In a dancers life there are classes, workshops, gigs, haflas, and that’s just your dance life! None of this includes your day job (if you have one) your family and your friends. How do you keep track of it all? Fit everything in? And not double book yourself?


I have found 2 ways of combating the lack of storage space in my brain for this conundrum.


A written planner and my Google calendar. My Google calendar is on my computer, my phone, my tablet so I am always in touch with what I have going on. It is also synched to my honey’s calendar so I don’t miss anything that he may have planned for us. Anytime I am blocking a significant amount of time or have a gig, it goes into that calendar. That way I know that time is blocked off or I’m going to be out of town so I don’t book another gig or a family commitment at that time.


baltimore belly dancer, belly dancer baltimore, bellydance by amartia


My planner is for the day to day things. It reminds me to send out my newsletter, to write up choreography, to choose music, to sign up for an event. It’s the list. I am all about lists. I have a small ring binder that is with me most of the time or close to me when I am on my computer. It allows me to jot things down like oh I need to email so and so and ask when that event is. Or research a question that a student might have.  Yes, as the list grows and grows sometimes I put down things that I know I’m about to complete just so I can check it off and make myself feel better. And before you ask, yes write blog post is sometimes on my list. Usually it says write next 2 blogs posts!


I am sure there are plenty of other apps that exist out there to help us plan things out and make our lives easier but for me, these are the two things that work the best. Feel free to submit your own ideas and help dancers out!


So there you have it. One old school and one new school way to keep track of your busy life, both as a belly dancer and as a human!