The Life of A Ladybug

My new bellydance beatbox boyfriend!

This past weekend, we danced at Rakkasah East in New Jersey. Of course, it was a weekend of fun, festival and dancing! In the midst of all the shimmy shenanigans, I fell in love.  Onto the stage came this band and in the midst of this band was a skinny little dude. He proceeded to pick up a mic. I expected him to start singing something Middle Eastern-y. But no. Instead, wonder of wonders, he started to beatbox. Like hell, you say! Yes, indeed ... this skinny little dude is a beatbox wonder. He boom boom katted for bellydancer after bellydancer and, over at my table, a happy little dancer named Makeda (that would be me) popped and locked and shimmied to her heart's content.

I could not contain my love for him and declared him my new "bellydance beatbox boyfriend" at that very moment. One of my fellow troupe members actually went over and told him and he came over to introduce himself to me and give me a big hug. I then bought two of his CDs and he signed them: "To Makeda, with love from Pete ... Your bellydance beatbox boyfriend". SIGH.

See the attached pic for my new love. He's on the right.

The NDC presents ... Shimmilicious 2!

For those of you who've never had the pleasure of seeing The Niraja Dance Company in action or those of you who have and would love to see it again ... the NDC proudly presents ... Shimmilicious 2!

This is our second annual professional bellydance gala.  The show will be held on November 3, 2007, at the Embassy Suites Hotel BWI.  This year, we will be featuring Midnight Mirage, a fabulous troupe from Utah (www.midnightmirage.com), as well as other fabulous bellydance artists from the Baltimore/Washington area and other friends in the bellydance community, nationwide.  The NDC will be reprising a few of our favorite pieces from this past year, so you'll get to see us dancing those routines I've been talking about!

For more information and to purchase tickets, please go to www.lotusniraja.com (or you can contact me).  Tickets went on sale Wednesday and are $20 up until October 31st, when the price will go up to $25.  Hope to see you there!

We still need your votes!

If you haven't voted for us, you still have time!  Voting continues through August 15th.   Every vote counts!  Please pass the word to all your friends - they don't have to know or care anything about bellydancing to vote.

Lotus Niraja and The NDC have been nominated by Zaghareet Magazine for
a Golden Belly Award! To cast your vote, visit zaghareet.freeservers.com/poll.html

Troupe of the Year: The Niraja Dance Company
Favorite Cabaret/Oriental Dancer: Lotus Niraja

Thanks for your votes!

Begging for votes ...

Yesterday, we (The Niraja Dance Company) found that we have been nominated for a Golden Belly Award, given by Zaghareet Magazine!  This is a big honor and we're nominated alongside very well-known, nationally recognized troupes.  So, as a favor to me ... can you vote for us, pretty please?  This is a people's choice vote, so every vote counts - whether you're a bellydance aficionado, or not. 

Also, my mentor, Lotus Niraja, is nominated as Favorite Cabaret/Oriental Dancer.  Wow.  We're so proud of her.  Vote for her, too, please!

So, it's really easy.  Please, if you can, send an e-mail to Zaghareet Magazine at zaghareetmagazine@earthlink.net.  You can cut and paste the below:

Favorite Cabaret/Oriental Dancer: Lotus Niraja

Troupe of the Year: Niraja Dance Company

Please be sure to include your name/address (so they know you haven't voted more than once - we can beg for votes, but we can't stuff the ballot box!).

Thanks for considering this.  We work really, really hard and this is such an honor for us.

If you want to check us out (before or after voting, LOL!), you can go to www.thendc.net.

Today's Tiny Toya

No, nothing is wrong.  If you're looking at Tiny Toya and wondering why she's sporting that beautifully glossy black head of quite wavy hair, it is not because I have decided to go back to relaxing or have dyed my hair.  Today, I danced at the Holistic Health Fair here at work and wore a wig.  A very long, wavy, flippy, glossy wig.  It was part of the costume.  Nothing more.  I will be snatching it off as soon as I get home.  This reminds me why I am happy that I don't have long, relaxed hair anymore.  This morning, it got stuck to my lipgloss and, at one point, I thought something was crawling on me because it was touching my neck - ick!  Bring back the afro puff!!!!

