What I Did on Summer Vacation

Whew, long...long time in posting. Life's been busy and very tumultuous. So, here's the short list on what I did this summer.

1. Rushed from the end of Mirage season into workshops, performances and teaching.
2. Decided spur of the moment to get some professional pics taken, and then decided to make a new costume in less than 10 days.
3. Realized that my belly dancing rut had more to do with life in general and decided it may be time to make some changes, big changes.
4. Decided I wanted to take a sabbatical from Mirage in the fall, and re-group.
5. Discovered the Artist's Way and realized it may just be what I needed to restart my creative juices.
6. Found an Artist's Way group starting the book in September...and joined them.
7. Was invited to join Bahaia and Stacey Lizette in a twice a year student recital, that we named "The Hip Circle Hafla" in which performances would be limited to our students.
8. Joined forces with Jamie Lynn to create a one-day costume workshop to teach people how to make and alter cabaret-style costumes.
9. Announced to Mirage that I would be taking a sabbatical...interesting and enlightening conversations ensued, then...
10. Decided to quit the troupe after 8.5 years as a member.

I felt like I ended a long-term relationship when I wasn't quite ready to make that change. I cried, I felt alone...and then I felt inspired and invigorated. When I started this blog I intended to have stories beyond just reviews of the show. How ironic, that now it is really about me finding out who I am as a dancer outside of Mirage.

Mirage was the place I got my 'hips' wet, performed my first solos, directed my first choreographies, was given the opportunity to teach, and above all else, the honor of meeting and dancing with so many wonderful women. Now, I get to learn if I am more than just a member of the troupe. How fitting this blog title now seems!

Glow versus Sweat

There's an adage that women don't sweat, we perspire or glow. Well, I hate to ruin the illusion, but we do sweat and this last weekend was a prime example! It all started with a two and a half hour martial arts class in the park Saturday morning. Next I moved onto errands, running around and heading home to rest, shower and get ready for a show that night. My students and I were performing at Desert Passion's monthly show and even at home practicing it took forever for the house and myself to cool off. Unfortunately the trend continued at the show where the combination of a large crowd and air conditioning that wasn't working well created the equivalent of a sauna. Even my veil seemed soaking wet and took extra effort to move.

Thankfully during the group cane number I didn't lose my grip and whack some poor audience member...although the people sitting close to the stage were a little nervous! Here's a picture of me with my beautiful girls who make up my student troupe, Baharat. And no, it's not the shine of a camera lens or extra glitter...we really were past the glowing stage and I, at a minimum was quite drippy. The lovely Tiffany is in turquoise, Alejandra in red (I know, it looks pink here...but it is really red), and Malika in fabulous fuchsia.

Side note, fabulous shiny holographic metalskin costumes look great on stage but don't breathe...at all!

Sunday was no different on the sweat-front as I spent the day on a marathon teaching tour. I left a little after 11:00 a.m. and didn't return until close to 9 p.m. I was subbing for two of Sherry's classes in addition to my two. Between the hip drills, shimmies, veil work and drum solos of the day there was a lot of sweating on my part. The good news is a quick shower will clean me up...bad news is there will be several Austin ladies who wake up quite sore tomorrow (sorry!) and probably cursing the name of Najla!

This week hopefully will be less sweaty, but equally as fun. We have our last Mirage show of the semester, which always feels a little bittersweet. It's like the end of the school year and you're equally excited with the time off from classes but also know you'll miss the class mates. Good thing we still see each other frequently...including a couple of road trips this summer.

I'll blame it on the weather

After our brief foray in spring and summer temperatures (we're talking 80's here), we're now back to the dreary cold (okay 40's and 50's) and rain. I'm not too excited about the gray skies, but since central Texas is in a drought, I'll take the rain. However, for reasons we could not predict, we're down to half of the troupe for our show tonight. That's right...out of eight dancers we have four that will dance tonight. Thankfully we've got four guests scheduled as well so I'm not scrambling this afternoon trying to find people to dance on short notice. The irony of it all is I thought about not going to the show.

I've been in a little bit of a dance funk lately, and I've been busy and preoccupied with many other things. I rarely miss shows, and the last time I chose not to dance but just come watch I was regretting the decision immediately and dancing in my chair. This week, I couldn't come up with any good reason to sit out the performance so I figured that some time between leaving the house and 7:30 p.m. I would start feeling inspired. And as much as I love dancing, some times it's a bit of drudgery.

