FACEMELT

I have no idea who these folks are but check out their swag! As if the first four counts weren’t enough to make you smile – this choreography slithers and sleedles about, playing with time suspension. I like choreographers who appreciate musicality! Kudos kids.

For those scratching their heads, to own musicality is to let the space speak to you. It means you have allowed yourself to be sensitive to a myriad of musical elements whilst moving, not just the beat that makes your head bop – we call this primary percussion. Choreographers focusing on this broad musical attenuation typically create dynamic, complex works that tickle the eye, ear and mind. Dancer and music are no longer two separate things, but meld into one – rhythmically, energetically and provide for an experience that moves you – not one that just makes you want to move.

Next time you turn on your beat machine – try to close your eyes and let go…

What does your body do when it does what the music wants it to?

Nakisa/Sharif Shoot

Hey guys and gals! I’ve been a VERY BUSY LADY trying to live off of love here in the cruz. In the past month I’ve had the privilege of shooting with several AMAZING photographers, invited to collaborate with the folk I’ve always known to be idols in my field, interviewed by several radio shows and so much more! Life is surprising in it’s awesomeness sometimes.

Here is a sneak peek at some of the images from the shoot I did with bellydancing photographic entities Nakisa & Sharif!

On galaxies

It is important for me to frequently remind myself that the beauty and the soul behind the art oftentimes has a direct correlation with suffering and feeling the bite of life. While I do not promote suffering for the sake of art, I do trust that acknowledgment of whatever may preexist will indefinitely lead to some serious risk taking, wide angle thinking and lo – something that will make people FEEL. They can always tell when your path is contrived.

I think a lot about leaving space – space for applause, space for engagement, space for a ripple, space for time to shift. Last night my mind wandered into the realm of trees and roots, fungus and the space betwixt them all – the magic, the subtle energies at play, the whisper of the ethereal…Today I leave space for the pain.

I came across this video today. Methinks it hits the nail on the head.

Never underestimate your truth. You wouldn’t want to be a performer who cannot relate to their audience would you? This is what they tell me…You’ve got to find the attachment point.

A Real Look into the Industry…

“Stop fixing your body, it was never broken.”

Back on Pointe

Now that it’s holiday time I’m starting to get a whiff of the gingerbread, the gumdrops and the … ballet slippers. Everywhere I go I’m smacked right in the face with Julie Who-sits or Peter McBlah’s fliers advertising their rendition of the classic story of the Nutcracker. As a child, I can remember wriggling in my seat watching the Arabian Coffee choreography or the Spanish Chocolate sequences. All of those lithe little snowflakes en pointe made me melt!

Well…I’m still melting, and I’m itching to get back in shape! While my pointe shoes are way back on the east coast there are some exercises that I am working on to maintain proper tootsie health.

1. Write the alphabet in the air with your feet. This builds ankle strength needed to raise into high releve or “toe stands.”
2. Practice SLOOOOW controlled releves. Raising up onto a forced arch or “tippie toe” & slowly easing back down.  I work out my arches and ankles by doing many many reps of these in parallel first and second, as well as in first, second and fifth.
3. Roll foot back and forth over a tennis ball or similarly round and hard object. This tendon massage is absolutely divine!

BE SURE TO PAMPER YOUR FEET THIS HOLIDAY WITH MY VERY OWN FOOT SCRUB RECIPE!

1/2c sugar (an exfoliant)

1 T cayenne (for inflammation)

a few drops of Eucalyptus Essential Oil (stimulates blood circulation)

a few drops Almond Essential Oil (a great moisturizer)

1/4c Epsom Salts

One More Moon

Happy birthday to me. Happy birthday to me.

“This thing of darkness, I acknowledge mine.” — Prospero

(The Tempest, Act V, Scene 1)

Russell Martin – Blue Pacific Photography

The Problem With Labels…

I’m so glad to have had the privilege of learning from Buddha Stretch – the master himself. He drops some knowledge in this vid! LEARN SOMETHING.

Here’s the trailer for his new dvd on sale NOW!

Macaroons!

Thanksgiving was amazing! I was surrounded by a lot of nurturing energy, great food and well…an awesome sauna! This was my second Thanksgiving out here on the west coast and while I miss home and would have loved to be back east to spend the holidays with my family, I had a blast strolling through zen garden-space and “uncooking” with my hunny’s mommy. It wasn’t hard to make fabu with the raw vegan recipes she had on hand. While there were mixed reviews around the table regarding preference over a raw Thanksgiving or a cooked one – no one could deny that everything tasted great!

Here’s a raw recipe I dug up from the archives. Easy to make and easier to devour, I just might pull this one out for Solstice!

[9:47am on Dec. 21st this year - if you were wondering...]

MACAROONS

2 C shredded coconut
4 ripe bananas, peeled and mashed
1/4 C raw carob powder (optional)

• make the mashed bananas into little balls.
• roll the balls in shredded coconut,
• then in carob powder

CCC HeadQuarters

The amazing Marina Fini stopped by for a little Counter Culture Collective madness last night. We just got a new sound system – apparently built by the same two hands that work the guitar in Creedence – so the tunes were bumping, the nectar was flowing, the trees were blowin’ in the wind and these photos are just a few of what she captured. Also – say hi to CCC’s newest member, TwirlyGirl!