by Karien | Aug 7, 2026 | hips and bits, Uncategorized
Hips and Bits #12
with me, Paulette Rees-Denis
and today’s guest dancer
Lisa Newton from Australia
Hello Beautiful Souls,
I hope you’re having a wonderful week!
I’m so excited to share this week’s Hips & Bits conversation with the lovely Lisa Newton from Brisbane, Australia.
Lisa has been part of the Global Caravan family since 2009, and it was such a joy to reconnect after so many years and hear how her dance journey has unfolded.
Our conversation is about so much more than dance. We explore creating community, following your own path as a teacher, finding joy in movement, and how nature can inspire the way we live, teach, and connect with one another.
One of my favorite moments is hearing Lisa talk about dancing alongside her 75-year-old mum and witnessing the incredible transformation that movement brings—not just physically, but emotionally too. It truly filled my heart.
So enjoy our conversation, watch here on YouTube:
or listen in on SoundCloud.
More About Lisa!
Lisa has been dancing Global Caravan since her first Collective Soul with Paulette in 2009. After years of studying with Paulette, Nina Martinez, and dancing with communities across Australia, she now leads Tree Temple Dance in Brisbane.
Tree Temple Dance is a circle of women who embrace music, nature-based ritual, feminine community, and authentic connection through dance. Lisa is passionate about creating welcoming spaces where women can move, grow, and belong while honoring both creativity and the natural world.
You can connect with Lisa here:
🌿 Instagram: @treetempledance
🌿 Facebook: Lisa Newton
🌿 YouTube: Tree Temple Dance
: Jodie of Lumen Essence
I hope this conversation leaves you feeling inspired to move your body, nurture your creativity, and remember that we are never meant to walk this path alone.
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Lots of new good stuff coming up. Make sure to sign up to keep updated on all the goodness!
www.paulettereesdenis.com
With gratitude…thanks for being here. I love you
Paulette
~~~~~~~~~~~
What’s coming up?
Would you like that free strategy session with me?
Book here:
https://calendly.com/paulettecoach/steppingintoyournextchapterstrategycall
Reconnecting with the Divine Feminine: Dancing with Your Desires
Don’t miss this opportunity to reconnect with yourself, your desires, and the magic of your next chapter. 💛
And you can join in Stepping Into Your Next Chapter, my private women’s group where we raise all kinds of energy, talk dance and desire, on FB, right here:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/steppingintoyournextchapter
by Karien | Jul 1, 2026 | hips and bits, Uncategorized
Hips and Bits #11
with me, Paulette Rees-Denis
and today’s guest dancer
Alica D’Arcy from Australia
Hello Beautiful Souls,
This week on Hips and Bits, I had the pleasure of sitting down with the lovely Alica D’Arcy from Bendigo, Australia.
Alica is a dancer, teacher, community-builder, and the heart behind Solaris Dance Collective and Bendigo Tribal Fest. She has been dancing and teaching belly dance for 25 years, and her Global Caravan journey began at a workshop with Nina Martinez in 2018.
At a time when Alica felt she had lost some of her joy for dance, that first Global Caravan experience opened something back up in her. She shares how the dance helped her reconnect with her body, rediscover her passion, and find a supportive community that continues to inspire her.
In our conversation, we talk about the beauty of gathering dancers together, the importance of allowing the dance to truly settle into the body, and the joy of remaining a student—even when you are also a teacher.
Alica also shares a lovely reminder that when the music is in your body and the movement becomes familiar, dance can become a place of mindfulness and presence.
So enjoy our conversation, watch here on YouTube:
or listen in on SoundCloud or Spotify.
More About Alica!
Alica D’Arcy has been dancing and teaching various styles of belly dance for 25 years in Bendigo, Victoria, Australia. She leads weekly classes with her tribe, Solaris Dance Collective, along with monthly workshops, haflas, and community performances.
Since beginning her Global Caravan Dance journey in 2018, Alica has completed Collective Soul Levels 1–5, Teacher Training Levels 1–2, and Tribal Group Teacher Training. This year, she is looking forward to continuing her studies with CS6 in Cairns and TT3 online.