However, it probably has less to do with the idea of dancing and is more related to the obligation of being somewhere at a set time. The good news is that with fewer dancers tonight I can do a little longer song. So right now, I'm going a little moody with one of my favorite numbers Bitswanna Beek. It's that odd length, too long for six-minute sets we usually try to stick to, and too short for longer performances in other venues that require 8-10 minutes. And even though I just groused a little about going somewhere to dance, I know I'll really enjoy the show because this music makes me feel a little languid, a little loungy, and more than just a little sultry ;-)

Family slide show

If you think about all the time we spend together as dancers, we really are an extended family, one that grew a lot last year. So, just pretend you came over for dinner, we've finished dessert and I'm bringing out slides of the family vacation. Thanks to Valerie for the lovely shots, and if you missed the show just know that we had wayyy too much fun without you, hah! We were missing Dana Winn this week (sigh), but she'll be back in February after finishing some work related training...remember, we are beautiful and smart and we have to work at both constantly! Without further ado, our first foray into the spring 2009 season:

Part of the troupe performing our opener (and yes, Eva Tennessee was feeling particularly fabulous!). We did this number (half choreo, half improv) last semester and decided to give it one more try. The goal is to look coordinated...at specific times. We're still working on that one though ;-)

The entire gang at the end of the number, and for the astute reader you'll notice that I did lose my veil wrap early on. For the creative ones in the group, just imagine hot pink, four-yard silk. It was stunning...and you should imagine it the same way.

The beautiful Katarina opened the show performing her first official 'duet' (wink, wink). She normally does very percussive, drum-solo pieces but was actually feeling much more lyrical last night. Hmmm...wonder why...could it be that fabulous glow she's sporting these days? We can't wait to meet the new kitten this spring and introduce her to the stage as well.

Zanjabil did a wonderful performance incorporating floor work (intentional this time), veil and some great combinations at the end. I can't believe it's just been one year since she joined the troupe...our baby has grown up (sniff, sniff) and looking so smokin' hot!

Then it was time for me, and I decided at the last minute to perform a cane number. What are some of the rules you shouldn't break when performing? Try dancing to a song you don't know really well, with a prop that is new, in a costume you haven't worn before. Well I 'went rogue' and just broke all of them in one fell swoop! Oddly enough this is the only pic where I'm not laughing out loud. Apparently the whole situation kept me amused while dancing. Can't wait to see this video!

Our first guest of the evening was one of my intermediate students (you'll probably recognize the veil). I was soooo proud of Tiffany because she decided on Sunday (yes, four days before the show) to perform...impromptu...and with veil. Major kudos because this was her second solo ever, and the first one was entirely choreographed. I think she was secretly waiting for the chance to try out her new turquoise holographic costume because that's not something you can pull off at work...or even cocktail parties.

Sherry brought out the sex kitten charm again, wearing one of her (and our) favorite costumes. Funny thing is, I remember when she joined the troupe and we all suggested she accessorize more...now we can't stop the glitz and glam on her (and would not dare!). Who says engineers aren't hot????

Nisaba always charms the crowd with her enthusiasm (and usually zils). I'm loving her new hair style which is a little hard to see in this photo but very sassy and cute in person!

Alana Shea performed as our second guest, and it was appropriate since this was her second solo on our stage. Her style is a wonderful fusion of various dance forms combined with some really beautifully athletic and graceful movements. We'll certainly have to see her on our stage again soon!

The always beautiful Jeanette pulled out the charm and coquettish moves that she has really perfected in this dance form. And of course, no one does purple as well as she does!

Our last Mirage soloist of the evening was Eva Tennessee. She is also celebrating her one year anniversary of joining the troupe. I remember this time last year, she was so worried that her style wouldn't be traditional enough. It's taken a little coaxing (actually...not much) for her to just really do what she does best, which is 'modern belly dance'. This is what happens when someone with a modern dance background moves into belly dance, and it is pure art!

Our last guest of the evening was Rania. It's been quite a while since she joined us as a guest, because up until recently she's been a member of the troupe. It was a little bittersweet because we'll miss having her around. She's just spending more time on her dance practice and performances, and troupe practice was a tough commitment to work in. She'll still be back for more dancing and always has an open invitation to come perform at shows so don't be surprised if she pops up again (soon I hope!).

