URGENT! Please help find Elias Sorokin

URGENT!!

To my friends in the East Bay/Santa Cruz area...a longtime, close friend of mine has gone missing in Northern California as of Monday, July 20. Please spread the word and keep your eyes/ears open regarding this incident. What follows is a blog posted by my friend Carolyn Mabry...

The most recent information on his situation is being posted on a Facebook group page 'Concerned Friends of Elias/Elijah Sorokin' at:
www.facebook.com/pages/Spi.../group.php

Carolyn's message follows:

Our friend Elias Sorokin is missing. We fear foul play. Someone used his check card (the video shows it was not him) and tried to withdraw $4,500 in cash from his account at a bank in Santa Cruz. I am writing to ask you to direct calm, healing energy into this situation. Picture Elias, who has asthma, breathing freely. Picture whoever he may be with feeling calm and safe. Do not direct angry energy at them. Picture calm water without a single ripple.

From this space, I also ask you to alert your friends and spread the word that we need both healing energy work and also footwork here in the material world. Here are the details of what we know so far. Elias went up to Northern California for a few meetings and has not returned to LA. He was last seen Monday evening 7/20/09 around 8 pm in Oakland. He sent a text to his friend and business partner Andrea on Monday night at 10 pm saying that he would be arriving back to LA around 4 am, Tuesday morning. He has not been heard from since. We have since learned that someone has tried to cash a falsified check (he carries his check book on him at all times) and tried to use his credit cards near Santa Cruz. Here is a story about what we know so far and it includes a description of his vehicle and the license plate number: www.mercurynews.com/centralc..._12925772

A missing person's report has been filed and the family has hired a private investigator. We are looking for answers and need your help. If you have any information, if you've seen him, anything at all, please email me and I will forward your information on. Please do not mention any suspects or persons of interest by name or online or approach anyone you suspect. We do not want to endanger Elias more or frighten the people who may have him. Please forward any info or leads to me and I will forward them to his family who say that tips to the police are actually overwhelming the police right now. Also, please direct your chi to everyone involved in this situation. Pour love on it. Have hope. Calm, peaceful energy to all.

You can also call or email WTVD Chanel 11 and ask them to cover this story. The more calls they get, the more likely they are to act: email: wtvdassignmentdesk@abc.com WTVD phone # 1-800-672-9883 PLEASE CALL

Also, here is a poster you can print and post: i250.photobucket.com/albums/...LosA.jpg

What follows is a note from Anna, Elias's mother:

To any people who may be holding our beloved son Elias: I would like to assure you that we understand that you may have gotten into this situation and do not know how to get out. We have no interest in pursuing any charges against you. We forgive you completely. Please let Elias go free.

- We promise, legally declare, not to press any charges or to pursue you for any criminal acts against Elias

- You may be in over your heads right now, and you may wish this whole thing had never gotten started, and it can be erased! End it peacefully and quietly as soon as possible

Family of Elias

Springtime in Vermont-Circus Training in the home stretch...

(I wrote this right before leaving for Hoop Convergence this past weekend...and that experience deserves its own blog, coming soon!)

So I guess what I was experiencing before was the fifth season in Vermont...the one that happens when the snow finally disappears from the ground but before anything begins to bloom...the one they call 'mud season'. Seems the mud was infecting my mood and personal relationships...well, no more!

Spring has really sprung here and it is just gorgeous. The fresh yellow-green of renewal and new life is everywhere, flowers are blooming, we've even had a couple 80 degree days! This southerner is in pure heaven. This entry is going to be but a bit short as I have my hands gleefully full preparing for Hoop Convergence. I am just beside myself with excitement, as this- the second-annual HC organized by my best girl Julia- has an amazing lineup of teachers for a full retreat weekend of inspiration, growth and celebration. I can't wait! I fly out tomorrow afternoon and have a fair bit to do yet in terms of packing, etc...

It isn't the most convenient time to be leaving, as the end of my training program is in 17 days!!! We have three days of shows- 5 shows total- May 22-24. I have 2 acts I am working on and they are both challenging me in new ways. My aerial fabric act is a challenge in the sense that, as fabric is still relatively new to me (I chose it as my 'major' back in February as result of being advised to 'step out of my comfort zone' and get stronger) and I am faced with trying to emote/embody a character while also executing the technical aspects of the apparatus. Fabric is *definitely* out of my comfort zone and has been trying at times...it takes considerable strength, focus and endurance to be able to execute a series of moves- gracefully- within a choreographed piece.

My work with it is paying off though...one of my physical goals this year (and one I was quite unsure of being able to actually attain) was a pike climb to the ceiling. After seeing a couple of the women in the program be able to pull this off at the beginning of the year, during our first strength assessment (my first attempt yielded a 2 struggling climbs from the floor), I knew I wanted to be able to do that 'someday'.

For those of you who may not be familiar with what a pike climb is, it is basically started from a seated position with the fabric/rope either between your legs with legs straddled (my preferred way) or to the side with your legs piked...then you climb up the fabric using only your arms, holding your legs out- straight- the entire time...and then climbing down. About three weeks ago...I got it!!! I thought it may have been a fluke, but I've gotten it every other time I've tried it since and I'm pretty proud.