Her vision is to continue growing a vibrant and inclusive Global Caravan community in Central Victoria—one that supports creativity, self-expression, connection, and joy.
I hope you enjoy this heartfelt conversation with Alica as much as I did.
💃 Watch the latest episode of Hips and Bits and let us know:
What brings you back to joy?
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Lots of new good stuff coming up. Make sure to sign up to keep updated on all the goodness!
www.paulettereesdenis.com
With gratitude…thanks for being here. I love you
Paulette
~~~~~~~~~~~
What’s coming up?
Would you like that free strategy session with me?
Book here:
https://calendly.com/paulettecoach/steppingintoyournextchapterstrategycall
And you can join in Stepping Into Your Next Chapter, my private women’s group where we raise all kinds of energy, talk dance and desire, on FB, right here:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/steppingintoyournextchapter
by Karien | Jun 16, 2026 | hips and bits
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Hips and Bits #10
with me, Paulette Rees-Denis
and today’s guest dancer
Barbara Graham Price
Hello Beautiful Souls,
I hope you’re having a wonderful week and are ready for another inspiring conversation with one of our beautiful Global Caravan dancers.
One of my favorite things about hosting Hips and Bits is getting to connect with dancers from around the world and hear the stories that have shaped their journeys. Every dancer brings a unique perspective, and this week’s guest is no exception.
Barbara Graham Price is a dancer, drummer, teacher, lifelong student, and the newest member of the Global Caravan Bellydance Troupe International.
In our conversation, we explore the joy of dancing with others, the value of slowing down and truly learning, the power of improvisation, and how dance has helped Barbara build confidence, resilience, and trust in herself.
One of my favorite reflections from Barbara was:
“Dance proved to me that I could be coordinated, athletic, and trust myself.”
It’s a beautiful reminder that dance offers so much more than movement—it teaches us how to show up fully in our lives.
So enjoy our conversation, watch here on YouTube:
or listen in on SoundCloud.
More About Barbara!
Barbara first discovered Global Caravan over 20 years ago through workshops and instructional videos and immediately felt drawn to the format’s creativity and sense of connection. Since then, she has continued to deepen her studies, earning her Collective Soul Level 5 certification and Teacher Training Level 2 accreditation.
In addition to teaching and performing, Barbara is also an accomplished drummer who loves exploring rhythm as another pathway to expression and community. Her passion for lifelong learning, dance, and connection shines through in everything she does.
I hope you’ll enjoy this heartfelt conversation as much as I did.
Connect with Barbara
📧 fikriyyah@hotmail.com
💃 Watch the latest episode of Hips and Bits and let us know:
What has dance—or any creative practice—taught you about yourself?
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Lots of new good stuff coming up. Make sure to sign up to keep updated on all the goodness!
www.paulettereesdenis.com
With gratitude…thanks for being here. I love you
Paulette
~~~~~~~~~~~
What’s coming up?
Would you like that free strategy session with me?
Book here:
https://calendly.com/paulettecoach/steppingintoyournextchapterstrategycall
And you can join in Stepping Into Your Next Chapter, my private women’s group where we raise all kinds of energy, talk dance and desire, on FB, right here:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/steppingintoyournextchapter |
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by paulette@paulettereesdenis.com | Apr 26, 2026 | Heart and Hustle, hips and bits, Uncategorized
Hips and Bits #8
with me, Paulette Rees-Denis
and today’s guest dancer
Aysha Anjuli, from Australia
Hello there ,
I do hope your weekend was fantastic and you are ready to get your week kick-started with some more inspiration from our dancer, Aysha!
It is so much fun for me to have these conversations with our GC dancers from around the globe and hear their stories, sometimes this is the first time I have talked to them as they are studying and dancing with our GC Master Teachers. ( Yes, I am a proud grandmother!)
I do like to keep these conversations short so you actually have time to view the whole thing, but I also know that we could talk forever about our GC dance and our journeys…
Enjoy our conversation, Aysha is just a shimmering delight and I think you will fall in love with her too!
