Brain Drops de Boheme

Happy Valentine's Day to all of our friends, fans, students, and fambly!  I've taken the liberty of dubbing 2012 the year of Self Care, so take some time today to love yourself! I've already attained some of my goals, including scheduling a weekly massage appointment, getting my hair and eyebrows done, and joining a gym!  Your "you time" doesn't have to be as big of a commitment as mine... brew a cup of tea and curl up with a good book.  Make a body scrub with sugar and honey and hop into the tubbo. Or it could even be as simple as taking a nap! And if you have a Valentine to share your time with, I'm willing to bet any one of the ideas above could prove to be a romantic moment ;)

This week sees Boheme on our toes quite a bit!  We've put together a new set for our 7:30 show at The Blue Dolphin this week. It's a rare chance to catch a full set of some of our gothier numbers. We'll be doing our more traditional set at 9pm :)

Saturday, we'll be workshoppin' with The Mezmer Society and Kelly Holder in Ann Arbor and then performing in the evening's gala show. We're performing our new number, "Regimental", with eight members of the troupe. Come see how Boheme has become "Bigger, stronger, better than ever before!"  Details at http://www.unveiledbellydance.com/annarbor/workshops/index.html

Here's an awesome poster for the event!

This winter season has surely been a productive one here in the Boheme studio!  We now have 11 troupe members, 2 of them soloists and 9 active group members!  We've been burrowed away, choreographing and refining two new numbers, both of which connect with our collective inner badass :)  One is a one is a Tribal Fusion number in combat boots and the other, a sword routine fit for a warrior goddess.  We plan to show these numbers, back to back, at two of our upcoming performances.  Be sure to catch us in Ann Arbor and Chicago in February and March to see what I'm talking about!

February 18th - Ann Arbor, Michigan - Unveiled hosts Mezmer Society and Kelly Holder

March 31st - Chicago, Illinois - RaksChristina hosts Joseph's Labrynth fundraiser, feat. Deb Rubin

We've also been busy with our weekly shows at the Blue Dolphin restaurant! It's been so much fun doing Improv Tribal Style in such a setting. Be sure to come out and see us!  We're bumping the times up a little earlier, to accomodate everyone's busy weekday schedule. You can now catch us at 7:30pm and 9pm.  We hope to use these shows to promote some of the region's best belly dancers as well, so keep your eyes on the schedule. This week's 7:30 show will feature Sabrina. Boheme will do both shows every 3rd Thursday. The restaurant runs a 10% off special on everything Greek (except their staff, they are quick to quip).  I must say their baklava is *the best*!!!  Bring a friend and come out to see us!  Make a reservation at: 269.343.4993

Blue Dolphin Restaurant - 502 South Burdick (downtown Kalamazoo, Michigan)

We'd like to thank Silk Road Gallery for hosting our photo shoot!  Photos by Hans van Neer.

From the void I am born and on to the stage I arrive. Whatever was before me, has now gone and whatever is before me has not come. I arrive, I hear my music and I awaken.

I move to my music, brighter than those before me. I embrace the stage and illuminate it with my fire for all to see. I burn with every second and shine a candle through a window in to my world.

Fluid in my movements I dance. Every move is smooth and flowing with purpose and intent. Like a river winding its way through land to accent the view but never distract, I move with my music. My music gives in to me and I give in to it.

I move across the stage with ease. I glide across like a wind blown leaf dancing across the field. Every step floats me to the next. Without warning I change my direction and move.

My body shows its strength within the moves. Like a naturally sculpted rock face, my body flexes and moves. My feet are sure and planted, solid in their knowledge of where to go.

To the void I go, my dance is done. I have burned my light and my river has run dry. The wind no longer blows and the earth has given way. I leave the stage for I have gone and whatever is after me has now come.

Written by Boheme member, Erik Koning

  

Our Bohos (and Hobeau) are a talented bunch. And I'm not just talking about their dance skillz either!  Writers, designers, artists, musicians, business gurus, computer nerdz, you name it, we pretty much have your go-to person for creative input. One of our newest members is adept in all of the above talents and is also a world class chef. We'll be featuring her recipes here on the blog, from time to time. Feel free to share feed back if you prepare any of her dishes! For more info on Chef Channon's cooking classes and more,  visit The Eclectic Kitchen on Facebook.

I've had the chance to nom on this dish as prepared by Channon twice and it was so delicious I had to try it at home!  It's the time of year, when everyone and their mother is coming down with some sort of cruddo, so I really amped up the garlic and lemon for the immune boost. I also made it in the blender, since our food processor is still packed away. Although it was slightly different, Erik and I loved the flavor and texture immensely and really enjoyed it with fresh cut veggies. The color is astounding, which makes this dish super fun to bring to parties!

Beet Babaganouj from Chef Channon Mondoux

Serving Size: 12

3 medium beets, roasted

2 lemons, juiced

1 garlic clove, peeled

1/4 cup water

1/4 cup olive oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup tahini

Preheat oven to 375. Wash and trim beets. Bake in oven on baking sheet for 40-45 minutes, or until fork soft.  Rinse in cold water. Peel. Chop into large pieces to fit into food processor.

Puree with water and garlic. Drizzle in olive oil and tahini, season with salt. Puree until smooth.

Add lemon juice to taste. Adjust seasoning. Serve with chips, bread, crackers or crudites.