Hello fabulous people!
So you know how in my last post I said there was a lot more to share? I have owed you all a personal update for a while now, and here it is. Grab a cuppa tea and settle in, 'cause it's a long one! Along with all the "normal" stuff I do (ya know, working 40 hours etc.), I have been focusing heavily on filling each day with ART: dance, music, etc.
As you might remember, I'm in a Tribal Dance troupe called Ban-Dal. Our intrepid leader moved to Arizona (WAH!), so we've been pretty quiet lately in the dance world. Without my dance buddies, I have been driven to do more solo work because I gotta dance!These last several months have been really educational and full of discoveries about myself as a dancer and as a person, and this new focus has also created opportunities.After a recent show, I was asked to teach Tribal Fusion at a local women's fitness studio. So now I am teaching dance in 2 locations. (I’m still teaching bellydance basics at the YMCA.) I have also been offered an additional class at the studio! Teaching constantly challenges me to reach my highest potential as an artist, while simultaneously demanding that I draw from my students their own latent abilities so they can discover their unique paths... a privilege, indeed! And the community of students and fellow teachers is so delightfully, richly varied.*Many of you have recently heard me mention The "Art Bomb" in some context or other... let me explain what I mean. *Art is everywhere in my world right now, and I am meeting life-altering, deep, authentic, grounded, inspiring people everywhere I go, and connecting through them to even more opportunities for personal growth .. and I am finding art around every corner ...this is the "art bomb!" that has gone off in my world. I believe that art does not imitate life, but rather that life and art are inextricably linked- one and the same thing. Integration and connection are at the heart of my dancing and music-making, if not all the art I have experienced.I think getting involved in Astra lit the fuse of the "A.B." When I auditioned, I just knew without a doubt that something special was going to happen, and I HAD to be part of this project. Well, from the moment I found out I had the role I wanted, life just exploded into tangible ripples of Creativity, Beauty and Joy all around me and they are really rippling back to me as well. Honestly....... my head is spinning!Still with me? Good! Hang in there - we are getting to the really wild stuff now!!Example: in response to a spontaneous invitation from a wonderful friend,(Alec.. more on him later) I ended up busking (street-singing) in Laguna Beach with a Lithuanian world-traveler/musician/social activist named Hokshila, which led to an invitation to join Alec's band!The band, DEEP STIRRINGS, is a completely serendipitous ensemble of talented and marvelous musicians led by Alec C. Marken. (The aforementioned non-Lithuanian friend).
Alec is a Musician/Poet/Dancer/Instructor/Songwriter/ Choreographer/Actor who was the lead male dancer in the recent production of ASTRA that I've been talking about for the last few months.Alec and the band have been playing local festivals and other nifty venues for a while now, and after one jam session with the guys, it was clear I belonged!Since joining as a vocalist, we have performed at the Neighborhood Cup (where Alec & Co are regular guest performers) and at the Soka Festival in Aliso Viejo.In a surprisingly lovely twist of fate, each musician in Deep Stirrings is in the right place at the right time to fulfill a long-time goal of Alec's and we are heading into the recording studio!That's right; we will soon be recording our first album together!We are also preparing to shoot a music video, for our song "El Viaje."(The Journey)(OK. So, are y'all seeing the connection here? I hang out with some cool people at the beach and BAM I join a band and end up being part of a recording project AND a music video! Keep in mind; I have been in the band about a month! Neat people + me+right time = ART BOMB)What’s really funny about this is that I have known Alec for about 2 years through swing dance, historical dance, OCC and IVC concerts and we just NOW figured out we should be working together!Timing is everything!There are 5 of us in the band besides Alec: Marcus is insanely skilled on the electric guitar, and arranges many of our pieces, Chris is a master of the upright bass, Henry (also a versatile dancer in "Astra"- another nifty connection) plays keyboard with panache and subtlety, Dave is tuned into the djembe's tribal soul, and I get to create harmonies for Alec's soul-stirring songs.
(Get it? Deep Stirrings, soul-stirring? Yeah, that was for those of you who weren't paying attention!)In addition to all this, Alec and I discovered another facet to our shared love of dance- live drumming and dancing- and decided to expand our artistic collaboration on the dance floor by offering to perform at events. We bring the earthy bliss of his djembe playing and my tribal bellydance to gatherings in need of some Global Groove-yness. (SO if you or someone you know needs some fun ambiance or a full show, feel free to ask for info and if you know of any events/venues/festivals/causes looking for bands, we'd love to hear about that, too- let's keep the art love flowing! )I am also getting into modeling and voiceovers!!!!(Man, I am getting tired just writing all this..)To me, the concept of ART (in my case, dance and music) is really the expression of the magic of LIFE- the joys, pains, mysteries and discoveries... I have no doubt that much more is in store, and I feel so blessed. I want to give back all I'm receiving by sharing it all with you, in the hope that you will feel the "ripples" in your life. Inviting you into my crazybeautiful life is my way of saying "thank you" for the love and support you have given me, whether by emails, phone calls, or even coming to shows.I am so excited to be able to share this with ya! I hope you find some of the comfort, connection, wholeness and joy that I have.Stay posted for more wonderful adventures!!
LOVE and Blessings,
Sarah al Nour
P.S. Deep Stirrings will be jamming at the Neighborhood Cup in Aliso Viejo at 8 pm on June 27th. If you will be in the area, grab another cuppa tea and check us out!
Please feel free to contact me ANYTIME for any reason, via the following contact info:
Website: www.bellyssimadancer.com http://www.sarahbaxter.vpweb.com
EMAIL: danceandsing.sarah@gmail.comAlec's info: aleccm@earthlink.net www.myspace.com/deepstirrings
P.P.S. To help make studio time and filming possible, we thought we'd offer some tempting rewards to the people who have been with us all along (collectively and individually), and to those who would like to become our groupies before everyone else!! If you feel inclined to support our journey, here's a short list of possibilities:~For $15: You will be guaranteed one album, signed by the band, from the first available batch created.~For $100: One album, plus a one hour living room concert by yours truly at your house, with whomever you'd like to invite in attendance.~For $500: 3 albums, a one hour living room concert by 3 to 6 of us, and dinner with the band plus you and a guest, at a local restaurant.(All other amounts gratefully accepted, obviously. I personally will deliver a hug for as little as a penny!)On behalf of the band, Slainte!!!(Cheers in Gaelic)
