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Athena |
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I am from the
greater Los Angeles area. I was born and raised just outside of east LA, in
the city of La Puente. My first experience with dance was when I was 6 years
old when I started tap and ballet. 3 months after I began those classes, I
had my first class recital. My mother and favorite aunt, Betty Anne, were in
the audience. I only lasted in this class for another 2 months, and then
went on to play soccer for the next 4 years. I moved to Phoenix just before
my 11th birthday where I attended Palomino Elementary, Shea Middle School,
and Shadow Mountain H.S. until my sophomore year. I was in choir from the
time I arrived until my freshman year in high school. In between all of
this, I would take it upon myself to learn the latest dance moves. I
would dance with my friends at school dances and entered a talent show in my
eighth grade year
In my freshman
and sophomore years in high school, I attended Barbizon school of modeling
and graduated where my best area's and certifications were in make up and
hair. Due to the defiant child that I was and the home environment I was
growing up in, I quit singing, going to dances, and ceased to model. After
so long of being in the wrong crowd and taking care of my self most of the
time, my mother moved us back to Los Angeles. We lived with my aunt, uncle,
their children, and my grandmother. (Yes, we are Mexican. Haha). It was
mandated I go to a private school where I took drama. I also joined a soccer
team with the city of West Covina and this definitely kept me out of
trouble. In the drama class, I was in a biblical play where I was one of the
demons in the "legion" of demons. My second role was as the ghost of
Christmas past in Scrooge. |
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Then came
summer, when we moved again to the Sacramento area. I attended Elk Grove H.S.
Elk Grove is a small city just south of Sacramento. It was a small town when
I moved there. So small that my mother and I realized that we couldn't sleep
at night when we first got there due to the lack of gun shots, fighting, or
sirens. I knew enough about myself that I knew I needed to do something, so
I wouldn't get into trouble. At E.G.H.S., I joined the aerobics/dance class.
There, we did a lot of hip hop and jazz dancing. We also learned to
choreograph aerobics and dancing. I then, as I was turning 18, became very
into Latin dancing. I had learned how to do a lot of it earlier in life at
all of our major family functions. I went to L.A, for a visit and went to a
club with my good friends. One of them and myself joined the cumbia/salsa
dancing contest and won. I made it a habit to go to a club as often as
possible to go dancing. (My mother nor I had the money at the time to put me
back in classes or sports. I could get into a club for free.) I would watch
others and learn and eventually be able to do it my self. During this time,
with another good friend of mine, I took up learning how to play the base
guitar. I enjoyed it just for fun and to keep me occupied. |
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Years later,
and definitely back in Phoenix for career reasons, I found myself in a very
bad situation called a divorce. In some of those years that passed and
before, I had learned some martial arts, would do fighting in a couple of
the neighborhoods I grew up in with buddies, my brother, and anyone who
wanted to put gloves on with us. (Another thing to keep us busy. At least it
was legal.) Just before I was married, I was taking classes to teach
children Karate. I was sparing with another person and sprained my knee. I
went through the fight with it sprained. Due to the severity of it, I
promised my ex-husband and mother I would never do it again. |
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So, at the
beginning of my separation, I needed something to do constructive and
positive. Since I loved Latin dancing and promised I wouldn't fight anymore,
I had always wondered about belly dancing. I brought this up to a couple of
ladies that I worked with at the time. One of them was Shaundiin. She
introduced me to Morgiana. I have loved it and been doing it ever since.
This is one of the best choices I have made in my life. It is a workout,
healthy, stress relieving, and has brought some awesome people into my life.
To the ladies in Egyptian Cartouche, Thank you for being there. Even when
you thought you weren't anything to me, you are all very special to me and
hold a special place in my heart. Love Athena |
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