Welcome to the Spring Issue !!
Okay so I'm late getting this issue
out, I could say I am doing it on Belly Dance time, but that would be a cop
out. I could say that I just couldn't decide what to write about, but
that wouldn't be wholly true either. The happy truth is I have been
very busy!! Body stocking orders started flying in via phone, fax and
email just about as soon as I got back from Rakkasah West. Of course
Rakkasah wasn't bad either, I sold out of body stockings and came home with
a couple of orders too. Plus my body stocking booklet was very well
received!! So the plain truth is I have been spending a lot of hours
at my sewing machine.
And then there was High Desert Hip Fest here in Reno, put on by The Two Old Bags, of which I am one. A huge success! I will review it below. Followed closely by Cairo Carnivale in southern California where I shared a booth with Dawn Devine Brown and Auntie Magpie's Shining Hoard. I don't travel to vend very often, but I try to get out of Reno at least twice a year, other than Rakkasah. First it was just to the greater Phoenix area, my snow bird trip, where I visited all my friends and vended at a local workshop or festival. Then I added Cairo Carnivale for the last 3 years with my booth buddies. And last year I added The Double Crown Belly Dance Competition & Festival in Oregon. In 2004 I'm looking to go some place different to vend - need to spread myself around and meet my customers. But I digress. If you don't know and there is no reason that most of you should know, traveling to vend is tough work which takes a lot of time and planning. Mostly it takes you away from your work. I must say most of my customers are extremely understanding of the time vending takes away from my sewing. And I thank them all for their patience and understanding.
I figured I was safe as long as I got this issue on line before the Summer Solstice, but when that rolled around I didn't even have time to dance under the moon, because we were up to our ears in the last minute details for Wiggles of the West Belly dance Contest So here I am --- late.
Edited to reflect changes made as of 2005
Now that might sound odd to some people, me telling
you that you can buy my body stockings and books from another vender, but
I want you to know. If you see bodystockings sold by a vender other
than Scheherezade Imports or Designs By Janie -- then they aren't mine.
From the beginning Scheherezade Imports have been very supportive
of my endeavors so it was only natural for me to wholesale to her. Plus
she was on the East Coast, while I was out West. And of course, her
vending schedule is far more vast than mine. It worked like a dream.
That is also why you will find me selling with Lucy/Scheherezade at
Rakkasah West.
So now there is little old me, Designs By Janie , in Reno, Nevada sewing away and traveling a little -- but on line a lot. There is Scheherezade Imports covering as much of the Eastern US as she can vending, plus catalog sales. These two venders are the only ones selling Designs By Janie's Comfortable Body Stockings! I do not wholesale my body stockings to anyone else. I don't have the time to make body stocking for a lot of venders, simple as that.
You can get my books from Scheherezade Imports too. But I will wholesale books to other venders. So if you are a vender, studio or shop owner and you are interested in carrying my books, I am totally open to wholesaling them to you.
And then there was High Desert Hip Fest here in Reno, put on by The Two Old Bags, of which I am one. A huge success! I will review it below. Followed closely by Cairo Carnivale in southern California where I shared a booth with Dawn Devine Brown and Auntie Magpie's Shining Hoard. I don't travel to vend very often, but I try to get out of Reno at least twice a year, other than Rakkasah. First it was just to the greater Phoenix area, my snow bird trip, where I visited all my friends and vended at a local workshop or festival. Then I added Cairo Carnivale for the last 3 years with my booth buddies. And last year I added The Double Crown Belly Dance Competition & Festival in Oregon. In 2004 I'm looking to go some place different to vend - need to spread myself around and meet my customers. But I digress. If you don't know and there is no reason that most of you should know, traveling to vend is tough work which takes a lot of time and planning. Mostly it takes you away from your work. I must say most of my customers are extremely understanding of the time vending takes away from my sewing. And I thank them all for their patience and understanding.
