Dancin' with my fans

Tonight I debuted my glow fan solo to "Sydney" by Caravan Palace (a new favorite band). I was a bit nervous because I haven't practiced nearly enough, but I think it went pretty well! At the very least, the crowd at the Luxor Cafe enjoyed it, and I only dropped a fan once near the end, so it could have gone a lot worse. I'll have to watch the video and see how my angles and planes were.

I really enjoyed Open Stage tonight in general. There was a nice mix of dancers. Several of my fellow Fire & Gold troupe members performed the pieces they're working on for our big show next month. It was really exciting to see what they're all working on! I also got to hang out with my friend and occasional carpool buddy Cynthia, who I don't see often enough. All in all, a good night.

Fun times at Open Stage

Tonight was the Open Stage at the Luxor Cafe, hosted by Safar Dance Company. I attended as an audience member this time and had a really wonderful evening watching all of the dancers and talking with people between sets. After the show I had a nice long chat with Jolie about what she would like to see me work on (among other things), and I am feeling pretty good about it.

Afterwards I came home and practiced our troupe choreo (less mistakes than ever!), and my Wandering Star solo. I'm taking it a little easy on the practice during the first few days of tattoo-healing, as the area is a little tender and the skin feels tight, which makes some positions uncomfortable. But over all I am feeling great and still so excited about my pretty beetle.

I am also incredibly TIRED, so it's off to bed with me!

Dancing with my new veil

Day 181 of practice.

Ok, this is not the best picture because my camera apparently thought that it should focus on the doumbek on the counter, even though it's at the edge of the frame instead of the center. Really, my camera doesn't like taking pictures of dancers in dim rooms. It's used to an easy life of well-lit jewelry. But I like this picture, because it shows my veil a bit, and my cool pants that everyone liked, and it gives you an idea of the space I was dancing in.

I had a lot of fun dancing tonight! The Luxor is a nice spot to perform at because they have an open "stage" space, but there's also room to go between the tables if you want. Also, customers can see the dancers from pretty much wherever they sit, but some spots are better than others. And the food is delicious! And the other dancers were really good! There was a nice mix of soloists and student troupes, and a good variety of tribal, fusion, cabaret, and folkloric styles. Big thanks to Gina for organizing the event and letting me dance!

And even though I was busy getting ready for a performance, I actually practiced today! I did a dress rehearsal of my solo, and I also danced around to a few other songs because I felt like it and I wanted to practice. I'm already thinking ahead to future solos, although I'll definitely continue to perform to the song I did tonight, and Convivio, too. I just want to build up a nice arsenal of solos... but I'll discuss that more tomorrow!