Other physical goals I've achieved since being here: front and back walkovers, touching my heels in a backbend, touching my head in an elbow stand, touching the floor with my feet in a chest stand, oversplits, back handspring(s), roundoff back handspring, and an ever more solid handstand

Back tuck is still on the list...getting there!!

I am the strongest and most flexible I've ever been and the feeling of training and increasing my abilities is intoxicating. Also, being around other performers during the choreographic process has been very good for me, as that's been one of the most intimidating aspects of my path as a performer...having not had much formal dance training. I find aerial choreography to be much easier to put together than hoop, as hoops move so quickly.

In other milestones, I had my first center-stage aerial gig a couple weekends ago on April 25, doing aerial hoop-lyra- as well as an LED hoop dance act, for The Amazing Bubble Show. It was for an audience of mostly kids, which was super cute and gratifying.

My new hoop dance act is challenging me considerably. I have been working on a lot of original material with one of my coaches and it contains lots of ground/tumbling skills that I'm still working to 'get' into my body. Serious pushing of limits and LOTS of practice is going to be required to have this ready for the shows. Once I return from Hoop Con I'll have only 10 days!!

Whew! Off to the gym to rehearse.

~Big Love~

Wintertime Performance Mercenary Mode

Wowzers...back from the road and right back into the circus flow. I needed the money, to be sure, so getting two relatively last-minute gigs in NC was a welcome and well-timed influx of cash. No small feat though, not at all! I decided to drive down, because I'm crazy like that and gas is cheap again, and left Vermont last Wednesday. Drove 11 hours, ended up with an old friend in Charlottesville and then on to NC the next morn. Thursday night was a living statue gig...painted silver...in heels...for 3 hours. Oh yeah...in a bar that allowed smoking, stationed at the 'smoking lounge'. Certainly not the best gig ever, in fact, perhaps the worst but, money talks. I try to keep in mind that it's still a far cry cooler than what a lot of folks must endure for the almighty dollar, but my left knee hasn't felt quite right since....

Spent the weekend in Charlotte with my good friend Hardin, who had booked me the gigs, and generally made merry with him and his lovely wife between rehearsal and resting.

Another gig Saturday, 2 sets of hooping and then finishing the night dressed up like a Hollywood starlet and shimmying all over the dancefloor on Hardin's arm along with a bunch of fun-luvin' and- by that time- pretty well buzzed, 9-5ers. Hardin being dressed as a pompous movie director, as earlier in the night he had been MCing and mingling as Joan Rivers. He's a master character actor and impersonator and constantly amazes me with his range and energy. This gig was much better, though not without it's stresses and tinge of corporate lameness.

Left to head back to the Triangle Sunday morn...got to see my Mom and Dad, the most awesome dog EVER, Dante and then off to Carrboro to return Julia's LED hoops and wish her a happy birthday! What a treat to see one of my best friends on her birthday, such a blessing...and the occasion allowed for a bunch of old friends from that area to be around as well, so I got caught up with all sorts of folks and a good time was had by all. Time was so tight and I still didn't see all the folks I was hoping to, but am looking forward to being back in NC for the holidays for the first time in several years. Left later Sunday night than I'd hoped, after considerably more merry-making, and headed back to Virginia that same night.

By the time Monday rolled around, I was slow to leave Charlottesville, to say the least. Hit the road I finally did, but didn't get back to Brattleboro till after 3 am...with circus class bright and early the next morn. I awoke with a very small window to get out the door to a blanket of snow to further slow my progress. Slogged through class and learned the choreography for the hammock piece I'll be doing in the show...next weekend!

I then dragged my sorry self home, laid down for a 'nap' at 3 pm and slept till 9 pm...then went back to sleep till the next morn, a solid 15 hours. All that solo drivin (and merry-making ;) takes it out of a soul! December feels decidedly intense, as I have a slew of hoop orders to catch up on, a new website to chip away at, a special video project to create for, a winter cabaret performance to shine at next weekend and a general stepping it up in all areas of life. My relationship with Time is changing and demanding more of me with an exacting relentlessness. All part of my Saturn Return, I suppose, which I am right in the middle of. Thing is, all this is mounting upon my shoulders while the training itself is demanding so much of me physically that it's challenging to muster the energy to do all I 'should' be doing. Whew.

Trained for almost 4 hours yesterday, had another full day of class and a private lesson today...my body aches-albeit in a good way- and my fingers are all sore at the joints, as the hammock exerts quite a bit of tension. I can't really believe that the Winter show is next weekend, as my kindly server at the Co-op reminded me today. Goodness me!

