The Sirens of Calypso- Chapter 1- "It's Only Human"

            The legend of the siren dates back to the days of Ancient Greece. Women of unsurpassed beauty whose mesmerizing voices drove many a sailor to wreck their ships on their shores. On a small island in the Caribbean halfway between Florida and the northern shores of South America, this tradition continues today.
            Instead of song, the sirens of Calypso, its most famous club, spellbound their audience through dance. They performed regularly year-round, but they drew the largest crowds in the summer months, the height of the island’s tourist season. This year’s busy season began with a particularly special occasion: the debut of their newest member.

            Spotlights crept across the velvet fabric, seemingly without aim, but with the music pumping softly in the background, tension built with each passing second. A voice then broke over the speakers. “On behalf of the sirens, a big thank you and gracias for being a wonderful audience. Please offer one final round of applause for our hard-working dancers as they take their bows. As always, feel free to cheer loudest for your favorite when they’re called by name.” The honor of M.C. typically fell to one of the girls, but this curtain call was so last minute, Alejandro, the bartender and nephew of the club’s owners, took the reins.

            As the music raced toward crescendo, the house lights transitioned, revealing four shadows behind the curtains hitting each beat on cue. Then as they drew apart, the sirens emerged one by one and retook their positions. Their steps combined the basics of samba and cha-cha as they brought the music to life. During the pre-chorus, the volume lowered slightly to alert the crowd of an impending announcement.

            The brunette with the red sequined belly dancing outfit stepped forward. “Yes, as Alejandro said, thank you again for your warm reception. Please, give a warm welcome again to our new sister, Emilia De La Rosa!” The musical volume resumed normal levels just in time for the chorus. Bursting into the spotlight was a girl no older than 18 in a powder blue dress. Her shoulder length blonde hair was tied back in a ponytail and her bangs arched just above her fair eyebrows. She started with the same quick-paced cha-cha steps but incorporated some contemporary leaps and spins to accentuate her great lines. It was this unique skillset, along with her youth, that earned her the new opening in the roster. The venue had gained such popularity among locals and tourists alike in the last two years, it became necessary to bring on someone new to expand upon the depth of routines.

            Further into the number, veterans Scarlet Castillo and Vanessa Zapata took solos in their own styles. Scarlet made quick work of the cha-cha with her short stature and precise footwork. Her tangerine mullet dress, its skirt open in the front to better highlight her legs, complimented the shade of her pixie cut well. Vanessa, donning a canary gown adorned with fringe, put all of her curvy 5’ 10” frame into her Samba-influenced shimmies. Her long ashy blonde hair made her silhouette particularly striking because it was always in constant motion. Small tinges of brown broke the outline, the unfortunate side-effect of excessive dying she did in the early years.

            Using this venue to make a fresh start was a common thread that bound the sisterhood of sirens together, some coming from more dire circumstances than others. Even though Emilia had no ghosts in her past, she was adored for her sweet personality as well as her innocence, something everyone else had long lost.

            Then their leader, Natalia Montez, had her turn and the audience was in the palm of her hand instantly. Not only could she do all the classic Latin styles, blending them in and out of her belly dancing, but she had the innate ability of commanding the attention of every room she walked into. While this particular routine had been a mainstay for years, tonight was different for two reasons. In addition to Emilia, it was the first time Alejandro shared the stage with Talia. The accompanying song had a rap she typically used for the full extent of her solo. Alejandro suggested, for this special night only, he perform the rapper interlude live while she belly-dances alongside him. Normally, she wouldn’t give his suggestions the time of day, but because he helped Emilia get the audition after what had been an exhausting process, Talia finally granted him the wish he’d had since the day he first laid eyes on her.

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Featured Song: "Afraid" by Nelly Furtado feat. Attitude (which helped spark this idea in the first place)
Featured Dance Style(s): Cha-cha, Samba, contemporary jazz

(Some images I saved while brainstorming Talia's bellydancing outfit)