As our winter blends from warm to cold, Arts Richmond is gearing up for the second annual Winter Gala. This year’s theme is “Fire and Ice 2012 — A Red and White Gala” to benefit the ongoing programs of the Arts Richmond Center and the Richmond County Arts Council.
On Jan. 28, an evening of dancing and dining await. Tickets are $35, and are limited.
“Advanced tickets required,” said Arts Richmond Executive Director Laura Daskal. “Last year we sold out.”
Dinner and dancing will be accompanied by a silent auction, dance performances, entertainment and a cake showcase.
The gala will be held at Liberty Place in Rockingham, located at 214 E. Washington St.
One of the dance performances is NC State Nasha, a campus-based Bollywood dance team that blends together eastern dance forms like hip-hop and jazz with traditional Indian classical and folk forms to create a dance routine like none before it. Last year, the team took home the title of NC State’s Best Dance Crew, a competition hosted by NC State’s Dance Life. The dance team is only a year old, but takes pride in having choreographers with extensive dance training and experience and look forward to a year of competition ahead. One of the dancers, Avani Patel, is from Rockingham.
The other performance will be belly-dancers called Qarisma Dance Arts, by Sharifa Asmar of Richmond County.
The Arts Council is hosting a cake showcase as well.
“We are inviting five or more cake artists interested in showing off their art in edible cake form,” announced the Arts Council. “We would expect that each contestant will benefit from the visibility offered during the Fire & Ice Gala.”
The cakes are themed Fire and Ice.
• The cake presented will need to be large enough to provide a bite sized sample for approximately 150 people.
• Cakes must be three dimensional, not a sheet cake.
• Each cake is not to exceed three feet tall by three and a half feet wide.
• Each cake must be prepared and displayed between 5 and 6 p.m.
January 28th
• All contestants will be able to put their business cards out next to their display.
• All decorations on the exterior of the cake are encouraged to be edible.
• Table dressings are not necessary. The presentation of the cake will be all that’s required.
• No electric will be available, so please do not incorporate fountains, lights (other than self sustaining) or other electrical components.
• Please specify if nuts are used in the cakes, frosting, etc.
The contest:
Prizes/trophy will be awarded for:
• Best representation of them
Event attendees will vote on the following items:
• Best representation of theme
Each vote costs $1 and there are no minimums to the amount of votes someone can submit. This is a fundraiser for Arts Richmond.
Each cake display will have a container specific for each of the two categories – Best Representation of Theme and Best Taste.
Total votes per cake will be tallied to determine Best Overall winner. Cake artists are encouraged to solicit sponsorship of their cake. All money raised via voting and sponsorships will be tallied to determine best overall.
— Staff Writer Dawn M. Kurry can be reached at 910-997-3111, ext. 15, or by email at .