Love Bites, an anti-Valentines/Valentines cabaret, shows the duality of its performers through a series of performances surrounding the theme of Valentine’s Day.
The show, hosted by Tenebris Dance and Istra Performing Arts and held at Arabesque World Dance, was held on Saturday, Feb. 8 and showcased a variety of performances, from palm fire and belly dancing to pole dancing.
Love Bites is a variety show that challenges traditional Valentine’s Day ideals through performance, blending elements of both Valentine’s Day and Halloween with the idea that love bites back, said producer and lead performer Danielle Warren.
Warren, who goes by the stage name “Istra,” said she created her “cabaret in the shadows,” full of vampires, three years ago to combat traditional Valentine’s Day ideals.
“I wanted people to feel included, I didn’t want people to feel like this is just a love show,” Warren said. “I want people to feel included whether or not they have a date or multiple dates or no dates.”
Now on the show’s third anniversary, the performances have gotten bigger and tighter, Warren said.
Many performers who have been involved for all three years have been given time to practice and clean up their performances, as well as add new ones, Warren said.
Warren said she not only produces and performs in the show, but she also works as a research nurse five days a week. However, she needed performing in her life and couldn’t have a job that took performing away.
“When I was at the hospital, I wasn’t able to dance and honestly, I wasn’t very happy,” Warren said. “I liked the work I did there but I did feel like I was giving up my ability to perform and entertain.”
Warren said she needed a flexible job to continue performing and creating shows such as Love Bites.
“I grew up in theater, and being on stage has always been a big part of me,” Warren said, “Whether or not I’m doing it professionally or semi-professionally or as a hobby, I wanted to be able to keep that (performing) in my life.”
Warren said she drives to Lexington from Louisville multiple times a week to practice for Love Bites at Arabesque World Dance.
Along with Warren, Love Bites stage manager and performer Amita Patel said she struggles to balance her busy day job with her equally busy performance schedule.
Patel, who performs in various styles, works as a dentist during the day. Patel said dance class and performances like Love Bites are just as important to her as working a full-time job.
“I have my professional job and then I also have my professional dancing as well,” Patel said. “This is a commitment that we all choose to do because we enjoy it so much.”
Patel said dancing in Love Bites has taught her that “people are a lot more interesting than what they can give you at face value.”
Patel said many of her fellow dancers are moms, engineers and healthcare workers, and this performance shows them another side and shows her that people have more depth than what is visible on the surface.
“This is a great example of how you’re not defined by the career that you choose. You’re defined by what you choose to do with your life,” Patel said.
The studio that hosted the Arabesque world dance event is owned by Safiya Nawaar, who also performed in the show.
Nawaar loves performing for Love Bites because she said it adds something new to her performances.
“I enjoy stepping outside my normal box, which is a traditional belly dance,” Nawaar said.
Nawaar said she has been a professional belly dancer for 25 years and opened Arabesque World Dance 12 years ago as an opportunity to create her own studio.
After renting space from other local studios for many years, Nawaar said she now rents out her studio for performances or events like Love Bites.
“I put a lot into it (the studio) so that we could open it up and have it be this sort of oasis, this cool place that people could walk into and feel like they’re not in Lexington anymore,” Nawaar said.
