No Freaking Teapots Here

"Dark Heart Holiday Delight" special gift certificate sale from Tempest

meddevi — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 19:31:29 GMT

A "Dark Heart Holiday Delight" Special Gift Certificate sale - this weekend only (until they last!) - from Tempest/Med'Devi Ink/OwlKeyMe Arts - for merchandise, instruction, custom orders, etc - only 10 are available - $75 worth for $50, $150 worth for $100, and $200 for $150 - for complete details, visit http://www.darklydramatic.com/darkheartdelight.html

"Journey to the Underworld" - workshop with Tempest - moved to 11/21!

meddevi — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 21:23:13 GMT

A special 3 hour workshop experience with Tempest When was the last time you broke down your own facades and explored the truth of what lays bare underneath? Are you brave enough to look and become stronger as a dancer for it? Being a part of the bellydance community for any length of time affects us in so many ways, many below the surface that can influence how we look and feel about ourselves and others. In this dynamic and unusual workshop, we will explore through exercises and movement combinations the mythic concept of the Descent and Encounter in Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, and Indian cultures. This is a safe and supportive opportunity to challenge yourself mentally and physically, while discovering who you are or wish to be as a dancer. Warning: This is not a "woo-woo" or "new-agey" class, but it will ask you to push your boundaries. FAQ: For many traditions and cultures around the world, at this time of the year, they believe the veils between this world and the next are thin or lifted. Hence why we see many references to the dead, spirits, and the macabre, ancestor recognition and revelry, etc. It is also considered to be the end of the Wheel of the Year, so a good time to finish things up and start anew. Where: OwlKeyMe Arts Studio, Edgewood, RI (border of Cranston/Providence, easy access from 95/195, addy to be mailed to registrants) How Much: $45 for the 3 hour workshop by 11/8, $55 afterwards plus there will be an optional outdoor ritual working afterwards. The workshop is limited to 8 students ONLY. What To Wear/Bring: Comfy dance attire, water, snack. Allergy meds if you're allergic to cats. About Tempest: Tempest pulls from her visual arts background (BFA from RISD), literary tendencies, and global inspirations to create dance that crosses the boundaries of time and culture. Tempest began her journey into dance in 2000, and has traveled the country to study traditional, folkloric, and fusion forms of bellydance. She is the premiere instructor of Gothic Bellydance in North America, and her extensive work in the genre has helped to define and develop the movement across the world. Her compelling performances exemplify her distinctively theatrical and expressionate style, and are rooted in oriental dance technique with a transcendent approach. Her costume designs have revolutionized the look of modern bellydance, and continue to inspire new and old generations of dancers alike. In addition to her dance background, Tempest is an ordained minister in the Modern Tradition of Witchcraft, and has been a community leader, teacher, and guide in the New England and Bay Area Pagan communities for well over a dozen years. She is passionate about creating positive community by addressing the needs and concerns (physical, mental, emotional, metaphysical) of the individual. To Register Now: http://darklydramatic.com/1031.html

Rhode Island Hafla!

meddevi — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 19:56:11 GMT

Calling ALL RI-based dancers, teachers, and students! All bellydance styles! This is an event to showcase YOU! Come celebrate the diversity and beauty of our dance community and show your stuff! Performances by YOU, an artisan's marketplace (shopping!), a raffle to benefit the RI Food Bank, and a great opportunity to network, share, and build community spirit! Details: When: Sunday, November 8th from 12-5pm Where: World Dance & Music Center, 925 Central Ave, 2nd floor, Pawtucket, RI, http://www.loladance.com Admission: $10 To sign-up for your dance slot, please email Tempest at rihafla@meddevi.com. For all other questions, contact Lola at info@loladance.com or call 617.733.4141

Lee Ali in Rhode Island! September 18th-19th - Show & Workshops!

