performed today...

Performed today with The Sabah Ensemble at the Rakkasah Middle Eastern Dance Festival.
Here's me backstage just a few minutes before heading down to perform.


Sorry the photo is a so TaTaBooBeeLicious, but I took it myself, arm in the air one handed style, and I only had time for 1-click so this is all I got.
Well, ok. That's not true.
This was my 2nd-click.
My 1st-click was taken when the troupe and our wonderful accompanying musicians were standing together in a circle in what we affectionately call our "Kumbayah Moment" (we hold hands and connect for minute). My 1st photo was also arm in the air, taken from above, but shot looking down into our circle, and it ended up being one reallllly ugly photo of everyone's bare feet.
I saw what I had taken and had about 4 seconds to click the one you see above before we all made way for the wings of the stage.
The TaTa's look better than TheFeet.
(Did you know I am not a fan of nekkid feet, and I don't even wear sandals?)

Anyhow.
It was a really great performance. I love what we do. The works we make don't really fit any of the various molds for this medium (we aren't cabaret, tribal, Egyptian-style...hell, I don't know what we are). When we create a piece what we end up with is choreography (or structured improvisation) that often looks more like a "statement". More like the way a modern dance piece might look, for example (remember, this new piece was inspired by this photo; and the first half of the choreography was a structured improv based on "walking meditation" that broke out into individual solo statements). It's really out of the ordinary what we do, and it's quite unexpected for the audience, I think too. Especially at a big bellydance festival such as this.
Fun fun fun.