Enchanting rituals "Art of the Kathakali and the Rituals of Theyyam" is a spectacular photo exhibition that showcases two styles of ritual dancing originating in the area of southwestern India now known as the state of Kerala -- kathakali and theyyam. Captured by the lens of gifted photographer Coucla Refaat, the images are currently on show at the Cairo Opera House Music Library gallery. The kathakali images displayed in the exhibition depict the classical dance-drama that dates back to the 17th century. The photographs capture the vivid colours of the traditional kathakali make-up, intricate facial expressions known as bhava and elaborate hand gestures called mudras. Kathakali is a group dance, in which dancers take various roles in performances based on the themes rooted in the Hindu mythology. It is basically a story-telling play where katha means story and kali means play. The dancers perform silently using only facial expressions, hand gestures and movement of different parts of the body. All performers are men and all characters are differentiated by make-up colour, for example, noble characters are coloured in green while evil characters are coloured in red and green. Kathakali dancers are distinguished by their red eyes, as rice seed is inserted inside the eye to turn into red just to match their costumes. Theyyam, one of the traditional ritual dances of north Kerala is also an ancient performing art. The name theyyam is a corrupt form of the word Daivam for deity or God, and is characterised as a living cult with traditions, rituals and customs dating back several thousands of years. Its adherents consider the theyyams as incarnations of various deities, and seek their blessings and counsel. The many hours theyyam performers spend intricately painting their faces and decorating their bodies inspire the viewer's imagination. ( see Listings p.6 ) Former United Nations secretary-general and head of the National Council for Human Rights Boutros Boutros-Ghali was the keynote speaker and the honorary degree recipient at AUC's 86th graduate commencement that took place at the university's New Cairo campus. Addressing the 117 graduates from various disciplines including business administration, public administration, journalism and mass communications and computing, Ghali highlighted the major global problems that must be resolved to achieve "great international solidarity and purpose." AUC President David Arnold and Provost Lisa Anderson granted Ghali the honorary degree. During the graduate ceremony, several awards were also presented to faculty and graduate students. The Excellence in Research and Creative Endeavors Award, established to recognise excellent research and creative endeavours of full-time faculty, was awarded to Professor of Mechanical Engineering Salah El-Haggar. Other awards such as the Frank G. Wisner Award, established to recognise the graduate student with the most outstanding thesis on modern Egypt, was presented to political graduate student Hadeer El-Shafie for her thesis on fishermen of Lake Nasser. The Tawfiq Pasha Doss Award, given to the best thesis in English and comparative literature and political science, was awarded to Martino Lovato. Among the graduates was Dina Siddiq Lamey, wife of Al-Ahram Weekly 's senior editor Alaa Abdel-Ghani. Lamey received her Master's Degree in Teaching English as a Foreign Language. This is Lamey 's second Master's from AUC. The first was in mass communication. If AUC graduates had their day on Tuesday, it was the turn of the undergraduates on Thursday. Member of parliament and Secretary-General of the National Council for Women Farkhonda Hassan was the keynote speaker at AUC's 86th undergraduate ceremony that took place for the first time at AUC's New Cairo Campus, in Bartlett Plaza. Addressing 446 graduating students, 55 of whom are graduating with highest honours, 65 graduating with high honours and 85 students graduating with honours, President David Arnold provided a word of inspiration to Egypt's future generation by quoting US President Barack Obama's speech in Cairo: "You, more than anyone, have the ability to re-imagine the world, to re-make this world." Several awards were presented during the ceremony including the honorary degree of humane letters presented to Ahmed Kamal Abul-Magd, deputy chairman of the National Council for Human Rights. Other awards were presented to students for their outstanding academic achievements and community service work, including among many others the Nadia Younes Award for Public and Humanitarian Service to Menan Omar ; the Abdel-Rahman El-Sawy Award to Mohamed Abdel-Salam ; and the Samiha El-Barkouky Award in Egyptology was awarded to Kaya MacKenzie Frazer. The Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching Award was given to Nathaniel Bowditch, assistant professor of