We just got done with production around 11:30 am; we kicked ass. I wanted to get it done early in the day, so I could relax, eat and start getting ready for our gig tonight at the Bennington Museum.
Our dance troupe hasn’t danced publically in three years. When the museum asked if we wanted to perform at the 25th-anniversary celebration for the North Bennington Art Park, an event we have danced at many times before, we said yes immediately.
I will be dancing with four other dancers in two 15-minute sets which is a generous amount of performance time. We’ve done shows where we drove two hours to get there for a five-minute time slot. That’s showbiz for you; you take what you can get.
Two of our dancers are experienced performers, and two are new to performing. We are performing as a multi-level troupe and our number one goal tonight is to enjoy ourselves while dancing together and having fun. Period.
Performing shows true dedication since it takes a long time to get ready for a gig. I am out of practice, so I expect it will take me between 2-3 hours to do my hair, make-up, costuming, and jewelry. I have to load the sound equipment in the car, make sure my phone is charged, and have lots of water with me.
When everything is done, I take my traditional selfie before the gig; then, I am off to see where we are dancing, set up our sound system, and do a sound check—all things I’ve done a million times.
I’m not nervous about performing; it’s in my blood which I have found out since my biological father was a performer as well; not a belly dancer, though. Lol.
All week I’ve taken small snippets of time and got out everything I am wearing, and I practiced doing my hair and make-up. I liked how my hair came out, but I hated the make-up since I tried something new.
This was not a good look for me; the super dark eye shadow and liner made my eyes look like slits, and did not open them up the way I wanted. So it’s back to what has worked for me for the last 19 years of performing. Why mess with what works?
For lunch, I will have my traditional good luck meal that I ate for 15 years before any gig; a bowl of pasta with marinara sauce, grated parmesan, and a dollop of ricotta cheese. This meal holds me over until I get home and gives me energy; plus, it’s one of my favorite meals.
Wish us luck; I can’t wait to report how well the gig went, and hopefully, I will have some photos that other people take and possibly a video if we can find someone to do it.