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C A L E N D E R
There's lots of cool info on this
page, NOTE FOR SUMMER !!!!!
Our shows will have
a little different
look for the next few months as we will be performing at various
locations around the area......so some of the information below might not
be true for every show -
but I do not want to change any of it since I will have to change it back soon !
DID THAT SAY WINE ???
AND WHAT WAS THAT ABOUT SHOPPING ?
There is almost
always a vender with
REMINDER
At the end of this column, past shows are
reviewed and there's lots of pictures.
REMINDER All of the
Desert Passion shows are open to dancers of all levels. If you would
like to perform in any of the following shows, please contact us !
August 28 Sue's Dance Studio, 2544B Shell Road, Georgetown, Texas 78628
Traditional Style Belly
Dance @ 8:00 PM This show was a lot of fun and of very high quality although the dancers outnumbered the audience. Most of this audience sat on the floor right at the dancer’s feet and with our big sound system they could all feel the music !
Akasha opened the show dancing to Sky City and then added her sssssssssssssssnake "Rogue". Rogue is a red tailed boa and has been dancing and posing with Akasha for many years. He got a lot of attention after the show ! Although, there were some who did not care for his appearance......oh well ! Props of all kinds. We were thrilled to learn that Akasha is back home in Texas for now, at least, and although she is from New Braunfels she will be a regular part of Desert Passion's lineups. She likes to do things that are a little different, so be ready for some excitement. Nuray, in another new and different costume creation, this one red and black crushed velvet with arms bands to match, could not resist our invitation to dance even though it was her husband’s birthday this time, performed twice in the 1st half – both times with energy and a growing confidence that is freeing her to really dance with abandon.
Liora is also becoming a Desert Passion regular; performed first to Mermaid’s Tears by Pete List then again in the “fastest” dance I have seen her do. The tribal influence was still there, and with Liora, it always will be there, but this music was lively and energetic. It was Tabla Solo by Badawi & Chamoun for those who might want to get a copy for themselves. And for the first time on a DP stage, Beatrice, performed a lyrical piece with lots of emotion. She warned me that she was not dancing to traditional Middle Eastern music, but that her routine to “Falling Slowly” included 50 belly dance movements. I was totally mesmerized; the emotion and the fact that the lyrics were understandable so moved me that I certainly did no counting ! Her second performance, in a beautiful deep green and gold costume was to a familiar “Sheik Shak Shou” and that earned lots of applause. Welcome to the family ! In an effort to promote interest for a workshop, I asked Kisaya to repeat the In’trigue Gallery August 13 performance with the circular veils. She performs to “Om Om” and this was a stunning performance this time, so much better than before. I think it was because she had so much open space to really twirl plus she seemed so energetic. Anyway, the reporter from Williamson County Sun is hoping his pictures of the veil circles will be chosen for the paper’s article ! So do we !
Akasha danced the 2nd time in a red outfit that shows off her figure and brings out the glow in her skin. It was fast-paced and a good contrast to the first number. At intermission, she and her snake were the hit of the photo bugs and lots of his fans got to touch him ! Kisaya’s second number was to the “Mad Marionettist” by Raqay & the Caveman ! And this time when she flipped that hat – I was able to get a good picture ! I love her attitude change when she dances this number.
We are so appreciative of Sue Barton, the studio owner. Not only did she refuse to let me pay to rent her studio, but she stayed and helped take down. That is after a 10-hour flight from Europe the night before ! Thanks Sue. Maybe next time we will have a larger audience !
August 13th - In'trigue Art Gallery (Lovey's Loot) Desert Passion is sure getting around these days, and it is actually more fun. Drakon and M’lilah like it at Lovey’s “In’trigue Gallery” located at 8650 Spicewood Springs Road, Austin, since it is so much less work than any of their other locations. True, maybe not perfectly laid-out for “stage-style” viewing, but the informal atmosphere is part of what makes it so much fun. FYI, all the “door” money went to help Lovey recover from the vandalism of her home. She is very stressed over that, and we do anything we can do to help lessen stressful situations! So, a very special thank you to the performers and patrons who helped with that effort !
There was even a “”Happy
Birthday”” song for Nuray’s oldest son Andrew – he was 7 years old ! His
2 brothers helped make that muffin disappear fast. Thank you Lovey for
making it a special night
Nuray (which is Turkish for “bright moon”) opened this show wearing a cool costume made by Taryn Kennard (San Antonio). Nuray makes her other costumes, and says it is a “must” because she feels making her own costumes is part of expressing herself. She has been belly dancing about a year (with the full and total support of her husband Brian (black tee-shirt above). They live just off Texas Toll 130 in the Elroy area where she has turned her garage into a dance studio. Drakon thinks that is cool and is grateful to Brian for helping her do that project !
Nuray & Drakon also performed a duet called “Istanbul” which has become a fast favorite among his various teaching choreographies – all of his students love it ! The two of them look good together, even with the slight height variance, and enjoy dancing together.
Shelagh decided to surprise us with a very traditional performance. She usually goes with a more free-style look and sometimes her strong artistic style causes me to place her in the more non-traditional categories, so it was a treat to see her “other side” .... and she used it all, taxim on the floor, veils and zills ! Guess she has earned a place in my traditional lineups now too ! Thank you Shelagh !
