Art Carnage Review

If you are a local to the Virgina/DC area I can't stress enough that Art Carnage is event worth exploring. It is like stepping into a world of the bizarre and creative, where everyone wants to share and see what you have to offer at the same time. As an artist - it is a dream world. As an observer there is no shortage on interesting things to see, do and experience. As a participant, I still loved the atmosphere but I did learn that sometimes it takes a little organization to encourage 'spontaneous' collaboration. 

As a participant, I would liked to meet all the acts before the show. I feel that the free-flowing nature of the event did not allow me to know who or what was going on until it was actually happening. I would've loved a chance to chat with bands to potentially set up hooping with them during their sets, and get to know the other performers a bit better in general. If I was going to make a change a more organized structure for collaboration would have been it! But -logistics aside, it was a great experience surrounded by talented and friendly folks and the performance went off without a hitch!

While I was on stage I just kept thinking - keep moving and remember to smile. I was surprised at how effortless it was to smile and appear energized on stage - because I really felt it! With weeks of planning and practicing behind me, I felt prepared to just pull something out of a hat - which, I had to do as the space was quite different than my expectations and all those fancy tosses and lifts I had planned were not going to work.

That is the lesson I really took away from this experience - sometimes you have to trust that you are prepared even if there is no real way to be prepared. Don't worry about perfect choreography - just start hooping. If you have thought about getting out there with your hoop, but don't feel 'ready' - go anyway! It was super fun jamming to my tunes on stage and I got to teach some impromtu lessons after the show. 

Learn to hoop!

Graffiti break dancing

Pre-show hair check 

For the next time around I am going to make a few changes. I definitely had a blast dressing up, but am going to go bigger, brighter and bolder next time. I am also not going to worry about trying to have the 'perfect' act - it was great having to deal with so many unexpected changes because I was forced to flow and listen to the music for inspiration and trust myself to get through it. This was a fabulous experience for learning what I want my performances to be, and how to pull them off! I hope to go back - and to see you there!