06.03.08
Thank yous for our 2nd Annual Baton Rouge Bellydance Festival
I don’t even know where to begin to say thank you.
Our 2nd Annual Baton Rouge Bellydance Festival was simply…amazing…and it couldn’t have been so without help from many of you.
Friday nights “Jewels of the Mississippi” was a complete success. Performances from Ashley Eldringhoff, Christina Christ, Emily Meyers, Kryss, Noura, Shaia and Sidonia of the Sisters of the Phoenix, Shelly and myself were an amazingly diverse and rich array for so few acts. Kryss of course, laid down a brilliantly executed Barefoot Flamenco fusion set that had the audience reeling afterwards. Noura only frightened a few people in the front row with her helicopter wielding Raqs Al Assaya. Christina allowed the community to see how much and how hard she’s been working to perfect her own style and tribal technique - and it showed. Ashley presented two lovely, soft and beautiful performances that showed her quiet yet powerful style…all in her hand/self-made new costume from a ….well, we won’t say…we’ll let you ask her next time you see her. Sidonia & Shaia of the Sisters of the Phoenix rocked the house with their invocation of the Black Madonna in a performance that can only be definied as ‘Soul Stirring’ and awakened in many a deep reverence they had not known in many years, if ever. Mz. Emily simply exuded *cooool* with her smooth Classical Egyptian style. Shelly and I were just glad to be able to share the stage with so many of our friends and fellow performers.
Saturday’s workshops were well attended for the most part. There were 42 individual participants for 6 classes, with each individual taking approximately 2.3 classes each! WHOA! The girls from Opelousas, Eunice & Ville Platte were in FORCE can I tell you???? Iilea is a powerhouse of a teacher over there and had 12 students in attendance.
Saturday’s Student showcase and Amateur choreography contest was also a success. There were only 3 troupes in the competition, but they were all amazing. JUNGLE GUMBO of Eunice was the overall winner, with Las Hermanas of BayouShimmy coming in second and Troupe Soluna of Opelousas coming in third. Again, Iilea had 3 student troupes showing in addition to her own improvisational tribal troupe.
Again, I stumble over the many thanks I’d like to give…there are so many. If you were there, thank you. If you were a part of it, THANK YOU. If you supported, worked, said “what can I do”, or just gave me a shoulder to lean on, THANK YOUUUUUU.
A special shout out to Mr. Brian Andrews of Andrews Commercial Mortgage fame, for being our spur of the moment Friday night EMCEE. That man can make us all look better with his voice 
Thanks Brian. And to his lovely wife, and my friend and former dance classmate, Thank you for helping judge our Saturday competition.
Photos will be available shortly, so everyone hold tight.
~Shamsi