Ballet was cancelled today, as it is icing...sheets of ice on the road and on everything. I was intending to join the gym today with some of the money I earned, as I'm needing a place to do weight training, cardio and sauna but, most importantly, to hoop!!! I haven't had hoop space for too long, it being often way too crowded in the school and, quite frankly, trying to squeeze in among a bunch of non-hooping people and circus apparatus is no fun at all. I was so drained after class today that I came home to rest a bit before heading back out to the gym, but have been warned against being on the road again, as it's already dark and icing up. One more day without hooping ;(. It'll be that much sweeter, I suppose, but it won't come soon enough...I feel disconnected with an important source of nourishment. While I've been doing many other things and learning new skills, the hoop is- like many of you know and relate to- not just a skill, but a spiritual wellspring, release and Source. Too long without it does not bode well...gonna get into that gym, and their mirrored room asap!

Lots to do...but wanted to give a shout.

Sending love and dreams of warmth to my friends and family everywhere.

Thanks to my friend Biscuit for this pic of me doing 'crocodile' handbalancing on the canes...

Riding the Phoenix Wave-Winter in Vermont

Winter has definitely come to Vermont. I woke this morning- after having finally relented to put my insulating shades down at night- to a thermometer reading 12 degrees. Lifted the shade by my window to see an icy spray against a grey backdrop. My landlord is a psychologist and told me November is her busiest month, as it comes on the heels of the trees losing their vibrant fall foliage and before the landscape transforms into a white, sunny winter wonderland. Our Thanksgiving break started yesterday but I'm staying here for the week, continuing to rehearse my piece for the winter cabaret show and being thankful for the time to get some projects completed. I started this blog a few days ago and chuckled as I left my friend Abby’s house last night after only being there for an hour, to find snow falling on an already established layer and coming down fast and full, unlike the hesitating novelty snowfall we are occasionally blessed with in North Carolina. The first real snow of the season, and I hear there’s much more to come.

It gets dark at 4:30 here…much like Seattle, where I was training this time last year, except significantly colder. Hunting season has begun and the unsettling sight of trucks sitting empty along the country roadways has a some what ominous feel. Being a Southern girl at heart, I know my wuss-like nature towards cold temperatures and this ‘tip of the iceberg’ sensation regarding the severity of the coming winter here is going to test my strength in ways far beyond the rigorous training I’m undertaking. I’ll be building strength in all sorts of ways, it seems.

A few days ago, I got an astrological update from a knowledgeable friend in NC. He had this to say about this last month:

"The astral veil continues to thin long after Halloween's phantasms and pre-election fears have flown. The current lunar cycle began with the Scorpio New Moon on Oct 28 and it concludes on Nov 27 (Thanksgiving). This is called the Phoenix Moon because the Phoenix is the esoteric symbol of Scorpio and now is the time to realize the deeper dimensions of this zodiacal sign.

Last month the world was largely taken apart, this month we begin to put it all back together again. "

On that note, in terms of a phoenix-like burning to ashes as a precursor to rebirth, I had a bit of a rough run of things right around the new moon last month, Oct. 28. Being lunar-inclined, I usually greet that part of the cycle with a welcome feeling of new beginnings and that one started no different. A little ways into that morning of training, though, at the end of a pretty full session of trapeze I was doing a series of pull-overs (swinging up and over the bar to a front balance) and, in one fell swoop, ripped several sizeable chunks of skin off of each hand. INTENSE. While a rip in one’s hand is a pretty common aerial injury, a got consensus from several folks that mine were the worst and most extensive they had ever seen. And these women have seen a lot! I got time-honored circus advice to pee on them before continuing the dressing process…I had never experienced my urine as molten lava before, but I certainly felt hardcore. In a daze of throbbing hands and a realization that *all* my practices would be impacted by the injury- spinning, tumbling and aerial- I went home to ponder.

Later that night I got a call from the man I’d been seeing through the summer, with whom I’d been quite smitten. It wasn’t a clear-cut decision to go to a 9 month circus program with my heart pulling me back towards training in Colorado, but the choice to come here and intensively take my skills to the next level was certainly the right thing to do. He knew it and supported my choice, despite voicing wishes to the contrary and fears that I’d link up with some buff handbalancer once it came time for me to leave. We parted ways looking forward to our next encounter, whenever that might be. Being the generally positive person that I am, I figured (and, yes, hoped) if it was meant to be everything would unfold towards our eventual reuniting once my training was over in the Spring. Without getting too deep into his subsequent increasing lameness and distance (ie: fear and insecurity) over the next couple months, he unceremoniously dumped me that night in a conversation ripe with contradictions, letting me known that there was ‘no future for us together’ and he didn’t want to ‘string me along’ as he has feelings for someone in Portland, where he’ll be for a good part of the winter. Ugh. Glad for the clarity I guess, but still yucky and deflated. It’s not so much my style to vent about such things in a public forum, but my bruised heart told me a little catharsis to my virtual community might help. Yeah, I liked him a lot.

When my hands ripped, I thought my plans to go to NYC for Halloween should definitely be shelved. Later that night when the juggler cut me loose, I decided my plans should definitely go back on. Little did I know, that avoidant approach of running away to provide some emotional balm was to backfire in a series of energetic smackdowns, from a ridiculously exhausting and unfulfilling Halloween night culminating in the loss of my phone to the girl I was staying with bringing home a man to her tiny one room apartment and proceeding to get freaky with him less than 5 feet from my place on the couch while I was trying to feign sleep and process my feelings about *not* having a man. Yeah, puke.

