Trav'lin Home Tagged

Moon Belly Performance Ensemble
is proud to present:

Trav'lin Home
Photography and Dance Fusion

Saturday, May 31st, 7:30pm
Launer Auditorium, Columbia College
BENEFIT TO SUPPORT OUR TROOPS
via Military Families Speak Out
$7-10 sliding scale, kids under 5 FREE

1. A large portion of the proceeds from this show will go toward supporting US troops and veterans from the Iraqi War via Military Families Speak Out. I got the idea to give support to veterans after listening to the Winter Soldier reports on NPR last month. I cried every morning for a week until I realized I could help.

2. We have a variety of performers in the show. It is truly by the community for the community. The variety includes belly dancing by The DragonFlies Belly Dance Company and Moon Belly Performance Ensemble, Rhythm tap by Stacie Strong, hip-hop with Outer Limits Dance Team, lyrical ballet, youth jazz dancers from Dance Arts.

3. We have performers of all ages in the show from age 13 to age 55!

4. The dancers in this show all have full-time jobs. Most have kids and husbands. We all have busy lives. We have all carved out lots of time and energy for this project because we believe in the power of expression, movement and action.

5. Almost all of the costumes in the show were created by a bad-ass local fashion designer by the royal name of Suzanne Vansickle AKA: HOUSE OF VANSICKLE.

6. The photography exhibit will be presented by Chicago artist Nichelle Lawrence. Her work is amazing and emotionally moving. I first met Nichelle on the job at Chuck E. Cheese in 1992.

6. I have always felt an identity clash between performing and studying a Middle Eastern art form while my country is at war with a Middle Eastern country. I am grateful that I have the freedom of expression as a woman to embrace the art form. This show is an offer of appreciation to its Middle Eastern roots.

7. I am an alumni at Columbia College. I am currently faculty at Columbia College. So trav'lin home is literal for me. I am trav'lin back to the campus where I received so much inspiration and support to do what I believe in.

8. You will not see a traditional belly dance performance. I don't perform traditional belly dance. It comes out something like a modern contemporary fusion of belly dance. I have to be honest with what comes out and keep it real to my heart.

9. The show is on May 31st. This is also the first birthday of my neice, Orrin Elizabeth. I witnessed her birth last year! I was the first person to hold and kiss her.

10. I can't think of anything else other than the Trav'lin Home production. If I start to talk about boys or movies...somebody please intervene and redirect energies. Something has gone seriously wrong.