Valerie is one of those artists who has literally blossomed after taking up belly dance as a hobby. She now looks so confident and sassy and it seems to be an “over all” great change, not just when on she is on stage. She kids me about it “never being too late to start dancing” and judging from what it has done for her, she is so right. She has been instrumental in getting several other people up and performing instead of just wanting to…..thank you Val for those inspiring uplifts.
Liora performed to “Kybele” by Solace and to “Sleepless” by the Toids. She is another costume designer and creates unique tribal fusion styles. She is also currently teaching classes at In’trigue Art Gallery on Tuesday nights, splitting the time between beginning classes and the intermediate/advanced classes. “Walk-ins” are accepted so the participants are varied ! Check them out !
One of the special
highlights of the evening was a duet by
Valerie
and
Sherrie Shaw.
At the risk of embarrassing Sherrie, it was just her 2nd time
doing a duet, and she was nervous. As most “new” to the stage dancers
are, my dear Sherrie. Afterwards, she was quick to mention her “goof-ups”
which were certainly not serious…….and who cares anyway. Everybody in the
Austin belly dance world is supportive of beginners and all remember their
first few times on stage with varying degrees of horror. That attitude is
not the same everywhere, and I understand the critiques in some cities get
pretty nasty ! Maybe that is why Drakon and I like to include new
dancers in our lineups, as it gives them a supporting environment to take
those big first steps. Congrats Sherrie – you are better than you think
! They performed two of Bahaia’s choreographies as they are both members
of the “Kan Zaman Dancers”.
M’lilah made his new white costume and told him he had to work on his tan before he could wear it, so he has been saving it for awhile. “Working on a tan” for Drakon means he does outdoor chores and it is too hot for that ! Guess I was mean ! In case anyone ever wonders why he always wears a crop top of some sort……he says if the women can’t go shirtless, then the men should not either ! Fair – because some might want to do that ….
The evening was fun and everyone seemed to have a good time. Lovey sold muffins and wine at her “Jungle Boogie Café” and the vibes were good ! See you there on September 10th.
From this point on, this review is a combination of thoughts from Tilal & Nuray.
'Lyzabyth
writes, “Performing outside was exhilarating. We thought we might
be rained out, but it was a beautiful evening. Breezes and a pretty
sunset made it pleasant and inspiring. To start out we danced in a line on
the sidewalk in front of the greenbelt’s gazebo. As we were only a few
feet from the street, it was really fun to surprise the commuters coming
home from work at 6:00pm with our beautiful veil number. This was our
classmate Erica's first time performing and that made it really special,
she was great! I now understand why dancing outside with veils is tricky,
to say the least. I think my veil got to know my head pretty well in that
number...but it was a learning experience. I found I had to pay attention
to where the wind was coming from and not hold my veil as high, etc. Diya
and I are getting much more comfortable performing as a duo. It is fun
and reassuring to see her having a blast along side me from the corner of
my eye. Between our stunning group veil number, Drakon's solo with
his wings, Nuray's sexy performance, and Diya and I strutting around, I
think we disturbed traffic on
Main Street
pretty well! Nuray agrees saying, “The group veil number was quite the
attention catcher - we literally had traffic stop for a few seconds to
enjoy what they were seeing, we also had a number of horn honkers. I
performed there with Salem Halak solo and it was great – also I got
to wear the beautiful new costume I bought from Taryn Kennard Tribal while
we were at Shimmy by the Sea.
Just for fun, here is a link to a video of Nuray's performance at
the Gazebo !”
http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=1261152303147
Najla’s Baharat Ensemble without Najla, opened the show started but she stood in the back and encouraged students Alejandra, Libby, Jenny and Tavia as they performed a high energy folk dance, an Arabic Debke. Although, it is usually done in groups of men, women or a combination of both at parties, weddings and other gatherings, the dance looked great with only 4 dancers. Especially with them changing from a line to a circle, to solos, and then back to the circle or line again. Sometimes, a long, long line of performers dancing a Debke makes it really hard to watch the specific steps and learn the move itself. Not only does this dance get you moving and your heart rate up, it’s enormously fun.
For
the past year, Ruya has been taking advanced classes with Drakon in
Georgetown, while at the same time teaching her own classes in the
Killeen/Ft. Hood area. For this show, she danced to “El Hantour-Amina” a
playful, upbeat song about going for a ride with your sweetie in a horse
drawn cart. Ruya likes to interact with her audience which allows her to
enact the spirit of the song in a good fun way.
Drakon
and Desert Passion Middle Eastern Dance Company members Tilal,
Dawn and her daughter, Erica
(from Buda in front),
and Connie
from
Georgetown with Drakon in back)
performed a veil fusion to the song “Istannet Kitir”by the Al Ahram
orchestra. This particular piece was choreographed entirely by Tilal !
Drakon thinks choreographing music for one’s own performance is sometimes
kinda difficult, so to have an intermediate level student write a
complicated choreography for the entire troupe was certainly impressive.
The background story -- after watching several “fairy dances” by other
members of the
Austin
dance community, Erica suggested that the Company to do one too. Tilal
accepted the challenge of writing the groups choreography, and chose this
song because she thought it was perfect for “fairies”. She said she
crafted the dance around her idea of the fairy inviting different
elemental spirits to come and play. She and Dawn collaborated on the
costume design, with Dawn making everything except the hair accents and
jewelry. Dawn said locating the wings for Erica’s costume was easy and
that made the rest of the costume construction fall into place - although
she said she was thrilled when Connie took the pattern and make her own
costume They said they were grateful that Drakon was willing to wear their
creation ! I could not help but chuckle at the fact that this time, the
students merely gave the teacher a finished costume and then taught him
his part! Drakon and Connie had to stay late several times after their
Wednesday night class to learn the choreography and then Connie drove to
Buda for a dress rehearsal
(over 100 miles round trip).
