Sirocco 2009 www.siroccofestival.org.uk Festival of Middle Eastern and Mediterranean Dance 17th to the 19th April 2009 Sirocco celebrates the meeting of East and West via the inspiration of dance and music, We explore the creative boundaries of tradition and offer a platform for cultural fusion. Feed the senses with a weekend of workshops, seminars, performances and parties. Treat your body to a massage and henna painting, uncover your hidden gifts and ignite the magic spark of inspiration. Our artists for 2009 include: Beatrice Grognard (belgium) Raksan (germany) Venus Saleh (iran/uk) The Uzume (holland) Lucia Zahara (sicily) Karine Butchart Wendy Buonaventura For more information about them, see the Artists page. I thoroughly recommend this festival to anyone who is interested in looking beyond the boundaries of traditional dance styles and trying something new. My only regret was that there were not enough hours in the day to do everything I would have liked to do. Friendly, relaxed and stimulating, Sirocco offers the perfect opportunity to explore our creative energy and the spirit of dance within. - Review by Yvette Cowles (Mosaic Magazine) Sirocco takes place in Frome, UK. Come early and enjoy the cafes, craft shops and galleries in this charming Somerset town. Workshops The full workshop timetable will be posted in August. Workshop themes include: Raqs sharqi Egyptian & Persian dance styles Tribal Fusion Pizzica: Sicilian trance dance of women Finger cymbal technique and rhythm recognition Improvisation and dance creation Performance skills Among our seminars: Persian New Year customs Theatre lighting and practical guidance for working in a professional setting Basic massage techniques And join us for the SIROCCO DEBATE. Offer your views in a discussion on some burning questions for dancers. Evening Events FRIDAY NIGHT Sirocco 2009 at the Merlin Theatre. Including dance from Beatrice Grognard, Raksan, Venus Saleh and The Uzume. SATURDAY NIGHT EXTRAVAGANZA At Rook Lane Arts Centre On Saturday we move to the beautiful Rook Lane Arts Centre (next door to our supper location) for a party with music, poetry, henna painting...and some surprise performances! Come in fancy dress, disguise, or in any way you like. As part of this evening there will be a short dancers’ showcase. (registration in advance). Festival Information REGISTRATION On receipt of your registration we will send you a workshop timetable. Workshop numbers are limited according to space, so it’s a good idea to make your choices early. Nearer to the festival date we will send you a map, your pass and all the information you will need for the weekend. You will not need to register on arrival in Frome. The first festival event is the evening performance at the Merlin Theatre, where there will be an information desk. For all questions about the festival and booking email or telephone us. TRAVEL Frome is situated 13 miles south-east of Bath on the A362. Nearest motorways are the M5 and M4. To download a road guide go to AA Route Planner. ACCOMMODATION The best bet for reasonably priced accommodation is Premier Travel Inn (only 2 miles from Frome). www.premiertravelinn.com. tel:0870 850 6322. For information on B&Bs contact Frome Tourist Office at www.frometouristinfo.co.uk. LOCATIONS Please click on the map below to see a larger version. http://www.siroccofestival.org.uk/Frome%20map%20big.jpg Booking Information Participation in SIROCCO is by weekend or day pass. These passes cover 10 hours of dance workshops plus seminars, Friday and Saturday evening events, DVD Lounge and Courtesy Bus. Not included in the price are personal sessions of massage and henna painting and the Saturday night supper. SIROCCO WEEKEND PASS covers all events Friday to Sunday. SIROCCO ONE-DAY PASSES PASS A covers Saturday events. PASS B covers Sunday events. SUPPER On FRIDAY evening we leave you to make your own supper arrangements. We recommend the Old Bath Arms, a beautiful restaurant - open from 5.30pm - which offers delicious meat, fish and vegetarian food. On SATURDAY evening, also at this restaurant, we have arranged a set vegetarian meal (main course plus desert) as an optional extra when you make your festival booking. We do recommend this meal - and the restaurant has the added advantage of being right next door to Rook Lane Arts Centre, where our Saturday evening event takes place. RESERVE NOW You can reserve a place at Sirocco - and ease the ‘big cost’ burden later on - by sending us a £45 (non-returnable) deposit. Extra tickets for the FRIDAY NIGHT MERLIN THEATRE SHOW are available for £16. BOOKING FORM Please click http://www.siroccofestival.org.uk/bookingform.htm to open and print the form. Return the completed form with your payment to Sirocco Arts, P. O. Box 1071, Bristol BS99 1HE. The Artists WENDY BUONAVENTURA (Sirocco Director) Wendy has worked internationally as dancer, choreographer and writer to critical acclaim, and was the subject of the TV documentary Making Mimi. Her book Serpent of the Nile has become the classic history of Middle Eastern dance, and is reissued this year in a new, updated edition. Her performance work and writing explore cultural myths and stereotypes of women. Her latest book, Midnight Rose, is based on the life of the notorious Edwardian dancer Maud Allan. www.buonaventura.com BEATRICE GROGNARD Based in Brussels, Beatrice is director of Tarab Dance Company and an ex-archeologist. She has won a dedicated UK following for her elegant, expressive raqs sharqi which, whilst preserving its essential nature, is infused with a spirit of modernity. Much praised for her warm, generous teaching style at last year’s event she returns to Sirocco by popular request. www.tarab@email.com RAKSAN Raksan dazzled Sirocco audiences last year with a 46 minute piece based on her life story, and also returns by popular request. A 20 year stage career in German variety theatre and circus has had a distinct influence on her performance style. She brings a charismatic presence, rigorous technique and an innovative approach to Middle Eastern dance, adding principles of modern and jazz dance, whilst never losing sight of the Oriental tradition. www.raksan.de VENUS SALEH Born and raised in Iran, Venus began dancing at a very young age and has a compelling stage presence impossible to ignore. Working regularly with the Iran Heritage Foundation, she has become an ambassador for classical Persian culture. She brings a rich knowledge of Persian dance and a playful humour to both her teaching and stage work. THE UZUME The Uzume, founded in 2005, was the first troupe to represent Tribal Fusion in the Netherlands. Their charisma, powerful stage presence and highly innovative choreography, drawing on different dance disciplines, have already won them many awards. They will be offering 2 full days of workshops at Sirocco this year, as well as performing. www.the-uzume.com KARINE BUTCHART ‘Dance your passion’ has been the theme of Karine’s work over many years’ teaching and performing in the UK. Working over many years with varieties of Middle Eastern dance, her recent studies in flamenco have added a new dimension to her work. She is interested in exploring the boundaries of dance to express deeper meaning, bringing out her students’ creativity and encouraging well-being through dance. www.arabic.souldance.com LUCIA ZAHARA Lucia Zahara, from Sicily, learnt her native tarantella at weddings and other social events, and she will be bringing to Sirocco the Pizzica, a women’s trance dance of Sicily. She teaches Arabic, gypsy and taranta dance and drumming and holds workshops on the healing power of dance through self-expression and awareness of energy. Her theatre work seeks to present the dynamism and mystery of these dance forms. Links www.raqs.org.uk www.afraalkahira.com www.planetegypt.co.uk www.whirling-dervish.co.uk www.everythingegyptian.co.uk www.julianabrustik.com For all questions, enquiries and bookings please email or telephone (+44) 0117 927 3099 or email: info@siroccofestival.org.uk Sirocco Arts, P. O. Box 1071, Bristol BS99 1HE. copyright Wendy Buonaventura 2008 website design by Anthony Davis www.anthonydavis.co.uk
