random thoughts – Day 2,282 (Tuesday) – show time

The final performance day of the belly dance season blew in on a cool, gentle morning breeze. It was another comfortable morning for sleeping and I dismissed the alarm in favor of more rest. The house, with windows left open overnight, was the perfect spring comfort level that I wished would linger for more of the year.

Despite it being performance day, I was calm, except for growing angst about the freezer. This wasn't something I wanted to start calling about. I didn't need extra stress before the performance nerves, which usually kick in until closer to showtime. The ice cubes aren’t as solid as usual, and the bread is feeling less than frozen. On Wednesday the freezer can be dealt with.

Setting up for the show.

My dance sister and I (and her fiancé) arrived at the venue at 5:00 so we could help set up for the audience and our costume changes. There were costumes to be hung in order of need, floors to be swept, tables to be moved, chairs to be set out, oscillating fans to be placed. The activity was a good way to work off nerves.

The show went by in a blur. Everyone was in the opening number, which was followed by group dances, solos, and duets. Then we had two dances and a belly dance hand movement lesson for a complete costume change into our second costume. Then two dances for a complete costume change into our third costume. Then two dances for a complete costume change into the fourth costume. Then three dances and some chair relocations for the fifth and final costume. Suddenly, it was over. It went like clockwork. At the end of the night, I had a jumble of balled up costumes crammed into zipper bags. I hope there are videos of the show because I’d love to see all the dances that happened while I was changing.

And now, the belly dancing is officially done for the summer. I have several ideas for the new free time, and oddly, three of them involve dance, just a different flavor.