Along the path...

Saturday is Spring Fest!   Enjoy the scents, sights, and sounds of a Turkish Bazaar without leaving Salt Lake City. Come see Utah's nationally acclaimed Middle Eastern dancers, bands, and vendors offering hypnotic scents, dazzling jewelry, sparkling costumes and clothing, henna tattoos, tarot readings, and so much more! Utah State Fairgrounds Promontory Building 155 N. Temple 1000 W. Salt Lake City, UT Hope to see you there! Saturday, March 5 10:00 am - 10:00 pm Desert Gypsy Dance Company is scheduled to dance around noon . Admission $7 (children under 5 free)

Friday, August 27th at 6:30 PM Mini-Fest Cedar Hills Heritage Park (4450 W. Cedar Hills Drive, Cedar Hills) Mini-Fest is an opportunity for the Middle Eastern dance community to come together and celebrate an evening in dance. Performers come primarily from Utah and Salt Lake Counties. The performance should should last 1 1/2 to 2 hours and will consist of dancers of all levels. Desert Gypsy Dance Company and its three troupes will be featured performers, along with Gypsy Soul for it's second fabulous choreographic feat (we hope anyway!) . Watch dancers perform with candles, swords, fans, veils, scarves and a variety of other props as they share the story of song. Bring blankets or lawn chairs to sit on the grassy hillside. Munchies, snacks and dinner can be brought to and eaten during the performance. Additional parking is available at the nearby school and church.

Desert Gypsy Dance Company will perform for the fourth consecutive year at the Utah Renaissance and Fantasy Faire in Marriott-Slaterville, Utah, on Saturday, May 8 and Saturday, May 15 at 10 or 11 am and at 1 or 2 pm. Visit the Ren Faire's website for directions . Come cheer us on and maybe dance a step or two.

Oasis Dance Camp * Camp WEST October 6-10 on Vashon Island in Washington. Classes from Cassandra. Sigh.

"There is a bit of insanity in dancing that does everybody a great deal of good." ~Edwin Denby Gypsy Tapestry Spring Recital at the Covey Center for the Arts Wednesday, March 24 Doors open 7 pm - Show starts 7:30 pm Tickets $5.00 Desert Gypsy Dance Company along with Covey Center for the Arts Middle Eastern dance program and UVU Continuing Education Bellydance program will be highlighting their students of recent classes as well as featuring a full program of professional dancers. Come support your local arts community and favorite dancers! Purchasing tickets prior to the night of the show is recommended. Video and photography are welcome, but please be considerate with flash photography. Location: 425 West Center Street Provo, UT 84601 Box Office: (801) 852-7007

To watch us dance is to hear our hearts speak. Hopi Indian Saying *********** Come listen to my feet speak at Thia's Spring Fest : Saturday, March 6 10 am - 10 pm Utah State Faire Grounds (Promontory building) 155 North 1000 West Salt Lake City, Utah Welcome Performers, Dance Enthusiasts, Family and Friends BellyDancing by Thia invites you and your family to Escape the blahs of Winter and join us in our EIGHT ANNUAL SPRING FEST For a colorful, mini-vacation into the mystical, beautiful world of Middle Eastern Dance, Food, Scents and Shopping ADMISSION $7 FOR ALL DANCERS & THE GENERAL PUBLIC

This was a funny picture I took in the middle of a downpour in Salt Lake at the 2009 Arts Festival last summer. It seriously felt like someone had turned on a faucet and let the water run unmonitored and uncontrolled. A sweet guy shared his umbrella with me and two friends. From this picture you can tell we were uber dry. Good times!

On Monday night Renee and I hit our first Zumba class, followed closely on the heels of two tribal dance classes a couple of friends and I are taking on Tuesday nights from LaRa Zorn . In Zumba and the classes we worked on our abs. Needless to say there are ab muscles in there somewhere and I've definitely been feeling them since. More abs in tonight's practice? Bring it!

Dancing In The Snow Show Saturday, January 16 6 pm - 11 pm BellyDancing by Thia presents Dancing in the Snow . IT'S FROSTACULAR! This event is at the Organ Loft, 3331 Edison Street (145 East) Salt Lake City Utah. Doors open 6:00 pm, buffet starts at 6:30. It's the first event of the year so lace up your snow boots and don your wollies and join us for fun and frolics. Tickets are $16 and includes crispy snix/snacks, yummy croissant sandwiches, decadent desserts, unlimited soft drinks, (bring your own wine, beer or spirits) tax, gratuity and a Frostacular Show! Tickets may be purchased at the Belly Dancer Boutique, 3345 South 300 West A4 Salt Lake City, Utah 801-466-4337 Monday - Friday 4:00pm-9:30pm, Saturday 9:00am-4:00pm or by contacting Thia at 801-466-4337

I have hitched ropes from steeple to steeple, garlands from window to window, golden chains from star to star, and I dance. Rimbaud

Love their costuming and formations .

