Workshops on dark glamour and dance at Descent II!
Sat Oct 10, 12 – 5:30PM in Salem!
Less than one month away!

Belle Raqs: 3 Hours of Dark Glamour
with JeniViva of NYC!



A Gothic glamour workshop for dancers and non-dancers alike!

You may have seen JeniViva’s appearances on the Gothic Bellydance videos. We are so pleased that she will be here teaching her style and makeup workshop on creating the mystery and magic of dark glamour.

Find out more here: http://www.aeprilschaile.com/performance/descent-2009

Also teaching at Descent II this year: Sarah Jezebel Wood!



Anyone who was at Rakkasah 2009 knows that Sarah kicked ass this year as a member of Solstice Ensemble. Sultry, Sophisticated and Dark is a challenging workshop in tribal fusion technique exploring drama, lust, sophistication and desire.

Find out more here: http://www.aeprilschaile.com/performance/descent-2009

A part of the proceeds from the workshops benefit the Salem YMCA’s Partnership in Youth program for at-risk youth.

Sultry, Sophisticated and Dark: 12 – 2PM
Belle Raqs: 2:30 – 5:30PM
Both workshops will be held at the Salem YMCA, 1 Sewall St., Salem, MA.

Don’t forget to buy tickets for the show, too! Last year’s was sold out – we had to turn many people away.

The workshops and the show are both VERY T accessible! The Salem Y and the First Universalist Society Sanctuary are both just a short walk from the Salem commuter rail MBTA station.

If you haven’t been to Witch City in October, you don’t know what you’re missing!

More info about the show and workshops here: http://www.aeprilschaile.com/performance/descent-2009

Buy Tickets and register now!
http://aeprilschaile.com/performance/descent-2009/

The Dancing Gypsy Presents
Metaphysical Victoriana: Workshops and Showcase with Aepril Schaile

Saturday July 18
Workshops at 2pm and 4pm:
$30 each or Two for $50.
Participant Showcase: 7-9pm, $5 (free for participants)

Reservations: email thedancing.gypsy at yahoo.com
or call Dina at 508-885-3639
FMI: http://www.geocities.com/thedancing.gypsy/aeprilschaile.html
Address: 117 Main Street, Spencer MA (Route 9 west)

( Description... )

Evening Showcase: 7-9:00pm, $5. Workshop participants perform their own genre pieces in a show featuring Aepril Schaile. Showcase is free for participants, $5 for general public. Light refreshments will be served.

Get your Goth on at the Experimental/Dark Fusion studio event of the summer! Don't miss out!

Interview with Aepril by Greg Kaminsky of Occult of Personality:
http://www.occultofpersonality.com/support-occult-of-personality/

We discuss bellydance, astrology, theater, shamanism, the soul, healing, witchcaft, and more!

Occult of Personality is a web site is dedicated to bringing you discussions with esoteric researchers and practitioners from all over the English-speaking world.

Please visit and listen, and share your response!!
Blessings,
Aepril

My website has undergone an overhaul, new and improved by Liz and Forrest of  Malign Design. Complete with photo gallery and news page for updates...you can even leave comments (I'd love to hear form you!). Visit http://www.aeprilschaile.com


New CLASSES for summer!
7 weeks, Thursdays, June 25 to August 6.
Beginner and Intermediate levels.
Aepril Schaile's signature darkly themed, theatrically oriented, technically precise bellydance instruction!


SHOWS!

The ART of Bellydance
Presented by Exquisite Corpse Productions (psst...that's us) and The Salem Arts Association. June 14, 1pm, Arist's Row in Salem.

Showcase at the Middle East: Current and former students of Aepril Schaile perform. (I perform, too!:) July 1, 8pm. The Middle East, Cambridge, MA.

Sacred World Interdependence Day, teaching and perfoming, 4th of July weekend, Earthlands Preserve, Petersham, MA.

Save the Date!
October 10, 2009
Descent II: Dances of the Dark Goddess: DESIRE
in Salem, MA this year!

Last but not least:
Video: Exquisite Corpse Dance Theater debut performance at Rakkasah Spring Caravan 2009, a ghostly Raqs Assaya Victoriana to the music of Michael Nyman and Maduro.  Watch it and let us know what you think!
And, while you're there, please subscribe to my Youtube channel so you can get the latest updates.

"A something in a summer's Day
As slow her flambeaux burn away
Which solemnizes me...
-  Emily Dickinson, A Something in a Summer's Day

Merry Litha, Happy Summer,
Aepril

 

New Post on my blog: LOVE IS STRONGER THAN DEATH

Fear and the Sacred
http://aeprilschaile.blogspot.com/2009/03/fear-and-sacred.html

I have set up a new space in which to share my thoughts and art.

