Shakira at the Autodrome

So finally the fever has hit Dubai and you too can shake your booty with Shakira at the Autodrome.
Though Shakira has been very restrictive about the details of this tour right from its conception; she has promised the world that she will throw in all of her physical energy and creativity behind it. The blonde sensation says this is the most important tour of her life.
And as all best things in life do take a toll on us, so did this tour for Shakira when she was taken ill in February with bronchitis and had to cancel the concerts in Netherlands and Germany only to reschedule them for March.
But no such delays are on the cards in Dubai where the concert is expected to open to a record breaking 25,000 people, making this the largest ever contemporary music concert in the Middle East. After Dubai Shakira hits Mumbai and Cairo, so if some of you don’t get enough tonight there is more booty-bashing to follow in neighbouring cities.
Coming back to Dubai, there are number of funfair activities to keep the crowds all charged up until the hip shaking begins at the Autodrome. The tour promotes Shakira’s Oral Fixation Volume 2 album but the audience can expect to hear a selection of her new songs and many of her greatest hits including Whenever-Wherever, La Tortura, Underneath Your Clothes, Don’t Bother, Objection, Hips Don’t Lie and many groovy tunes.
After a refreshing performance at the 2007 Grammy Awards, Shakira too is excited about her Dubai concert as many of her fans here, the Latino diva had this to say, “I have heard a lot about Dubai and performing in the Middle East for the first time will be something special. The Dubai show will be one of the biggest shows on my 2007 “Oral Fixation Tour”.
And if it is the anticipation of a traffic jam or an overcrowded car park that is bothering you –then fret no further there are shuttle bus services running from Mercato, Ibn Battuta and the Irish Village, to the Dubai Autodrome। Other than the rocking music that the show promises, Shakira is also well-known for her dancing. The moves are based on the age old art of belly dancing (which many girls here are also familiar with) and which is part of Shakira’s Lebanese heritage and she learned as a young teen (as did many of us) to overcome her shyness. So girls maybe you can challenge Shakira to some sensational hip shaking —there is really no reason to stay home tonight! Source

Aida in Abu Dhabi

Opera Aida , one of the most popular operas in the world, will be staged in Abu Dhabi on March 29th, it was announced here Friday.Aida, which was first staged in Cairo in 1871 and now in every opera company's repertoire, is brought to Abu Dhabi by the Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA) in conjunction with Emirates Palace Hotel. In May 1987, one hundred and sixteen years after it was first performed, the Italian composer Giuseppe Verdi's famous opera Aida was staged amid the ruins of ancient Thebes, the city in which parts of it are set.The Abu Dhabi show is expected to draw over 500,000 viewers from around the world, including a glittering cast of singers, dancers and extras.Aida is based on an idea by the French Egyptologist Auguste Mariette.The story turns on the rivalry between the Pharaoh's daughter, Amneris, who is in love with the young general Radames, and Aida, taken captive after her father, the king of Ethiopia, is defeated by Radames. Condemned for treason because of his love for Aida, Radames is entombed in the death chamber.

The Dubai Community Theatre & Art Centre

The Dubai Community Theatre & Art Centre (Link) is something new to our city. It is set at the heart of the Mall of The Emirates (Link)and on the second floor precisely.
The Dubai Community Theatre & Art Centre brings together a wide variety of the performing and visual arts all in one location, opening its doors to the very best entertainment, education and the exploration of all art forms.
Centre for Musical Arts
The Centre for Musical Art has five teaching studios offering curricular rooted in western classic, jazz and Arab region traditional music from individual to group teaching across all ages. There are also workshops and master classes offered by visiting artistes who will be performing at the theatre complex.
The Old Library
As its name suggests, The Old Library has been operating in Dubai since 1969, offering a diverse collection of books to suit all ages and tastes. A resource to the community from a prime community location, the library also offers a cozy children’s corner.
Motivation for Little Ones
There are specially designed dedicated classes to nourish the creativity of children and young people from the age of 6. Classes are presented in a multi-cultural array of languages and styles, and include pottery and sculpture, dance and drama, drawing and painting, origami, creative arts and crafts and art media workshops.