March 31, 2020

Meet Colleen Pannell of Bellydance 4 Everyone in Bastrop

Local Stories

Today we’d like to introduce you to Colleen Pannell .

Colleen , can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
In 2008 I went looking for a different way to exercise. Because of multiple knee surgeries I needed something low impact. In the mail the local school district offered adult education programs and folk dancing was one of the classes. After my second class I was hooked and knew I had found something special. I was fortunate to have a teacher who had been involved in Bellydance for over 35 years teaching and performing and truly loved The Art of Bellydance. She helped me to understand and find who I am through dance. I continued to learn from other teachers and study The Art and then started to share my new found love with others. Then took the steps to perform in public. I have always been a plus size woman and stepping in front of people to dance was a bit terrifying but it just felt right. I soon realized after performing a few times that what I was doing could make a difference. Ladies would come up to me after I would dance and thank me for dancing. They would say it was nice to see a woman of real size dancing with no fear being so comfortable in her body. As the years went on I continued to study from different people and teach and share my love of Bellydance with others. Performing as much as possible and getting to know the Bellydance community more and more. One of the things that my teacher Sharon Wood taught me is that we all have a dancer inside of us, music lives inside of us all and I have always remembered and believed that. In 2018 I started my company Bellydance 4 Everyone and the name says it all. I do not exclude anyone from my classes, I include all forms of Bellydance in the shows I produce and try to be all inclusive in everything I do.
Now it’s 2020 I am the Vice President of the Central Texas Bellydance Association, have regular shows I produce and part of an absolutely amazing Bellydance community.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
When I started trying to share my love of Bellydance in my community it was an uphill struggle. I started around 2009 dancing for free at local festivals, or any holiday show that would welcome me. Some people would look down on me and I some as soon as I would say Bellydance would just shake their heads. I kept at it showing them that it is an art form and in 2017 I finally started getting regular performances in my community.
I have also struggled with what I will call trolls. Being a bellydancer some well most of my costumes show my belly and I do wear a bodysuit, I will post pictures on Facebook and some people can be very ugly. After visiting with other dancers I learned it happens to dancers of all sizes.
One thing that has always been an issue is costumes. I lean more towards the Dance Oriental and occasionally go into different types of Fusion. Dance Oriental finding costumes is not easy just recently have I found some but for some reason the designer overseas think if your plus size you have very large breast. I look forward to the future of plus size Cabaret costumes.
I have also seen so many women large and small struggle with self confidence and it hurts me because I can see their beauty and want them to find it themselves. Helping them discover that is a wonderful blessing that I am thankful to be a part of.

Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Bellydance 4 Everyone – what should we know?
Bellydance 4 Everyone is to spread the knowledge and love of The Art of Bellydance. We create shows that offer all types of Bellydance and we are all inclusive with our performers. It does not matter if you are new to it and just want to try or have been dancing for many years we will find the appropriate venue for you to perform.
I am proud that we have been able to bring dance to our community and been able to include anyone who would like to learn. I am proud that I have been able to put together fundraisers, regular shows and workshops that involve Bellydance.
What I am most proud of is the fact that I am able to teach others to learn to love themselves for who they are. To be comfortable in their own skin. In 2019 I took a chance and did a piece about Body Love and ever since that performance it has been my mission to help people no matter size, age or sex to love who they are and how to express that through dance or theater. In 2020 I preformed the second part of this piece with Cheyney Teagan called Reflections and it stepped even further into body awareness. I look forward to what will be performed in 2021.

Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
I could not have done any of this without my two good friends Terry Hansen and Donna Cunningham.
Terry has been with me and supported me for the last 9 years. From being there to support me at shows to being with me as we started our dance troupe Forged in Fire, to making me some of my first costumes. And Donna joined in our craziness about 4 years ago and she has brought a new dynamic to the mix. Not only being part of our troupe and dancing with us to working on costumes and now helping me with all my graphic work. Without these two ladies Bellydance 4 Everyone would not be where it is.
And I must recognize my cheerleaders my Mom and Stepdad Elaine and Richard Raymond who have always supported my decision to take on this adventure.

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