Banquet of Dreams 2018 is the third year since Emily Cooper from Hands Heart and Feet and Meg Benson of Music Hunter first united to run their vibrant, family friendly annual event, one of the Mountains favourite summer celebrations.
This year it’s happening on Saturday, December 8 at Blackheath Community Hall.
Hands Heart and Feet first started Banquet of Dreams 10 years ago. Cooper said: “It’s a huge task to put on events regularly, and we think events are incredibly worthwhile, however we also like to focus on our art form and our regular classes. I thought it would be more enjoyable and sustainable over the long term to partner up with someone with similar community values, aspirations for quality and experience of running events in the Mountains, so together we can work as a team.”
Benson added: “It’s really easy running events with Emily and we seem to always have a full house. The most enjoyable aspects for me are dreaming up a decor theme each year to do justice to all those colourful costumes, the overwhelming experience of mutual co-operation and especially to picking a guest headline act that suits the Banquet atmosphere.”
The headline act for 2018 is Equus, who will be launching their second album, Tailwind Home, to the Mountains at Banquet of Dreams. Equus play an entrancing rhythmic set of mesmerising Mongolian and world music fusions that incorporate Turkish influences with contemporary music.
John Robinson is on various stringed instruments including the oud and Peter Kennard on percussion are both exceptionally talented local musicians who are joined in Equus by outlanders Bertie McMahon on upright bass and Mongolian Australian Bukhchuluun Ganburged on horse head fiddle and Mongolian throat singing.
Equus have ganined popularity since impressing locals at the Blue Mountains Music Festival. During this segment of the evening’s program the dance floor will be open for free form dancing.
Prior to Equus, there will be energetic dance performances in stunning costumes from Lucky African Dance + the Jamestown Collective, Michele from AfriChelè Dance, Blue Mountains Flamenco run by Annalouise Paul with special guest Robert Varga on guitar and Rafael Leon on vocals. And, of course, the spectacular Hands Heart and Feet drummers and dancers.
There will also be market stalls, including food.
Banquet of Dreams on Saturday, December 8, at Blackheath Community Hall, corner GWH and Gardiner Crescent, Blackheath
Doors open at 6pm for a 7pm start. Pre-sale tickets are $17 and $22 ($3 more at the door) with discounts for families and groups. See http://handsheartfeet.com/banquet-of-dreams/.
