Film “Latcho Drom” and live belly dance

A journey of music and dance

An unusual fusion between film and live performance can be experienced on Friday the 13^th November 2009 in the Nature Quest Gallery, Butter Market, Burton Street, Kilrush @ 9pm (doors open @ 8.30pm). The prices are: €8 waged, €6 unwaged, including 1 glass of wine.

Sahera (Susanne Matejka) has been dancing since she can remember, starting on her Daddy’s toes and then moving on to Ballet, Classical Ballroom Dancing and Jazz Dance. When she was first invited to come to a Belly Dance class, she felt that this was just what she had always wanted to do – for reasons still unclear. The dance became a passion and she soon started teaching what had become so important to her. Together with a group of 10 other Belly Dancers, she performed in big shows and for events like weddings and birthday parties in group dances and as soloist in Germany. After moving to Ireland, Sahera started teaching classes in Kilrush in spring and in autumn. She also performed in the annual musical of the Kilrush Choral Society as “Little Egypt” in “The Showboat” 2008 and as “Liat” dancing a hula in “South Pacific” in the 2009 Show.

True historical data on belly dancing is fragmentary. Despite the lack of accurate historical information, a few points can be agreed upon. Belly Dancing is very old. It possibly has its roots in fertility ceremonies, where women danced for women. It is assumed, that slaves from central Africa brought the dance to Egypt. Over the time it slowly lost it’s meaning as a sacred feminine art and became merely entertainment. From Egypt, Belly Dance found its way with the gypsies from India through Asia and North Africa to Greece, Spain and even Rome. It reached America at the World Exhibition in Chicago, 1893. Belly Dance was forgotten in the West until Hollywood re-discovered it for films. With all the cultures involved, different styles have developed and are still developing. This is what connects this dance so well with the film Latcho Drom.

Latcho Drom (Rom for safe journey) is a French documentary film directed and written by Tony Gatlif. The film does not only show the poverty, misery, and oppression that the Rom (traveling people better known as Gypsies) suffer worldwide to this day but the journey of the Rom people from Northern India to Egypt, Turkey, Romania, Slovakia, Hungary, France and Spain, through their music and dance. There is very little dialogue, and little explanation, except at the film’s beginning, which briefly states that the Rom left India hundreds of years ago and made their way north, for reasons now unclear. The film itself is a single “take” of sweeping movement that travels the globe and transitions effortlessly from one rhythmic culture to the next.

Sahera will perform her dances between the scenes and different locations of the film, trying to broaden the range of performances by adding modern style and fantasy – for your entertainment, a reason that is clear.

Finaly “The Fairy Hunter”

This 18 page children’s  book is full page illustrated, suits the 2-7 year old and costs € 5,-. ” A real West of Ireland feel.”

CATA ISLE MIME Theatre

This Halloween, Mime will take centre-stage in West Clare, as the mime theatre group Cata Isle perform their debut show in Kilrush. This mime trio started after Astrid Adler, an experienced mime actress, held mime lessons for Alan McNamara and Joost Bos, funded and supported by the Arts Council. The result became a mime and physical theatre show, inspired by the works of the celebrated Marcel Marceau, Michel Courtemanche and “Mummenschanz”. The production is an innovative combination of mime and simple props, for example, turning buckets into strange machines and creatures. The show will take place in Kilrush’s NatureQuest Gallery in Burton Street, a venue recently known to host several visual and musical artists. Each member of Cata Isle comes from a rich acting and performance background.

Astrid Adler got hooked on mime when Marcel Marceau visited her school in Germany when she was eleven. She went on to become a member of the mime group Theatre Tartaruga, performing in theatres, theatre festivals and children’s TV programs, while teaching various workshops in mime. After emigrating to Ireland, Astrid has continued her work, performing and winning awards in parades , and performing with theatre groups and bringing her unique talents to community and physical theatre events around West Clare.

