São Paulo – The “Persian Market” (Mercado Persa in Portuguese), a traditional Arab dance festival which takes place yearly in Brazil, should gather 8,000 people, according to a forecast by the event organisers. This year the event will happen between April 11th and 13th at the WTC São Paulo Events Center, in São Paulo’s capital, and has prizing the Brazilian artist as its theme. Thus, the main attractions will be national dancers who are renowned abroad.
This will be the first time the event will take place at the WTC, which is considered by the organizers to be quite an achievement. “Thanks to the joint efforts of all the participants”, says Shalimar Mattar, general director of Mercado Persa and owner of the event planning company Oriente, Encanto e Magia Eventos. The company promotes the festival and also runs a school for dances, music and the Arabic language in Campo Belo, São Paulo. It also publishes the magazine Oriente, Encanto e Magia.
Dancers such as the Brazilians Soraya Zayed and Claudia Cenci, who work at Egypt and Warda Maravilha, who works at the United Arab Emirates, will be coming to this edition of the Festival. Mattar emphasizes that these professionals promote Brazil in other countries. Overall, more than 500 dance presentations will take place. Both presentations and competitions in several categories for amateurs and professionals are part of the programme. Several kinds of dance, ranging from belly dance to Arab world folk dance will be shown.
The festival also has a social feature, as it makes room for dance presentations of needy communities and Down syndrome groups. Both kinds of group will be part of Mercado Persa’s presentation this year. “It is a social inclusion work”, says Mattar. According to her, several teachers take Arab dance to needy communities.
Mercado Persa is also an open stage to debate dances, music and other women’s issues, as 80% of the public is comprised of women. There will be a lecture with specialist Márcia Dib, on Arab music, besides gynecologist José Bento, among other lecturers. An array of topics from health and beauty to Unesp’s project in Botucatu with belly dance to improve female cancer patients’ self-esteem will be discussed. The festival will also hold a series of dance workshops.
The program also comprises a fair with typical objects from Arab culture, mainly for women, such as clothes and jewelry, and a fashion show with Arab clothes. The fair will have 70 exhibitors, according to Mattar. On Friday (11) night, the programme is open to the public with a presentation at theater Teatro Paulo Goulart. The rest of the fair will be held at the WTC, including the show on Saturday night. “It is the biggest Arab dance festival in the world”, says the general director. This will be the 19th edition of the festival.
According to Shalimar Mattar, the festival is named “Mercado Persa” because in the first editions it looked a lot like ancient Persian markets, where everything took place at the same time. Until today the festival keeps a little of this feature, with concerts, lectures, fair and workshops taking place simultaneously. There is an entrance fee.
*Translated by Rodrigo Mendonça
Services:
Mercado Persa 2014
WTC São Paulo Events Center – Av. Nações Unidas, 12.559 – SP
From April 11th to 13th
Tickets: around US$ 42.50 and US$ 21 (half price for students)
Spectacles: US$ 34 and US$ 17 (half price for students)
For further information:
www.mercadopersa.com.br (in Portuguese)
http://www.mercadopersa.com.br/eng/home.html (in English)
http://www.mercadopersa.com.br/es/home.html (in Spanish)
Phone: +55 (11) 50416103/55423860
