Raqs Habibi is having a marathon practice and choreography session soon.

We are a trio with members that live in different parts of the country...though two in the same area, and all of us on the same coast, which is nice.

That means one or two of us fly in to the other's city, we get massive amounts of caffeine, and we go to a dance studio. For hours and hours and hours. We have music to work with, already chosen and cut, we have been talking on the phone and over email, and we know what need to be done. We work, maybe stop to laugh, dish, drink more caffeine, cry, whatever it takes. Then we practice and make dances some more. Then we video tape for a bit.

Then we go out and imbibe massive amount of food and drink. Maybe catch a belly dance show somewhere. Then we go back to the house, watch our video, and make a plan for the next day. Then...we sleep.

Then we wake up and do it all over again, and in the evening one or two of us get on a plane to go home.

It is crazy, but...it works. (Knock wood.)

Granted: we have a similar vision, a shared idea about what we want to accomplish and how we want to dance together. We have known each other a long time, and all worked together in various projects as far as up to--actually now quite a bit more than!--a decade ago. There is an intuitive feeling I know I have when I dance with Jas and Shak. I also know that I can trust them, 100%, on stage. If I were to spaz out, lose my place, fall on my face, whatever, they would handle it. I have not had to test the limits of this stage based trust, thankfully, but I know it is there!

The short story? I am excited for our next practice marathon.