An Example of Casa Alessia's Work in Burundi

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I have written quite a lot about the Gala for Alessia at the Silvio Pellico Theatre in Trecate Northern Italy at 21:00 on 28 June 2016. Admission to the theatre is free so long as you book your place by phone by calling +39 333 390  7055 or contact me before the 24 June. However there will be a collection for Casa Alessia at the end and this film is about one of the charity's projects.

The title of the film is "Casa Alessia - Masango Orphanage (Burundi)" and it shows volunteers in yellow T-shirts helping members of a religious order known as the Sisters of Charity of San Vincenzo De' Paoli to look after street kids.

Burundi is a tiny landlocked country in East Africa.  It is estimated that nearly 11.2 million people are crammed into its 10,747 square miles (slightly larger than Wales). Until the end of the First World War it was governed by Germany. Afterwards it was held on trust by Belgium. Even before the civil war it was one of the poorest countries on earth but the events that have occurred since it achieved independence in 1962 have impoverished it still further.

Clearly Burundi needs all the help that it can get. By contributing generously to Casa Alessia's work in Burundi we can make a difference.

The Beautiful Dancers at the Gala for Alessia

More on the Gala for Alessia.  

The brilliant young dancer and choreographer, Cristiano Principato, whose photo appears in the top left hand corner, has persuaded 11 of his chums to come to Trecate in North West Italy to dance in a gala to raise funds for the Casa Alessia to carry out reconstruction work in Burundi (see Principato's Project 7 April 2016).

Casa Alessia is a charity established in memory of a remarkable young student called Alessia Mairati who had intended to work for those less fortunate than herself. Alas, she died in an air crash before she could do any of that work but her father set up the charity to do some of the work that she would have carried out. It is a very sad but also very beautiful story (see Some More Information on Alessia 30 April 2016).

Every year a fund raising concert takes place in Novara in which Cristiano had always hoped to participate. He could not do so while he was at ballet school but he can now. He has brought all those excellent young dancers from the Dutch National Ballet, La Scala ballet, the Vienna State Ballet and Jas Arts Ballet to the Silvio Pellico Theatre in Trecate for a splendid show.

The programme will begin with Tempo which Cristiano has choreographed for himself and will include extracts from Swan Lake, Coppelia, The Sleeping Beauty and The Pharaoh's Daughter which we don't see very often in England. There will be another work from Cristiano called Paladio which he has created for the Dutch National Ballet and will end with Ernst Meisner's beautiful short work Embers which is one of the best I have ever seen.

Where us Trecate? I hear you say. It is about 15 miles south of Milan's Malpensa airport which is well served with flights from all major British airports as well as Budapest (if Mel or Ryosuke are interested), Oslo and Stuttgart. Trecate is just outside Novara on the railway line and near the motorway between Turin and Milan. Although it is very close to the airport it is rather awkward to reach by public transport which is why Holiday Taxis, easyJet's partners in Milan, had the cheek to quote me an exorbitant £120 for the 30 mile round trip. Don't pay it folks! The chaps in Burundi need your money rather more. Put at least some of that dosh in the collection when Cristiano passes round the hat at the end of the show. There is a bus from Malpensa airport to Novara which stops at Novara railway station from where there are frequent trains to Trecate (see How to get to the Gala for Alessia 4 May 2016).

By bringing the ballet to Trecate Cristiano will give his dad an opportunity to see him dance. Mr Principato senior has been unable to travel long distances for medical reasons. He has only read about his son's triumphs in Amsterdam, London and other places up to now. On 28 June he will see not only his son but some other fine dancers who like Cristiano will be big box office in a few years time.

The Silvio Pellico Theatre is at 24 Piazza Cattaneo in Trecate and the Macri restaurant is at number 20 where I shall be in the chair from 19:00.