The final act of the show was a trio consisting of myself, Sherry and Zanjabil. We wanted to perform the same choreography that gave me such grief last year. I love it dearly, but it was a difficult one to work out, and I am entranced by the final result. When we get it posted on YouTube, I'll let you know. This by the way, was the same number we performed in the Middle Eastern Troupe Competition last August and won second place (we barely missed first!). Elena Lentini was one of the judges and she told us "you have found the mystery, fabulous". I could have cried with those words...Elena is so amazing and talented and it was such an honor to hear her compliments.

Merry Christmas Baby!

It may be a little late for a holiday greeting, but not too late to watch some of the fun we had last December at our year end show. It's become a little tradition of ours to include a special holiday belly dance number, and to give it all the serious creative energy we can put into one performance. Here's our nod at a truly, 'American Cabaret' number.

Enjoy, and don't forget our Spring season starts this Thursday at 7:30 p.m.!

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.

Musings, memories and dancing on September 11.

Scheduling shows for Mirage is always an interesting and challenging experience. We have to work our dance schedules around that of the University, and take into consideration their breaks and on-campus events. If we’re lucky we get our shows every other Thursday (usually in the Spring) and if not, we end up with some back to back shows (like this fall). There was certainly nothing planned or momentous about the first show of our fall semester, but it is worth noting that we start our season on September 11, 2008. (And, if you’re counting…it’s the thirty-third season).

I hesitated at first at having a show on 9/11. Really, there is still so much emotion, politics, rhetoric and events surrounding that date; it’s hard to just think about dancing. However, I decided to keep that date, simply because Mirage has always kept their shows going…despite what has happened in the world, and with any luck we will continue to do so for another thirty years. Mirage performed before, during and after the Gulf war events, and in 2001 we performed exactly two days after the Twin Towers fell, despite the potential for controversy.

To start off our fall semester we had chosen a more folkloric choreography; a cane number to Farhot Shabob. (Nothing screams Arabic music more than a song complete with mizmar and zaghareets!) And, faced with the potential backlash against all things Arabic, and a country still shaken, scared and confused we had to decide if having a show that week, with that performance was the right choice at that time. And to make matters worse, the University had notified us they would be providing security for our event…just in case something happened.

Now, I love this dance with all my heart, but it hadn’t occurred to me that a performance could be life-threatening in any way (besides of course the wayward zils and swords). The risk of something actually happening seemed low, but it made us all stop and think. However, the group decision was to perform. Not everyone in Mirage chose to dance that night, and I don’t remember who, if anyone was a guest. All I know is that our desire to dance and to keep the shows going was important and necessary. We all needed a distraction from the events of the week, and in the midst of a nation grieving, we personally needed a sense of normalcy, and an opportunity for laughter and joy.

After all the discussion and debate, our fears were unfounded. The show was uneventful and in fact the security guard who was concerned about the potential for danger seemed thrilled to sit, take a break, and watch some beautiful belly dancing instead. As Vonda noted, we were just a bunch of white girls who like to dance to Arabic music. Nothing political about it, it’s just something we love to do.

In writing this, I wanted to take a moment to pause, reflect and share with all of you my feelings about September 11. For many people this date represents an emotional scar that may still be healing. For me, it represents the enduring nature of this dance, the support of this community and the lesson that every one of us can find joy and happiness when we have the opportunity to express ourselves through our dancing.

Any emotion and stories aside, please come join us this Thursday, September 11 as we kick off another fabulous Mirage season. We’re rested from the summer, eager to shimmy and just waiting to ‘rak’ your world! Come show your support for Austin’s longest running performance venue, show your support for some fabulous guests and just plan on being part of Austin’s belly dance history!

Where: Texas Union Showroom (24th and Guadalupe)
When: Thursday, September 11, 7:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Who: Guests included Baharat, Troupe Amar, and closing the show…the amazing Sonya who will leave you mesmerized and a bit breathless (really…)
Cost: FREE!!!!!! (With the exception of the gracious tips you’ll leave the dancers, of course)

Meet Egyptian Barbie

Now, if the notion of Barbie conjurs up unpleasant thoughts from your childhood and you're ready to head out and join some radical feminist group to rally against the barbie name...just stop, take a breath and let me explain. When I'm talking about Barbie, I'm talking about that gal who is sweet and charming and always dressed to perfection. You want to play with her, invite her to meet your friends and above all else, rummage through her closet. So, meet our Egyptian Barbie, Rania.

