Today we’d like to introduce you to Laura Hurter.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Laura. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
While in college, I was first introduced to Belly Dance classes at the UH campus gym. After graduation In 2008, I started sweet talking a friend into checking out Belly Dance with me and by 2009 we were taking weekly classes. I have since been dedicated to learning more about Middle Eastern arts and continue to discover more about world music & dance daily.
The Houston Belly Dance Community is very welcoming and quickly became my extended family. To show my gratitude, I wanted to contribute by doing what I do best, create adventure! In 2012, I launched my project, The Crimson Vagabond (TCV) Roadshow, featuring live music, fusion, folk & belly dance. (TCV) Roadshow includes workshops, drum jams, eclectic shopping, raffle games and evening showcase performance opportunities.
Currently, I offer private lessons in belly dance and workshops on stage presence & confidence. I am also a special event emcee and self titles “adventure curator”. I especially enjoy performing and teaching alongside my percussionist husband and TCVR Music Director Brent Hurter aka Jam Boss Mr.B. You can catch us both performing with our friends, the Hands of Fatima, at Sherwood Forest Faire.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
HA! It doesn’t matter how much I plan for a performance or an event, there always seems to be some sort of bump in the road….. But with enough planning a bumpy road is definitely easier to manage. The biggest challenge comes when I have to completely change plans I thought I had set in stone. Like changing venues at the last minute or making the decision to postpone an event for any number of reasons. I’m going on my 8th year with TCV Roadshow and have experienced a lot of obstacles. Thankfully, the Houston Belly Dance community is incredibly supportive of the project and always eager to contribute to the fun. Pair that with the love and patience of my family and friends and I’d have to say that I’ve been pretty lucky in my success with conquering obstacles.
We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
I’m a belly dance performer, master of ceremonies and World Music & Dance event producer. As the Crimson Vagabond, I have a passion for curating events where everyone can have an opportunity to be inspired to create, motivated to learn from one another and encouraged to share their art with the community. My specialty is offering the chance for musicians and dancers to shine. I LOVE putting on a show!!! I love giving pep talks to performers before a big showcase and I love seeing the big smiles on faces of our fans. And just a bit of a brag here, but our Roadshow audience is THE BEST at sharing their joy and appreciation for performers. Everyone leaves the stage feeling like a rock star. But what I love most of all is hearing “I can’t wait until the next Roadshow!” It’s like music to my ears!
The Crimson Vagabond Roadshow is scheduled for August 21-23, 2020
https://thecrimsonvagabond.com/tcv-roadshow
What were you like growing up?
I had some pretty rowdy good times growing up with three brothers. We spent a lot of time outside riding bikes, hanging with friends and being as ridiculous as possible. Silly is always the name of the game with my family. We were all natural athletes, but my favorites are dancing and martial arts. My parents loved to spend free time listening to music and even taught us all how to two-step. Like a lot of kids growing up, music would always soothe my soul.
In the third grade, my class was presenting a poem to the rest of school. As we all began to take our places, I tripped over the curtain, slightly….but instead of gracefully recovering, I intentionally demonstrated the goofiest display of a human misstep possible and gained the biggest roar of laughter from the audience that afternoon. As an entertainer at heart, I have to admit I’ve been reaching for that performance high ever since!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.TheCrimsonVagabond.com
- Phone: 2817437138
- Email: Laura@TheCrimsonVagabond.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tcv_roadshow/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheCrimsonVagabond/
- Other: https://www.instagram.com/crimson_vagabond
Image Credit:
Tracy Eason Photography, Joshua Butler Photography, Le Vieux Loup Photography, Logo by Rick Peterman
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