Friday, June 01, 2007

Lotus Center for belly dance and yoga, 444 Olive St, opens with party Sat, June 2, 6 pm

Lotus Center, founded by Kathy and John Fontaine with the aid of their daughter Susan and their friends, is opening with a party Sat, June 2, says Fontaine.

Kathy (center in photo) is, like her husband John, one of the town's quality of life repairmen. Kathy, aka Kahina, along with dancer Al Beeba, aka Rebecca Nebitt Prosino, founded the Port Belly Project. She has taken her dancers to numerous shows, from Xmas in the Sky to Mama Mia's. She organizes and promotes and teaches belly dance. She has stimulated dance-oriented drum circles by producing a hand drum workshop with the group Yulssuvy, of Tyler, Tx. Today the outcome is the Logjam drum group.

The Lotus center is also to be a site for a number of yoga classes. Among the teachers are Cheryl Hagar (above, left), Monica Fayad, Heather Provenza, Pam McDonald and Karin O Bannon.

For Sat night's opening Fontaine and Page Bodden (above, right) have a considerable lineup of dancers, starting about 7 pm.

Saidi
Erin's Solo
Rabekin
Arabian Spices (Karla & Barbara)
Al Beeba
Marco Polo (Page & Julie)
Astarte
Desert Dance
Haole Hula
Desdemona
Special surprise for dancers from LogJam drum group

There will also be a video documentary on the Yulssuvy Hand Drum workshop. Of 10 minutes duration, it was shot and edited by me. The Yulssuvy video will be aired at 6:15 pm.

See more at lotusstudio444.com.

There is a bit of parking behind the 444 Olive St but the recommended site is in the Highland Center's parking lot on the corner of Highland and Olive. It is a half block walk to the studio.
Also, SUV-type vehicles will almost not fit the spaces behind the block of buildings on Olive of which 444 is a part.

1 comment:

Robert E Trudeau said...

Belly dancers shimmied to a full house Sat eve at Lotus Center. The overflow audience got shelter from the rain in the storefront niches adjacent to 444 Olive St.

Several men donned tunics and skullcaps. The Logjam drum circle was joined by the Yulssuvy drummers from Tyler, Tx.

A mosaic in-progress being created by artist Frances Fontaine added color to the entryway. Down the block, the new bakery shop called Lila's was open.

Twas an auspicious opening.