Gregarious Expressions

I may be mistaken, but I’m pretty sure this is the one Rachel Dare and Kendra McHugh of Lotus Fire recommended to me in our ec/dc interview last year. Seems funny to say that, but it was 2009, so… 

I’m wondering what Steampunk Belly Dance is exactly? Is it worth a road trip to find out? As if the lure belly dancers alone is not enough. 🙂

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Prep the calendar: Must-Dos for 2010 | NJ.com: Ent. Home – Impact – – New Jersey Entertainment | Mus
Veils will swirl and hips will snap during the Spring Caravan Belly-Dance Festival at the Ukrainian Cultural Center in Somerset, April 28 through May 2. Besides performances by troupes and solo artists, there will be basic classes for newbies and kids, plus advanced workshops in funk fusion, urban tribal and the ever popular steampunk.

This article by Alison Fensterstock about burlesque artist Trixie Minx’s latest endeavor is part review and has dips into New Orleans history. A nice piece of journalism and a good read.

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Burlesque back on Bourbon Street in French Quarter | New Orleans Music News – – NOLA.com
Attendees at the Burlesque Ballroom are having a last-stop-of-the-night experience very similar to what their counterparts on Bourbon Street saw after midnight 50 or 60 years ago.“The mission of the event is not to have people just sit down and observe, but to really get into it and feel like dancing too,” Minx said. “Like they’re at a party.”

Pittsburgh’s Zany Umbrella Circus will perform at this year’s circus-themed First Night Scranton (http://www.scrantonfirstnight.com). It should be plenty cold in NEPA by Dec. 31, even as this November has so far been kind.

To help you get in the mood … this video is pretty chill.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kEYqM-JIo-I

Zany Umbrella seems to be more socially oriented than other modern troupes. According to its mission statement, it "uses art as a vehicle to further social change, promote dialogue, teach cooperation skills and encourage children of all backgrounds to use their imaginations and create artwork of their own." Aw. I bet they get a lot of grant money for that. I’m not knocking it. Kids need to see this stuff now more than ever. Their poor little minds are cluttered with Disney channel nonstop commercial entertainment grooming them to be good brand-loyal consumers.

ZUC’s 2009 repertoire includes programs titled "The Enchanted Toay Box," "Vagabond," about Irish musician/craftsmen traveling in wagons and on bicycles, and a solo show "My Grandfather’s Circus," harkening back to dust bowl days and a circus brought to life out of ordinary objects in "an unlikely situation."

–ag