PHOTOS: Final Mediterranean Fantasy Festival, dancing into history

| West Seattle festivals | West Seattle news | WS culture/arts

(WSB photos by Leda Costa)

Today (Sunday) is your last chance to enjoy the region’s biggest belly-dancing festival without leaving West Seattle.

As we reported last weekend, the Mediterranean Fantasy Festival will be history after this final two-day run.

WSB contributing photographer Leda Costa stopped by Hiawatha Community Center (2700 California SW) toward the end of the festival finale’s first day.

She also found a shirt in tribute to festival coordinator Saroya Poirier, who founded it with other members of her Babylonian Ensemble – “da Babs” – 30 years ago.

And the dancing went on into the evening:

You can watch dancers and browse vendors 11 am-5 pm Sunday.

Here are the dancer lineups for the indoor and outdoor stages.

Admission is free.

JoB July 17, 2017 (6:55 am)

it’s probably good for my pocketbook that i didn’t know about the clothing booths…

Li August 2, 2017 (3:46 pm)

As society is becoming more enlightened and educated about social justice, it’s timely that this problematic festival be put to bed as a meaningful step to be on the right side of history. Cultural Appropriation of any form and swiping cultural elements for profit is indefensible. Engaging in the power dynamic of being a member of a dominant culture and taking elements from a culture of people who have been systematically oppressed by that dominant group is no longer acceptable. White women engaging in this form of racism are guilty of cultural theft. Swiping and mutating the moves of these cultures is actively participating in oppression and causes trauma for persons who’s cultures have been subjected to colonization and imperialism.

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