Tag Archives: bellydancing

Setsucon 2013: Video, Newspapers, and Podcasts- OH MY!

3 Feb

This past weekend the Ladies of Antipode & our guest dancers performed at Setsucon 2013! The main stage show theme this year was “The Great Race”; our take on Chinese New Years! Currently the video and photos are being processed (will be posted this week!), as well as media from our meet and greet (including a group sword piece to Red XIII’s Theme). It was a blast!

Our new PR rep & new member of Antipode, Darling Stewie, worked overtime this con! She helped organize video, newspaper, and podcast interviews for the Troupe! Before in the past, we never set one girl aside to do media relations. We always focused on make-up, music, or stage setup: of course making the show look good is the number one priority, but we rarely got to see any footage or photos after the show! We’d be so busy with tear down of the stage, we’d never even get business cards of photographers! With having one lady in charged, it really streamlined the process- as well as gave us a set a schedule for PR that weekend. While performing, you never get to see what the whole show really looks like; video and photos are not the same as a live show, but it’s the closest you can get to the audience’s view. You put so much hard work into the show, you should make sure you can enjoy it too! Nothing feels like watching the show you created, and listening to the audience laugh, cheer, and gasp.

Check out our interviews, after the Jump!

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The main ladies of Antipode were featured in an article by the Collegian!

The Collegian also mentioned Antipode in their main Setsucon Article

The Hilarious Comedian, Uncle Yo also did a podcast with Antipode about the importance of Strong Female Figures in geek culture. The podcast will be posted once I receive a link!

Nathan Raupach did a Flickr photo set for us, you can check out more of his work a naterpix.com

naterpix

Thanks for reading!

Cheers,

Ayla

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RECAP! Rakkasah Spring Caravan 2012 (Accio Belly Dance: Harry Potter and the Bothering of Snape)

17 May

WHERE DID APRIL GO?! Eh, I’ve been a bad kid with some internet issues for the past month… so let’s post “ALL THE ARTICLES”  I’ve wrote for the past month in one day! Huzzah!

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Two weekends ago was Rakkasah Spring Caravan near NYC.

 

As mentioned in previous posts, there are 4 Rakkasah events, each unique and different on their own.

“Rakkasah West” in California in March.

“Rakkasah East” in Somerset NJ in October.

“Rakkasah Winter Moon” in California in Jan/Feb.

“Rakkasah Spring Caravan” in Somerset NJ in April/May.

Rakkasah Spring Caravan is a belly dance fusion festival/convention in Somerset NJ (Rak East is more for the “traditional” style Bdance). Last year we performed a 7 min version of “Super Mario Belly Dance World”. This year we performed “Accio Belly Dance! Harry Potter and the Bothering of Snape”.

It was so much fun! We set up the dance to be in a “double potions class” with Slytherin & Gryffindor students with Snape as the professor. When class is over, Snape was supposed to touch his dark mark while Harry’s Scar is reacting, all for Moldy-Voldy to come out and battle Harry. Snape was supposed to come in at the end and do the spin sequence with two fanveils in the middle of the battle… but sadly 2 weekends before Termariel broke her foot! Eep! I had to step in and do Termariel part, and rewrite the story a bit. I think it still turned out great! In the video you can’t tell, but when we came out for the 1st song everyone was SUPER confused and muttering- “Are they witches? Are those wands? Is that Harry Potter?” wondering what was going on. During the 2nd song when the theme for HP came on, it was hilarious that quite a few people started to laugh or scream out as they realized we were doing Harry Potter (one of those light bulb/ “Ah-ha!” moments). For the 3rd song, “The Mysterious Ticking Noise” I was a bit nervous and trying hard to suppress a laugh- especially when a woman shouted “I LOVE SNAPE”, my beat was definitely thrown off. Totally worth it.

After our performance Anasma (left) went on  she did a cat themed belly dance, I can’t explain how amazing her style of dance is! She bring comedy to the dance world, and we love to help out!

We were also invited to dance in the Penn State Belly Dance Club time slot that night. Merika & I did a Poi & Double veil duet (respectfully). It was a bit of a stressful weekend jammed with workshops everyday, practice, amazing shows, shopping, and 2 performances… but it was fun.

I’ll have to post the Professional Photos when I get them! 😀

Thanks for reading!

Cheers,

Ayla

P.S. We got our photo in another blog! ..and now that I put up the 4th post that I’ve been slacking on- it’s time to read Nara’s posts! Huzzah!

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Penn State Raqs: PSU BDC Hafla Spring ’12

17 May

WHERE DID APRIL GO?! Eh, I’ve been a bad kid with some internet issues for the past month… so let’s post “ALL THE ARTICLES”  I’ve wrote for the past month in one day! Huzzah!

———–

So a few weekends ago I went back to my Alma mater,PennState, to perform at the Penn State Belly Dance Club annual Hafla.

***ANTIPODE:

Antipode performed “Harry Potter and the Belly Dance” (Harry BOTHER! And the Belly Dance). It’s still a working title. ^_~ Sadly, Termariel broke her other foot at LARP the weekend before (Note: AFTER the event was over. Sigh, poor girl). I had to step in last min for this show. (You’ll get more details in the next post!)

***Alumni SOLO:

From some issues that I had to take care of, sadly I didn’t really have enough time to work on my solo (which originally was supposed to be an Alumni Group Piece). I decided to impromptu quite a bit of it- since I love the music. I have practiced zilling to the base beat; it’s stead and not too fast for my novice zill hands. I sometimes switch it up to the melody, or certain rythms I’m learning.

Maybe if I have a set choreography, I could even take it to a competition! There might need to be a few more musicality changes though, and I am pretty rough in the video (my posture!)… hum.

***Haboussou:

Here is a version of a Cane Piece NARA and I choreographed, as our first duet. We were flat mates in college (lived in a few dorms down). She has an AMAZING BLOG, and runs Tiger Claw Belly Dance Studio about how to improve yourself as a dancer (and she’s also who got me into Doctor Who).

***Zombie Nation

Here is a beginner piece I wrote to Zombie Nation, since ZN is one ofPennState’s Foose ball tailgating songs. They used it as the closing piece, and had Sesquhenna dance it with us. (Technical difficulties in the beginning, sad panda.)

*** Over all there were many wonderful dances that I got to watch, especially “Just One Thing“! Such a lovely Trio.

The other guests, Susquehanna Belly Dance Club, were such a wonderful group of girls (and good dancers too!).

It was fun, and entertaining… and really nice we had live drumming as our curtain call.  I got to spoon!

Thanks for Reading!

Cheers,

Ayla

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