Peace, love, and swordplay

One of the most courageous things I’ve ever done was slap my bare hand down on a piece of dried animal skin. It made a noise. A noise other people heard. And I was being judged on that noise. I’ve always been a shy person. And despite my years of guitar playing, I’ve always been sensitive about my rhythmic failings. Learning to hand drum was intimidating…and learning to do it with the expectation that I would be drumming for dancers? Nearly crippling. But what’s the point of living if you don’t constantly challenge yourself? Like everything in life, bellydancing can be competitive. Drummers run the whole range of talent, and so do dancers. Some people you can look up to, others you can laugh at. There is a hierarchy, and you can move up it. But the whole point is to work together. And there is nothing quite like being…