Venus Uprising Bellydance New York City

The single best cookies....Ever :: Alyra

Words can't describe their deliciousness. Here is the recipe for you other cookie monsters!

1 cup vegtable Oil
1 cup margarine (I prefer butter, but the original recipe called for that M stuff! If you use the butter, it must be unsalted!)
1 cup sugar
1 cup Brown sugar
1 egg
1 to 2 tsp vanilla (I always do the 2)

Cream all these ingredients together till they're light and fluffy.

In separate bowl combine:
3 and 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 cup oatmeal
1 cup crushed corn flakes

Add the first concoction to the second concoction and stir gently but well.

Then add in:
6 busted up "Score" bars or "Heath" bars (8.04 oz of candy)
1 twelve ounce package of semi sweet chocolate chips

Drop by rounded teaspoons (or tablespoons if you like mega cookies!) and bake on a cookie sheet with parchement paper at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes or until golden brown.

Enjoy!!!

Swords and The Lonely Mountain Forge:: Alyra

I'm obsessed with swords like other dancers are obsessed with costumes and veils. And I feel such strife that by the time I find a new and unique sword on the market and buy it (and it's ususally a fortune), about a million dancers also find it and buy it and so it's neither unique, new or exciting. Growl!!! It's enough to make a dancer stamp her foot and harrumph!!

Well, needless to say, an obsession really cannot be controlled so I have decided to obey the urge without reservation or guilt! In my secret lair (well, not so secret as there is a post about it!) I conjured up an idea that will both feed the need and support the vanity of having something that is just truly my own.

I must have a custom sword! Yes! That is the answer! That way, there will only be one in the world, and it will be mine!!! Designed by me, a reflection of me, made for me and MINE...all mine....MINE ALONE....And I will polish it and love it and name it and cast spells over it so that for all eternity it will only serve me until the end of time...... bwahhhhahahahaha!!!!! (<----that's supposed to be maniacal laughter!).

So, with that plan in mind, my super indulgent and doting husband packed our car and we trekked to Pennsylvania where lives Master Metalsmith Joe Piela and The Lonely Mountain Forge. Joe comes from a family of craftsmen, having learned his art from his grandfather, a blacksmith who emigrated to the US from Poland many years ago. You can see some of the incredible stuff Joe has done for others at his website: http://members.aol.com/gijchar/forge.html.

Now, because the outcome of this project is secret, I shant breath a word about what was discussed, but I can tell you that we were in deep conspiracy for hours. Planning, scheming and creating!!! Joe is an amazing talent hidden away in PA who can create just about anything in Metal. Not only can he forge helmets, sheild, and Armor as well as Swords for Vain Bellydancers, he can also sculpt spells, runes and arabic into the blades, or on the handle and make a scabbard to boot!

Here are some shots of the The Lonely Mountain Forge and Joe at Work.

This is the Craftsman's Table where much of the magic happens.

The seemingly modest forge that can set even the hardest metal glowing and pliable. It gets amazingly hot and the heat makes a terrifying whispering and breathing sound that literally makes the hair on the back of your neck stand up. It becomes almost alive.

A real anvil from last century along with another shot of the primary hammer. Once you hear the clanging of the hammer on the metal, you are immediately transported back to Medieval Europe. It's as if you've stepped into a time machine and utterly engrossing.

Dark Magic in the works....

Even after the metal has been forged and pounded, it continues to glow with an etherial light!

The Forge Guardian and Manager watches earnestly!.

So, with all that being said, don't bother to even try to pry from Joe what he's working on for me. He'll never tell!! However, we both suspect that the Forge Guardian is susceptible to bribes!!

Harvest Bounty::Alyra

I love making and creating. And this is my favorite time of year to do it, because it's the beginning of the HARVEST and everything I have spent all summer growing is reaching it's peak. Plump, succulent and tasty. From the berries to the hot peppers and most especially...TOMATOES. I have a thing about tomatoes. And I grow some magic tomatoes. Nobody sees the ghost of Alyra sneaking out in the middle of the night to sacrifice under a full moon those lesser vegtables on the alter of the garden goddess to ensure a bumper crop of Tomatoes.

