Join us for our annual outdoor bellydance celebration, with traditional music and drumming at the Moonlight Healing Garden, an intimate outdoor space located in the heart of the Pilsen neighborhood of Chicago!
We’ll have four incredible dancers and two amazing sets of musicians, performing Turkish and Greek music, and Pakistani Sindh music.
Featuring Twice a Stranger with Francesca Giannis, Lehra Lehra, Raphaella Lua, Azeema the Bollywood Bellydancer, Natalia Sharkia, and Jacquelina!
As usual, we’ll have a dance showcase as well as dancing to live music, a drum jam, fire performances, and a yard full of vendors.
The Moonlight Healing Garden is located at 1708 W. 21st St. near 21st and Paulina. Street parking is available in the surrounding area.
Gate opens at 6:30pm
7:00 Drum jam and fire lit
8:00 Dance Showcase
8:30 Lehra Lehra
9:15 Twice a Stranger
Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 at the gate. We will accept cash, card, venmo and paypal.
TICKETS AVAILABLE NOW!
PERFORMERS
Twice a Stranger with Francesca Giannis
Twice a Stranger performs songs of migration, exile, and longing, harkening back to the Ottoman legacy that unites Greek and Turkish music. Soulful vocals (Francesca Giannis) in Turkish and Greek accompanied by the mystic sounds of violin (Sam Hyson), oud (James Abud), and percussion (Nate Torrence) transport listeners to the Anatolian steppes where sufis and ashiks wandered, the Greek hash dens and bordellos where migrants and refugees sang out their sorrows, and back to the vibrant Ottoman cities where Greeks and Turks (as well as Jews, Armenians, and others) regularly played music together before the violent upheavals of the 20th century tore the cultures apart. Twice a Stranger highlights songs, melodies, and rhythms that are part of the shared repertoire of Greek and Turkish music, using music to recognize a shared heritage and rekindle a spiritual unity.
Lehra Lehra Music of Sindh
Over 4,000 years ago the Alghoza double flute emerged from the Indus Valley in South Asia. This bronze age instrument has thrived in many cultures, especially that of Sindh Pakistan. Lehra Lehra is Nathan Torrence on the Alghoza and Mehtab Kirtan on the polyphonic drum known as tabla. Together they perform traditional songs from Sindh — enchanting, hypnotic and delightful melodies fused with strong and funky rhythms.
Raphaella Lua
Raphaella Lua is an internationally renowned Instructor & Choreographer in Fusion & American Cabaret Belly Dance. Performing and teaching throughout the globe, Raphaella is well-known for her fiery improvisation and unique twist on the Hip Hop Fusion style, as well as an added flavor of stylistic influences in Latin Ballroom and Brazilian samba. Tonight she is overjoyed to share with you her true love… the art of Raks Sharki, more commonly known as Belly Dance in Western culture; the art form that has OPENED her heart, changed the course of her life and allowed her to fully experience and appreciate many cultures many cultures in remote regions of the world she would’ve otherwise never had the chance to explore. She wishes Light & Love to you all on this wonderful weekend of celebration for the art we cherish so deeply.
Azeema the Bollywood Dancer
Azeema is Chicago’s Bollywood Bellydancer! She performs a variety of modern, folkloric, and classical dance styles from the Middle East and South Asia. Azeema is a lawyer by day and is active in the Chicago disability community, being partially deaf herself. Azeema has taught inclusive dance classes – if you have a body, you can dance! Her love of the arts started early when she became a musician (percussion) growing up in Kansas City, Missouri. She also serves as the Board Secretary for Red Clay Dance Company. Azeema loves connecting with people from all walks of life by sharing culture through dance!
Natalia Sharkia
Natalia has been belly dancing professionally since 2006. She has opened for many stars and singers including Ehab Tawfik and The Gypsy Kings. She has appeared on the big screen of Dandana music videos for the Bandoleros and Adel Al Adeeb. She has taught workshops and performed in different states and countries including Florida, Michigan, Australia, and Israel. Although she has taken a break from performing in 2019, she still finds joy and great pleasure from performing for friends and family.
