"Whatever Lola Wants" at 90 years old

On August 15th, my family celebrated our Lola's (grandmother) 90th birthday. Though her birthday is actually in September, the majority of family members (from San Francisco, Chicago, and elsewhere) were able to come in August.

It was a big to-do. There was a section in the Universal Hilton's Cafe Sierra reserved for our large family (and it's not even half of them!). My sister was responsible for making about 100 mini cupcakes as party favors. My mom and cousin were working on the program, which included a picture slideshow of my Lola's life. My siblings and I joked that it was almost like someone was getting married!

My sister and I (and one of our nieces) helped to provide some more entertainment for the day with some dances. Interestingly, because my sister learned hula in Los Angeles and joined a troupe there, my family has been privy to the style and culture of hula. Though I've been learning belly dance for about 7 years, most of my learning has been on the East Coast. I think my parents and siblings have seen one video of me dancing at a recital, but the majority of my family has never seen me dance live.



So, I thought this would be a great way for my family to see me, especially since I rarely see them except for the holidays. At first I struggled with making the performance more choreographed than it needed to be. But, I realized I was forcing it with 2 weeks to come up with something. I usually work on a piece by listening to the songs over and over, and when I feel something, I go with it. Often, though, I listen to a song over and over on the T or at work - so I can't exactly attempt to choreograph something in those situations.

At some point, there was a decision made that the family would all wear red. However, I did not get that memo. So, naturally, I came with a luggage full of green clothes! If I had known, I would have probably brought the one red trumpet skirt I own, and worked my costume around that.

The night I was packing, I figured I would be wearing a costume that I'd danced in before. But, I was set on using the veil I had practiced with. Quickly, I modified my outfit, putting together a skirt and veil that I had never danced with before. The skirt doesn't actually fit me well, but with the veil wrapped around it and a couple of pins, it looked pretty good. Really, it worked out perfectly! I wore my harem pants underneath, since it is around my family and I figured I'd be slightly more modest. I also know that most people who aren't necessarily as educated about bellydance are always looking for the coin belt or some form of jinglies. I decided to put on the belt I recently bought at Velvet Gypsy in Venice Beach. I also wore a bra that I've worn with both my Mermaid Parade costumes as well as for bellydance recitals. I thought it worked out quite well, actually. I made sure I packed my safety pins, as well as a back-up outfit just in case I changed my mind mid-flight. But the outfit was perfect, somewhat mermaid-y, and green of course.

I danced to Natasha Atlas' cover of "Whatever Lola Wants," quite appropriate in a way.

(Taken from my Ate Jocelyn's camera)

Then I switched it up and danced to Tony Chamoun's Lola. Thanks to Nepenthe for the tip!

I think my family had no idea what they were in for. I encouraged them to clap along to the beat when it was appropriate, and I shimmied my little heart out. Many of my relatives approached my sister and I afterward asking us about how long we had been dancing and complementing us on our performances. It was pretty awesome, actually. It felt great to dance for my family. I hope I was able to open their eyes a little bit to the world of belly dance. I think my Lola enjoyed it, too.