, here is my Ko-fi account: https://ko-fi.com/hartebeast Music: Angels Among Us & 21st Century Priestess by Jehan Planetary Beings by Music for Makers You can follow more of my adventures here: https://www.hartebeast.com/blog https://www.hartebeast.com https://www.facebook.com/BellaNtheBeastie/

"...In the rolling of my shoulders, like two gears on a clock rewriting time, I throw open my chest, stand tall and gain the strength to rise beneath my burdens. Although others placed them upon my shoulders, I built a comfy shelf and magnified them until my spine bowed and my ribs caved from the weight. You're not good enough. You're too this and that. You're ugly. You're so duuuumb. You don't do it right. You don't deserve to be loved if you're like this. These rolling gears propel me out from under those burdens and into the truth of self-knowledge. I learn who I really am. I learn that I am Love..." Made for a post I wrote on Medium: https://medium.com/@thehartebeast/drawing-room-21fab7221242?source=friends_link&sk=b7f9d3a8056ddf0c8e999716e1017a69 Music: Sahan by Pentaphobe The Healer by Music for Makers Photos: Kirk Lanier Like the stuff I do? Buy me a coffee! https://ko-fi.com/hartebeast You can follow more of my adventures here: https://www.hartebeast.com/blog https://www.hartebeast.com https://www.facebook.com/BellaNtheBeastie/

Another dance I made to accompany a post on my blog. This one was shot in my home dancey-writey-fighty studio, an improvisation inspired by one of my greatest learning curves. The blog post on Medium: https://medium.com/@thehartebeast/the-base-solid-gold-rebel-29507e53a16d?source=friends_link&sk=cc26bcef940d138c4512888c5d635bfc Like what I do? Buy me a coffee! https://ko-fi.com/hartebeast Music: Still Learning by Halsey Dandelion Theory by Music for Makers You can follow more of my adventures here: https://www.hartebeast.com/blog https://www.hartebeast.com https://www.facebook.com/BellaNtheBeastie/

Dreams don't always turn out to be as great as we thought they would be. When we make them come true, sometimes they turn out to be nightmares. It's the people who love us and the strength of our foundation that get us through. In honor of Thanksgiving Month. Another dance I just found in the vault--I had forgotten that one of the takes was actually shot with my phone. Filmed in Pea Ridge, Arkansas, in 2017, on the demolition site of a home that had gotten burned down. How sweet of the wind to oblige me for such a tumultuous piece! :D Music: Mother by Tori Amos Videography: Shonn Jones You can follow more of my adventures here: https://www.hartebeast.com/blog https://www.hartebeast.com https://www.facebook.com/BellaNtheBeastie/

My 30 second video submission for the virtual talent show being hosted by The Momentary, our brandy-new arts extravaganza complex that they constructed from an old Kraft plant. This place had just opened before they had to shut it down, so they're finding ways to connect with us in the meanwhile. This is one. Winners will have their videos blasted all over Momentary's social media and across the front of the ginormous Tower. Here's hoping they like mine! Enjoy! Music: Begin At the End by The Culprit You can follow more of my adventures here: https://www.hartebeast.com/blog https://www.hartebeast.com https://www.facebook.com/BellaNtheBeastie/

Izzy dancing with the interactive fountain at Pueblo's Historic AK Riverwalk - a purely improvisational conversation with water & wind. Filmed by Scott Bolton. Izzy's Website: http://www.izzydancer.com/

The dance and music companion to my latest post on Medium: https://medium.com/@thehartebeast/more-presents-from-a-drunk-driver-traumatic-brain-injury-scoliosis-694a924bd4bb Or my blog: https://www.hartebeast.com/single-post/2020/01/02/More-Presents-from-a-Drunk-Driver-Traumatic-Brain-Injury-Scoliosis “What happened?” he asked, as I lurch my way into his taxi and wrangle the seatbelt around me. “Drunk driver rammed me on the freeway.” His eyes fly open. "By Uintah?" "Yeah." “That was you?” “Yeah.” “And you’re WALKING?” I shrug. Talking, walking...I'm not fully there as I answer, “Yeah. They say I’m fine...” You can follow more of my adventures here: https://www.hartebeast.com/blog https://www.hartebeast.com https://www.facebook.com/BellaNtheBeastie/