I figured I was safe as long as I got this issue on line before the Summer Solstice, but when that rolled around I didn't even have time to dance under the moon, because we were up to our ears in the last minute details for Wiggles of the West Belly dance Contest So here I am --- late.
You can get My Books & Body Stockings Elsewhere
Edited to reflect changes made as of 2005
So now there is little old me, Designs By Janie , in Reno, Nevada sewing away and traveling a little -- but on line a lot. There is Scheherezade Imports covering as much of the Eastern US as she can vending, plus catalog sales. These two venders are the only ones selling Designs By Janie's Comfortable Body Stockings! I do not wholesale my body stockings to anyone else. I don't have the time to make body stocking for a lot of venders, simple as that.
You can get my books from Scheherezade Imports too. But I will wholesale books to other venders. So if you are a vender, studio or shop owner and you are interested in carrying my books, I am totally open to wholesaling them to you.
High Desert Hip Fest is a Smashing Success!
How could a two day festival starring
Margo Abdo O'Dell and Kamaal be anything but a major success! May
17 & 18 found enthusiastic workshop attendees gathered in the Sierra
Ballroom of Boomtown Hotel and Casino ready to learn from the wonderful
Margo. She came all the way from Minnesota to teach " Improvisational
Exercises - Making the Dance Your Own" and "Turns and Traveling Steps/ Combinations".
You have to understand, that she had just finished putting on an
event of her own back home in Minnesota the weekend before. She proved
what a PRO she is by teaching four wonderful hours of dance.
That night we also had the Gala show, where both stars danced twice along with workshop attendees and venders.
Pictured above are the Stars: Margo Abdo O'Dell and Kamaal.
Photos by Barry Brown
That night we also had the Gala show, where both stars danced twice along with workshop attendees and venders.
Pictured above are the Stars: Margo Abdo O'Dell and Kamaal.
Photos by Barry Brown
The show was dazzling ! There
were many Nevada dancers and troupes, such as: Ruqaya Nahla (Lake Tahoe
troupe), Sonora (Gardenerville), Zareen making her solo debut (Reno), Ali
Baba Belly Dance Productions (Reno & Carson City troupe), Tahari Veils
(Reno troupe), Nahlah (Reno), Majida (Verdi), and Rabia and Troupe Yalla Habbi
(Reno). Joining the Nevadans was Siham of Washington, who used to live
in Reno, and Raqs Hilwa a troupe from Caldwell, Idaho.
Sunday morning bright and early the still energetic (though a little tired) workshop attendees joined Kamaal for a fabulous "Drum Solo" workshop. Kamaal has always been famous for his drum solos.
Everyone seemed thrilled with Boomtown and the wonderful room we were in, including the brand new stage that Boomtown had just purchased knowing that they would be hosting two dance events. Boomtown was thrilled with having the dancers. Many Boomtown employees also enjoyed being able to shop along with the dancers at the following venders booths: Designs by Janie, Auntie Magpie's Shining Hoard, Dawn Devine Brown, photographer Barry Brown, and Wilfredo's Beauty Salon.
In 2004, High Desert Hip Fest will be changing weekends. Hip Fest will be the first weekend in May. It seems that dancers were having a hard time deciding on which event to go to Hip Fest or Tribal Fest in Sebastopol, CA, so the sponsors of both events got together at Rakkasah and worked out a solution. The Two Old Bags moved High Desert Hip Fest's date, because Ellen Cruz and Kadjira couldn't move Tribal Fest - they were locked in. So in 2004, High Desert Hip Fest starring Morocco and Zaina Hart will be held May 1 & 2 at Boomtown Hotel and Casino . I will of course be there as sponsor and vender. See you there!!
Sunday morning bright and early the still energetic (though a little tired) workshop attendees joined Kamaal for a fabulous "Drum Solo" workshop. Kamaal has always been famous for his drum solos.
