So, I was trying to go to Marrakesh for a festival/dance/music tour in July, but I just couldn’t pull the funds together. I was super bummed, but now I’ve made a bunch of new plans that I’m excited about. I’ve decided to take a break from teaching bellydance classes so I could take some classes and focus on myself and my dance troupe, Bahar.

FIRST UP: NYC
I’ll admit it, I’ve NEVER been to New York. Cleveland is the farthest East I’ve been (in the U.S). My man, a DJ at KEXP (and their sister station in New York), has been planning a trip to the Latin Alternative Music Conference at the beginning of July. And since my trip to Marrakesh fell threw, I’m going to go with him. We just booked our place at the Pod Hotel yesterday!

My friend, Trisha, suggested that I take some dance classes while I was there. She sent me Lotus Music and Dance Studio‘s site to check out. I was impressed with all the different classes they offer, but then my jaw dropped when I saw that they have a Dancehall Fusion Class. What?! I LOVE DANCEHALL, there’s a dance class for this?! I love NYC already. So my new mission is to hook up some private lessons or take a class with Hannah Herbertson. Check out one of her videos:

NEXT UP: STRICTLY SEATTLE
Once I get back from a music and sweat indulgence in NYC. I’m going to be diving into Velocity Dance Center’s Strictly Seattle dance intensive. 3 weeks of dance technique and choreography from 6-9pm, Mon-Fri. With a show the last weekend of July. I’ve always wanted to do this, but I’ve never had 3 weeks of week nights open. I’m kinda nervous, and super excited. I think I’m going to learn a lot and hopefully get back into shape and strengthen my knee up some more.

Join Bahar in “Support Women Artists Now” on May 1, 2010 at the UW Ethnic Cultural Theatre!

When: Saturday, May 1, 2010
7:30 pm – doors open for Visual Art Exhibit
8 pm – Performance

Where: UW Ethnic Cultural Theatre
3940 Brooklyn Ave. NE
Seattle, WA 98105

Admission: $12 General, $10 Students/Seniors

Contact: Kathryn Hightower
360-621-9077
kathryn.hightower@gmail.com
www.jahbreeze.com

ISIS: Women Arts Festival is Seattle’s only all-female, arts-centered, community-building event, honoring the international holiday SWAN Day (Support Women Artists Now). Sponsored by Steel Grace Dance/Jah Breeze Rhythms and the University of Washington Ethnic Cultural Center, with easels generously donated by the UW School of Art, this year’s event features grassroots female artists from all walks of life. More than twenty women, representing Iran, Mexico, Taiwan, India, Korea, and the USA, will express themselves through such mediums as painting, sculpture, modern dance, original music, Butoh, bellydance, video, spoken word, and even two all-girls steel drum ensembles.

ISIS: Women Arts Festival is about creating networks of female artists who can support, encourage, and empower one another. One of the goals of ISIS is to give opportunities to artists who do not often get a chance to showcase their work, either because their work does not follow the current aesthetic trends, or because they are of a race, ethnicity, or country of origin that intimidates or scares others. With ISIS, we aim to create an environment where each woman feels safe and supported to share her work. We are reaching toward “ISIS:” balance, homeostasis, an even-ing of the art world’s playing field. This even-ing will prove to be not only a unique glimpse into the creative psyche of Seattle’s female artists, but also a chance for you as art-supporters to create lasting networks for change and empowerment.

ISIS features: Nasrin Afrouz (visual), Ines Andrade (dance), Daya Bonnie Astor (visual), Bahar Bellydance, Ameliorator (dance/spoken word/music), Diana Garcia-Snyder with Sean Stephen Hopps (dance/music), Chela Grey and Dancers, Kait Heacock (spoken word), Amaranta Ibarra (visual), Sheeba Jacob (music), Joyce Liao (dance), Dahe Kim (visual), Julie Luke (visual), Garima Naredi (visual), Serrah Russell (visual), South Shore Girls Steel Pan Ensemble and Rainbow Girls Steel Pans (music), Steel Grace Dance (dance/music), Nitya Venkateswaran (dance), and Vanessa Williams (video).

Bahar, my bellydance ensemble, just got a fresh batch of portraits taken by the fabulous Shena Lee. Check them out on Bahar’s Facebook page. While your there become a fan and don’t forget to buy tix to our upcoming fundraiser.

Bahar Bellydance 2010