meddevi — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 00:00:37 GMT

Don't miss out, the special pricing for the workshops - "Gutsy Greek Bellydance" and "Trance Dancing" with the amazing Lee Ali, in from California, will end on September 5th! Don't miss your opportunity to study with a living legend, whether you're cabaret, tribal, or fusion - these are amazing workshops with content that will embellish and enhance your dance experience! If you attended "Motif" and enjoyed it, you definitely have to sign up for "Trance Dancing!" And the workshops are timed so that's plenty of room for making evening shows in other towns later that evening - we've made it easy for you! Register at http://www.darklydramatic.com/lee.html AND!!! a show has been added for September 18th, featuring Lee Ali and a LIVE BAND - Mitchell Kaltsunas and Ensemble - plus other amazing dancers and appetizers too! At World Dance & Music Center - only $20 in advance! Visit http://www.loladance.com for details.

Corset Vests & Belt Sets

meddevi — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 14:43:11 GMT

I have a few complete sets currently available - check out my profile on fb, or the gallery in the Med'Devi Ink tribe for what's available - I also be accepting custom orders again in August! So much new stuff to come! http://meddevi.tribe.net

No really, I'm living in Rhode Island now.

meddevi — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 03:13:13 GMT

In case you missed the updates, the layout of the Durga Tour, or my incessant rambling, we've moved to Rhode Island. No, really, we live in RI, and technically, we moved BACK to RI, cause we lived here from 1996-2001. For those of you who might be confused, here's a quick timeline: 1996-2001: Providence, RI 2001-2007: Bay Area of California 2007-2009: Cape May, NJ 2009 - onward: Providence, RI It's like a circle dude! And it's GREAT! I'm teaching dance at RISD on Tuesday evenings, and two classes at World Dance & Music Center in Pawtucket on Thursday evenings, and more classes to come in the Fall. Plus I have a home studio for both art and dance. So visit http://www.darklydramatic.com for all of the details!

Sam says you need a Shruggery

meddevi — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 03:18:30 GMT

Doing a special moving sale on Shruggeries from now until July 1st - $40 for one, $35 for two or more. Will ship anywhere in the world :) Visit: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=104249&id=608841770&ref=mf

Durga Tour Shirts - just a few!

meddevi — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 21:47:14 GMT

All along the tour, folks have been asking me if there would be any shirts left and if I was printing more? The good news is that I do have a small handful of shirts left - bad news is the edition is sold out and I'm not printing any more - so this is it! There are NO spaghetti tanks left! But I do have ladies fitted tee's in S, M, L, and XL (only one of each of L and XL, 2-3 each of the S and M) and I have men's shirts in M and L. And that's it! Front of shirts look like: http://www.meddevi.com/durga/merch.html - and on the back is the complete listing of stops :) Shirts are $20 + $5 s/h (shipped priority mail) in the US :) Msg me with your size, style, and paypal addy, and I will send you an invoice!

Birthdays and things that begin with B

meddevi — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 23:52:54 GMT

Both are things that are on the horizon ;) We've been on the road now since May 1st, and the end of the Durga Tour draws near! It's been a fantastic journey, and I am so thrilled about the great experiences we've had, meeting folks, connecting with friends, and sharing the art! And we have 3 stops left! June 13th - Saturday is Buffalo, NY - which is our ONLY NY stop - and features 3 workshops with myself, Asharah, and Tim Rayborn, and a salon show in the evening! Planning some special surprises in the evening, including a taste of Motif to foster community and good vibes, and it's somebody's birthday too. Come celebrate with us! June 15th - Monday is Boston, NY - with workshops with myself and Asharah, hosted by Badriya! (more B's!) The first time Boston gets to meet Asharah - and my 3rd workshop in B-town! Then Tuesday is our last stop, with Motif in Pawtucket, RI - Motif has really made an impact across the country, with rave reviews, and we're so thrilled to make our last stop a Motif-only stop. And the B-word for this stop is Beginnings, as Rhode Island is our new home! All event details can be found at http://www.meddevi.com/durga/stops.html See you there!

