THE WINTER BLUES can sneak up on you. Some people find themselves stuck in a rut, while others dream of an exotic getaway. Animus - Philadelphia's Belly Dance Spectacular provides the perfect antidote for both.
In the United States, belly dancing is usually free entertainment at an ethnic restaurant or something you'll see Shakira do (because her hips don't lie). But Animus brings the authentic dance and its traditional Middle Eastern culture and music to World Cafe Live on Sunday.
Animus specializes in Eastern Mediterranean world-fusion music and dance. You won't hear its sounds on "American Idol," nor will you see its style of belly dancing on MTV. At Sunday's spectacular, East meets West, and ancient rhythms meet modern beats. The fusion creates an original, unpredictable and exotic show.
Though it is billed as Philadelphia's Belly Dance Spectacular, the band is not just musical background for dancers. In 2009, its song "The Opus (Mediterranean Dreams)" won third place for Best World Music Song in the Just Plain Folks Music Organization International Music Awards, a grass-roots organization that represents and honors international indie artists. The Animus album "The Movements" won Best World Music Album in the same competition.
Expect Sunday's event to transport you to Turkey, Greece and India by way of Philadelphia, and you can leave your passport at home.
World Cafe Live, 3025 Walnut St., 7:30 p.m. Sunday, $16, 215-222-1400, Animusmusic.com.
- Alissa Falcone
UNDER THE DOME
The Chinese Rotunda at the University of Pennsylvania's Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology houses one of the museum's most unusual collections because it includes modern art along with ancient artifacts. So at the museum's docent-led tour this weekend, "Majestic Objects of the Chinese Rotunda," visitors won't just see works that are thousands of years old. They'll also view art that is being created and treasured in modern-day China.
The rotunda is the centerpiece of the museum's second floor. Ninety feet high and wide, the massive dome is made of overlapping tiles in a classic Chinese architectural style. It towers over paintings, sculptures, pottery and jewelry.
Many of the objects on the tour are what we associate with Chinese art: large silk paintings from sacred temples, carved jade, bronze and ceramic sculptures of Buddha. But the docents will give visitors a better understanding of these objects and their history.
Some of the art is less familiar, such as large murals from the Guangsheng Temple, a religious temple near Huoshan Mountain. The tour includes carved stone reliefs depicting battles in China's history. The narrative nature of these objects will give visitors a compelling entrance into Chinese art, history and culture.
University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, 3260 South St., 1:30 p.m. Sunday, docent tour is free with museum admission, $6-$10, 215-898-4000.
- Mary Sydnor