Erica never lost interest, was very dedicated and practiced every week !
The audience certainly loved the cute fairy ! Congratulations on a job
well done ! Jeanette wore her red and gold outfit with her famous fiery red/yellow veil and as usual, I was moved by the way she and that veil are so connected. In her hands, an inanimate piece of silk takes on live – which means that sometimes it also does its own thing. This time when it did something strange, she flung it away from her so hard that it snapped. Power surged from her when she did that ! Others may try, but in my eyes she is the “Queen of the Veil” and I will never forget she told me once that you have to have a love affair with your veil, making it a part of you. And she does, living her motto…..Dance Hard, Live Easy. Last night, for her introduction, I spoke from memory and got it backwards – then thought, “Why would someone want to Live Hard in order to Dance Easy !” Jeanette is the hostess for the Carousel Caravan at the Carousel Lounge on the 3rd Saturday of each month, but we hope she will still have time to perform at more of the Desert Passion shows.
Tilal comments, “Performing her first solo, Najla's student, Tavia,
was exquisite and mesmerizing with very artistic self-choreography. She
began her performance to “Terrain” with very slow side bends that reminded
me of a modern art
performance which set the mood
and got our attention, making us wonder what was coming next, then she
proceeded with a gentle tribal number that was very serene and beautiful.
Her arms were graceful and her undulations smooth and well executed and
spiced up with chest pops and shimmies. Her interaction with the audience
was really special, she made wonderful eye contact and seemed very
comfortable performing. There were several magical numbers tonight and
her’s was one of them. Tavia was angelic.”
Stacey’s
student group
(below)
started out
the 2nd half, and Stacey says, “Each student is performing her
own choreography work resulting from an 8-week choreography class
session. Although the pieces are not yet complete, each dancer went
through specific choreographic exercises and made personal choices as to
how to interpret their selected music.”
Tilal adds, “Stacey and Students were a joy to watch with each of the 4
students dancing a short solo to a different piece of music and wearing
varied and different costumes. Casey, wearing a white skirt and
black top, danced a smooth and graceful solo with nice arm and hand
movements, adding great undulations and level changes. The second
student, Pamela
(above center),
was dressed in a beautiful sea foam green costume. She moved across the
stage with strong confidence and was very engaging. The third dancer,
Beatrice
(above L),
wearing a gorgeous velvet Egyptian costume dazzled us with her humorous
personality and precise execution and the fourth, Melissa, wearing
a pretty hip scarf and red lace top performed an upbeat solo with great
technique. I could see Stacey's influence coming through differently in
each of their performances. Stacey then took the stage with an
improvisational “Ode to Spring” and danced to a beautiful classical
movement with drums. Her dancing looks effortless and she is riveting
while bringing an effervescent quality to the dance, overflowing with a
graceful energy that was definitely the embodiment of Spring. She
handled her beautiful yellow veil with expertise, with it flowing and
catching the air perfectly.
Lots of people actually danced to the open dance number…..guess they must have like it !
Desert Passion
Live Music by Doum Tec Support
Performances by Gypsy Hips, Liora, Kisaya, Jamie Lynn, Tilal / Dawn &
Drakon
Here's a link to a photo collection
by Valerie Aguirre
Connie, one of Drakon's intermediate students from Georgetown, opened the show, and it was great to see her display such confidence with her solo. She wore a lovely hand-made gold, black and burgundy that sported clean lines, fitted beautifully and suited her very well. She danced with a casual understated command- with good contrast of movements in the dance and great facial expressions! She finished with a strong ending, blowing the audience a kiss – pure Drakon.
Two more of Drakon’s students, from the Buda Intermediate group, 'Lyzabyth and her 6-month old daughter, Esmee, danced a duet. That is, 'Lyzabyth danced with classic Egyptian movements while Esmee went along for the ride in a jingly hip-belt-draped sling on her mommy's chest. Of course, a baby will always steal the show- it was fun to see her reactions to the sways and dips of the dance, then watch her focus on an audience member and respond to the smiles. It was also amazing to see how well so many belly dance movements can be danced with a restriction such as a baby- pretty much the only thing 'Lyzabyth couldn’t do was a deep hip circle. It was a fun and joyous dance for mother and child. Drakon says she dances with Esmee during his most of his Thursday morning classes (held in her home studio) and that Esmee sometimes claps and waves her arms to the movements. 'Lyzabyth is another one of those dancers who performed throughout her entire pregnancy and agrees with Kisaya about how much belly dance helps pregnant mothers throughout labor and delivery and speeds recovery.
I, Lori, danced next, debuting a new song. I was motivated by the accordion- playing a lovely melody while meandering through the first half of the song; which then switches to what sounds like a French horn (?) in the second half. The music was unusual and fun to follow with a pace that allowed for my sweeping turns and crisp hip drops. M’lilah comments that Lori played to her audience very well, proving that her dance is from the heart.
Lori - former student of Zein Al-Jundi and now a member of Troupe Damali- doing most of their choreography as well as her own.
