Klezwoods to Premiere 30th Meridian Belly Dance Ballet, 2/1

Klezwoods, the Boston-based Balkan/Klezmer ensemble phenomenon features belly dancer legend Bevin Victoria in the premiere performance of The 30th Meridian Belly Dance Ballet, February 1, 8 pm, at The Armory, 191 Highland Avenue, Somerville, MA. Victoria leads a pull-out-the-stops belly dance troupe, taking the audience on an unforgettable international journey through 30th Meridian, a renowned line of longitude famed for influential music from Turkey, Israel, Eastern Europe and Russia.

An internationally accomplished dancer (2012 International Tribal Star Award, 2013 Belly Dancer of the Year), Victoria has been dancing with Klezwoods as a guest star for years, performing dance spectacles, including the popular annual performance "Klezwoods Belly Dance Extravaganza!" at Cambridge's Lilypad.

Klezwoods is an amalgam of strings, horns and percussion, melding the spirit of European and Arabic musical styles with modern grooves, improvisation and melodies. Their most recent album, "The 30th Meridian: From Cairo To St. Petersburg With Love", represents a musical journey from those regions of the world. Much of Klezwoods' repertoire stems directly from distant countries, rich in traditional Klezmer, Balkan and Arabic sounds of the past. Based on this "musical journey," Victoria and Sam Dechenne (Klezwoods' trumpet) inspire a storyline richly infused with unique characters, scenes and props, producing a fully choreographed music and dance journey. Victoria has assembled a stunning lineup of skilled dancers from the Boston region, instantly bringing the lost era to life before the viewer even realizes they've even left metro-Boston in their mind.During the performance, Klezwoods features their entire album in parallel with the dance troupe's center stage journey. Scenes include; a raucous Israeli wedding, a traveler's perilous adventure through an Egyptian marketplace, two Balkan mountain woodsmen, a lonely seamstress passionately in pursuit of love, and more.

Tickets are $20 in advance, $25 at the door. For more information or to purchase tickets in advance, visit www.bellydanceballet.com. On-street parking is available on Highland Avenue in front of the venue.

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