Dance Festival

          Three weeks ago we purchased VIP tickets to attend the first annual Calabar Dance Festival.  The tickets were N5000 or $35.  We were promised front row seats with refreshments.  Other tickets were N2000 or N500.  We have discovered everything runs on a different time frame here than it does in the US and never assume what you are told is really how things will go.  Our tickets actually had last Saturdays date but the day before we were told, "no that was just the first competition and Oct 6 was the real date".  Luckily, we were still available for the new date.  I was worried we would arrive and be turned away with the wrong tickets.
          Our tickets said it started at 4 pm and the flyers all said 2 pm.  The school van driver was to pick us up at 1 pm.  At 1 pm we learned he was picking up the boarding students so our principal drove us to the Cultural Center.  The venue was a very nice big building with a lot of glass in the foyer.  The grounds had several interesting sculptures.  Since there were only two other vehicles in the parking lot we assumed we had arrived too early so we walked around a bit first.

Three Cultures Sharing a Moment

A man at my school has these same skin etchings.  They kind of look like cat whiskers.

          It was really warm so we headed into the building and was greeted by a wave of heat and no lights.  We stood by an open window for awhile people watching but by 3 pm we were ready to sit down.  The humidity made us really uncomfortable.  We saw a delivery of a barrel of gasoline in a wheel barrow so we had some hope that maybe it was for the generator.  I noticed the guards at the auditorium door had let some people in so we went over to ask if we could go in too.  They said it was fine but it was very dark.  One of us had a phone with a flashlight so we walked really slow down the stairs to the front and sat down right when the lights came on.
          With the lights came also blaring music in a Reggae/Rap style, strobe lights and a laser light show for the next two hours.  It was not the show it was just going on while the stage crew set-up.  I was getting a terrible headache so I just scooted down in my chair and closed my eyes.  Eventually we felt the fans come on but it still remained very warm.  At about 5 pm we were offered bottled water, Orange Crush or a pineapple juice box.  I think this was our VIP refreshments because only the first three rows of people were offered it.  Little by little people trickled in and finally about 6 pm the Governor's wife arrived and the show immediately started.  Her kids and nannies arrived about 30 minutes before she did. 

          First we watched a couple high school dance teams and then the ten dance teams who were the finalists from last weeks competition.  They were all a combination of street dancers and traditional Nigerian dance.  We even saw a little Michael Jackson in one of the presentations.  Next, we saw a dance drama of The Prince of Egypt.  It was like a whole show all by itself.  Finally, the five dance finalists performed and a winner was announced.  There were monetary prices for the top three.

This was a ballerina in the dramatic dance version of The Prince of Egypt.

          The governor's wife had financed this whole event so she had a speech coming up next according to the program.  She is a lovely lady and I know her talk would have been inspirational but we also know her to be long winded so we got up quickly and headed for the exit.  It had been a long afternoon and evening and since the refreshments did not include food we were all really hungry.  As we started up the stairs through the auditorium there were a lot of angry people out of their seats because of the competition results.  Two security guards spotted us and escorted us all the way to our car.  We had been filmed several times sitting in our seats before the show began.  It happens to us a lot.  I am assuming it is for marketing to make the event or venue appear to be more international than it really is. 

          Overall, it was a good show and I was glad I went but I was ready for some peace and quiet by the time I got home.  We did go out to dinner also.  The restaurant serves Lebanese food and I saw a number of Caucasian people in there.  I could even say more Caucasians in one place than I have seen in over a month.  

          Outside the restaurant a craftsman was selling his African art.  It was the first time I had seen any since the trip to the Tinapa Resort.  I found an elephant necklace for my son's best friend's mom.  She loves elephants.  I know Tim spends a lot of time there.  Her and I shared a tearful moment before I left when she said she would watch over him for me.  I couldn't live this far away from my family if I did not have a great support system back home.