Love is Stronger Than Death:
http://aeprilschaile.blogspot.com/

I will keep posting to LJ (in fact, I hope to find an easy way to alert my readers here of new postings there); but I've moved at least certain postings over to Blogger in order to have a space separate from the "social networking" emphasis, but still accessible to readers. I also can make the space look and feel the way I'd like it to with more ease.

I hope that you will visit, and visit often! I am curious to know your response.

photo by Michael Harkavy

Templecon 09:
This Saturday in Providence, RI.
12:30 performance, 3:30 class.

My friend Ximon has been working hard to put this con together! I'm glad to be a part of it.

From the TempleCon website:
Circus performers aren't the only spectacle to be seen during the Mid-Day Diversion. Intense and powerful, Aepril Schaile's dark fusion of bellydance, modern dance, and performance art captivates all who witness it, and we are privileged to have her join us at TempleCon 2009. In addition to her performance during the Mid-Day Diversion, Aepril will be teaching the TempleCon dance class "Raqs Victoriana: The darkly romantic art of Victorian-era inspired bellydance," which focuses on "Fusing the antique sepia and lace of Victoriana with the serpentine sensuality of contemporary bellydance..."
more about the show, the workshop, and all the TempleCon2009 guests:
http://www.templecon.org/09/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=105&Itemid=92

I think that these birds, who have been my next door neighbors of late, are Mourning Doves. But I'm not sure...

I'll have to ask Zan. She had a room full of rescue doves at her place for quite a while, and she is the closest person I know to be an expert!

I love that they are out there. first there was one, now there are 3. They sit in the sun all day. I'm not sure where they go at night.





( doves outside my window... )

I've been having a great weekend so far. As many of you know, my friends are also my family, so these events are very important to me!!

I spent almost all day Friday in various cafes visiting with friends. Memie and I keep saying "well, I'd better get going" but then we sit there for another hour (or two). And I also got to know Samara and Gary a little better, hanging out with them at Gulu as the snow began to fall.

Poor Mike---the man who never seems to get sick got a cold this week, but he managed to make it out for a bit with me--even in the snowstorm. While we usually have drinks when we go out to Bangkok Paradise, this time Mike had a nice hot cuppa tea ;) that's how I he's not feeling well, cause lord knows we usually don't pass up an opportunity for booze. ;)))

The Cabot Yule ritual was beautiful last night, and I was psyched to be around my friends here in Salem for the event. I missed Mike, though, who wasn't there b/c he had to work late. I won Christopher Penczack's book on Shamanistic Witchcraft in the raffle, and I also won a little fake Yule tree that is now on my kitchen table...trying to carry said tree out the door, I managed to hit one of the circle members in the face with it as I turned to say good-bye... (I'm relieved that she laughed, saying she was "bush-whacked!! LOL!) I also ate enough chocolate to make myself sick before leaving. who could blame me?...:)

Laurie Cabot and me:





Blessed Yule!!!
xo

WINTER CLASSES with Aepril Schaile:

At Dance Class, 302 Essex St B, Salem, MA

Both classes run 8 Thursdays, Jan 15 through Mar 5, 2009

http://www.aeprilschaile.com/bellydanceclasses.htm

This Friday's full moon is going to be a whopper, astrologically speaking.

I don't know if you've noticed, but everyone is going through a big transition period right now it seems...there are astrological "reasons" for this. Uranus and Saturn have been in opposition to one another for a while now. This means that these gods are duking it out in the sky right now, and in our psyches as well in the form of archetypes. These guys represent "breaking down boundaries, rebellion and innovation" and "creating boudaries, cutting out the bullshit/getting 'real'", respectively. Put together, they symobize the need for both change and pairing down, but also a resistance to change and clinging to old things. These two archetypal forces are battling it out in our personal circumtstances, and in the collective psyche as well.

On December 12, the Moon will be closer to the Earth than it has been in 15 years, so it will be large in the sky. It is at "perigee".....closest to earth in it's cycle......so that makes it a seriously powerful full moon. Mars will be conjunct (togther with) the Sun. And the Sun/Mars opposition Moon ( a full moon happens when the sun opposes the moon) will make a grand-square (a tension aspect) with the Saturn opposition Uranus combo.....with Saturn only 24 minutes away from exact square to the lunation (moon at its fullest). Mercury (god of communication and commerce) will only be 8 minutes away from exact conjunction to Pluto (god of the underworld).

