Fusion Day 3

What a fantastic day yesterday at Fusion Day 3!!!!  The day started at 5 a.m. getting ready and everything loaded up in the car and truck for a full day of fun!  Ro (from Ro and Rea) was the first vendor to get at the Women's Club of Mesa.  She arrived before Rea which is amazing :0)  Mona was the next vendor to arrive from Canterra Designs.  She was helping out Canterra who couldn't make it due to a family emergency.  Naj from the Bellydanceshoppe.com arrived and we were all busy getting our booths set up for a full day of vending. 

The doors opened at 9:00 a.m. with a few people wondering in to shop.  Rajani and Erin arrived from Safford and we got Erin set up to do henna. 

The first workshop started at 10 with the lovely Helena Vlahos teaching "taxim".  The workshop was full of eager dancers following every move of Helena's and listening to every word.  Helena was incredible yesterday teaching her workshop; she had everyone dancing, laughing and having a great time. 

Rajani taught the next full workshop called a "pinch of salt".  The handout was a book!  Her workshop encompassed so much information touching on negative vs. positive space, stage space, energy, hands, stage fright, costuming and more!  It's so great to see workshops with so much movement, laughing and everyone having a blast!

I ended the day with a tribal workshop on working with partners and groups.  A huge thanks to my helper Lisa I couldn't have done this without you.   I warmed everyone up to get their blood flowing and muscles ready for their dance workshop.  We started with reviewing all the moves that were going to be in the combinations.  The first combo was slow and we worked it as a duet than what it would be as a trio.  The second combo was faster paced and we first learned it as a duet and barely had enough time to work it out at as a trio and quartet.  It was nice to hear cheers when the groups got the combos!!! It was another full workshop and no one ran into each other during all the turns; you all rock! :0)

During the 30 minute breaks between workshops there was a lot of networking, shopping and people getting henna; Erin had them line-up waiting to receive one of her masterpieces.

We closed down the building before the show and opened back up again at 6:30.  The audience was wonderful!  Lots of clapping, yips and zaghareets all night long!  The performers were spectacular in both their lovely costumes and dancing.  Taking photos was Santa Joe and a new comer Angie Marie; I can't wait to see the photos from the show!

Below are photos that I snapped throughout the day; sorry no photos of my workshop I forgot to tell the hubby to take them.

Mona from Canterra Designs

Rea & Ro

Shimmy Bliss booth during set up

Some of the students in Helena's workshop

Rajani's workshop

group shot from Rajani's workshop

Erin (Ekaja) doing henna on Rajani's arm

helpers Kelley and Clara

my hubby helping at the check in desk

 

Helena

Ekaja

Pamela from Flagstaff

Jackie

Christine

Naj

Rhonda

Mahin

Josie

Stephanie

Thank you to everyone who helped out, shopped, took a workshop and performed; you all made Fusion Day 3 so special!!!  My next big event is my annual swap meet on January 14, 2012 hope to see you there it will be number 17!

Rachel Brice Show, 6/4/11

What a fabulous evening!!!!  Kimberly from Plaza de Anaya brought Rachel Brice to town for 3 days of workshops and an evening show.  By the time I found out about Rachel being here her workshops were sold out :-( 

I was honored to be asked to perform in the evening show; thanks Kimberly for the invite I had a blast.  I met the most wonderful down to earth woman; what a great soul Rachel Brice has she is amazing.

Normally with the craziness of a show you never have time to chat with the stars but not so last night I was able to spend some time getting to know Rachel.

The show started with Melissa performing to the musical talents of Elissa on dombec.  Following them was Ellisah doing a double veil routine and ending with a drum solo.  Ava Fleming was breath taking with her dance from Moulin Rouge, Roxane.  It was so nice to see Heidi perform and drove the audience crazy with her African fusion dance.  Eric Salazar from Albuquerque was next and boy can he move.  Melissa graced the stage again with a special effects light projection show with Voidmine; very cool.  Bastet's fan veil routine was incredible!  I really liked the short fan veils and might be cutting a pair of mine off :-)  Ending the first half was Rachel Brice.  What can I say, perfection!  Her first number was short and fun great teaser for what was coming up.

I opened the 2nd half of the show with a veil dance to Apocalyptica.  Anaya Tribal (Tiffany & Danna) was after me and sorry to say I missed it :-(  Helena Vlahos graced the stage with such elegance as only Helena can.  I love watching her dance she was magnificent last night.  Bastet & Eric Salazar did a duet and love, love, loved it!  They are great together.  Rachel Brice ended the evening and wow!!!  Her last song was a Smokey jazz piece and her dance was amazing, astonishing and breathtaking.

I only have a few photos from the evening.  There was no flash photography allow and my camera doesn't do well in low light so no photos from the show.  Below is a group shot with crew, group shots of some of the performers and a photo of Rachel and I.  Thanks so much to the gentleman that was sitting in the front row before the show started to take these pictures for me.

 group shot with crew

 group shot with some of the performers

 A Plaza de Anaya tradition, a funny shot

 Rachel Brice, Heidi and I

 Rachel Brice and I

Next event coming up is Fusion Day 3 on Saturday June 11th.  Hopefully I'll have more photos to show :-)  See you there...