JEDDAH: The Phoenix Fire Dancers turned up the heat in more ways than one during their show Illuminaire, one of the world’s largest fire and light shows.
The troupe took to the stage at the Bay La Sun hotel and Marina in King Abdullah Economic City on February 28, having performed in a host of cities worldwide, including Dubai, Abu Dhabi and New York.
Their show is a unique fusion of fire, lasers, pyrotechnics, projection, music, dance, ancrobatics and special effects. The influences behind its creation include mythology, ancient culture and visions of an enlightened future.
The show kicked off with four majestic drummers, who hyped up the crowd with a stirring rhythm. When the audience warmed up, a singer appeared on stage to sing some beautiful melodies.
Then the main acrobatic act began. Some performers juggled LED sticks, creating patterns in the air, all the while dancing with grace and class. Then fire jugglers and acrobats performed dangerous stunts that made the audience gasp and applaud.
Some acrobats gyrated in a Cyr wheel — a large metal hoop in which the performer stands and precisely rolls around the stage — while others dropped from the rafters on ribbons of fabric. Some performed elaborate breakdancing routines on the floor, or spun around on a hanging cube with their hands and feet aloft.
Props that enhanced the experience included bicycles with glowing wheels and drumsticks set on fire. The beautifully designed, vibrantly colored costumes, and the incredible stage set, were the cherries on top of this feast for the senses.
The show ended with all the acts together, the visual acts combining wonderfully with the brilliant choice of music and the singer’s voice to leave the audience delighted as the show ended with a bang.
The experience was captivating and magical. The audience loved it and left the theater with broad smiles.
“The reaction of the public was amazing,” said Obada Awad, the CEO of Timesentertainment. “We announced the show five days ago and it was sold out very quickly, in a city that is an hour away from Jeddah — so that says a lot about the people’s hunger for entertainment.
“We are getting a lot of support from the General Entertainment Authority in organizing many events. Everything we work on is the first [of its kind here], so it feels great making history in the entertainment sector and its amazing.
“It was very exciting and it was something new,” said Rania, who is Jordanian-American. “As a resident here I feel great about the change that I can see happening and I can’t wait to see what is next.”
Zahra, a Saudi citizen, added: “We have always seen shows on the television and couldn’t help but feel envious of the people there, but now we get to see such things brought to us by the government. It is very exciting and we are very happy about it.”
“It is a great opportunity for families, especially kids, to see new, creative things and grow up in an open environment,” said Hiba, a mother of two.
Illuminaire continues at Bay La Sun hotel and Marina in King Abdullah economic city until March 3.
Phoenix Fire Dancers enthral Saudis with scorching performance of fire and light
Phoenix Fire Dancers enthral Saudis with scorching performance of fire and light
Saudi Arabia welcomes ceasefire agreement between Syrian Democratic Forces and Syria state
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia has welcomed an agreement between the Syrian state and Syrian Democratic Forces.
In a foreign ministry statement early on Monday, the Kingdom said it had welcomed an deal between Damascus and Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces that was announced by the Syrian government on Sunday.
The agreement entails merging all SDF forces into the defense and interior ministries and means that Kurdish forces will redeploy to east of the Euphrates river.
The 14-point deal would also see the immediate administrative and military handover of Deir Ezzor and Raqqa governorates.
The Syrian state would regain control of all border crossings, oil fields, and gas fields in the region, with protection secured by regular forces to ensure the return of resources to the Syrian government, while considering the special case of Kurdish areas, the state news agency SANA reported.
The ceasefire comes after intense fighting between the SDF and government troops in Aleppo. But SDF troops have now pulled back from there and the Syrian army now controls most areas east of Aleppo.
The Saudi foreign ministry statement also thanked the US for the agreement. Washington is believed to have supported brokering the ceasefire between allies SDF and the Syrian government, who they have also backed diplomatically since the fall of long-time dictator Bashar Assad.
The Syrian state announced on Friday a raft of new directives to recognize Syrian Kurds, including making their language official and bolstering other rights for the minority group.
