Sophweea is bad at taking notes because she has no arms.

I am home from Waking Persephone and still trying to gather my thoughts, so pardon me if this post is a little disjointed. Let’s see if I can break it into sections.

Seattle: I sure do love visiting this city. Upon arriving at the airport I was trying to find my way to the light rail station and a nice man who works as a volunteer at the airport gave me very clear directions on how to get there. Although, this might not be Seattle-specific, as I noticed a volunteer helping people find their proper luggage carousel in the bag claim when I got into Tucson last night. Anyway, I really enjoyed riding the light rail. And I enjoyed eating a ton of delicious food. Why is the food in Seattle so delicious? And I enjoyed the fact that the brew pub near the venue had like, half a dozen different ciders on tap. And I enjoyed a nice dose of Autumn weather, with rain and falling leaves and noisy crows. It was very thematically appropriate.

The Event in General: I was a little worried going into it. What if everyone there was super Goth and I didn’t fit in? What if there was a really heavy ritual element? Is there any other stupid thing my socially awkward brain can needlessly worry about? But I fit right in. It was fun hearing some of my favorite Gothy tunes in workshops, but for the most part everyone was dressed the same as they would be at any workshop event, with maybe a little more nerdiness evident in t-shirt choices, and cooler socks. And almost everyone else was a socially awkward dance nerd too. One big theme that the event’s host, Tempest, kept stressing was that we didn’t need to take things too seriously. There was a lot of humor and silliness throughout the weekend, giving lie to those dumb stereotypes that Goths are all doom and gloom.

Workshops: I’d be sitting here typing all day if I tried to discuss all 7 workshops that I was in this past weekend. So I just want to say that in general, the workshops I was signed up for were weighted heavily towards imparting information and fostering a deeper understanding of dance, or exploring new ideas. Even Kamrah’s workshop on creepy combos was more about ways to instill a sense of creepiness into your dance than the combos themselves. One thing that I heard over and over again, and have been hearing at other workshops over the past year or two, is the importance of having a story in mind as you dance, whether or not your dance overtly tells that story. It seems to be a concept that is really gaining momentum within the fusion belly dance world and I’m excited to see how it helps the artform grow. Another thing that I enjoyed was that all of the workshops I was in were pretty small, which made for a more intimate and interactive experience. This was probably a result of the event being in its first year in Seattle, and I suspect it will be bigger in future years, but probably not as jam-packed as Tribal Fest.

Community Round Table (minus the table): On Saturday evening (after the workshops, before the show) there was an hour of discussion time for talking about the event so far, and stuff going on within the dance community. It was really interesting and thought provoking, and everyone was welcome to share their thoughts, whether they were a student-level dancer or a pro with decades of experience. I think this is a really good idea for an event, as it’s rare for large groups of dancers to be able to get together and really talk in person, rather than relying on Facebook groups and internet forums.

Performing: I was part of the Gala Showcase. It was a little bit intimidating because the show was mostly the amazing teachers and a few performers who had applied to be part of the show! But I’ve been reassured that I held my own and didn’t look too out of place among all of the more experienced dancers. The event was really nice to be part of, everyone was great backstage. It reminded me of my early student recital days with everyone helping each other out with safety pins and makeup and fastening bras and all those silly little things you might want an extra hand or second opinion on. Plus there were SNACKS back stage! Since I did not have time for a proper dinner and was going to be out too late to eat before bed, it was nice to have healthy munchies (plus chocolate) to keep my tummy happy. The stage manager was really on top of things, too and really nice to work with.

Vendors: You know I love to shop! I kept it low-key at this event because I’ve already started to register for events for next year and the budget was a li’l tight. But I did get some really nice things! There was a good variety of vendors, the space was well-lit, and conveniently located between the classrooms. My favorite purchase was a pair of earrings made with mink vertebrae that were stripped clean by FLESH EATING BEETLES. Now that’s pretty Goth. You can actually see Sophweea modeling them in Monday’s blog post.

Underworld Ball: Three bands, half a dozen dancers, and a theater that looks kind of like a circus tent. Plus a handful of vendors. And beer. Except I didn’t drink any, because I was pretending to know what I was doing as stage manager! This was a fun experience, as coordinating a show that someone else has organized is a lot different than making sure Open Stage runs smoothly. There was a bit of fake-it-til-I-make-it involved, but over all, things went well, all the dancers were on stage when they were supposed to be so I consider myself a success. I had a really good time and was able to enjoy most of the show even though I was working. In addition to great live music from Chronilus, The Nathaniel Johnstone Band and Frenchy & The Punk there was a DJ playing a great mix of music. At the end of the night I heard Professor Elemental followed by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. What’s not to love?

Thoughts Over All: In some ways, this was one of my favorite events so far. I really felt at home, surrounded by like-minded people. At a lot of events I feel kind of alone, because it seems like everyone else is there with friends or troupemates. But at this event, it was like almost everyone there was someone I knew from Facebook (or in the case of Kamrah, from when she used to live here!) so I had plenty of friends even though I has traveled out by myself. There were also no overwhelming huge crowd moments, like the Meet the Teacher night at Tribal Fest. Everything was really relaxed, but still well-organized. That’s a hard balance to pull off! I feel like I learned a LOT and made some good connections and have some new ideas to work on. I’d call that a success. I’m already looking forward to next year! Thank you to Tempest and all of your volunteers for putting on such a great event.