Garden Goddess, I worship you in the night.
I slit and gut these cucumbers so you will hear my plight!
Upon your alter, their entrails are spread,
please spare my red ladies from slugs, cutworms and other dreads.

Dear Garden Queen, accept these bush beans as a token and plea.
Let my tomatoes grow unsurpassably!
Let them be tall, let them be sweet,
and above all, let them be the best on my street!

Laugh if you will, but it works! (ps. For those of you who are Cucumber activists. Sorry, but I grow them only for either pickling or sacrificing...so yes, I'm cruel and inhumane!)

Now, I don't waste my time with those big fat massive tasteless beefsteaks. Bah! I snub those beefsteaks with my nose in the air. No, the Alyrian Tomatoes are small, dainty affairs with a taste that borders on super sweet and sublime. This year, I had resolved to grow only the sweetest tomotaes but becuase someone wasn't paying attention and mismarked the veggies at the nursury, I brought home also something else! I had no idea that they were different as they looked like everything else and were marked as such. However, about 3 weeks into the growing season, I knew something was different and it was just a wonderous delight to wait with baited breath on what we were going to get.

Imagine my amazement with these lucious yellow heirloom tomatoes ripened on the vine! They have a much subtler flavor than my mini sweets but OH, they are almost creamy!!! I'm so excited because Garden Goddess blessed me with a whole other species to add to my garden! (clearly the cucumber sacrifices work...)

Here are some shots of my early harvest. Needless to say, this is only ONE day of picking!!!

Here are some tomatoes to scale

And then, with these beauties, and many more from the garden, I brewed up the best darn thing I've baked this year. A rustic roasted tomatoe tart! The basil infused crust I baked first with all fresh herbs from my garden and then glazed it with more garden herb pesto and honey with some musturd and then roasted up about 100 small tomotoes and about 15 heirloom yellows for this succulent mouthwatering beauty. 7 hours of cooking (yes, literally, it took forever) and it took my family 30 minutes to finish it off. Oh, but it was worth it!!!

Closeup of the yummy pie so you can see the carmelized glaze!!!

Isn't the harvest great! All the work and creation manifest into tangible and edible glory!!!

ISN'T IT NICE TO ACHIEVE? :: sarah

Isn’t it nice to achieve what one loves to do?

Charleston Chu loves to be with me. Being my companion is his job and he takes it very seriously. Now as some of you may know pugs are very chest heavy and not really built for swimming. So, as an over protective owner I have several life jackets for him so that he can go on boats and canoes with me. They always have a convenient handle on the top.

As I jumped off the dock into the cold fresh water he so badly wanted to be with me.

Typically I go swimming at locations that have a little bit of a beach and he can wade in, swim to me and swim back on his own. But at Jacks Lake there was only dock then strait into deep waters. He was distraught.

This summer is when we discovered the joys of the pool noodle. This 12 dollar piece of foam transformed everything. Charleston could float with me for as long as I was out there. The next day when we were preparing to go swimming again and the pool noodles were pulled out, he was ecstatic. He could not contain himself.

Isn’t it nice to have access to the tools that make our dreams come true?

I went to the World Dance New York head quarters yesterday and saw a performance they recorded of my Mata Hari Unveiled number. It was so thrilling. It was like finding a pool noodle.

"GOTHIC" MUSIC BY CORVUS CORAX :: neon

Two artists participating in the World Dance New York "Gothic Bellydance - Revelations" project selected music by Corvus Corax for their dance numbers. Blanca's dance - extremely dynamic full body movement and sharp hips articulation - is set to Filii Neidhardi, album "Vlator"; Mavi performed her etherial swirling dance with unusually-shaped transparent blue "wings" to Mille Anni Passi Sunt, album "Mille Anni Passi Sunt."