An Open Letter to the Buffalo Bellydance Community

meddevi — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 20:58:49 GMT

An open letter to the Buffalo Bellydance Community It has come to my attention that misinformation has been spread regarding the Durga Tour stop in Buffalo on June 13th , unjustly impacting the event and I feel the best way to deal with it at this time is to take the matter to the larger community and clear the air. I ask you to take a few moments to read the following to help clear any misunderstandings. The Buffalo Durga Tour stop will take place on June 13th at The Bellydance Academy, and features workshops in the day with myself (Tempest), Asharah, and musician Tim Rayborn, followed by a show in the evening. This will be the second time the Durga Tour will visit Buffalo – the last being in 2006, which was a great stop for us, so we’re looking forward to coming to you again. The Durga Tour was created in 2006 to bring Gothic and Experimental/Fusion bellydance workshops and performances to cities all across the US. We did 25 states in 40 days. The 2009 tour expands on our base concept even further, focusing on fusion bellydance with integrity, community balance and growth, and musical interaction, and spans over 30 stops from May 1st – June 16th. It is designed to be accessible to ALL styles and levels of dancers, and for communities to work together, putting drama aside in favor of benefiting our beautiful art. From the beginning planning stages, sponsors for the tour are specifically asked to work together with other leaders, teachers, and troupes in their community and beyond – to put aside personal and stylistic differences to make an event possible that benefits all. Putting together a tour of this scale is not an easy task. It takes an enormous amount of coordination, mapping, planning, and negotiating – not only between myself and the sponsors of the stops, but also with the guest artists who come on the tour with us, and local dancers/performers and musicians – spanning nearly a year of preparation, with the months leading up to the tour being a constant rain of communication with literally hundreds of individuals. But I believe it is all worth it, for the experience and opportunity of being able to bring our ideas and art on a smaller, more affordable scale to towns and cities all across the US – especially to dancers who can’t make it to the bigger festivals. Their appreciation and gratitude is simply astounding and a constant reminder that we’re on track, especially when one is used to a community that has a lot of resources on hand. But there’s also a lot at stake, and again, being on tour is no easy task. There’s a lot of money involved in keeping the van running and full of gas, honoring contracts and time commitments, functioning on a lot of fast food, long hours on the road, and minimal sleep. It takes a huge amount of effort not only on our part to make every stop successful, but also requires the community as well to take part and take responsibility, in order to make it successful for all involved. So getting the reason why I’m writing this letter to you. I have read firsthand accounts of libelous statements being made against myself, the event sponsors, and the tour, and heard direct accounts of similar slander from numerous community members, which are impacting the success of the stop, essentially satisfying the intent of the misinformation and ill-will being spread. Now, personal opinions in private blogs are one thing, but when I have other professional dancers and friends around the nation coming up to me going “What the heck is going on in Buffalo!?” that is not only something for me to be concerned about, but YOU as well. Issues between local dancers are sadly the norm everywhere, but your national reputation is being impacted. In a nutshell, I refused to get involved in an un-related business conflict between a studio owner and troupe, who were working together to make the Buffalo stop happen. I asked both parties to please do their best to work it out, and not to bring myself or the Durga Tour into the disagreement. Previous to their disagreement, the contract for the stop had been signed with the studio owner, and deposit secured for it, securing the stop in the Durga Tour schedule. The issue was escalated emotionally, and I was urged by the troupe to cancel the stop, which at that time in late April, was not feasible, reasonable, or frankly, professional on my part. I don’t cancel stops due to drama, regardless of who is involved, especially when a stop concerns several other individuals besides myself (Asharah and Tim Rayborn). That is simply not good business. Both the studio owner and I separately encouraged the troupe to still participate and be involved in whatever way they wished, putting other issues aside for the spirit of the Durga Tour and community. And as I departed for the tour, that is where things were left from my perspective, and I sent another request for cooperation and working things out. Being on tour now since May 1st, I have had little time for anything else, besides a few moments online here and there when I can snag it, but yet still I have received rumblings of sabotage because I refused to get involved in drama. This is mind-boggling to me – I simply don’t understand this sort of behavior, and while I can withstand a great deal of pummeling when it comes to me personally, this affecting more people than just myself. It is affecting other members of the tour, your local community, and again, your reputation in the larger bellydance community. If this stop is ultimately cancelled (something I am working hard against preventing, taking extra energy out of the touring schedule to put towards this), the repercussions will be far greater than just one event that didn’t happen. It will be a lot harder to get artists outside of your community to come back – and this is not hearsay or a threat, but what I heard directly from other dance professionals at festivals and events taking place in the last month. And that would truly be a great detriment to any bellydance community. So I ask of you, members of the Buffalo Bellydance community, to be above the drama. Please don’t let misinformation make YOU miss out on a special opportunity. And I want to make it very known that EVERYONE is invited to participate in the events on June 13th, but only if you’re willing to leave the drama at the door and get down to some serious celebration of our dance. Thank you for your time and consideration Blessings, Tempest