Everyone seemed thrilled with Boomtown and the wonderful room we were in, including the brand new stage that Boomtown had just purchased knowing that they would be hosting two dance events. Boomtown was thrilled with having the dancers. Many Boomtown employees also enjoyed being able to shop along with the dancers at the following venders booths: Designs by Janie, Auntie Magpie's Shining Hoard, Dawn Devine Brown, photographer Barry Brown, and Wilfredo's Beauty Salon.
In 2004, High Desert Hip Fest will be changing weekends. Hip Fest will be the first weekend in May. It seems that dancers were having a hard time deciding on which event to go to Hip Fest or Tribal Fest in Sebastopol, CA, so the sponsors of both events got together at Rakkasah and worked out a solution. The Two Old Bags moved High Desert Hip Fest's date, because Ellen Cruz and Kadjira couldn't move Tribal Fest - they were locked in. So in 2004, High Desert Hip Fest starring Morocco and Zaina Hart will be held May 1 & 2 at Boomtown Hotel and Casino . I will of course be there as sponsor and vender. See you there!!
Tajdeed Joins the Video Line-up at Designs By Janie
Tajdeed is a wonderful performance video
put out by the award winning performer/Instructor Margo Abdo O'Dell.
It is a collection of six of her performances. Professionally
done and very enjoyable to watch.
The video starts out with "Oriental Suite" which is a concert performance. Margo, in a hot red sunset costume, a three part dance backed by a full band. Her dance is full of delightfully sharp accents and graceful movement.
"Tajdeed" is a captivating and almost mystical dance performed in a sparkling teal dress whose only embellishment is matching gauntlets yet Margo's movements are so clear you don't miss A very dramatic concert piece!
"Wa Hast Aine" is another concert piece in which she is joined by a male singer/cane dancer ala old Egyptian movies. Margo continues this classic 'old movie' style with her black & silver evening gown and heels. Even her flirty dance reminds you of those classic movies.
"Desert Dreams" is from one of Margo's many workshop shows. She has the audience eating out of her hand in this marvelous 3 part dance. You can feel the energy coming through even on video. And that drum solo is fantastic.
"In the Fringe" is another concert performance and the title describes both the dance and the costuming. To me it is a Modern Dance meets Belly Dance fusion and a complete joy to watch.
"Raksat Margo" is another workshop show performance to an audience of obvious fans. Lighting and filming is not as professional as the previous pieces, but the performance is perfecto.
So now you have a ruff idea of what you will be getting on the fabulous video for only $35.00 plus shipping . If you have ever seen Margo dance and gone home wanting more, now you can have it. It is a video in which I see something different every time I watch it. It can be found at Designs By Janie on the video page .
The video starts out with "Oriental Suite" which is a concert performance. Margo, in a hot red sunset costume, a three part dance backed by a full band. Her dance is full of delightfully sharp accents and graceful movement.
"Tajdeed" is a captivating and almost mystical dance performed in a sparkling teal dress whose only embellishment is matching gauntlets yet Margo's movements are so clear you don't miss A very dramatic concert piece!
"Wa Hast Aine" is another concert piece in which she is joined by a male singer/cane dancer ala old Egyptian movies. Margo continues this classic 'old movie' style with her black & silver evening gown and heels. Even her flirty dance reminds you of those classic movies.
"Desert Dreams" is from one of Margo's many workshop shows. She has the audience eating out of her hand in this marvelous 3 part dance. You can feel the energy coming through even on video. And that drum solo is fantastic.
"In the Fringe" is another concert performance and the title describes both the dance and the costuming. To me it is a Modern Dance meets Belly Dance fusion and a complete joy to watch.
"Raksat Margo" is another workshop show performance to an audience of obvious fans. Lighting and filming is not as professional as the previous pieces, but the performance is perfecto.
So now you have a ruff idea of what you will be getting on the fabulous video for only $35.00 plus shipping . If you have ever seen Margo dance and gone home wanting more, now you can have it. It is a video in which I see something different every time I watch it. It can be found at Designs By Janie on the video page .