So enjoy our conversation, watch here on YouTube:
or listen in on SoundCloud, or Spotify
More about Aysha!
Aysha Anjuli is a Global Caravan Dancer and Teacher from Far North Queensland, Australia. Her Global Caravan Dance journey began in early 2021 when she took her first beginner class at The Temple Studio with Australian Master Teacher Nina Martinez. Although initially hesitant to attend, she felt an instant connection to the dance and a strong desire to learn its language of movement. She has been devoted to dancing and studying the format ever since.
Aysha has completed Collective Soul Levels 1–4 and is an accredited Global Caravan Dance Teacher Level One. She dances with Nina Martinez of Temple Rain Dance as both a student and troupe member, while also teaching her own classes under the name One Fine Dance.
Aysha is passionate about sharing the joy, connection, and empowerment of Global Caravan Dance and delights in documenting its beauty and sharing it with the wider community. Follow her
@onefinedance
to stay connected.
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Lots of new good stuff coming up. Make sure to sign up to keep updated on all the goodness!
www.paulettereesdenis.com
With gratitude…thanks for being here. I love you
Paulette
~~~~~~~~~~~
What’s coming up?
Would you like that free strategy session with me?
Book here:
https://calendly.com/paulettecoach/steppingintoyournextchapterstrategycall
And you can join in Stepping Into Your Next Chapter, my private women’s group where we raise all kinds of energy, talk dance and desire, on FB, right here:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/steppingintoyournextchapter
by paulette@paulettereesdenis.com | Nov 19, 2025 | hips and bits, Uncategorized
Synchronicity and Global Caravan improvisational bellydance
It feels like magic, like raising energy together when dancers gather to co-create. That’s the basis of this particular style of dance, that I created over 30 years ago that it is improvisational and danced in a group, as opposed to being just a solo dance.
In the fluid, spontaneous art of improvisational bellydance, a profound connection often emerges between dancers, music, and the present moment. This connection, while seemingly magical, can be understood through the lens of synchronicity – the concept of meaningful coincidences (proposed by Carl Jung).
Synchronicity, in this context, describes the often uncanny alignment of inner experience with external events, where the dancer’s intuitive movements seem to perfectly mirror the unfolding rhythm and melody, creating a sense of being deeply interconnected with the universe of the dance.
Improvisational bellydance, by its very nature, demands a surrender to the unknown. Unlike choreographed forms, there is no predetermined sequence of steps. The dancer must listen intently to the music, feel its pulse, and allow their body to respond organically. This process of deep listening and intuitive response opens the door to synchronous experiences. A sudden accent in the music might coincide with a spontaneous hip drop, or a soaring melodic line could inspire an expansive, uninhibited gesture. These are not planned movements; rather, they arise from a deep, non-linear understanding between the dancer’s inner landscape and the musical tapestry.
For the improvisational bellydancer, cultivating this state of synchronous flow requires a blend of technical mastery and an open, receptive mind. Years of practice build a rich vocabulary of movements, allowing the body to respond effortlessly without conscious thought. However, technique alone is insufficient. The dancer must also cultivate a sense of presence, shedding expectations and judgments, and allowing themselves to be fully immersed in the unfolding moment. This surrender to the present, a core principle of many spiritual and meditative practices, is key to unlocking the synchronous dance.
The audience, and the other dancers in a group improvisation, can become part of this synchronous field. The energy exchanged between performers and observers can create a collective resonance, where movements and emotions ripple through the space, creating a shared experience of heightened awareness and connection. A dancer’s unexpected turn might inspire another’s mirroring gesture, or the collective gasp of an audience could influence the dancer’s subsequent movement, demonstrating a subtle yet powerful interplay of conscious and unconscious forces.
In essence, improvisational bellydance becomes a living, breathing example of synchronicity in action. I’ve always said it is a living, breathing art form and is never the same twice!
It is a testament to the idea that when we align ourselves with our intuition and fully engage with the present, the universe itself seems to conspire with us, guiding our movements and enriching our experience. The beauty of this dance lies not just in its aesthetics, but in its capacity to reveal the profound interconnectedness of all things, where every sway, every undulation, and every turn becomes a meaningful coincidence in the grand symphony of life.