Transitions!

meddevi — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 14:13:07 GMT

Well, we successfully exited NJ with most of our stuff aboard and made it up to RI. Minus a few issues and frustrations, I think I would have to chalk this up as our easiest/least stressful move yet. Much thanks to the friends who helped us load in NJ and unload in RI! Heading back down to NJ to spend the week at my parents working on stock before Spring Caravan, and the official start of the Durga Tour. Speaking of which, today is the last day to pre-order your Durga Tour merch! http://www.meddevi.com/durga/merch.html I'm also taking orders on the Nouveau Noir tanks (same color/design as http://www.darklydramatic.com/tempest/nntee.html), and these aren't going up on the website until after the tour, IF there are any left - so if you want one, LMK if you want a spaghetti strap or wide strap, and in what size. Also your paypal addy and whether you're picking it up from me on tour or want it shipped. I also got a few more of the men's shirts in sizes L-XL-XXL as I had sold out of those...$20 for any of them.

Motif at Tribal Fest 9!

meddevi — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 02:03:35 GMT

Year Two of an amazing tradition in the making - Motif is back! Last year, we initiated Motif after a desire to create a communal and interactive event that would bring people together with a founation in Middle Eastern music, dance, and trance - kicking off the Tribal Fest weekend with something that that would invigorate your body, mind, and spirit. Participants were enthralled and begged us to do it again - so you asked for it, here it is! Motif is an experimental gathering, merging music, dance, and ritual, limited to only 40 participants. It will take place in the large classroom at the Youth Annex in Sebastopol, CA (part of the TF9 grounds). Please arrive promptly BY 8pm, and expect to participate until 10pm (no late arrivals, no in/out). This is NOT a performance - it is a communal interaction led by Lee Ali, Tempest, and Karim Nagi. The event will have a formal beginning to awaken our space, and will be guided throughout the evening by the lead dancers and musicians, and have a formal conclusion. Participants are welcome to bring rugs, pillows, and beverages. Musicians are also welcome to bring their instruments, dancers - come prepared to dance! Visit the following link to get your tix before they're gone: http://www.meddevi.com/motif.html

Tempest in DC this weekend!

meddevi — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 19:08:54 GMT

Two amazing workshops this weekend in DC to challenge yourself as a dancer - who are you, who do you wish to be on stage, why do you dance? Saffron Dance 3260 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, VA 22201 Journey to the Underworld – When’s the last time you broke down your own facades and explored the truth of what lays bare underneath? Are you brave enough to look and become stronger as a dancer for it? Being a part of the bellydance community for any length of time affects us in so many ways, many below the surface that can influence how we look and feel about ourselves and others. In this dynamic and unusual workshop, we will explore through exercises and movement combinations the mythic concept of the Descent and Encounter in Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, and Indian cultures. This is a safe and supportive opportunity to challenge yourself mentally and physically, while discovering who you are or wish to be as a dancer. Warning: This is not a “woo-woo” or “new-agey” class, but it will ask you to push your boundaries. Strange Presence – It’s all about bleeding your soul out to audience, serving it to them on a platter, and then eating THEM for lunch instead. A truly successful performance does more than show how well you can do the moves—it should really speak to your audience and exude expression. You CAN learn how to have a stronger personality on stage and channel that energy for a more dynamic performance. Discover the key aspects of capturing your audience with your stage presence and develop your own onstage drama! We’ll particularly focus on improvisational technique, character development, and learning to be more “in the moment.” This class is especially for any dancer who is ready to perform or is considering it. More info, registration at: http://meahunaproductions.com/

