Half Way Around the World

It has always been a dream of mine to perform alongside famous cartoon characters. In December of 2014 that dream finally came true. We packed our bags and took a 22-hour flight to a city halfway around the world from Aerial Animation’s home in Oakland, CA. 

Performing for the Cartoon Network of Dubai was thrilling. In the weeks leading up to the performance I had the satisfaction of incorporating characters from famous cartoons such as Adventure Time, Ben 10, Gumball and Steve Universe into the Animation. Finn and Jake tumbled down the side of the cliff beside me and Gumball sailed the sea as my sidekick. The most fulfilling moment was floating through the clouds alongside Tom and Jerry from The Loony Tunes. 

Working with Media Interactive Agency was a breath of fresh air. Their team was calm, cool and collected and the event was elegant and charming.  Awards were given out to corporate companies who create children’s entertainment and provide fun, educational and entertaining products for Dubai’s youth. Our feature presentation was a hit. This was Aerial Animation’s first performance outside the United States and we could not have asked for a better audience.

When all the work was done we managed to squeeze in a few moments to see the sights. Wandering the streets with delicious Indian street food in hand, we stretched our necks to view the top of the Burj Khalifa. It stands 830 meters high; that is just over half a mile! We ended our time in Dubai with a sunset dip in the Persian Gulf and a boat ride with a view of the twinkling city lights. 

I will miss performing alongside cartoon characters and we hope for more adventures in Dubai. As a little memento from our trip I managed to squeeze Tom and Jerry into my suitcase. They will soon hang on my wall as a reminder of this moment.