Night comes early these days. It was dark already when I arrived at R's big crooked white house, where she lives in a small upstairs flat. Jesi in black rode up on her bicycle as I walked to the porch, and I waited for her on the steps.
Jesi is tall. Have I mentioned Jesi is tall? I stood on the bottom step so she wouldn't have to lean over to hug me hello and we were just about the same height. She's slender and tall, legs like a country mile, and loose like she has no bones, just smooth skin over smooth long muscles, no definition, no strength, but heavy like water. She uses her height and length of bone rather than her strength when she moves and I forget she's only 20, she has so much gravity of character and of presence. She's flexible as a snake. I think she grew too much, too fast; she has stretch marks on her back and belly that look like pale flames gracing her torso. She wears big sterling hoop earrings and tiny little tops without a trace of self-consciousness, and so avoids looking tacky or cheap, and her dark eyes discourage unwanted advances from men.
The truth is, she's shy, and mumbles in a sweet soft voice, and loves to be loved like all of us. She had a big black garbage bag in her bicycle basket that she carried up to R's apartment.
R was in her kitchen when we climbed the stairs, stretching her back. She is like a cat, strong and quick and very feline in her mannerisms.
Jesi & I dumped the contents of the black bag out onto the linoleum floor, and I emptied my backpack as well. Great piles of silk and rayon and velvet, sheer veils and coins and beads strung on soft cloth of gemstone colors, cloth the color of garnet and topaz and lapis lazuli and amethyst, and lots and lots of black.
We pawed through it and made soft murmuring sounds of delight as our fingertips brushed the velvet and silk, and it all smelled faintly of incense and rose water. We tried on numerous possible articles for our performance costumes; anyone peeking through the window would surely have gotten quite a show.
Since R & I look similar enough to be confused for sisters, for the choreography we primarily dance on each side of Jesi. There are many moves when we play with the height and body structure differences, but R & I generally work as mirror images while Jesi provides the lynchpin to the dance. As such, R & I wanted similar costumes for the performance, and we decided on big full tiered velvet skirts that flare out at the slightest provocation of a turn. Hers is wine-colored, mine plum, and the tops we chose are long-sleeved, low-shouldered, and black. Jesi can wear anything she wants so long as the colors don't clash with ours. She was talking about a dainty little top and a big black skirt she had wanted to buy anyway, and this would be adequate justification for the expense.
We pulled on our possibles and went through the choreography a few times. It feels wonderful to know the moves well enough that we can just relax and enjoy dancing together. I think by December we'll have it not only perfected but be able to add coordinated attitude, confidence, and smiles.
Jesi left for a night of movies and R & I went to class, which these days is strictly rehearsal-time for our big winter show. Each winter before she leaves for Cairo, our dance instructor likes to put on a bellydance extravaganza for all her students. It's usually much fun, lots of lovely bare-bellied ladies wearing kohl eyeliner and coin belts and beads and long skirts, drinking beer or wine and playing with big swords and silk veils.
The days will continue to get shorter. Winter follows hard.
Jesi is tall. Have I mentioned Jesi is tall? I stood on the bottom step so she wouldn't have to lean over to hug me hello and we were just about the same height. She's slender and tall, legs like a country mile, and loose like she has no bones, just smooth skin over smooth long muscles, no definition, no strength, but heavy like water. She uses her height and length of bone rather than her strength when she moves and I forget she's only 20, she has so much gravity of character and of presence. She's flexible as a snake. I think she grew too much, too fast; she has stretch marks on her back and belly that look like pale flames gracing her torso. She wears big sterling hoop earrings and tiny little tops without a trace of self-consciousness, and so avoids looking tacky or cheap, and her dark eyes discourage unwanted advances from men.
The truth is, she's shy, and mumbles in a sweet soft voice, and loves to be loved like all of us. She had a big black garbage bag in her bicycle basket that she carried up to R's apartment.
R was in her kitchen when we climbed the stairs, stretching her back. She is like a cat, strong and quick and very feline in her mannerisms.
Jesi & I dumped the contents of the black bag out onto the linoleum floor, and I emptied my backpack as well. Great piles of silk and rayon and velvet, sheer veils and coins and beads strung on soft cloth of gemstone colors, cloth the color of garnet and topaz and lapis lazuli and amethyst, and lots and lots of black.
We pawed through it and made soft murmuring sounds of delight as our fingertips brushed the velvet and silk, and it all smelled faintly of incense and rose water. We tried on numerous possible articles for our performance costumes; anyone peeking through the window would surely have gotten quite a show.
Since R & I look similar enough to be confused for sisters, for the choreography we primarily dance on each side of Jesi. There are many moves when we play with the height and body structure differences, but R & I generally work as mirror images while Jesi provides the lynchpin to the dance. As such, R & I wanted similar costumes for the performance, and we decided on big full tiered velvet skirts that flare out at the slightest provocation of a turn. Hers is wine-colored, mine plum, and the tops we chose are long-sleeved, low-shouldered, and black. Jesi can wear anything she wants so long as the colors don't clash with ours. She was talking about a dainty little top and a big black skirt she had wanted to buy anyway, and this would be adequate justification for the expense.
We pulled on our possibles and went through the choreography a few times. It feels wonderful to know the moves well enough that we can just relax and enjoy dancing together. I think by December we'll have it not only perfected but be able to add coordinated attitude, confidence, and smiles.
Jesi left for a night of movies and R & I went to class, which these days is strictly rehearsal-time for our big winter show. Each winter before she leaves for Cairo, our dance instructor likes to put on a bellydance extravaganza for all her students. It's usually much fun, lots of lovely bare-bellied ladies wearing kohl eyeliner and coin belts and beads and long skirts, drinking beer or wine and playing with big swords and silk veils.
The days will continue to get shorter. Winter follows hard.
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