Change is Good.

meddevi — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 20:18:50 GMT

I have given notice at my job (I've worked as the head jewelry/graphic designer for a fashion/trendy jewelry company for nearly the last 2 years). At the end of this month, my husband Keith and I will be putting our stuff into storage, and hitting the road for the 2009 Durga Tour for 6 weeks. (http://www.meddevi.com/durga). When we return from the Tour, we will be settling in Rhode Island. Yes, we're moving again. While we love Cape May and the Jersey Shore in it's landscape and weather (but not it's mosquitoes), there isn't enough happening down here, we're too far away from the cities, events, and decent venues (and food). We've been making regular trips up to RI for the last 2 years to visit friends/family and to do events, and it just makes a lot more sense for us to be closer to our friends and a community that's far more supportive for the arts. We'll still be coming down to Philly and the Shore to visit family down here and do events, but it won't be our homebase anymore. It's a great place to live if you're retired - and that we ain't! This is also means truly being able to focus more on my own art and design. I haven't been able to put as much time into making my own designs and products as I wanted to, so I will finally be able to stop playing catch-up and move ahead more strongly with my projects. More time devoted to making art and dance. More teaching, and more involvement in the arts community. Yes, it's a scary time to be doing this, but we both strongly feel this is the right time, and that we'll both be a lot happier up there. So ready or not, here we come ;)

playing with ketchup.

meddevi — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 16:58:26 GMT

Just got back from Greece, which was a WONDERFUL experience. However, I think everyone and their grandmom emailed me while I was away, so I'm knee-deep in emails. I'll be getting through them all in the next 2-3 days...so if you emailed me last week and haven't heard back, or possibly even before that, I'm working on catching up, as my brain overcomes jetlag.

storm warning

meddevi — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 15:42:05 GMT

Gothla US was a huge success. Already thinking about next year. Thank you to everyone who made it possible! But in the meantime, my body is crashing hard...so I am moving slowly. I will be back on the ball about Durga Tour stuff and emails in a few days, but please be patient. I will get back to everybody shortly. As soon as I can read and type straight. (this took about 5x as long for me to write...)

Essence of Bellydance - so I remember...

