Happy Cinco de Mayo!
32 years ago I packed up my 1989 yellow Buick Regal, and hopped on a plane to Las Vegas! I was 20-years-old and already a seasoned performer with two separate gigs behind me: a theme park, and a National Tour.
When I arrived in Vegas, my goal was to get acclimated and start dance class. The very next day, against my better wishes, I was going to my first Strip audition at the Flamingo Hilton. I shipped my car out which had all of my dance gear and business items: headshot, resume, dance clothes, etc. and my car was not arriving until late the following week. My friends took me to K-Mart to buy a leotard (or was that a bathing suit?) we borrowed some character shoes, and OH!....did I mention borrowed some ice-skates. “City Lites” performed 12 shows a week and all performers danced and ice-skated!
My Michigan upbringing served me well, and I signed a contract the next day at the Flamingo Hilton.
My life as an artist truly changed the day I signed that contract. I met the most influential person who left a positive mark on my career. He was deeply committed to seeing me rise from the chorus all the way to a lead dancer in Las Vegas. I don’t know if all of my Vegas people know that Terry Lovern and I met while he was dancing/skating at “City Lites.”
I’ll continue this story another time, but for now, CHEERS!
Cheers to the memories, cheers to the most incredible creative space that I’m in right now, cheers to all of the doors that continue opening, cheers to the community of artists in New Orleans that I’ve had the pleasure of working with!
