From Press Release
Hans Christian Andersens’s
T H E L I T T L E M E R M A I D
A Full Length Belly Dance Spectacular
For centuries, Belly Dance has classically been an art form designed at entertaining revelers at parties and dinners. The Sisters of Salome have taken Belly Dance to great new heights, lifting the art form from restaurants and parties to a soft seat theatre telling a full length story, a concept usually reserved for the ballet.
The Sisters have chosen a truly enchanting tale to tell in this offering. Long before Disney came along, Hans Christian Andersen’s classic fairy tale The Little Mermaid delighted audiences first in print, then opera, ballet, many animated versions and even a TV version starring Shirley Temple as The Little Mermaid. The Sisters have gone back to the original story published in 1836.
The Sisters of Salome are a constellation of stars who Belly Dance. The lead Sister and choreographer in this endeavor is Sarah Skinner, an accomplished Belly Dancer who recently re‐located to Toronto after an illustrious 20 year career in New York City.
She is a founding member and co‐producer of a Belly Dance co‐operative in New York City called Venus Uprising where she staged Belly Dance shorts telling the fates of Cleopatra, Salome, Medusa, Mata Hari and others. She is the host of a long string of instructional Belly Dance DVDs that are sold globally. Also a graduate of F.I.T. (Fashion Institute of Technology in New York) Sarah has created an unimaginable array of incredible costumes for this large cast production of The Little Mermaid.
Presented on a bed of wonderfully exotic Middle Eastern music and the use of a wide range of creative proppery, The Little Mermaid is guaranteed to titillate the senses and enchant audiences of all ages.
The Sisters of Salome
in association with The Toronto Fringe Festival presents: The Little Mermaid
Written by: Hans Christian Andersen
Adapted and Choreographed by: Sarah Skinner
Starring: Sarah Skinner.
Featuring Zoe Smith, Balkis Catelin, Joanna Williams, Patricia Bekiaris, Sophia Bekiaris, Lee Jong, Nicole Nazar, Hannah Stein, Lucy McGovern, Sahara Baldwin, Saturn Steel‐Mendez, Alisha Hobson, Tim Spronk
Lighting design and stage management by: Holly Meyer‐Dymny
Opens July 6 runs to July 15
Helen Gardiner Phalen Theatre. 79 St. George St.
Performances:
List the days and times
Friday, July 6, 2012 – 10:30pm
Sunday, July 8, 2012 – 7:15pm
Tuesday, July 10, 2012 – 6:30pm
Wednesday, July 11, 2012 – 4:00pm
Thursday, July 12, 2012 – 6:00pm
Friday, July 13, 2012 – 11:00pm
Sunday, July 15, 2012 – 5:45pm
The group numbers are particularly stunning in this surprisingly entertaining show. The sound on the night I went was a bit choppy and the transitions from one dance to another could be smoother, but overall I was very impressed with how well the concept worked. There’s some fantastic creativity and talent on that stage.