The Babylonian Ensemble - The Mediterranean Fantasy Festival - Seattle Belly Dance Troupe

<body> <p>The Babylonian Ensemble - The Mediterranean Fantasy Festival - Seattle Belly Dance Troupe</p> <p>Welcome to the Babylonian Ensemble website<br> <br> Hostesses of Seattle's Longest running Belly Dance Festival<br> The Mediterranean Fantasy Festival<br> <br> Mediterranean Fantasy Festival Vendor Registration Information</p> <p> <br> Logo original artwork by Inzar/Betty Bigalow</p> <h2>Saroya Poirier</h2> <p>Dancing since 1971<br> International Dancer performer instructor classes & workshops<br> <br> She moves around the floor, veil floating on winds imaginary<br> Graceful in movement she stops, she sighs,<br> She lifts , she moves, she makes you dream,<br> Come dance with me, let me be your guide<br> Poem by Saroya<br> <br> For more information call 206 824 4751 or email DaBab1@aol.com<br> <br> <br> Solo troupe free style choreography<br> Expressive veil, arms & hands <br> presentation Beauty of movement<br> <br> Member of the Babylonian ensemble <br> Producers & creators of the Mediterranean fantasy festival <br> <br> Des Moines Park department<br> Belly dance class's<br> <br> for times and days see the Des Moines Park and Recreation site<br> <br> Register on-line<br> <br> 206 870-6527<br> <br> Renton Senior center<br> for belly dance classes and times please check with the Renton Senior Center <br> <br> 425 430-6633 or call me at 206 824-4751 <br> <br> Open to seniors citizens 55 and over.<br> <br> Anyone with 5 years of more belly dance experience welcome.<br> This group has been dancing for more many years.<br> Learning new routines each fall & winter for a spring performance.<br>  </p> <h2>Circe Wiggins</h2> <p>Some stuff about Circe</p> <h2>Sian</h2> <p>I currently am teaching Classes with the <br> <br> HIAWATHA COMMUNITY CENTER<br> <br> Learn veil, zilwork, cane basic steps, and body movement in this exciting traditional dance.<br> <br> Beginning Thursdays 6:30 - 7:30 PM Ages<br> Intermediate Thursdays 7:30 - 8:30 PM Ages<br> See brochure on the HIAWATHA COMMUNITY CENTER website for additional information. <br>  </p> <h2>How Med Fest got started in Seattle<br> The Mediterranean Fantasy Festival </h2> <p>Once upon a time, there was a local festival call Fantasia. A gentleman named George Mosley put it on every year for 11 years.. everyone loved it. We were all very disappointed when he decided to stop. Where would we dance? It was the event of the year… <br> <br> One night after dancing at a local club, Georges bar & grill… Saroya was giving Circe a ride home. They were talking about the evening, when Circe says, "we could do a festival, and we have the park." Now mind you Saroya's doing the driving, she looks at Circe and says, "who do you think I am, Judy Garland, and you're Mickey Rooney?" with a quiet smile and a twinkle in her eyes, Circe say "yes".<br> <br> They discuss it with the other two members, Sian and Charanni, everyone agrees it was something we could do. We have the know how, we are experienced. Between the four of us there was more then 150 years of dance experience.. not to mention all those years of being stage crew for this show or that show, or the master of ceremonies, all that announcing…<br> <br> Now Saroya, has "guilt", she had helped out at Fantasia for 10 out of the 11 years it ran, and feels loyal to George and does not want to cause any problems. Saroya was a mess over this for a while. She insists on going to George Mosley to clarify that he truly is finished. That he has no intention of putting on his festival again. George assured Saroya and Circe (Saroya insisted on Circe going with her) that he was indeed finished, and to go ahead, but to watch out for pitfalls. He was very nice, and gave good advice. A promise was made to him that should he change his mind, Da Bab's would not do a festival.<br> <br> We spoke with the park manager. In order for us to do this, we needed the parks cooperation. The advisory council agreed, they would take fee's from table sales, and they wouldn't have to do anything. We would get the use of the park grounds, rooms for changing and a stage, for two & half days. The park has to be staffed by an employee, for a few years we (Circe) (did ya see that royal we) saved them money because she is a park employee. Then the park manager decided they needed someone just for the park. Because it was becoming just too much for responsibility for us.<br> <br> We supply everything else. Sound, all direct festival help… at first our families, children, a couple husbands, a few friends, did all the set up and tear down, operating and running of the festival.. After the first couple of years more and more dancers, starting staying for tear down… those wonderful women and their friends. We are so grateful.<br> <br> During the planning we decide we needed a money base. We started paying $20.00 a month each for as long as we could… that lasted about a 6 months, we are all essentially broke… we realized that we couldn't fund it entirely alone. We just were not rich enough. We started tossing around the concept of a registration fee. We argued about it, agreed, disagreed, laid on the floor during rehearsal and agonized about it. How could we ask this of other dancers, we weren't so fond of it ourselves… but it came down to our only choice. We cannot fence the park and charge admittance, the city of Seattle would take that, because they own the park. The money from the vendors stays at Hiawatha and goes to children's programs. I believe we bring in the most money to this park of all their money making events. Thank goodness, they like us, and are as excited about the festival as we are.<br> <br> The first year we all kicked in what money we could. Talked to the park, and got our festival going. One day, 12 to 5 pm.. we danced twice… for more then half the life of the festival, the "BAB's" were still funding a major part of it. <br> <br> The festival now, almost pays for itself. We are still out of pocket for some expenses, and our time is donated. Something will always comes up, and whoever is handling it, pays for it, then is reimbursed… <br> We have never taken a wage or even thought about it. Though once or twice a hubby will wonder why we do this for free.. we do it, because we love it, we wanted somewhere to dance… now there are so many dancers, we rarely get a chance to dance.<br> We schedule ourselves in, then take ourselves out in order for someone else to dance.<br> <br> The Mediterranean Fantasy festival may be run and operated by the Babylonian Ensemble, our names may be what you see on the flyer, but the dancers "are" the festival, the dancers help pay for it to be there each year, the people who attend, or donate time, or help they are the festival… we are the front women… it may have started out ours, but it now belongs to everyone who has ever danced there or ever attended..<br> <br> We love you, hope to see you this year.<br> <br> Da Bab's<br> <br> Circe, Sian & Saroya Poirier,<br> <br> plus a former founding festival member, and former "Bab", & volunteer, Charanni Albin</p> </body>