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Bellydance Extravaganza!
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| (Wednesday, 06 August 2008) Written by Jan Nary |
BELLYDANCING, BANGLES, BAUBLES, BEADS & BAZAARS!
One hundred and seventy belly dancers, from south-east and central Queensland and New South Wales, will shimmy, swing and scintillate at the twentieth annual Extravaganza of Middle Eastern Dance on Sunday 24th August. Presented by Brisbane’s prestigious Academy of Middle Eastern Dance the extravaganza will be held in the Coffee Club in theWalter Burnett Building at the RNA Show Grounds, to raise money for charity.
Maria Masselos, who co-founded the Academy with fellow-dancer Sue Buntine, says that the annual Extravaganza is a way of giving something to the community.
“We derive so much pleasure from dance that it seems only fair to give something back to the community,” she says. “In the past twenty years we’ve raised more than $30,000 for causes as varied as CareFlight, Médecins sans Frontières, Karuna Hospice, the Royal Flying Doctor and the
Leukaemia Foundation. Our first donation, for Rainforest Conservation, was for $250. From that humble beginning we have set a record of over $4,200 (for the Acquired Brian Injury Association), and we’re hoping to better that amount for this year’s charity, Ozcare. We’re extremely fortunate to have the services of Eric Summons as MC for the day; it will be a far cry for him from his days as Boris the Black Knight on television!”
Maria says that the Extravaganza is an opportunity for bellydance aficionados to enjoy a whole day of their favourite entertainment and for newcomers to learn a little about a form of culture that has lasted for centuries and is still developing.
“There are so many different styles,” she says. “The Egyptian style tends to be grounded and earthy while the Turkish has more shimmying. There’s a new style that has developed among the street dancers of America, called American Tribal Style (ATS). It’s energetic and is very popular with some of the dancers! Age and gender aren’t barriers to bellydancing, it’s a celebration of life that the whole family can join in! ”
The three-hour Extravaganza will feature solo performers and groups; there will be twenty acts, one for each year of the Extravaganza. The dancing will be driven by the drums, flutes, didgeridoos, tambourines and zills of the Nomadic Soul Drummers, a band from the Sunshine Coast. Students of recently retired dance teacher Lorelle Hawes and teacher Glenda Stace, who has moved interstate, will give special dance presentations in honour of their respective teachers.
The day will also feature a glittering and colourful bazaar, which will offer wonderfully self-indulgent shopping therapy and lots of “eye candy” for browsers, selling costumes, zills, jewellery, veils and scarves anklets, exotic headgear, Egyptian tablas (drums), CDs and DVDS; caterers Café Event will offer a wide range of delicious food (including a gluten-free selection) for sale.
20th Middle Eastern Dance Extravaganza
presented by the
Academy of Middle Eastern Dance
SUNDAY 24 August
Walter Burnett Building RNA Showgrounds Gregory Terrace Bowen Hills
Doors open for Bazaar 11.30am; show runs 1.00pm – 4.00pm
Tickets available only at the door
Adults $25 / Concessions $18 / Children 5-12 $12 / Performers $5
Low-cost onsite car parking
For more information contact Sharon Daley 07 3369 0832
Maria Masselos 07 3359 4680 / 0417 500 747 / sismasse@eis.net.au
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