What started off with just 50 enthusiasts has now turned into one of the biggest dance festivals in the UAE, with this year's line-up featuring 300 professional and amateur performance artists from around the globe.
Up to 3,000 participants are expected to attend the event, which started yesterday and continues until Saturday, including The Final Dance Jam, according to Ahmed Salsa, the founder and co-director of the Dubai International Dance Festival.
"The festival is a catalyst for the creation of new work, creative activity and artistic collaborations with organisations throughout the UAE, the Middle East and the rest of the world," says Salsa. "This is the only dance festival in the Middle East that brings the entire dance community together for a weekend of celebration of music and dance."
Artists include the Cuban-Italian duo Seo Fernandez and Alessia Cornacchia; the Italian/American, international salsa couple Natalia Lopez and Marco Ferrigno; the award-winning UAE and Colombia-based BNF Dance Company; the Dubai and USA-based Familia De La Salsa Dance Academy; Cuban dancer Aloy Junoc; the Michael Jackson impersonator known as Mike Jack; and a host of others.
"We were looking for artists with a diverse talent to ensure maximum variety," says Salsa. "Each year, we like to introduce one or two new dance styles in either the workshops or the shows. For example, this year we introduced a beautiful dance style called kizomba [a style of African dance first developed in Angola]."
Groove theory
"Exciting workshops" are also on offer for those wishing to pick up some moves from the professionals.
"It takes a perfect blend of several qualities to create a truly effective dance teacher who can have a lasting impact on virtually every student," says Salsa. "This year's workshops have an incredible line-up of dance instructors teaching and performing a diverse style of dances."
Workshops include tango, hip-hop, salsa, reggaeton, Afro-rumba and even belly dancing. "It is purely a talent showcase that offers a great opportunity to dance lovers, professionals, amateurs, students and all related artists to get together on a common platform," says Salsa. "I'm personally very fortunate to have had the opportunity to witness the growth and development of the dance scene in Dubai with the influx of very talented instructors and performers alike over the past few years."
Increased numbers of qualified dance instructors from acclaimed global dance institutions are expected to come to the Emirates, says Salsa, and their contribution will help create a more "mature state" and move the dance community forward.
Keeping it in the Familia
With such a steady increase in interest, Dubai has already established itself as a major spot for dancers worldwide, says Chris Dissanayake, the co-founder of DIDF and the managing director of Familia de la Salsa. "For international dancers it's a great destination, not only to dance but also to see the beauty of Dubai. Especially when we go to other festivals across the globe and talk about our festival, all international dancers have a great interest to come," he says.
This year, Familia de la Salsa has planned two shows. "The adult team has a show called Seduce Me. It is created with lot of love and passion. It's about a love affair between two people who only have one night left before they go back to their regular life," he says. For the children's group, a theme show based on Grease has been prepared.
"All those who love music and dance can attend the festival and enjoy it, as it offers one single platform to meet a world of talents. The growth of the festival over the past five years shows the strength of the dancing community here," Dissanayake says.
The event also aims to act as a platform for those with talent, but who face a lack of opportunity.
Tickets cost between Dh50 and Dh550 and are available at various locations in Dubai and Abu Dhabi including via www.timeoutdubai.com and www.dobazaar.com. For more details visit www. dubaidancefestival.com
Prop idols
Girls full-contact rugby may be in its infancy in the Middle East, but there are already a number of role models for players to look up to.
Sophie Shams (Dubai Exiles mini, England sevens international)
An Emirati student who is blazing a trail in rugby. She first learnt the game at Dubai Exiles and captained her JESS Primary school team. After going to study geophysics at university in the UK, she scored a sensational try in a cup final at Twickenham. She has played for England sevens, and is now contracted to top Premiership club Saracens.
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Seren Gough-Walters (Sharjah Wanderers mini, Wales rugby league international)
Few players anywhere will have taken a more circuitous route to playing rugby on Sky Sports. Gough-Walters was born in Al Wasl Hospital in Dubai, raised in Sharjah, did not take up rugby seriously till she was 15, has a master’s in global governance and ethics, and once worked as an immigration officer at the British Embassy in Abu Dhabi. In the summer of 2021 she played for Wales against England in rugby league, in a match that was broadcast live on TV.
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Erin King (Dubai Hurricanes mini, Ireland sevens international)
Aged five, Australia-born King went to Dubai Hurricanes training at The Sevens with her brothers. She immediately struck up a deep affection for rugby. She returned to the city at the end of last year to play at the Dubai Rugby Sevens in the colours of Ireland in the Women’s World Series tournament on Pitch 1.
Racecard
6pm: Mina Hamriya – Handicap (TB) $75,000 (Dirt) 1,400m
6.35pm: Al Wasl Stakes – Conditions (TB) $60,000 (Turf) 1,200m
7.10pm: UAE Oaks – Group 3 (TB) $150,000 (D) 1,900m
7.45pm: Blue Point Sprint – Group 2 (TB) $180,000 (T) 1,000m
8.20pm: Nad Al Sheba Trophy – Group 3 (TB) $200,000 (T) 2,810m
8.55pm: Mina Rashid – Handicap (TB) $80,000 (T) 1,600m
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UAE Falcons
Carly Lewis (captain), Emily Fensome, Kelly Loy, Isabel Affley, Jessica Cronin, Jemma Eley, Jenna Guy, Kate Lewis, Megan Polley, Charlie Preston, Becki Quigley and Sophie Siffre. Deb Jones and Lucia Sdao – coach and assistant coach.
