There is a new act being introduced to our nightly show showcasing dancing fairies and the breathtaking Unicorn.

After a month of creation and development, two to three weeks of training, and a stroke of luck stumbling across the music by 5 Alarm Productions, poof: a new act emerges. This new act is very different from past Unicorn acts and it was inspired by the Prince & Princess dance from previous years.  Production Director Tracy Charlier says she also wanted to utilize the riders that were jumpers that weren’t getting to flex their skills anywhere else in the show. Her hope is that this will be a starting point and they can expand on their jumps from here.

Other than including a jump, this act shows a performer riding the unicorn bareback while being connected by a scarf to the dancer on the ground.  The dancer eventually joins the performer already on the horse, and rides the unicorn backwards bareback.

To able to stay comfortably on the horse bareback, special care had to be used when designing the outfits. Our amazing Wardrobe Manager, Ella Ovchinnikova came through in a big way with some amazing fairy-inspired outfits. All hand-made, the detail on each outfit is simply beautiful and specifically created for each performer to ensure a perfect fit and the ability to not slide off the horse.

On the whole this new addition to the show is nothing short of magical in its ability to transport you to a scene from an enchanted forest. “I’m definitely happy with the way it turned out, I think i

t’s gorgeous and it’s fun. The audience gets to see the unicorn for a good amount of time too,” says Tracy. Well, you heard her, don’t miss out on your opportunity to see the unicorn and get swept away by this stunning new act!

With so much going on in the world, from natural disasters to the state of the economy – it’s easy to forget the simple things we can do ourselves to make a difference and that can save the lives of people in our own community.

Did you know that only 5 percent of eligible donors across the nation donate blood while the number of transfusions nationwide increases by 9 percent every year? That statistic alone is staggering and that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Statistics show that 25 percent or more of us will require blood at least once in our lifetime. I don’t know about you but that makes us worried. That’s why we here at Arabian Nights have decided to take matters into our own hands and get involved.

This Thursday through Saturday from 1pm to 7pm, you can come by and donate blood on our property. As if the pleasure of knowing that you’re helping to save someone’s life isn’t enough incentive already – we’ve added a bonus. Every person that donates will get a coupon that gets them and up to 5 guests in for 50% OFF. Talk about a sweet deal – just for donating 30 minutes of your time and 1 pint of blood. Doesn’t sound like much but each blood donation can help as many as three people.

“Yesterday was the first day of the blood drive and we got 22 donors! We were happy about it and so were the ladies from the blood bank. I think it was really helpful that it was a win-win, you do something good and you got a great deal on tickets. For most people though it was just about being able to help save lives – and that’s what a Blood Drive is all about, “ says Melissa Royce, Human Resources. That means that we could have helped save 66 lives yesterday alone!

We here at Arabian Nights sincerely hope that all of you out there will follow our lead and donate. Even with all our modern technologies just remember this: blood cannot be manufactured; it can only come as a gift from people.

For more information on how you can donate visit www.redcrossblood.org

Kelly is another new addition to the Arabian Nights family, she’s been our Wardrobe Assistant for the past month. For those of you who didn’t know, we actually have an amazing Wardrobe Department that makes all the costumes for our human and animal performers by hand.

Kelly  Renko was trained as a costume technician and spent four years in college working in a costume shop. She spent the last year as an intern for the Orlando Shakespeare Theater and we’re happy she made the permanent move over to us and our Wardrobe Department! Let’s see what a normal day for Kelly is like….

I woke up today around: 8:30 a.m.

My Breakfast of Champions: Cap ‘n’ Crunch and O.J.

Time I came into work today: 12:15 p.m.

First thing I did when I got in: Tried to figure out the silly computer in the costume shop

Highlights of my day would include: Good workout at the gym and I think I may have found a roommate!

My day usually ends around: Today 8:30 p.m. but most days 6:00 p.m.

After work I: Have dinner, watch movies, check my email, and go out for drinks

Favorite part of working here: The ponies, I haven’t been this close to a horse since I was 10!

Signing off thoughts/comments: I can see myself making costumes for the rest of my life and I’m happy to be working at Arabian Nights.

Well we’re happy to hear it Kelly! She actually was the talent behind Don Rousseau’s awesome Genie shoes, the first of many skilled pieces to come from her we’re sure. Check back with us next week to hear about a very special reunion between a rider and her favorite horse for a birthday celebration in Tennessee.