Digital Age.

Born in the 70's, I have very few pictures of me as a child, yet I have three full albums of pictures. Back then, if you own a camera, it was made of metal, big, and often didn't have a flash.
Later, the Polaroid camera became more affordable and it came with its disposable flashes. I used to think they looked so cool.
Unfortunately, the polaroid pictures didn't look as good, and over time lost their colors. But I'm gad to have some of them, even though they turned a yellow brownish color.
Jumping ahead, we reached the digital era, fairly recently, and now a day, most people don't even own a good camera, since we can use our phones and tablets to capture, and we upload them instantly to facebook, twitter and instagram.
The last time I printed a picture I took, was about 10 years ago, when a brand new website was offering to print any digital pictures for free. Yet, I've taken thousands of pictures. Between my dance company, and my film production company, I have a ridiculous amount of digital pictures, copied five times, in five separate hard drives, just in case.

I figured blonde might be more scary for the aliens...

Recently, I realized, that if we ever lose power, and technology, the only pictures I have will be a few head-shots, and all my childhood pictures. There's something sad about that. What if???
Books are becoming digital, songs are downloaded, and all this lives in a virtual word of social networks.
Since tomorrow is the end of the world, and I'm planning to survive it (I'll be hiding all day behind the curtain of my living room, it seems the safest place to be when aliens come back to kill us all, They'll never find me there...), I am considering spending a little money to print a bunch of beautiful pictures representing my life, my friends and my loves. Making the facebook timeline, in a physical state.
Well, this might be the last blog I write, since it's for sure the end of the world tomorrow. By the way, does anyone know if the Mayans, had a specific time for it? I'd like to sleep a little longer tomorrow, since it's my day off.

Thanksgiving!

Today we're celebrating Thanksgiving all over America, and I too am grateful for many things.
Through my life, women have played a huge part in my destiny.
My mother passed when I was 5, and that changed a lot of things in my life, it made me look at things differently.
At 13, I was saved by my great best friend at the time, A.G, who supported me and encouraged me to be good for many years.
At the same age, I met my Swiss friends who played a great role in me keeping my sanity. The mother, J.L was a great influence in my somewhat good behavior over the years.
Rosella Hightower, was another woman who believed in me, when everyone else didn't. She took me in her company, as a dancer, and through painful teaching and endless guidance, allowed me to dance.

Her daughter, Money Robier, was also extremely supportive of my acting and performance in general.
The next woman, is Martha Graham. Though I never met her, she built the bridge, that brought me to America. It is because of Martha, that I left my life in the French Riviera, and pursued an international dance career.
Once in New York, and dancing, the next woman that changed things around was, Jacqueline Chambord. Madame Chambord, was the one who trusted me as a choreographer and allowed my company, Saba Dance Theater, to perform for several years at the French Institute Alliance Francaise. She also dedicated two full pages in her book, Manhattan Rendez-vous, to my company.

http://www.amazon.com/Manhattan-rendez-vous-French-Edition/dp/235593102X/ref=sr_1_sc_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1353620244&sr=1-1-spell&keywords=manhatta+rendez-vous

The next person, is not a woman, and is and has been my closest friend, mentor and teacher. Bill Hopkins, has shown me, love, patience, guidance, support in every project I bring to the table.
Bill, was introduced to me by my dear Italian friend B.A. So thank you B.
In addition to these persons, I am eternally grateful to the hundreds of students, who never give up and never surrender to laziness and fear, and who continue to take my classes around the world.
Yes, I am grateful to all the persons above, and of course my close friends, who in a daily basis, from New York to the French Riviera, to Lausanne and Mexico City, I thank you all my friends, for listening to me, guiding me, supporting me along my life.
I love you and there's nothing you can do about it.

Sandy!

Two weeks after hurricane Sandy hit, I'm finally ready to talk about it. On that crazy windy Monday, October 29th, I was enjoying the warmth of my living room, watching Harry Potter 5 in blue ray, gift received for my birthday by my roommate (Keith). Midway through the movie, around 7.30PM, the power went out.
Darkness, filled the house and after lighting a few candles, Keith and I sat on the sun room.
Outside, the last rays of sunlight, quickly disappeared behind the horizon, to leave nothing but a black canvas. After chit and chatting for a while, I decided to go out and explore a bit.
Dressed in an orange raincoat, covering my body all the way to my knees, I was finally ready to face Sandy. As I walked in my street, I realized that, though the wind was extremely violent, very little rain was falling. Already branches and leaves were covering the streets and sidewalks. Around the corner, a few houses down the street, a large tree had fallen and destroyed the power line and blocked the access of the street.