Nuray, another Drakon student from Buda’s Saturday morning
Beginning II class, as well as Tuesday evening’s Intermediate class, gave
a very precise solo. She debuting her own choreography to inspiring
thunderous music that transitioned to a musical version of a popular
Arabic song. I found both the musical and choreographic choices to be very
sophisticated and well chosen. Nuray wore a beautiful lavender crushed
velvet outfit that she designed and made herself. It was an impressive
performance and I look forward seeing her perform again and again.
'Lyzabyth came back for a serious veil solo wearing a dazzling purple spandex outfit with a matching pink and purple veil. Her facial expressions are always smiling, sweet and engaging. She handles her veil with sensitivity and variety- a wonderful example of dancing with the veil as a partner in the dance. M’lilah adds, this particular dance is her own choreography as well and we should look forward to the May 1st show at Eternal Way when 5 of the Desert Passion Company members will perform another one of 'Lyzabyth’s choreographies, including Diya’s young daughter, Erica, as a “Fairy” !
Drakon closed the first half wearing that shimmery bronze outfit that suits his coloring perfectly. He always has excellent taste in music (and seems to be passing the knack of choosing appropriate dance music on to his students!) The song had a zither carrying the melody over driving Arabic drumming- a strong piece with good variety that supported his shimmies and traveling movements.
Kisaya, one of the Tribal Fusion teachers of the evening, opened the second half of the show wearing olive flare pants with long gold fringes, a wrap top, gauntlets and a cute black fedora- soft fabrics and clean lines that allowed her movements to shine through. I admired her sly expressions and knowing smiles as she danced with beautiful undulations, chest pops, and lovely arm extensions. M’lilah adds: Kisaya lives in Killeen, teaches in Copperas Cove and is currently enrolled in Drakon’s Georgetown class especially to learn this session’s choreography- a “Saiidi Cane” by Nourhan Sharif. She is versatile enough to combined her tribal style with Drakon’s classical Egyptian– should make for an interesting combo.
Drakon danced his second number and showed off his strong ability to float over the dance floor- demonstrating the use of tension very effectively during the slower sections of the song. Pat Taylor, a long time Austin teacher from her home studio in Northeast Central Austin, Galvanize Studio, walked confidently out onto the stage to dance a sassy classic number. Pat dances out to the very tips of her fingers- I always admire her arms and hand work. Tonight she seemed to be full of fun and in excellent spirits and treated us to an invisible cane dance- displaying excellent miming ability and perfect timing- you could see the non-existent cane twirl! To conclude her number, she cleverly “threw” it out into the audience without hurting anyone !
Pat Taylor Liora, a Tribal Fusion teacher newer to Austin, provided nice contrast by dancing a tribal number. The thing I noticed about Liora is that she smoothly transitions one 'classical tribal' movement to the next without pause- and that along with her big smiles, makes for a different look than the more common presentation where time-marking steps are put in between movements. Her dance is very fluid and expressive; a good presentation. She is currently teaching Intermediate to Advanced Tribal Fusion classes at Lovey’s Loot in Northwest Austin on Tuesday nights.
Liora
Michelle Manx, a Nationally-known, as well as local teacher,
took the stage in her wonderful new 'mermaid' costume from Gitane’s
Treasures- very 'hello sailor'! She danced to a 40's number with a great
drum beat, doing lots of fast turns and fun chest pops in time to the
music. Her “Pin-Up Girl” look added yet another style of belly dance to
the evening. Drakon closed his show wearing a zebra-striped spandex outfit. Most dancers would be lower-keyed by the third song, but he was clearly energized by the evening. He left the audience smiling and tapping toes to a fast up-beat number featuring lots of hip shimmies echoed with strong shoulder shimmies. All in all, it was a great variety show.
Drakon
Next month,
May 1st, the lineup will feature additional instructors and
students- so far it includes Drakon, Zira, Najla & Students, Liora &
Students, Ruya (Solo), Stacey & Students, Jeanette, Raqs Your Body, new
brand new duet by Tilal & Dawn’s, and the already acclaimed DPMEDC Fairy
Dance creation by Tilal featuring Erica as the Fairy. Please come
support these local instructors and applaud their students !
As is always the case, a show in a new location is always different and exciting and this was no exception. Not a member of ABA, yet, Lovey Alden-Brown, owner of Lovey’s Loot in the Big Lot Shopping Center, 8650 Spicewood Springs hosted a gala weekend of world music and dance. Activities began on Friday with a belly-dance show starring some of Austin’s talented dancers. I helped Lovey by scheduling dancers, and in an effort to match dancers’ faces and names, she did her own emceeing but the credit for making the show a success was the professional presentations by each and every dancer. And rather than doing the usual review of per dancer commentary, I am just creating a picture gallery…….all of the pictures were by Franko Aguirre (unless indicated otherwise). Go to http://www.flickr.com/photos/31339041@N05/ to view the 100’s of other pictures by the prolific photographers…..Val & Franko Aguirre. Val gives permission to download whatever you would like, and there are some good ones. First Half – Opened with a “Bang” by “Dancing Belles & Fella” doing the Cell Block Tango - Jason “Fella” Before & After
For a quick slow down of pace, LIORA, a local Tribal Fusion belly dance instructor from Northwest Austin performed the smooth, fluid dance to Enya’s "Watermark" that she debuted at 3rd Coast Tribal in January, then followed it with “a little something” she pulled out of her choreography closet for fun. She will be in the next two upcoming shows at EWC, if you have not had a chance to watch one of her very high-quality performances.
