mediterranean festival of arts Page 37.

Paris Port Dover Pipe Band. Proud ambassadors of Canada, the Province of Ontario, Brant County and Norfolk County, the award-winning Paris/Port Dover Pipe Band has garnered a reputation for excellence locally, nationally, and internationally. Wearing the Lamont Tartan, the band has impressed audiences at parades, concerts, festivals, ceremonies, tattoos and competitions. It performed at the Virginia International Military Tattoo (four times), Highland Games throughout Ontario, numerous stage performances in Port Dover, Paris and Brantford, the Marymass Festival in Scotland, the World Championships in Glasgow (twice), the Calgary Stampede, Mount Rushmore and the Crete Music Festival. Since the band's formation in 2000 it has grown rapidly from modest beginnings of only ten pipers and one drummer to close to 120 members from beginners to advanced level players. Competing in the international competition at the Calgary Stampede Parade in 2004, the Paris/Port Dover Pipe Band won second place over other more experienced bands in front of 35 million television viewers and 400,000 spectators. In 2008 the new Grade Five band, formed in 2007, traveled to the World Championships in Glasgow where they played their way into an impressive second place in Grade 4b. They also won the North American Championship and gained the title of Ontario Champion supreme for 2008. In 2010 the Grade 5 competition band once again won the North American Championship and gained the title of Champion Supreme for 2010. August 2010 was a very exciting time for band members. The Paris Port Dover Pipe Band had the opportunity to play with Sir Paul McCartney at the Air Canada Centre on August 8th and 9th. Sir Paul was impressed by the professionalism and the quality of the music from the band.

Ailsa Craig Dancers Aileen Robertson opened her dance school in Ayr, Scotland, over 30 years ago after winning the World Championship three times. Since then the school has grown to be one of the most successful Highland Dance schools in the world, holding the Scottish, UK, British Commonwealth, European and North American titles. The Robertson School's successes lie not only in traditional Highland dances; they are the current holders of the Adult Scottish Choreography Challenge and have won more choreography competitions than any other dance school in Scotland. The group is no stranger to performing in shows. They have danced on stage with the Red Hot Chilli Pipers and performed for Scottish Television in a recent documentary "Made in Scotland" presented by Taggart's John Michie. The Dancers also performed at the opening ceremony of the Scotland vs England rugby match during the 2010 Six Nations Tournament. Locally, the school performed at the 2009/10 Ayr Flower Shows and danced at the 2010 Ayr Gold Cup.

Club "Piruett" Club "Piruett" is a gymnastics school in Tallinn, which was founded in 1990. It is a member of the Estonian Sports Assotiation "Kalev". Club "Piruett" currently has more than 600 members, the youngest of whom are as young as 3 years of age. The club has become a centre for various gymnastic activities for children and different styles of workout for women. Club "Piruett" with is highly educated and experienced coaches, strong and goaloriented work with competitive groups is constantly among the best club in Estonia. Our internationally best known performing group is our Elite group. The Elite group consists of about 20 gymnasts and the members of the team are in age between 12 to 25 years. Our programs are a mixture of rhythmic gymnastics with apparatuses, dance and ballet. During the 10 years our Elite group has participated in many international sport and culture events. We have been invited to Kiel's Week for several times, where our success actually began. Besides that the Elite group has participated in international gymnastics festivals in Japan, Canada, Denmark, Sweden, Belgium, Portugal, Finland, Germany and other countries.

Symphonic Brass Wales Playing a wide variety of music in many different genres, combinations and ensembles, Symphonic Brass Wales has been providing top quality brass performances across Wales, the United Kingdom and beyond for over a decade, including Germany, Canada, USA, Netherlands etc. Apart from numerous concerts, they took a prominent part in major events, such as the Royal Nova Scotia Tattoo, Hamburg Police Show and others. Their debut in Greece took place in Crete in September 2010 during the Heraklion City Festival. Appearances in many countries across four continents of the globe have included tattoos, concert engagements, corporate work, national and international ceremonial performances. Since recently the Band often perform in their impressive new tartan outfit. Boasting a rich and varied repertoire, Symphonic Brass Wales is proud to represent the ancient Principality of Wales and the nations of the United Kingdom in Heraklion and the entire Crete at the first Mediterranean Festival of Arts and Crete International Tattoo 2011.