Once home, we noticed blue lights coming from all around the neighborhood. At least five power lines exploded, in a beautiful blue light. It reminded me of "War of the Wolrds...." This called for an early night, as I was tired anyway.
Waking up around 6.30AM, did my meditation and yoga in the sun room. The sun light began to show around 7AM and allowed me to go out. The rain had stopped, still no power and I realized no heat.
In the street, I began to gather sticks and such to burn in our fireplace. The day went on, like gatherer. We ate the food from the fridge first and got ready for bed.
Until Friday night when the power returned, my mornings were outside, gathering wood, then inside reading a little and minding the fire.
I even painted a a canvas I had for a while, and will be a great gift for one of my friend's upcoming birthday.
During the whole week, no news, no music, no phone, no facebook, no transportation, and no access to fresh food. We had water, but had to be boiled. Hot water was available, but potentially soiled.
As I think about that week,  what I missed the most was LIGHT. All that time, and not able to read more then a couple hours, because the flashlight ended up being hurtful for my eyes.
No light to paint, write, clean, fix, cook....Darkness.
All this time I thought of Shakespeare and Molière, and many more who wrote by candlelight. What kind of candles did they have? I want those...Because mine were not strong enough.
As power was restored, I returned to TV and Facebook, and apart from personal stories, I read on my friends feeds, I did not know anything about what had happened. If you were home that week, with power and heat, you probably watched the news, and saw the devastation of Sandy, over and over, replaying the most sensational images available. Like the New York FDR totally flooded, or the floating houses near the Jersey shores, or the drowning cars, broken trees, burning houses....
Well, I haven't seen anything of it, and still today, I randomly find clips on youtube of the damage Sandy left us with.
One thing for sure, I'm getting a solar panel iphone charger, and a powerful battery operated lantern, for next hurricane.
Hope you were all safe and healthy.
Love.

My Birthday!

Every year in October, I begin to feel a bit blue. Nothing dramatic really, but I just feel a lack. This year I finally came around why. Born on October 26th 1972, I can remember only a few times my birth was celebrated.
The first time I was 3, and it is the only time I recall while my mother was alive, as she passed when I was 5. Another birthday that counted, was my 15th, when my good friend Alex took me for the first time to a Chinese restaurant and threw a party that was memorable.
My 20th celebration takes a big place in my life, but only for the wrong reasons. My reel father had a party for me that was just the wrong party, and it was also the last birthday I celebrated before I came out. For my 36th celebration, I was at the Petrossi's (Dear friends of mine), in Biot, South of France, and that was the last time I saw my adopted father cheerful and alive, as he passed the following June.

My dance students surprised me at the end of the class, with chocolate cupcakes and a glittering top hat. FUN! <3

As I sum up the events around my birthday, and throughout my life, I understand why I become apprehensive.
But this year, I turned 40, and it's about time I let go. From now on, I will celebrate my birthday and treat myself. I will cherish my life and my many friends who once again this year, have showed me their love and support for days before and after my actual birthday.
To me, the number doesn't matter, as I feel great and luckily I don't feel a physical change. Celebrating life has been my motto since 2001, and I will continue to practice it, in my everyday life.
Thanks for reading. Love is the only thing to heal the wounds of the world.

2 shows by David Friedman.

