Snow Goddess 2010

The snow started falling after midnight here and we woke to a Winter Wonderland! What a wonderful way to celebrate the holiday Season! No Snowstorm is complete without a set of Winter Snow Goddess Photos. I started these back in 2009, and have been lucky to do them several times.

Unlike previous times when I had help, I did these all myself. I lugged the tripod and my wireless shutter release and with the help of ALOT of Photoshop I got some nice finished art images.

Jazzy Holiday party

Pinhook Photos by Paul Cory

I just want to share some wonderful photos that were taken at the last Bellydance night. Paul Cory, is a local photographer, and he came out and photographed all the dancers. You can check out his work here

Paul's Smugmug Gallery

* You can also check out his work at: www.paulcory.com

video from Pinhook

Here is the latest video from Bellydance Night at the Pinhook.

Warrior Goddess Photo Shoot

As I watched the last of the leaves fall today, I decided to have an impromptu photo shoot out in the woods in our back yard. There is a small nature trail and about the only place that still had some pretty leaves on the trees. Check out this gorgeous costume from Organic Armor. Love their work!!

Click here for all the pics.

{the Battle} for Power

Our Haflaween performance this year. This was so much fun!

video from Pinhook

Haflaween Horrors 2010

Another year, Haflaween has come and gone. I am sad now that Halloween is officially over. It is always my second favorite time of year. Haflaween has got to be my most favorite show each year. The whole week prior I was so excited, I could hardly stand it. This year for the first time, I got my husband to actually 'perform' a skit with me. I danced to a song I did 2 years ago, "Requiem for a Tower", but it was a different remixed version. I had a costume designed by Paul of Organic Armor. A designer out in Asheville, NC. He did an awesome job! Andrew and I spent a couple hours the week of the Halloween practicing, and after many fits of laughter, we got serious and were able to pull off a great battle scene. It was a lot of fun! Thanks to Mara for taking some photos!

Dancing at Remedy Diner

Fantastical Fire Fans

I received my fire fans about 2 years ago and FINALLY lit them up this past weekend. The Triangle Bellydance Meetup and the Triangle Middle Eastern Musician Meetup held a Drumming, Dancing and Bonfire at Boogie Holler in Hillsbourough. What a blast! And what a perfect opportunity to try out my fire fans. There was a guy there spinning fire poi too so he gave me some tips about my fans. I love them. I wish we had more outdoor events here letting us utilize fire toys.

Dancing with Fire Fans
Drum, Dance, Bonfire at Boogie Holler
Photo by Brigitte Schubert

Performance from Ncbellydance.org fundraiser

Here is my performance clip from the fundraiser show. I was dancing improv to 'L'Shanna Tova' by The Lost Nomads. I even got a surprise Qanun taqsim from Kylie Hilali, which was GREAT!

Shimmies at Remedy Diner

Bellydancing by Amara, Shahzaadee, Twilight Tribal, Asyia, Majidah, and Bernadette.

International Festival and NCBellydance Fundraiser

Alot happening this weekend. Saturday the Lost Nomads played at the 25th Annual Raleigh International Festival at the Raleigh Convention Center. Then, that evening there was a fundraiser for NCBellydance.org. I had fun dancing and did a live improv to the Lost Nomads. They had a wonderful guest musician Kylie Hilali on Kanoon.




Photo by Megan Freeman

Photo by Megan Freeman

Dancing at XIOS Cafe

I had a great time dancing at XIOS Greek Restaurant in Apex last friday night. I will be dancing there again December 3, 17 and January 7 and 21.

XIOS Cafe









**Photos courtesy of Shelley Ethridge

Pinhook Photos by Paul Cory

Professional Photographer, Paul Cory, photographed the August Pinhook Bellydance event and did an amazing job! Check out his website!

Paul Cory Website

Carolina Casbah photos

Professional photos by Bonnie Stanley Photography from 'Carolina Casbah' show presented by ACCMED.

RDC 8th Bithday Bash

Raleigh Drum Circle's 8th Annual Birthday Bash. Middle Eastern Drumming by John Price, Andrew Shakinovsky, Mara Cohen, Aaron Kinzer. Bellydance by Amara and Jenny.

The Raleigh Drum Circle celebrates its birthday every September with a special Drum Circle full of performances featuring Middle Eastern Drumming, West African, Bellydancing, Fire spinning, hooping and more.It is always so much fun and I always feel honored to be invited back each year.


Jenny, Aaron, John, Andrew, Amara, Mara


Photo by Annelies Gentile


Debuted my new coin costume.

Caba-ribal-usion weekend fun!

I had a fabulous weekend full of workshops and a great showcase featuring the wonderful Ansuya. We learned 4 choreographies and had 11 hours of instruction. I was exhausted!


Photo by Lisa Loque


Photo by Lisa Loque


Amara and Ansuya

Decisions, decisions....

Alot of costume designing is trial and error. I take ALOT of photos while moving things around and then I go back and look at everything to see what I like the most. I sometimes leave it overnight to see how it looks in the morning. LOL. These pics don't do it justice, but I kind of think these pearls might be too big, but I don't feel like redoing all the chain I made. The pearls are Cream color Swarovski pearls, so they are the good stuff. The pics make them look crappy!

I painstaking drilled ALL the coins myself. (Andy taught me the other night) and then I made all the pearl dangles and connected them to the coins with jump rings. I sewed the ones down on the straps and decided to make more around the cups. Originally it was going to be a drape.

Pearl/Coin chain and coin dangles



pearl/coin chain OR coin dangles




Straps

sewing the belt...

Anna was playing with my camera and snapped these of me sewing the belt...