Rhea’s Story. Part 23.

“I like humor, I think humor is a great weapon and a great crowd controller. I want to feel like I have the crowd in the palm of my hands, but you know, it ís not everybody that feels like me. If it ís built from something to please somebody, or whatever the heck it is, I’ll never be able to figure that one out because our generation was like that and of course my kids generation isn’t like that at all. My daughters told me Don’t just be an entertainer, don’t just go for the laughs, you want to dance too. You’re so anxious to please the crowd. Public affirmation yes, and getting laughs etc. - yes. But there are some people that are just crowd pleasers. If you can be a dancer like Melinda and Piper that don’t have to resort to any tricks, and you can get people to take you based on that alone, and you don’t feel like doing any of those tricks either, then that would be just as good as long as the crowd is happy.”

From a great interview with Amy Smith / Alizah Afet, first printed in Belly Dance New England in 2003.

For the record, I have always loved mom’s entertainment chops AND love the laughs & the “tricks” & believe GREATLY in humor in performance - in laughing we release a huge amount of stress and uptight rigidity!!! But you know, everything in just measure & context dependent! As I grew older and evolved as a human I released trying to control mom in any way 😉!! Everyone has a right to their own choices - and consequences…!! (Highly recommend that practice to everyone - the only person’s behavior to be concerned with is YOURS 😂. Unless you are being asked to give your opinion as a performance coach! That’s another story!) I just also knew she was an extraordinary🔥🔥🔥 dancer and encouraged that side to be showcased too.

2011 Dreamer’s Realm photography captured this awesome photo of Mom teasing Freddie Elias - he had an incredible playful spirit and appreciated that in my mom too!! Mike Gregian nearly lost the beat here — she was always surprising them -- and they LOVED it.