For the past two years, my dear friends Chrissie and Chuck talked to me about David Friedman. A year ago for my birthday, they gave me "The Thought Exchange" book by David Friedman and every week, I subscribe to a newsletter on how to make your life better by applying the "Thought Exchange."
David Friedman is a very talented man, who writes and composes music and songs for many celebrities, and for himself. At the moment, his name is associated with the Broadway show "Scandalous," and the live performance of David Friedman singing at 54 Bellow.
Last Friday evening, I attended the preview show of "Scandalous," and was entertained. Although the show is very educational, it tends to be too much educational. Based on the true story of a famous woman, preaching in the 20's each song is written to tell you more about her journey. The star of the show is onstage the whole time and if this show goes on, the singer will not. The staging abuses the star singer while barely use the great ensemble of dancers/singers.
If you're not into religion, you might be turned off by the whole thing and I'm not really sure what the moral of the play supposed to be. However, being it's still in previews, the show you will see, might be a totally different show, so go and judge for yourself.
Regarding last night performance of David Friedman singing his own songs, the sensations were more honest and intense.
Mister Friedman is a man who knows how to talk to an audience, and throughout his stories and songs, manages to bring out the demons sleeping inside you.
Not my favorite singer in the whole world, but the man can write gorgeous songs. In fact, each song carry a strong message of hope, love and understanding.
His show will be once again at 54 Bellow, next Monday and is the perfect NYC Cabaret experience.
As a singer myself, I felt extremely close to the songs and could picture myself singing them.
All I wish for David Friedman is to have his own Broadway show in the near future, where HE can actually control what goes onstage.

"Sleep No More" - Great show in NYC!

Last night, I had an incredible time. I lived for a few hours with my sensations. 
One of my friend, Benjamin Thys, invited me to the show he's in at the moment. "Sleep No More".
The show is held inside a hotel, and works the "haunted houses" work. As you enter, you surrender your bags and jackets and you are sent on your own along the dark hallways and rooms of the five floor building.
At first, I was held in a bar, set in the 30's, until a group of us, was directed to get inside the elevator. From then on, I was on my own and absolutely adored every second of it. The instructions are simple, you wear your mask the entire time, and you do not talk, even if talked to. Ben, had given me some idea of where to find him throughout the play, and off I went to the main ballroom. There he was, with a few other actors (Not wearing masks, so you know who to watch), dancing around the room.

Me at SLEEP NO MORE . No pictures allowed, so I took one of myself in the bathroom.

Once done with the scene, change of lights and off the actors went about the rest of their duty.
Walking in very theatrical rooms, with smoke and music, is quite perfect to loose yourself in your own thoughts. Just in time, your thinking is interrupted by an actor/dancer performing a new section of the play. Based on Macbeth, even if you don't know the story, you will be bathed and guided through betrayals, lies, love affairs and revenge.
My suggestion is to go on your own, or with someone that understand the concept and will let you experience "Sleep No More", the way it's meant to be.
The mask alone, gives you an anonymity, that will encourage you to be selfish and do and go about your own desire.

Inside the bar, before I was told not to take pictures.

Check it out, and bring friends, as you can always meet every hour in the main bar....If you find it...

Drag!!!

Back in 2006, I was cast in an off-Broadway parody of "A CHorus Line". I was playing Cassie, but sice it was a parody, I was playing Sherry. And that's how my drag character Sherry Cordial was born.
Following the success of that show, I appeared in a yearly fundraiser as Sherry. I wouldn't call myself a Drag Queen, as I do it really once a year for that same event, and it allows me to reconnect with old friends like Conchita, my favorite Latina ever.

Conchita and Sherry Cordial. Oct 2012.

I should say, that the reason I have been doing it, apart from the fact that it's an excellent cause. All the proceeds of the show go to help alcoholics and addicts in recovery. We've been known to raise close to 40 grands in one night... But really the reason I do it, is because I miss performing on stage. Acting in movies is the greatest thing in my life, but the buzz I get from performing live is unique.

Yesterday, was the show, and my number was a mix of things. It began with Maria Callas in "Lakme", going to Cher with "Take me home", cutting to "All that Jazz" from Miss Rivera, a little Cabaret with "Mein Heir", a pinch of Bjork, to honor my dearest Honey LaBronx, and back to Callas, to make sure people know what a Diva Sherry is.... The whole thing was fun to perform, I had three outfits and two wigs...Bit crazy, but very me. This is who I am. I am a complexed performer and always push my limits.
Though performing was extremely fun, and meeting a bunch of new talented and young Drag Queens was equally thrilling, I've decided to not do this show again.
Lots of things can happen, and I might do it again of course, BUT, I feel that I should be performing as a guy. I am talented, I can sing, dance and act, and the stage is my place to be.
Now I have to visualize myself in a Broadway show, singing and dancing as a dude.
As I always say, if you don't do what you love, don't do it.
<3