Okay, so this phoenix-like lunar cycle started off kind of rough and fire-y, true to its symbolism, but moving forward and up through the ashes…
I dressed my hands religiously and they were relatively quick to heal- the miracle of the human body! Still haven’t done much trapeze or lyra though, as blisters welled up quickly under the new skin after some bar work last week, so I’m giving them more time to fully heal and working a lot of handstands, flexibility and my new apparatus in the meantime. Focusing as much of my energy as possible on the task of my own personal, physical and professional growth has helped heal my heart too so, moving on up…

Last week things took a definite upturn, as we were told the groups and pieces we’ll be performing for the winter cabaret show Dec. 19 &20. I am cast in a group of three women doing an aerial hammock piece. We’ll each be working on our own apparatus, meaning that the choreography can most likely be used as a solo act later on. This was *great* news, as it means I’ll be basically learning a whole new apparatus and act in a little over a month. It’s intense news for the same reason! The precision needed to place ones feet/legs with the necessary amount of fabric around them for the next move with no adjusting is no small feat. I’m off to the gym now to train, train, train.

In tumbling news, I got my roundoff backhandspring (!!!) and managed a couple punch-fronts (front flips) on the sprung floor as well. Tumbling is one of my favorite classes and my progress is really encouraging.

I posted some pics of my rips (ew!), my circus friends and my ice-covered window in my Flickr account, where I’ll be adding most of the documentation of this time of my life, so as not to overwhelm my tribe page.

www.flickr.com/photos/34091138@N00/

Thanks for reading this far! I tend to be a bit long-winded and enjoy being able to catch folks up on a chunk of time at once…

That this astrological cycle is culminating at Thanksgiving could not be more appropriate. My rough spots are so inconsequential in terms of the greater struggles that folks go through on a daily basis. I know it’s all relative, but certainly feel a bit of self-consciousness at voicing such minor bumps in the road.

I give abundant thanks for my life and the people in it, from whom I learn so much.

And…PM me your contact info if you have a minute! While I was able to retrieve a fair number of older digits from a past phone, this last year’s contacts all vanished.

Much love,
Vivian Spiral

Tumbling Progress Documented!

Got a longer blog in the works about my last 2 amazing weeks-which have included Wildfire, Shakori Hills and my mother getting remarried- and the incredible beauty of Fall up here, but had another little personal victory in tumbling today that I actually got video of so...here's a short clip of me doing some back handsprings.

www.youtube.com/watch

Thanks to my little buddy Biscuit for challenging me to a back-handspring race across the floor today. I hesitated at first, saying I had never done more than 2 in a row, and even that was a *very* recent accomplishment (like last week recent). Nothing like a good natured challenge to break through some mental barriers! Thanks to Nettie for filming, and all my friends their for their jubilant encouragement ;-) I was pretty tired by the end of class, and it shows a bit in the clip, but I was too blissed out by the whole experience not to get some film and post it.

Thanks to Nicki for requesting that I take some video of this. Here it is girlie!

I am encouraged by the progress I've made in a relatively short time and am tempted to shell out the money for a second tumbling class per week. I'm pretty close to my roundoff backhandspring...Who knows, maybe I'll be posting myself doing a back tuck by the end of the year. Possible!

Got my first private in lyra (aerial hoop) yesterday and learned a ton of new stuff...will have to get some video of that soon too! Yay!

Thanks everyone for your support and encouragement. I'm definitely getting into the flow here, finally, and am stoked to be staying at home this weekend to work on a conditioning and training schedule for myself and start designing some new marketing material. Feels good to be pushing myself and reaching goals already. Bliss, expansion, growth!

in other news of minor victories...

Time is short again, as-in an unexpected twist- I have gotten a last-minute ticket to a sold out event, WildFire, which is billed as 'the East Coast's premier spinning and fire arts training camp.' As I scramble to get packed and prepared for heading there (and having hoops to wrap for Shakori Hills in NC the next weekend!) This event is only open to performing artists and has a ton of classes I am really excited to take...excited too to further connect with the regional- and national- performing community. But as busy as I am, I just had to post a quick blog about another movement success through my training...

drumroll please....

I did unassisted back handsprings today!! A ton of them! As well as a few mighty fine roundoff backhandsprings with a light spot. To 'get' the backhandspring again on my own (I was able to do them a decade ago as a cheerleader ;-) was one of my goals for this training...the fact that I've reached it in the first three weeks makes me pretty optimistic about gaining other tumbling skills in the coming months. So psyched!! Right before going for it, that Eleanor Roosevelt quote "Do one thing every day that scares you" flashed through my mind. No doubt. Success!

Just had to share that...I'm still glowing ;-))))

Hoop Camp AfterGlow

Before I got into writing down some of my impressions from what unfolded into a magical- and completely jam-packed- weekend, I spent some time reading the blogs of some of my friends and fellow presenters...Baxter, Ann, Beth, Christabel, Khan...I so appreciate taking in everyone's perspective, as well as the thorough and comprehensive nature of their blogs, as I am already feeling intense time pressure creep in due to the demanding schedule of circus school! Guess that's my way of apologizing for a somewhat shorter entry, but I wanted to post regardless, as I am still buzzing from the experience and feeling very blessed and gratified by what transpired.

