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My atmospheric aerial silks performance at HUSTLE, Oct. 5 in Nashville, TN; hanging out (ha!) in the Cannery Ballroom. Photographer: PhotobyChow
Blog Archives
Oct 16
Descent — aerial silks performance (by LeopardDanceArts)
My aerial silks act I performed on April 6, 2012. I love Velvet Revolver and felt like having some fun on silks to this song. I also love how the act itself evolved to what you see in the video and will continue to evolve throughout the coming months.
(Source: http://www.youtube.com/)
ODCNashville.com Launch Party TONIGHT
Tonight is the launch party for Organized Distraction Collective’s website and it’s going to be an amazing event! I’ll be performing alongside some of Nashville’s hottest entertainers and modeling for Denim Divas as well.
DJs, artists, marketing & promotion services, dancers, fashion and more will be at the event. If you are in need of any creative services or even just a fun night out, join us at the French Quarter Cafe in East Nashville, Woodland Street. Festivities kick off with the Denim Divas’ trunk show at 7:30 p.m. See you there!
Juggleville: what a fun show!
It’s difficult for me to believe Juggleville VI: Dr. Jugglestein’s Apprentice is over! The show was an amazing success and I’m so proud of the Vanderbilt Juggling & Physical Arts Club for assembling an awesome show not once, but TWICE, in one day.
The Juggleville VI cast
There were a few hitches — as all shows have — but everything was handled so smoothly & with such aplomb it was completely unnoticeable, even by cast members! The energy and dedication of the cast & production crew was contagious, translating into a performance fun for both the audience & the cast and also a relaxed atmosphere backstage.
My actual performances themselves are a blur to me. I just watched a video of my performances and I’m excited to see the rest of the footage. Once I have all footage, I’ll post a video!
I want to thank JPAC for inviting to perform, choreograph & be a production crew member. The show was wonderful and I look forward to anything you present next year.
FLOW, as viewed by forest creatures…
This video is my third in the Hooping.org Hooping Idol contest/challenge. As stated in the last blog post, I see this as a challenge for myself, both as a dancer & a professional performer. This week’s topic was Flow, which is a state of being usually characterized by being & feeling than thinking & doing. Or, as I say, an outward projection of an inner feeling, emotion or state of being.
Seeing as how I rarely share videos of myself, especially since I started performing, I felt I could share this one.
A busy spring & other musings
I apologize for being seemingly negligent of the LDA blog; I have been quite busy over the last month, for which I am quite grateful. Usually I’m caught amongst the mixed garden of planning my October nuptials, creating new routines, gearing up for four confirmed shows and working my way into the first Hooping.org Hooping Idol contest but I wanted to take a moment to update you.
First, the four shows! Here’s the round-up:
March 26 — Miss Lolly Pop’s Saturday Night Special at The Pond; 10 p.m. to 1 a.m.; Franklin, TN. I am performing two numbers, along with musical guest Jon Cohen & comedian Brad Hinderliter. This is a FREE, 21+ variety show.
April 2 — Juggleville VI: Dr. Jugglestein’s Apprentice at Vanderbilt University’s Langford Auditorium; two shows, 2 p.m. & 8 p.m.; Nashville, TN. Juggleville is an annual show presented by Vandy’s Juggling & Physical Arts Club, who perform & staff the production. JPAC also brings in professional performing artists, in the past including Music City Soul & Legacy Rhythmic; this year, Leopard Dance Arts is joining the cast in five, count ‘em FIVE, numbers! This show is for the entire family, so come out! Tickets are $7 at the door or can be purchased in advance through Ticketmaster (beware of TM fees, though!).
April 16 — Bellydance in the Boro at Bluesboro. I met the ladies of Umbra Fusion Belly Dance, courtesy of Rose Hips Bellydance, when we all performed together for the ThunderBear CD release party in February. I love seeing these ladies and having the chance to perform with both the ladies of Umbra Fusion & Rose Hips makes me really happy!
April 23 — PROMocalypse at the Cannery Ballroom; 9 p.m., 18 +, prom (at least dresses & suits) attire required; Nashville, TN. What is PROMocalypse you ask? Well, it’s a prom and a lot of people (a lot) dress up as prom-going zombies, including myself. You don’t have to go as a zombie but you do have to dress up. This year is guaranteed to be better than last year and I say that with the utmost confidence as we have a bigger venue, larger bar and I’m bringin’ on TWO hot zombie dance numbers to the performance stage. Plus, DJ Wick-It will be throwing down an awesome set, so you may find me free-flowing later on the dance floor! Tickets are $10.
