Wiggles of the West Belly Dance Competition
LAS VEGAS, NV * Produced by The Two Old Bags
Section 3: A
Very Wiggles Wonder Woman
(The Story Behind the Woman)
By Miriam
And Lasso Too!
Competing at Wiggles of the West, Las Vegas was an experience I will never forget. You know how you’ve had that one dance idea in the back of your mind, that one day perhaps, you’ll bring to fruition? Well, when I saw that Wiggles of the West had an alternative category, I thought, what better place to be Wonder Woman than Las Vegas?!
How quiet the audience was when I first stepped onto the stage. Who was this woman in her bathrobe??? What the heck is she doing??? Little did they know what I was wearing underneath my robe… I began the first 50 seconds of the sad lady in her bathrobe character, floating and undulating to Tchaikovsky's, Symphony # 6 "Pathétique". The music then grew to a tragic intensity, as I showed the audience the Pink Slip I had tucked away in my robe. After running to the back of the stage, my back to the audience, I moved to a soulful, “you can do it girl” version of the Wonder Woman theme. As soon as the first verse ended with the singer giggling, the Diana changing into Wonder Woman spinning music began. I start spinning. I reach under my collar and lift my crown to my head. Undo my hair from the clip, and pull off my robe. Under my teacher Cassiopeia’s advice, I counted my spins. She thought that perhaps I wouldn’t be able to hear the music if the audience was loud. Thank God I took her advice. I could not hear the music over the screaming audience. I stop at the 13th spin and POW! I have turned into Wonder Woman. The crowd went wild. It felt so good to finally be doing this!! While I belly danced, I made sure to use Wonder Woman’s key moves; stopping bullets, kicking, using her magic lasso, and I even flew her invisible jet!
I really enjoyed being able to present this piece to such a lively, interactive, fun loving audience. When I say that this competition was an experience I will never forget, I do not exaggerate. I will go to my grave remembering how I took my final pose and at the end of my routine (tearing up my pink slip) the audience shot out of their seats and gave me a standing ovation. At the end of the evening I am honored to have been given second place. The competition was fierce considering the 19 amazing dancers in my category – they all rocked the house!
The next day, still on my high from the competition, I decided it would be fun to have my picture taken with the photographer at the event. I called the front desk asking for a late check out of 1:00. This would give me time to get into my costume, do my hair and makeup, and get a few shots taken with the photographer. I decided just to go straight down to the ballroom as my room was very close to the elevator that opened up to the event room. I bring only my room key.
Wonder Woman
"I'm Fighting Crime!"
After having posed as Wonder Woman in the desert with the
pyramids and Sphinx, I head up back to my room. I have just enough time to get
out of my costume and pack. Guess what? MY KEY DOESN’T WORK!!!!!!!! For all those who were at the event,
you know that I had to go back down the elevator, through the atrium, and
finally to the front desk. As in all hotels with casinos, this is no short
walk. “Wonder Woman!” “Hey, Wonder Woman!!! Where is your golden lasso?!!!” As
you can imagine, I was not lonely on the way to the front desk. Well, heck, for
the next 10 minutes, I decided I WAS Wonder Woman! I almost reach the front
desk and I out of the corner of my eye, I see three little girls at one of the
restaurants surrounding the atrium. They looked up as I walked by, and you
would have thought I was the ice cream truck. I reach the front desk, hand my
key to the clerk, and say, “you did this on purpose”. He hands me a new room
key with a big giant smile on his face. As I begin my journey back through the
atrium, I see the three little girls peeking around a pillar, watching my every
move. I decide to go say hello. The eldest immediately steps out and introduces
herself. “Hi!!! I’m Maria, and this is my sister Ana, and my other sister Isa!
What are you doing here Wonder Woman?!”
“I’m fighting crime!” I say. We chat for a few minutes, they like my
costume, I like their three matching dresses. “Well, girls I gotta go fight more
crime. But I want you to remember one thing. You’re girls, and so that means
that you are strong!! Don’t you ever forget that!” I make a muscle with my bicep and all three mirror my move.
My goal in this dance routine was to convey no matter how low we hit bottom, we all have a Wonder Woman deep inside. Having those three little girls believe in their hearts, that I was Wonder Woman, meant the world to me.