After performances in New York, Toronto, Moscow, Cannes, and Bucharest, we have the privilege to have the international ballet gala “Stars of the 21st Century” right here in Panama.

Watch the magnificent style of José Martínez and Agnes Letestu, from Paris Opera Ballet. As a young girl, Letestu study with Rudolf Nureyev developing into a precise and majestic dancer. Martinez is an astounding dancer, choreographer, and he is the director of the Paris Opera Ballet School.

Another marvelous dancer visiting us is Desmond Richardson. He dances with Complexions Contemporary Ballet in Nueva York City. Richardson is also a veteran from Alvin Ailey Dance Company, Frankfurt Ballet, and American Ballet Theater.

Enjoy performances by Daniil Simkin and Natalia Domracheva with a repertoire from Don Quixote PDD & Les Bourgeois. He is from the American Ballet Theater and she is from Ukraine National Ballet.

And to complete this constellation of ballet stars we also have: Lucia Lacarra, Denis Matvienko, Anastasia Matvienko, Shoko Nakamura, Marion Dino, Alina Somova, Vladimir Shklyarov, and David Makhateli.

This phenomenal group of ballet dancers is under the direction of Nadia Veselova Tencer. And this event is possible thanks to the efforts of the INAC, Oleg and Larisa Barzinsky, Panama Media Group, and Solomon Tencer Production.

“Stars of the 21st Century” is January 4 at Atlapa. Tickets are already on sale at Blockbuster stores and prices starts at $20.

The Nutcracker ballet is back this holiday season! And for the first time the INAC (Instituto Nacional de Cultura) is taking the Panama National Ballet Company (Ballet Nacional de Panamá) in a tour to David, Colon, and Panama City. The Nutcracker ballet is under the direction of Sasa Adamovic Petrovis, and choreography by Marek Colewa and Graciela Guillén.

The Nutcracker ballet is one of the most famous ballets in the world. It tells the story of Marie, a young girl who on Christmas Eve dreams of a mouse King, sugar plum fairies, dancing snowflakes, and more fantastic adventures! The music was composed in 1891-92 by Tchaikovsky and choreographed by Marius Petipa and his assistant Lev Ivanov.

The David show was a complete success when more than 5,000 students attended. In Colón the show is on December 16, Gimnasio Teófilo Panamá Al Brown (Arena de Colón) is at 11 am. In Panama City there are three presentations: December 23 at Parque Omar at 6pm, December 24 is at the Panama National Theater at 10am, and on the 26 is at the Cinta Costera at 7pm. All the presentations are free of charge.

Don’t miss the opportunity to enjoy the Nutcracker ballet in the company of your little ones.

Flamenco is a dynamic dance that is constantly evolving and it gets better with time. The flamenco has at least three different backgrounds: Arabic, Hebrew, and gypsy. Flamenco movements are very emotional and they are expressed through the arms, body and the rhythmic steps of the feet. It is also very characteristic of flamenco the use of castanets and fans.

During the last century, flamenco took a turn to a more choreographic style called Ballet Flamenco. It gave pass to the rise of great stars like Israel Galván, Rafael Amargo, Sara Baras, Joaquin Cortez y Eva Yerbabuena.

Here in Panama City, Panama, we have excellent flamenco academies. Academia Jaleo stands out of the others under the instruction of flamenco teacher Stephanie Colatruglio. It is located at Costa del Este. Also, you can take private flamenco lessons at Akila Yoga y Danza, Punta Pacifica. At El Dorado Mall there is Pro Stars & Dance, in Paitilla Academy K-Dance, and in San Francisco academy Espazio Flamenco.

With flamenco classes you can have fun breaking a sweat while looking sexy!

Andrew Lloyd Webber was at the airport waiting to take a long flight. He went to the bookstore trying to find something to read. And there was a childhood book that caught his attention, Old Possum’s Book by T. S. Eliot. During the flight, Webber came up with the idea that he could create a musical based in the children’s book. And CATS the musical was born!

CATS is one of the longest running musical shows in the world with almost 9000 times played in London. In 1983 it won seven Tony Awards for Best Musical, Best Book of a Musical, Best Original Score, Best Featured actress for Betty Buckley, Best Costume Design, Best Lighting Design, and Best Direction.

The original CATS costumes were designed by John Napier and they had evolved into today’s complex designs. The actors wear special cat-like furry costumes with long tails and wings. And the makeup completes the actors’ feline appearances.

CATS had been play in all the five continents and translated to more than 20 languages. Here in Panama, the original Broadway version of CATS will be play under the direction of Trevor Nunn and the original choreography by Gillian Lynne.

CATS will run in Panama from December 16-20 at Teatro Anayansi, Atlapa. Prices range from $25 to $100.

Celebrate these holidays with the Andrew Lloyd Webber spectacular show CATS!

Congratulations to all the dancers!

The belly dance show Apocalipsis was a great success! Leyla Salam interpretation of the end of time through belly dance was very innovative and interesting. They captured the audience from the opening to the last dance. Aryadh, Malak Farrah, Dana, and Afet of the Desert took the leading roles as the four horsemen. They represented sickness, violence, war, and hope, a reflection of the times we are living.

Something very shocking was the sketch of violence. Roseta Bordane and Randy Dominquez interpretation of violence against women was spine chilling. And everyone felt her pain.

There was a belly dance school that came all the way from San Jose, Costa Rica, to be part of this event. The group Noura gave the tribal belly dance touch of the night. And they were representing darkness. They incorporated sword dancing and Isis wings to their dances.