Check out these selections in the iMix below.
The "Gothic Bellydance - Revelations" DVD will be released on Oct.9, 2007.

Corvus Corax is a German band playing medievel music. "Corvus Corax" means "Raven" - a Latin scientific term. Their music fits the Gothic theme so perfectly, and it is actually used quite widely for performance arts practiced by various alternative subcultures.
Learn more about the band from this Wikipedia article
Meet Castus, one of the founders of the band at MySpace
More music by Corvus Corax at MySpace

VACATION JOURNAL - MOM'S GARDEN :: tanna

In August I generally return to my native Rocky Mountains to spend a couple of weeks with my family.  Of course, given my flower-madness, one of the first things I do upon arriving home is grab my camera and head out into my mother's garden.

When we were growing up the garden was HUGE - really almost commercial size.  As children we did forced labor for hours, weeding vegetables, fruit and flowers.  During one bout of tearful rebellion I remember my youngest brother complaining to my mother "We're nothing but serfs to you!"  She calmly replied "You're not that good".  My mother took no prisoners!

The garden served us well, with fresh produce in season and pickled, canned and frozen produce out of season.  My mother deserves a lot of credit.  For a New York City intellectual/party girl, she adapted very well to semi-pioneer life.  Although, my grandmother in Queens was also an avid gardener, so maybe it was just in her blood.

In recent years age has taken its toll, and Mom has turned much of the garden into lawn.  The vegetables are all gone, and the flower beds have shrunken significantly.  Still, I found plenty of blossoms to occupy my time. 

And when I ran out of flower beds I wandered into our pasture land and took pictures of the native flora, or weeds, as my father defines them.

FREE BIRD BELLYS :: sherene

I just got back from teaching at Planet Dance in the 'Natti (I'm told this is the proper terminology when referring to Cincinnatti now) home of Sarah Jessica Parker, Skyline Chili and some of the best up-and-coming dancers in the country! 

Planet Dance was founded by two former Broadway dancers, Missy Lay Zimmer and Andrew Hubbard and a famous dancer and choreographer from LA who has worked with everyone from J-Lo to Justin Timberlake to Prince: Kristen Denehey.

It's a fabulous event where they bring teachers in from various backgrounds from all over the country and the kids get a weekend immersion in different styles and techniques. I don't know where these little souls come from, but they will steal your heart and blow you away with their talent. They are beyond Broadway bound with their endless pirouettes, boundless leaps, and inexhaustible supply of energy!

They range from ages 7-18, and come from all over the country to offer their blood, sweat and tears to study ballet, jazz, hip-hop, free-form authentic movement (which is what I have been teaching at Planet Dance for the past 5 years)

and for the first time... this year...

BELLY DANCE!!!

I just had to report how much these gorgeous kidlets were absolutely mad for bellydancing (guys and gals alike!)
They had never been exposed to it other than watching Shakira and Christina shake their bom bommas and bust a few hip drops.

And I have never had such a large group get the steps and the technique in "on-demand" speed like that!
Mind-blowing and so inspiring to see their passion and fearless faces. Please enjoy the photos!

The kids favorite song was by far "Brooklyn Baladi" by Djinn -- they shrieked with delight when they heard it!
We used it for the across-the-floor work... Aw, the raw, gutsy energy of youth! Let it live on in all of us at any age!

JARAMAR :: blanca

Growing up, I was immensely lucky to live in Morelia, the only city (other than Mexico City) that had a bellydance school. DAE or "Danza Arabe y Española" was more home than my real home. You couldn't get me out of there even if you tried. My teacher —and director of the school— Lupita taught us so many things... from how to create our own costumes, to how to behave in a theater setting. She even wrote a book of rules and inspirations so we could be prepared for our shows. She is one of the most resourceful people I know and always creating something new... always improving, reinventing herself. Sometimes it felt like we were a stuffy theater group, sometimes a vaudeville caravan. It was hard work but also so much fun being around her.

