Middle Eastern & American Belly Dance Student Showcase

On Saturday, Dec. 2 at 7:30 p.m., area dance teacher Gina Capossela will host her third semi-annual Middle Eastern and American Belly Dance Student Showcase at Woodstock’s Town Hall Theater.

The show includes performances by Caposella and special guests, as well as 60 of her students from Randolph, South Royalton, Woodstock, Hanover and White River Junction. The event incorporates historic and cultural commentary on this ancient dance form, honoring Egyptian, Turkish, American, and Goddess dance traditions.

Erroneously dubbed "belly dance" by the French, Raqs Sharki ("Dance of the East") was introduced to American audiences in the late 1800s. The dance genre both offended and intrigued Victorian era Americans, but ultimately shaped the evolution of dance in the United States. Today, Middle Eastern dance is celebrated for its soul and technicality and Americans have studied the dance since the 1970s.

Capossela is a teacher, choreographer, and performer of Middle Eastern and American Belly Dance. She holds a Master’s degree in Dance from American University in Washington, D.C., where she was a member of the internationally renowned Silk Road Dance Company. Capossela teaches beginning through advanced level dance and dance history classes throughout the Upper Valley, as well as college courses at the Community College of Vermont.

The December Student Showcase is a family-friendly event for audiences of all ages and children under six are admitted free. Tickets can be securely purchased online at www.GinaDances.com. After November 30, tickets can be purchased at the door. For more information, call 802-763-8691.

____________