I will start by saying that I, like most of us, wish it had been longer! I had to get on the road at 3am Thursday night, drive 2.5 hours in the rain to Boston and then fly out of San Jose at 6 am Monday morn. I was fighting exhaustion and a tight schedule for most of the time I was there, so much so that I didn't make it to either of the first 2 hoop jams! I felt like an old lady but, in truth, even this superhero can only go so far ;-) Teaching three times in a row on Saturday after attending three amazing workshops that morning pretty much maxed me out, despite the intense yearning I had to throw down in costume with LED hoops in the field...it just wasn't happening.

Workshop-wise, I was totally inspired and challenged by Bunny's material. She is a bright light and lovely personality and the control she has over her abdomen, using yogic-like bandha movement to propel and separate hoops on her core is *incredible*. Her class gave me powerful technical insight into the profound differences between circus style hooping and hoopdance. Much respect!

Baxter, Beth and Ann made beautiful and compelling presentations of Hoop Path material to open the weekend. Knowing Beth as long as I have, I knew- even without having connected with her in the weeks before Hoop Camp- she was probably sweating teaching in a huge way, particularly to such a large group of accomplished hoopers. She rocked it, of course, and it was lovely to see her so eloquently put words to what makes her style and approach so Flowing and graceful. Ann's words were powerful and moving and hearing her speak about the influence of myth in her life was deeply potent for me, as I too had been entranced by mythology throughout my youth and wore out some library books on the subject as well, which is probably why- like her- I've always resonated so deeply with Baxter's interweaving of myth in teaching. It was great to see Baxter teach again and be reacquainted with his power as a speaker and leader. He opened and closed the weekend with the style, wit and humor that I've always loved about him.

Jewels gave a great presentation and class on hoops in Union...axis, matrix, atom...I know she's been looking for the right word or words to really define the interlocking of twins for some time now and it's been somewhat elusive. I was moved to tears watching her demo, as she is such a beautiful dancer and she and I go *way* back. That was a powerful moment for me and her influence and inspiration in that style of working with twins has been a big part of my movement work this year, for which I have much Gratitude.

Stefan's class was fun and challenging...I missed the last part of it at Hoop Convergence earlier this year, so it was nice to get to experience the whole thing and watch an entire group of people try on the role of performer for the rest of the class...and to demonstrate the power of eye contact to the group ;-)

I've got to say though, the biggest bummer for me about the weekend was the fact that Sharna Rose and Erin Shredder were scheduled to present at the same time as me! As much as I love and respect all the teachers present, those two were the workshops I was most hoping to take...and, as fate would have it, I was unable to as we were all presenting during the same 3 hour time chunk...I can't imagine what that must have been like for a participant though, high- energy courses they all were, I'm sure!

Frankly, I had been sweating my workshop for months and, particularly in the three weeks leading up to it, I was devoting a LOT of energy, thought and, admittedly, worry to it. Despite the fact that I had taught a variation of it at Miss Rosie's Movement Play Campout in July, this had much more pressure inherent in it...90 attendees and many of the best hoopers from all over. Yikes! I mean...Yay! While I teach occasional beginner and intermediate workshops, my focus, particularly in the last couple years, has been performance. The theoretical nature of the subject matter I'd chosen-Rhythm, Form & Flow- is dear to my heart and at the very core of my experience of hoopdance, so finding the right words, exercises and techniques to share- in a 50 minute window- proved challenging. I had so many notes, such an extensive outline...and more than a little anxiety! Like Beth shared in her blog, when the time came to present, I moved into a place of calm assurance and passion about my subject that carried me confidently through each- demo heavy- workshop. Whew!

As it turned out, and I should have known, my intro and movement instruction pertaining to particular movement technique ran longer than I'd anticipated, so much so that two entire songs that I'd intended for us all to Flow together didn't get played at all. Instead, in each class, when I got to my last bit of movement instruction- explaining dynamic stalling and sustained spinning, two strong elements of my movement identity- I ended up at Massive Attack's 'What Your Soul Sings', a lyrically powerful and ethereal track that I'd intended to have everyone try spinning to. That song really moves me and, as I was processing a bit of heartache that weekend, the lyrics hit incredibly powerfully...and I began to spin. I hadn't intended it to be a demo, but it turned into one every time as the ending to my workshop...and it was incredibly powerful, humbling and elevating because, every time, my dance brought people in the class to tears...particularly in the second group, you sweet, sweet souls! I was just amazed and awed by the reactions I got to this, and it touched me more deeply than I can properly express. That assured me that people really *felt* me, and the experience I- and so many of us- have in our hoops, and the experience of transcendent Flow that I was seeking to encourage and emphasize through my workshop focus. It's also a feeling you can't really 'get' through a youtube clip...as so many in our community are professed youtube addicts ;-) I was incredibly gratified by the feedback I received and the impression I made..thank you all for being such attentive and heart-open students!

