As one of the cultural hubs of the Mediterranean it’s not difficult to find some kind of event going on. For example, should you go to Athens between May and September you could go to the Dance Theatre. Where Tuesday through Sunday 75 amazing performers take to the stage and put on a show of the cultural inheritance modern Greeks have. You don’t have to reserve a spot to see the show just go over to Philopappou Hill, which sits opposite the Acropolis, and go into the Dora Stratou garden theatre

An evening view of the Acropolis from http://www.i-travel.bg

to see the show.

Since Greece tends to be where most Westerners think civilization began its not hard to find historical things to do, at practically every turn there is something of history there. If you’re not looking for a long winded history lesson about the Ancient Greeks go to the Kifissia Flower Show in northern Athens. It is one of the longest running flower shows and boasts over 50 types of flowers. That show lasts from the 28^th of April to the 16^th of May, but if you can’t make it then May is flower month in the city. No matter where you turn flowers will be blooming if you go in May.

Beyond the flowers and the history there is the European Jazz Festival which runs free to all, from May to June every year. Set in the Technopolis in Athens City Hall the festival has quickly become one of the most anticipated events in the city since it was started in 2001.

If you book far enough in advance getting cheap(er) tickets to Athens isn’t so hard. You could pick a return ticket up for around £150 if you worked it right. Hostels are in good supply in the city and finding a room/bed for under £20 a night is no hardship either. As always, I would suggest going to my favorite, Lonely Planet to find a room.

KalaAnantarupah Art Center's Mohiniyattam Workshop { April 8th to April 11th 2010 }published -DNA After Hrs 16th march 2010 edition

Getting a cheap flight from Luton, Stanstead, or Gatwick is disgustingly easy if you book the weekend far enough in advance, EasyJet provides tickets at the weekend for around £64 return or, if you don’t like flying, £87 return on Eurostar. Hotels and hostels are also just as easy to find.

If you pay attention to where you are going it is a really easy city to navigate. You just have to make sure that you have a good map and a constant eye on the street signs; otherwise it is shockingly easy to get lost among the small

A canal in Amsterdam, photo by Alissa Smith

streets that go between the canals. But once you have that down finding fun things to do is a breeze. Getting lost can be just as fun though.

What this means about the events that are held there is that they tend to be about having fun more than any real cultural ideas. On April 30 is Queen’s Day which celebrates the birthday of the Queen Mother – but it is really just an excuse to get drunk. Much later this year, in October is the Amsterdam Dance Event, and this year is the 15^th anniversary of the event.

Because the city is so laid back about life it’s hard not to be taken in by the atmosphere once there. It’s impossible to do everything in one day so it is necessary to go for at least a weekend if you want to get a good feel for the city. Some good places to go are the Van Gogh Museum’s park that has the famous IAMSTERDAM statue at the far end as well as the Heineken Experience. The Anne Frank House usually has a line that wraps around the block and the Rijksmuseum Museum is a beautiful building to behold. Try not to go down the Red Light District in the day, it’s a little disturbing in day light.

However, the most popular places in Amsterdam are not always the most interesting; they are usually the most crowded after all. Simply wandering around the city can provide an opportunity to see the bits that aren’t on the typical, generic walking tour.

Dance Evolution, hosted by Culture Shock dance troupe, is a dance competition that is held every fall. There are different dance groups from around the New Paltz area and New York City. Unfortunately there was no competition due to four dance teams dropping out at the last minute and only having two dances team showing up. So Dance Evolution had to turn to two rappers doing three songs pieces to take up time. But overall it was a fair show although most of the dance teams did not show up. Culture Shock closed the show to keep their audience from leaving because everyone wanted to see them perform their version of Alice in Wonderland. It was worth the wait. They had special guest Mama in their performance, who is the Black Dance Teacher at SUNY New Paltz.

Check out the few acts that hit the stage at Dance Evolution.

This was the 1^st time that a collaborative effort between Shades step team and Culture Shock dance troupe has ever been seen at Dance Evolution. They definitely made history.  Shade Step Team and Culture Shock are from SUNY New Paltz.

Culture Shock hit the stage with their version of  “Alice In Wonderland“

Musicians and dancers from Brazil, Peru and Bolivia entertained the crowds in the Market Place with colourful costumes and exotic dances. In the Library more than a hundred children made carnival costumes, while outside local singer and guitarist, Patrick Cogswell played a range of Latin American music. Outside the Corn Exchange children were also invited to join artist Alex Topley create a colourful masterpiece. Betty Curtis from Doveton Way in Newbury said she’d thoroughly enjoyed the day “The dancing, music, costumes, food and overall atmosphere is absolutely fantastic, more please!”

Latin American Festival

 Bob and Sarah Seath from Kingsbridge Road joined in the Salsa classes run by DJ and compere Alison Smith, “It’s wonderful, what a lovely event, it’s so colourful and great fun, we need these kind of events, it brings the town together and puts a smile on everyone’s face”.
Event organiser, Caroline Paus said she was delighted so many people enjoyed themselves. “It’s fantastic so many people got involved, I’d like to say a big thank you to all the stewards and to the Corn Exchange for letting us use their facilities.  The next event Caroline is co-ordinating is a family Halloween Hullaballoo in Newbury Market Place on Saturday 31st October.  It promises to be an evening of thrills and spooky magic with torchlight tours, pumpkin carving, music and magic.  

For more details please call 0845 003 9953 or email event@newburyevents.co.uk

DNA Article -Shake A leg-KalaAnantarupah-30th july 2009

Skanking Karl

Last Friday saw the inaugural (if not yet international) Communism Is The Movement Before Our Eyes Triannual Dance Event take place across the country.  Feedback received so far suggests it was a roaring success. 

Initial reports indicate that city centres all over Britain were packed with dancers on Friday night and, though numbers have not yet been confirmed, Old Rope is prepared to believe that somewhere in the region of 98% of revellers were participating in this historic event. 

From Yates’s Wine Bar all the way to Oceana, Gatecrasher and the Queens Arms, drinkers were jiving to their own internal dialectical rhythms.  Marxism isn’t a science, it’s a form of dancing. This is clear in most of Marx’s writing. There are extensive footnotes in The German Ideology about body-popping and The Jerk.

Old Rope‘s theoretical coherence and status as essential reading for intellectual heavyweights is seldom called into question.  But should you require further study you would do well to start here and read the chapter ‘Marx: The Dancer and The Dance’.

Thanks to the always enlightening From Despair to Where? for bringing this work to Old Rope‘s attention.  See you all at the next CITMBOETDE!

 :: To see Karl Marx disapproving of Engels’ love of Can Can dancers click here

They got rhythm

This Friday, Old Rope invites you to participate in the inaugural (if not yet international) Communism Is The Movement Before Our Eyes Triannual Dance Event.  Location: Wherever you are on Friday night.  Attendees:  Whoever you are with on Friday night. 

Wherever you are, whoever you are this Friday (you might be someone else by Monday), whatever you are doing, why not take time out to participate in Communism Is the Movement Before Our Eyes.  It’s a Triannual Dance Event! Did you know?  All you need to do is get some music rocking, get your fingers popping, throw off your inhibitions like the unwanted shackles of wage labour and just groove on it. 

Have a dance.  Boogie in the knowledge that millions more are funking the funk all over the land along with you.  If you want to document your dancing so that it will SHINE THROUGH HISTORY then please feel free.  If you want to feel even freer, then send it to Old Rope.  We need a laugh.  Communism is the movement before our eyes. Now let’s see it move some more. 

Shall we say 8 o’clock… or is that too early?

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