This post is a tale of the universe conspiring to assist. I started forward and then followed the dots laid out for me. It has been the most obvious showing of universal, energetic support that has occurred, up until now, in my life. It’s the story of how a mid-west, middle-aged, stay-at-home momma became The Ring Leader, and created the sexy circus show called Shakedown.

During October of 2014 I found myself, (insert double entrendre) in a La Quinta hotel reception hall, in Los Angeles, California.

My biggest take away from that magical moment was to follow my heart and it would all happen. I went home and told Husband that I was going to take the sexy circus out of my head and on to the road. .. enter Shakedown.

Now at that time I had spent three years as a stay-at-home Mom, essentially wrapped in my own baby blanket that had very little else but the kiddo in it. Shakedown was a big goal. I had no idea how to start. I had never executed an event, had zero reputation as anything other than a graphic designer who loved dressing up, and with no dance experience. But I had a show to do. And I had said it would happen.

I started talking about Shakedown with everyone I did come in contact with. I asked if people would be interested in performing in it. I got some “yeses”. I got some “nos”, but then I would ask if they knew someone who might like to be in Shakedown. I called friends of friends and talked them through a vision which included a track, a circus character and an emotional quality, which was the best translation I could give them from my mind. It was a lot to get out of my mouth during these cold calls, but some of them listened, and some of of those liked what they were hearing and it began to gain some momentum.

The biggest “break” was a particular conversation that really gave that show legs to stand on. I was talking with one of my design clients of a local coffee roaster, and he gave me a number and said, “You should call Ruby”. I rang Ruby, launched in to my lengthy elevator pitch. At the end of that call, Ruby said that the deadline for grant submission was in 2 days and I should apply. I had zero idea that Ruby was part of GCAC, what GCAC was, nor did I know how to write a grant. But I did it. Something about it won me the submission interview for awards and I got all dressed up in black and white stripes. I knew barnding and I went in to it, telling myself that it didn’t matter if I had the credentials as long as I could be Shakedown. The interview went well. The grant was below average, but it was good enough to be awarded a $400 grant for project support. Meanwhile I had been talking to the Stage Manager at SN Stage, and had an agreement to rent the theater for $450.

But wait, there’s more: I talked with the Director of GCAC and in a sort of sob story explained that I could not spend any actual money on this potential production, and he handed me $50 cash, out of his own pocket… and it was showtime. We booked the theater. The manager of SNStage said he would act as Producer, and I traveled around town checking in on my act groups. My mentor, Joe Baer got wrangled in to being the show host, (I had a clue he might step in to the spotlight), and he took to it. Big time.

XOXO-The Ringleader

A series of important past events, that grew to be Shakedown

SOLD OUT

Sometimes before October 2014