Greycloud Studios
Monthly Newsletter Archive

Greetings and Salutations,
Hail and Well Met,
Welcome one and all, to the rebirth of the Greycloud Studios Shows & News monthly email newsletter. This is the first issue for the month of November 2008; all information about subscribing and unsubscribing can be found at the bottom of this email along with the basic FAQs for this newsletter.


Well, it’s been a long time since we’ve sent one of these out. To be honest, we’ve been kicking around restarting this newsletter for about a year now. I guess, we finally decided it was time and so here we are. Of course, it took me four very long days to recompile all the email address we’ve gathered over the years from people who wanted to be kept up to date on what shows we’re presenting and where we’re presenting them. I’ve tried very hard to make certain that only one copy of this newsletter goes to each email address. Therefore, if you happen to receive multiple copies of this newsletter, it may be that we have multiple email address for you. If that’s the case, drop me an email at sean@greycloudstudios.com and let me know which one you prefer to use. On the other hand, if you want to do things yourself, just go to the bottom of this email and follow the instructions on how to unsubscribe those email addresses you do not wish to use.

As I said, it’s been a long time since one of these newsletters was sent out and much has happened between then and now.

Right now, there are three major things happening that we want to pass along to you.

The first has to do with the Greycloud Studios website. The good news is that we finally have most of the product from the Vend Cart we have at Renaissance, Medieval, and Period Faires on line and ready for your orders. I say most as there are a couple of product lines that we’re still trying to figure out how to place on the website in such a way as to allow you the maximum choice within the variety of the product line. The Pyrate Tails are a good example of this, right now, we just don’t have them standardized enough to allow us to put them on the website. That’s something we will be working on over the next couple of months.

The next big thing started about a year ago. I was contacted by The History Press out of Charleston, SC. It seems that they had heard of me through a contact in the Carnegie Library System and were interested in having me write down the tales and stories I use in my Oil History Storytelling Show. I was surprised about this to say the very least and thankful to the unknown librarian who had recommended me, but I did not let that stop me from going through the door that opportunity had opened for me. It was the start of an interesting journey and now I’m a published author. I’m still not used to saying that, but maybe someday I will be. In the meantime, my first book “Pennsylvania’s Oil Heritage: Tales from the Headache Post” is out and available. There are a couple of four ways you can lay your hands on a copy or two as they make great Holiday Gifts. First you should be able to find it at your favorite major bookseller, either in their store or on-line. Second, you can get a copy directly from The History Press at their website (http://www.historypress.net/). Third, you can get a copy from our website (http://www.greycloudstudios.com), just go to the on-line store and you’ll find it there. Finally, you can get a copy from me directly where ever you happen to see me. While all four ways will get you a copy of the book, only the last two will get you a signed copy of the book. Just so you know, I am working on more books in this series as well as some other writing projects that I have in mind for the future.

Speaking of projects in mind for the future, that makes a good segue way into the last piece of news. There are those who will tell you that this is the biggest piece of news right now, and I’m smart enough not to deny them. My one-time student and current partner, Kristi Ward, has begun the task of forming a theatrical Middle Eastern dance company. The company is called “Moquette Volante” and is being set up to bring Middle Eastern Folklore to life through Dance, Music, and Spoken Word. So far, one audience test has been done with just Kristi and myself performing. As it went over well, she decided to host a larger premiere show and benefit to aid in the founding of the company. I’ll put the press release for this show a wee bit later in this newsletter just before the FAQs.

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Okay, having covered the major news, here are the shows we have up and coming over the next two months. Unless they are marked as a private show, please feel free to come and join us.

November 15, 2008 – Mobile Renaissance Festival, Mobile, AL
     10:00 – 17:00
November 16, 2008 – Mobile Renaissance Festival, Mobile, AL
     10:00 – 17:00
November 20, 2008 – Poetry Caravan Series at Y.I.V., Pittsburgh, PA
     20:00 – 23:30
November 22, 2008 – Book Signing at Barnes & Nobles, Erie, PA
     13:00 – 15:00
November 22, 2008 – Telebration, Pittsburgh, PA
     20:00 – 23:00
November 29, 2008 – Balloon Tales at the PPG Wintergarten, Pittsburgh, PA
     12:00 – 12:45 & 14:30 – 15:15
December 06, 2008 – Moquette Volante at Y.I.V., Pittsburgh, PA
     19:00 – 22:00
December 20, 2008 – Balloon Tales Community Show
     13:30 – 14:30
December 27, 2008 – Radio Interview on SLB Radio, Pittsburgh, PA
     Not sure, but probably during the 11:00 hour

