Date: September 3rd 2008

Greetings everyone!

The Gothfia is very pleased to announce our second annual event, Gothla US: The Divining - coming to you in 2009!

First we must get some "bad news" out of the way - right after last year's event, we once again secured the Imperial Ballroom for our 2009 event - they were so pleased to have us, and we were all looking forward to returning there for at least one more year. Alas, the Fates had other plans, and the Imperial Ballroom has lost its lease on that space. We know that many attendees really enjoyed the city of Fullerton, and we tried to find a similar venue for our intended dates and budget, but it was not to be. (hand.forehead.staple)

Here's where the GREAT news comes in. We found an absolutely fabulous location that has more space, a better & bigger stage, in-house pro sound and lighting, ample free parking, bigger dressing room space, with ample workshop space, and close to several affordable hotels and food - in a secure and beautiful setting. Seriously!

And so....we present to you...."Gothla US: The Divining - Cogs In Motion" will take place...
....the weekend of March 6th-8th....
at.... Cal Poly Pomona's state of the art Bronco Student Center in Pomona, California!

Our Theme for this year:
The first year was called "The Conjuring" as we viewed the event as aiding to bring into existence a full-size Gothic event for the bellydance community - we put all of the ingredients together, made a lot of sacrifices, spilled some blood, and did a lot of mumbling and invoking - and BEHOLD! We did it! Magic!

So, year two is "The Divining" - to practice divination means to look into the future and try to ascertain answers that will aid one's journey. So with the second year of Gothla US, we're getting a taste of the future of Gothic Bellydance, what's making the wheels turn. Well, in that frame of mind, we thought "Hey, wouldn't it be cool to also team each year up with a different style or subculture?" So, with our sub-subtitle of "Cogs In Motion", we present to you, our official style/theme of this year is STEAMPUNK! This does not mean that all performances should focus on Steampunk, but rather for the genre of Steampunk to act as a launching point for those that wish it, plus it will flavor some of our related happenings for the event. (Please visit the website for more info on Steampunk).

Our Teachers:
Returning this year: Tempest, Sashi, and Anaar
Exciting New Additions: Asharah (Washington, DC), Callisto (Sweden), Marjhani (CA), Lee Ali (CA) AND one more teacher to be announced in the next week!!!!

Our Workshops:
Workshop registration will go up next week as well- there will be another notification announcing this (as well as our mystery teacher!) and a whole new selection of workshops for you to chose from, taking place Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. We're covering the art of Gothic & Dark Fusion Bellydance thoroughly in the offerings - technique, theatrics, types, props, and more - something for everyone and all levels. You can purchase workshops separately, as a day package, or once again be a "Gothla Glutton" and sign up for the whole extravaganza!

Performing:
We are now accepting performer applications! Please visit the website to download your application, and get it in ASAP! http://gothla.com/perform.html

Vendors:
Once again, we're carefully selecting the best, most distinctive, and unusual merchants and artisans for our festival. We had quite an extensive wait-list last year, so if you're interested in vending, hurry to http://gothla.com/vend.html

Merch!
This year's logo is "Steampunk Kali", designed by Tempest, and she's featured prominently across the front of the design. Once again, we highly recommend pre-ordering your shirts and tanks - this is THE best way to secure your favorite size/style/item! We sold out of everything before the weekend was over and we do NOT do mail orders! http://gothla.com/merch.html

Nightlife!
This year's event will kick off with "Motif" on Friday night. "Motif" is the brainchild of Tempest and Lee Ali, and was first put into motion at Tribal Fest 8, to amazing results. We have decided to offer our Gothla attendees the chance to meet each other and set the right tone for the weekend in a beautiful and energizing way. More details will be released soon.

On Saturday night, we will bring you once again the amazing Gala show, featuring our workshop instructors and special guests! And on Sunday night, we're planning another club night, where we can celebrate the end of the Gothla US experience! More info and tickets will be announced later.

Volunteering?
We once again will be graciously accepting volunteers for various activities throughout the weekend. More information on how to sign up and other details will be up on the website shortly.

What Else?
Want to know more? Try the F.A.Q.! http://gothla.com/faq.html

And you can access the website through http://www.gothla.com and http://www.gothla.us

Are you excited yet? We are! We're so looking forward to bringing you Gothla US: The Divining!

blessings & bites,
The Gothfia