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Vagabond Princess
Tribal Fusion Belly Dancing
Wednesday, November 9th, 2011
My dear friend Manca Pavli is touring a spectacular show, these ladies have worked so hard and are doing it for their LOVE of the DANCE and it shows. Some of the best Belly Dancers out there. Do yourself a favor by catching them en route in any or all of these places: Zagreb, Ljubljana, Trieste, Venice and Milano!!! Keep this show on the road!!!
Posted by Sam
on 09/11/11
in Belly Dance, Friends, Inspiration, Tribal, Wild Weird and Wonderful 4 Comments »
Wednesday, October 5th, 2011
For those who have asked me about sourcing antique Tribal jewelry, my friends have launched their beautiful website full of stunning, jaw dropping pieces. Look no further. Nakarali is HERE
Posted by Sam
on 05/10/11
in Belly Dance, Friends, Inspiration, Shop, Tribal, Wild Weird and Wonderful No Comments »
Friday, July 1st, 2011
Waxing Cinematic, San Francisco California Jan 2011. A beautiful show it was.
Featuring live original music by Dan Cantrell. Premier choreography by and featuring
Elizabeth Strong, Zoe Jakes, and Samantha Emanuel plus guest artist Natalie Nayun
Jessica Ivry on Cello
Lila Sklar on Violin
Michael Pinkham on Drum Kit
Evan Stuart on Bass
Peter Jacques on Clarinet
Juliet Strong on Vocals
PLUS open floor dancing with live musicians Rumen Sali Shopov, Peter Jacques, Evan Stuart and Dan Cantrell
This was one of my all time favorite projects to work on with my favorite peeps.
I cannot wait to do it again someday!
And HERE is my improvised solo to “Musette R” composed by Dan Cantrell.
Posted by Sam
on 01/07/11
in Belly Dance, Friends, Inspiration, Tribal, Wild Weird and Wonderful No Comments »
Friday, December 31st, 2010
Kicking off 2011 in the BEST WAY EVER!
Teaching and performing with Elizabeth Strong and Zoe Jakes in none other than the Fat Chance Belly Dance studios in San Francisco. I am so very lucky to be able to work with my friends across the pond again, it’s been a while. We will teach a week long intensive and also put on a show together. Yay, yay and also YAY!! For full booking info check out my calendar page where you will also find details for my ONLY other US visit in 2011… TRIBAL FEST!!!
Posted by Sam
on 31/12/10
in Belly Dance, Friends, Health, Inspiration, Practice, Tribal, Wild Weird and Wonderful 1 Comment »
Friday, September 3rd, 2010
Wanted to share this lovely Artwork by Polly Headson of Moscow, Russia, as I pack my bags and finish (start!) costumes and dances for the trip. I will teach sold out workshops and perform in Moscow followed by more workshops in Hanover Germany, see the calendar page for more info on booking.
Posted by Sam
on 03/09/10
in Belly Dance, Friends, Tribal, Wild Weird and Wonderful 1 Comment »
Tuesday, August 10th, 2010
Yesterday I attended my first ever Clowning workshop. Taught by John Wright,an international director of theatre, co-founder and artistic director of “Told by an Idiot” and co-founder of Trestle Theatre Company.
This workshop looked at the “ways and means of generating play”. We explored; “conscious and unconscious play, finding the game, revealing the game, hiding the game and opening up texts and situations through play”.
I went into this workshop with no idea what to expect, having had absolutely no theatre training, and my goodness… it was HARD!! I have a new found respect for Clowns every where. It takes such skill to perfect the timing and nuances required to make an audience laugh and keep them with you. What was most challenging was the fact you were not trying to create a character…you were trying to be your self, put into bizarre situations and you had to be ready to drop that game in an instant to switch to a new one. Like child’s play. My sides ached from laughing all day. Whilst it was really hard and a little intimidating, it was extremely funny to see everyone’s clowns emerge.
John was an excellent teacher, giving us game after game after game with barely a chance to catch your breath before you were given the next challenge. For someone who has been in the theatre world for so very long, I was pleasantly surprised to find him down to earth, humble, supportive and extremely funny.
I am very glad I went especially as I am taking a week long intensive at the London International School of Performing Arts this month. I am broadening my training horizons in the hope I might feel more confident in my dancing and in myself, by attempting something COMPLETELY different.
I also enjoyed my first collaborative workshop event with great friend Michelle Ridings this week end in Exeter. She taught performance skills for dancers and the workshop was excellent! She has so much experience in the field and she was a dancer, so she knew exactly what it was we needed to help us grow as performers.We will be working together again at the next Exeter workshops in October. We all learned a vast amount in her two hour session and I am starting to feel more confident about the exercises but I know there is SO MUCH MORE, we have barely scratched the surface. So peeps the next Theatre Skills workshop with Michelle will be three hours…at least!
Posted by Sam
on 10/08/10
in Friends, Inspiration, Practice, Wild Weird and Wonderful 2 Comments »
Monday, October 5th, 2009
After teaching workshops in Bristol weekend, hosted by the lovely Victoria Bone we managed to get to the Carny Ville, it was the closing night of the show and I am so glad I caught it. I was verily impressed by the sheer amount of work and attention to detail everywhere you looked. I cannot wait to see what they come up with next at their new location in Bristol.
The weird and murky world of the carnival reincarnates with all the fun of the unfair. Become the fool you have always been in this anarchic pantomime of radical games, in an immersive high flying contemporary circus spectacular!
The Artspace Lifespace Project is an artist led initiative that recycles vacant, under used and often semi derelict urban and rural sites into thriving active creative arts resources. It is a voluntary organisation that relies on the energy and enthusiasm of its members and extended network of Artists to recycle urban decay into creative space.
The Invisible Circus is a collective of multi-skilled artists formed during a decade and a half of world travel and adventure as street performers. The companies Renegade Fabulon Circus Stage became a festival favorite after it’s debut in the first Lost Vagueness field at Glastonbury 2002. With an emphasis on social comment and ethos of accessibility the company have provided a platform for new circus and theatre.
The Invisible Circus has appeared in over 20 countries around the world since forming in 1992. Specializing in site specific performance and made to order spectacles we have performed at some of the wildest parties and biggest festivals in the world! Glastonbury Big Top, Burning Man USA, Womad New Zealand and so many more. Born in the carnivals of Europe and toured across the streets and stages of the world, The Invisible Circus will blow your mind.
Check out their relief work, clowning in countries hit by disaster and war: Disaster Area Response Clowns
“Sometimes it has to get really dark before we see the the brightest stars.”
The Invisible Circus believe in the power of the individual. the power of the fool and the power of the clown!
This Year we travelled to Zagorah, near Marrakesh in Maroc where we ran workshops in a local school and performed for children in the surrounding area.We visited refugees from New Orleans in Austin Texas after hurricane Katrina devastated the south during our week of shows at The Burning Man festival in Nevada. We did workshops with the kids and fundraising shows to aid the volunteer clean up operation. The Renegade Fabulon show has been a fundraising event for various causes around the world which have included Circus2Iraq, Rwanden refugees and the good people of Thailand after the tsunami hit back in 2005.
Tags: circus, inspirational people
Posted by Sam
on 05/10/09
in Inspiration, Wild Weird and Wonderful 5 Comments »