Those of you who have been coming to the shows over the past 9 months and reading our newsletters know that KISAYA (from Ft. Hood, Texas) danced happily throughout her entire pregnancy (right up into the delivery month) and she grabbed this chance to introduce her new son, Jules. Strapped into a chest carrier, he started with an “I am going to pucker up and cry” face, but that ended as the familiar movements began to soothe him. I’ll bet the lights and noise and a sea of faces scared him, she says he really loves the music and dancing with him at home works its magic on him every time !
Desert Passion ME Dance Company was represented by 2 of Drakon’s Buda Intermediate class. DIYA (in purple) and 'LYZABYTH (in blue). They performed two of his class choreographies – “Warda” and a drum solo called “Sahra Saidi”. Drakon is thrilled, as always, to see his students excited about being on stage and especially when they ask to perform.
'Lyzabyth also had a recent “belly-dance” baby and agrees with Kisaya on how much
dancing throughout her pregnancy aided her whole birth process. ROBERTA is one of Bahaia’s students and a member of the Kan Zaman Dancers. Although, she has been taking classes for about 18 months, and has performed with the troupe, this was her very first solo. To make it even more exciting, she danced her own choreography to the music "Drama Queen". She has a very warm, personable style, and seemed very relaxed for a first-timer.
Drakon is always asked, “Do men belly dance ?” and he tells them there are probably lots of men in Texas who might take classes, but very few who perform. When we do get a chance to watch a male dancers, it is always interesting to see their different styles. SIMON, who says he goes by "Lebanese Simon" has been taking Houston by storm, and we were pleased to have him make his Austin debut in a Desert Passion show. For a bit of background, he was raised in a small village in the mountains north of Lebanon, where, since the age of 4, he says that he loved watching the Lebanese folk bellydancer Houwaida ha shem. Since, he loves belly dance, when he moved to the US to attend engineering school at the age of 18, he started taking classes from one of Belladonna’s top instructors, Tamara. Now, as a full time engineer with hardly any time to practice, he says, “I improvise because it is so difficult for me to learn choreographies. I have no background in professional dance (ballet or such...only bellydance) and if I mess up a step I run and hide in my audience's eyes where I find refuge. I consider myself a pure Lebanese folk dancer having performed all over the US, Puerto Rico, Miami, San Francisco, Dallas... and am excited to come to Austin for the first time.” He says he is “the most perfect audience that any bellydancer will ever want”. He began his set with a folkloric “stomping” style dance which included twirling a sword as he energetically circled around the stage
When his companion, ZEINA, joined him, he continued to dance around her, encircling her with his arms while holding that wicked looking sword. The audience made an audible gasp when she did a low backbend while he twirled the sword over and around her.
For an interesting close to their set, they led the audience in a Lebanese dabke. Simon didn't have to coax anyone, everyone jumped to their feet prooving that our audiences are why performers enjoy DPMEDT shows so much. Thanks for making Simon’s first visit to Austin so much fun !
The ME DANCE CLUB affiliated with Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi is a very active student club and has been an organized performing bellydance troupe since 2002. Led by KAT, (black and gold in center) they study all genres of ME dance while still being encouraged to develop a personal style. The group performed three American Cabaret style sets which including an original choreographed drum solo, an Egyptian song, and a drum solo influenced by the one and only, Aziza. They were all energetic dancers, who maintained a great connection to their audience throughout. Judging from the applause they received they will be welcome back here anytime. Kat said they were extremely excited to be in Austin since it is rare occasion for them to perform outside of Corpus!
For fun, MC M’lilah, asked if anyone had an “Aggie Joke” and Sonya came up with one fast. “What do you call an Aggie Belly Dancer ? Awesome !”
The always exciting NAJLA is a local Middle Eastern dance artist, performer, teacher and choreographer and she played her audience well in this performance. When Najla performs, my attention is riveted to her eyes. She radiates power, and maintains it through eye contact, so much sometimes, that I find it hard to watch her incredibly well-executed moves. I will never forget the T’ai Chi influenced sword dance she did a few years ago; just thinking about it gives me goose bumps. I cannot wait to see her troupe Baharat perform again.
RIVKAH (from the Ft. Worth area) has taught Middle Eastern dance, both oriental and folkloric, at the University of Texas Arlington for the past five years. Every time I watch her, she gives a strong, powerful performance, with a passion for the dance that shows clearly in her interaction with her audience. Her first solo to a collection of Um Kalthoon songs was fun and flirty.
Later in the show, her Level Two choreography class, DESERT FLOWERS, performed a romantic Rumba by the incomparable Farid Al Atrache, "Iyyak Min Hobbi" followed by another short solo by Rivkah. Take a close look at her unusual white costume….she designed and made this one herself….and commented that she can actually “breathe” while wearing it. Thanks for coming all the way down here, I hope you all enjoyed your visit.
SIMON returned for a more relaxed dance – this time an Egyptian taxim. He opted for going shirtless, which was probably a bit of a surprise to an Austin audience, but with his very tasteful overall dance style and warm and sincere personal mannerisms, his performance was a treat to watch.
Many thanks go to all the performers.
