Passionate turns and expressive hands
July 25, 2008 San Miguel de Allende

Dance
Bellydance
Sat, July 26, 9pm
El Viejo Topo Café-Teatro
Stirling Dickinson 28

Tribal-style bellydance is a fusion echoing the Romani Trail. Blending elements of costuming from nomadic tribes of Pakistan and India lends an earthy, ethnic feel to the timeless and challenging art of bellydance. Passionate turns and expressive hands are reminiscent of flamenco, while the music, like the moves, spans the globe. This is a rare opportunity to witness a stunning display of feminine beauty, strength and mystique creatively spun into an unforgettable performance.

Factors that distinguish Tribal-style bellydance are a strong connection between dancers as they improvise, using an elaborate language of cues and arm movements to communicate changes in the movement, the elaborate costuming and a strong sense of the celebration of feminine power and beauty. 

Tribal-style bellydance, about 20 years old in the US (originating in San Francisco), was relatively unknown in Mexico until Elsanne Barrows arrived in San Miguel seven years ago.

Since then, tribal style has become more popular as women discover the spiritually nourishing aspect of dancing in community, and Barrows has become a highly sought-after teacher for workshops throughout Mexico.

The show’s 19 dancers come from all over Mexico—DF, Guadalajara, León, San Luis Potosi, Querétaro, Guanajuato and Celaya.

These women, teachers in their own right, are learning to teach and perform tribal style in intensive workshops with Barrows. The three weekend workshops comprising Level I of the teacher training culminate in this show, which emphasizes individuality, compared to other shows in the three-weekend series. Dancers will take the spotlight to express their talents both individually and as a tribe.

For more information on workshops, classes and festivals, contact elsasunshine@yahoo.com. 

Get out your dancing shoes

Third Annual International Salsa Festival
Fri, Aug 1–Sat, Aug 2
Hotel Real de Minas
Cnr Stirling Dickinson & Ancha de San Antonio
Information (044) 415 117-2544
300 pesos/pair, to register

The Third Annual International Salsa Festival kicks off next weekend in San Miguel. All dancing takes place at the Hotel Real de Minas, so make sure and join the action. The winners of this competition receive automatic enrollment in the Fourth Annual Salsa Congress in Acapulco, and all paid accomodations during the festival in Acapulco.

The competition is being broadcast on ESPN, but make sure and check out the action, live.