10

Art

On Their Way to Stardom:

ROCKIN CHATR

Laura Mooney

Arts Editor

Dy it all you want, but everyone loves country
music. The twang of the guitar, the heartfelt

lyrics, and we can not forget to mention the cowboys.

Okay, in order to be fair, the cowgirls as well. The

only thing that makes this music genre even better is

when a local country band gets the recognition they

deserve. Rockin'Chair seems to be one of the up and

rockinchair.ca

coming country bands to keep an eye on. With their
new single “Things Ya Never Outgrow” now playing
on radio stations across Canada, they may just be
the next big thing in country music.

Members Trevor Adelman (vocals and acoustic
guitar), and Tyler Mithrush (electric guitar, keys, and
harmonies), originally met in high school in Langley,
BC, and were later joined by Prince George's own

lle ¢ “PRovnev! No, Aw Not a Dipper!

Kelley Ware
Finance Manager

F°: most university students, the second week

of September is the time people begin to settle
into their routine and start to seriously get into their
readings and assignments. For me, however; the
second week of September has a special meaning.
After a long, summer hiatus, | get to take my hip
scarves out of storage and begin shimmying again.

| belly dance and it is something that has quickly
gone from “passion” fo “obsession.” | soend hundreds
of dollars on costuming, | shimmy when | am bored,
and | experience withdrawal-like symptoms over

the summer months when dance classes are out of
session and | do not get my weekly three-hour new-
choreography fix.

With this in mind, | want to dispel a couple common
misconceptions about belly dance in Canada. The
first misconception is that belly dance is stagnant.
While the art form did originate in the Middle East
it is now globalized and fluid There are several
ditferent types and styles of belly dance that are
important and, even in Prince George; they are

all prevalent in their own shape and form. There is
Egyptian belly dance, Turkish belly dance, Cabaret
belly dance, American Tribal Style (ATS), and Tribal
Fusion (fo name a few). The style that we most often
think about as “belly dance” usually falls into the
cabaret style, with a single dancer in flashy costumes

dancing in a restaurant (or similar setting) with live
music. The style that | typically dance - Tribal Fusion
-is a hybrid of the aforementioned types. It primarily
begins with ATS inspired moves and fuses with other
types of folkloric and traditional dance. | have
personally performed and watched Bhangra inspired
belly dance, African-fusion, Eastern European-fusion
as well as many others. It is truly a globalized art
form.

This leads into the second and most important mistake
people make when thinking about belly dance: it

is not stripping! There is no other way to offend a
belly dancer more than implying she is a stripper. It
is certainly a sensual and exotic art, but that does
not mean it is “erotic dancing.” We may show our
stomachs, but that does not mean we plan on
“taking it off.” | personally have had people tell me
that | dance “like | should have a pole.” Carolena
Nericcio’s company FatChance BellyDance in San
Francisco got its name because of frequent requests
for “private shows. For most of us, belly dance is
more about body position, muscle control, technique,
and joy more than it is about looking sexy. When
watching Tribal Fusion leaders from the United States
such as Rachel Brice and Zoe Jakes, the viewer is
less concerned about how sexy they are and more
overcome with the sheer awe of watching someone
move their bodies in ways that do not look possible.
If you have not heard of them, go check them out on
Youtube; you will definitely be surprised.

Patrick Michaud (electric guitar and harmonies).

The boys of Rockin'‘Chair have been playing music
together for the past four years, and are beginning to
polish their stage presence and sound in preparation
for their album release at the end of this month.
While they admit their tastes vary quite dramatically,
the main influences they can agree on drawing from
are acts like Johnny Cash, The Eagles, Rush, and
Rascal Flatts, just fo name a few.

When asked what the best experience of their band
career has been so far, it was collectively agreed
that getting to be a part of the 2013 Canadian
Country Music Awards in Edmonton and being

able to meet some of the most influential people in
the industry was a great experience. In regards to
Rockin'Chair's future, Trevor stated, “our goals are to
continue to play as much as we can, and continue to
improve our musical ability.”

At the end of September, if you are searching for
that new band to listen to, make sure you look for
Rockin'Chair's EP (which will be available on Tunes),
so you can not only show support for our local
musicians, but also for a band who truly deserves
their chance in the spotlight.

If you would like to learn more about Rockin'Chair,
check out the band on their Facebook page, and
website (wwwrockinchair.ca). You can also catch
them in person at the Quesnel Senior's Center on
September 28th for their official CD release party.

shelley Termuende /OTE