And many, many thanks to our helpers. Sometimes, I really have a
difficult time with the physical part of producing one of these shows, and
want to try out another bright idea – I am now going to ask local
performers to donate an hour of service in exchange for their performance
slot. Naturally, it does not have to be the same night as their
performance, just wherever it is convenient. This time, both Colleen and
Roberta chose to stay and to help us take down and Sonya decided to get in
a double shot, by serving as a Greeter and staying to help to take down.
Phillip stayed to help too -- but he already has so many service hours
accumulated, he can perform again anytime he wants. Robert Baden helped
with the set-up process, and Gypsy Tim is back in the DJ booth, for a
couple of months at least and he is greatly appreciated there ! We give a
big hand of applause to Marisol for keeping her talented eye behind the
camera.
Unless stated otherwise, all pictures are by
Since Dance Unlimited in Buda is only 5 miles from our house, we
are determined to make shows at that location a success ! This time,
we actually made it into the paper – Hays County’s Free Press - front page
of the Neighbor’s Section….a great picture and caption of Gypsy
Hips…..which hit the streets in time to attract people to the show.
That will go a long way on name recognition and it was free !
Thanks go to their editor Connie !
First, some recognition for our helpers; Dawn, one of Drakon’s intermediate students from the Buda area, took over the project of draping the mirrored wall and our grandson Dillan’s friend, Taylor, helped her with that ! Thanks ladies – it looked really good. It is surprising what can be done with a few pieces of fabric when the creative minds take over. Alima’s daughter, Jennifer, took the DJ position away from M’lilah (yeah), and Dillan collected donations at the door and helped us set up and take down the stage - it is always a challenge making all our equipment fit these different locations. Many thanks all of you !
To get the show off and running in fine style, we welcomed
4
members of Le Ja Diin. A dynamic troupe
from North Austin- all very close friends having begun their sisterhood as
members of Bobbye Dee's Kizz-La Dance Ensemble. All of their
choreographies are group efforts; they piece out the music so each member
can create a portion alone and then bring it all together and the
playfulness about their performance makes it is easy to tell these women
love dancing together.
Le
Ja Diin Troupe’s 2nd number showed a costume change and
was a totally different feel. This is one troupe that is continually
improving and will continue to grace the Desert Passion stage as they do
so !
Syria has
been dancing for 8 years – also, currently with LeJaDiin. She performed a
veil dance to a song called “Yearning”.
Shakata Dancers came back with a fun Spanish flair number that had
their big skirts flying !
Then, we made an abrupt change of pace, from Gypsy soul to classical new age, as we welcomed Drakon & Jennifer Daniels. They repeated (kinda) the original duet composition first performed at ABA’s Jukebox Belly Dance Show on January 22, 2010, at the Dougherty Arts Center in Austin. For some background, when Jennifer and Drakon first decided to collaborate on a special number for the Jukebox show, they wanted it to be totally original. Jennifer, a professional violinist with YEARS of experience playing improv for various dancers, watched Drakon dance with his blue wings and then wrote the music as she interpreted his dance style. Now, when they perform, he interprets her music as he dances. Because they are getting more and more comfortable with each other, this will always be a fluid and ever-changing piece. We are all really looking forward to what else this pair will be inspired to create.
For even another change of pace, the sound of drums pulled the
crowd outside during the intermission….Doum Tec Support was a great backup for Dillan
to spin his fire ! He had never performed for live music, and said it was
“interesting”. We have told him he will have to get used to all kind of
sounds, and since he is so focused on what he is doing, I cannot see how
he can pay attention to music anyway ! He is a fun spinner and keeps the
“hot” pace throughout. Then back inside, where Gypsy Hips and Doum Tec Support (Charles Law and Dave “Sharkbait” Flowers on Drums, Jennifer on violin - assisted by Saiidi and Xandra) seized the stage. I will just let the pictures tell the story, but there were group numbers and solos, and even a number for Drakon. He loves to dance with these guys and his sword comes alive in his hands when he has a band behind him.
The next show at this location won’t be until October 2, when we will be honored with Belladonna from Houston !! We will be back at Eternal Way for the March 6th show ! Somewhere towards the top of this page, there was a write up with the lineup ! See you there !
Since I really do not like writing our own reviews, I coerced Ruya into helping me write this one …partly, and as always, after all the work preparing for a workshop/show there is a bit of a let down – and that is not a good time to write ! Maybe writing before an event would be better – maybe entice a few more patrons to come see what has excited me. Anyway, this is a combined effort.....read on !
Drakon and I got to Sue’s
Dance Studio in Georgetown about noon to find that Gitane and Amethyst
(with Indigo Rose – Ft. Worth) had beaten us there and Amethyst was all
fired up about presenting a 1-4 pm workshop for Desert Passion !
(visit
the workshop page while you are here for more details on that) Ruya writes: Drakon opened the show and got the audience warmed up with his fabulous dancing. He wore a really nice red and black costume that shimmered under the lights.
Ruya writes: Connie, one of the Georgetown intermediate students, wearing a purple velvet choli top, matching purple chiffon skirt with a lavender handkerchief hem skirt overlay and silver coin hip scarf, performed using a gorgeous pair of purple Wings of Isis. Wings are always a crowd pleaser, and this audience was no exception. I enjoyed watching her original choreography and thought she danced very well with the Wings , which is hard to do with this studio’s low ceilings. Connie is able to get away with it when Drakon can’t !
Later,
she was joined by Heather, for a routine they
worked on outside of class. Drakon loves it when his students do
homework – and create their own choreographies -- that is what will make
the Company so versatile. Ruya writes:
I
can’t wait to see them dance this one again some time! They wore black
tops, violet satin skirts and hip scarves.