We danced to Egyptian and Turkish music, which I adored... and then there was this other type of music... the most mysterious, trance-inducing sounds... Just listening to it would conjure images from a distant past... and if you paid attention to the lyrics—which were hard to understand because they were a mix of languages of the Christians, Moors and Jews of Southern Spain— you would hear romantic and often tragic, even grim tales of old. My favorite was "Tres Morillas en Jaén", a popular 15th Century song from Spain, recorded  by 'Ars Antiqua' a wonderful Mexican ensemble. The song was about three Moorish girls living in Andalucia as seen through the eyes of a Christian. Unfortunately, all the available recordings of this song do not resemble the version I am describing with gorgeous instrumentation and the voice of Jaramar, so don't bother going to iTunes for that one.

Another favorite of mine was 'Romance del Enamorado y la Muerte', also sung by Jaramar. You couldn't really bellydance to that one, but listening was enough. Here's an approximate translation:

A dream I was dreaming last night
Little dream from my soul
I was dreaming that my love
I was holding in my arms.

In came a very white lady
Whiter than the cold snow
"How did you manage to get in?
How did you get in my love?
I know all the doors are locked
And so are the windows and shutters."

"I am not Love nor the lover
I am Death. I'm sent by God."

"Oh Death, how strict you are!
Let me live just for one day"

"Not one day, it cannot be
You have an hour to live."

So quickly he wore his shoes
Even faster he wore his clothes
There you see the lover go
He goes to where his lover lives.

"Open the white door for me
Open the white door, my girl."

"No, tonight it cannot be
Not a favorable occasion.
My father did not go to palace
And my mother is not sleeping."

"If you don't open tonight
My love, you won't open again
Death is coming after me
Next to you life it would be."

"Come here under the window
Where I used to carve and sew
I will throw you a silk cord
You can use it to climb up
If the cord's not long enough
I could also add my hair."

The silk cord broke
Death was coming near:
"Come now young lover
The hour has been reached."

I've published an iMix with some of my favorite Jaramar songs (some of her solo albums are available on iTunes). The songs come from a variety of countries, not just Spain. Sandunga and La Llorona are Mexican folk songs... aren't they beautiful? Hope you enjoy her as much as I do!

BELLYDANCE MUSIC BY PETE LIST :: neon

Hey, whatever you are doing right now - can you stop for a moment?...
Set aside that sequin you were about to sew onto your bellydance costume...
Put that 3rd cosmo back on the bar counter and grab your sidekick...
Pause that "Instant Bellydancer" DVD on your dvd player...
and...
check out...
this fabulous new bellydance music by PETE LIST!
Because it deserves a MASSIVE listen.
Pete's CD is entitled "Songs for Kassar" -
preview it on CD Baby!!!
Pete composed and arranged this music for the "Fluid Precision - Contemporary Tribal Bellydance" DVD by Kassar and for the "Sensual Bellydance" DVD by Blanca.
Multifaceted, full of life, gorgeous music!
Great for Tribal, great for modern cabaret and many other forms of contemporary bellydance.
In other words, good-for-bellydance great fabulous music!

THE WORLD IS FURRY :: neon

The other day I realized that aside from being up to date on everything going on in my professional field - bellydance - I consume most of the information about the world out there from the 3 main sources (in this order of prominence):

Business news/analysis magazines:
#1 The Economist
#2 Business Week
#3 Crain's New York
My boyfriend reads them to me at bedtime.

Kitten pictures and videos clips on CuteOverload.com
Kitten video clips on YouTube

Fashion magazines - mostly Vogue, Elle, and a couple of others - US, British and Russian editions.

I don't watch TV (dont have it), so all TV-related cultural references are totally lost on me.
BELOW: The most recent addition to my sources of information about the world: LolCats.com!