Bethel's big Cama-i Dance Festival will take place March Friday to March 29 at the Bethel High School. The remote location notwithstanding, this is one of the most amazing arts and culture events anywhere in America -- all the more so since it's entirely home-grown, without big outside sponsorship.
In addition to traditional Yup'ik style local groups, the festival will also include Sudanese dancers, break dancing, clogging and a new group of young tap dancers, the Napaskiak Tappers.
The contemporary New York-based dance pair Eiko and Koma, who have returned to Anchorage to work with Alaska Dance Theatre, will also make an appearance. The festival will be dedicated to the late Elena Charles of Bethel and David Lewis Sr. of Chefornak. Last we looked, round-trip airfare from Anchorage to Bethel is about $250, if you're flexible with your travel dates.
Anchorage thespian saluted in San Diego
Marybeth Bielawski-DeLeo, born and raised in Anchorage and an honors graduate of UAA's Department of Theatre and Dance, has founded a theater company in San Diego, where she moved to obtain her master's degree. Actually, she founded Inukshuk Production Company in 2004, but the company's starting to get its legs now, receiving excellent reviews for last year's production of Ted Tally's "Terra Nova," which also marked Bielawski-DeLeo's San Diego directorial debut. Critic Jean Lowerison put it at the "top of the dramatic heap" in her picks for the best drama in the city. She also included Bielawski-DeLeo in her top five directors.
The play deals with the fatal expedition to the South Pole led by Robert Falcon Scott. The Inukshuk production will be presented at the Interstate Firehouse Cultural Center's 100th Anniversary Season in Portland, Ore. The run is scheduled for March-April 2010, the 100th anniversary of the Scott expedition's demise on their return from the South Pole
Dancing in from Africa
Jill Crosby, professor of dance at UAA and globe-trotting dance scholar, will present a slide lecture/concert at 7 p.m. on Thursday connecting religious practices and dances of West Africa with the Arará religion found in the small towns in Cuba. She will conclude the talk with a presentation of parts of a choreographic work in progress derived from her fieldwork. The event, in the Fine Arts Building recital hall, is free. Crosby's completed work will be performed as part of UAA's "New Dances 2009" program next month.
Young Alaska Artist Award seeks youth nominations
The Anchorage Festival of music is holding its 11th annual Young Alaskan Artist Award competition. The award provides a solo, professional, debut recital in Anchorage and award money to a young, aspiring classical musician pursuing a music performance degree in college. Any Alaskan pursuing a college degree or program in music performance at an accredited institution is eligible. The deadline for applications is May 5. For applications and details, visit Anchorage Festival of Music at www.anchoragefestivalmusic. com, call 276-2465 or E-mail Juliana Osinchuk at dawsinchuk@aol.com.
Find Mike Dunham online at adn.com/contact/mdunham or call 257-4332.
By MIKE DUNHAM
mdunham@adn.com