TwistedNotionz, the mother/daughter team from Cedar Park performed two totally different ATS routines and had enough variety in their performances to hold the audience’s attention throughout. Ruya writes: I’d heard good things about TwistedNotionz, but hadn’t seen them dance before. I always find tribal interesting to watch since usually much of it (if not all of it) is improvised. They design and make all their own costumes, and I particularly liked their black/silver costumes which kept reminding me of Assuit fabric. I must admit I was admiring Eden’s black net gauntlets & wondering if they could work for cabaret.
Ruya writes: I'm from Killeen/Ft. Hood, and also danced 3 times during the show. My first 2 two songs were all improvised, one being “Little Egypt” sung by Elvis – in honor of the King’s birthday the day before, of course! Then, Drakon and I performed a cane dance choreography by Nourhan Sharif. For that I wore a silver beaded costume with silver coins and paillettes and a purple chiffon skirt. It looked good with Drakon's red top and pants with matching coin hip scarf.
M'lilah writes: Ruya is too modest to mention that the cane number earned thunderous applause and we had several people mention how much they liked it. She is a professional dancer teacher in Killeen and is currently studying privately with Drakon. They will probably be doing some other performances together.
Lori,
debuted on the Georgetown stage doing a strong cabaret number. She plays the
audience well and they welcomed her with lots of applause. Lori writes, "The wilds of Georgetown are off my beaten path, but it wasn't TOO far to drive. However, it helps to know where you're going- it's disconcerting to be traveling down a very dark rural road then suddenly come upon a small industrial strip mall with lots of cars parked in front of it. But there we were- the industrial space makes a fine open dance studio; a large room with no pillars to dance into, with plenty of parking. It was fun dancing for an interested audience that wasn't the usual belly dance crowd. It changes the goal from doing something new and different and technically interesting to giving a good accessible show. I especially enjoyed dancing in front of the two girls who took pictures constantly through everyone's performance- they even asked to take my picture after the show. You can be a star in a young girl's world!"
Our featured artist, Amethyst, performed with high-class style ! Her personality and stage presence is truly invigorating. To close the 1st half, wearing a white outfit which contrasted nicely with her buttery yellow veil and sparkling tiara, she danced with confident sass and burned the floor to loud applause. I swear that veil knew some special tricks. Ruya writes: To close the 2nd set, Amethyst wore a beautifully beaded & sequined chocolate brown costume, the godets on the trumpet skirt were caramel colored and contrasted nicely with the costume. She had us all holding our breath while she danced with a candle tray. That’s right, live flames! First the whole tray on her head, then changed to one candle on her head and one in each palm, which is when she displayed amazing coordination weaving her hands in opposite directions around her body while holding the candles flat in her palm.
Truly a shining star, Amethyst ended the show with an upbeat song and got just about everyone out on the floor for open dance. It was a long day, a fun evening, and everyone had a great time!
Thanks go to everyone who took the workshop, performed and help produce the show ! YOU are appreciated.
Side note -- Gitane brought a collection of her Treasures and vended ! I think Barbara bought her out - but I got these beautiful "Turkish Eye" earrings that I will wear with pride ! We especially love it when venders and performers are willing to drive so far to help us give a great show to the community ! And Georgetown so deserves it !
The whole evening featuring Desert Passion Company (Connie & Barbara from Georgetown - Dawn, Delia, Elizabeth, Erica and Marisol from Buda) was so much fun -- great dancer spirit, great choreography -- smooth presentations all the way through ! Drakon and I were so pleased with our new speakers - that change totally solved the musical glitches we have been having, so the lineup moved smoothly from set to set. There was a lot of variety, with lots of costume changes to show the various styles which took some effort on Drakon's part as he choreographed the entire show to include company numbers, solos and duets to include our choice of tribal guests. We were given the entire pool bathhouse for a dressing room, but unfortunately, it was out by the pool.....heated....but since the cold north wind was practically buffeting people into the pool, the dancers sure moved fast between the dressing room and the stage !
To open the show, 5 of the "Desert Passion Warriors" dancing to "The Fire of Anatolia" entered from the back of the room, regally undulating down the aisle, "camel-walking", before breaking out of the single file line with "circling and guarding" movements. Drakon came into the central area, also from the back of the room, moving smoothly from one good "watch out - the Sultan is here" posture to another. While Delia remained in a "guarding pose" on the stage, the other 4 circled around blending from one pose to another while Drakon performed a warrior style solo. Then when the music changed to "Tabla Solo", the 5 of them moved into their choreographed routine. Connie, Barbara, Elizabeth and Tilal were were all dressed in black and silver with their faces veiled. They looked really good. Drakon has taught them to hold those swords as if they could really use them. That is really why this particular dance has evolved into such an effective crowd pleaser. Considering Drakon's two class locations are rather far apart, Buda to Georgetown is 68 miles, the 2 groups rarely get to perform together, which creates a challenge for Drakon. But, they have it down to a fine art. Tital's husband Patrick said, "I was so mesmerized watching that I forgot to take pictures." Good, that is what Drakon hopes to accomplish.
In addition to several Company numbers, three of the members danced solo as well. Connie danced a New Folkloric Cane routine to Zaman Zaman. She loves that routine and seemed much more sure of herself then she has in the past. It is so good to watch beginning performers grown into confident dancers.