Jacquelina
Jacquelina bellydances from the heart and enjoys story-telling through dance! With a dance foundation in ballet, Mexican folkloric, and ballroom dance, she began bellydancing in college as a hobby. Jacquelina has traveled to Istanbul, New York, California, Canada, and Sweden to study and perform Raqs sharqi. As a Chicago entertainer and educator, she is influenced by world history, Chicago, cultures, and the past & present trends in her performances.
Live Painter
Christine Krumsee
Christine is a painter, art therapist, musician, dancer, yoga teacher, tantra practitioner. While completing her undergraduate degree in painting, Christine discovered the deep healing properties of creating art and knew she wanted to dedicate her life to sharing that healing with others. She looks at her abstract art as a shamanic representation of an inner process. She also loves finding beauty in the world around us and is inspired to creatively express that through art making. Her process often involves setting intentions and seeing what comes out. She considerers painting to be a collaborative experience; the colors and paint often begin to “talk back” and tell her where they want to go. Christine is excited to participate in Ritual Rhythms and let the expression of this festival come through the paint!
Vendors
Lexi’s Healing Arts LLC
I am a licensed Massage Therapist who specializes in Deep Tissue of the upper back and shoulders. I have 5 years experience doing massage. I also offer relaxing Swedish Massage, Esalen, Pre-Natal, Reflexology and Reiki.
Elsewhere Arts
For those neither here nor there — Let’s go Elsewhere. Witch, Tarot Reader, Illustrations, and Zines.
Scarab Sanctuary
Welcome to a whimsical world of ancient magic, where the mundane & broken-down discover new life. When sacred scarabs whisper secret answers to riddles, humanity’s capacity for creation transforms. A new realm is reflected in each unique, handcrafted piece of jewelry.
Willful Woman
Come celebrate your divine feminine with Jody of Willful Woman! I offer colorful handmade goods to adorn your body and home. Wrap yourself in an upcycled Sari Wrap Skirt, bedeck yourself in some of my Gemstone and Carved Buffalo Bone Pendants. Add color to your world with some of my Upcycled Sari Buntings and AMAZINGLY Ornate Upcycled Sari Tapestries. Light a 100% Beeswax Goddess Candle and celebrate your own light. I can’t wait to meet you and stroke fabrics with you!
Auburn Moon Creations
Crystals and gemstone jewelry have always been a great passion of mine. I consider it a blessing to be able to share and offer specialty pieces to like crystal lovers! All of my pieces and supplies are handpicked by me from fellow small businesses. I feel it is important to put forth good energy and prosperity. And in doing this my work is infused with a little extra care and loving vibes.
For this show I am super excited to bring my private bead collection for your use. I will offer any assistance needed for you to make your own very personal intention bracelets. Or I am happy to string any custom requests on site.
Peace and love to all!
The Juse Bar, LLC
The Juse Bar is serving up fresh cold pressed small batch fruit/veggie juice, immune boost shots, and infused alkaline water starter kits. These refreshing energizing elixirs are curated by C. Marie to stimulate your mind body, and to nurture your soul. We also take the opportunity to educate our clients and community on health based living and the importance of healthy daily practices. We are powered by a first generation love-based (“bq”) black woman who’s giving everything to impact her community and clients.
She is supported by 2 young black men looking to invest in change, health, and wellness. The goal is to provide an opportunity for generational wealth and health based education for all patrons and community members alike. This will be done through a franchiseable business model and community gardens and local organic vendors. Preferably Black or minority owned and operated.
Kay Kro
Kro is a queer, nonbinary Druid and Buddhist, and a lifelong Chicago local. They have been writing for nearly two decades, editing various literary magazines and generally getting up to shenanigans along the way. They performed as a Poetry Whore in the Chicago Poetry Brothel, and are co-founder of The Typewriter Tarts, a queer on-demand typewriter poetry collective–give them a word, and they’ll write you a poem on the spot on their vintage typewriters. The Tarts also teach writing workshops to help people step into their creative bravery, and to harness typewriter magic. They will be offering personalized, typed poems for love donations. Find them in the gazebo!
ig: @kroetry
Ritual Rhythms Chicago 