Up close and personal Ballet audiences often have trouble seeing the faces of the characters on stage, the orchestra separating the first row and the stage by at least four metres. As such, those watching a performance don't always think the dancers are acting. But they are, including Hani Hassan, the principle soloist of the Cairo Opera House Ballet Company. Since early 2000, Hassan has played the lead role in Zorba, and Sherif Sonbol got up close to show Hassan's animated expressions for viewers sitting too far away who might have missed it. photo: Ayman Barayez Maye Erbel, spouse of German Ambassador to Egypt Bernd Erbel, held a Cultural Salon entitled "Culture and Community Development". Keynote speakers of the salon were media figure Gamal El-Sha'er and Director of Al-Hanager Art Centre Hoda Wasfi. The event was attended by Hoda Abdel-Nasser, Nisf Al-Donia magazine Editor-in-Chief Afkar El-Kharadli, Director of the Egyptian Museum Wafaa El-Seddiq, Al-Ahram veteran writer Amal Bakir, TV presenter Rola Kharsa and AUC professor Mona Zaki, among others. At Al-Gomhuriya Theatre on 16 March, Italian troupe Khorakhane is scheduled for a performance. In 2007, they performed at the 57th Festival of Sanremo and received an award for best performers. Khorakhane came together in 2001 as a band in tribute to Fabrizio de Andrè (the well-known Italian singer/songwriter of all times) and began developing their own original songs. Their sounds derive from fragments of different styles, which, over the years, became very personalised. The sextet's creativity has permitted them to compose a specific kind of music, which they have defined as folk-rock, combat-folk or indie-pop. Their live performance repertoire includes, besides the 12 songs of the CD entitled La Ballata di Gino some of the most beautiful songs of de Andrè, rearranged for the group. This summer they are scheduled for many concerts outside Italy, including a tour in Sweden at the end of May. Last Friday was an unforgettable day for the graduates of the Deutsche School of Saint Charles Bouroumi Nuns in Bab El-Louq (dsb), who met together at an alumni gathering to celebrate the graduating seniors of the school. The gathering, attended by Nesmahar Sayed, was a happy occasion for the graduates, who bid farewell to their last days at school. The girls danced to the Nubian beats of Eskendrella troupe, and were ecstatic when Mahmoud El-Eseili sang his most famous pop songs. Mothers of the students and old graduates of the school were so proud of their girls to reach the end of their school years. kids too spent a wonderful day colouring cards for their mothers for the forthcoming Mother's day. The dsb public relations manager, Heba El-Sanhouri, was the mastermind behind organising that successful day. Under the auspices of Garden City Lions Club head Awatef Serageddin, a lecture was held at the Cairo Capital Club (CCC) discussing the relentless efforts of the Lions Club in developing the productivity and services projects in Menoufiya. The event was attended by Menoufiya Governor Hassan Hemeida, former minister of youth Abdel-Ahad Gamaleddin, Ahmed Salem, Baheya Youssef and Soheir Shalabi. Nakheel, one of the world's largest private real estate developers, announced that Farouk El-Baz, the world-renowned scientist who played a key role in the Apollo Moon missions, has been engaged as an expert advisor for Blue Communities. Blue Communities is the new sustainability initiative launched on 19 January 2008 under the direction of Sheikh Mohamed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE vice-president and prime minister and ruler of Dubai. Nakheel is committed to funding research and development activity and promoting active engagement with international experts on the issues of sustainable development, construction, management and governance of coastal communities around the globe. "It is my pleasure to be the first expert advisor to Blue Communities, one of the visionary initiatives of Nakheel. It is extremely important to constantly seek solutions for sustainable developments, especially those along coastal environments. The Earth is called the Blue Planet for a very good reason, and the Blue Communities initiative endeavours to assure living in harmony with the sea," El-Baz expressed. "Environment and Industry in Harmony" is a painting competition organised at El-Sawy Culture Wheel to encourage children to express their perception of how environment and industry are interrelated through art. Last December, the Small and Medium Enterprises Promotion Programme of the German Technical Cooperation (GTZ) successfully launched a picture competition under the title "Environment and Industry in Harmony" at 12 schools in Cairo. The project was organised in cooperation with the Egypt National Cleaner Production Centre (ENCPC), Environics, which is an environmental consultancy firm, and artist Samir Fouad. Students from first to 12th grade, divided into three different age groups, were invited to express their feelings and thoughts about the relation between industry and environment and how both could co-exist in harmony. More than 600 pictures were submitted from which a five- member jury had to select the three best of each age group. The prizes were awarded earlier this month at the opening of the exhibition in the River Hall at El-Sawy Culture wheel, which was attended by more than 100 invitees. Those who attended were obviously impressed by the creativity of the children and the wide range of aspects that they expressed. The children were happy to see their pictures displayed and parents, as well as school representatives, were visibly proud of the young artists. The pictures can be viewed until 16 March daily between 9am-8pm. The 6th Annual Run for Cure 2008 will be held in collaboration with the Breast Cancer Foundation of Egypt (BCFE) at the Gezira Sporting Club tomorrow from 9am till 3pm. The event aims to draw attention to the threat breast cancer poses to half the world's population and to raise funds to support breast cancer education and to encourage people to learn about how to reduce their risk of the disease through a healthy lifestyle. On this occasion, Gezira Club President Ahmed El-Said is offering, in cooperation with the BCFE, free breast health examinations to club members and employees, as well as discounted mammograms through a number of Cairo radiology centres. Female and male participants of all ages are encouraged to join the running groups in the effort to support the BCFE. Among the celebrities who are expected to participate in the race are actor Khaled Abul-Naga, actresses Dalia El-Beheiri, Lebleba, Maha Abu Ouf, TV broadcaster Sherif Madkour and fashion designer Hani El-Beheiri. For more information call 2368 2431 or email: [email protected]. The 20th Cairo International Model United Nations was launched on Tuesday 11 March. The keynote speech was delivered by Amr Moussa, the secretary-general of the League of Arab States. The event took place at the American University of Cairo's Ewart Memorial Hall. The annual event is organised by the AUC's Political Science Department.