Tilal performed a "old" folkloric
cane to
Dawn, also of Buda and an Intermediate level student, did her favorite veil routine "Shou Akhbarak" in a new costume she made. It was a special shade of green that went very well with her skin and hair coloring and the use of a black veil added emphasis to the overall look. She is another dancer who has come a long way since her first solo. Her beaming smiles, mostly directed towards her husband, connected the performance with the audience saying "now all eyes on the dancer"!
Barbara, Georgetown Intermediate student, performed "Drum Solo" from Bahaia's CD and it too has evolved into a much more carefree performance. Barbara makes her own style, and with a black top and simple gray skirt she showed off a tribal necklace and belt designed by "Gitane Treasures". Rumor has it that Gitane is making her a bra top to match that belt. Can't wait to see it all together !
The evening's Guest Dancers, Erin and her daughter Hippie dancing as TwistedNotionz from Cedar Park, performed three different ATS Punk & Pop duet numbers, Gypsy Part of Town, Habibi Min Zaman, and Hermetico. Their self-created costumes were unique and different for each set as were their choreographies. They are fast establishing themselves as a strong addition to the Austin dance community. Hippie also performed solo to "Discovered".
Dawn, designer and creator of their bright-colored sequined tops, was joined by Buda Company members - Delia, Tilal and Marisol as they danced to choreography written by Desdemona. The company has never performed it before, so they were a little nervous, but the two numbers, Salem Halak (Give Yourself Up) & Galbi, allowed for a embedded solo by each member. The performance was a well presented piece of Arabic Pop.
Drakon performed in his black and silver costume with the pewter wings to Move. The crowd always loves this one and as usual, he did a great job with the drum solo part.
The Company grabbed at the opportunity to perform their "Sahara" routine and with only 6 dancers, it was a different choreography from the way they performed it for the ABA "Another Year and a Day" show at the Daugherty Arts Center. Drakon performed a Modern Egyptian American solo to "Hadi Yensa Albou".
Due to the midnight countdown sneaking up on us, the last third of the prepared lineup had to be skipped so we could all move outside to enjoy (brrrrrr) an awesome fireworks and fire spinning performance by our grandson, "Dillan - The King of Fire". While we all huddled together shivering, Dillan kept the the fireworks popping one right after another - they were all high and spread beautifully in the wind. I was impressed by the fact that the huge "Blue Moon" was directly overhead, peeking through a hole in the clouds, so that the fireworks were bursting above us with the magical moon as their backdrop. I was deeply moved by the beauty of the moment. With incredible teenage energy, Dillan moved from fireworks to fire spinning. The music switched from indoors to outdoor speakers as he started with glow sticks, 4 colors, and then moved to staff and poi. This kid is good...a very strong fire spinner. It was probably too windy, but he was able to keep the crowd outside watching, so that should speak for his skill. Dillan will be a regular at Desert Passion shows whenever possible. After he finally ran out of energy, we all moved back inside for hot mulled wine prepared by Maricarmen and Erika.
Several times throughout the evening, short intermissions were inserted to give the patrons a chance to restock from the incredible "Mediterranean Food Buffet" table. To fill a much needed slot, M'lilah & Drakon's daughter, Janell, has started "The Girl Next Door" catering service, and for her first Desert Passion show, she totally outdid her herself. The food was delicious, with a nice mix of choices.....her homemade menu staples Falafel, Tabouleh, and Greek Meatballs were served with Hummus and Spinach/Artichoke Dip and Dolmas. Pita Bread (both fresh and as chips) was available too ! A glass Dessert Tower was three levels of a variety of yummy treats.
There was a delicious punch and 5-6 different wine choices. She had everything artfully arranged on a beautiful table - every one was so impressed. We highly recommend "The Girl Next Door" to cater your next event ! Very well done, Janell !
We want to thank all our family who spent their holiday time helping "Gramma & Grampa" bring another impressive show to the belly dance community. Janell (her husband, Cary, her daughters Raysha and Keslyn and their husbands, Jeremy and Dimas and her son Dillan). Many, many thanks to Ranch Studios Event Coordinator, Maricarmen and her daughter Erika. And to the Studio's cleaning crew for their extra work on our behalf.
Happy Dancing during 2010 !!!
Maricarmen (center) and her children
The next few pictures are taken at various DPMEDT shows during 2009 --
Perks for being one of Drakon Family of Students............
Drakon usually, actually, always prefers to dance to new music, but for a traditional cabaret performance. he chose an old classical favorite … probably familiar piece of music ….by Bassim Yazbeck called “Cocktail Om Kalthoon & Tabla Bassem”..
Barbara performed her very first solo and this was interesting. History: At Desert Passion’s June 20th Georgetown show, Barbara purchased one of Bahaia’s DVDs from EmbellYishments and has managed to memorize the choreography just watching the DVD! She performed the Table I Solo with absolutely no help from Drakon. Good job Barbara ! She says, “I love everything about belly dancing, especially the clothes!” Uh oh ! Hope Matt doesn’t lock up her wallet – actually, by watching him watch her, I think he probably considers this all money well spent !
These are some of our favorite sword shots.......
Drakon (both pictures by Valerie)
And M'lilah, who does not dance at all period, but is the emcee at every show, says that, "After 10 years I am still thrilled to keep these shows happening and urge you to "Please keep coming back !"
M'lilah by Valerie
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