Spanish dance performance wows 1,800 in Jeddah

Two artists of the Spanish dance group Cirque Des Sens perform in Jeddah on Thursday. (AN photos by Huda Bashatah)

JEDDAH: Spanish dance group Cirque Des Sens performed in Jeddah for the first time on Thursday amid applause from the enthusiastic audience.
The “Kibai” performance was customized for a Saudi audience, to suit the conservative culture but with a Western twist.
The performance was attended by around 1,800 people of all ages. There was a section for families and another for singles.
“I’m so very happy to be here in Ƶ. I thought our show wouldn’t work here and that the Saudi audience wouldn’t like our acts, but I was wrong,” said Cirque Des Sens CEO Domingo Sanchez.
“The media has painted Saudi society in a wrong way. We’d be honored to perform in Ƶ on coming occasions.”
The group, which has been performing for nearly six years, comprises 29 members, including backstage technicians, performers and artists.
Ƶ was the group’s first stop in the Middle East, said Sanchez, who thanked events organizer Luxury KSA for making it possible.
Fahad Al-Muaibid, Luxury KSA’s public relations and media manager, said: “This won’t be the only collaboration between Luxury KSA and the group. There will be more to come in the future. We might let some talented Saudis join the Spanish group in their next shows here in Ƶ.”
Prince Khaled bin Mansour bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud, Luxury KSA’s CEO and owner, “cares about quality and details to give the best for the new Saudi generation,” Al-Muaibid added.
Cirque Des Sens performed in Riyadh and is set to perform in Dammam and Alkhobar in March.
The company has been operating for almost seven years.