random thoughts – Day 2,217 (Sunday) – day of dance

It was a day filled with dance, both doing and watching. The morning had dance group in a new studio space that is spacious and bonus, it has a wall of mirrors, which is a huge improvement over our previous spaces. It’s an Irish Step Dance studio and I had fun looking at the many medals hung on a wall, trophies on a shelf, various dance shoes hanging in a row, and Irish Step Dance warm up notes posted on a wooden pillar. Bonus for me, it’s a smidge closer to home than the place we were renting the past few months.

Later in the afternoon, a friend and I headed west to Holyoke to the Cairo Cabaret Show in an American Legion Hall. The space was set up with tables with cloths and centerpieces. Attendees had been advised that the usual kitchen service wouldn't be available tonight and we should bring our own snacks. That was good to know as the show began around 5:00 which is also my usual suppertime. 

I grabbed some crackers, toasted chick peas, grapes, sharp cheddar cheese, and grape tomatoes. My friend, who has instincts like a caterer, could have fed the entire room with her bag packed with sliced veggies, fruits, goat cheese, sliced cheese, tiny pita breads, hummus, and stuffed grape leaves. We had a nice feast.

The dancers were amazing. Some we recognized as fellow dancers in the Natick Showcase we have performed in and others we saw dance a month ago at the Molten Show at the LAVA Center in Greenfield. 

It was a sparkly and impressive couple of hours filled with bright and glittery costumes, coordinated cane work, top notch zill skills, and gorgeous dancers dancing. Some of the music was new to us, and some we knew intimately and immediately from the first few notes, having performed to it in dance group. It has taken some digging to find local-ish shows, but it seems they are out there. Each time we attend one, we hear of one or two others. It’s almost as if it’s some secret underground belly dance show communications network.

It was dark and drizzly on the ride back home, which made it feel later than it was. My 8:40 arrival home felt more like 10:30 or 11 and it was a nice surprise to see there was time to relax before bedtime.