Carnival aficionados give their all for their ‘pastime’, sometimes going to extremes to turn their pipe dream into reality. Stephanie Fsadni talks to one such enthusiast, whose love of dancing led her into the carnival arena.

Stephania and Manuel in last year’s winning costumes.

Stephania Gellel has been dancing all her life. She started out at a young age and after years of practice, she began teaching modern dance in her home town of Kalkara. Eventually she founded her own company, Mystic Dancers, in 1999.

Among other activities, the group took part in carnival festivities in towns and villages around the island. Even though she was never a big fan of carnival, she received such good feedback that seven years ago, she decided to enter the main carnival dance competition in Valletta. And she hasn’t looked back since.

Four years ago, she and her partner, Manuel Pace, known as ‘il-Putullu’, of Valletta, set up their own carnival company – Stephania Gellel and Putullu On Behalf of Mystic Dancers. After various prizes, last year they won the Section A category – which includes float, costumes and dance – with their horoscope theme.

The couple is hoping to repeat their success with this year’s theme inspired by the 1984 German film The Never Ending Story. The plot tells of a young boy named Bastian who dives into a fantasy world through the pages of a magical book about a young warrior, Atreyu.

Stephania and Manuel are very excited about the theme, at the centre of which lies the iconic luckdragon Falkor – the wingless, flying dragon with an elongated body that  carries Atreyu in his adventures.

“This theme has been in the pipeline for a number of years as Manuel loves the film,” says Stephania. “We were just waiting for the right time…”

The couple has been working on this project since summer but preparations are now coming to a head. Together with helpers and family members, they are currently spending whole days at their warehouse in Marsa – eating and sleeping there too sometimes – with Manuel working incessantly on the float and Stephania finishing off the costumes when she’s not rehearsing with her dance group.

Expect to see forests, winged creatures and a sea of gold

“In September, we started rehearsing the choreography twice a week but since January, we’ve been meeting daily from Monday to Thursday.”

The 35 dancers will be wearing lavish costumes representing characters from the film.

“Expect to see forests, winged creatures and a sea of gold,” hints Stephania, who will herself dress up as The Childlike Empress, a pivotal character in the movie. She does not reveal any other details about her costume except that it comprises a 20-metre-long skirt.

Stephania Gellel sewing costumes.

These costumes, which would often include metalwork, rich fabric, sequins and beads among other material, come at no small cost. Each dancer pays around €450, with the rest of the expenses covered by the company.

“We can do this thanks to fundraising activities, sponsors and government subsidies, but sometimes we have to dig into our pocket,” explains Stephania.

Once carnival is over, some costumes end up in their warehouse.

“We hang them on a wall. Perhaps, in the near future, there’ll be space for them in the museum to be built at the Carnival Village,” she says, referring to the long-awaited space in Marsa wholly dedicated to the festivity and which was given the green light from the Planning Authority last November.

Getting involved in carnival requires a lot of commitment from all parties involved.

“It’s an expensive hobby that requires dedication and a lot of sacrifice. We wouldn’t be able to do it without our helpers and families, who work voluntarily,” admits Stephania. “But once we’re in it, we try to give our best.”

She also admits to feeling exhausted in the long run and sometimes wonders whether she should give herself a break from carnival… but she dismisses the idea very quickly.

“Carnival becomes part and parcel of your routine and I cannot imagine myself without it. It would leave a deep void in my life.”

Manuel ‘il-Putullu’ working on the float.

A detail of the float.

The company has won various prizes since it was set up.