Loading ...International Belly Dancing Star to Perform in State College
Leila Farid, one of the top performers in Egypt today, will be making three stops on her U.S. tour this summer — San Francisco, New York City and State College.
She will be performing at Levels Nightclub at 8 p.m. on Saturday, June 27, headlining a Belly Dance Showcase that will also feature professional belly dancers from across the East Coast.
Leila Farid’s performances, both dancing and acting, have made her a recognizable personality throughout the Middle East. Her performance career includes dance contracts with the best venues in Cairo, including the seven-star Kempiski Hotel. She is a highly sought after performer for the top Arab weddings and parties throughout Egypt, the Gulf, Turkey and Europe.
Farid has produced some of the best-loved albums of Egyptian dance music on the market as well as the best-selling belly dance instructional DVD on Amazon. She teaches at dance festivals around the world and is the creator of Camp Negum, a yearly live music and dance event in Egypt.
“I am very excited to perform at Levels Nightclub. In my opinion, belly dance is not meant to be seen in a theater, but in an intimate setting such as a nightclub, wedding or party,” Farid says. “The dancer needs to be able to interact with the guests, to create something spontaneous and organic.”
Farid’s stop in State College is sponsored by Black Cat Belly Dance (BCBD), a dance company directed by Shannon Bishop. BCBD offers instruction in several different styles of belly dance, including traditional Egyptian belly dance, as well as the folkloric dances of Egypt.
“I am so excited to be hosting a dance star of this caliber right here in Central Pennsylvania,” says Bishop “This is a rare opportunity for our community to see the art of Egyptian belly dance at its very finest. Leila Farid is one of the most highly acclaimed dancers in the world, and Levels Nightclub will be the perfect venue to showcase this incredible show.”
The Belly Dance Showcase will also feature prominent dancers from Harrisburg, Pittsburgh, Washington D.C., New York and beyond. Also included is award-winning 12-year-old dancer Saqqara, who has been studying belly dance for several years and creates all of her own choreography.
“This show offers something for everyone — those who are interested in Middle Eastern dance, music lovers who are interested in world music — it would even make a fun girls-night-out,” Bishop says.
Tickets for a Belly Dance Showcase featuring Leila Farid are $10, and are available at LevelsLive.com. For more information, visit: blackcat-bellydance.com.
Source: www.statecollege.com