The next day was more incredible food and off to Shakti and Ali's forum on hoop business/performance/troupe dynamics. They did a great job holding space and offering advice on subjects that can be tenuous and tedious and it was great to touch on those issues in such a large group of hoop entreprenuers. I was also tickled that they let me read- and then proceeded to share in their other sessions- Dr. Lucky's Performance Tips (see my previous blog). While a bit harsh, a lot of it applies to the hoop world which seems particularly rife with new performers.

Gotta say, Shakti has also been a big inspiration for me this past year in both movement and character. Though she was not an official movement presenter at Hoop Camp, I had to give a shout-out, as she has shared isolation tips galore AND she and her fella-the uber talented and delightfully quirky- Rainbow Michael are the creators of the mini-hoops that were a big hit at Hoop Camp and, I'm guessing, will be spreading around the community like wildfire. It was an honor (though a slightly unnerving and intoxicated one;-) to debut the minis in the talent show with her, Jewels and Ali. Fun times! This woman is a big reason why I'm most likely heading to Colorado after circus school. Much love!

Christabel's HoopSexy was an interesting challenge for me to stay on the core and out of my 'zone' . I appreciated experiencing her self-assured and energetic teaching style and the visualizations she brought forth. She is electric and empowered.

And then there was Anah...she had taught this same workshop at Hoop Convergence, so I knew to a certain extent what to expect. She is a true master and it was a pleasure to be around her and learn from her this weekend. I really appreciated her beginning her class with some words about one's personal hoop style and size. When I decided to move down to a markedly smaller size several years ago and then the others in the Carrboro tribe followed suit...and then folks in the rest of the country, it seemed that the unfortunate result of that trend was the general idea that small=best/advanced/substitute whatever superlative, to the detriment of folks really feeling what might bring out their best experience of Flow. Truly, to Flow in dance with a hoop, most folks do/look/feel better with a larger hoop. At least having the option of using both is a good thing to facilitate learning and releasing a seemingly pervasive sense of pressure to go ever-further down in hoop diameter, to the point that it seems almost ridiculous. I have had several people in the last year express their frustration with working with a too-small hoop and feeling as though they weren't good hoopers as a result...so to hear a Madre such as Anah validate using larger or, simply, truly personal resonance hoops was refreshing.

The night before, we had had a 'secret' hoop jam with a lot of the presenters in the schoolhouse (which may have contributed to my not having the energy for the later hoop jam but it was SO worth it) and after I was tuckered out I actually took a moment to sit and watch, which is rare, and got, for me, the performance treat of the weekend as Anah took the floor. I was brought to tears just taking in her Flow, her incredible prowess and mastery of the Dance. Absolutely gorgeous and gifted.

OKOK, as soon as I typed 'the' performance treat of the weekend, I had to add...that the jam I finally did make- on Sunday night at the lighthouse- was EPIC. Getting to see Shredder's stage presence in fire hoop performance, followed by Sharna Rose's fire flow was movement candy heaven!

OhOh, and, though he wasn't an official presenter, one of my absolute highlights was getting clear instruction from Rich on the isolation breaks he's been channeling this year. Homeboy is skilled, humble and a very patient and eloquent teacher. Thank you so much for taking the time to work with me and others repeatedly to share your skills. Much Gratitude!

Thanks also to Heather for making it all come together and making me a part of the weekend, great job! Loved the talent showcase Friday night too! Miss Rosie's cheers were tha bomb and spurred a personal breakthrough for me..thanks girl! Natasha's beatboxing monologue, so many folks mindblowing poetry...we are such a multi-talented bunch!

Geez, I knew this wouldn't stay short...I think I'm incapable of brevity, especially when it comes to describing epic levels of hoop bliss and community! Though there were some strong and talented folks that weren't able to be there (Revolva, Nicki, Nayeli) it was a great gathering of souls united in the hoop and I am grateful to have been a part and to contribute.

Much Love and thanks to you all...and see you there next year!

Dr. Lucky's Tips fpr Budding Burlesque (and Hoop?) Babes

So, I'm breaking out of my norm and taking a burlesque class with the fabulous Trixie Little this term and she just sent out this helpful, interesting and eye-opening list of tips from the renowned Dr. Lucky...a burlesque performer and PhD out of NYC. I unashamedly love them, though they may be a bit harsh...and see quite a few parallels to the proliferation of hoop performers and some of what's transpiring in that world. See what you think and take her edge with a grain o salt!

