Andrea Ramage is a busy woman, not only because of her attachment to Ponoka’s Parent Link Centre, but because she is organizing, doing the choreography, selecting music and training belly dancers from Ponoka for the “Read My Hips” event scheduled for Saturday Sept. 27 at the Kinsmen Hall in Ponoka.
The so-called “belly dancing hafla” will feature troupes from Sylvan Lake, Wetaskiwin and Edmonton, with each participating group comprising up to 10 dancers.
But gentlemen need not hold their breath, it is a “ladies only” event.
The main purpose of the gathering (which hafla, an Arabic word, can be literally translated into English as) is to raise funds for the completion of renovations at Parent Link Centre’s new location at the Wedins building in downtown Ponoka, which, with 2500 square feet area, is almost twice the size of their previous facility.
Funding for renovation has been provided by the Parent Link regional centre in Lacombe, somewhere to the tune of $35,000, but that money was enough only to complete some construction, painting and finishing work.
Money is still needed, mainly for kitchen, sinks and some sanitation infrastructure, but funding requests communicated to various sources, including the County of Ponoka, have been turned down.
“We are shooting for $15,000,” said Ramage in an interview, referring to the amount that they are hoping to raise.
“Last year we generated just about $9,000 and we gave it to the Lois Hole Hospital for Women, that was our cause last year,” she said.
“Now that we’ve got experience, and people know about us now, I think we can do better.”
Ponoka troupe comprises women of ages between 30 to over 60 and their this year’s performance will include a dance to a Turkish tune, one Irish (Gaelic) song and a surprise mother/daughter number.
Tickets are on sale at Walrus & Carpenter in Ponoka. For more information, phone Ramage at 403-704-9818 or e mail drearamage@gmail.com .