Sunday, November 2, 2008

September/October Events Archive

Thursday, September 11th, 7pm
Dancing at Karma for the September Concert Series.
51 1st Ave ( bet. 3rd and 4th sts,) NYC
212-677-3160
No Cover/No Minumum

Sunday, September 21st, 2:30pm-4pm
Teaching Bellydance at Greenhouse Holistic
88 Roebling Street (Williamsburg, near Bedford Ave Stop)
Brooklyn, NY
718-599-3113
$15 drop-in

Sunday, October 5th, 8pm
Dancing at with Efendi at The Grisly Pear
107 Macdougal St, NYC (between W 3rd and Bleecker - right next to Panchito's)
(212) 529-3808
No Cover
$20 Food/Drink minimum

Friday, October 10th, 8pm
Emceeing for Bellyqueen's 10th Anniversary Extravaganza!
BMCC Tribeca Performing Arts Center
199 Chambers Street, NYC (btw Greenwich & West Sts)
(212) 220-1460
$20/$25/$30

Friday, October 24th, 8pm
Dancing and Emceeing for Obama Raqs! Bellydancers for Obama Benefit
Je'Bon Noodle House
15 St. Mark's Place, NYC (btw Greenwich & West Sts)
(212) 388-1313
$10 Donation/$10 Minimum


Wednesday, October 29, 8pm
Dancing for Bellyqueen's Halloween/Scorpio Birthday Party
Je'Bon Noodle House
15 St. Mark's Place, NYC (btw Greenwich & West Sts)
(212) 388-1313
$10 Cover/$5 Minimum

Friday, October 31, 7pm
Dancing with Queen Mama Donna's Blessing Band
for the NYC Halloween Parade
Starting at Sixth Avenue & Spring Street, heading north up Sixth Avenue to 21st Street

Saturday, November 1, 2008

My Halloween Birthday -- from Blessing Band to Cupping Room to Spiegelworld (to a diner at 6am)

Truly a birthday to remember...

I'm usually too lazy to organize my own birthday events; fortunately Halloween is kind enough to provide me with a read-made party day, letting me hop from ball to bash, dancing, drinking and partying my butt off.

Which I did this year... BUT...

I wanted to do something special since a lot has happened for me this year, creatively, emotionally and spiritually.

Queen Mama Donna, who was kind enough to lead PURE's Tree Dedication in Prospect Park this past summer, invited me to join her Blessing Band which, for the second year, led the NYC Village Halloween Parade, blessing the route, the crowd and the city.

Clad in silver and white, sparkles and bells, she gathered us at Spring Street and Sixth Avenue.

Blessing Band 3
(She is on the right in this photo.)

Some of us had wands... and some had red umbrellas??

Blessing Band 19

I was the only one with a hipscarf and a veil.

She guided us to our starting point and we formed a circle around her.

Blessing Band 18

And then led us north...

Blessing Band 20

And I danced and zilled and trailed behind...

Blessing Band 7

Here is a fun video of the procession:



Afterwards, I met with my family and friends and we headed down to The Cupping Room where Rayhana and her students performed a special tribute to the immortal Serena Wilson.

Around 1am, my hardiest (and heartiest) friends, Kisha and Bill K, joined me to see Sarah Locke and Alchemy dance at Spiegelworld at the Seaport.

We thought we were way too late for their show, which was supposed to be before 1am -- but it turned out we arrived just in time for their first number.

By chance, we walked in the right direction and were ordering a drink when we heard a familiar Djinn song coming from the tent behind the bar. We dashed through the crowd and found the beautiful Sarah gliding forward with serpentine mayas.

And then we drank.

And danced.

And danced more.

And ended up in a diner at dawn somewhere near the foot of the Brooklyn Bridge, raining glitter and good vibes in our french toast and coffee. Mmmmmmm.