What is Gypsy Dancing

The first annual Gypsy Tapestry performance will featuring dancers from the Covey Center for the Arts Middle Eastern Dance program and Desert Gypsy Dance Company along with local professional dancers. Revel in the gypsy spirit. When: Wed., November 4, 2009 Where: Covey Center for the Arts Doors open at 7 pm. Show starts at 7:30 pm. Tickets are only $5.00! Click here to buy tickets!

It's time for Mini-fest! This Friday (8/28) @ 6:30 pm - Cedar Hills Heritage Park, 4450 W Cedar Hills Drive. Bring blankets or chairs for seating. Snacks and picnics are welcome. Dancing begins at 6:30 pm sharp.

On Saturday at noon , DGDC will perform at the brand spankin' new Orem Swap Meet. Orem Swap Meet When: Saturdays and Sundays, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Where: 1304 W. 1170 - North in Orem, just off the 800 North Interstate 15 interchange, just west of the freeway. Follow the signs. Vendor booths: Asking $20 per day for a booth. Contact Aure Estrada at (801) 434-7415, for more information. Services: Portable rest rooms, an ATM, beverages for sale and free live entertainment. Read more about the Swap Meet here .

On Saturday, May 16th, a small group of Desert Gypsy Dance Company will be performing at the Utah Renaissance Festival and Fantasy Faire . The Faire is open May 15, 16, and 17 from 10 AM to 6:30 PM and is located in Millcreek Hollow at 3105 West Pioneer Road in Marriott-Slaterville, Utah. (see mapquest map above) It is about 25 minutes NW of Salt Lake City. Coming from the South an approximation of travel route is to take I-15 North, exit the freeway at 364, go West on Pioneer Road, and turn South on a dirt road about 3105 West (somewhere between 3000 West and 3600 West) . There should be signs along Pioneer Road showing the way. Water and food are available for purchase at the Faire. (Yummy turkey legs...) You may want to slather on the sunscreen and tote a bottle of bug spray since part of the Faire is out in the open and there is water nearby. (Good idea to keep a CLOSE eye on the little ones. If RD were to come, he'd need his monkey backpack. IC would need her hip scarf.) ...

Our Dance Company's Director, Halima, is offering several home studio classes that begin May 13th and end June 17th (six weeks) cost is $40, except the Little Gypsy class that is $20. 5 pm - Little Gypsy Class - (For children 3 years old and up) This class will explore the movement of dance through Middle Eastern influence while having a great time. 6 pm - Intermediate - In this class, dancers will work on veil choreography and continuing technique. 7 pm - Beginning - Dancers will learn basic technique while working on a drum dance. All classes will be held at Halima's home studio in Alpine. 801-360-7575. Tell her J'adore (Andrea) sent you.

Escape the mundane! May 8-10 and May 15-17 * 10 AM-6:30 PM Take 346 Exit off I-15 head west 1 1/2 miles to Millcreek Hollow in Marriott-Slaterville (West of Ogden) http://www.utahrenfest.com/ Desert Gypsy Dance Company will perform twice on Saturday, May 9th and twice on Saturday, May 16. Performances will be on the Gypsy Magick Stage at 11:30 am and 2:00 pm. *Shauna Burns **live heavy joust**artisans marketplace* *belly dancing* *comedy shows* *live steel* *Music* *Magic* *MORE!* 801-603-6356

So... it's been a while since I've posted. Or, so I've been told. But I'm back. Last weekend, I went with some of my belly-sisters (friends from troupe) to watch the Art of Belly Dance in Park City. Bellydance Super Stars was on tour! Live! In Utah! I've seem them on youtube , have several CDs, and have several friends with their DVDs. In total there were eight of us: Sadira, Ariel, Rihannon, J'adore, Araylia, Watara, Basima, and Nahia. This was the first time any of us had seen them live. Sadira scored us some killer seats, and we had a delicious potluck dinner at her home before heading to the show. The show was nothing short of amazing. Their movements and execution were sharp and on cue. The flutters, shimmies, and backbends left me tired and a bit green with envy. Maybe someday! Isaam Houshan 's magic fingers beat the drum and taught the audience call and respond rhythms. He would beat part of the rhythm out on the drum and the audience would finish th...

Thia's Springfest was held on Saturday, and Desert Gypsy Dance Company performed at high noon, filling the house with energy and color. And the crowd went wild! Today's Deseret News featured a picture of one of our dance company dancers (Rani) in an article about yesterday's Belly Dance event. Her picture is left, and the article can be read here . The Deseret News picture slide show can be seen here . Sherry (Watara?) posted pictures and music on her blog here . Two of the dancers performed with knee braces (one a result of a volleyball game gone bad and the other a slip and fall on the ice). Additionally, several dance company members are in various stages of pregnancy. There is nothing quite like the excitement of a performance well done--especially after all of the hard work we have put into it. On Friday evening, at the American Fork Junior High School Desert Gypsy Dance company will perform at a free recital of the belly dance students who have been taking classes in...