If you want more information on any of these shows, just drop me an email at sean@greycloudstudios.com

For now, I guess that’s all there is. I’m sure I could write more, but would you really want to read it? Thus, I’ll sign off here. As I’ve said above, you can reach me at sean@greycloudstudios.com and you can reach Kristi at morgiana@greycloudstudios.com


Until next month,
Sean Miller
 Greycloud Studios
 The Daring Douglasses
 The Balloonatic Fringe
 
 www.greycloudstudios.com
 www.thedaringdouglasses.com

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Andrew Watson
Andrew@yourinnervagabond.com
724 – 506 – 2025


Your Inner Vagabond Ltd.

presents
Moquette Volante
Benefit & Preview Show

Saturday December 6
Door: 7:00pm / Show: 8:00pm

Your Inner Vagabond Coffeehouse & World Lounge
4130 Butler St. @ 42nd, Lawrenceville,
Pittsburgh, PA 15201 / 412-683-1623

Your Inner Vagabond Coffeehouse & World Lounge will present the debut of Pittsburgh-based Bellydance, Theatre & Art Troupe Moquette Volante. The name means “flying carpet” in French. The evening will be the city’s introduction to the newest professional performance troupe dedicated to Middle Eastern Arts, joining the ranks of other notable ‘burgh-based organizations Zafira Dance Co. (voted 2007 Troupe of the Year by Zaghareet Magazine), Khafif Music & Dance (voted 2007 Best Kept Secret by Zaghareet Magazine), Healing Arts by Amethyst, Carnegie-based Sadiqa & Tribe Taksim.

Pittsburgh is becoming a center for Bellydance & Middle Eastern Arts in America!

Helmed by Artistic Director Kristi Ward, the mission of Moquette Volante is to bring Middle Eastern folklore to life through dance, music and spoken word. Not only do they focus on taking dance to another level, but also preserve these wonderful, traditional stories - some of which the western world has never heard before. Kristi Ward believes that sharing this folklore through dance not only celebrates Middle Eastern culture, but also bridges gaps between all cultures as well; for there are many archetypal stories that carry in various forms throughout many cultures. This will be seen in the third tale of the evening, The Anklet.

Moquette Volante will premier four Middle Eastern folktales set in the Arabian Nights and woven with dance, music and spoken word. In addition to Kristi Ward, local performers will also include dancers Darcy Mahaffey, Norm Papernick, Justine Sumrock of Pittsburgh, musicians Emay and Nick Ragheb of Pittsburgh, and folkteller Sean Miller of Oil City, PA.


There will also be a silent auction, as well as a sampling of YIV's teas and pastries.

Proceeds will go towards start-up costs of Moquette Volante as a new non-profit 501(c)(3) theatrical dance company, with future plans to hold a full scale show in Pittsburgh as well as tour to arts councils and universities around the Eastern United States.

Cost: $10 Advance/$15 Day of Show. All Ages & BYOB.

More info
YourInnerVagabond.com

About Kristi Ward

Kristi has been dancing her whole life. She received her degree in theatre from Nazareth College in Rochester, NY in *****. While studying under Cynthia Andresen at Nazareth College, she discovered a more modern style inspired by Isadora Duncan & Ruth St Denis. After moving to Pittsburgh in *****, she was introduced to Bellydance. She began studying at Dance Alloy under Mary Ann Carr in 2003 and has been bellydancing ever since.

Kristi began dancing professionally at the Sphinx Café in Oakland, encouraged by owners Ramy & Amera Andrawes. Since Sphinx Café has a large Arabic clientele and the owners are from Egypt themselves, they shared with her much of their dance and music culture.

Ms. Ward’s partner, Sean Miller, taught her how to eat fire in 2001, and with this skill she also learned much about performing as well as the business aspects of working as an entertainer. Kristi has attended workshops with Bernie Vargo of Khafif, Deniz from Cleveland, and master percussionist Souhail Kaspar, who teaches workshops on properly interpreting music and rhythm.

Kristi’s bellydance style is mostly Arabic, but also contains a very spiritual aspect to it. She likes to improvise and interact with the audience and with the music or musicians, so that the dance is always fresh and catered to the mood of the moment.
 
She teaches at Pittsburgh Dance Arts at 4059 Penn Ave in Lawrenceville. Classes are Tuesday nights 7pm-8:30pm.