So its gonna be a doosey! Hold onto your hats!! Expect things to come to a head this week. Stay flexible, meditate, think on what really matters, and keep that sense of humor!!

I am so pumped---my students are performing today at Za-Beth's Holiday show!

They'll be performing their piece, "Aviary". They choreographed parts of it themselves--working on sections of the music either as single choreographers, or in pairs. I'll tell you what--- they are some mean blackbirds, just you wait! ;)

I shall not be performing. I had a very busy and exciting spring, summer and fall, and I am happy to just sit back and enjoy the show. I am psyched to have the time to regenerate. However, I do have some things up my sleeve...

But that's for another blog. :)

Oh, and Karina and I went to see Managerie last night. Much of it was very beautiful. Too short, though! Some of the costumes were lovely. I really appreciated watching Naraya in action with her troupe--she makes a fine leader, supporting and directing her troupe while also shining herself (without throwing herself out front, which is very refreshing). Incus had some exciting moments, too, and the band and troupe were very complimentary. Denise did a moving and vulnerable piece as The Fool archetype, which I think got the biggest applause of the night.

Brava!

If there's anything I love about the day after Thanksgiving, its leftovers...mmm...good!! It feels good to actually be enjoying my food after nearly hacking myself to death this past week and a half. But I can stop whining now :))) I even went to the gym today and got on the bike.

Today was "Buy Nothing Day" here at my house. Of course, there are lots of days like that..eh..er...in my household, but, today was intended that way b/c I hard this horrible story about the people being trampled at Wal-mart as it opened this morning, one to death, one to the point of micarrying her pregancy. Wretched. I won't particpate. I've decided to spend the time and make some hand made stuff. God help my friends and family, b/c I'm not particularly crafty. I hope they're at least polite...

I'm missing Mike, who is working today. I told him I'd save him a plate. That might be tough...

Happy new moon (yesterday)

OK! Ok! I give up! I'll do it!!!...

I WILL take the antibiotics that the doctor prescribed today...

I hate taking drugs for things, but I don't know what else to do. This cough is driving me out of my mind!! I can't take it anymore!! I'll try anything... just make the torture stop!!!

I miss the gym (I'm one of those crazy peple who actually enjoys exercise!) Really, I miss the stationary bike with the video games (I chase dragons for 30 minutes a day). But I can't do anything w/o coughing. It's gonna make me puke, or pop a goddamn blood vessel or something. :0

I got this thing right after Descent. It didn't waste any time. Too many shots at the Middle East last week. But damn that was fun! ;)))))

I just wanted to take a moment to thank everyone who came out to be a part of Descent!

We had a full workshop, and the show was sold out before noon. (My sincerest apologies to those that we had to turn away--I am honored that you came out to see our show.) I am excited to note that people came out from many states in the northeast to be at Descent!

I wanted to especially thank Zan Asha for coming up from NYC to be our MC, and many thanks to our dancers, both local and to those who traveled to be here--you're so amazing and beautiful. The crew, too--holy smokes--Memie, Mike, Sheri, Roxy, Matt, Jack, Jess and Cindy---I am humbled and honored by your efforts and support.

Thank you to Djahari of Desert Sin for a wonderful workshop!

It was a thrill for me to see this vision realized in even better ways than I could have imagined, and proud to have presented such passionate, profound and creative works. I am grateful to the audience and workshop students for your openness and curiosity for exploring the margins with this ever-evolving artform called "bellydance", it is your presence that breathed life into the soul and spirit of the event; I am honored that you were willing to explore dark, dramatic, and mysterious territory with us!!

Oh, and special thanks to Mike, Sean and Matt for carrying me out onto the stage in my fish-tail!! :)

And, sheeesh!...I am recovering from what turned into a very exciting "after-party". Great performances by Sabrina (who also performed in Descent earlier), Zehara and her snake... The dancing spilled out onto the street--perhaps it was the hoola-hooping and the loud zaghareets...or perhaps a dancer growling in her bloody Kali costume caught some attention...and...well...I'm fairly confident that the site of restaurant staff dancing on chairs only heightened their concern...but with nothing but good spirits, fun, and beautiful dancers all around, even the police were good-natured and smiling. Awww gee, c'mon ladies... ;)))) Woohoo....

Thank you again everyone for a great event!!!

I watched the special "Mountain of the Wolf" last night on Animal Planet. I caught the very end after i came home from teaching last night, then I got the whole show at 11. But I missed what happened to the old wolf, Viejo!

On another note...I'm excited for Descent this weekend. Its almost sold out, and the workshop is quite full. Yes!

Just sayin'...

http://www.aeprilschaile.com/descent.htm