Peel’s annual August carnival will strive for an ‘international’ feel this year with a first-time visit of a troupe of feather-clad Brazilian dancers in full exotic traditional costumes both promoting the event and taking part in the parade.
Viva Brasil, samba dancers, whose glamorous appearance brings to life corporate events, private parties, weddings and fashion shows, are being brought to the island by the organising committee for the carnival weekend.
The carnival committee has also booked well-known puppeteer and model maker Steven Allen to bring even greater colour and expertise to the big day.
The 49-year-old from Kent, whose brother and sister-in-law are Sunset City residents, will be conducting workshops in all five primary schools in the west, together with the Queen Elizabeth II High School, helping the youngsters to make models and props which can be used in the grand parade.
Steve worked for Muppets creator Jim Henderson and EMI studios, designing soft toys for the commercial market, recreating characters and features from Fraggle Rock, Thunderbirds, Star Wars and Wallace and Gromit.
Bringing with him his long career experience of working on films such as a Labyrinth, starring the late David Bowie, Steve will travel to the island and spend the last two weeks of the school term at workshops at Foxdale, Michael, St John’s, Bunscoill Ghaelgagh and Peel Clothworkers’ and high schools.
The carnival itself takes place the first Sunday in August, which is the seventh this year, which coincides with the town’s traditional boat weekend.
All the usual carnival ‘regulars’, will be there with fire-eating, juggling and acrobatic sideshows, together with the Manchester-based Panfire Caribbean steel drum band. The samba feel of Viva Brasil should also been well complemented by our home-grown SambaMann drum band, led by Andy Marshall, which leads out the grand parade from the House of Mannanan along the quay and seafront to the Creg Malin Park.
Adding to the ‘international’ feel of the event will be the Chinese Lion dancers, whose first-time appearance proved such a wonderful spectacle last year, together with the Rumanian Dance troupe which is appearing this year for the first time.
‘We’ve got it all this year and hoping for our biggest-ever Peel Carnival since it all started 64 years ago,’ said committee chairman Ian Baker. ‘There are bands, entertainers, shows, beach activities taking place from mid-morning and throughout the day.
‘But, as ever, this is a community event for folk, young and not so, and hopefully from all around the island, to get involved, making costumes, dressing up and taking part in the Parade. Without their participation, it just wouldn’t work
‘Thankfully, that participation usually exceeds all our expectations.’
He thanked all the many sponsors assisting the staging of the event, such as the Arts Council, Culture Vannin, the Town Commissioners and several of the Peel-based charities and good cause organisations.
{http://www.viva-brasil.co.uk/tablet/photos.html|Click here to read more about Viva Brasil}
{http://www.kentonline.co.uk/kent/news/puppeteer-steve-allen-is-pulling-a67399|Click here to read more about Steve Allen}