Third Annual
Ojai Bellydance Festival
Attn: Arts & Entertainment Editors, Photographers
Cultural Event w/ Photo ops
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Planned FESTIVAL DATE (to be confirmed):
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Site: 441 East Ojai Avenue
Ojai, CA 93023
12:00 - 6:00 p.m. Day Show / $7.50 general admission
8:00 - 10:00 p.m. Night Show / $10.00 general admission
$15 Admission both shows
$4.00 children & senior admission (4 yrs. & under, free)
Press Release Text
Enjoy live music and dance, henna art, shopping, and delicious food at the 2010 Ojai Bellydance Festival.
Ojai Bellydance Festival, now in its second year, offers an intriguing glimpse into the many styles of Bellydance and the exciting new genre, "Tribal Fusion". Hear some of the hottest Balkan and Near Eastern music this side of the Black Sea with two fantastic bands.
The family-friendly day show features live music with Ojai’s own Byzantium. Dance performances include Egyptian and Turkish, American Tribal Style, Cabaret, Tribal Fusion, and Vintage Revival. Performers range from student to professional. Shop for exotic décor, tribal jewelry, and couture dance fashions. Feast on delicious Lebanese food from Abe's of Ojai.
The night show features a scintillating line-up of artists here by special invitation, plus live music & open floor dance with LA’s premiere Balkan Gypsy band, Lissima. Guest artists are from as diverse locations as Los Angeles, Turkey, San Francisco, Las Vegas, and Oregon.
Near Eastern Dance, often called ‚Bellydance, has experienced a tremendous surge in popularity. Once found only in the Arabic and Ottoman worlds, Bellydance, especially the emergent Modern Fusion Style is coming into its own as an international dance style performed by dancers on all seven continents.
Modern Fusion style, born in San Francisco, USA, incorporates hip-hip, jazz, and Bollywood elements with Near Eastern dance. American dancers now teach and perform this style worldwide, from Paris to Rio de Janeiro.
The festival is a fundraiser for the conversion of land in Meiners' Oaks previously used as a junk yard which has been converted to a permaculture site with organic gardens, grey water recycling and hummanure composting. Last year's festival helped finance the removal of 12 tons of junk. Proceeds from this year's festival will be used to purchase more plants and mulch. A portion of the proceeds will also be donated to SGI, an organization working to create a Culture of Peace.
The Ojai Bellydance Festival sponsors a Culture of Peace as part of our mission to foster peace and appreciation for cultural diversity. In an age when the countries of the Near East have conflicts with the United States and with each other, the festival builds bridges of cultural understanding by showcasing the artistic trend toward global fusion which mixes the incredibly rich musical traditions of the Near East with innovative and vibrant modern American dance styles.
Contact:
Natasya Katsikaris 805-640-5781
Website: http://www.neareastdance.com/Festival.html