Uber Dance Troupe

I love all things "old Eastern Europe." I don't know why, but I've always been drawn to them--the history surrounding Georgia, Azerbaijan, Ukraine, even Turkey. The mix of cultures in that part of the world--ancient Moorish, mountain tribal, half-Western half-Eastern, familiar sounds/music/words that aren't familiar at all--fascinates and captivates me. That's where my characters, Shahrukh Kingsley and a few others, come from; they provide an outlet for me to explore that part of the world, especially Turkey (some day, some day, sigh....).

Last night I went to see the Georgian National Ballet, SUKHISVILI. If they come to your area, try to catch it. They are just beautiful to watch, and not your grandmama's ballerinas.

It's very male-oriented, with action that rivals kungfu-movies without CGI ;-). The males perform stunts with real swords as they dance (a war folkdance). They are also probably the only male ballet dancers required to dance on pointe without the help of the traditional sliver of wood in the shoes.

This video captures the essense and excitement of what I saw last night. If some of the dancing seems sped up, it isn't. Their feet and jumps were really that fierce and fast. It was amazing to watch!



Wow, huh?

The costumes were just out of this world. The dancing and music itself reminded me of Susan Johnson's older Russian historicals (fierce mountain warlord and princes fighting at the borders), Chinese and Indian delicate hand moves, African tribal dancing, and oddly, Irish quick clogging. I was just mesmerized by the quick and powerful males contrasted by the very strange, ethereal, gliding movements of the female dancers. I was also reminded of MY GERRY BUTLER TV movie, Attila the Hun, which showed mountain warriors in similar costumes (especially during the wedding at the end).

I hope you get to see this show! I had really good seats and fell in love with a few of these marvelous young men ;-).

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One-Two-Three, Dancing With The Uber-Roofers

Bad Puppy was lucky he didn't actually eat my (now found) Saintcrow book. I wouldn't have been a happy mommy because I don't like the new Saintcrow covers. I have the original one, with the girl's back and a sword against it. That cover was the reason I bought the book and tried her. Her new covers, with the weird Brit-inspired Bond girl art, aren't bad, but I wouldn't have picked the book up that first time.

So that's proof that I'm a cover girl when it comes to impulse book-buying! The pretty covers always get my attention, and then I pick them up...and then, who knows, I might buy them.

So you want to hear more about Ranger Buddy. Well, after skydiving, he's now taking ballroom dancing lessons, as you know.

After work, while taking off the toolbelt and generally walking off my perpetual limp, I got to watch the man go one-two-three, one-two-three, step-back, run-run-run, and one-two-three, step-back. See, I even have the damn steps in my head now. He made me practice with him once, which was very, very funny, because he wouldn't let me look at him and insist that I'm dancing too close. His instructor told him that we have to look dead ahead and not to mug each other. I get it--I have taken dance before--but heck, I'm just helping him practice, not taking the lessons too, LOL. The run-run-run part almost did me in, since I felt like a kindergartener doing squaredancing for the first time.

But the man, he's fifty-seven, and seems to be growing as a person.

Last week, he went to a local community college to take his Aptitude tests. He's thinking of taking night classes next year to become a nurse. The housing business is going downhill and probably won't be good for the next few years, so I suppose he's thinking that he'll be a nurse.

Which sounded very cool to me. A man his age usually don't have that kind of energy to start over, you know? But what cracked me up was...he went to take the test and it was given on the computer and he didn't know how to use it. LOL. He told me he was the last one out of there because he daren't shut the thing off.

I'm very proud to boast that his scores were spectacular. He was especially proud of his language skills scores ;-). The instructor was shocked at his age and of course, went on to ask him about how to get "muscles like his." I tell you, everyone brings up the same topic with Ranger Buddy--young and old, they eventually ask, "What do you eat/do to look like you do? I want washboard abs like yours too!"

They should just ask me ;-). Don't take any gravy ever. Have fries once a year. Don't eat anything but meat for dinner, which must be before 7pm. Wear a Kevlar-like suit with small removable weights in the pockets AND DO a million sit-ups with it. Do pull-ups using the beams in the construction sites every evening. Ride the bicycle at Level 12 for half an hour. And, oh, work on the roof from 8am to 6pm, seven days a week for 35 years.

Sigh. It's not easy being Ranger Buddy. ;-P.

I watched Bionic Woman for the first time last night. Is that DR. BURKE hiding out there from his Christina and Mommy Burke?!!! And I really need some of those bionic parts for my body, I really do. It'd save me from climbing up and down those damn ladders.

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