Dancing in DC

25 Dec 2012 1 Comment

by Lara Adrienne in Uncategorized Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,

My week-long stay in Washington, DC was a whirlwind of friends, family, fine food, and of course, dancing.
Arriving on a Thursday at midnight, I performed the next day at TurCuisine, and then again on Saturday at Sahara Lounge. These are my favorite places to perform in the DC/MD/VA area, because the atmosphere is lovely, and both venues give me the Beyonce treatment. I hadn’t performed at Sahara since they opened a few years ago, and they’ve expanded their bright family-style restaurant to include a smoky, happenin’ hookah lounge and bar next door.

20121225-053938.jpg
Another highlight was my second performance at TurCuisine the following Friday. I gained two new fans. After the show, a two year old boy and his three year old sister approached me to say hello. Unbeknownst to their parents, the boy reached into his pocket to tip me with his very own money. Not to be upstaged by her little brother, the girl rushed back to her table to present me with a precious (plastic) jewel.

20121225-051002.jpg
Now I’m in LA with more family

20121225-052124.jpg

until December 28th. I know my trip is coming to an end, because I’ve just awakened from a version of the recurring nightmare I have where I’m in the right country at the wrong time–in my dream, I nearly missed my flight back to Turkey, and therefore, my New Year’s Eve performance in Adana. Cold sweat!

Happy holidays, everyone!

20121225-055112.jpg

Homelust (Wanderlust + Homesickness)

23 Jul 2012 Leave a Comment

by Lara Adrienne in Uncategorized Tags: , , , , ,

I know I’ve only just returned from Montenegro and Cyprus, and that I’m going to England in a month, but I’m getting that restless feeling again, and these short trips (wonderful and exciting as they are) aren’t scratching the itch.

I miss America! I’d like to have:

a medicinal herb holiday (I need to recoup) in Northern California, visiting cousins, friends, and enjoying nature

family time with my nephews, sister, and a little Hollywood glamour in LA

a visit to Seattle and/or Portland, just because

a stop in Ohio for old times’ sake (best friends and their babies, my dad) and another in North Carolina because if I don’t go soon, my bosom buddy out there might very well write me off forever

and time in Washington, DC–because home is where the heart and the vegan food are.

Of course I’d need to dance in each and every one of these places, preferably a combination of performing, teaching, and studying, and earn some money while I’m there to finance the trip.

Then I could come back to Turkey.  Or go to Hong Kong, then Turkey.  Or Hong Kong, Indonesia (they tell me it’s beautiful), then Turkey.

Then I’d be satisfied.  For awhile, anyway.

Pix w/ Pixie

13 Oct 2011 Leave a Comment

by Lara Adrienne in Uncategorized Tags: , , , , , , ,

I was in Los Angeles last week, partying with some very cool people: A classmate from the University of Salamanca, Spain, who’s now a television producer, my Sicilian fashionista friend from Chicago, a long-lost coworker from my teaching days in Turkey, my sister, her beautiful family, and ballers like this:

photo: V. Incandela

My lil' nephew. Photo: V. Incandela

While I was in LA, I had a photo shoot scheduled with the one and only Pixie Vision Productions.

Upon entering the garage on the way to have my makeup done for the shoot, what should happen?

. . . A large, metal ladder fell on my face.  It hurt.  A lot.

I had a big knot on my forehead, and looked a bit like a unicorn, which is pretty special, but not quite the concept I’d had in mind.

Needless to say, we canceled the shoot. :(

We tried again after the swelling had had 24 hours to go down.

The photo shoot was a success!

Adventures of a nomadic belly dancer

19 Aug 2011 1 Comment

by Lara Adrienne in Uncategorized Tags: , , , , , ,

I returned to Istanbul for the last three weeks of my summer in Turkey.  As much as I love performing in amphitheaters, three months of sand, sun, mountain views and daily shows is quite enough when you’re dealing with an arrogant manager and a roommate who snores.

It’s the holy month of Ramazan, so as my gigs in Istanbul are at Turkish events, and not touristic locations, things are slow dance-wise until bayram, when it’s time to celebrate.   I am enjoying Istanbul city-life and friends, but I should probably find sometime to practice so I don’t lose the ab definition and ease on stage that I gained while constantly performing in Bodrum.

I have so many things to look forward to during the next few months.  Bayram gigs are just the beginning.  I’ll be headed to the United States for nearly three glorious months, starting in early September.  I miss my family and will be traveling from the East to the West coast to see them all.  My brother, who lives in Hong Kong and who I see once a year at best, will be making his annual trip home at the same time.  I have gigs waiting for me in DC, plus, I applied to perform in the accompanying gala show for American History of Belly Dancers of Color, a documentary by Lotus Niraja, a dancer whom I greatly admire. Let’s see if I’m performance DVD ready.  (Crosses fingers.)

After Thanksgiving, I’ll be headed back to Istanbul to find my dream apartment and gear up for the New Year.

Life is exciting.

Maybe I’m biased, but

23 Dec 2010 Leave a Comment

by Lara Adrienne in Uncategorized Tags: ,

I think my nephews are the cutest people ever.  The two year old calls the two month old “Pookie.”

Share

No rest for the weary! But I love it.

12 Nov 2010 Leave a Comment

by Lara Adrienne in Uncategorized Tags: , , , , , ,

I’ve just returned to DC from a whirlwind two-week trip.  I should sleep, but my mind is still running a mile a minute.  I visited my sister and her family, and my mother in Los Angeles.  I’m sure everyone says this, but it really is true in this case: My two nephews are the cutest and cleverest children  on Earth.  Really.  The six week-old is already showing signs of brilliance.

After that, on to the California Bay Area, my other home, (does a nomadic belly dancer really have a home?) where I had a coaching session under the expert critical eye of dance coach Najia Marlyz, and performed with the band Al-Azifoon at El Morocco, got a chance to see one of my supercool California friends, and hang out a few more days with my hilarious, supportive, artistic mother.

I left Oakland on a harrowing flight (which I nearly missed) to Philadelphia, by way of Seattle and Salt Lake City.  (Tidbit of advice for you: Don’t put off booking a flight when you know you have to be somewhere.  The deals aren’t going to get any better.)  In addition to what amounted to a full day of exhausting travel, my seatmate on the last and longest leg of the trip snored and emitted putrid gases as he slept.  (I could write an entire blog entry on this guy, but I’ve already said too much.)

In Philadelphia, I participated in Sahra Saeeda‘s Journey through Egypt Certification 1, an intensive dance ethnology course on the regional folkloric dances of Egypt and their history.  Sahra Saeeda is so inspiring!  Don’t be surprised if soon I’m blogging from Cairo.

Now, home again, and back to “normal” life.  Teaching belly dance to women and little girls, dressing up like a Princess, a court date in Virginia (I can’t believe they talked me into this one, but again, that’s a topic for another blog), running a guest house with an iron (but hospitable) fist, etc.

Next weekend, it’ll be headlining a show at Cazbar (exciting!), and then the filming of Project Top Belly Dancer. . .  a belly dance reality show.  Wish me luck!

Share

Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 36 other followers