It’s hard to believe that one of the
most well-known dark fusion belly dance performers in the entire world grew up in sunny Orange County,
California…the home of Disneyland! But that’s Sashi: she’s a symphony of
contradictions. She’s funny and
smart, a terrific dancer, and a
nurturing, giving instructor.
Founder of Ascend Tribal, Sashi's roots are
many and varied. She began studying
West African and Afro-Haitian when she was a university student in San
Francisco, which soon lead her to Middle Eastern dance, including Egyptian and
Lebanese cabaret, and many folkloric styles such as Nubian, Debke and Saidi.
When
she started studying tribal style
it lead to an experimental love affair with
tribal fusion. Combining this style with
her Goth rock ‘n’roll side, Sashi truly unleashed
her innate creativity- and apparently a few demons as well-to see her live onstage is to be floored by the
sheer intensity she projects.
Sashi’s collaborated on many pieces with
her own troupe as well as other internationally known performers, but her
highly original-and often controversial- solo work is really what put her on the
map. She was one of the first dark fusion dancers to really
push the envelope, performing in gas masks and bondage /Anime attire… and of
course there was that time she performed at Tribal Fest in 2006- with
giant custom-made aluminum wings
that were literally pierced into the flesh of her back!
This performance, based on the Malaysian Thaipusam
devotees who practice piercing as a form of devotion the Hindu diety Lord Muruga
was taken out of context
(by many who hadn’t even witnessed it ) providing pages and pages of internet
chat forum speculation and
shocked gossip.
One
of the founders of the popular
Gothic belly dance festival Gothla USA, in 2013
Sashi is joining
forces with new partner Karin Jensen, leader of the highly theatrical Mandala Danceworks troupe to re-vamp Gothla . Fittingly
enough, this year’s festival theme is “The Chrysalis”. Gothla’s new home is The Cable
Airport, in Upland, CA, and takes place from November 8-10, 2013, stretching
Halloween out another week and a
half!
For an artist so powerful and extreme, Sashi’s rituals on performance days are surprisingly mundane…but
that’s precisely why I like her so much: though she seems like the spawn
of The Underworld, for all intents
and purposes, she’s just a good ole gal!
Here’s her show preparations, in her own words:
“To
prepare for a show, I start off early in the day and lay out my entire costume,
jewelry, music and information about the show I am performing in, making sure
everything I need is ready, all the way down to my safety pins and panties…I
mean who really wants to be rushing around getting ready right before a show
and not be able to find the chonies,
right!?
Once everything is laid out I start
leisurely doing my make up and hair. When I’m done with that, I eat a bit
before the lipstick is applied then pack up my bag with my make up, jewelry,
costume, music and snacks….including my flask and leave for the venue.
I get there as early as I can so that I
have time just in case I end up with a wardrobe malfunction or other unexpected
issue and get ready. Once ready and in my cover up, I can wander the venue,
check out the stage, visit with my dance pals in the show or meet up with
people coming to the show.
As show
time grows nearer, I often pull
one of my dancers or dance pals aside and get grounded with them. My particular
way of grounding involves standing facing each other, foreheads touching, left
hand on each other’s sacrum and right hand on each other’s hearts. We then take
a few moments to share the grounding breath before parting. And off to perform
we go.
Now, if
Princess is backstage with me…well hell, that’s a whole different kind of back
stage ritual!"
Gothla
US registration is open now: http://www.gothla.com/
To see
details on workshops, instructors, performers, lodging and the festival in general.
Gothla
US, Nov. 8-10, 2013
Cable
Airport
2009
Porterfield Way
Upland,
CA USA
To find out more about Sashi, please
visit:
Photos:
Sashi in gold: Scotte Belden, Costume by Flippin' Tribal
Pierced Wings: Michael Baxter
Backbend: Brad Dosland, taboo Media
Gasmask: Pixie Vision
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