Flip through the latest issue of Gulf Weekly.
CHILDREN are amazing. Put them on stage, give them direction, encouragement, training and let their talent for music, dance and theatre blossom and they will shine brighter than any spotlight.
I stumbled across a Ballare show 12 months ago and was blown away by the company’s enthusiasm and the professionalism of the production.
This year was even better, with a running theme involving a futuristic journey through time and space.
Members of the audience were invited to become passengers with Ballare Air, with cabin crew showing us the way to hours of enthralling entertainment.
There was a touching tribute and minute’s silence at the start held in memory of their late breakdance teacher Ziyad Ahmedi who died in February.
One Short Day featuring the musical theatre students in fne voice got the show on the road and paved the way for enchanting episodes of ballet, contemporary dance and a little Tiny Twinkle Toes magic from the toddlers.
This was heart-warming material and more came in the shape of Beach Bonanza by the Street Dance Sunday grouping of young boys and girls.
Very fortunate really as the air-conditioning unit in the Cultural Hall was in overdrive and producing Artic weather conditions much to the misery of the unwitting audience who had forgotten to bring scarves, mittens and overcoats to keep warm.
When the interval came people rushed outside to defrost. They could easily have become props for the aptly-named Snowfake Waltz performed admirably by Grade 3 Ballet students Aida Loggiodice and Imogen Szecowka with teacher Shannon Kennedy. The temperature on stage reached boiling point, however, with acrobatics, cheerleading and the happy hip hop boys, namely Alex Mottram, Bader Mussayab, Ben Westley and Jordan Dorado producing a warming smile.
The travel theme was boosted by a generous donation of a pair of fight tickets from national carrier Gulf Air, presented to the holder of a lucky draw ticket. The airline’s manager of communications, Azza Mubarak Matar, was on hand to present the prizes to winner Mrs Maryam Sultani who stepped on stage with her two daughters, Elyana and Sophia.
The show took off again with a taste of modern jazz, rock ’n’ roll, West End musicals and an inspirational contemporary treasure highlighting the issue of bullying.
The best, however, was left for last with a clever making of a musical video performed by Carol Emanuel, Keilan Kabalaboui, Nadine Love, Sahar Boujakli, Summer Janahi and Susanne Timmers backing the video lead Cameron Icelli, a real star in the making.
Congratulations to the Saar-based school’s founder and director Hala Al Zayani, her teachers and team including principal Louise Chapman, Shannon Kennedy, Ben Nicoles, Marjess Custudio and Jane Beaumont, plus the backstage lighting and sound engineering crew … but this really was a day for celebrating the vitality of youth and the students.
One for the diary in 2014 … even if it’s just to pencil in a reminder to bring warm woolies and an overcoat.