meddevi — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 20:25:35 GMT

Ah, that nearly decade-old question of is GBD bellydance? Wrote this up as a response, and I think some parts are especially worth keeping around for later, so I save it here: Before I ever took my first lessons in bellydance, I spent months studying it online and in books. Reading about the do's and don'ts, about the folkloric dances, reading interviews with Morocco, Carolena, Artemis, and more. And I distinctly remembering at some point coming across Dalia Carella and her "Dunyavi Gypsy" and thinking - wow, she has her OWN style of bellydance, how cool is that? I would love to do that! That all went out the window once I started taking lessons, I couldn't even imagine how it would be possible, not for years and years and even then! So I never created my performances with that in mind, rather I just had ideas I wanted to express in my dancing, through my costuming, music, and presentation. I didn't consider it a specific type of bellydance - just bellydance, as that was the only dance form I had ever studied. Rather, it was after doing bellydance for a couple of years that other people remarked about how my dancing had a different feel. It seemed somewhat more "dark", more theatrical, perhaps Gothic? ( All this without the aid of fangs, fake blood, giant rosaries, and graveyards! This was even before boots and fishnets were applied!) So ironically, it was the bellydance community itself, its veteran crew, that dubbed what I was doing as "gothic bellydance", long before it became a common name. What was so "dark" about those early performances? The costuming could be best described as tribaret, the movements were bellydance, the music was mostly bellydance. The stories in my head to remember the moves and to express something through my moves were about avenging angels, silent film stars, lost love, folkloric/ethnic myths and fairytales, metamorphosis, tongue-in-cheek wickedness, hidden beauty, and the merging of cultures. If you consider all of that "dark", then there you have it. To me, "darkness" is about revelation, uncovering and exploring mysteries, weaving stories that are often hidden, enchantment, and particles of memory. It's about the ability to express your soul fully, even if that leaves you exposed. I believe that bellydance, in it's myriad forms, celebrates life, and that a celebration of life takes hold of all of its aspects - that includes joy, passion, love, pain, and sadness. Love can be light and it can be dark. You really can't have one without the other. So perhaps Goth can be defined as the obsession to find balance between the light and the dark, and appreciate the differences between them. There is beauty to be found in all things, if you know how to look for it. And frankly, I'm a hopeless optimist in most things. No, I'm not a "stereotypical" Goth, but frankly, none of the people I know who have identified themselves as Goth for years fit the stereotype either. The folks who focus only on the fashion don't have a clue. Same goes for the folks who think if they latch on to a cliche (heh, wanna start a thread on the cliches of GBD?), that means they're doing it right. There's doing something because it would be terribly cliche and a lot of fun and silliness, and then there's doing a cliche seriously because you don't understand what's behind it. There's a wealth of art, literature, and music produced by this subculture, which within itself is quite diverse, full of different minds. That's why I love it. Now that years have gone by, I think I have been able to develop my own style, because I let go of the idea of trying to do it. I just focused on expressing what inspires me. And I'm excited to go back and re-do some of those early pieces, because I've also realized I traveled far as a dancer (and continue so). One of the greatest frustrations of being an artist is having an idea and not being fully capable of expressing that idea - whether it's because of your skill level, money or depth of exploration. But that doesn't mean you cease to try, or that those early attempts were wrong. Rather, it's the process of trying again and again, building better technique, stronger awareness, getting all of those skills together...and while I feel I'm much better now than I was 6 years or even 6 months ago, I'll still continue to strive to improve. I continue to study the older forms of this dance and find inspiration. I feel what I do is bellydance, and I believe the essence of what is bellydance is still there, depending on the project. Whether others consider a piece bellydance or not, I suppose that all depends on their own journey to it.

Twisted Mary Poppins & Steampunk Goodness

meddevi — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 03:36:55 GMT

Just a reminder that I will be doing a special performance on Friday, January 23rd, in Providence, RI at Decadence! The theme is disturbed/demented Disney, so I will be doing something a little unusual and steamy ;) Details:Jan 23rd @ FRIDAY NIGHT DECADENCE.... Featuring special performances by Zingari East and Tempest!-Located at Club Gallery, 150 Point St. Providence -$5 @ the door, -9PM until 2AM -18+ to enter, 21+ to drink (w/positive ID) And then the next day, Midwinter Mayhem strikes Providence again! Aradia and I team up for another awesome & fun workshop series, where you'll get to experience a special edition of "Adventures in Steampunk!" with me and "Once More With Feeling!" with Aradia - there's still some space left, details at http://www.darklydramatic.com/tempest/ri.html

Durga Tour Assistance!

meddevi — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 00:53:11 GMT

The planning for the Durga Tour is going very well, and I'm hoping to announce our additional guest instructors by the start of next week, as we're working out the dates and locations for them now. But we still need to sponsors/hosts to help secure some stops. On this page: http://www.meddevi.com/durga/stops.html - you can see confirmed stops, stops that someone has contacted me, but has not yet confirmed, and stops where we need someone! This last group especially is very important - we have chosen this route to accommodate the many requests we've gotten from dancers and students, and would make a very special event available to the community. Hosting a tour stop is relatively easy and very affordable, even in this crazy economy. We have a variety of options that will work for small, medium, and large communities - whether you expect 12 students or 60! May 12th Northern Arizona May 24th Ashland/Medford, OR May 25th Portland, OR May 28th Missoula, Montana May 29th Idaho May 30th Salt Lake City, UT May 31st Wyoming June 2nd Kansas City, MO

