What would you rather do: read yet another long ramble about a hyper-specific, deeply niche topic that will warm only the cold, shriveled heart of a hopeless nerd - or stub your toe on a chair leg?  The choice is obvious! Chair, brace yourself. As much as I thrive on researching every obscure corner the history of belly dance has to offer, switching from laid-back holiday mode to the Type A academic persona you know (and tolerate) is a tall order for me - even with the help o

What’s your favorite winter holiday beverage? Does the mere mention of eggnog, hot chocolate, or a peppermint mocha instantly conjure that festive spirit and celebratory mood? I know what you’re thinking, Dorothy - gin is a drink for all seasons, but let us attempt - however half-heartedly - to keep things marginally more liver-friendly before the New Year’s Eve champagne unceremoniously escorts us into the first of January. No matter how earnestly I try to fall in love with

A fellow dance student recently asked me if it would be OK to dress up as a belly dancer for a Halloween party.  I couldn’t give her a straight ‘yes’ or ‘no,’ so I launched into my usual evasive verbal maneuvers - namely, asking her what exactly she meant by ‘dressing up as a belly dancer’. Because nothing quite declares “I am a hopelessly committed nerd”  like delivering an hour-long lecture on the evolution of belly dance costuming!  Unless you’ve been immersed in the world