Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/421389
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 23 NOVEMBER 2014 37 THIS WEEK Dancing for cancer research Why do you think the Maltese dance scene boasts a strong fla- menco element? Over the past decade flamenco dance has become very popular, with more students showing an in- terest to take up this dance form. There are various reasons for this at- traction, the main one being that the Maltese temperament is perfect for the mood and expression of flamen- co. We have had many locals who left Malta for Spain to make a career out of it and many others who went to Spain for a number of months or years to study intensively. Recently we have also invited various flamen- co artists to perform in our local theatres or to give workshops, thus intensifying its popularity. How would you say Alegria has evolved over the years? What are some of its most notable factors as an Academy, and how will these come across in the school? Alegria was founded in 2000 by Rosana Maya and since 2009 has been taken over by myself. It is now Malta's only dance school which spe- cialises in flamenco dance and has since seen an increase in students. Occasionally it offers specialised courses in other dance genres like Indian Classical Dance and now also boasts a class in flamenco percus- sion. It regularly invites flamenco artists to give intensive workshops at the school and is a member of Jerez Puro Internacional, alongside, Paris, Germany, Spain and Italy. This col- laboration concentrates on giving the Senior Dance Company Mem- bers intensive training. Jerez Puro performed at the Manoel Theatre in 2013 with two members of Alegria Dance Company as guests. Being a specialised school, we give our students a very sound founda- tion of flamenco including its his- tory, song and music. We train our students in stage presence and pre- pare them to be able to take courses in Spain. We annually attend the Festival de Jerez and many students from Alegria achieve great results. Above all, our intention is that all students enjoy themselves whilst learning the authenticity of flamen- co dance. How will the Indian elements be incorporated? Although there is not much evi- dence to support this, but there is enough to say that the roots of fla- menco dance are from northern In- dia, from the gypsies of Rajasthan and a lot of moves in flamenco are influenced from Indian classical dances, as are the colourful cos- tumes. Having lived in India myself, I had enough time to be able to re- search this and attend some Indian classical dance classes. For the first time in Malta, Alegria will be pre- senting four of its local students who, in the forthcoming perform- ance, will be displaying a short piece of Bharat Natyam, one of India's many classical dances and choreo- graphed by Mavin Khoo. How would you describe your collaboration with Walter Vella? Since my first Academy produc- tion as director of Alegria, I have always wished to have an element of music with some of Malta's great talents. This year the performance will welcome Walter Vella (pictured bottom left) who will be playing the flute and saxophone. These instru- ments, being air instruments have a connotation with the title of the per- formance and also will give a jazzy feeling to the evening. What will audiences get from this particular performance? I would like the audiences to ap- preciate the hard work that all the members have gone through to be able to give the public a true feeling of pure flamenco. All the choreogra- phers have trained in Spain and are all members of Alegria Dance Com- pany and they have brought out the best in all of their groups. Although predominantly flamenco, the audi- ence will have a variety of moods, music and visuals to enjoy. There will be a display of a variety of draw- ings of our dress rehearsal by Jeni Caruana. Proceeds from the tickets sold will be going towards cancer re- search through RIDT and the whole performance will be dedicated to the memory of Sharon Sapienza who dedicated her life to Spanish dance and Flamenco. Aire Flamenco will take place at the Teatru Salesjan, Sliema at 20:00 on November 29 and 19:30 on November 30. Bookings: 99495187, alegriamalta@gmail.com New arts event to help teens explore their creativity A new weekend event will offer teenagers the opportunity to engage with art in a fun-filled programme which puts their aspirations and passions at the centre. The weekend – entitled #malteen – will run between December 12-14 and is being organised for the first time by St James Cavalier Centre for Creativity together with Fondazzjo- ni Celebrazzjonijiet Nazzjonali and Agenzija Zghazagh. The weekend is directed towards teenagers aged between 13 and 17 who form part of various local youth groups and organisations. For three days, St James Cavalier in Valletta will swarm with young people who will follow a packed arts programme that puts their creative aspirations first. From music concerts to dance installations, from theatre produc- tions and scriptwriting workshops to human board games and abseil- ing and other challenges, the pro- gramme celebrates teenagers' crea- tivity and need for expression. A group of teenagers will also be camping outside the Centre for Creativity during this weekend. A number of these teenagers will plan a three-minute film, act it out and film it, with the help of a group of filming professionals. This film will be premiered at the closing party event for all #malteen attendees. The weekend programme – de- veloped through consultation with a group of teenagers – puts young people's aspirations, creativity and voices at the heart of this event. "We want #malteen to be about teenagers, their dreams, aspirations and how we can encourage and en- hance creativity in all its forms," says #malteen project manager Maria Spiteri Zahra. "That is why we have focused on the things that they are passionate about and that best allow them to express their creativity." The arts can play an important role in discovering new experiences and breaking down boundaries, pro- viding a freedom from the pressures of teenage life. #malteen sets out to do just that, says Zahra. "At an age when young people's at- tention tends to be overloaded and when they are beginning to develop their own adult identities, we pro- vide a clear space for them to focus on finding their own creativity." Alegria Academy – the only school in Malta specialising exclusively in flamenco dance – will be holding its Academy show next weekend, proceeds of which will go towards cancer research through the Malta Research Innovation and Development Trust (RIDT). TEODOR RELJIC speaks to Alegria's director Ingrid Sciberras about Aire Flamenco, which will showcase the Academy's work alongside musical collaboration with Walter Vella A weekend of cultural activities for youths – entitled #malteen – will run between December 12-14 and is being organised for the first time by St James Cavalier Centre for Creativity together with Fondazzjoni Celebrazzjonijiet Nazzjonali and Agenzija Zghazagh "We want #malteen to be about teenagers, their dreams and aspirations and how we can encourage their creativity"