Yay!!!

I got some good news yesterday! Not only did I get a coveted Tribal Fest spot after submitting it "late" (early January instead of November), having my application very misplaced (absolutely zero hard feelings or upset over this - TF is a huge festival that I can't even imagine organizing with no errors) and then getting put onto the waiting list. I got a spot Friday night!!! I'll be dancing at 7:24. I can't believe my luck. I would have been happy with the first performance of Saturday morning.

So, I've started work on putting together the piece. I'd originally had a really cool idea using Girl Talk (which was actually the cause of my application misplacement) but I don't feel I'll be able to prepare it to to my original vision in the time I have with all of the other stuff I have happening. So, next year, perhaps? 

I switched out my music and spent some time this morning working out some new things with my sword and further developing some other techniques I'd been working on last month. Craziness is that I'm performing the same day as Romka, who are my idols for sword dancing. I get a lot of positive comments on my sword dancing and how dynamic it can be. I tell them I come from the Romka school of sword dance:



They're absolutely AMAZING. I'm a huge fan. I had the privilege of taking a sword workshop with them at the first Gothla to learn part of that choreography and what I've learned from that workshop (plus a bad-ass bellydance workshop I took from them at TF8), watching their performances, and from Belladonna's DVD remain the primary influences of my sword dancing.

I don't care where I am in the line-up with regards to them, I just hope I can watch!!

I have a lot of work ahead of me. I'm putting together an audition of a completely DIFFERENT variety, complete with single and double veil work, which I'm still extremely new to utilizing (and can't even really practice at home due to space requirements). Plus a performance in a little over a week that I need to pick music and plan for... And now my debut performance at Tribal Fest!! Really exciting.

While I'm showing inspirations, I've been looking around for tribal veil pieces to inspire me. So, here's one from Kaeshi of Bellyqueen:



And one from my friend (that's right, MY friend, I'm that cool - she also made my often-complimented headdresses and chainmail necklace), Karma: