17th Annual Swap Meet

The weather was beautiful, a perfect day to have my annual swap meet. The day started early, 4:00 a.m. for me and John my loving husband. We loaded up the truck and car and headed off for the Women's Club. We started setting up at 6:00 a.m. with some of the vendors showing up early to help out. There were 24 vendors busily setting up and getting ready for a fun day of selling, bartering, visiting and just having fun. I think we buy more than what we sell :-)   Below are photos of some of the vendors that were enjoying the day.

The first workshop started at 9:00 a.m. with me teaching fan veil. Thank you everyone that took my workshop I enjoy teaching all of you and I hope you learned a lot and I gave you some good ideas on moves for your performances.  Sorry no photo; it's hard to take photos when you're teaching :0)

Rukshana taught the next workshop on how to clean your costume and the kitchen was full of eager students listening intensely at her every word.

Rajani from Safford taught the next workshop on TNT: Travel and Turns. From the noise coming from inside the Women's Club they were having a great time.

Janie from Las Vegas had a full class teaching Boobology 101. Love the name of this workshop and no it's not the study of boobs but how to cover a costume bra ;-)

Andrea from Clarkdale taught a great workshop on Tribal Combinations. When I snuck in to take a photo everyone was in groups of 3 or 4 working on group dynamics and having a great time.

Carrie from Sedona ended the day with her workshop of Tribaret Combos. Her workshop was full and when I snuck in to take photos they didn't even know I was there they were all so enthralled with learning the new combos.

At 3:00 the swap meet was over and vendors were breaking down tents and packing up. Thanks to Kelley and Jody for setting up chairs for the evening show and helping John and I breaking down our space.

John and I got home around 4:30 and unloaded the truck and car and it was back up to the Women's Club to get ready for the show.

The theme for the show was 1970's music both belly dance and popular and thanks to Rajani for picking our closing number, We Are Family by Sister Sledge. The show was fantastic and so much fun!!!! I wanted to watch everyone perform and I was able to see some of the show between performing and costume changes.  Below are photos I took behind the scenes before the show started.

Carrie started of the show with a solo to George Abdo music. His music is still popular today; so classic. Blue Dragon, Andrea's troupe performed next to Sirocco's vol. 1 music, Country Dance. More classic belly dance music from 1979. I love Sirocco's music and it was so great hearing it last night. Rukshana performed with her tray of candles to Pink Floyd's Have a Cigar. Desert Menagerie lead by Rajani followed with a Spanish Fusion dance to Hotel California by the Gypsy Kings. They had a new member Marie performing for her very first time; excellent joy Marie! I was the next performer and dance to Nahno Wil Amar Jiran by John Bilezikjian's first album La Orientale or how most of us called it The Blue Door due to the blue door on the cover. I performed with my fan veils for this piece. Janie from Las Vegas really got the crowd going with her version of the Hustle performed to the song of the same name. White Lotus lead by Carrie rocked the house with Shake Your Groove Thing by Peaches & Herb; ladies loved the costumes!!! Andrea dazzled us with her solo to more of Sirocco's music from vol. 1. The Dojo Girls in their wild 1970's inspired costumes performed to Aerosmith's Walk This Way with a little cane action thrown in. Rajani returned with Ekaja and performed a duet to Houdini, Houdini by George Abdo and ladies the hair was amazing! Their comedy routine had the audience laughing like crazy. I was the last performer of the evening dancing to Carol King's You've Got a Friend. Of course this was a veil piece; love veil and love this song ;-) All the performers ended the show with our finale of We Are Family by Sister Sledge. We were out in the audience and after our bows we turned the song back on and the audience joined in and danced around. I think it was Rajani who started the Congo line.

Thank you to all my workshop instructors for their hard work, love of the dance and sharing their talents with everyone yesterday. To all my helpers, without you this event would not happen. Rajani and Clara for emceeing and running the music you both are hired for next year! My husband who puts up with me and my craziness. He takes the day off of work to help me and although he says he'd rather be at work instead of working his butt off all day with me; he likes seeing everyone.

A huge thanks to everyone that came out to shop, vend, take workshops and just hang out. A special thanks to those who traveled from out of state! We had visitors from CA and Janie from Las Vegas and my friend Susan who came all the way from Billings, MO.

Next year the swap meet will be on January 12th. Hope to see you there...