PirateFest 2017!

We had an absolutely amazing time at PirateFest this year! We especially enjoyed doing some improv dancing throughout the day and into the evening when the stage wasn't otherwise occupied, and we'll be doing more of that at Ren Faire later this year.

PirateFest 2017

College Park Cinco de Mayo Celebration!

We had a wonderful time dancing for our friends at College Park to celebrate Cinco de Mayo! We don't get many opportunities to perform our favorite Mexican choreographies, so we thoroughly appreciated the chance to do so. !Muchas gracias, amigos y amigas!

2015 Year in Review

2015 was a wonderful year for Desert Gypsies, and we are looking forward to another year of sharing the joy of Middle Eastern music and dance with you! As we begin this new year, we wish you a healthy, happy year ahead -- and hope your year includes an abundance of music and movement that delights you, body and soul. Happy new year!

Desert Gypsies
2015 Year in Review

Christmas at College Park!

We had a fantastic time celebrating the season at College Park Rehab last week, as you can see from our picture below. Ladies and gentlemen, we wish you a very merry Christmas, and a healthy, happy new year!

Ren Faire 2015!

Did you make it to Ren Faire this year? We had a fantastic time performing, as you can see from the pictures below! If you didn't make it, don't worry...we'll be posting more pictures and videos soon!

Ren Faire Ready!

Las Vegas Renaissance Faire 2014
"Gypsy Show"

So, are you ready for Ren? We're ready for the Las Vegas Renaissance Faire! We're proud to announce we'll be performing four entirely different shows this year, all on the Shifting Sands stage:

We'll be performing our Arabic show on Friday, October 9th,  at 3 PM.

Saturday we're excited to present our Gypsy show at 1 PM, and we'll return to the stage with a flamenco-influenced show at 3:15 PM.

On Sunday, stop by at 2 PM to check out our Eastern Mediterranean show, inspired by music and dance from Greece, Lebanon, and Armenia.

If you've seen our shows before, you'll be happy to hear we're introducing many new songs, choreos, costuming, and props. There's something new in every show! We're excited to share our passion for Middle Eastern music and dance with you, and look forward to seeing you soon.

Throwback Thursday!

We're busy gearing up for the Las Vegas Renaissance Faire in October, and we're excited to share that we'll be introducing new music, choreography, props, and costuming. Naturally, that's keeping us busy until October, so today we'd like to call your attention to our recently updated Photo Gallery, where you can enjoy a sampling of the shows we've done since Desert Gypsies hit the road as a professional troupe back in June 2012. We've done holiday shows for Mardi Gras, Halloween, and Christmas; themed shows ranging from Arabic to Spanish to Mediterranean; and we've performed at venues as varied as the Las Vegas Belly Dance Intensive to the West Charleston Library.

Enjoy! -- and we'll see you soon at Ren Faire 2015!

Throwback Thursday: Flamenco-Gypsy Fusion!

We're already hard at work on new choreography for the new year, and right now, our focus is on enhancing our Spanish shows. We're developing some exciting new choreo that includes more flamenco footwork, more Spanish gypsy skirt, and more stick work! For now, we're keeping what we're working on under wraps. :) In the meantime, here's a throwback to one of our earliest performances as Desert Gypsies, back in August 2011.

Destinations Oakey -- Spanish Spooktacular!

As always, we had a fantastic time visiting with our friends at Destinations Oakey! Happy Halloween, everyone...We're already looking forward to seeing you all again soon! :)

 

Ren Faire 2014!!

We had such a wonderful time performing at Ren Faire this year! We especially want to thank all of our friends who joined us for our performances. It's a real delight to look out into the audience and see a familiar face or two! We're already looking forward to next year's Ren Faire. :) Here's a pic from our last performance, but if that's just not enough dance for you (and we hope it isn't!), check out our Video Gallery. Huzzah!

Recipe: Slow Cooker Chicken Mole

We're headed to the Renaissance Faire tomorrow! -- and we're excited to share many of our favorite Spanish choreographies tomorrow, so it's no surprise I'm thinking about mole. Mole is one of my favorite Mexican dishes. Given my sweet tooth, that's not surprising: Mole incorporates cocoa powder and sugar. That also makes mole the perfect recipe for Halloween -- a little chocolate in my dinner makes it easier to steer clear of all the candy and treats! I use the slow cooker to prepare mole, which makes this a terrific recipe if you're hosting a party or headed out to celebrate the evening.

My husband was reluctant to try my take on mole because his mother and aunts prepared mole that was more sweet than spicy. Mole is typically a high-fat dish, too. I've eliminated nearly all of the fat, and struck a balance between sweet, spicy, and savory flavors, so my husband and I can both enjoy mole. !Buen provecho!

Slow Cooker Chicken Mole

Ingredients:

1 (1 1/2 ounce) package dried pasilla, mulato, or ancho chiles
1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
1/4 cup cornmeal
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 tablespoon sugar (or sugar substitute)
2 teaspoons bottled minced garlic
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken tenderloins

Directions:

Remove stems from chiles, if necessary. Combine chiles and tomato sauce in blender, and puree until chiles are well-integrated into sauce.

Pour sauce into slow cooker. Add cornmeal, cocoa powder, sugar, garlic, cinnamon, coriander, and cloves, and stir to combine. Place chicken on top of sauce. Cook on LOW setting 4-6 hours, or until chicken is cooked through.

Las Vegas Renaissance Faire 2014!!

The Ren Faire is definitely one of our favorite places to perform, and this year, we're excited to share that we'll be performing more often than we have in previous years. Desert Gypsies will be on the Shifting Sands stage as follows:

Friday, October 9th, at 3 PM
Friday, October 9th, at 8 PM
Saturday, October 10th, at 4 PM
Sunday, October 11th, at 3 PM

We'll also be dancing with Tribe Al-Wadi on Friday and Saturday from 5:30-6:30 PM on the Shifting Sands stage. We hope to see you there!

"Juntos"
Las Vegas Renaissance Faire 2013

Arrrrr, Mateys! PirateFest 2014

Despite the windy conditions Friday afternoon, we had a terrific time performing at PirateFest again this year! Here are a few of our favorite pics:

 

 

The Early Bird Gets the Dancers...!

Atria Sutton, May 2013
"Cinco de Mayo, Gypsy-Style!"

If you've stopped by our FAQs page (or, for that matter, visited either of our Galleries), you know Desert Gypsies are grounded in Middle Eastern dance. That said, we often foray into related dance forms, particularly the skirt-twirling, foot-stomping dance moves of zambra and flamenco. In fact, our most popular show at the Las Vegas Renaissance Faire is strongly Spanish-influenced.

That versatility allows us to present an engaging Spanish-influenced show that's perfect for Cinco de Mayo. Sadly, last year we had to turn down several requests for a Cinco de Mayo performance, as we were booked in March for a May 5th show. (We don't double-book, because we prefer quality over quantity.)

We're not booked for a Cinco de Mayo show...yet. If you'd like to nab us before it's too late, now's the time! May 5th is on a Monday this year, and our calendar is clear from 10 AM - 3 PM. If you're ready to enjoy a sizzling Cinco de Mayo show, click on the Contact Us page for our contact information!

And, since it's Throwback Thursday, here are some pictures from our Cinco de Mayo show at Atria Sutton last year, and from a Mexican-themed show we performed last year. Ole!



Atria Sutton, May 2013
"Cinco de Mayo, Gypsy-Style!"



May 2013
"Fiesta Before the Siesta!"