Alla Vats, from Russia, shows Shanghai's women how to shake their groove thing.

7:00 a.m. Dormitory Sleeping.

7:10 Open my eyes and close them ... I have 10 more min.

7:55 Get up, finally. Oh my God! I have Chinese class in 35 min., crap!

8:00 Turn on laptop, try to find something to wear.

Huatong Ligong Taishi Chinese Classroom

8:20 Thinking of tonight’s dance show ... am I up at 8 or 9?

9:30 Class break! Fresh air, where are you?

9:50 Second Chinese class.

11:30 I'm free! Ponder what to eat for lunch.

11:45 Mmm, getting hungry ...

Dormitory

12:00 p.m. I whip together a sausage, tomato and cucumber sandwich of sorts. Drink a banana milkshake.

12:40 It wasn’t that bad. Maybe if this belly dancing stuff doesn't work out I can be a chef (not).

2:00 Time to exercise.

Fitness First Gym

2:20 Done running on the treadmill, time to do sit-ups

(ay oh).

3:00 Favorite time of the day: shower, I love it!!!

Dormitory

3:40 Check my e-mail. Oh, cool I have new messages from my friends back in St. Petersburg.

4:00 Student calls asking about hip movements.

4:10 I try to explain how to do a figure-eight with your hips.

4:40 Still trying to explain this move. It's impossible over the phone.

5:00 Run into my roommates, talk about auditions and performances. Everyone’s a dancer.

6:30 Oh I have to go, work will start soon. See you guys!

Shanghai Nan Zhan,

Line 1

7:00 Mental check list: music? check; workout clothes? check; costume? check.

7:20 Close my eyes and think about summer!

7:30 A Chinese girl leans on me and wakes me from daydreaming.

7:40 I’m here! Let me ouuuut!

Jiang Su Bei Lu, Changning Lu

7:45 Walking.

7:50 And still walking.

Jazz du Funk Studio

7:52 Arrive.

7:53 Take clothes off. Put workout clothes on.

7:55 Walk into the classroom.

8:00 My belly dancing class starts.

8:10 Students arrive 10 minutes late.

8:15 And 15 minutes late ... grrr.

9:00 Class is over.

9:25 Change my clothes. I have a show in an hour. RUN!

Metro

9:45 People are looking at me—maybe it’s the sequins in my hair.

Streets

9:52 Run out onto People's Square. Pick up steamed dumplings to eat on the way. Ah ah ah, they're hot.

10:20 Arrive.

Barbarossa

10:30 No! I forgot my cane.

10:40 First belly dancing set starts. People seem to like it.

10:47 My skirt gets stuck on a chair ... please don’t rip, please don’t rip.

10:48 A quick hip-whip frees me from the chair and I escape from potential public nudity.

11:02 Second set starts. I don't have my cane to balance on my head, so I borrow someone else’s. Thank God there are old people in the audience.

11:12 I sway my way through the dance floor and into the changing room (i.e. the bar bathroom).

11:13 Show’s over.

11:31 Time to pick up my pay check. I should be making more.

Metro

11:50. DAMN, I have homework from Chinese class.

Dormitory

12:15 p.m. Contemplate doing my homework.

1:57 Navigate youtube.com. Still haven’t start homework.

1:30 More music clips on the Internet ... Alla your homework!

2:30 Fall asleep on the couch with the laptop on my lap. No homework done.