I had already performed in front of a live audience on a pole. Where the worst that can happen is your hands get sweaty and you fall on your head with a spinal cord injury. Or a cracked skull. Or dead. So a live belly dance performance? The likelihood of me dying while belly dancing is infinitesimal. So I've got that going for me. Even though I'm still ridiculously nervous and my hands are ridiculously sweaty.
The thing about the venue is, it was packed. This is by far, the most people I have ever been up on a stage in front of. And the lights above the audience weren't very dimmed. So you could see the face of every audience member, including the professional belly dancers who were there. Can you say intimidating?
So I handled things as best as I could. I had already chosen to perform the only song I know most of the way through. An old one from Morocco from my vast repertoire of songs I don't even know how they begin, let alone what I'm supposed to do in the middle and at the end. But, I was prepared to brave the stage fright and the fact that I may forget all the choreography to one song I know or pee my gypsy skirt trying. With Craig and the kids and a whole room full of other people I don't know watching on.
The question was, would it be a belly dance or belly flop? See for yourself....
That's when the memory card in the camera ran out. At least it wasn't my memory that had expired. Too bad you can't see the end. It was spectacular! I balanced two swords on my head whilst breathing fire. Then of course, rode a unicycle as a monkey played the zils. He pulled up my skirt and I turned 5 shades of crimson. It's true.
Definitely a belly flop.
That's when the memory card in the camera ran out. At least it wasn't my memory that had expired. Too bad you can't see the end. It was spectacular! I balanced two swords on my head whilst breathing fire. Then of course, rode a unicycle as a monkey played the zils. He pulled up my skirt and I turned 5 shades of crimson. It's true.
Definitely a belly flop.