Meet Soraya: Bringing Middle Eastern dance to the stage
For Margate-based belly dancer Soraya, a career in performance began with a childhood connection to her heritage. “This career chose me. I didn’t choose it,” she said. Born in the United States to a family of Middle Eastern heritage, Soraya began dancing at family...
My run-ins with the kings of swing
They were both swing-era titans who led two of the most famous bands in the history of jazz. They both played clarinet and they both disliked each other. They were each master instrumentalists and are still revered today. Both were somewhat odd and peculiar, and both...
Meet the breed: The AKC’s toy group
The toy group consists of 24 dogs that were, for the most part, bred to be companion animals. Some were bred to keep royalty company, while others were bred to be miniature versions of ratters and keep millworkers company. Regardless of each breed’s origin, these...
Dunes Till Dawn: A Shore nightlife landmark
When the music stopped at Somers Point’s nightclubs, the night continued at The Dunes. Bay Shores and Tony Mart’s helped make Somers Point’s Bay Avenue a destination for live music. But the entertainment had a deadline: Music ended at 2 a.m., and patrons had to leave...
What I wish I knew before opening my business
If I could sit down with the version of myself who was about to open her first business almost 11 years ago, I would probably start with, “Girl, you have absolutely no idea what you’re getting yourself into.” Then I would tell her to do it anyway. Owning a business...
