Tori's Holiday Round-up

I am NOT a fancy person, but I have acquired a fantastic group of people that help me stay put together in the many facets of my life. I feel a large shift in the consumer cosmos - either people will be soothing themselves with more goods than ever before, or the pandemic will encourage people to look deeper than Google searches and Amazon suggestions. 

I decided to have a small part in the deeper search and compile a list that consists of my personal friends that are business owners, creators, or non-profits that make a huge difference. There is an image going around social media that basically says "Promote Your Friends" and this is my effort to do so! 

There is no way shape or form that I could put every person in my life on this list, because I believe that you ALL deserve special and extra care (and from ME), however, I am trying to share the organizations that continue to make an impact on my personally and are run by amazingly talented people. 

EDIT: No, I'm not sponsored. I'm flattered that you think people give me money for my opinions. Nope, I'm here doing this for FREE.

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COMMERCIAL BREAK: COME TO THE SHOW THIS THURSDAY!

Click on the image to get transported to where you can purchase tickets!

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Boozes

• Meriwether Cider: Owned by an AMAZING and talented family in Boise! The product really just speaks for itself here. There is something for everyone and I am proud to be on the "Hatchet Crew." Do yourself a favor and visit the tap room or the cider house in Boise/Garden City Idaho - tell them the weird lumberjack bikini lady sent you. My favorite is "Hopshot," but I do love the ciders aged in whisky barrels too! meriwethercider.com 

Clothing/Apparel/Costume 

• Starbelly Creations: Cecilia creates all of the cool tie dye stuff that I wear and the VAST majority of my belly dance costumes. starbellycreations.com 
• Persephone Clothing: My favorite "studio to street" brand that I wear when I want to be a bit fancy but still be comfortable, owned and operated by Myra. persephoneclothing.com 

Dance Companies For Hire (and dance classes)

• Sahlala Dancers in LA - Blisteringly talented international dance company and all of the dancers in it teach classes all over LA. Do it do it! sahlala.com
• Starbelly Dancers in Boise - You know I love them, and Cecilia runs her dance school, Starbelly School of Dance where most of the Dancers teach workshops and sub. starbellyschoolofdance.com 
• Mosaic Dance Company in Santa Fe thru Pomegranate Studios - Internationally Reknown... and it shows. Many amazing dancers have been touched by Myra's creativity and talent. Take classes, watch shows, party party! pomegranatestudio.org <-- YOU CAN ALSO BE A PART OF THE RADIANT TAROT!  
• Bellyqueen Studios is a wonderful studio based in New York - I've been eyeing the teacher training for a few years and they have tremendous online offerings. bellyqueen.com 

Entertainment (non dance)

• Yum Yum Comedy (based in the Lounge at the end of the Universe) is starting to create an exciting stir in Boise - check them out on facebook facebook.com/YumYumComedy

FOOD 

• Taj Mahal of Boise - Every first Saturday there is dance, and every day is delicious food made from scratch by a wonderful family!
• Sakana Sushi on the Bench - This is just my favorite restaurant. It is like my Cheers, except instead of knowing my name, it is my saki and sushi order! 
• Sophia's Greek Bistro - Lady owned and operated, try the hippy dippy sauce!

Fitness

• Nest Fitness: My dear friend Kate Pettis is perhaps the most in-shape person that I have ever known, and she has just started a fitness endeavor aimed at helping soon-to-be and new mothers be in the best shape of their lives. She knows her stuff, send her insta a DM before her company blows up. instagram.com/nest_fitness 

Music (buy it - I've posted the links!) 

• I've met these bands personally in the last few years, and I haven't stopped dancing since. Special thank you to Myra Krien and Cecilia Rinn for being big advocates for live music, I feel like it's all been for my benefit! 
• Beatbox Guitar https://music.apple.com/us/artist/beatbox-guitar/322533023
• Erik Messal https://www.erikmessal.com/ (I'll note, he wrote a new verse of the itsy bitsy spider for The Bug Show that was so good, everyone thought it was part of the original!)
• Fleet Street Klezmer Band https://music.apple.com/us/artist/fleet-street-klezmer-band/579754420
• Karim Nagi https://karimnagi.bandcamp.com/album/huzam
• Mighty Band of Microbes https://soundcloud.com/a-mighty-band-of-microbes 
• Minka https://www.weareminka.com/
• Safar https://safarbellydance.bandcamp.com/album/mawqid 
• Sherefe https://www.sherefe.org/

Non Profits (donate time or financially!)

• Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southwest Idaho - I used to work here as my civilian job - mentoring changes lives and you need to be a part of it through donating time or to their end of the year campaign. bbbsidaho.org
• Immersive Art Collective in LA - I was an arts mentor here and this program is the real deal. Collaborative, community arts are magic. immersiveartcollective.org
• Jesse Tree in Boise, Idaho - The only non profit that is dedicated to preventing homelessness in Idaho with the INSANE success rate of 97%, and they also have a beautiful executive director! I'm somehow on the advisory board of this amazing organization - I highly believe in this work! jessetreeidaho.org 
• SEEDs Program through Pomegranate Studios in Santa Fe - Self Esteem and Empowerment Through Dance - I'm working with the other Starbelly Dancers to bring this program into Boise in 2024 because I firmly believe that it can heal our youth and demolish harmful social systems. Talk to me about it, I got lots to say pomegranatestudio.org

Studio Arts

• Alexandra Eldridge - tremendous artist with incredible symbolism, I'll be talking about how much she inspires me a LOT in 2023. See her website but also check out her tarot deck on amazon! alexandraeldridge.com
• Artsy Amber Steele - I'm obsessed with her (she was my maid of honor sooooooo) and I have a shadowbox she gifted me hanging next to my diploma for my MFA! She takes commissions just in time for the holidays - get something while she's still growing. instagram.com/artsyambercustomart
• Jaki Katz, tremendous human being, dancer, and flower child - I couldn't find her website but check out her insta and her exhibition in April at the VAC https://instagram.com/surrealistic_willow?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

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Other organizations that I'd love to list but I'm not sure how you could support are our local venues!  Be sure to tip your bartenders this holiday season and push in your chairs!  The Idaho venues that have been amazing during my return to Boise are the Lounge at the End of the Universe, The Sapphire Room, and the Visual Arts Collective. Go to a show! 

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I still have a few timeslots open for holiday cheer. CONTACT me to bring the dance to your private event!