This is the song that was playing in my car when a drunk driver rammed me on the freeway on Winter Solstice 2000. I lost that CD to the totaled wreck of my vehicle, and reacquired it many years later. I created this video to accompany the blog post I wrote about that night. If you'd like to support me and my writing, here is the tale on Medium: https://medium.com/@thehartebeast/blam-merry-christmas-from-a-drunk-driver-fbd6bf3c636f?source=friends_link&sk=8240caa46246d989f58fe6036f825739 Or on my website: https://www.hartebeast.com/single-post/2019/12/29/BLAM-Merry-Christmas-from-a-Drunk-Driver Music: Magic Shadow Show by ZaZa, Nights One and A Thousand Unlearning by Music for Makers The Tarot: A Keeper of Words, The Arthurian Tarot Written & Illustrated by Anna-Marie Ferguson My Readings: I consult my cards with the understanding that they are not going to tell me anything I don’t already know. It may be buried deep within me and come as an epiphany, it may confirm something obvious, or it may poke me in the forehead about something I haven’t wanted to hear, admit, or acknowledge. This Reading: Celtic Cross This is a common placement of the cards, with the majority in a cross position around the central cards, and the final four in a vertical line to the righthand side. This deck utilizes different meanings depending on if the card was laid upright or in its reversed position. I often ask myself what I would need to do or change in order to draw in the positive interpretation of the card. If the querent desires a clarification, additional card(s) may be drawn. 1) The Querent: THE FOOL The beginning of an adventure; establishing a path. Unaware of the pitfalls, one embraces the future with great optimism. Enthusiasm…innocence… 2) Querent’s relationship to the question: STRENGTH Having the courage and vitality to realize one’s goals. Ambition tempered with serenity—a gentle strength. Discipline; drawing on resources of inner strength… 3) Crossing - positive assets or obstacles that hinder the path: 8 OF SWORDS Feeling bound and trapped. Inability to free one’s self from a difficult situation. 4) Above - message from the “higher self” THE HANGED MAN Restriction; self-sacrifice. Suspension of plans. In many decks, the man is represented as hanging upside-down, indicating the need to look at things from another perspective. 5) Below - preoccupation of the subconscious, emotional undercurrent 2 OF SPEARS Executive responsibilities. Proving one’s self capable of managing a large project. Using all of one’s talents to achieve a communal vision. 6) Behind (left) - recent past 8 OF SPEARS Excitement. A rapidly approaching opportunity to prove one’s self. Events unfolding at great speed. A journey or experience which tests one’s limits and entails a spiritual lesson. 7) Ahead (right) - relationships with others (often interpreted as near future) 3 OF SHIELDS Skill and growth. Making progress in one’s vocation. Meaningful, constructive use of talents. Pursuing a dream with the advice and cooperation of others. Laying the foundation for the success of future ventures. 8) Psychological state and attitudes THE PRIESTESS A deep stirring within the self. A subtle but powerful connection with the collective unconscious. Seclusion and self-reliance. Meditation brings new solutions to light. An inspired state of being. 9) Environment and unseen forces 4 OF SWORDS Recuperation. Healing. Convalescing. Retreating to a calm, safe environment. Gentle soul-searching. 10) Hopes and fears THE WHEEL OF FORTUNE - REVERSED Upright: Change of fortune; karma. Beginning or end of a cycle. Good luck. Reversed: An unforeseen bad turn of events forces one to ride out the storm. Feeling frustrated with the inability to influence a difficult situation. 11) Ultimate outcome THE TOWER Unexpected trauma and financial losses. Revolutionary change and anxiety. The breakdown of a belief system under pressure. Destruction of the old paves the way for the new. 12) Clarification DEATH Death and rebirth. Transformation. The end of an era or relationship. The illusion of death, separating the self from the past in order to begin anew. 13) Additional clarification THE STAR Hope; a good omen and inspiration. Rejuvenation of the spirit after a trying and traumatic time. It is only in the darkest of nights that stars are the most visible. You can follow more of my adventures here: https://www.hartebeast.com/blog https://www.hartebeast.com https://www.facebook.com/BellaNtheBeastie/

