Gilded Serpent presents... Solstice Festival 2008 produced by Maria Cresswell of Tribal Girona Ribes de Freser, Catalunia, Spain June 20-22, 2008 photos by Eulalia Grau and Janixia text by Ling Shien Bell For the third year in a row, Maria Cresswell produced a dance and music festival honoring the Summer Soltice. This year's three day event took place high up in the Catalunian Pyrenees, in a rustic hostel fed by fresh springs and bordered by a rushing river. Attendants and teachers came from various parts of Europe and the languages heard were Catalan, Spanish, Italian, French, and English. Local red wine was poured from the beak of the porron carafe, and the fine hispanic tradition of two to five siesta was respected. Teachers included were Mark Bell, Ling Shien Bell from the USA, Shekina Sahar from USA and Naples Italy, Marika Ferhat from Milan in Italy, Les Soeurs Tribales also from Milan, Susan Frankovitch from the USA and Croatia, Raksan from Berlin, Germany, and Imanuelle from Italy. Solstice Fire!

Shekina teaching folkloric sword infront of the yurt. She is a former resident of Grass Valley, California where she directed the Shekina Sahar Dance Troupe. L-R: 1?, 2- Shekina, 3-?, 4-?, 5-?, 6- Maria Cresswell

More from Shekina' sword class

Ling teaches finger cymbals, student from Bilbao in the Basque country absorbs information. In 1991, Ling and Mark Bell formed the group Helm, dedicated to teaching and perfomring the musical traditons of the Middle East.

Mark Bell teaches students- 1st ?, Madi, Xevi. Xevi's dog sleeps through it all.

Les Soeurs Tribale's Fan class. From Milan, this troupe introduced Tribal style to Italy in 2003.

Susan's class Susan is orginally from New York and now lives in Croatia where she teaches and performs her unique style of Tribal Fusion with a Balkan flair

Xevi (pronounced-"shevy") and Emanuele discuss drum technique

Malika Ferhat and wild babe (not hers probably Shekina's). Malika resides in Milan where she is closely related to Les Soeurs Tribales in performing and teaching. Their last show, "Devota," toured Italy and was very well received. The chapel hosted the classes and the performance starting the evening party

Raksan from Berlin, a contemporary Oriental dance specialist, performs in the evening show.

Susan Frankovitch

Students performing what they learned in the Hindu Fusion class taught by Simona Vosatkova

Liz, an anthropology student from Catalunia, is performing her own choreography. She is well versed in the folk legends of the Dones D'aigua, water maidens, dwelling in the deep rocky pools of Catalunia The "Shimmy-forever" class that Malika taught.

Ines is part of the South American immigrant population of Catalunia. She inhabits a restored farmhouse outside of Girona where she hosted addtional rhythm workshops with Mark and Ling.

Maria introduced the next number in her own unpredictable way.

Les Soeurs Tribales

Class performance of Oriental fan dance taught by Les Soeurs Tribales

Teachers and Students pose for a picture. L-R: 1- Sarah, 2-Janixia, 3-?, 4-Raksan, 5-Maria, 6-?, 7-?, 8- lady w tattoo?, 9-?, 10-?, 11-?, 12-?, 13-?, 14-?, 15-?, front row- 1-Susan, 2-Maria's child, Danu, 3-?, 4-?, 5-Ines

The warm smile of Janixia, a scientist from Venezuela, who joined the festival after attending a prothesis congress in Italy. She greets us to the second part of the evening in the meadow. See the Community Kaliedoscope for photo of Janixia teaching Ling a Venezulian dance the following week.

Mark's drum class accompanies the Berber dance of Malika

The dance of Malika Ferhat. The drum student experiences the thrill of playing for an accomplished dancer.

Mark and Ling prepare to play "Masmoudi Forever" for Raksan

Raksan showing her perfect muscle control.

Karinae, a tribal dance troupe from Mallorca, performing by the bon fire. Their name is in refernece to the small shell found all around the Mediterranean.

Vanessa of Karinae can be seen in the trio performing the Andalucian scarf dance taught by Ling that afternoon. Witches consult over the fire.

The pace quickens and the inciraf rhythm is being replaced by khlas

Relaxing by the jaima (hang out area) Madi, Maria, ?, Xavi, Emanuele, ?, ?, ?. ?

Eulalia Grau, the photographer of most of these pictures .

Check here for next year's info
http://www.tribalgirona.info/

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