Interview With Sashi

Sashi of Ascend Tribal Dance

by Cary

How did you first get interested in bellydance?

I grew up dancing in a cultural context at many family gatherings and religious events my entire life so I’ve always had an affinity for Middle Eastern dancing but those were more of the folkloric styles. However, my dance interests were put on hold as a teenager as I tragically met with three life threatening illnesses that left me comatose and paralyzed for a few months and in need of a lot of physical rehabilitation for quite some time. As unfortunate as that sounds, it gave me a remarkably humble perspective on my ability to engage in all kinds of movement once I regained my ability, especially in dance. Once arriving at college at San Francisco State University to complete the first of my degrees, I was blessed with being able to immerse myself in the multicultural dance department where I studied African Haitian and West African Dance. I was learning so much about the Haitian and African cultures that I found myself inspired to look into my own culture’s dances again and found my way to back to bellydance.

Do you come from a background of training in the arts?

I had studied theatre arts as a young girl but, as I’ve said above, much of my performance aspirations were put on hold as my life took a very different turn regarding my health and the life threatening illnesses I survived in my teen years.

Where is your favorite place to perform?

I don’t actually have a particular favorite place to perform. What makes a venue my favorite is the audience. For me, the magic of the dance comes from the energetic exchange between performer and audience no matter the venue, country, time or setting.

Has anything crazy ever happened at a show?

Of course! This latest one (yes there’s more than one!) is definitely worth laughing at. In one of my somewhat recent performances, I did the one thing every beginning bellydancer’s teacher tells them not to do! I wore a new belt without trying it on beforehand or pinning it to my pants! And yes, as I was dancing my belt slowly started making it’s way down, down down… I was fortunate enough to have the sense to incorporate this comical situation into my performance but it was still embarrassing. Especially because I always make such a big deal about this to my students! However, in the end it was quite funny and I was definitely humbled by it!

What excites you about fetish modeling?

I find the ability to tap into other versions of my persona and embody them in beautiful ways the most exciting part of fetish modeling.

What are your favorite types of outfits to model in?

My favorite outfits to model in are designs by AMF Korsets by Louis Fleischauer. Much of my custom made dance and fetish outfits are designed by him.

What are your least favorites?

I don’t actually have a least favorite at this point.

Are there any other creative mediums you work in?

Aside from dance, which takes up a great part of my creative world, I am also a collaborative writer and have just recently completed an “afterward” for Karen’s Hsiao’s Rubber Duck Book to be published by Baby Tattoo Publishing and a feature article in Eyemazing Magazine on the same topic.

What kind of music do you like?

I love almost all kinds of music but my favorites are Gothic Industrial, EBM, Electronica and World Music.

What do you like to do for fun?

I love getting together with other friends in the arts and just jamming or creating in the moment for the sole purpose of experiencing the sheer joy of tapping into the life force inherent in us all.

See more of Sashi:

www.ascendtribaldance.com

http://www.myspace.com/sashiascendtribal

Photos by:

Karen Hsiao,

Pixie Vision Productions

Outfits by:

AMF Korsets