Some pictures from my photo shoots w/Shannon

My friend Shannon is a phenomenal photographer and since I didn't have any great pictures of myself in costume, she agreed to do some photo shoots with me.  These aren't all of them, but yesterday, we went to the most beautiful place and took pics of me in tribal bellydance garb.  Also, if you scroll all the way down, you'll see a couple shots of me from my cabaret shoot. 

I love them!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/s_parks_s

Prayers go out ...

Today, I watched the memorial service for the Virginia Tech students who were killed in the horrible massacre yesterday.  I cried through it.  This is so awful.  There are no words.  I am praying for all the families and other students who have been, and will continue to be, affected.

One of the students killed was a fellow bellydancer.  Her name was Reema.  Her brother had just watched her dance in a festival on Sunday and it was the last time he saw her alive.  If you're interested in seeing her picture and reading a bit about her, click here.  Scroll down to find more information on Reema.

Today - The "I attended a workshop taught by Raqia Hassan" Edition!

Okay, I'll get into the fashion, make-up and whatnot in a minute, but can I just say that today as been one of the most exciting of my life!!!!  Today, I was taught by Madame Raqia Hassan!  Raqia freakin' Hassan, y'all!  Okay, okay ... I know that most of you aren't bellydancers or bellydance afficionados, so let me just say ... in my opinion, Raqia Hassan is the best living bellydancer today.  She is the teacher's teacher.  The teacher of all the big Egyptian dancers.  It is the chance of a lifetime to take one of her workshops and this opportunity may never have come around for me again, unless I traveled to Egypt and managed to snag a private lesson with her (which I fully intend to do someday).  I am so in awe, still.  I couldn't believe I was standing so close to her that I could have reached out and touched her.  I was able to catch eyes with her and shimmy - ahhhh.  It was such a moment.

At one point, she got on stage to demonstrate how the choreography should go together, got swept away, and wound up performing the entire dance for us.  A five-minute live performance with Raqia, who doesn't even perform anymore.  God.  I couldn't dance along - I simply couldn't.  It seemed disrespectful, somehow.  I was so mesmerized by her, that I just cried.  There's no way I can explain this to any of you who don't know who Raqia is, but I know all of you have some person out there who would blow you away at sight ... she's one of those people for me.

Okay ... on to the beauty and fashion.  Today's stuff was minimal, since I was in a five-hour dance workshop.

Last night's skincare:

• Cetaphil Daily Cleanser for Normal to Oily Skin
• Neutrogena Alcohol-Free Toner
• Paula's Choice Antioxidant Serum
• Walgreen's Eye Cream with Vitamin D

Today's skincare:

• Cetaphil Daily Cleanser for Normal to Oily Skin
• Garnier Nutritioniste Daily Renewing Serum
• Neutrogena Oil-Free Moisture SPF 15

Today's make-up:

• MAC Select Cover-Up in NC42 and NC45
• MAC Studio Fix Foundation Powder in NC45
• E.L.F. Brightening Eye Liner Pencil in Noir
• Maybelline Full 'n Soft Mascara in Very Black
• Soft Lips Lip Balm in Strawberry Sherbet
• Stila Cheek Duo in Pink Glow - the light pink side
• MAC Lipglass in Malibu Barbie*

Today's ensemble:

• black junior tee with "Shimmilicious" in silver
• black cropped yoga pants
• black tie-up jazz shoes (in class), black ballerina flats (to and from class)
• black zip-up hoodie with "The Niraja Dance Company" in silver embroidery on the back
• silver square earrings
• wedding set
• silver thumb rings
• silver etched ring
• carrying hot pink patent leather Bijou tote

Today's fragrance:

Fresh Sugar Blossom perfume

*= limited edition

Lotus Niraja and the NDC featured on iShimmy.com!

Read the interview with my mentor, Lotus Niraja, who talks about the Niraja Dance Company.  I am so proud to be a member!  We work hard, y'all!

http://www.ishimmy.com/Columns/Quarter_Star_Dancer/Lotus_Niraja/

Leila Haddad

I was privileged to take a workshop with Leila Haddad at the 2006 Bellydancers of Color Association's BOCAFest.  I took a melaya leff workshop with her and it was a monumental event in my dance career.  Her style of teaching and dance is extremely inspirational.  Having her say to me that she "liked my spirit" brightened my whole month and I know that, one day, I will dance melaya leff and it will be in her honor!

Read an interview with this awesome woman and see how she believes bellydance is a political act: http://www.ishimmy.com/Columns/Dancer_To_Dancer/Leila_Haddad/