The Great Sand Dunes in Colorado, that is. Dunes: 1 Izzy: Zilch This is the other video and photo shoot L.V. Bell and I did when I went back to play in my old stompin' grounds two years ago. It was...um...a bit windy that day. There was no shimmying. There was no footwork. Nay. This was an afternoon of just trying to stay upright and keep from being blown away. Yes, we nearly lost a veil. I had to take my contacts out a few steps up the slope. We were shedding grit for weeks. Come to think of it, I still never put my laptop port-side-down because the magnet in the plug-in will snag the sand that I have never been able to fully get out of my backpack. Bwahahahaha! So...enjoy the first attempt shenaniganry to shoot in a location I have drooled over since I first moved to Colorado. The day I tried to dance in a sandstorm! Music: Sandstorm by Mera

A trial-run photo and video montage from an afternoon playing at the columned pavilion at Cheeseman Park in Denver, CO. L.V. Bell and I went there with her husband's Go-Pro. Now...filming at the Sand Dunes with that thing was phenomenal. What we did not realize was how far away and fish-eyed the thing would capture these columns. Many of the shots made it look like we were standing in a Greek Circus Funhouse. Hahahaha! After tons of cropping and zooming in, we can start to see just how breathtaking this location is and the fun we had (fuzzy and pixellated as it may be). Ah well, that's what trials are for. Now that we've taken this first stab at it, we have a much better idea of what to use in the future. I may be driving there next time, so I will be able to bring my tripods, too. Hope you enjoy this first glimpse of a project I've been wanting to do since my earliest years of living in CO when I learned of this pavilion's existence. XXXOOO Izzy www.Hartebeast.com Music for the montage: --Song of the Pharaohs by Brian Keene Background music of original footage: --Song of Sheherazade by David Arkenstone --Path to Goa by Issam Houshan

A dance-tale about re-learning to fly, over and over and once again. My second performance from the Memphis 2019 show with Mystic River Dance, Nature's Rhythms: Life's A Dance. When I first conceptualized the piece for this show, I had envisioned telling the tale of my two decades being derailed by traumatic injuries by going down to the ground and rising from the proverbial ashes, multiple times throughout the song. A torn meniscus changed all that, forcing me to live this dance as I created it. But ohhhh, what was born of it! I never would have experimented with the wings this way without that detour, proving the story into truth. Music: Phoenix by Lindsey Stirling Videography: Darell LaRiviere Photography: Kirk Lanier and Candy Prudhomme

The first piece I did in Memphis 2019. My maiden voyage in publicly taking the shackles off, and dancing any darn way I feel like it. It's not belly dance. It's the BellaDancer doing her thang. Music: Omiya by Michael Danna from Kama Sutra: Tale of Love Morning Dew Siren by Shiva In Exile Woman (Oh Mama) by Joy Williams A NOTE ABOUT THE MUSIC When I wrote to Shiva In Exile to ask for a translation of the lyrics to this amazing song, I was informed that it was composed in a fantastical language, and was encouraged to translate it any way I was inspired. So I did. That meant I had to analyze the song, phonetically interpret the lyrics, find all the common elements in the sounds and create a standardized "vocabulary". Finally, I was able to weave words together from that vocabulary, the way they were voiced, the mood of the music, and the tale I wanted to tell. Here is what it said to me: ODE TO THE ELEMENTS Glory unto Your wonders You calm my warring heart Your brilliance is the heart of the sun Let me be the moon Aglow with this reflected light I AM the moon My breath is the sea's rhythm A heart of gold frees me Rivers, grasses, raindrops Rippling in time I am danced by the currents of this Earth A heart of gold frees us all Ah, hearken, hearken...hearken, Mother Please, (Earth) Mother...hearken please, please Sorrow, Mother Yes Mother, yes Mother, yes! Hearts hearken Mother, yes, move me now Oh, hearken now, Mother Now, Mother Oh, now Oh, now! Glory unto Your wonders You calm my warring heart Your brilliance is the heart of the sun Let me be the moon *deep bow* And of course, Joy Williams' amazing, inspiring words, which gave the piece its title: WOMAN (OH MAMA) Oh mama, oh mama, oh mama, oh... Woman make Woman take Woman see Woman breathe Woman carry the burden of knowledge Woman always the one to be blamed Woman shoulder the men of the nation Woman free you from sorrow and shame (Chorus) (Oh mama, oh mama, oh mama, oh oh) Come let me show where life begins (Oh mama, oh mama, oh mama) (Oh mama, oh mama, oh mama, oh oh) I am the universe wrapped in skin (Oh mama, oh mama, oh mama, oh oh) Woman dream Woman hate Woman cry Woman break Woman hold you in the palm of her hand Woman changing the mask on her face Woman stand with her feet in the fire Woman only one thrown in the flames CHORUS (Woman!) I am the moon in the midnight sky (Woman!) I am the secret you try to hide Come let me show you, Oh I'm the moon, I'm the moon, Yeah Ohhh…oh you I am the moon, I am the moon, I am the moon Woman monster Woman child Woman hero Woman wild Woman whisper Woman scream Woman listen Woman free Eh, eh, eh, eh, eh, eh, eh, eh, eh, eh, eh, eh Eh, eh, eh, eh, eh, eh, eh, eh, eh, eh, eh, eh Woman Mary Jezebel Woman heaven Woman hell Woman teacher Woman kind Woman nature Women rise! Oh, mama! (Oh mama, oh mama, oh mama, oh oh) Oh mama, oh mama, oh mama, oh mama (Oh mama, oh mama, oh mama) I am the universe Oh mama, oh mama, oh mama, oh mama (Oh mama, oh mama, oh mama, oh oh) Woman! (Oh mama, oh mama, oh mama, oh oh) Woman! (Oh mama, oh mama, oh mama, oh oh) (Oh mama, oh mama, oh mama, oh oh) Oh mama, ma, mama Woman!