Also, the school Alondra danced in Apocalipsis as souls in hell. The dancers were so flawless and they looked to be reaching out from the fire.

The Leyla Salam troupe was amazing interpreting the different emotions need it to give Apocalipsis the mysticism it had. For some of the girls, it was their first time in belly dance and dancing in front of an audience.

Next year, a new belly dance show will be put on scene with a complete different concept from Apocalipsis. I think the name says it all: Aqua! Auditions will be in March 2010.

Pole dancing classes are now available in Panama! For the adventures woman looking for a sexy and challenging way to work her body and get tone, pole dance maybe an excellent way to do it. It is more than just a sexy routine. You can easily burn more than 250 calories poling around in your stripper shoes and lingerie. And in a one hour high intensity workout, 400 calories will melt from your body.

In order to properly do a pole dance routine, muscular strength, coordination, and sensuality are required. However, pole dancing do not discriminate age or body shape. You do not need to be an expert dancer, a striper, or be extremely fit. These pole dancing classes will help you get the skills to hold on to the pole and swirl around, while you feel your body transform and your confidence levels raise to new highs.

Pole dance has three main styles: Exotic dance, empowerment, and pole for fitness. As an exotic dance, pole dancing is recognized around the world as one of the most seeks after entertainment at gentleman’s club. As empowerment, pole dance gives women empowerment through it practice. And it gives women more self confidence. And finally, pole for fitness, pole dancing as an aerobic and strengthening exercise. Expect great toning from head to toe!

Pole dancing classes in Panama is available at Pro Stars & Arts, and they are located at El Dorado Mall. For more information about joining their classes, please call: 392-2700

Tangolates is an innovative fusion of the Pilates methods with fun and dynamic Tango choreographies. The cardio element found in Tangolates is what differences it from Pilates.

With Tangolates you will learn to control your whole body using a combination of accessories like de T-DiTella, reformers, box, etc, while working in couples. Also, you can acquire flexibility, great balance, good posture, and improve coordination. And of course, you lose weight in an efficient way.

Tangolates is a creation of Tamara Di Tella in 2004, who found her inspiration in Parkinson patients. She noticed that people with neurological disorders do not lose the capacity to move, but how they imagine the movement. She watched an instructor working with patients using reformers, machines used in Pilates. On her own, she added rhythms like Tango, which improved the mood of the patients, and Tangolates was born!

Now Panama dancers have the opportunity to try Tangolates. The studio Tamara Di Tella is located in Costa del Este, and they are open Monday through Saturday. Take a step forward into a better you!

Come witness an amazing modern dance competition at the University of Panama in Curundu. Danza Activa 2009 (which has been organized by Neysi de Sturlesi and Hannia Alfu from K-dance Productions) is the first competitive event in Panama that involves schools, companies and dance groups. The competition will be held on October 24, 2009 at 9am & October 26 at 7pm. Watch talented individuals of all ages strut their stuff by performing your favorite dances on stage such as Ballet, Jazz, Hip Hop, Tap, Salsa, Belly Dance, Break Dance, Folklore and much more! You will get to see trios, groups, duos, solos, you name it! This is your chance to view the new dance moves that are being performed at shows and on the streets of Panama.

Learn how to Belly Dance, move to a hip hop rhythm and many others. Join the modern dance workshop on October 24th. Anyone who is ready to wiggle their hips to popular rhythms and dances can register at the University of Panama the same day of the workshop. Tickets to see the competition are now available at Super Deportes in Albrook Mall, Super Centro El Dorado and Multiplaza in Panama City. They will be sold at $10.00 and if you are interested in the modern dance workshop you can attend for only $30.00. For more information, go to www.glintsartspanama.ning.com. Don’t miss out on this chance to get to know the Panamanian culture through music and dances. We`ll see you there!

“And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars: And being with child she cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered. And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns on his heads. And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and cast them to the earth”
Proyección Leyla Salam presents “Apocalipsis”, a show full of mysticism which will take you to the beginning of the final times on earth.

This show will count with the participation of Leyla Salam’s dance team, Arabic Dance Studio Alondra and from Costa Rica the group Noura. With more than 15 dancers and actors on scene you will be taking a sneak peek into evil.

What will our future holds for us? Is the Apocalipsis our end?

Date: October 17, 2009
Place: Ascanio Arosemena Theater (diagonal to the Administration Building next to Balboa’s fire station)
Time: 7:00 pm
COST: $10.00 Pre-sale – $12.00 day of the event
For more information: www.leylasalam.com

The winner of the belly dance contest Ählan Wa Sahlan, Cairo, Bozenka, will be coming soon to Panama and she will be teaching to danza árabe workshops.
Bozenka study under the direction of Tamlyn Dallal and she began learning belly dance in 1998. She had study under prestigious danza árabe teachers and she has evolved into a charismatic and inspiring dancer. Bozenk is part of the Bellydance Superstars and she has choreographed dances for artists like Shakira. Bozenka also danced for celebrities like Donald Trump, Hugh Hefner, Madonna, and Sean Connery. She had performed though the United States, Canada, Asia, and Europe has a solo dancer. And now, for the first time she will be visiting Panama.

Bozenka will be teaching August 29 at Power Club, 12 de Octubre, two belly dance worskshops: Andaluz to Zafaa, classic Egyptian rhytms for basic to intermediate students, and Floor Work and Double Veil for intermidate and advance students. The show will be Sunday August 30 at 5pm at La Huaca Theater, Atlapa.
For tickets for this event and for the workshops of danza árabe are on sale now at Leyla Salam.