What’s Your Deal, Monica Demarco & Christina Cavaleri?

Monica Demarco and Christina Cavaleri, with AirDance ArtSpace

Many people in Albuquerque know Monica Demarco as a musician and composer, but in recent months she is becoming known for a different type of performance: aerial dance. She and another aerialist, Christina Cavaleri, will be presenting an aerialist performance at our ReLaunch party and we couldn’t be more excited to see their gravity-defying act!

1. What’s your act?

We will be performing as a doubles duo on one hoop (lyra) with themes that are in line with what Pyragraph is all about: the business of being creative women! Not to mention that it will also be a funky booty shaking good time.

2. Tell me about your backgrounds as artists/performers.

Christina is a lawyer who has been performing with AirDance NM for about two years. She has studied the art extensively and is an instructor. Monica is a piano teacher/composer who got her start trading composition for aerial training with AirDance NM and has been studying the art and performing in it for a year.

3. What was the worst gig you ever played? Give me all the juicy bits.

Well aerial is a funny beast. It’s a good show when you don’t fall off (just kidding; we rehearse really hard and nothing like that has ever happened). We do get crazy burns and bruises during rehearsal that are hard to explain later. So far all of our shows have been pretty bangin’.

4. Who are your favorite performers at the moment?

Our piece is a Janelle Monáe tribute that highlights her ideas about the working class and gender. Check the song out here!

5. Thanks for playing the Pyragraph fundraiser. What’s the most helpful tip you could share with aspiring performers?

Don’t give up on your ideas. There is always that point where it seems impossible and like the whole thing will be a huge disaster, even on a professional level. If we only put out art that we thought was going to be perfect, we wouldn’t put anything out at all. Push past the self doubt and get yourself out there!

Photo by Johanna Furgal.

About Peri Pakroo

Peri Pakroo is the founder, Publisher and Editor of Pyragraph. Outside her work with Pyragraph, Peri is a business author and coach, specializing in creative and smart strategies for self-employment, small businesses and nonprofits. Her focus is on helping people build structure for their passions to find success on their own terms. Peri is the author of several top-selling Nolo titles on small business and nonprofits including The Small Business Start-Up Kit, The Women’s Small Business Start-Up Kit and Starting & Building a Nonprofit. Since 2012 she has produced and hosted the Self-Employed Happy Hour podcast.

Peri accidentally started her first band The Moist Towelettes at the age of 40 with her husband Turtle O’Toole. Since then she has played in a number of bands including The Directory, Bellemah and her own downer-country project, Peri & the FAQs.

In 2012, Peri saw the need for a resource featuring the voices of a wide range of creative workers and the many different career paths they take. She founded Pyragraph to fill this need. Here’s the Pyragraph start-up story.

1 Comment

  1. tami on April 22, 2014 at 11:40 am

    <3!!!

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