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Thanks to Lydia Hess for the fabulous artwork!
by paulette@paulettereesdenis.com | Oct 29, 2025 | Heart and Hustle, hips and bits
Hips and Bits #5
with me, Paulette Rees-Denis
and today’s guest dancer
Caroline Bury, from Scotland
Hey there, how goes it for you?
Isn’t it fun and inspiring to read another’s story? Their journeys? and fascinating how things fall into place when you find your own groove?
I just love it!
And today, meet Caroline from Scotland as she shares some of her stories with not just our GC dance, but also her art, her dolls that she makes…
She’s had a wonderful dance journey from finding the GC style, to teaching, joining Caravan Project UK, and perfroming, getting her own Soul Bird Tribal troupe going, and all the connections along the way!
So enjoy our conversation, watch here on YouTube:
or listen in on SoundCloud, or Spotify
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More about Caroline:
Dance Ways. 2025
I didn’t dance until my later thirties almost 40yrs old. Good god! In the late 90’s, early 2000’s, I’d at last made a happy space for myself on dance floors in clubs, at raves and festivals and as I’d picked up a few belly dance moves what a perfect practice space for continuous flow.
Deciding that nobody cared and this was ok to let rip at 2 am to sounds of techno, acid house and backroom beats. I had a teacher for Bellydance, marvelous Maureen, in Inverness but suddenly she left saying I should teach class. Which I did. And that was ok for a while.
As I became aware of all the dance styles it was Tribal that really clicked with me. Finding Gypsy/Global Caravan dancers and teachers, mainly Deirdre, were so accessible it inspired me to ‘get with the program’ and sign up in 2015. I set my feet on this path and haven’t looked back.
2022-25 The last few dance years have held many great moments of joy and satisfaction. Watching my class evolve and grow, ebb and flow. Clocking what works and what doesn’t!
Connections and friendships deepen through performance, gatherings and events. Dance clicks into place.
Kimzie Roses Hafla’s that create space for new dancers to experience what this is. Creativity in dance and expression happens with more confidence and ‘joie de vivre’. Opportunities to teach beyond my class, furthering a Global Caravan spirit in Nottingham, 2024 and Halifax, 2025,
‘When Dancers Gather’ have been a a great honour to be a part of. Dancing with Caravan Project UK, always a challenge and a joy.
2025. I found, at last, the name of my class/group/tribe as Soul Bird Tribal. Soul Bird, relating to the art I create, that resonates the deepest and brings it all together for me.
To me our GC dance is…
Always a work in progress yet perfect in the moment. A space to zone out all the woes. A connection of spirits circling steps with smiles. Encouragement, support and uplifting each other. Letting go, embracing the music as it washes through you then sharing it. Trust.
https://www.facebook.com/burymyheart
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I love being able to share these stories with you. So enjoy these continuing conversations…
Let me know your comments or questions…
With gratitude…thanks for being here. I love you
Paulette
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What’s coming up? Time to get your ticket!!!
The Gathering, 2025,
our 3rd annual virtual summit, bringing your GC workshops, workouts, celebrations, discussions, and our amazing global connection!
Join us for an online five-day dance excursion into
Global Caravan Tribal Bellydance!
Dance Workshops, Zoom Chats, Ceremony and Celebrations
With the nine teachers of Global Caravan, plus
From Italy, the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Mexico, and the USA
Register now
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I’m also honored to present at the 3rd festival,
Shimmy in the Swamp,
With Misha Cain Nell…
Join us next May 15-18, 2026, in Sarasota Florida!
A full weekend and Masterclass with me and some guest teachers too… with performances, beach parties, and days of Global Caravan dance!
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1359703101321866
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Movement, Momentum, and Magic…lifestyle and wellness
Are your feeling the desire to create some changes?
If you would like to talk with me, schedule that free strategy session with me now, and let’s dive in and see how I can help and clarify what is next for you, with movement, momentum, and magic! click on this link: https://calendly.com/paulettecoach/finding-your-new-voice-appt-call
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