Underneath The Eyeliner.

meddevi — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 20:41:56 GMT

Some dancers want to create a romantic aura about themselves, veiled in mystery and illusions of grandeur. Only ever to be seen in full make-up, dressed to the nines to their adoring fans. Everything is a performance, and rarely do you see what’s underneath the mask. I’ve seen people create the most amazing opinions of people without ever knowing what’s actually going on. Me? I want you to know that I am a dork. And a geek. And a class-A klutz. I just like to think I clean up well. And I’m totally cool with people knowing that. Because that’s who I am, miss-wiring and all, why try to hide it? Of course, not everything is on the surface for all to see, and I often forget that not everyone lives in my head. Some people think I have some sort of complex, trying to create rules for Gothic Bellydance. (Technically, they’re more like guidelines). Other people don’t think I stand up enough for what I’ve done. (I’m really a bit shy.) Essentially, the reason for my writings comes down to this: I’m a Gemini. I’m ruled by Mercury, planet/god of communication, with my moon in Virgo (lists! details!) and Sagittarius rising (enthusiasm!). Which essentially means: I’m obsessed with learning, sharing, and exchanging knowledge and information. Bonus points if it comes with shiny bits. I don’t do it to be a know-it-all, to claim to be an authority of everything, or to make it seem I think I’m perfect. Far from it. I do it because I’ve done stupid things. A lot of them. And I’d like to think I know better now, but I’m pretty sure there are more stupid things to come. I’m actually at peace with that. It truly is inevitable. But I want to do what I can to help out my students and anyone else who wants to read/listen. To share my experiences, and help forge a better path with less pitfalls, better habits, and hopefully make things easier for other dancers, while bettering our art in the long run. I think in discussing etiquette for Gothic Bellydancers, there’s something everyone can take away. Professionals, hobbyists, students, artists, everyone. Meaning, whether you do this with the intention of presenting yourself as a professional, or whether you’re just jamming in class or your bedroom – there’s no reason why you shouldn’t have the best experience possible. Some people will be oblivious, regardless of their intent, but I have to believe that whether someone considers themselves a pro or a hobbyist, they want to contribute to the art in the best way they can – not only for the art, but for themselves. The secret to being a good dancer is not an illusive mystery, wrapped up and hidden. It’s about being direct, forward, and honest with yourself and others. It’s about being truthful to ourselves, mindful of our mistakes, and still willing to challenge ourselves and make changes as needed. Dance isn’t just about movement and music, it takes thought, it takes the whole body and mind to create art. Don’t be afraid to make a mess, but also don’t be afraid to lay down a tarp and have some paper towels handy before you start.

Raspberry Wine :)

meddevi — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 01:33:18 GMT

Another shruggery! If you'd like to see shruggeries modeled by my lovely students, check out the Med'Devi Ink Tribe :)

Another Shruggery!

meddevi — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 15:54:31 GMT

This one is "Copperlicious" - soft and shiny gorgeous copper-tone fabric with black interwoven, and copper/multi beaded flower accents from Bali on each side for a delicate dangle.

A Shruggery!

meddevi — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 04:22:22 GMT

This one is called "Mischief" ;))

Midwinter Mayhem in Providence!

meddevi — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 19:04:06 GMT

Aradia and I are teaming up again to bring you the second ever Midwinter Mayhem, January 24th - and we will be do a special performance evening the night before (Friday the 23rd) at Decadence (more details on that will be posted shortly). We have confirmed our workshop location as well - we will be returning to RISD's Student Center on Waterman Street (on the left, smack in the middle between Benefit and Meeting Sts), which is generally much easier to park than on Thayer Street. B/c the studio is small, registration will be very limited, so sign up now to get your space at these great workshops! http://www.darklydramatic.com/tempest/ri.html

three words for today

meddevi — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 19:50:40 GMT

inspired by something the Davenport Sisters said on one of their recent broadcasts.. "gratuitous gear shot" and just because it's so damn funny (to me), another 3 words: "strategically placed cookies"