Being around Rania is contagious, dizzying and delightful...she's playful and fun in person and on stage...and from the looks of her latest costume debut, even her outfits channel the Barbie persona. They behave perfectly and add a sweet, charming element to her dance...a perfect companion to a dancer we all love and adore! So put aside any judgments you have about the B-girl and enjoy one of our favorite gals in action!

I would kill for those legs and abs...

Really, if I could swap body parts with anyone I would head straight over to Katarina and take those long legs, tight behind and flat abs off her hands (or body rather...). I have several items I would gladly exchange if it was ever possible. I know it may not be appropriate to covet another dancer this way, but gosh darn it I can only dream. In our troupe, we've learned that if you think trying on costumes is fun, try dressing Kat up in costumes...ten times the fun and none of the disappointment of a poor fitting costume. And to top it off, she's witty and smart and devilishly coy.

This last show she lit up the stage, and the room with her kick-butt drum solo and intoxicating smile. I can't remember the last time I've seen anyone have so much fun on stage...wow! She loves her drum solos and always picks music that really get the crowd going. Her performances are sharp and peppy whereas I'm always in the mood to do something slow and moody. For that reason alone (we'll leave her body out of this now)...I envy her willingness to go all out on each number. Plus, she's just one of my favorite people. Yeah Kat!!!!

In the presence of a goddess

There are some performances that really hit home, they make you feel a deep emotion (yearning perhaps) or move you in ways you didn't imagine. There are also some performances where you just say...doggone it...how does she look so hot and how can I have some of that! (I mean that from a dance perspective not a 'I'm changing teams' perspective...in case you are now wondering).

I have to admit that Sherry's performance at our last show hit home on all those marks. Really, she's channeling some goddess or sultry 50's movie siren, or one of the classic, golden age belly dancers we've all admired. Her music is always intriguing and interesting and she moves so effortlessly across the stage, it's like she's floating! If you missed the show...shame on you, you'll just have to sit back and imagine the entire performance. The following photos and clip may help a bit but you'll only experience 1/10 of the passion and emotion everyone felt in her presence.


Now for a collective sigh...

Imagine the Possibilities

There is nothing like the promise of a new costume to send dancers into a tizzy. We are in the process of picking out one color (yes, just one right now…) to order some skirts, gauntlets and tops for the troupe. Here are the samples of the fabrics we received from L-Rose. I put them on the cards for easy viewing (and not to lose any), and the photo cannot do justice to the beauty of them in person.

I don’t have an actual photo of us looking at the samples, but I wish I did. You would see us huddled together, lovingly examining each small sample. We all had to touch, hold and caress each little square of fabric. And, when one of us would suggest a color choice a collective chorus of ‘oohs’ and ‘aahs’ went up, as if a world of opportunity was contained within each small square. The process is delightful, but the product will be absolutely yummy...I'm sure of it.

Choregraphy, part 4????

Okay, I'm back to the whole choreography story again. You see, we're still in the process of working on the number that we will be performing on March 20. And, I'm only a little over half way through detailing all the steps and pieces for it.

One of the hardest parts is trying to work on staging and positions for so many people at one time. I don't have enough cats to cover all the dancers (thank goodness), and they don't do well taking instructions from me. Now, they are wonderful at improvisational forms of movement and dance but just don't ask them to repeat what I try to teach! So, I'm often left trying to figure out how to take some great idea in my head and transform it into reality with six to nine dancers on any given occasion, it's quite a brain twister.

So tonight's only goal was to rework the beginning of the number, really only the first minute or so. I had ideally wanted everyone to do floor work at the beginning however it’s not a given for all dancers. So, in order to make sure it worked for everyone…it was back to the drawing board.

Now some people may think that would be an inconvenience and not worth the effort. However, I like to think of it as a greater challenge. It’s like someone reads a paragraph you wrote and says this is good, but you can’t use these five words in it…come back when you have it rewritten. It forces you to distill down the essence of the movement or the feeling you’re trying to capture and rework (or rewrite) until you come up with a better product.