Bullet%20Train
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Company%20Profile
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How Tesla’s price correction has hit fund managers
Investing in disruptive technology can be a bumpy ride, as investors in Tesla were reminded on Friday, when its stock dropped 7.5 per cent in early trading to $575.
It recovered slightly but still ended the week 15 per cent lower and is down a third from its all-time high of $883 on January 26. The electric car maker’s market cap fell from $834 billion to about $567bn in that time, a drop of an astonishing $267bn, and a blow for those who bought Tesla stock late.
The collapse also hit fund managers that have gone big on Tesla, notably the UK-based Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust and Cathie Wood’s ARK Innovation ETF.
Tesla is the top holding in both funds, making up a hefty 10 per cent of total assets under management. Both funds have fallen by a quarter in the past month.
Matt Weller, global head of market research at GAIN Capital, recently warned that Tesla founder Elon Musk had “flown a bit too close to the sun”, after getting carried away by investing $1.5bn of the company’s money in Bitcoin.
He also predicted Tesla’s sales could struggle as traditional auto manufacturers ramp up electric car production, destroying its first mover advantage.
AJ Bell’s Russ Mould warns that many investors buy tech stocks when earnings forecasts are rising, almost regardless of valuation. “When it works, it really works. But when it goes wrong, elevated valuations leave little or no downside protection.”
A Tesla correction was probably baked in after last year’s astonishing share price surge, and many investors will see this as an opportunity to load up at a reduced price.
Dramatic swings are to be expected when investing in disruptive technology, as Ms Wood at ARK makes clear.
Every week, she sends subscribers a commentary listing “stocks in our strategies that have appreciated or dropped more than 15 per cent in a day” during the week.
Her latest commentary, issued on Friday, showed seven stocks displaying extreme volatility, led by ExOne, a leader in binder jetting 3D printing technology. It jumped 24 per cent, boosted by news that fellow 3D printing specialist Stratasys had beaten fourth-quarter revenues and earnings expectations, seen as good news for the sector.
By contrast, computational drug and material discovery company Schrödinger fell 27 per cent after quarterly and full-year results showed its core software sales and drug development pipeline slowing.
Despite that setback, Ms Wood remains positive, arguing that its “medicinal chemistry platform offers a powerful and unique view into chemical space”.
In her weekly video view, she remains bullish, stating that: “We are on the right side of change, and disruptive innovation is going to deliver exponential growth trajectories for many of our companies, in fact, most of them.”
Ms Wood remains committed to Tesla as she expects global electric car sales to compound at an average annual rate of 82 per cent for the next five years.
She said these are so “enormous that some people find them unbelievable”, and argues that this scepticism, especially among institutional investors, “festers” and creates a great opportunity for ARK.
Only you can decide whether you are a believer or a festering sceptic. If it’s the former, then buckle up.
RESULTS
Bantamweight: Jalal Al Daaja (JOR) beat Hamza Bougamza (MAR)
Catchweight 67kg: Mohamed El Mesbahi (MAR) beat Fouad Mesdari (ALG)
Lightweight: Abdullah Mohammed Ali (UAE) beat Abdelhak Amhidra (MAR)
Catchweight 73kg: Mosatafa Ibrahim Radi (PAL) beat Yazid Chouchane (ALG)
Middleweight: Yousri Belgaroui (TUN) beat Badreddine Diani (MAR)
Catchweight 78KG: Rashed Dawood (UAE) beat Adnan Bushashy (ALG)
Middleweight: Sallah-Eddine Dekhissi (MAR) beat Abdel Enam (EGY)
Catchweight 65kg: Yanis Ghemmouri (ALG) beat Rachid Hazoume (MAR)
Lightweight: Mohammed Yahya (UAE) beat Azouz Anwar (EGY)
Catchweight 79kg: Souhil Tahiri (ALG) beat Omar Hussein (PAL)
Middleweight: Tarek Suleiman (SYR) beat Laid Zerhouni (ALG)
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Arabian Gulf Cup FINAL
Al Nasr 2
(Negredo 1, Tozo 50)
Shabab Al Ahli 1
(Jaber 13)
Sukuk explained
Sukuk are Sharia-compliant financial certificates issued by governments, corporates and other entities. While as an asset class they resemble conventional bonds, there are some significant differences. As interest is prohibited under Sharia, sukuk must contain an underlying transaction, for example a leaseback agreement, and the income that is paid to investors is generated by the underlying asset. Investors must also be prepared to share in both the profits and losses of an enterprise. Nevertheless, sukuk are similar to conventional bonds in that they provide regular payments, and are considered less risky than equities. Most investors would not buy sukuk directly due to high minimum subscriptions, but invest via funds.
Specs
Engine: 2-litre
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 255hp
Torque: 273Nm
Price: Dh240,000
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