per1040-magenta

10:40 PM

Fire Crown for a Dancing Queen

Belly dancer Magenta Crowe begins her ritual dance

words by Sarah Coleman
photo by Harry Pariser

It starts quietly, with a candlelit chalice on her head and smaller candles in each hand. The costume is Arabian nights, underwater hues of verdigris and aquamarine, a brassiere of gold discs and a translucent green over-shirt. Magenta's movements are languid, feline. She tells me afterwards, "I go into a place of total trust. It's trance-like. In other places I might not feel safe, so I have to feel safe when I dance."

Magenta has a presence that induces the crowd to gather and sit quietly, like children at storytime.

Quiet dancing, then the chalice comes off, the candles go down and there's an outburst of more celebratory energy as she twists from the hips, light glancing off the gold discs flying from her waist and chest.

Why a chalice? "It represents a more female energy, unlike the swords that other dancers use."

Fire? "It keeps me warm," she laughs, shivering as we stand outside on SOMARÕs grassy lawn.

Magenta has performed at the Digital Be-In since its early days and loves it. And if you think dancing with a chalice on the head is a challenge, check out her performance, every hour on the hour outside Ð a seven-foot head-mounted candlelabra. A fire crown for a dancing queen.