And tonight although we didn't make substantial progress in the number we did come up with some nice movements that will be fabulous on stage. It was nice, easy and collaborative evening and I think we walked away feeling productive. We still have some floor work included (my thighs are killing me tonight) but we also have some new height dimensions that weren’t there in the original plan. The good news is that we still have three more practices to finalize everything and I have three more weeks to work out details if needed, yeah!

The Family is Growing

Well, right after the holidays, you may wonder about the title of this post. After all, most people are making resolutions to lose weight, reduce, minimize and simplify. If you ask Mirage, we've kind of done the opposite! This year we've added on, expanded and although there is the potential of more confusion, the truth is we can't be more excited about the changes in the troupe.

It's a tradition for the group to have an end of semester party where we can let our hair down, share some drinks and food, watch videos of ourselves (really, it's actually quite fun) and talk about the upcoming semester. In December, we also do a little holiday gift exchange which includes everything girly and fun we can imagine. The funny part is we seem to come up with a gift 'theme' each year, without any discussion among the group. Last year, it was body glitter (a precious commodity for dancers) and this year, make-up brushes. So, look out world, we'll be such a neatly coiffed and groomed group!

So in addition to our usual holiday cheer and celebrating we did talk a little business, and made some pretty big decisions for the troupe. We decided to invite not one, not two, but three new members to the troupe, whew! From time to time, people ask how they can become a member and I wish I could give a concrete answer to that question. This really is the only decision we make as a troupe that is unanimous and there really is no set format or time in which we plan for it. It really is an organic decision that we think about and then finally decide in a vote (usually after dessert of course).

The ladies we picked are such a great addition to the troupe, not only in terms of dance style but personality, energy and enthusiasm. The larger troupe numbers will actually allow us to perform at more venues (we've got a lot of really busy ladies) and try some new things in our choreographies and shows. And in case you're wondering, we didn't pick them for their hair color or height (blonde, brunettes, red head; shorter, medium, tall), that was just coincidence! So, I'll give everyone a heads up...you don't want to miss Mirage shows this spring! Without further delay, here they are:

Dana Winn

Dana is our California girl turned Texan, who moved here to be closer to her sweetie and fiance (sorry guys, all three of our new girls are taken!). She hails from San Diego where she got her 'hips wet' performing in local restaurants. She has a smile that will melt the audience and a full repertoire of dance movement that I know will dazzle even the most hard-core belly dance enthusiast. She also gets major kudos for dancing with us last December, outside in 30 degree weather. In fact, her whole family gets major brownie points for sticking it out under those conditions. That's what you get when you have a belly dancer in the family, yeah Dana!

Eva Tennessee

Eve...what can I say about this gal? She captured my heart years ago at a dancer debut show when she performed to "Groove is the in Heart". I don't remember anyone else in Mirage history leaping, bounding and dancing across so much of the stage as she did that night. She brings that same energy to everything she does. It seems like the planets were really aligned for her to come join the troupe. I hadn't seen her in quite a while (she was busy with school work!) and ran into her at ABDA's Year and a Day Show. I really wanted her to come dance again with us, and wouldn't you know it...she had decided it was time in her life to take her modern dance/theatre/director background to another level and focus on fusing this with more folkloric belly dance. It's a match made in heaven as far are we're concerned. (P.S. Eve also braved the freezing conditions last December and was brave enough to play zils with the group as well [it had been a while for her]...we learned she truly is fearless).

Zanjabil

Last, but certainly not least is Zanjabil (and yes, I did spell it incorrectly in our latest post, sorry)...which is Arabic for Ginger. I've known Ginger for many years now when she first started belly dancing here in Austin. She has an infectious laughter that you just can't forget! We thought we had lost her when she moved to Seattle with her new hubby, but that sweet, southern, sassy gal managed to talk him to returning to Austin. Thanks Billy, we really appreciate it! I admire her quick wit, smart style, and oh my gosh...the shoe collection! I had the pleasure (????) of helping her move once and was frankly astounded by the number of shoes this gal owns. Impeccable taste, lots of glamour and intelligence to boot (she has a Ph.D.). Oh yeah, and she can dance as well!!!! Side note, Ginger would have danced in the cold that night, but remember...she's the smart one who made other plans and was warm, dry and well-fed that evening ;-)

And in case you're wondering what to the call these lovely ladies, I think they've dubbed themselves the Mirage Triad...and I can't wait to see them in action!