philosophy and Ehab Abdel-Rahman, professor of physics; the Excellence in Core Curriculum Teaching Award to Carol Clark, English language teacher at the English Language Institute; and the Excellence in Academic Service Award to Hassanein Amer, associate professor and chair of the Department of Electronics Engineering. Among the distinguished guests in the ceremony were Emadeddin Adib, celebrating the graduation of his son from journalism and mass communication, musician Omar Khayrat and former minister of housing Mohamed Ibrahim Suleiman. photo: Abdel-Hamid Eid The Cairo Opera House witnessed a thrilling private screening for the new summer hit blockbuster Bobbos, starring veteran comedian Adel Imam and gorgeous actress Yossra, the film is scripted by Youssef Maati and directed by Wael Ehsan. A galaxy of celebrities attended the screening to congratulate the cast of the film among them were veteran actresses Ragaa El-Geddawi and Lebleba who participated with Imam in a plethora of films, comedian Ashraf Abdel-Baqi, actress Manal Salama as well as singer-cum- actress Maye Kassab. During a gala ceremony in the golden hall at the opulent Mohamed Ali Manial Palace, Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA) Zahi Hawass received an honorary doctorate degree from Bansomdejchaopraha Rajabhat University in Thailand for his contributions and knowledge for the conservation of the world's heritage in Egypt. Thailand's Ambassador to Egypt Noppadon Theppitak presented the degree to Hawass. Further, renowned and best seller Thai Koosangkooson Magazine offered Hawass a Plaque of Appreciation in recognition of his discoveries of the world's ancient antiquities. The event was attended by an official delegation from the university as well as a bevy of high- profile figures including Minister of Higher Education and of State for Scientific Research Hani Hilal, Cairo Governor Abdel-Azim Wazir, Al-Ahram veteran writer and columnist Anis Mansour, head of the People's Assembly Foreign Relations Committee Mustafa El-Feki, head of the Egyptian Writers Union Mohamed Salmawi, former Egyptian ambassador to Washington Nabil Fahmi, AUC Press Director Mark Linz and director of Nahdat Masr Publishing House Dalia Ibrahim. Thailand Folkloric Dance group has enlivened the event performing some of their most well known shows. photos: Ayman Barayez On the occasion of celebrating Queen Elizabeth 's birthday, British Ambassador to Egypt Dominic Esquith held a lavish reception at the garden of the British Embassy in Garden City. An array of ambassadors and high-profile personalities attended the reception among them were Minister of Housing Ahmed El-Maghrabi, Minister of Social Solidarity Ali Meselhi, Omani Ambassador to Egypt Abdel-Aziz Al-Hanaai, Moroccan Ambassador to Egypt Mohamed Farag Al-Dokali and his Jordanian counterpart Hani Al-Malqi, Spanish Ambassador to Egypt Antonio López Martinez and his Italian counterpart Claudio Pacifico and the Garden City Lions Club head Awatef Seraggeddin. The 10th Egyptian International Modern Dance Festival was inaugurated by director of the Cairo Opera House Abdel-Moneim Kamel and its artistic director and gifted choreographer Walid Aouni at the Cairo Opera House Main Hall. The ceremony opened with the screening of a documentary film that traces the chronicle of the festival founded in 1999. Aouni then invited Kamel to distribute the shields of recognition among the honourees who included former dean of the Ballet Institute Magda Saleh, veteran journalist Louise Greiss, sculptor Adam Henein and stage director Ahmed Zaki. Al-Ahram Weekly columnist and Chairman of the Board of the daily newspaper Al-Shorouk Salama Ahmed Salama has recovered from a critical surgery and will soon resume his writings. Last week, a lavish reception was held at a hotel overlooking the Nile to mark the launching of Ethics Handbook for Journalists issued by Thomas Reuters Foundation and translated recently into Arabic. The handbook written by Paul Holmes, the Reuters global editor for political and general News from 2002 to 2007 and an Ethics Fellow of the Poynter Institute for Journalism Studies, was made possible with the funding of Mona Megalli, a Reuters reporter who when was diagnosed with cancer in 2004, resolved to pass on her passion, respect and love for journalism to a new generation of reporters. "This handbook, written in accordance with the journalistic principles practiced by the international news agency Reuters where Mona worked, was designed to provide advice and guidance on journalism ethics in the Arab World and across the globe. It is not intended to provide answers to all ethical challenges, but rather to serve as a guide on these complex issues and as food for thought for everyone who loves journalism," as Caroline Drees of Thomas Reuters wrote in the preface of the handbook.
