If I must dance...

Here we are starting up a new year at Mirage. I think we're considering this the official 34th season. We don't know when in 1975 the first show was held but January seems a good time to turn the page and make it our anniversary. Each semester I'm in charge of booking guests at the show and normally do 2-4 guests in addition to the eight of us who perform regularly. We do about 8 shows each season, and have two official 'seasons' each year. Despite our long standing performance, it always seems that getting the first show booked is like pulling teeth, and despite my plans to have it take care of, I had one cancellation that I just couldn't seem to fill for our show this Thursday.

So tonight, I asked my intermediate students, if anyone was feeling brave enough to jump in and do an impromptu solo. Since they all love to have everything planned and choreographed in advance I wasn't surprised that no one took me up on the offer. It's nice to be prepared, but in my experience the ability to jump in with little or no notice is a great skill, and those who organize shows don't forget you! For example, for my second solo I was given a couple of hours of notice...really...not even time to wash my hair. I jumped at the opportunity because I was dying to be back on stage and it paid off in the end for me. A few months later I was asked to join Mirage and I really think my willingness paid off.

Fast forward to tonight, after I get home and open my emails. One of my students had sent me this (and she's only done one solo in her entire life...). For the record, I agreed with her first three conditions, and compromised on the fourth one. I told her she could have tap water with ice, and BBQ after the show...and she went for it. Now if all the other performers were only that easy to please!

OK, I've thought about it. If you really really really need another dancer on Thursday, I'll do it. It's 2009 - I need to take risks and do new things, right?? BUT! On the following conditions:

1. You put me at the end of the list so if anybody else wants to do it, they can.


2. I could dance to Lamma Bada, please? If I'm going to do some sort of improv, I know this song really well and would feel most comfortable with
   it.


3. Maybe I can borrow one of your green or blue veils? Pretty please? OK, this is less of a condition than a request - I only have one veil and it doesn't go with my awesome turquoise outfit. But if you decline this condition, I'll be forced to buy another veil, and really, worse things have happened.


4. My dressing room be filled with 200 white lilies, white pixie lights, 2 cases of premium champagne (no Korbel or anything like that), and a roasted camel stuffed with a roasted goat stuffed with a roasted pig stuffed with a roasted chicken stuffed with delicious oyster stuffing.

There really was no debate

Okay, our show was scheduled for the same night and time as the Clinton-Obama debate here in Austin, and literally the debate was being held just a few blocks away. I put on a brave face and kept telling people don't worry about the traffic, it's on the other side of campus, and of course, we'll have good audience! Well, as I walked up to the Texas Union this evening the most incredibly long line of students had wrapped around the building and up the street. Apparently they were going to show the debate live in the upstairs ballroom and it was open to several hundred students.

So here I am lugging the biggest suitcase in the world (for our backdrop) and my little suitcase (for my costume) through the crowd and all I can think is please, let there be room for us inside, or at a minimum maybe the line of people waiting for the debate could just snake through the Showroom...they wouldn't be bored waiting and we would have an instant crowd. Well my concerns were for naught because one I was inside all was normal. And the best part about the evening? We had a really great show and a really good audience to boot, all in all an enjoyable time for everyone. There really was no debate for us, we were the best ticket in town. Great music, great variety...lots of props and styles of dance. Yesireee...it was the best place to get a sampling of all things wonderful about belly dance.

Now for those of you who didn't make it (you know who you are) here's your recap, take notes...there may be a quiz in your future...at a minimum enjoy the pics! (By the way, please ignore the speakers in the background, we normally cover them up...but they just got missed this time, I promise we'll be more diligent in the future).

Nisaba opened the show (with zils of course), and I absolutely love this picture of her...it really captures her smile and essence! The funny thing is she and Eve had picked the same music for the evening, and the truth is the two performances were so dramatically different you wouldn't have known that it was the same song twice!

Next came Dana Winn doing a beautiful number with Isis wings. You should have heard the crowd gasp when she came out with them...and the image of her in gold and red against the backdrop was stunning! I managed to take a short video of her...pardon the shakiness (I'm still learning this stuff) and I can't explain the poor sound quality here...however, I still like this!

Jeanette was next...and did one of her all time favorite numbers (Habibi Ya Eni), and I think to the original version of the song. Very classic Jeanette...playful, cute and upbeat. I've included a picture (it's a pose she does so well) as well as a short video clip (the quality on this one is a little better), remember to sing along.

Zanjabil did a short number to Gabe's Cat off the Light Rain CD. Oh my gosh, this song takes me back to my baby belly dancer days!!!!!! Jeanette taught this choreography to us in class, and I did this as a duet with Shane (yes a male student) with zils on the Mirage stage. I may have mentioned that event before...it was not a pretty event (zil-playing wise) but this was the song that brings it all back. The funniest part? Jeanette still remembers that choreography (and danced it behind the stage) close to ten years later...too funny for a woman who may not remember what happened 30 minutes ago, but still very impressive! Of course, Zanjabil did a lovely job and interpretation of the song which will help me get over the scars of that previous performance...I'm sure of it!

I believe I danced next, and to a song I wasn't that sure about. I was trying out a new costume and wanted something fast. However this costume has some of the longest fringe I've ever had and fast doesn't work well with it, there is just too much hang time. When I tried to do faster hip movements I was literally whacking myself silly with the fringe...so a fast song and the need for slower movements to accomodate the fringe's personality may have not been the best combination. I've been debating on selling this costume and I'm still on the fence about it...I love the color and I got a great reaction from the audience on it...but it's the darn fringe, it makes me look like I have no torso! The verdict is still out on this one...

A little side note here, Elizabeth was another guest dancer for us, but I didn't get a picture of her (I'm sorry!). She's awfully sweet and has danced with us several times before, in fact she gets major brownie points for doing the December Ararat gig with us, and freezing in the process.

Final Mirage dancer was Eva Tennessee doing a hot cane number. For a gal who doesn't have much traditional belly dance under her belt...it doesn't show. She really takes well to the folkloric styles and I love the emotion in all of her movements, yeah!

Our headliners for the evening were Midnight Breeze, a troop from the San Marcos/Wimberly area. They are great fun to watch, and as a bunch of dancers...they really are some of the nicest ladies you'll meet. Always entertaining, and a real crowd pleaser. Unfortunately I don't have pictures of all of them...and my camera batteries died before their last set (sorry ladies)! But here's what I do have (and I included one I took from behind the stage...which is what we see frequently).

The only down side of the evening was our three missing Mirage gals. Rania is uber-busy with her work and took a little break, Katarina was home sick, and Sherry had a 'column emergency' to deal with in her alter-ego engineering world. Hopefully next time we'll all be together...okay, now I'm off to bed!