Dr. Lucky's Top 10 Tips for Budding Burlesque Babes

1. Respect Your Predecessors
Always acknowledge those that have helped pave the path that you now
find yourself on. You haven't invented anything. Everything has been done
before. Which is both liberating and challenging. The history of
burlesque spans over 150 years while the circus arts go back, well,
let's just say WAY before that. Which leads me to 2…

2. Do Your Research
See shows, read books, watch movies, watch YouTube. Subscribe to
listserves dedicated to the scene. Surf the net, watch videos on
YouTube, and be a myspace whore. Know the major players in the scene. Your
humility will enable you to learn an amazing wealth of knowledge from
experienced performers. Which will help you avoid 3…

3. Don't Copy Others
Inspiration is one thing. Stealing (or borrowing heavily which is
basically stealing) a signature move or concept is another. No one owns
the fan dance at this point but you should avoid copying something
you've seen before (which, if you haven't seen anything, see point 2). And if
you are recreating a classic, simply attribute the original as
inspiration. Dirty Martini makes it very clear that certain numbers are
inspired by her predecessors (see point 1). She acknowledges these as
"tributes" (and the person who originated the idea) and always inserts
her own "original idea." Make sure you are making an original contribution
and not simply copying. Which leads me to 4…

4. Don't Use the Stripper CD ("Striptease Classics")
Many pick this CD up to start and everyone is tired of hearing the same
f*cking songs over and over again. One suggestion, borrowed from Julie
Atlas Muz' advice to my students at NYU in the past (see point 3), is
to pick a song you love. A song that you can listen to over and over (and
over) again. Simple as that. Of course, you may use the stripper CD if
you are making fun of it. In which case, if you are making fun of it,
anything goes! Burlesque is, after all, largely (though not wholly)
about parody. Which segues, quite nicely, I do say so myself, into 5…

5. Avoid Cliché Archetypes
There's a fine line between cliché and clever. As a general rule, if
you can buy the concept of your act from a plastic bag at Target during
Halloween (i.e. kitty cat, naughty nurse, dirty school girl/teacher,
angel, devil, housewife) you may either want to consider: 1) coming up
with another archetype or 2) work the hell out of it in an unexpected
way or make fun of it (see tip 4). Most burlesque numbers use archetypes
of some type but after seeing 6 housewife numbers in a night, the audience
may grow tired. Even if you do 2 (i.e., work the fuck out of it/make
fun of it [in which case anything goes]), you will still want to avoid, at
all costs, 6…

6. Your Underwear is Not A Costume
I cannot stress this enough. This is not a Victoria Secret runway or a
Pussycat Dolls Show. If you want to do a sexy strip down to your
panties, stay at home. Clothes in your closet, no matter how fabulous, are not
enough for the stage and require bejeweling, bedazzling, and general
whoring out. Which as a concept and a lifestyle cannot be separated
from 7…

7. Do Not be Pedestrian
People are paying to see you perform. Entertain them at all times and
at all costs. From the moment you walk into a space until the moment you
leave, you are performing a personae. No one wants to hear about your
shitty day job or how early you have to get up in the morning (unless,
of course, you're going on tour or flying to Paris). Which, once you've
mastered, is inextricably linked to 8…

8. Build Your Character
You does not equal Your Stage Personae. Make up stories. Invent
origins, biographies, performance history. Pretend you are way more fabulous
than you are. Eventually, you'll start to believe it and so will others.
But be aware that you do not forget rule 9…

9. Being Fabulous Does Not Mean Being a Diva: Make It Work
Turn mistakes into new choreography; no one will know something wasn't
planned unless you tell them. Throwing tantrums backstage, complaining
about the sound or space or [fill in the blank] is annoying. Fellow
performers are your allies. Save the catty crap for close friends. Do
not talk shit or complain. Commiserating is one thing; making an entire
show about you, you, you! is another. Which leads me to the 10th but
not final tip…

10. Practice. Practice. Practice.
You will probably suck for awhile and until you become a veteran
performer, you may be able to pull it off despite your greenness by
practicing. Maybe sometimes you will get lucky but practicing is an
even better strategy. That means practicing with music, full costume, and
choreography from beginning to end until you are ready to puke or are
really, really bored. Control props and costumes; don't let them
control you. Which leads me to the three final basics of all performance which,
though they may be dreadfully obvious, are worth restating: 1) have
fun; 2) be in the moment; and 3) smile!


Oh, and one more bonus tip for those ready to take on the word of our
savior, our Lady Luck, the Patron Saint of Glamour, MORE = MORE and LESS
=LESS. Once you recognize the power of those simple but provocative
equations, excess and glamour will rule your life. Amen. www.lukki.com

Week Two: Sore and Inspired!

The end of week two…settling into this place, reveling in the soreness of my body. We’ve been doing lots of rigorous conditioning and I can already see and feel it in my body. I’ve been running 5 of the last 6 days and it’s the first time in about a decade that I’ve done so. Hence, for the last 4 days, my legs-quads and Achilles- have been so incredibly sore that walking up and down stairs and bending down to sit have taken on a new delicacy. But it hurts so good! For some time now I’d been feeling as though my years of practicing hoops had focused disproportionately on my upper body-core and arms- and neglected my lower half. So it feels great to run and push myself in that way. We have a beautiful, non-asphalt trail through the woods and around a cemetery and I’m trying to take as much advantage of it as I can before the cold weather renders it unusable.