Little Earthquakes by Tori Amos. A very personal piece filmed at the Mineral Palace Park in Pueblo, CO, 2009. Filmed by Lisa Potts.

Precious Things by Tori Amos. Another very personal piece. Filmed at the Arkansas Riverwalk in Pueblo, CO 2009. I literally tore my dance shoes to shreds in the filming of this piece, but it had to be created so badly that I couldn't stop--bare feet on rough concrete. Added to the flavor. :D Filmed by Lisa Potts.

This dance refused to be choreographed. In fact, it refused to allow me to even practice it the same way twice and it pretty much flipped me off when I tried to run it during tech rehearsal. While waiting in the wings backstage, the other dancers asked me, "Ooooh, so what are you doing?" I could only shrug, grin and reply, "I honestly have no idea." Dedicated to Mona N'waal who requested it, this piece was a combination of the two workshops I taught in my 2014 weekend at the University of Wisconsin, Madison: Funky Fusion and Taste of Elements. It is a blend of belly dance, Indian dance, and martial arts. Music: Fun Does Not Exist by Natacha Atlas featuring Iggy Pop

Exiled, dethroned, de-crowned, Cleopatra comes to Caesar with nothing to offer except all that she is. Music: Cleopatra Seduces Caesar from HBO's Rome From the University of Wisconsin, Madison 2014 show

A dance for the 007 Bond Girl in my blood. From the 2014 University of Wisconsin, Madison show. Music: 007 James Bond Theme Goldfinger sung by Shirley Bassey

Wow, I just found this in my computer! Lisa Potts and I filmed this at the Arkansas Riverwalk in Pueblo, CO back in 2008. It is one of the Angry Grrl Dances I made just as I was getting divorced for the first time. I did not get to editing this footage with the other two, due to my ever-increasing shaky health while I (unknowingly) lived with arsenic and black mold dripping down into my bedroom. Where Little Earthquakes was about my grief over tearing apart my house and my heart again... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_RrWOnAZNL8&t=3s And Precious Things was about bullying and cruelty... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uhzmoIqRexY This one was mostly about my experience of being ohhhh-so wildly adored for one or two facets of me, and the wish that I could be boxed up and confined to those parts. It also reflects my inevitable exit from the belly dance scene. When we filmed this, I was already feeling the tremors of judgment over my style and the weight of trying to perform that job on Traumatic Brain Injury - particularly when directors or promoters did not adhere to my health policies. Imagine my surprise to find this video today. This project truly planted the seeds to what I'm creating these days: the Hartebeast System, a fusion of my Dancing the Elements and Conditioning Drills, combined with my studies in martial arts, meditation for mind & movement, theater, and storytelling. I have been building an online school and have also started filming more videos like this one. Enjoy a sneak peek. Official trailers are coming! You can follow more of my adventures here: https://www.hartebeast.com/blog https://www.hartebeast.com https://www.facebook.com/BellaNtheBeastie/