August 2016, I paid a friend to film my first bellydance bootcamp video. I had watched dozens of bellydance DVDs and knew it had to be a certain way. I knew a few things I wanted like what material I was going to present, what I would wear, what music I’d use and that I was going to do a voiceoverto keep it simple. So we spent an entire day filming it. The footage was beautiful. Ok, now what!? Well, that footage sat on a thumb drive until last week. I really didn’t know what to do with it. Also, in 2010 I had a film student shoot a sword instructional for me at a local college, it also sits lost somewhere on a thumb drive mostly because the visual was all wrong and it was hard to see me.

With the launch of my Patreon, Anthony started the process of editing it, and I was adding in voiceovers for each section. I got through the entire 2+ hrs of voiceovers and decided that it wasn’t me and was no longer how I wanted my videos to be and decided to reshoot that night. So here it is Friday night and I stayed up til 6 am reshooting my Bootcamp Volume 1. To say I was deliriously tired and patience was thin, is an understatement.
I had to do three takes on the warm up alone, first was a technical issue, second time the view was set up all wrong, but the third one was just right and I got a great workout to boot (pun intended)!

I want to deliver an authentic experience to those who take my bootcamp, as if you were taking a class with me right there in the studio, I needed to let my teaching skills and personality shine through and I couldn’t do that in the way I wanted to with the other video footage. I wanted my online students to have a unique and personal experience with my online videos. So even though it’s far from perfect, we finally have a completed product that I am happy with and it will get better each time. I wanted something more professional than my iPhone for video shooting for my Patreon so last year I went and bought a Canon that came highly recommended for videoing. With that and Anthony’s Nikon, Ami Amore’s Bellydance Bootcamp Vol. 1 is born!

In the past few weeks, I have not only accomplished things I have been talking about for over a decade, but I have been learning the art of video editing in premier pro and can do it on my own if I had to thanks to Anthony. He also taught me how to shoot- first, with one camera, then set up two cameras so we can have closeups from other angles, lighting and not only that, he recovered all the lost files that somehow mysteriously disappeared from the computer (apparently others have had this issue with premier pro?) and then worked like the devil to get it all done. So much gratitude for him everyday.

All that and I still have been making new merch for the Eat Your Heart Out Pop Up on Feb. 9th at my studio, painting for my solo art show Drawing Down the Moon 9/13/19 at Mad Art gallery as well as teaching all my regular classes and battling some kind of crud and fatigue. I don’t go out as much these days and I’m fine with that, I like being enveloped in creative projects, reading, writing and cuddling on the couch with Anthony. I am glad I took a break from performing for a while to focus on other things, it can sometimes be draining since I put my heart and sould into everything I do. I’m back to performing this weekend in Chicago at Spellbound’s Winterlux show. Then I have two shows and a private party next month.

Other videos I have plans for on my Patreon are:

  • Sword instructionals (single, double, foot sword and choreos)
  • Bellydance Bootcamps Vol. 2 – 5 (next one in March 2019)
  • Choreography videos (all levels)
  • Tutorials on requested bellydance moves
  • Full length workshops and classes
  • Fast-Track Bust Yo Ass Bootcamps

So if you’re interested in my art, taking online dance or yoga classes and more check out my Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/amiamore

Here’s where you can catch me next:

1/26/19 – Winterlux in Chicago, IL

2/9/19 1-4pm Eat Your Heart Out Pop Shop

2/9/19 2 shows 8pm and 10:30pm Bon Bons Boudoir at The Monocle

2/22 and 2/23/19 Naughti Gras XII at Koken Art Factory