Fanfara dei Bersaglieri The section of riflemen on leave from Aprilia, Latina, one of the first to be formed in the '50s, has always been one of most numerous in Italy. Over the years, has felt the strong need of having a fanfare that would accompany the section in several of formal outputs. This wish was materialized in October 1985 when the Fanfare was voted to be created. The task of formalizing the fanfare was given to Lt. Bers. on leave Fausto Olivieri then secretary of the EBRD. Cotterli Adelchi, current President of the Section. The technical direction was given to Eugene Centofanti, and since then Capofanfara that with musical competence and high organizational and management skills, succeeds in a short time to make Aprilia debut at the fledgling training in November 1985. The first national meeting, the most important Bersaglieri gathering for actual and on leave members was in Turim and the fanfare was awarded as the most young and brilhant amongst all. In the following meetings the fanfare represents and follows the section in national level: Torino, Firenze, Bergamo, Senigallia, Asti, Ascoli Piceno, Brindisi, Ferrara, Genova, Vicenza, Pescara, Trieste, Lucca, Biella, La Spezia, Bari, Perugia, Cremona, Vercelli, Napoli, Pordenone, San Giovanni Rotondo, Milano and in Torino for the 150 years of Italy's Unification Anniversary. Participating also in the National and regional meetings, Conventions, at civilian religious and military Celebrations wher is always asked for it's punctuality and competence. The musical direction was entrusted to musicians graduated in the Music Conservatory of the Lazio Region and each of them has enriched professionally growing group of musicians who wanted to add to the fanfare. The current Maestro has a degree in trumpet and the EBRD, Mario Cesari. The staff has approximately 40 members, many are selftaught, many are graduates and among them a number of soloists to perform military songs and classics adapted for brass band. The high professionalism in musical terms, formal and choreographed, has led to important successes: in 2000 the fanfare was invited to the Interprovincial Meeting of Massa Carrara, representing the Lazio region; in 2005 at the National Meeting of Florence was one of the Fanfare 's honor; in 2010 during the celebrations for the 140 years of the taking of Porta Pia in Rome held a concert in Piazza Fontana di Trevi. He has represented Italy in Germany and France, and in 2011, was invited to the 10 ° Musikparade in Germany, winning praise and acclaim among the other training participants. Committed to spreading the culture and ideas typical of Bersaglieri, among which solidarity, has produced a concert to raise funds for reconstruction of the Music Conservatory of L'Aquila destroyed by the earthquake of April 2009.

Christchurch City Pipes & Drums The Christchurch City Pipe Band is based in the City of Christchurch in New Zealand. It was formed by a group of pipers and drummers who wanted to be members of a civilian band whose sole objective was to attend national and international events. It has also established itself as an important and highly visible part of Christchurch's Scottish heritage. The band has been a regular competitor at pipe band contests over the years. Several of its pipers and drummers have also, as members of other bands, participated in the Edinburgh Military Tattoo and other major international events. In 2008 Christchurch performed with great distinction in Moscow, Russia, and in 2009 at the World Military Music Festival in Tripoli, Libya. As is the case with many civilian groups, the band's membership reflects a diversity of ages, backgrounds and experience. It includes military officers, farmers and school teachers, computer technicians and salesmen, farmers, students etc. The band has always maintained an active tutoring programme and has trained many young people in the art of piping and drumming, some of whom have gone on to be numbered among New Zealand's top musicians. The Christchurch City Pipe Band is led by Pipe Major Robin Loomes.

Sbandieratori di Sansepolcro & Gubbio Gubbio, situated in the Province of Umbria, is one of the best-preserved medieval towns in the whole of Europe. It is connected with the life of St. Francis of Assisi, and was the residence of the great dynasty of da Montefeltro, Dukes of Urbino. The present group of flagwavers was established in 1969 by the Società Balestrieri, with the intent of transmitting and revitalising the century-old tradition of the Palio della Balestra, held at Gubbio on the last Sunday of May and at Sansepolcro during the month of September. In 1998 with mutual consent the Flagwavers of Gubbio and the Società Balestrieri divided, even though the original objectives remained unchanged. During more than 40 years of activity the Flagwavers of Gubbio carried out about 1,400 demonstrations, visiting 40 countries, invigorating and promoting Italian and, in particular, Umbrian traditions. Among the highlights of their international circuit are the first- ever Russian Tattoo, Kremlin Zoria, in Moscow's historic Red Square in 2007, and the World Military Music Festival in Tripoli, Libya, in 2009, the biggest event of its kind in Africa and the Arab world. The Flagwavers have turned out to be an incredible instrument for tourist promotion and for creating a bond with the foreign Italian communities, consolidating the ties with the land of origin and assuring assistance and cooperation. They entrust to the winds that blow through the skies of the world a message of peace and friendship. The strategies of the Group aim to immortalise the secular game of the flag and the ethical message that it contains, even through educational youth programs such as introductory courses and professional training for subjects like folklore, art, history, traditions and sports. Future projects not only deal with the perfectionism of the choreography and the costumes of the Flagwavers but also the analysis and study of cultural aspects, even in connection to other artistic disciplines. The Gubbio Sbandieratori proudly display not only their town and family heraldry, but also the letters of the Umbrian alphabet from the famous Eugubine Tables (3rd-1st centuries BC), discovered and preserved in Gubbio.