Now I’ve thrown all the upcoming performances at you, let’s move on to the new routines…or at least as much as I’m willing to give away right now. I have about six different routines in various shades of completion going on right now. Some are tailored towards a specific audience, others will be able to be used for any show. Needless to say, I am gaining new skills –acrobatics or boxes, anyone?– to use in these routines and all will be shared at some point in time. The big reveal may be a show or it may be an arty video release but I will get them out there for your consumption.
Before I head to bed as I have a full weekend of rehearsals & my birthday celebration, I did want to touch on the Hooping.org Hooping Idol contest I mentioned. I generally do not participate in contests for anything but this one piqued my interest. Not for the prize package but for the CHALLENGES of creating short-notice performance videos on a specific, hoop-related topic and getting the feedback of well-known hoopers as judges of the performance. I’m already relishing the feedback I have received from the 80s week challenge & look forward to continuing in the contest. This week’s challenge was Flow, something I find to be mostly an outward projection of an inner feeling and difficult to do “on demand” as it were. But I did it and already have the video up on my personal YouTube, which I will share here on the video page and in the next blog post.
Much thanks and love to everyone who is supporting me as a performer, artist and Hooping Idol contestant. You do not realize how much all of you mean to me. 
ThunderBear CD release party
Just a quick note to say again how much fun I had at the ThunderBear CD release party! The CD release was held at 12th & Porter here in Nashville on Thurs., Feb. 3 and I, along with Rose Hips Bellydance & Umbra Fusion Bellydance, entertained the crowd between sets by Melee, Squake & ThunderBear.
According to several attendees, I was “raging it” with my hoop! My song of choice was Bassnectar’s remix of “Risingson” by Massive Attack, which I absolutely enjoy as a track for letting loose my dance energy.
I’m keeping an eye out for photo & video so I can share them!
Welcome 2011!
January is almost over! I wanted to update everyone in regards to the whereabouts of Leopard Dance Arts the last two months and where I’m headed.
After the American Diabetic Association Walk performance, I joined Playing by Air in the Grand Day Celebration for the Nashville Children’s Theater in November. New skill of mine was discovered while entertaining: line dancing (like the “cha-cha-slide”) while hooping. I also joined up with PBA in December for the Gilda’s Club Holiday Celebration for the children. At both appearances I completely enjoyed hooping for the kids and also teaching them different hoop tricks. Seeing their faces light up, whether doing it themselves or just watching me, really made my day.
In the beginning of December, Music City Burlesque provided me a guest slot during their Holiday show, which I jumped on with a big idea: hooping while lifted in the air.
Aerial & hoop collaboration with the Aerial Fabricators, Dec. 2010
Without my dear friends the Aerial Fabricators, the above photo would not have been possible. We started our collaboration with Dance of the Sugar Hoop Pixie, my hoop & ballet combo set to a Nutcracker medley, and immediately went into the Fabricators’ Carol of the Bells silk performance. I joined them momentarily in an aerial sling formed from their fabrics and then came back for our ending, which you see above. Thunderous applause and an adrenaline rush does not begin to describe that moment. And to top it off, the photo was featured as Photo of the Day on hooping.org!
I rang in the New Year again with Playing by Air Productions, effectively sandwiching 2010 in PBA appearances. This time we were in Sugar Land, TX for the Town Square New Year celebration. We did a 25 minute show every hour and dance & hoop street performance in between from 7 p.m. to 1 a.m. We loved every minute and I’m so grateful to Sugar Land, TX & Playing by Air for the opportunity to bring a smile to so many people that night.
And there’s more to come! The Aerial Fabricators & I just recently returned from an aerial dance workshop focusing on the dance trapeze, which is providing me with many, many kernels for possible performance pieces. Another Playing by Air appearance is already on my schedule for February, this time in Richmond, VA and I am in 5 numbers, including a solo piece, for the annual Juggleville show at Vanderbilt University on April 2. Here’s to a solid start to 2011!
Halloween Performances
Kristen of Leopard Dance Arts will be performing in not one but TWO Halloween burlesque shows in Nashville this weekend.
Appearing as Kinetic Kristen:
MCB’s 3rd Annual Boolesque at the Belcourt
Friday, October 29, 2010
doors at 7pm show at 8pm
$15 advance $20 at the door (18+)
for tickets go to www.belcourt.org
Come see TWO new acts from Kinetic Kristen, created especially for Halloween, her favorite holiday! Tricks and treats are promised!
Dougie Ray’s Halloween Burlesque Hootenanny
Saturday, October 30 at 9:00pm
903 Rivergate Parkway
(no cover)
Two performances from Kinetic Kristen, including a new glow act for your dark side.
