Belly dancing to feature at St Patrick’s Day festival in Portadown

Leyla, all the way from Eastern Europe, will be performing Belly Dancing at the festival in Portadown’s Scotch Street.

Folk at Richmount Rural Community Association are running the festival next weekend with a number of events including Irish Dancing and Belly Dancing.

Chairman Joe Garvey explained: “We have about 200 Turkish Bulgarian in the Scotch Street group plus a lot more from Portadown who see our community centre as their central social location.

“Belly dancing would be one of their cultural dances.

“The Bulgarian ladies are the backbone of the local mushroom industry

“We have had a couple of sessions with the Ballyoran Seniors group. However, our own Elders group has gone over the past few years from almost exclusively Protestant to now 60/40 Protestant / Catholic.

“We work for all in the community, and we wanted to bring all together in this multi-cultural event with music dance and food.

“There is also a Bulgarian evening on Friday 18 March where we will be covering the history of Bulgarian it two distinct cultures and all Bulgarian food,” said Joe.

The project is about bringing together Catholic, Protestant and the local Bulgarian Community to learn, celebrate and share our cultures to increase respect for each other leading to greater community harmony.

There will be a St Patrick’s Day Multi Cultural Food, Dance, and Musical celebration on Saturday March 12 from 2pm to 4.30pm

All are welcome including children. It is free but you must bring an item of your traditional food.

The programme includes Irish Folk dancing with Helen McStravick of Kildara School of Dancing. Also Belly Dancing - all the way from the East, Leyla will be performing traditional dacing. She will give us a demonstration of traditional Belly Dancing and the public will have the opportunity to join in with.

There will also be Country and Western, Irish Folk and contemporary music with Colin Harney and friends.

Refreshments will be served from 2.15pm onwards.

This event has received support from the NI Community Relations Council which aims to promote a pluralist society characterised by equity, respect for diversity and recognition of interdependence.

Belly dance has its origins in Egypt. It features movements of the hips and torso. It has evolved to take many different forms depending on the country and region, both in costume and dance style.

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