Children under the age of 12 might not have many entertainment options outside their homes in the UAE at the moment, but at least a whole new world of digital activities has opened up amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Dubai Opera is now adding to that virtual portfolio, as it launches weekly online classes in collaboration with Diverse Performing Arts School.
The series, which runs every Tuesday on the opera house’s Facebook channel, includes sessions in hip hop, ballet, contemporary dance, tap dance, singing and drama.
These are specifically targeted towards children aged 5 to 10, and young adults aged 11 to 18.
It all kicks off on Tuesday, June 9, with a hip-hop dance class from 5pm for children and 6pm for young adults, who will be asked to groove along to the likes of Ritmo (Bad Boys Remix) by Black Eyed Peas, J Balvin and Jaden.
The companies are also offering participants the chance to win free virtual or in-house classes at Diverse Studio over the summer, by taking part in a social media challenge over the next six weeks.
The young dancers will be asked to upload videos of themselves taking part in the lessons and challenges in order to win first prize, which is 10 free classes or a full week at the school’s musical theatre camp or summer course.
Second prize-winners from each age group will get five free classes.
Result
UAE (S. Tagliabue 90 1') 1-2 Uzbekistan (Shokhruz Norkhonov 48', 86')
Founders: Ines Mena, Claudia Ribas, Simona Agolini, Nourhan Hassan and Therese Hundt
Date started: January 2017, app launched November 2017
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Private/Retail/Leisure
Number of Employees: 18 employees, including full-time and flexible workers
Funding stage and size: Seed round completed Q4 2019 - $1m raised
Funders: Oman Technology Fund, 500 Startups, Vision Ventures, Seedstars, Mindshift Capital, Delta Partners Ventures, with support from the OQAL Angel Investor Network and UAE Business Angels
Kanguva
Director: Siva
Stars: Suriya, Bobby Deol, Disha Patani, Yogi Babu, Redin Kingsley
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: N2 Technology
Founded: 2018
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Startups
Size: 14
Funding: $1.7m from HNIs
Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Essentials
The flights
Whether you trek after mountain gorillas in Rwanda, Uganda or the Congo, the most convenient international airport is in Rwanda’s capital city, Kigali. There are direct flights from Dubai a couple of days a week with RwandAir. Otherwise, an indirect route is available via Nairobi with Kenya Airways. Flydubai flies to Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo, via Entebbe in Uganda. Expect to pay from US$350 (Dh1,286) return, including taxes.
The tours
Superb ape-watching tours that take in all three gorilla countries mentioned above are run by Natural World Safaris. In September, the company will be operating a unique Ugandan ape safari guided by well-known primatologist Ben Garrod.
In the Democratic Republic of Congo, local operator Kivu Travel can organise pretty much any kind of safari throughout the Virunga National Park and elsewhere in eastern Congo.
Read more from Aya Iskandarani