Other fun news on the physical plane…breakthroughs already! I’ve been a yoga practitioner for 7 years and have practiced scorpion-like positions in yoga for some time now- either in elbow balance or in full locust (which in contortion is called a chest stand)- and had always been barely able to see a sliver of my toes above my head. After a couple days of observing and mimicking some of our star contortionist Kevin’s back stretches, I pushed into a chest stand and went for it…kicking myself in the forehead with the ball of my foot! Then, feeling encouraged and also pondering the degree to which my fear of back injury ha psychologically held me back from going further into the stretch, I went into chest stand again and touched the toes of both feet on the ground in front of me. Huge! What a rush! Since then I’ve been even more avidly stretching and voraciously reading any and all contortion info I can find online. I was unprepared with my camera for these first, fun personal victories, but I am so getting a picture of this…I was amazed with myself and it felt incredibly good to accomplish at only a week and a half into the program. I envision and intend to be able to press up into handstand from chest-stand and see myself finally being able to develop the contact-juggling contortion-influenced act I’ve been envisioning for some years now. Lots of diligent practice and training will be needed, of course, and I have no illusions about it being easy…just excitement about it being possible!

I’m bonding with my fellow classmates and enjoying the ease of being in this lovely small town. I’ve had some great adventures this year in big, beautiful cities, but it is such a comforting feeling of lightness to once again be in a place where you don’t have to lock the doors of your house or car or have your life dictated by rush hour traffic. Definitely still feeling the pressure of having to hustle some performance work to be able to keep up with bills, but with Hoop Camp coming up next weekend, my main focus is preparing for that. Looking forward to connecting with the greater hoop community and the breakthroughs and development inherent in such an event.

Love to y’all!

West to East...Transition to Vermont, part 1

So, I’m here. Vermont. Circus school. It’s been a heck of a transition on the heels of a very rambling, fast-paced year, and my level of exhaustion when I arrived- with a little over an hour till my orientation meeting- definitely had me feeling weak through the first week of classes. My entry here felt as though I came running full-force into a whole new life which awaited me promptly at the finish line of an asphalt marathon fueled by caffeine, gasoline, grace, and good music. Basically, by the skin of my teeth and with the help of some very attentive guardian angels.Although I washed the van clean in Denver, everything in her was still covered in playa dust to an almost comical degree. Unpacking that load didn't even happen for two days, as I dragged through the first day of class and collapsed into 12 hours of sleep. Getting my period just in time for strength testing, loads of conditioning and a series of humbling, humbling, humbling physical experiences wreaked more than a little havoc with my internal state, but thankfully that’s easing up and perspective is returning. Though I think crying my eyes out all morning while reading a copy of Paulo Cohelo’s ‘Eleven Minutes’ cover to cover was my thorough emotional penance for this month’s Pisces full moon. Goodness, talk about catharsis! But it was heavenly to be in a chill, private spot and take the time to read a book and-further-to be able to openly process feelings alone in a safe place. It’s been too long a while since I’ve been able to do that…

I’ve been here a little under a week and-with the full class schedule and catching up on a lot of missed sleep- I *just* got my bags unpacked and my room situated yesterday. It was a powerfully relaxing feeling to take my things out of all the bags they’ve been living in for the last year! Indescribable comfort and grounding descended on me as I spread out into a living space, putting things in their place, and really began inhabiting a place again. This spot came through at the last moment as I was driving here and is really affordable (gratitude!). It’s on the end of a beautiful big home in the country with a nice woman and her two teenage children. My own room! I don’t know how I’ve been without one for over a year. I love to create my living spaces as works of art and am very pleased at how I’ve set up my place, and in the opportunity to let my creativity be expressed in that way again. It’s a nice size space, very 5th chakra in color; perfectly harmonizing with my path at the moment, and all the blue and green fabric and adornments I’ve collected over the years ;). There’s enough room to do yoga and practice sphere and hoop (well, ninja-style hoop awareness exercises anyway). Having my power objects and reminders of Divinity and sentimentality everywhere is an incredible comfort and creates a necessary foundation from which to grow over the course of what is going to be a rigorous and fruitful course of study.

Once I got it all set up yesterday I had a great practice session of contact sphere that had me appreciating the thick dark blue carpet (though the rest of the house is lovely pine floors)…and then spent a good chunk of time as I drifted off to sleep wishing my friends could come visit the lovely place I’m in and sensing how far away my people are from me right now. Good thing there are new wonderful people coming into my life and much, much work on my plate…

Turns out, Vermont is pretty gorgeous. I had never been here before and, upon driving into the state, noticed their tagline is ‘The Green Mountain State’. It’s accurate, for sure. Brattleboro is the first exit over the state line and is a lovely town surrounded by low, lush mountains, criss-crossed by rivers and streams, and chock full of friendly artists, families and circus folk. This is bucolic beauty at it’s finest…surreal almost. The leaves are barely beginning to turn and I hear the fall here is epic. I’ll be sure to document!

That’s all for now…much more to come, as I am now grounded, with a desk, an internet connection, a digital camera, and an exciting new phase of life ahead. First picture installment is here, the view out my front window, to the left of my own little stone front porch. A sweet tree swing, an Obama sign, a beautiful barn (of which there are many here) and yes, green mountains. To the left of this is a dirt road that winds up into the woods, following a stream. Pretty sweet…home sweet home for now.

I am blessed.