NICOLE RULES YOU.

[parasitegirl]

I've just come back from  the Tokyo International Bellydance Competition and the Gala show afterwards

I have much to write about (Eshe, your students were joyous) and, yes, Ranya Renee is OMFGood. But before I stop believe in it, I need to write about Nicole's group.

Drag Queens could take lessons from Nicole in presentation and showman ship.

Nicole is a local, Japanese, fucking POWERHOUSE of dance/dance productions. I wish it were easier to find youtubes of her. And when she puts together something for for stage featuring herself AND her female troupe AND the men"s troupe of her studio (EG'ZILE go head…youtube them for a second…her husband is one of them) she puts on a motherfucking SHOW. At first I thought to describe it as Cirque-like but I think it's more "Bellydance meets the SYTCD top 10 dancers opening number."

I am pretty sure I just saw:

Devils (as played by the men of EG'ZILE) rise from hell, swatting in their tight leather and gold outfits with red silk veils wrapped like blood around them. Then, White Bellydancing Angels, with fan veils, came into to do battle with them. Much battle ensued, some racy, with much drama….OH THE DRAHMA...and then ALL THE VEILS! …and suddenly the devils have fan veils, the angels have red veils…i have no fucking idea that that means (maybe the duality of man, that Jungian thing) there is much commotion as the music rises to a crescendo and then breaks!

and….I shit you not…

The teaming masses part as  Nicole -  like Jesus Christ (in white draped with veils) - is lifted up, her arms outstretched, AND ASCENDS TO HEAVEN.

And that should be WTF bellydance…but it was pretty awesome.

I love that woman.

I laughed my ass off....but I was saying LUV HUH! while I did it.

Comments

[suzycat.livejournal.com]

OMG the ascending to heaven thing would possibly make me fall on the ground laughing. Especially if her veils were draped in a particular way and she was being kind of cruciform with it. Take into consideration every Sunday morning of my life between the ages of about 3 and 16 were spent looking at this.

[parasitegirl.livejournal.com]

It was that...with the dramatic lighting.

[suzycat.livejournal.com]

BWAHAHA.

That Jesus is made of concrete by the way. I always used to worry that he was going to fall off the wall due to his massive weight.

You can't tell from that shot, but he also has one of those neutral faces that can look as if he's smiling or frowning depending on your mood when you look at him. Cunning.

[parasitegirl.livejournal.com]

She's also going to be...Cleopatra

[suzycat.livejournal.com]

LOL!

Why this passes my Orientalist Ding Ding Ding test: everyone is Asian and not doing things to their faces/bodies to look "Arab" or black or whatever. So it's still ragingly Orientalist but possibly not quite so overtly racist as these things CAN be. And it comes from a different place.

Someone needs to do some work on BD and orientalism etc as they pertain in Japan and other Asian cultures. Because obviously the discourse is not there, at least not in the same format and not as culturally ingrained.

[suzycat.livejournal.com]

LOL also loving how Pharaoh's Harem appears to comprise hot men.