It is so wonderful to be home after such an intense tour. This has been one of the most challenging and rewarding tours so far.
My first stop was Malaysia. My impressions of Penang; humid, friendly, crazy traffic, sweet, salty, and sour food, and new exotic fruits. The dance scene is relatively new, but enthusiastic. I was well taken care of by promoter Conny Lim. I debuted a new pop choreography and taught a successful zill class. So satisfying to see students dancing and playing finger cymbals! There were more than 100 dancers performing in the show. After the event I visited the largest Buddhist temple in Asia, and was able to relax by the ocean before my next event....
Tokyo! This was my second trip to Japan. This time I was invited by Deseos Productions. I arrived early in the morning. After checking into my neat and tiny room and a quick nap I ventured out on my own and took in the lights and sights of downtown. Tokyo has energy like no other. I love this city!
The event was well organised and we worked hard. It felt like such a whirlwind. The classes were packed and sweaty! I enjoyed meeting up with Ozma and Farfesha. The show was held in an intimate theatre. After flowers and photos I was treated to Italian food and wine with Joanne and Rachel of Deseos and Joanne’s patient husband. Italian food in Japan!
Then it was a long journey to Turkey. The event was held in Fethiye, on the Mediterranean coast. The promoter was Tara with Dahab Holiday Dance Festival. I love this yearly festival, and this was my seventh consecutive year working with Tara. There are many attendants that have become friends. This year I was lucky to share teaching duties with Jillina, Drissia, Mannis, Gamilla, and Naheda. Classes were held in a huge open air hall with views of mountains and sea. The show was interrupted by a wild fireworks display. I was honoured to share the stage with such beautiful dancers.
After the event I was able to spend a couple of days sightseeing, shopping and seeing shows in Istanbul. What a treat to be able to hang out with Jillina. We went to a wild show at the Orient house, saw the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sofiya, shopped in Grand Bazaar, and even met up with friends from Oregon(David and Delpha) living in Istanbul and Eva Cernik and her husband, musician Rashid, for a delicious Indian dinner . On my own I was able to visit Bella and buy some costumes and attend a Sufi ceremony and watch whirling dervishes, a grand ending to a gruelling tour!
Now I am blissfully home – working on new choreographies and spending precious time with Eric, the boys, and an ever growing Lily. Life is truly sweet!
