Atlantika

Tonight was a blast. Even though it was all work. And because I needed to be at the hotel by two o'clock to help prep costumes for the dancers I got null done for Christmas Carol today. But it was worth playing hooky from the theatre to play with the dancers for the evening. I just wish my camera had not run out of juice. Things do not turn out as well on a camera phone...The afternoon started out with ironing. Thankfully, due to the glories of spandex and polyester, not much needed to be ironed. The first hour and a half or so was mostly hurry up and wait. However, upon the artistic director's arrival with the remaining costumes came a slurry of activity. The first of my many tasks that evening was to refeather a head dress. The dyed pheasant feathers miraculously appeared in the mail just before she had left for the resort. Then came filling helium balloons. And more ironing. And inflating inner tubes. and retacking pleats. Finally we were the dancers prepared and we rushed to get all 27 dressed and out the doors before the guests were done mingling around the silent auction tables.

The eveing was gorgeous. And the event was beautifully planned. Each dancer had a very disticnt personna. Each personna of course being somewhat water related. A seadragon wandered around on stilts. A yellow tang preformed ariel work, suspended on silk between two palms. A pair of dolphins spun and danced around the tables. A pair of peguins waddled thourgh the crowed. A pair of jellyfish floated by. The mermaid lounged by the hot tub and the living fountain sprayed unsuspecting patrons with her conch. The clown fish clowned about (discovering that he could disassemble the hotel's signage while he was at it). The seahorse pranced about. A living aquarium terrorized the other sealife with her blue net. Ocotpussy suctioned herself to whatever could be found. Rubber Ducky guarded her own (no one could even tell she was pregnant). And the lotus and lilly floated gracefully in the water. All the while they interacted, silaently, with the patrons while dancing to the likes of the Beatles, Beach Boys, Velvet Underground and of course Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In.

All of the tables had some sort of 60's and aquaian theme. Splish Splash in the Celestial Bath, Santorini Sex Pistols and the Spiny Sea Urchins and Octopussy's Garden in the Shade were among the many tables selling for up 10,000 each to seat 10-12.Everyone was all smiles and laughs the enitre evening. I ducked out just after the salads were distribited. Much of the evening was still to come, including the mermaid's dip in the pool. But I'd made merry already. And I look forward to helping out next year. So long as I do not have to sew any silk velvet.