Going Home

That was then, and this is now. I am going home.


Sometimes you need to release negative energies and complain, commiserate, wallow in your own excrement for a minute before you can let go and move on. It took me over a month to be able to write my last blog post - considering the gap between entries, I was so incredibly busy with all aspects of the show (planning, practicing, organizing, making gigantic elaborate costumes and headdresses) that the blow of not being able to perform hit me pretty hard and I could barely process the chain of events from June into July for awhile, much less write about them and show off my hard work (that was almost a complete bust.) Almost two months later, just a few days ago, I was able to post that last entry after many previous attempts at completing it. And I miss writing here in my Perfect World... but discouragement and despair are not emotions I can allow myself to dwell on for very long. Because baby, I am going HOME!

Just a few more days and I'll see you in the dust. Today, right now, packing is the last thing I want to do... I had a shitty night of sleep, my body aches, and my nose is stuffy. I am praying this will pass, quickly, and I can make my journey without any of the million issues that have already tested me. I had all these grand plans to make all these things (clothing, jewelry, hairpieces) before I left and pack super efficiently with all my daytime/nighttime outfits bagged up - the only way to do it, I guess - and all I can say right now is we'll see. We'll see how we actually get out there (travel buddies bailed last minute), we'll see how efficient I get with packing (considering how I feel today) and we'll see if I get around to making anything else (when I kinda just want to go back to bed.)

I'm performing with Aish Tamid, the only East coast conclave accepted this year, and we'll be performing with a group of the most talented performers from Philly around the man before it burns. I think this one was from last year, but to give you an idea how this looks....

I will be one of those tiny fiery dots, as the rest of the festival gathers around for the climax of a week of building, partying, getting extremely dirty and loving it. (Mostly.)

Just a few more days, and I'll be home.

Despite & Considering...

 

Laughing onstage at Karnival with my dance partner Jexi because our flames are completely out.

Image courtesy of  Redlite Photos (view the rest of the set on Facebook here)

Because sometimes, no matter how prepared you are, how many times you practiced leading up to this night and even if you're just crossing your fingers that you won't make a mistake (and with what I do, can potentially involve burns and other hazardous incidents) ... you just have to laugh. You might as well smile up there, because despite all your preparedness, "technical difficulties" happen and it's not always how you wanted it to be.

No bashing necessary - I got that out of my system later that night. These things happen, and all I can say was that it was an excellent chance to have a dress rehearsal of our piece before PEX Summer Festival. The weather held out, it didn't pour down rain on us and even let up by the time anyone had to perform on stage. No one dropped their fans or forgot the choreography. Considering our fans went out with 1/3 song left (the music didn't quite get started when we wanted it to, leaving us standing there waiting for the cue, forced to wave our fans about just to get the heat off our hands...) we did pretty freaking good. I'm proud of my fellow Lux Arati ladies, love you all bunches and LOVE performing with you no matter what.

(Considering also, that the entire day leading up to that night was a royal headache - had to stay late at work, then my car wouldn't start, rushing to finish my bra for this costume and not even getting there on time... I'd say despite everything, somehow it was still a success?)

Another shot of our performance by Redlite Photos. Note the half burnt out wicks. :)

This makes me even more excited for the summer and beyond. (Just wait till you catch a glimpse of what The Penny Treats have up their sleeve.)

Dangerous & Exciting things: Fire, Karnival, and Russian Roulette

April is flying by, my friends. Feels like the First Friday show just happened, but the month is almost over.

I've been taking a break from fine art and general painting, for the most part -- my post-art-show decompression activities have included practices, rehearsals and/or meetings nearly every night of the week in preparation for upcoming performances and shows. By day I'm a brunch slinging, cappucino crafting barista... then I spend countless hours concocting and calculating the perfect balance of visual psychedelic geometric dreamscapes in oils and acrylics... by night I'm a fire twirling, feather teasing alter-ego of myself on stage and in my "spare time" (what's that, again?)  I'm customizing said alter-egos showstopping threads from old tired garments and thrift store scores... all while planning a 45 minute, prime night & time fire variety show for a festival of a few thousand attendees.

Scorch Fire Show, PEX Summer Festival 2010 - performing the opening number, "Shiva." 

Photo by Oscar P.

It's that time of year again and planning for the summer's festivities, including the now legendary PEX Summer Festival has begun. Though it started with a disorganized dream, four years later we find ourselves for the first time keeping the exact same show name and administrative team - the Russian Roulette Variety Show, featuring the hottest, most talented troupes and performers from Philadelphia (and beyond) showcasing their newest work every year at PEX Summer Fest in the coveted Friday night spot. I am proud to announce that The Russian Roulette Variety Show is now accepting submissions for performers as well, which you can do by filling out the form here.