Alan McNamara is a recent drop in to West Clare. He took took up professional acting 15 yrs ago and has gone on to perform in various plays around Dublin such as John Boyd’s The Flats,Thomas Murray’s Autumn Fire , Ibsen’s Master builder, Camus’s The Just and Checkov’s The Propasal. For 2 yrs Alan was a killer and drug dealer called “Lar” in Fair City and the same type of character in the Irish feature film “ Flick”. He was a Kerry sheep herder in the film “Durango” and has had various roles in lots of short films such as the award winning “The Black Suit “ an “ Immaculate Conception “ and “ Choppers “. Alan has played percussion for the Irish Arts Centre in N.Y. , for Merlin and “Daze of Plays” at the Sam Beckett theatre in Trinity College, The “Big Bang “ the Temple Bar Viking Adventure and “The Gold of Tradaree”

Cata Isle Mime Theatre

2nd Musicevent @Nature Quest Gallery

2nd Musicevent in N.Q.Gallery

After the successful evening in September with local singer songwriter Mark James, an other music event is staged for people, who enjoy listening to music outside the pub environment.

Grahme Connelly, a native of Newcastle, Co Wiclow and frontman in popular underground folk, funk, rock fusion band The Bovine Frenzy comes to The Nature Quest Gallery, Kilrush on Friday 23^rd of October for a rare solo appearance. On the back of a summer full of festival appearances we expect Grahme to be on flying form. Grahme employs a lyrical style reminiscent of an impetuous Nick Cave and guitar playing that conjures up memories of the late John Martin but he is by no means an impostor on their turf. In a world full of cheap copies this young man is setting the seeds for future proclamation. This is a hard act to follow and not one to be missed.

Also on that night Clodagh Kerley will perform.
Normally appearing with her band Clodagh is a prized asset on the thriving Dublin music scene. This young songstress (multi instrumentalist) is not known for being light hearted. Her songs are laden with a raw sincerity and are beautifully contrasted by her gentle but powerful, highly original voice. It is hard to pin down and must be witnessed in person but there is something very special about this girl, both as writer and performer. A definite star of the future and an absolute certainty for your Friday night. Or any other night for that matter! Everybody welcome at 9 pm. Specially suitable for young people under 18.

Astrid Adler in N.Q.G. 2008

Mark James in N. Q. G.

Singersongwriter Mark James performs on Friday 18^th of September in the Nature Quest Gallery.

Mark James, a native of Moyasta co. Clare is an enigmatic and profoundly lyrical. Crossing genres from hip-hop to folk and back again marks songs contain a subtle message of the deeper more complex world we all inhabit. His live shows are full of sweat and passion as he questions not only the mortality but also the morality of our existence. Highly entertaining and some food for thought. In the words of Mark himself” from the critical masses will come the critical mass” and not a minute too soon. Mark will take to stage in the Nature Quest Gallery in Kilrush, Burtonstreet at Friday the 18^th of September. Doors open at 8.30pm, Show from 9-12pm.

Mark James performance will be the first in a sequence of activities till the end of the year in the Nature Quest Gallery. Performance artists of all genres are welcome to contact the Gallery as soon as possible at 9051309.

April Jarocka’s stones

April Jarocka

Nature Quest Gallery welcomes a new artist in it’s ranks. April Jarocka does realistic paintings of seascapes in oil an acrylic. She is self thought and drawing for many years. April turned her attention to painting in oils and acrylics in 2007. Her desire to paint the beach in great detail comes from having spend most of her life by the sea. Her paintings of Cappa, Kilrush in particular, have captivated her viewers bringing them close to the water’s edge without getting their feet wet.

Felting

Nature Quest Gallery, Kilrush gives beside its arts and felting courses, a new workshop called: “Bad weather holiday felting”:

If your plans have to change, because of the weather, you can get your family/friends or any other group together and have a 2hours or 4hours workshop felting. Make a spontaneous appointment. Times open to arrangements.