"Wendy Buonaventura is quite literally a living legend in Arabic dance, and has taken the art form to audiences worldwide with her innovative and beautiful stage shows" - Morag Deyes (Artistic Director, Edinburgh Dancebase)

I PUT A SPELL ON YOU

A one woman show, exploring themes from book of the same name

A rare fusion of thought-provoking art and inspiring fact…It is immensely provocative on all levels, testifying to the fact that Buonaventura still possesses her own brand of spellbinding power. - DuskaRadosavljevic, The Stage, Aug 13th 2004

A wonderfully witty hour…Buonaventura has assembled some marvellously silly quotes about the dangers of dance and skilfully deploys them… I liked it so much I bought the book. - Scotsgay, Aug 2004

 

MIMI LA SARDINE

Tales of a performer’s life

A celebration of the beauty of hips, valuing the experience that comes with maturity as well as the energy of youth. Elements of Persian, Egyptian and Moorish dance are explored with humour and poise, while the machismo of Arab men is gloriously sent up in a cross-dressed gangster number…This is a pulsating celebration of movement…a haven of peaceful beauty that deserves to be savoured. - Don Morris, The Scotsman Aug 24th 1999

 

DANCING GIRLS

The Orientalist experience of women and dance in the Arab world

Clever and enchanting…an accessible and intelligent piece of theatre that deserves a wider audience. - Anne Sacks, London Evening Standard, Sept 12th 1995

Buonaventura juxtaposes the readings, presented in voiceover, with great wit and skill, and charts the history of Arab dance without letting us lose sight of its beauty. This artful synthesis of instruction and delight cries out to be made into a documentary, though the camera would be hard put to capture the charm and spontaneity of live performance. - Louise Levene, The Independent, Jan 10th 1996

The tone varies enormously, from outright bawdiness at one extreme to delicate fantasy at the other, taking in humour, drama and even anger along the way… Strongly recommended. - John Percival, The Times, Aug 20th 1994

 

REVELATIONS: The Testament of Salome

The versatility of Buonaventura’s technique is mesmerising. – Kirsty Milne, New Statesman, Sept 4th 1992

Buonaventura has eloquent eyes, hips, fingers and toes, creating an atmosphere of sensuous eroticism. – Michael Billington, The Guardian, Aug 22nd 1992

Salome is an unlikely candidate for a feminist heroine, but the performance does convey the beauty of her dance. - Michael Arditti, London Evening Standard, Oct 1st 1992

 

Wendy Buonaventura
Cinnabar, P.O.Box 1071
Bristol BS99 1HE
 UK
email: wendy

* all performance photos by Nick Spollin
copyright Wendy Buonaventura 2008
website design by Anthony Davis