São Paulo – Egyptian dancer Amr Abd Alla will be the main attraction of the 6th edition of the Sergipe Arab Dance Festival, to be held on August 03 in Aracaju, Sergipe state capital. "His main style is ‘tanoura’, a kind of trance, in which he spins for 10 to 15 minutes," says Flavia Kahyna, organizer of the event.
‘Tanoura’, which means skirt in Arabic, is a dance based on the practice of dervishes, men who follow Sufism, a mystical line in Islam. During the show, Abd Alla wears four coloured skirts, representing the four seasons. "It’s a novelty here," says Kahyna, who graduated in Physical Education and has worked with belly dance for 12 years.
Apart from the ‘tanoura’, the Egyptian dancer will present Arab folk dances, like the dabke. According to the organizer of the event, this is the first time that the festival brings an international attraction, and there are "great expectations" regarding the show. "Ticket sales start next week and there is already great demand," he says.
Another attraction of the festival is the presentation of cellist Thiago Salvino, from Pernambuco state. "He makes a fusion of classical music with Arab music," explains Kahyna. The event should also feature 200 dancers from groups coming from several cities in Brazil, including Salvador, Recife, São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro.
The groups will present several kinds of Arab dances, including belly dance, folk dances, classical dances and even dance with theatre. "We will present a show blending eastern dance and theatre. It is like a musical," says the event organizer.
Service
Sergipe Arab Dance Festival
August 3, at 7:00 pm
Tobias Barreto Theatre
Avenida Presidente Tancredo Neves, 1997, Aracaju, Sergipe
Further information at e-mail ciacarpediem@gmail.com, or by phone (+55 79) 9954-6422.
*Translated by Mark Ament