 A shot from behind the "stage" - Scorch Fire Show,  PEX Summer Festival 2010. Jexime Icon performing her fire fan solo in front of the Shiva fire sculpture (built for the show by Vinny Gasper, funded by a grant from PEX.)

 Photo by Emily Watson.

 Scorch Fire Show, PEX Summer Festival 2010 - performing the opening number, "Shiva." 

Photo by Emily Watson.  

R.R.V.S., please be advised, is a variety show - meaning there is no performance genre too weird (or too normal either, I suppose) to be considered. But performers be advised - if you haven't already begun working on the piece you are thinking of submitting, you may be out of luck. Giving that the festival is only a few months away, we are looking for troupes and performers that already have their shit together, to put it bluntly. Along with filling out the application form, you are required to submit a video to us of your current progress for your specific performance for the show. (Even if it's rough, even if you don't have it 100% figured out, we need to see it. Apparently some folks don't understand this concept.) Chances are if you haven't started working on this already, it might not be "done" in time for PEX. If this is your situation, don't fret - this is not the first, nor the last show from Russian Roulette. If you really want to put in the effort, chances are you will be able to be part of this magnificent and magnanimous show.



Why are we implementing such specific guidelines and demanding requirements for Russian Roulette? It's very simple - for one, of course, we want our show to be the best it can be. Keeping the acts interesting, different... the choreography polished, the music varied, making sure the entire show flows in a way that will keep our audience eagerly awaiting the next act. No awkward pauses between acts, no boring 7 minute solo acts with the same prop, NO intermission (people just get up and leave) and of course, no one catching on fire. (Very important.) Most of us involved on the administrative team have been doing a similar show for the past few years, and we've made the mistakes we needed to make to learn from them... this "disorganized dream" that wasn't even my own, when it began, has come a long way. (When I first got involved and the summer festival was in it's infancy - I was very very new to fire, to performing, to PEX, to everything - but, felt drawn to do it still, knowing that I had a very different but useful range of experience under my belt and in my heart I could make these shows better than they would otherwise be.)

Here is a great video by Hedy Sirico from 2010's PEX Summer Fest 

performance of Scorch Fire Show.

Anyway, myself and the rest of the R.R.V.S. admin team are busting our asses right now (we don't get paid for this, remember) to put on another fabulous show this summer. I absolutely consider this another part of my "art", it just happens to be within a different genre.

  

Lux Arati performing at PEX Summer Festival in 2011 as part of The Russian Roulette Variety Show. 

Lux Arati performing at PEX Summer Festival in 2011 as part of The Russian Roulette Variety Show. (Not sure who took these photos - apologies for not giving due credit. If this is yours please contact me ASAP and I will get on that.)

This weekend - Saturday night - I will be performing with both of my groups, Lux Arati and The Penny Treats at Karnival. The Penny Treats are performing an old number that we've reworked (think- red feather fans...) and Lux Arati is debuting something brand new, totally mind-blowing and maybe still in-progress. I like to think of this show as a dress rehearsal for PEX Summer Fest and R.R.V.S. -- although I hope it will still be as kick-ass as it should be. For once, I picked the track we're performing to - "All Alone" by Gorillaz. It happened to be on a mix CD in my car, one of the only CD's it felt like playing for awhile, and I must have listened to it on repeat for a week before playing it for my girls. It's a little electronic, a little hip hop, and a little booty shakin' action, little bit of BOUNCE-WIGGLE-BOUNCE... all that... plus bellydancing with fire fans? Holy shitballs. This is gonna be quite a spectacle. Watch out... literally, because some of the moves are pretty complicated and if we drop our flaming fans on you, it may burn a little. Might sting a bit.

 Lux Arati fire montage - poster for Karnival, April 28th at the Arts Garage in Philly.

On that note, I REALLY have to work on my costume for tomorrow. Click on this link to get to the Facebook event for Karnival. Here are some of the bangin' posters for the event featuring yours truly. I will post relevant media when I have it available.

(Oooh la la!)

Oh hello, a fire show!

Above is a video just released - the performance was last June - that I and a few of my friends took part in as part of Serafina Fire for the 2010 University of Pennsylvania Health System Magnet Gala.

I'm featured in the video hooping, then dancing with palm torches, then fire fans. The whole performance was full of extremely professional, easy to work with performers - if I recall correctly we threw together the entire performance within only a couple of practices. I LOVE IT when whoever is organizing the performance or number knows EXACTLY what they want. Having to come up with or argue about choreography as we're practicing is so annoying. If I'm not the one developing it, then just tell me what to do and where to stand. Thanks.

I don't have anything else art related to post about at the moment, but this is good, too. It's a beautiful day! Enjoy it.